distress. Many of the crew, indeed, were too much benumbed and exhausted to afford relief to others; yet there were some who, feeling less oppressed in themselves, could and did stretch forth a helping hand to their weaker comrades. The two women in question received much of this attention from officers and men. But, alas! the storm blew with all the severity of a Siberian winter's blast, and none could shelter another from its fury-it seemed to pierce the very bones and the marrow; animal heat was almost extinguished; the blood could but slowly circulate, even in the strongest; an unconquerable degree of lassitude and drowsiness seized on our unfortunate female traveller, in common with the others who fell; she halted, she sat down, she closed her eyes, convulsions seized her, and she died. If, then, we would ascertain how the other was enabled to survive the hardships with which she was surrounded, we must look beyond natural causes and effects, even unto the will of Him whose ever-watchful and over-ruling Providence numbers the hairs on our heads, and suffers not a sparrow to fall to the ground without his permission. We must look unto Him "who ordereth all things after the counsel of his own will;" to Him whom storms and waves obey; who can deprive the intensely heated furnace of all its powers to burn, and the northern frost and hail of all their powers to chill and extinguish life; to Him, who in the dispensations of his providence, hath told us, that, on many occasions, "One shall be taken, and the other left." In so doing, we shall oft-times be compelled to acknowledge the short-sightedness of man-the folly of all human sagacity—the emptiness of all our calculations.-These things may indeed perplex, and at times almost confound us, especially if we suffer the mind to indulge in putting the question, "Why are they so?" But wherefore should we indulge in any such idle and presumptuous inquiries? Is not the Eternal Jehovah omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent? Can He be ignorant of any passing event? Can He lack power to perform his will, or can that will be other than supremely good, and just, and holy? Impossible. Then let us learn to rest all secret, deep, and undiscovered things with Him to whom they belong, and study those which are revealed. Thus shall we know all necessary and essential truths, and these truths will set us free from all that perplexity of error, that chaos of manifold evil and confusion into which a proud unhumbled speculative mind has led thousands, who, like their rebellious prototypes, as described by Milton, "Have found no end, in wand'ring mazes lost- This life is at best a compound of many bitters, with a few sweets-our cup contains a mingled potion, capable of being rendered more or less unpleasant as we learn to acquiesce in all the divine will concerning us. As then we would hope for, as we would desire to enjoy something like happiness on this side of heaven, let us learn not to cavil at the dispensations of Him who, being the judge of all the earth, and the disposer of all events, must do right. If any presumptuous inquirer ask us, why ten talents are given to one man, and but two to another: or why those who were first in our estimation become last; and those whom we once expected to be last, do evidently become first? let us "not be careful to answer them in these matters." Or if, when the destroying angel goes forth in the pestilence, the famine, or the sword, we are asked, why one nation is singled out in preference to another; why one individual is taken and another left; on all these occasions let us direct our eyes to heaven, and with the spirit of a little child, reply in the words of our blessed Redeemer, "Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight." As to the events more immediately under our present consideration; if it pleased the divine Majesty, by almost a miracle, to save the poor enfeebled woman by way of displaying his great power and goodness-to take the child in proof of his love and tender compassion, and to call the strong woman in token of his righteous judgments, who shall say unto Him, What doest thou? Had the sick invalid perished, it would have been considered as a matter of course, and God would not have received the honour due unto his name; and had the babe survived, the same reasoning minds might have attributed his preservation to the flannels with which he was inwrapped, and not to God, with whom are the issues of life and death. What is more; had he survived that day he might have journeyed on through a long life of sin and wretchedness, and in the end been eternally lost! But this early summons was a sure and gracious removal from the evil to come. Henceforth that tongue will certainly be employed in the alleluias of heaven, which otherwise might have been exercised through eternal ages in these fruitless and self-condemning words, "My harvest is past, my summer is ended, and I am not saved." We know the same God of providence could have thus dealt with the parent, ere she knew the distinction between mother and child; but it was his good pleasure to act otherwise, and for more than thirty years to say unto her, Live. Whether, therefore, she had given these years unto him, or to the world and the flesh-whether she had laid up a treasure in heaven or was still cleaving to the earth; he in whose hands are the spirits of all flesh, had an undoubted right to call hers into his presence, to give, as at this time, an account of the things done in the body. Those happy, holy, ethereal spirits who mi |