It service when I knew him not, and had prepared such a friend for me in my uncle, and had made every thing so easy to me here, and had assured me of such promotion hereafter, and that not from any service I ever did, or ever could do for him ;* and when I thought too of his excellent merit, and all he had suffered for us, I was cut, I must say, yea, to the very heart, to the very joints and marrow, and like the poor doctor, began to weep and cry as if my head had been a fountain of water.† And to be sure the sight was awful-and such as no one could look on without trouble. seemed, as it were, as if the eastern horizon were all on fire, and there were sounds in the mountains distinct from that which we first heard, which we could not comprehend; nay, indeed, we could not comprehend any thing of all this; nevertheless, these sounds were as of heavy substances rolling down with a rumbling, unearthly sound, and dreadful crashes. What these were, we understood in the morning, though we could make nothing of them in the night; they were the snows of the mountains, which being uplifted or shaken in their beds, came tumbling down in mighty avalanches into the vale below. But, as I said, we could make nothing that night of these tremendous sounds, which gave us the notion of the dissolution of the globe itself; and for my part, whenever these sounds occurred, I was like one ready to expire, and my eyes and heart seemed to fail me on witnessing these things. However, Mr. Fitz-Adam, it seems, being stirred up by the librarian, had, in the mean time (that is, while I was standing "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Titus iii. 5. "That all flesh may know that I the Lord have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more. Sigh, therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes. And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord God." Ezek. xxi. 5-7. "The mountains melted from before the Lord, even that Sinai from before the Lord God of Israel." Judges v. 5. "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." Luke xxi. 26. without, looking towards the hills), roused himself from his state of despair (for I can compare the condition in which I had last seen him to nothing but despair), and calling up that which alone can make an individual exert himself under the pressure of that most intolerable of all feelings in which hope never comes, viz. malice -(for, as the steward confessed to Father Peter, he hates the Lord, he hates his people, he hates his government, he hates his very merits), he sets himself forthwith to work and to strive, if he must needs yield at the coming of the Lord, to do as much mischief as in him lay to the Lord's party in the meantime, and to hold out as long as might be, at all risks, and at all hazards. Neither was he single and alone in this feeling; for all his party, though without hope of final success (for they well knew that every thing in the end was to be put under the dominion of the Lord),* upheld and strengthened him in his determination to resist to the last, rousing him to speedy action, and taunting him with the horror and affright which he had betrayed on the first news of the sound heard in the mountains. So he roused and shook himself, as a tyrant waking from his wine; and going forth, being accompanied by the librarian, who was also striving to confirm himself in that of which he had endeavoured through all his life to persuade others, to wit,-that the Lord existed only in the imaginations of his followers, and that therefore all the phenomena which had alarmed the house might be traced to natural causes,-he, that is, Mr. Fitz-Adam, came into the hall, his partisans crowding behind him, and ranging themselves about him on the dais. And there, being set, he issued his commands, that all the people of the household should present themselves before him. And it was at this call that I returned into the hall, which was now in fact to be the council-chambert of the family; and here it was presently seen of "Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him." Heb. ii. 8. "They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent; they are confederate against thee." Psalm Ixxxiii. 3-5. what stuff our rulers were made, as it also appeared how in this solemn assembly the servants of the Lord seemed as silly sheep without a shepherd. It was a solemn scene, and a solemn night: there stood the enemies of the Lord in the place of authority at the upper end of the chamber, and at the other end, by the doctor, like frighted deer gathering by the leader of the herd, stood many of those who had been accustomed to range themselves with this well-intentioned, but somewhat weak servant of the great Master. These were all pale and trembling, some of them being in tears, and others tearing from their dresses those ornaments and badges of distinction with which they had formerly loved to decorate themselves,* and to count as the rewards and tokens of their good conduct. Again, in a darker corner of the hall, stood the father with his followers; most of whom being provided with some symbol, or image, or picture of the Lord, were kissing them, and pressing them to their hearts, with various strange contortions, and exclamations of which I could make nothing. And, finally, there was another party, in the midst of which stood Theophilus and the female called Grace ;† and on the countenances of these, as the lamp which hung in the centre of the hall shone upon their faces, was an expression of composure, nay, of holy joy, which embellished their features, and rendered them almost as gods, mingled in the assemblies of men; for these are those blessed servants of the household, who, having been brought to cast aside all their own merits, have confided only in those of him who bought them; and who, having built their house upon a rock, are not frightened when the rains come, and the winds beat upon their house. All these last were, however, ranged * "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isa. Ixiv. 6. "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held." Rev. vi. 9. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Col. iii. 4. "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." Matt. vii. 24, 25. on one side, as far from Mr. Fitz-Adam and his party as the space would permit; but between these parties was a mixed mob (for the very villagers were gathered into the hall), which seemed to gape, and wonder, and tremble, as if not knowing what to think, or which side to take. And Mr. Fitz-Adam had called for the watchmen, for we have many watchmen whose business it should be to watch round the house at night, men of nerve and strength, and each of them having armour to defend the house on occasion, so these stood in the centre of the hall before the dais: and these were the first whom the steward addressed, demanding of them wherefore they had not given notice when the alarm had been first heard. To this some of them doggedly answered that they had heard no alarm, neither before time nor now, and that they verily believed that the horses and appearances of which some spoke, were but the roaring of the winds in the mountains, and the flashings of the northern lights; and others could only give such an account of themselves as proved that they had either been asleep or in their cups; while a third sort were dumb, as if terrified and conscience-struck, because when the Master was expected they had not been found watching; for the Lord when he left his people had given especial charge to the watchmen, bidding them to observe the signs of the heavens, and to take especial care of the castle during the night.* But it was not now the time for Mr. Fitz-Adam to be breeding dissensions and exciting angry feelings among the guard; so he soothed and commended them, and addressed them much to the following effect: "My worthy and excellent guards and defenders, "Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon the land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman : if, when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning, his blood shall be upon him: but he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me." Ezek. xxxiii. 2–7. inasmuch as we find it written in the Lord's letters (mind he could call the Master Lord to serve his turn*), that in the latter days many shall come in his name, and show signs and wonders if possible to deceive his most faithful servants,† it behooves us who dwell in his house, and are the stewards of his property, and the guardians of his beloved people, to act with the utmost caution, and to keep our house as strong men armed, lest we should admit an enemy instead of our rightful Prince therefore, while this alarm continues, I command that every door and window shall be closed, and that arms be prepared, and every means of defence provided; and moreover, should any one appear before the castle gates and demand admittance, that no door shall be opened until I, Adam Fitz-Adam, shall give permission." So the watchmen were commanded to their posts, and every entrance barred; and we who were known, or even suspected to be on the Lord's side, were driven to our places, being bid to hold our peace, and keep our own thoughts to ourselves. So when all was shut up, there was a dread silence in the house, and no voice heard but that of the owl in the turret. So Theophilus and I withdrew to our apartments, and there to our joy and delight, whom should we find but my uncle, just come in; for the watchmen had let him pass at the moment of the closing of the doors. I never was better pleased in my life than in seeing this my valued friend and protector, and I ran to him, and fell into his arms, confessing all the offences of which I had been guilty since he had left us. The good old man embraced me with tears in his eyes, crying, “This my son was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found." Nevertheless, when I said, "Now, uncle, that you are returned, I feel assured that all will be well with me," he reproved me, saying, "What! Nicodemus, do you embrace one error as soon as you have been brought to forsake another? Whence has arisen all the infidelity of the Master's * "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matt. vii, 21. +"For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." Mark xiii. 22. |