Beautiful And Truthful Extract

It was uight - JerusaleiD slept as quietly amid her 1. lisas schild upou the breast of its mother. Tho noiseless sent nel stood like a statue at his post, and thu philosopher's lamp burucd dimly in the rcepssea of his chatnlicr. But a mortal darkness involved tho nations in Ua unliglited shadows. Iíoíison shcd a faint glimiuering over the niinds of men likt) tho eold and insuffi cient light of a distant star. The irnmortaltty of uian's spiritual nature was unknown, his relations unto heaven undiscovered, and his futuro destiny obscured iu a cloud of mysUry. It was at this period that two fonns of etherial mould hovered about tho land of God's chosen people. They seeined like r-ister sent to ihe earth on au enibassy of love. ïho poe of mujestic stature and ivoll formed huibs, whiüti her gnowy drapory liardly concealca, in hor erect beai ing and steady eye, exhibited the bighest degreo of strength and cotifidence. Her right arm was extended in an expressive gestuie upward, where uiglit appeared to have placed her darkest pviliou; whilo on her left reclined hor delicate compauion, in fonn and oountcnance the oootrast of tho other, for sho w;is droopiug Jike a ílower when njoisteued with tho refreshiug dews, and her bright but tronhled eye scauned tho air with varving glanoee. Suddenly a light like the sun, flashed from the heavens, and Faith and Hopo hailed with exulting songs tho aseending star of Eethlcheni. Years rolled awiy, and tlie stranger was soL'ii in Jerusalom. He was a nieuk and unassuming nian, whose happiness seemed to oonsist in acts of benovulence to the human raoe. Thero wero deep traces of sorrow in His oountonauce, thoUgh no'one fcnew why, He grieved, for He livod in tho practico of every virtue, and was boloved by all tho good and wise. Uy-aud by it was rüaurod that tho stranger worked miraolos that the blind saiv and the dunib spake, the ooean inoderated its chafiug time, and the very thunder articulated " He is the Son of God." Ënvy assailed hiin to death. - Slowly and thiuk girded, Ho asceuded the Hill of Culvary A heavy oross bont him to the earth ; but Faith leaned on his avfü, and Hope dtpped her piniocs in liis bloodj ana móuDtcd to tbeetieá.