Tolling at slow and regular intervals, (as was customary for a considerable time previous to the hour of burial,) the bell, as it were, proclaimed the blessedness of the dead who die in the Lord, and also the necessity of the living pondering these things, and laying them to heart.

It seemed to say, "Hear my warning voice, thou son of man.

There is but a step between thee and death.

Arise, prepare thine house; for thou shalt die, and not live." The scenery was in unison with that tranquil frame of mind which is most suitable for holy meditation.

A rich and fruitful valley lay immediately beneath; it was adorned with corn fields and pastures, through which a small river winded in a variety of directions, and many herds grazed upon its banks.