Vol. YIIL No. 17.—Whole No. 381.
fffMftg*
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE SHORTER
CATECHISM.
HO, lII,—THE SCRIPTURE,
t
Snored sword to fight life’s battles,
Lamp t° light the dying bed;
Hlest, wh° feel a Bible promise
Soft beneath their feinting head.
Thou dost rite unerring guidance—
Truths S.tlll heightening to the close;
Glimpses p£ a deathless heaven—
Warhings of eternal woes.
.. in,;.
Blest the heart, the home, the nation
Calmed, impelled, in all,' by thee;
Swayfed, Grand Epio. by thy Hero,
Martyr-God of Calvary,!,
• IV.
Crash in Thee the Sinai-thunders;
Yet, to nerve our drooping tears,
Clad in life each loftiest precept '
Realized m act appears.
V.
Book of books! Full fraught with- Jesus t
T Bis salvation through thee shines;
How his blood, with awful sanction,
Crimsons thy triumphant lineal
' ' VI. -■
Book divine, thy fruits attest thee:
Hearts washed white from crimson stains-
Bove, truth, meekness, self-denial,
Martyr-deaths, and.prophet-strains.
-, VII,
Grand the honors still that wait thee;
Coming glories, coming gloom; *
Tdl, from God’s white throne of judgment,
Bible words shall crown or doom.
VIII.
Aid me, hook of God, when dying,
Lest my feeble feet should trip;
In my heart some Bible promise-^
Bible prayer upon my lip.
EIiAHISTOTEROSi
HOME—COUNTRY—CHURCH.
THANKSGIVING DtSCI'OURSE OV REV. E. E. ADAMS.
My mouth shall praise- thee with joyful lips.—
Psalmlxlli. 5, *
Saidan anoiept sufferer —"Man is born totronble
as the sparks fly upward,", We admit the trii.th;
yet I am persuaded there is more joy thin sorrow
among men. The world of perfect hiss lies about
us, apd from its deep, > glorious ocean; waves dash
over and fall among us; albletfrom the,other world
conies, ever and- anon, a breath of wailing, a billow
qf despair. Not ta speculate on the condition of
pur species, we have, facts which-outweigh theories,
and set the reality fairly before us.
Life is naturally joyous. 'When the breath: of
spring fioatfover the earthH-tbe budding twigs, the,
bursting germs, the free wing that cals the tur, the
notes that break forth spontaneous to welcome the
light, the opening bloom,’the'rich incense floating
up from the broken soil,. every leaf that quivers in
the breeze, every tree that bmps itrf hanaS itt the'
orient ray, the fields;- and’shores, and forests, the
stars set to music Iq high, dame-r-all have-ai
life of joy. Their sounds ,ahd motions and burning
splendors are of jubitanihx&tenee. ‘
Even the stormy trampling; with millionfeet field
and battlement and - tower, unsheathing; the swprd
that slays “with .touch ethereal,’' ds.a'sublime revel-,
ler whose laugh 1 shakes 'tKe !: gfeat ’Soncave as he
looks down on the world hdlding ita myriad cups for
the blessed rain. The infancy of all living creatures
is a holiday. It has its mishaps and griefs, but they
are washed from life’s bright shore by the ripples of
joy that follow after. Eve.it : ih .society, where man
feels the wounds of neglect, the .cares of wealth and
station, the resistances of opinion and interest, where
the circle of happy kindred is invaded by death,
there is a prevalent satisfaction, —-not' always true
happiness, but real delight. It is joyous to labor
for the loved, a blessed boon, to feel that we are
doing,—that there is truth, for our minds, that
there are objects for ohr affections, that there is va
riety for our tastes, food' fob our hunger, shelter for
our persons, society- fdr our friendships. The joy
we have may not indicate a. sound religious condi
tion, it may be a b,rigijt and pictured, drapery behind
which dark thoughts lurk and sad spirits droop, but
it satisfies for the hour, and proves that ouf state is
not altogether pitiable and forlorn; that sin-bos. not
blotted out hope, nor quenched ail the sunlight of
the heart.
This day is, the, voice of our nation’s gladness.
Let us consecrate and hallow our joys ; let us feel
that they are the sacred fruits of. the divine good
ness. . •: , .
