THE REMARKABLE VISION.

In the night of the 25th of May, in the year 1764, about the hour of twelve, as I lay meditating in my bed on various subjects, I was suddenly alarmed by the opening of my chamber door; thither turning my eyes, to my great surprise and wonder, I beheld the appearance of my former friend and companion, MR. YEAMANS by name, who had been dead to the best of my remembrance about the space of four years, coming in at the door. His person seemed to be celestial and angelic, his countenance lustrous and shining, his garments white and dazzling, starred with glittering gold, with a crown of unsullied gold upon his head; his motion was slow and deliberate, and gesture pleasing and graceful, and in this heavenly pomp and splendor he came near to my bedside. "In the name of Almighty God, I de mand of thee," said I, " on what important errand art thou come ! He replied, with a smiling countenance, "In the name of that Mighty God by whom you abjure me, I am come, not to terrify you with new revelations, but to renew our former acquaintance and conversation; to discourse on the great and important realities of the eternal world, and the happiness and glories of the heavenly state. Therefore, be not afraid. In heaven we enjoy the most perfect freedom and communion with the blesséd God; there faith is followed in vision, and hope in fuition. There, the spirits of just men made perfect join the innumerable company of angels and archangles in singing anthems and doxologies of eternal praise to God and Christ, our exalted redeemer; there we are crowned with crowns of eternal honor, and decked with robes of brightest luster, forever shining forth like so many suns in the kingdom of our heavenly Father. Oh the glories! the ravishing glories of the heavenly world! Oh those blessed scenes of permanent and everlasting joy and delight! Here all tears are wiped away from our eyes; here we are entirely delivered from the molestations of the old serpent. There is nothing enters these peaceful regions that defileth, or that worketh abomination, or maketh a lie. There is not one spot or stain in the walls of the new Jerusalem. Not one sullied pillar in the upper temple of God. Not one jarring note in all the heavenly concert. Not one slumbering string, nor untuned harp is to be found there. Oh, sir, could your ears be unstopped, and the curtains of your eyes drawn, that the ravishing delights and entertainments of the heavenly world might at once pour their blended blaze on your astonished sight! Could you hear the loud hallelujahs that ring through the arches of heaven; the hosannas that proceed from every tongue, and the name, the blessed name of Jesus sweetly breathed in every accent. How your soul would leap in you for joy! How you would long, ardently long, to take wings and be gone hence, and be with Christ, which is far better. How you would long to be absent from the body, that you might be present with the Lord.

Be

lieve me, sir, one moment, the happiness of heaven will more, infinitely more, than counter-balance all the riches, pleasures, or profits of this world. O the folly, the egregious folly, of silly mortals, who make the world their wonder, their gold, and their God; and their coffers their heaven. Can immensity be measured with a line? or an atom weigh down the boundless creation? As well may earthly pleasures yield satisfaction to an immortal mind. All the views and discoveries which you have here of the heaventy state, are but as through a glass darkly; but in heaven it is face to face, and there we know as we are known. Do not you remember, my dear friend, one night as we lodged together in a certain chamber, at the school of the prophets, the agreeable and delightful topic of our conversation was the glories and employments of the heavenly state? This was introduced, you doubtless remember, by a question I asked, namely, 'What St. Paul was doing in heaven? Your reply was, 'If sorrow or tears there could be in heaven, I should think he would be weeping, not only over the churches to which he wrote, but also over apostatizing Brittain and back-sliding New England; yea, and not only so, but he would wash this seat of the muses with a flood of tears.' This naturally turned our conversation upon the employment of saints and angels in heaven. But O how narrow were our views! How faint were our ideas! How feeble and glimmering were all our discoveries of the great and glorious things God had prepared for them that love him! Mortals are apt to start at the sound of death, and the more thoughtful of them go weeping to the grave. But no tongue can express the inconceivable joy I am the subject of. When I look into the grave, and behold my body rotting there, I know that by and by he who has the keys of death and hell, will unlock the prison of the grave. Then shall my body spring from the dust, fashioned like the glorious body of the Son of God, for which time I ardently long. Then shall my joy be complete. Yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry, and I know that his reward is with him. He is at the door. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Come quickly."

Here he made a pause; when, being astonished at his heavenly language, I inadvertently replied, "You say the hour is at hand. When then shall the judgment be?" He replied with a stern aspect, "Hast thou never read the Bible? Is it not there said, "Of that day and hour knoweth no man; no, not the angels of heaven; but my Father only? I will therefore address you in the language of Christ : Watch, therefore, for ye know not in what hour your Lord cometh, whether at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning; lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping." "True," said I, " may you indeed in heaven?

But are

the Lord enable me thus to do.
He replied," Is this the habit of hell?"

66

Nay," said I," but Satan can transform himself into an Angel of Light.' True," said he, "but where is his love? If I instruct you in any thing contrary to what Christ and his apostles taught, then judge me accursed. No, sir, I am now surrounded with the heavenly host, though they are concealed." Then he broke out in the highest strains and raptures of joy: "Hallelujah, hallelujah? Blessing, and honor, and power, and glory be to him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the lamb for ever and ever, who hath redeemed me to God by. his blood. Who hath brought me up out of the horrible pit; out of the miry clay. Who hath established my goings, and put a new song into my mouth, even praise to the Lord! Hallelujah. Glory! Glory to God in the highest. That I have joy in heaven, joy unspeakable and full of glory." "Do not you," said he, see this crown of unsullied gold upon my head? these garments of burnished gold pure and white? I have a crown incorruptible in the heavens; a crown of glory which can never fade away; a kingdom which can never be moved." "O thou subject of eternal glory," said I," happy indeed art thou. When shall I be partaker of the same joy? When shall it be?"

