 in a strait betwixt two: "for me to live is Christ, but to die
is gain." (Phil. vii., 21-23.) And I suppose that the prayers of
tender friends must have prevailed, for when the boat drew nearer, I
found it was not coming for me yet, but I received this message: "Let
Patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing." (James, i., 4.) From this I saw that Patience was to
be my best friend and I tried to take her close to my bosom, and my
heart breathed the prayer: "Lord help me with Patience to do all thy
righteous will concerning me," and, as I sat there, with Patience for
my comforter, I grew calm and composed and began to wonder what had
become of the boat I had seen approaching, when, on looking around, I
saw it had stopped close by an old friend that had been laying there
for a long time; almost ever since I had been there, and, while I
looked, I saw her with a shout spring up and step quickly into the
boat. Oh! with what rapture I gazed; and when the boat struck out from
the shore I could hardly contain myself, I felt I really must go too.
But Patience laid her hand on me, and whispered to me, to take my
telescope and look after them; and, as I looked, the boat sprang from
the shore with great velocity; the river seemed to become narrower,
and the light from my Father's Temple so illuminated it, that the
darkness had all fled away; and, as I gazed, my vision became brighter
and brighter, and my telescope became more powerful, and it seemed, I
might follow the boat with my naked eye, as it sped its way across,
until it neared the other shore; and, as it neared the shore, I saw
the pearly gates of my Father's House fly open, a company came out to
meet her, with songs of welcome, saying: "Come ye, blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world." (Math. xxv., 34.) So they took hold of her and led her in
through the gates; and, as they went through, I could hear the
warbling of the birds amidst the rustling of the leaves, and could see
t