When David uttered the words of our text he was
a fugitive in the wilderness of Judah—away from his
home, his sanctuary and his throne; his son a rebel,
and the hearts of aftlsrael turned against him. The
desert stretched its awful solitude around him.
There he thirsted for -the living God. aud there too
did he learn that the loving-kindness of his Maker
was “better than life,” —and to . say with his whole
heart: “My mouth shall praise thee with joyfuUips.
Our condition to-day, brethren, is far superior to
that of the exiled king in the-wilderness.
THE Bt.ESSINGS OpHOHE.
I. We have homes . For these will we offer praise,
There may be with us now gome stranger, whose
wefkry feet pause here for a season to mingle : his
praise and his prayer with ours, while his home and
family are far away. His thoughts go back to
them with tender longing and hope, and he finds in
this thanksgiving hour, this common brotherhood of
citizens and Christians that which is-akin to the
more precious presence and sympathies of home.
Perhaps gome soldier is here whose arm has, been !
bared, whose breast has' bornd a wourfd for us and
for his country, while wife, or child, or mother spends
this day of praise without him. Be this place to you
a substitute, brotmr, poor indeed, for that toward
which you have looked in vain; take to your heart
the pleasure of having rendered us a service
which we feel but cannot repay. But- we.haw o
homes, resting-places in life’s weary way, where, by
mutuat sympathies, by the cultivation of knowledge
and piety, by the cheer of young hearts, and gleeful
voices, by the calm thoughts' which come after the
storms of outer and conflicting life,-the soul grows
stronger and . more hopeful. The' family is divine.
It was ordained of God as the nursery of the church,
and the source of virtue and moral power in. the
state. It was a beautiful trait in Israel that, not
withstanding their wandering life, they loved their
separate tents. A'holy relationship was felt in each
family to the great sanctuary; that tie centralized
their life while it tended to preserve the household
love. It is eminently true of the Anglo-Saxon that
his home is a sacred place. Nothing will inspire his
heart for sacrifice, or his arm for war, like the
danger Which threatens his' fire-side. 1 We partake
of the same spirit, the same endearment. A peace
ful, religious, quiet home! Love and song, i s 1
gence and virtue nestle beneath r d p r U
memories, ministries filial and paternal ren
more dear by sorrows and separations, k°P ..
bathe In the promise of the fotdre, P«™ ta ‘
and tender ebldings, repose for the weary,
for the young, the mellowed piety of ,ag«> the glow
ing affections of youth, the tears and smdes of m
•faScy! hours of regalement and sewons of healthM
labor, confidences not known in the bustle of the
world, births over which older hearts f 1 ® d
deaths which mellow the tone of happmew pnd wm
the spirit toward the realm ofeternity-thegemakc
up a happy, holy home. We have, such for Which to
render praise.
« 0 name for comfort, refuge, hope and peace,
0 spot by gratitude and' memory hlest;
Where, as m brighter, worlds tb| wick
From troubling, and the weary are at . r ®„ ’ t
And tender loves and graces have their nes ,
How brightly here the varied virtues shine,
And different tastes and talents all, unjte
Like hues prismatic blending tnto white.
Thou little kingdom of serene .dfUgnt,,. t
Heaven’s nursery and foretaste 1 Oh, the bliss.
Where earth to wearied man can give a home
like this.”
Now if we describe not. your homes as they are,
we give the picture of what they should be. And if
in some of'them there have been shadows cast by
the presence of death, we trust there has been also a
divine light that makes even the darkest clouds wel
come, and “ gilds them while they stay.”
THE DELIVERANCE" OF GETTYSBURG.