66

"For this," said he, you must earnestly watch and pray, and wait the good pleasure of God, until the blessed moment shall come." "Let me embrace you," said I, "my dearest companion." Said he, "Is not my body in the dust? Hath a spirit flesh and bones? I must deliver you my message and begone. Search the Scriptures; in them think you you have eternal life. They are able to make you wise unto salvation. I am not come to deliver you things that have not been told; to confirm to you the reality and divinity of God's word; for if you believe not Moses and the prophets, neither would you believe though one should rise from the dead. Make the word of God the rule of your life; the standard and directory of all your conduct. Yield not to the false insinuations and vain amusements of a delusory world, for they will lead to the snares of death. But pursue the dictates of reasons and the oracles of everlasting truth. Bonds and afflictions may abide with you on earth. Let not these things move you; but see to it that you have a testimony of a good concience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not by fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God you have your conversation in the world. For if God be for you who can be against you. Account not the sufferings of time worthy to be compared with that glory which shall hereafter be obtained by the godly and pious. Account all things but loss for the excellency of Christ Jesus, and that you may be found in him at last, not having on your own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is of God by faith. Study truth and honesty, and as far as in you lies, live peaceably with all men. Place not your hope in uncertain riches, for they will take to themselves wings and fly away. Realize the truth you inculcated in your last

sermon, that you must die. Live as if you expected every moment would be your last. Observe the words of your text, It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.' Your thoughts were just, when you said, 'Who would regret the loss of a stiver, when in pursuit of a crown? or a cottage, when about to obtain a kingdom? That there is no more proportion between the pleasures of this life and those of godliness, than there is between a feather and a mountain of gold.' Give up your whole soul to God and the interest of religion, and let your will be swallowed up in the will of the Most High. You have begun a good work, you have entered upon the gospel ministry. I congratulate you upon your noble undertaking. May you prosecute the work, and see to your abundant joy and rejoicing, the pleasure of the Lord prosper in your hands."

Here I interrupted him, and said, "If this be the will of the Lord, whence then this weakness of the eyes, as well as the want of other qualifications? Who is sufficient for these things?" "It is not,"

said he, "for us to pry into the eternal counsels of God; His grace is sufficient for you, and his strength may be made manifest in your weakness. The preaching of the gospel is the most noble employment of life; and if your judgment be with the Lord, and your work with your God, you shall not only shine as the brightness of the firmanent, but as the stars forever and ever. See, therefore, that you preach Christ Jesus, and him crucified; and be filled with the blessing of the gospel of peace. Appear valiant in the cause of God; and fear not what men shall say or do unto you. How do the ways of Zion mourn, because of the few travelers that walk therein ? How doth the virgin daughter of the Lord's people sit solitary, none to comfort her under all her afflictions. O ye protestant powers! though your doctrines in general are good, yet, how have you swerved from your profession by unhallowed and unsanctified lives? Repent and do your first work, or God will come unto you quickly and remove your candlestick out of its place. My dear friend," continued he, now you are in the bloom of youth, exert your influence with your co-workers; for your observation was true, 'That the habits of sin will grow stronger and stronger.' Yet I must blame you for not prosecuting your advice to youth still further than you did. For it is a matter of the utmost consequence. Youth is the most favorable and advantageous season in which to devote ourselves to God. O the follies and vanities of youth! Do they imagine they shall never die ? them think on me. Where is my body now? And where may theirs soon be? Let me remind you of another phrase of yours. I speak unto you from the bottom of the tombs, saying, I have gone before; my days are numbered and finished, and you shall soon be with me; would you not regard it?' But, sir, I must bid you adieu. May you go on and prosper, serve God, and your generation faithfully, by the will of the Most High; then fall asleep in Jesus, and

66

Let

Should

your spirit take wings to the mansions of eternal glory, to join the innumerable company, and multitude of angels and spirits of just men made perfect, in celebrating the praises of electing love, and redeeming grace forever and ever."

He then closed his hands and cast his eyes to heaven and said: "O thou Almighty Sovereign of the universe, thou Lord of angels and men! look down on earth and support the dying cause of the world. Hasten, blessed Jehovah! hasten the happy time when thy gospel shall run and thou be glorified from sea to sea, and from the river to the end of the earth. O thou Mighty Immanuel, thou Prince and Saviour of the world, ride through the earth in triumph, conquering and to conquer. Bring in thine elect from the four winds, that Zion may become a praise and a glory in the face of all the earth.” He then with a low and gentle bow, said, “Sir, I hope ere long to meet you in heaven, where we shall spend an eternity in the blessed company and society of each other; and swim in those rivers of pleasure, which issue from the throne of God, and flow at his right hand forever more. Farewell." He then turned about and departed out of my chamber, and was seen no more.

[This vision is reprinted by request from the second edition of a now very rare copy of the remarkable vision printed at Amherst, N. H., nearly one hundred years ago.]

CORRECT NAMES OF SOME AUTHORS.

Here are a few interesting

points of information as to the names of literary men :

Wilkie Collins is really William Wilkie Collins.

Austin Dobson was baptized as Henry Asstin Dobson.

Muurice Thompson ten years ago was James Maurice Thompson. Brander Matthews's whole name is James Brander Matthews. Laurence Hutton's whole name is James Laurence Hutton. Henry Rider Haggard is the full name of the author of sensational novels.

Slason Thompson, editor of America, has within ten years dropped his first name, Alexander.

Joaquin Miller is really Cincinnatus Heine Miller.

Edmund William Goose and Edgar William Nye would scarcely be identified by their real names.

Julian Hawthorne has not for twelve years used his historic middle name Crowninshield.

Francis Richard Stockton is now known as Frank Stockton.

Charles Egbert Craddock is Miss Murfree.

Bayard Taylor's first name was James.-Chicago News.