CHAP. VII.

Now to new Fields and Pastures new.

As Mr. Dalben and Henry returned into the study from escorting Mrs. Bonville to her carriage, after a very early breakfast, Henry fetched a long deep breath, and concluded by bounding over the sopha which stood with its back to the door, descending lightly among the down and cushions.

"What now!" said Mr. Dalben.

"I hear the wheels of the world passing away," replied Henry, "and the sound becomes fainter every moment; I feel myself at home-quite at home now, uncle, and I find myself exceedingly young, and very happy. I feel as I did that day, when Wellings had been dining with us, and was gone;-the bull day, uncle, when poor Patrick O'Grady saved my life."

"Well," said Mr. Dalben," then suppose you go and spend yourself with a run, and Kitty

shall remove these cups and saucers, and then we will have some discourse on various matters."

All this was done as Mr. Dalben proposed; and when Henry returned, he was ready to sit down opposite to Mr. Dalben in the beloved window.

The morning was one of the sweetest mornings of early summer, Thomas was mowing the little grass plot under the window, and the dew had hardly passed from the blossoms of the lilac and the laburnum.

And now, my beloved Henry," said Mr. Dalben, we are, with the divine permission, beginning a new stage of our existence. I have always been in the habit of considering the journey of life as divided into certain stages. We sometimes in our journey arrive at a quiet and peaceful inn, surrounded with green fields: and then again our journey of another day brings us to the centre of a market or a fair in some crowded square, where we are disturbed with shrews within and brawls without; but the wise traveller is enabled to retain the tranquillity of his mind in all these various scenes— his heart is in that place which he hopes to attain at the end of his journey; and his chief anxiety is to secure a welcome in that bourne of his best hopes.

"You and I, my boy, have for some months past been travelling through stormy scenes, and now, through the Divine goodness, we are met again under the fairest auspices. We have a prospect of spending two years or more together in this place, with the Divine permission; after that time we must part for a while, but not, I trust, permanently. But inasmuch as we cannot expect present peace unless we are in the way of usefulness and duty, let us consider what our immediate objects and duties may be. You have never changed your mind, I imagine, my dear boy, respecting your profession."

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No, Sir," replied Henry; "I wish to be a clergyman."

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"So far, so well," replied Mr. Dalben;

when a young man's mind is made up as it regards his profession, his views are simplified, and he then has only to consider what is required of him to render him an accomplished individual of his order. I use the word accomplished, in its sense of complete, or finishedas complete and as finished and perfect as his very imperfect nature and natural qualities will allow.

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My Henry, have you ever pictured to yourself a perfect model of the character of a Christian minister ?"

“I have sometimes thought of what a cler

gyman ought to be," replied Henry;

I do not think that I have ever

"but yet

seen one

whom I should wish exactly to be like."

"Have you ever, in the course of reading, met with the character of a Christian teacher, which you would wish to imitate ?"

"I have only read children's books yet, Sir," replied Henry.

Recollect yourself, my boy," returned Mr. Dalben. "Have you only read children's books as yet, my dear Henry ?"

"Children's books, and the classics, and the Bible," replied Henry.

And the Bible ?" returned Mr. Dalben. "Yes, Sir," returned Henry; "I read the Bible much before I left home, but not so much at school."

"And is there no character therein depicted, worthy of imitation ?" asked Mr. Dalben.

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"Our Saviour," replied Henry; but, uncle, what am I that I should imitate our Lord ?"

"Christ was a man as well as God," replied Mr. Dalben; "as our articles say, the Son, which is the Word of the Father begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin

of her substance; so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and manhood, were joined together in one person never to be divided. In his character of man there is, therefore, much in our Lord which we may imitate; neither can we believe that this imi tation will be wholly without success, when we understand that our blessed Saviour has procured for those who are united to him by faith, that assistance of the Holy Spirit by which we are enabled to bring forth the fruits of good works. Such being the case, my Henry, there is no presumption in our setting before ourselves the Lord our Saviour in his human character, as a divine teacher, as a model for our imitation. Had the shepherds and pastors of the church ever looked to the Sun of righteousness, rather than to the clouds which passed between them and that Sun in the dark days of the church, the sheep would not have wandered as they have done, and still continue to do."

Uncle," replied Henry, "please to explain to me what you have just said."

"Have you forgotten, Henry, what I have taught you respecting the type of water? and what I said respecting clouds? Water, which is expressed in Hebrew by a word signifying motion, in opposition to stillness or quiescence,