.But ask yourselves what now were our social
state hut for the good hand of God? To say nothing
of the maladies that might have invaded, our house
holds; nothing of the calamities that might have fal
len upon us inthe ordinary course of life, what hand
can trace, what mind imagine onr condition, had our
enemies gained the victory at Gettysburg? Had not
a portion of onr army reached that little hill ? Or
had the battle been renewed by the confederates on
the morning of the 2nd of July, when the First and
Eleventh Corps were; exhausted by the conflict and
retreat of the previous day,, when the Third and
Twelfth Corps were worn by forced marches, and
the Second, Fifth and Sixth had not arrived on the
field ? It was- a merciful Providence in our favor
that the morning of the 2d passed without a battle ;
and that up to 4p’clock in the afternoon the weary
bands rested, and .the distant corps had, time, to
reach the place of destiny, thus adding 50,000 strong
hearts as a barrier between ns and rum I Had that
day and the 3d gone against the Army of the Poto
mac, and our brave troops who rushed to the: border,
“ what but a miracle could have saved us.from de
struction ?” The hostile tide would have rolled on
to our Capital and swept down the Susquehanna,
pouring through our city and our homes the death
waves of plunder and fire 1 While therefore we laud
the wakefulness and promptness of our government;
while we praise the wise fores ight of General Meade,
and give due honor to the valor and devotion' of all
our officers and men in that terrible strife, we go be
yond all these, and glorify the God who presided over
the whole transaction. It is to his special interposi
tion that this day we can gather in peace about our
tables, look upon our families as, if not wholly free
from the invasion of sorrow and death, at least un
disturbed by the presence of grim war, and in the
enjoyment of as much ease and comfort as usually
characterize our gatherings on this annual day of
thanksgiving. And if here and there we miss the
young and manly forms of those who sat with hs in
other years, we have the happiness to know that
they *re,stili living offerings to their country; .or, if
a few have fallen, that they lie in honored graves,
far dearer to them than a life of inaction and disloyal
repose. -' , .
OUR COUNTRY,
11. We have a country. For this will we praise
God with joyful lips. A country how rich in its ,
products, grand in extent, varied in landscape and,
geographical contour, wonderful in wealth, enter-,
prise ah'd mind,, in education, religious freedom and
thought. When it. was only a wilderness stretching,,
without civilization, without a city or a hamlet, from;
the Atlantic to the Pacific, its deep soil nntilled, its
rich mines undisturbed .save by the torrents, its
great forests covering thousands of miles, its mighty
cataracts pouring their music into the ears of the
wild wanderer,—the fact of its discovery by the
great Italian adventurer sent a thrill of extasy
through the continent of Europe; and when he re
turned to/ Spain, with specimens of its ores,
animals and men, the streets of Barcelona witnessed
a triumph for him more grand than that of Roman
heroes; even majesty itself permitting the fortunate
man to «£ in its- presence. It is a country secured
to us in its present worth and greatness by the la-,
bora and. sacrifices, the piayers and conflicts of.
many centuries of earnest minds. The life of the
stern Puritan is in it; the genius and, religion of the
French Hnguenot are woven into its industries and
its society; the persistence and conservatism of the
VlolVctdcrT- I qt cUe.~: german; chmoanty
dignity of the old English Quaker, the intelligence
and massive faith of protestant Scotland and north
ern Ireland mingle, in its ins.titutiops and balance
its social forces ;—and sad to say, as an offset to tbe
whole,- as an almost fatal resistance to our freedom
and civilization—we have the theft, the ingratitude,
the falsehood, the mobs, the murders, and the dis
loyalty of others, not from the north of Ireland.
We have a country which, in its moral and political
eminence, is the result of a- costly, stupendous re
volution, of statesmanship and legal talent, of broad
commercial views, of eloquence, industry, common
sense and piety. We have a liberal, paternal, de
mocratic government; freedom of mental culture and
religious worship; room for the largest enterprise,
for the utmost reach of personal endeavor in every
profession, every* field of labor and of study..
We have just the institutions and the liberty , that
will let man make the most of his powers, and his
opportunities. If there is something iu the yastness
of onr natural domain to stimulate ambition, to
kindle our ardors for, high, achievement; there is
also as much in the genius of our government to
quicken thought, to develope manhood, and to bear
ns as a people to the last goal of humanity.
EFFORTS TO DESTROY OUR NATIONALITY.
