Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

Perhaps no place in this broad sanctuary, where human character finds its world-wide representatives, is more thoroughly or frequently inspected than the rooms devoted to the relics and memorials of the great Napoleon. The most apathetic soul cannot but rouse itself as it views the thrilling, historic recollections which fill those spacious rooms. The man whose tread shook empires to their foundations here seems to live again, in the days of his colossal imperialism and power, and also when as a banished captive he pines away amid the desolate solitudes of his lonely isle of St. Helena.

Here is the military carriage of the once proud emperor, in which he made the campaign to Russia, and which was captured on the evening of the battle of Waterloo. There is the atlas on which are plans of many battles, drawn by the hand of this great, grim warrior. Here are the coronation robes of Napoleon and the Empress Josephine, the sword used by Napoleon when in Egypt, the camp-bedstead and also the counterpane on which the illustrious exile breathed his last. What stirring pages of magnificence and misery do those Napoleonic chambers recite from year to year! The crash and boom and wildest shouts of battle have died away, and the memory of the man to whom a hundred thousand human lives were as naught, has been placed in the pillory of universal condemnation of everlasting infamy and disgrace.

Then one more change of feeling comes to us as we visit another section of this large building, known as the Chamber of Horrors. Amid the sombre light, and in rooms adapted for their gloomy mission, with saddened hearts we move along through the doleful memorials which crowd upon us at every step. What melancholy chronicles does this dreadful spot record! Surely with all this ghastly story of crime, we have for once a glimpse of humanity at its worst; the abyss, dark and fathomless, of mortal degradation possible in this world opens for a few moments before us, and from this earthly perdition we shrink back with deepening horror. Through a door we pass, and the brilliant illumination of splendid rooms brings with it a sweet sense of relief we are once more glad to share.

Summing up our reflections we may say, what echoes of heroic deeds, of princely, unselfish effort, of tragedy, victory, glory, pain and defeat greet us in this great cathedral of art! What recollections of earthly magnificence, of proud ambitions, of imperial power, of moral might, of human degradation and pathetic ruin surround us at every turn! In one brief hour it seems that centuries have placed their spoils before us, and that history, gathering up its events of world-embracing influence, pours its elaborate romance into the listening ear, and sends us out to life again under the touch of vanished hands and with solemn lessons from voices now forever still.

SACKVILLE, N.B.

CHRISTIAN SATISFACTION.

To satisfy us with goodness requires more than the ideal, and more than the vision. How, then, shall I be satisfied? There is but one answer: I shall be satisfied, when I awake with His likeness. Then shall my dreams and desires be filled and fulfilled when that vision of goodness is but the life that I live. That is thy satisfaction, my soul. Speak it to thyself, until thou canst take in something of its unspeakable glory. That, and nothing less than that, is to be thy satisfaction-to be like Him. This completes and crowns the purpose of His grace. For this great work the Holy Ghost is given that we may "be strengthened with might by His spirit in the inner man," that Christ may "dwell in our hearts"-reigning there, controlling us, teaching and enlightening us, that we may have the mind that was also in Him. And this is not a faint and far-off possibility, but as the good which lies in all the common things of every day, and all along the common by-ways of our life, in the house, in the business, everywhere "all things work together for good to them that love God"—for this good, the soul's uttermost satisfaction— that we be conformed to the image of His Son.

Let us try to bring the glorious truth within the compass of our desire and expectation. For this, my soul, thou art forgiven; for this thou art healed; for this thou art redeemed; for this God hath "crowned thee with loving kindness and tender mercies"that He may satisfy thee with goodness. Ask thyself, and seek earnestly to get some answer to the question. How can I ever come to have this satisfaction as my own-I, foul, sinful, careless as I am-scarcely with any longings after goodness, and then so lightly turned aside, eager for a thousand trifles empty as the air? Can blessedness like this be mine?

