we are entering into temptation, and holiness seems difficult, and sin more and more tempting. Every glance that is taken through the broken hedge makes the thoughts of the master's castle more irksome, and increases the desire to get out into the wilderness. The only way to deal safely with temptations is not to enter into them, but to keep them as much as possible at a distance, and to keep as far as possible even from the hedge. Temptations to sin are very different from trials and afflictions for the removal of sin. We ought not to be too much afraid of these last, but we cannot well be too much afraid of the first.

THE LAKE AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.

A CHILD'S LETTER AND LESSON.

THERE was once a little stream among the mountains, so small that it was lost in the first sand-bed across which it attempted to make its way. But God designed to make of this rill a great, wide, beautiful lake, that might, if need be, remain to all time, majestic and glorious. Whereupon he hedged the rill about with high restraints, and threw across it an impenetrable barrier of mountains. Thus disciplined, it grew upon itself, and rose and expanded, till in process of time it did indeed become a deep, majestic water, into which the cliffs looked down with wonder, to see themselves and the heavens so perfectly reflected, crystal clear.

But now the lake grew proud, and said within itself and to itself, I am too much shut up and confined. The restraint upon me is unworthy of so great a body, unworthy of a free state. I ought to have scope to exercise my sovereign will, and be governed by it. Besides, why shut myself up in this basin, when I am worthy to spread all over the world? So grand a creature as I am ought not to be restricted within such narrow limits, but to go roaming, and admired in every continent. I will be free.

Now, the silly lake did not consider for a moment, did not even once think, that that very imprisonment was the cause of all its greatness and all its beauty; and all its usefulness too, so that ten thousand Croton aqueducts might have been carried from it, if need be, to ten thousand cities; and, indeed, a beautiful river ran from it continually. Moreover, it forgot its origin, so weak and low, forgot

the time when it was like an infant in the cradle, and would have been lost in getting across the first sand-bank. It had grown up, only because God had restrained it, and now it had got so large, that it threw off all humility, all thoughts of subjection, and became boisterous and proud.

But pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall, as we shall see. The lake brooded upon these wicked thoughts, till at length it lost all patience and selfcontrol, and began to beat madly against the mountain ramparts, that hemmed it in, and preserved it in power and beauty. For some time its efforts were all ineffectual; the mountains remained steady at their post, and the overhanging cliffs looked down in amazement to see the calm and beautiful lake so ruffled and distorted, lashing itself into such vain fury. But when there is an evil will, there is always an evil way. A desire after sin within us, always finds tempting occasions without us.

There were certain persons envious of the great, beautiful lake, because it was not in the dominions of their own State; and at the same time that these evil passions and causes of ruin were working within, they laid a plan to destroy all its greatness, from without. They began to undermine the mountain barrier, and succeeded in producing a great avalanche from without, so that the swelling and pressing of the lake from within began to produce some impression. At length, one dark night, when a dreadful storm was raging, the lake burst impetuously through, and thundered down into the valley, carrying terrific devastation in its course. The next morning there was nothing to be seen of it but a bed of sand where it formerly rested, and a long pathway of ruins-rocks, sand and gravelwhere it rushed away. It had gained its freedom, but it had destroyed itself; it had burst through all restraint, but in doing so, it had sacrificed the causes of its beauty, its grandeur, its life. It was all gone and perished.

Now, my dear little children, and you ye large children

with straps to your pantaloons, listen to the moral of my story. It has two applications: the first, to every one of us as individuals; and the second, to our country. Let no man think that true freedom consists in deliverance from all restraint. Let every man think, that in order to be good and great, he must be restrained and hemmed in on every side. The providence and the word of God must encircle and confine him. If he wishes to do great good to the world, let him be assured that the lake of his good intentions must be confined by the word of God, and that if he bursts this barrier, the cataract of his benevolence will only cover the earth ten feet deep with mud and ruin, and in the end will come to nothing.

If he wishes to be very large and free, let him remember that it is nothing but the truth can make him free, and that it was a great king who said, "I will run in the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart." A large heart keeps confined within God's commandments, and that is the only way in which it can be made and kept large; and then a perennial stream of goodness runs from it. If he chafes at the barrier, let him remember that without it he would be lost in the first sand-bank. If he is disposed to be proud of his greatness, let him remember that it is only God who has built him up and can keep him. And, at all hazards, let him keep within the word of God. I have elsewhere said that the human mind is like a boy's kite, needing to be confined if it would steadily soar. So the human reason must be tied to the word of God, or it cannot fly. My dear little child, did you ever see the boys playing with a kite? Many of the large children, to whom I am speaking, have played with kites themselves, when they were not much larger than you are, when they were no bigger than the rill that grew into a lake. Did you ever see a little boy's paper kite in the air when the string broke-how it began to waver, and go sidelong, and then plunged head foremost to the ground? Just so it

is with the human reason, when it casts loose from God's word. Down it comes to the ground, just like a broken balloon, and woe to him that trusted in it. He thought he was going up to the third heavens, but ten to one it will land him in some wild marsh, where he will never find his way out, or a thousand miles at sea, where he will struggle on and be drowned. I know many men, who have gone up in the balloon, and come down in the mud.

The second application of the bursting of the lake is to our country; and you, my dear little child, young as you are, are enough of a politician to know that our country cannot be great and happy unless in obedience to God's word. They that are our enemies, would undermine our freedom and happiness by destroying the Sabbath, and casting off the authority of God's word, so that they may make a breach in the great barrier of divine truth that protects our institutions. And if they should succeed in doing this, then it would be very easy for wicked demagogues and infidels to raise such an internal proud storm, that the mountains would give way, and our great and beautiful lake of liberty and happiness would go to destruction.

When we were a little rill, and God threw such kind restraints around us, to make us a broad, deep lake, then we were keepers at home, and waited on Providence. But now we begin to think the Divine Providence and word too narrow and strait to confine our mighty genius, and some talk as if we had a mission, having begun with Mexico, to extend the area of freedom all round the world, taking Cuba first by the way. But our mission is, simply, to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God, and we had better see to it that all our people at home, black and white, enjoy real liberty, before we undertake to extend the area of freedom.

But I find my letter is getting long; and having performed my promise, and more, by giving you both a story and a sermon, I shall bid you good-bye.