Think next of the mighty efforts put forth to
destroy this grand Nationality; to stop its march
of. freedom ana of mind, and "drag it back into the ;
dark ages; to dig a grave for all its high hopes: j
What intrigues of politicians for thirty years; what :
sophestriea in public speeches and documents; what '
plans for the quiet accumulation of arms and defen
ees among those who are now at war with freedom;
•what deep and damning:hypocrisies; what betrayal
of friendships and “confidences; what departure
from avowed principles; 'what abases of office; what
beguileinents of foreign courts ; what secret prepe
rations abroad; what appeals to the lowest passions
of men ;: what falsehoods to inflame the ignorant;
what blandishments; what threats; what gathering
of armies; what invasions; what inter-play between
| open enemies and pretended friends; what treachery
in our Capital and in our armies ; what organized
mobs secretly aided by an 4> rc hbishop, Ms priests,
and a recreant Governor; what influences from the
rtisihterpreters of thelaw; what cries of “unconsti
tutionality what railings at our executive, and at
the spirit of liberty and Christianity; what scorn
from woman; what expenditure in men and
means; in piracy, in running the blockade; in a
lying press at home and abroad; what truckling to
foreign powers; what barbarism and violation of
belligerent rights; what appeals to heaven and
clamors about oppression ; what cries about State
rights and the divine institution of slavery; what
upheaving of all our institutions by volcanic mad
ness—and in them all the hypocritical cry of—“ Let
us alone, we only ask for peace.” - ' •• •
We have had arrayed, against us the best military
talent of the land, which was educated and developed
i w the Government whose existence it assails. The
I skill of British mechanics, and the wealth of British
gentry and Lords, have poured into the Confederate
ports wherever a steamer could run the blockade,
luxuries, clothing and munitions of war, while go
vernments at peace with us winked at the proceed
ing. Traitors among ourselves, sheltered by the na
tional flag, and in the paid service of pur Govern
ment; have informed the enemy of oar plans and sent
I them supplies, while a third, at leasts of our northern
population, avowed, in various ways, their sympathy
with the rebellion. . ~
Take into view all these adverse agencies, together
with the blunders w.e have made, the incompetency
and treachery of officers in the crisis of affairs, and
! to what power but that of God, who has onr nation
' in his keeping! for sdmd grand purpose in ms goyern
f m ent, can we attribute onr present comparatively
1 haODV condition ? Consider for a moment the state
; oftffings just before the grand victory at Gettysburg.
THE PERU, AND THE VICTORY.
The Army of the Potomgc, at Chancellorsville,
numbering at least one hundred and twenty thou
sand, under a leader‘brave and efficient, when, he ta
himself, was met by the rebel army of only fifty wou
sand and shamefully defeated. Then, with a rein
forcement of thirty thousand, the rebel leader in coil
tempt of our generals marched northward one hun
dred and fifty miles. Washington trembled.. Panic
and despair ran through our cities, and lethargy
seized on our rural districts. The enemy had an eye
-to our rieh valleys and our pletheric banks, aud
-to whatever else he might seize—whatever- else
achieve. ’He thought so little of our generalship
I as to run the greatest hazard of annihilation. In the
event of success, Ms conduct was sublime! In the
event of defeat, it was madness! He felt secure in
the presence of an army whose strategy he had often
Outwitted, whose valor, he had repulsed. But just
at the- awful crisis, when hope Ailed the scale
that swung over the enemy, and dispair hung heavy:
in 'ours, a new. leader appears: a change is made at
the fiobr of expected onset. The rebel is caught in
Me Pwh pit. The balance swings the other, way.
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1863.
The battle is fought on ground which our army
gained partly by .retreat and disaster; and, against
the highest prestige of success, against the greatest
valor on the: part of-the enemy, against the best mi
litary, talent when half of our forces were worn down
with fighting and forced marches, we were enabled
to gain the day. ,It was God’s day, not man’s. It
saved our homes, our cities, our fields, our country.
It saved freedom ! It told the world that America
“still lives!” It assured tyrants that they cannot
stop liberty! that they cannot cut down this growth
of ages and of God ! The. day that followed, when
the rebels hastened their: retreat, was opr second
national birth-day—-a duplicate of our great Fourthl
the vindication and fulfilment of what, was then de
clared! a new victory over opinion and over force.
On Cemetery Hill, now consecrated forever to the
memory of valor, were conquered more fears, more
prejudices, more political obstinacy, more schemes
of treason than ever fell before in any single conflict.
Not only the forms of fallen heroes sleep there; but,
slain hopes of the Confederacy. Weliagl almost.said
—a dead revolution lies in that immortal field!
-Under. God, we owe. to that day the peace and the
.thanksgiving .of this. The freshness and balm of,
that summer time are breathed into this keener air.
The clouds which rolled across the path of that
morning,sun, revealed jig they- passed the, brightness
of many’days.
THE RESULTS A GROUND OP THANKSGIVING.
