Leaving this curiosity below us, we continued our ascent over rocky steeps, mostly covered with moss; and after a laborious journey of some hours we found ourselves on the highest pinnacle of Mt. Lafayette, while far beneath us we beheld the summits of many other mountains, clothed with evergreen; and beyond these on all sides lay a beautiful scenery of
Farms, and fields and meadows gay,
While in the distance far away,
The flocks in sportive groups assembled,
Limpid lakes in sunbeams trembled,
Huts with rural scenes surrounded,
Mansions fair and bright abounded;
While zephyrs sweet perfumed the air,
From roses, pinks, and lilies fair;
While far o'er eastern hills we view
The briny ocean's distant blue,
And mark its waves in distance dwindle,
Till with the heavens they seem to mingle.
When all at once the scenes around us
Are veiled from view, and clouds surround us,
And far beneath, and high above,
Swift through the air the vapors move.
Although it was now in the sultry heat of summer, yet our vast elevation caused a coldness which seemed winterlike; and although dressed in winter clothing, we were soon so chilled as to shake at every limb. After offering our prayers and thanks to the Maker of heaven and earth, we again descended; and when we had come down about half way we were out of the cloud, and again enjoyed the pure air of the lower atmosphere, while the warm and gentle breezes of summer soon warmed and restored our benumbed limbs to their proper temperature. Inspired with sublimer and nobler thoughts of nature and of nature's God, we pursued our course a few miles on our way, and being weary we called at a humble dwelling, were kindly received, and after partaking of such simple refreshments as the place afforded, with appetites sharpened with fatigue, we retired to rest, and resigned the night to sweet repose.
THE REGENERATION AND ETERNAL DURATION OF MATTER.
"The Elements are Eternal."
WRITTEN IN PRISON.
"And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me write, for these words are true and faithful." Rev. xxi. 5.
Matter and Spirit are the two great principles of all existence. Every thing animate and inanimate is composed of one or the other, or both of these eternal principles. I say eternal, because the elements are as durable as the quickening power which exists in them. Matter and spirit are of equal duration; both are self-existent,—they never began to exist, and they never can be annihilated. We do not enter upon this boundless subject as a matter of mere speculative philosophy, calculated in its nature merely to charm the imagination—to interest the curious, or to please the learned. So far from this, we consider it a subject of deep and thrilling interest to all the human family. A subject equally interesting to Jew, and Christian; Mahommedan and Pagan; the wise and the simple; the learned, and the ignorant—all—all are journeying swiftly through time, and are bound to eternity. All are lovers of life and happiness; all are looking forward with inexpressible anxiety to the unexplored regions of futurity.
The Jew, as he follows his aged parent, his bosom friend, or his tender offspring to the sepulchre of his fathers, while his bosom heaves with anguish, grief and sorrow, is still comforted with sure and certain hope of their being raised from the dead with the whole of Israel's race, and clothed upon with flesh; and of their being restored again to that land which was given to them and their fathers for an everlasting inheritance: while David takes his seat in the holy city and reigns over the twelve tribes forever and ever.
The modern Christian when called upon to endure the pangs of grief and sorrow, in following to the grave his nearest friends, is comforted with the hope of a spiritual existence, in a world far distant from his native earth; and far beyond the bounds of time and space, where spirits mingle in eternal joy and everlasting song; and although the body should rise from the dead, yet they suppose that the whole will become spirit unconnected with matter, and soar away to worlds on high, free from all the elements of which their nature was composed in this life; and thus enjoy eternal life and happiness, while matter,