238 THE OLIVE LEAF. CHAP. 



seen the faintest vision of the glory afar off. How then 

 can they ever cease to adore the far more wonderful 

 grace that through the grave itself when they said to 

 corruption, thou art my father, and to the worm, thou 

 art my mother and my sister led them within the gates 

 .and established their feet upon the golden pavement, 

 never more to go out ! 



When the North Bridge of Edinburgh was widened 

 some years ago, they found in the arched vaults under 

 the roadway the most wonderful caves of snow-white 

 stalactites. The rain percolating through the roof 

 carried with it the lime with which the stones were 

 cemented, and by a slow and silent process carried on 

 for many years, transformed the gloomy vaults into a 

 fairy scene. Who would have suspected that under the 

 common roadway, under the tread of the feet of toil 

 and the busy traffic of the world, such a wonderful 

 transformation was going on ! And who would suppose 

 that in the midst of this common every-day life of ours, 

 the walls of an eternal city were growing up without 

 noise of axe or hammer, our visible life being merely 

 the scaffolding of it ; that out of the common materials 

 of our hard earthly experience there were being formed 

 gates of pearl through which we shall enter into the 

 heavenly city. Here, and now if at all, these walls and 

 gates must for us be formed. Christ says, " I am the 

 door." By what sufferings and toils inconceivable was 

 that pearly gate formed ! He was made sin for us that 

 we might be made the righteousness of God in 

 Him. He passed through the reality of death that 