Think, then, if there should come to thee one who knows thee through and through-all the past, every secret thought and wish standing out in hideous nakedness before Him, and who yet loves thee, loves thee through and through, loves thee with a love that endured all shame and suffering for thy sake; surely such true love were earth's best treasure. Think, if He should be able to loose thee from that past, if knowing all thy frailty and folly He yet could help thee, and help thee perfectly. If amidst thy low and selfish thoughts He could bring His truth, so that it should reign within thee more and more; if He could bring into thy impatience and hatred His own love and gentleness; if He could gird thee with courage, and gladden thee with hope, and fill thee with faith-should not that go far to complete thy satisfaction? Think again, if He should know thee with all thy hidden faculties and powers, all that thou canst ever come to be, and He should say unto thee; "Soul, I can develop, I can uplift. I can transform until the life of perfect goodness is thine." What then? He is come as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God. Stay not discussing limits of goodness and definitions of perfection. Leave that to Him. Be thou, my

soul, all eager to have all thy Lord waits to give thee. Look up to Him now as thine own. Receive Him into thine heart, able and willing to do as much for thee as for any. Surrender thyself wholly to Him for the fulfilment of these great purposes, His satisfaction as well as thine. And claiming and expecting from such a Saviour such fulness of blessing, let thy song already celebrate His mercy-" Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name, Who satisfieth thee

with goodness."

[ocr errors]

Satisfaction-I think I have seen it upon earth, where the little child lies in the mother's arms all compassed with love-love that folded in the arms, that consecrated all the life to the little one, love that looked from yearning eyes, and that sang in songs that soothed and gladdened it, whilst it lay laughing with a perfect gladness; without regret or fear, without care or want, all untouched by anything that could break the sunny surface of that perfect peace. See in this the fair emblem of what God's love can do for us. He thine, my soul, thine own, and thou altogether His, so compassed about with favour that thou canst lie down within the everlasting arms, the past hushed forever, and about thee the sunshine of His presence; so sure, so safe within His love, that thou canst but rest. Where Omnipotence watches there is no room for fear; where goodness like His controls all things, thou canst not wish for other than His will. And on for ever this purpose shaping all the ages-that thou be more and more like unto thy Lord, the fairest and altogether lovely. Sing aloud for very gladness" Bless the Lord, O my soul."-Rev. Mark Guy Pearse.

SALVATION FROM SIN.

Christian perfection is not a state from which we cannot fall. No state of grace this side of heaven will end our probation and render a lapse into sin impossible. Do you ask, how can a holy man sin? It is sufficient to answer, how did the holy pair sin themselves out of paradise? Man possesses a fearful power of choice, an abstract power lodged within his volitions which renders it possible for him to sin himself out of any state of peace this side of heaven. God can save men from the practice, bent and being of sin; but not from the possibility of sinning. Such a salvation would end probation and annihilate virtuous actions under the present moral constitution. It is better to get where we won't sin than to go where we can't sin. Such a salvation secures more glory to God and reflects more dignity upon the creature. True, John says, "He that is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." This means no more than that he who is born an honest man doth not steal, for the seed of honesty is in him, and he cannot steal because he is an honest man. Any man can sin if he will, but a holy man won't and can't sin and maintain his holy estate.-J. W. Hill,

TO THE SPARROW AT THE ALTAR.

BY MARY ELIZABETH CLOUD.

"Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God. Psalm lxxxiv. 3.

WEE, twittering thing that now dost greet
The courts and altar-places sweet,

With hovering wing;
Forgetful of the meadows green,
Blest company thou hast, I ween,
Of snowy, swiftest hosts unseen,
Praising their King.

Dost thou not catch the rapturous note
That from some seraph's tongue doth float;
Or melody

Of cherub's or arch-angel's strings
Across the ether's golden springs;
Or softest breathing of those wings
So close to thee?

The people gathering thou dost hear,
The silver trumpets loud and clear,
The Hallel high,

Sweeping above the altar-fire,

From priest and answering chorister
And cymbal shrill, with sounding lyre
And psaltery.

