the intention of finishing them at home. When he reached the house he directed his steps forthwith to the upper floor, without depositing the papers, which formed a considerable bundle, in the sitting-room, close by the door of which he had to pass, and came just in time to save his child from the certain death of a fall from the gable of the house into the street. A moment later, and help would have been impossible." (Pp. 68–71.) Now, the rationale of this occurrence is most plainly indicated. It was undoubtedly the guardian spirit of both the sisters, that saw the danger first, and the father was selected as the most suitable person whose mind to impress in that direction. This was the cause of the uneasiness. The spirit said to the father, in mental language as plain as it could be said, "go home." It might not, perhaps, have been able to impress the reason. The father's understanding, so immersed in business, and not perhaps believing in these influences, was not susceptible of any thing more than was done. But when he reached home, it said to him "delay not; go into the upper story of the house." He obeyed, as he thought, the suggestion of his own mind. But when he got there, God had a use for him which he very quickly saw. And how opportunely was it all done! A moment later would have been too late. If it had been so, it would not have been the fault of the guardian care, but of the father, whose spiritual nature did not admit of a more powerful or seasonable impression. Oh, if our natures were not so sensualized, and fallen from their pristine purity, how much more might be done for us than is done, in the way of guarding and directing us through this scene of earthly danger! This is what we should generally call "a hairbreadth escape" "a fortunate occurrence:" alas! how many such there are, not by any means accidental, but the sure ordering of Him who hath "given his angels charge over us, to direct us in all our ways," and who "suffereth not a sparrow to fall to the ground without his notice!" There may be thousands of such providences going on at this very moment! Should it be questioned here why there are not more of such successful guardianships, or why many who do fall, and injure themselves in various ways, are not saved in like manner, we reply, no man can tell how many such providences there are; often, when we ascribe it all to luck and chance, the providence is even more complicated and wonderful than this; and we are saved, all unawares to ourselves, from the most fearful calamities. "When in the slippery paths of youth, Thine arm unseen conveyed me safe, But if there are many cases which are not provided for in this way, it is because they are better provided for in another way; or it is because it is best, on the whole, that the accident should occur: one may be saved, by a sudden death, from a life much more hazardous and painful; and often, when we know it not, there are permissions, and arrangements for those permissions, which illuminate the dark side of this subject with a light equally glorious, if we only had the eye to pierce its many foldings and to recognize the connection of all occurrences in one wonderful complexity. How extensive and complicated is this subject! Looked at from some of its more ordinary aspects, in those every-day occurrences where we have equal reason to believe the Divine Providence is so carried on, how interesting does it become! Two or three men, for instance, are brought together from what to them seem the merest incidents of every-day life. Some angel who has arranged the meeting, drops a thought into the mind of one of them, it is talked of, reconsidered, considered again, and the result is, some movement or institution far in the future, which was at that moment seen and designed by the superior powers. Not only in the activity of the daytime, but in the stillness and slumber of the night, is the same never-ceasing vigilance and work going on. We close our eyes in sleep, the divine messengers frequently come more distinctly. "For God speaketh once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed, then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that He may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword." (Job, 33: 15-18.) How many have been saved, by warnings given. in this way, from the dangers which beset them! The angels can come to a man in sleep, frequently, when they cannot approach to influence him so powerfully in the hours of wakefulness, for the simple reason that at such a time, all his external senses are quieted, the things of the material world shut out, and he is then altogether in a more passive and susceptible state to receive definite views and teachings from the interior world. Take the following well-authenticated instance from the "Church's Companion." We condense the account for the sake of brevity. "A poor and innocent criminal is condemned to death on the charge of murder. A farmer in one of the Western counties of England is awakened one night with an irresistible impression, not a dream exactly, that he must start off immediately to a county town thirty or forty miles distant. Why he must do so, does not appear. It is unaccountable, but it is irresistible. He endeavors to shake it off, and composes himself to sleep again. He is awakened the second time with the conviction that he must start that instant. He summons his horse, takes the midnight journey, arrives in town the next morning, but now that he has got there, he has not the slightest knowledge of any business to be transacted there, and so amuses himself by sauntering about town, and at length enters the court where the assizes are being held. The prisoner at the bar had just been to all appearance proved guilty by circumstantial evidence, of murder, and was then asked if he had any witnesses to call in his behalf. He replied that he had no friend there, but on looking around the court amongst the spectators, he recognized the farmer, who almost immediately recognized in him the man who had applied to him for work, on the very day and hour, in one part of the country, that he was charged with committing murder in another part. The farmer was summoned to the witness-box, and the prisoner acquitted." He found then that he had not taken his midnight journey without some purpose. And how faithfully he was influenced and led by that invisible hand, about the town and into the court room! How evident it is, from the foregoing principles and illustrations, that the spiritual guardian of this poor but innocent man saw the danger, and saw too the only person who could be of any service to him, and so, hurrying on the wings of love to the sleeping farmer, suggested a journey to the scene of interest and danger, reiterating the impression with a dictate of imperative authority! And what joy ran through the echoing aisles of heaven, at the redemption of the innocent from so terrible a fate! Thus "Heaven encircles all. The blest immortals Near us, divine with love's pure beauty stand; The friends we mourn as lost have not departed; The saints and seers who made the old time glorious, There lives no man, however crushed and lowly, Some Seraph Friend doth dwell. Each wondrous thought of Truth, or Love, or Duty, Flooding with sunrise beams through Mind and Heart, Inspiring us with Wisdom and with Beauty, Some Angel Guest imparts. No curtain hides from view the Spheres Elysian, Is pride, and hate, and lust." 9 - Rev. T. L. Harris. |