ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (ver. 1. 5-9. See, also, lxv. 25.) The vision of St. Peter, before mentioned, in which he saw a great vessel," as it had been a great sheet, knit at the four corners, and let down to earth, wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air," (ACTS x. 11, 12.) was emblematic of the very same thing, speaking to the eyes as well as to the ears.

It is true, that these passages are generally understood in a figurative sense, as describing that harmony which shall prevail amongst

mankind, amongst men, who, being of as contrary dispositions as the wolf and the lamb, and the lion and the ox,-which now tear and devour,-shall, by the blessed and softening influence of the gospel, be made to love and delight in the society of each other. But, though the passages undoubtedly have this figurative meaning, yet it is no less true that they will be fulfilled in the very letter of it also. So it was in the days of innocence in Paradise, till it was interrupted and turned into enmity by the sin of man.

But, what Adam disturbed and lost by his disobedience, the Second Adam, by his obedience, will repair and restore. (1 Cor. xv. 22.) For, according to his promise, "we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 PET. iii. 13.; Rev. xxi. 5.) "There shall be no more curse." (REV. xxii. 3.)

The Christian poet, whom I quoted at the conclusion of my last discourse, after considering the misery which prevails in the world between man and man, and man with beast, and brutes among themselves,-and then contemplating the blessed restoration of all things, promised by HIM who created them, and hath redeemed them, and engaged to restore them, -breaks out into strains, which must find a welcome in every heart which at all feels the gracious influence of the gospel. I cannot do better than conclude with some of them:

Oh! scenes surpassing fable, and yet true,
Scenes of accomplished bliss! which who can see,
Though but in distant prospect, and not.feel
His soul refresh'd with foretaste of the joy?

Rivers of gladness water all the earth,

And clothe all climes with beauty; the reproach
Of barrenness is past. The fruitful field
Laughs with abundance; and the land, once lean,
Or fertile only in its own disgrace,

Exults to see its thistly curse repeal'd.

The various seasons woven into one,

And that one season an eternal spring,

The garden fears no blight, and needs no fence, For there is none to covet, all are full.

The lion, and the libbard, and the bear,

Graze with the fearless flocks; all bask at noon Together, or all gambol in the shade

Of the same grove, and drink one common stream.
Antipathies are none. No foe to man

Lurks in the serpent now: the mother sees,
And smiles to see, her infant's playful hand
Stretch'd forth to dally with the crested worm,
To stroke his azure neck, or to receive

The lambent homage of his arrowy tongue.
All creatures worship man, and all mankind

One Lord, one Father. Error has no place:

That creeping pestilence is driv'n away;

The breath of heav'n has chas'd it. In the heart

No passion touches a discordant string,

But all is harmony and love. Disease

Is not, the pure and uncontam'nate blood

Holds its due course, nor fears the frost of age.

One song employs all nations; and all cry,

"Worthy the lamb, for he was slain for us!"

COWPER'S TASK, b. vi. 1. 759-792.

Thus heav'n-ward all things tend. For all were

once

Perfect, and all must be at length restor❜d.

So God has greatly purpos'd; who would else
In his dishonour'd works himself endure
Dishonour, and be wrong'd without redress.
Haste, then, and wheel away a shatter'd world,
Ye slow-revolving seasons! We would see
(A sight to which our eyes are strangers yet)
A world that does not dread and hate his laws,
And suffer for its crime; would learn how fair
The creature is that God pronounces good,

How pleasant in itself what pleases him.

DITTO, 1. 818-829.

Come, then, and, added to thy many crowns,

Receive yet one, the crown of all the carth,
Thou who alone art worthy! It was thine
By ancient covenant, ere nature's birth;

And thou hast made it thine by purchase since,