The tuneful bulbul sleepeth now Ꮍ ;
Weary of singing on the bough,

Till stars did set.

She does not hear the priest-bells chime;
The lonely Pleiads knew her time,

Rounding with low and tender rime,

O'er Olivet.

Well may'st thou stay in charmed mood,
Thy mates, the nesting swallow-brood:
Up the deep light,

Not place like this the lark doth know,
Nor bright kingfisher dipping low
Where fairest water-lilies blow,

Golden and white.

Nor eagle perched on Tabor's height,
Recking than this no lower flight,

Eyeing the sun,

Carmel upon the Western Sea,

The ships of dark, blue Galilee

And torrents calling, high and free,

From Lebanon.

Thou little bird, thou lovest well,

O beautiful, O beautiful,

The Holy Height where God doth dwell!

Brighter than day,

His glory shines. O still and sweet,

The Voice above the Mercy Seat!

Like thee, I, too, would with Him meet

And ever stay.

FRONT ROYAL, Va.

POPULAR SCIENCE-EARTH MOVEMENTS.

BY J. MILNE.

EVERY year, every day, and possibly every hour, the physicist and observer of nature discovers something which attracts attention, causes wonder, and affords material for discussion. At one moment we are invited to see solidified air, at another to listen to telephonic messages that are being transmitted without a wire, or to pause with astonishment before a pen which is producing a fac-simile of the writing, the sketches, and the erasures of a person who may be in a distant city.

Not a day passes without a new creation or discovery, and novelties for our edification and instruction are brought to our notice at the meetings of societies and conventions which from time to time are held in various parts of the world. At the last meeting of the British Association, held in Nottingham, the attention of the members was called to the reports of two committees summarizing a series of facts which seemed destined to open a new field in the science which treats of movements in the crust of our earth. For thirteen years one of these committees has devoted its attention to the volcanic and seismic phenomena of Japan, with the result that our knowledge of these subjects has been considerably extended. Now we observe that earthquakes, which are referred to as catastrophes in the processes of mountain formation and the elevation or depression along our coast-lines, are spoken of as gar disturbances which interfere

"vul

with the observation of certain earth movements which are probably as common to England as they are to Japan.

Earthquake observations, although still capable of yielding much that is new, are for the present relegated to a subordinate position, while the study of a tide-like movement of the surface of our earth, which has been observed in Germany and Japan, earth tremors, and a variety of other movements, which we are assured

are continually happening beneath our feet, are to take their place. Only in a few countries do earthquakes occur with sufficient frequency to make them worthy of serious attention. The new movements to which we are introduced are occurring at all times and in all countries, and we are asked to picture our continents as surfaces with a configuration that is always changing. We are told that every twenty-four hours the ground on which we live is gently tilted, so that the buildings in our cities, and the tall chimneys in our manufacturing towns, are slightly inclined like stalks of corn bent over by a steady breeze. The greatest tilting takes place during the night; in the morning all return to the vertical.

Why such a movement should exist, we are not told. All that we hear, is that it is too large for a terrain tide produced by lunar attraction. In Japan it appears possible that it may prove to be a concertinalike opening and shutting of the crumpled strata forming a range of mountains. To determine whether this intermittent puckering of strata, which would mean a daily increase and decrease in the height of mountains, explains the variability in the level of districts where observations have been made, is a matter for future investigation.

A problem which suggests itself in connection with this novel work will be to determine the limiting change in inclination, which we will assume means rock-bending, that culminates in sudden fracture and a jar, causing an earthquake.

Earthquake prophets up to the present appear to have lived upon the reputation of a few correct guesses the non-occurrence of which would have been contrary to the laws of chance. As observation has shown us that a very large proportion of our earthquakes, like those which occur in the Himalayas and the Alps, and even those which occur in vol

« ForrigeFortsæt »