. And now we have a.country gained and secured
by reverses which proved' to be moral victories; a
country .of more than twenty loyal States ; a country
of abundant wealth-—of/splid finance—of friendly
petitions, with foreign powers, enjoying even the
warmest friendship,of the grandest empire in Europe;
the spirit of riot and murder; quelled in our thronged
cities; enterprise all alive throughout.-our, bqp
ders; moral victories gained over false sentiment'and
inhuman' institutions; a discipline* that has invigo
rated the bodies, the intellects and-the religion of the
people; and a sense of dependence on God, such as
we have not felt before since our first struggle for
national existence. * i
Here, to-dav, therefore, “we offer unto God
thanksgiving we take one another by the hand
and press our herrts together in tearful gratitude
over/our revived nationality. We stretch our arms
across the seas and shake hands with the millions
whose hearts throb' as ours do for the freedom qf the
world! Wesaytothem—Hope on !—pray on! We
shall not disappoint you. We have looked into the
“ temple of liberty,” and our souls are full of its
light. Swords, and bayonets, and cannon melt into
phantoms in its beams ! We are ini the abyss of
freedom-i-yta are rising to its heights. , Our gravita
tion is upward! We haiV Italy ! *We 'say “ Godi
speed ”to Russia! We put her Act of Emancipa
tion with our own' and say—Behold the twin birth
of liberty—the new Gemini in the zodiac of the poli 7
deal heavens 1 “ God precipitates the. world into
light. /Who;shall stop it?”
, Shall we not, praise for the memory of great
men; for. the influences of virtue and philosophy; for
| brave hearts in the past and in the present ? Shall
■ we not praise for our free'government'; fpr .the sym
pathies, whiph flow toward the suffering; for justice
done to Apeople for ages enthralled; for lessons
learned by our whole population; for Consolidated
law; for schools; for-social joys; 'for the deeper, so
berness, with which we begin to look'on duty, and
• destiny; forthe clearing up of ohr national sky, ahd for
; the brightspromise that spreads a glory over thefa
\ tare? Wc believe the day of calm, and permanent
1 prosperity is at hand. Like the waters of Niagara,
! our life is now falling, to be dashed and broken in
the. abyss ; butlike them, too, it shall flow on here
after with tranquility, and fulness, and peace.
We do not delude ourselves with the fancy that,
with the close of our conflict and the overthrow of
oppression, there will be ho sin in the land, but every
where virtue,, plenty and pleasure. We do not ex-
the millennium wiU begin Ameriga^as
hopes are not in any great social'movement ; but
. they are inthe promise and the power.of God. He
• alone can render us a peculiar people, and make us
high above all nations that he hath made, in praise,
and in name, and in honor, and that we may be a
holy people nnto the Lord." !
And when he shall do this, ‘
“The mighty West shall bless the East,
And sea shall answer s.ea, -
And mountain unto mountain call—
Bless. God, for we: are /reel
Free in limb, free in mind; free in soul, “with .the li
berty wherewith Christ makes free.” ,
~ THE CHURCH.
111. Finally, we praise God for the church,
We have already intimated that the family and
the State are divine institutions. We say with em
phasis the Churßbc is' divine. There was the germ
of this sacred body in Eden, and afterwards in single
families before the time of Abraham, But that old
patriarch was in a sense ‘‘ the Father of the univer
sal church.” In him it assumed it? organic life,
and took its first grand inspirations.' In him was
concentred all that nas since “ formed the substance
and fibre of th'e whole Christian church.” In his
family was the first element of nationality, and the
first fact of ecclesiastical, history. The family was
, and is the home of individuals, the nation a vast as
’ semblage, we may almost Say system of homes, each '
independent of all.others and yet each related to
all, while the church is the home of souls, the place
of culture for the best part of our manhood—hay
for the whole of it, preparatory to the grand and
glorious destiny of our being. We rise above the
i primary definition of a church. It is something
more than an assembly of worshippers with its laws
of faith and practice, something more than the em
bodied religion or Christianity of a town, or state, or
nation. It is Christ’s family destined to grow into
an eternal kingdom. It isthegatbering of believers
to himself, the medium of his spiritual presence ou
the earth, the agency by which his laws and his life
are difihsed over the nations, the power by which
the family and the state ate to be sanctified an d
drawn to Christ. Nay, he has set his church above
all nationalities as the. only immortal compact., of
souls, as ultimately to embrace all kingdoms, having
ascended to universal supremacy and absolute sway
over bodies, over minds, over institutions, over laws,
over all interests, affections, thoughts and estates.
All the history of the past in the works of great
men, in the rise and growth, the conflicts and decay j
of nations, has had m view the final glory of the
church. : Nations have been sacrificed for the truth
and righteousness which their pride would trample,
and which God would preserve as belonging to this
grand kingdom. All the revolutions among men
have only rolled out of the way the obstructions that
were east before the virtue, the faith, the holiness
which, for ages the great Head has wrought into his
church. ’ He expends his love and power for its ele
vation and enlargement.- It is precious in his sight,
both for its cost and its inherent worth. Therefore
he Bays to it even in its infancy and dimness, ■“ I
gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for
thee.” 1 have created thee for my glory, I have
formed thee, yea I have made thee.” The Psalmist
speaks of it in still higher strains. His foundation
is in the Holy Mountains. The Lord loveth the
gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are spoken l of thee, O city of God."
And the apostles'in later ages call it “The body of
Christ, the fullness of him who fiUeth all in ail.”
“A glorious church.” “The Temple of God.”
“God’s husbandry,” “ God’s buildingset forth in
all the splendors of richest gems ef pearl and gold,
as the city of fight, “ coming down out of Heaven
from Godas the bride of the great King; as “the
family in Heaven and earth;” as the everlasting
kingdom of holiness and love. What children have
been born in this family ? What achievements have
been ushered into history by its members? What
grand truths have been announced by its heralds ?
what heroes- of faith, and warfare have adorned its
annals ? Whatinfluences have gone forth from it to
elevate man, to quicken the intellect, to purify the
heart, to consolidate nationalities, to promote and
control civilization, to hallow our homes and social
fellowship, to open the hearts of the rich, to stimu
late the industry and encourage the prudence of the
poor, to offer the bereaved soul divine consolation,
the sinning, lost soul the favor and forgiveness of
God 1 How large its claims, how grand its history, _
how bright its promise. Greater than all human'
kingdoms as its Lord is greater than all earthly
kings, filling heaven, conquering the world, not by
power, but by character. Even in its imperfections,
the church of God surpasses all other compacts, con
tains the noblest and best of souls, the sublimest
verities and relations. It has the greatest work to
do , the happiest life to live, the most glorious good
to animate and to be won 1 ,
THE BETTER HOME, — THE BETTER COUNTRY
While then we offer praise for: our homes, which
under the influence of Christian love, are types of
heaven’s fellowship and life, while we bless God for
onr country in which these homes are set like gems
in a caronet, like stars in s the firmament, a country
emerging from the clouds and storms, and set in
the radiant way of freedom and immortality, we
glory more in the home that awaits us beyond the
flood, where greetings shall follow' these dark separ
ations ; where thanksgiving time is perpetual as the
day, and more blissfull every hour; where forms
come home to us from eafifch’s .tombs and caves and
oceans and battlefields, the dust and the .brine and
the mould dropped for Qm’s robes and Christ’s iin
mortality, lips long dumb into song, and
eyes long dim opening' the lighted spheres all
peopled by angels, by infapts, youths,, fathers and:
mothers, fair, great, beautjfal; and holy as angels!
We glory more in that'great country—tie : pro
mised land; the eternal, inheritance, where.-Christ
reigns and the saints are with him on .thrones; where
law is .equal and perfect, society fibre, and man free;
where the rich and poor forget their distinctions, and
white is.no bettermor ,6r^fl^te»>.tfi,aE,black; where
the amount of sanctified ifiipd and .the intensity pf
love willset the soul highdft; reversing thb order of
this world; a. country is,;qver—op :
whose records shine the najjjfe pf alt the good , ,We
glory more in that' church oflwhidhglorious things are
spoken L-which is the household of faith, the family
of God, the nation of them that are'Saved; the
church ia whose grandeur attd permanency all earth’s
kingdoms will yet lose themselves add be forgotten,
or before which they shall tfe shattered like the pot
ter’s vessel,, when God!" ris|s up. out of-his, holy ha
bitation ” to shake terribly fhe‘earth.’’
- Oh! my brethren; these eabthly homes will ere long
be; desolate. All. their briglyt faces, like those already
gone, will soon lie hid benbafch the pall, and every, fair
and manly form lie low. We ftiayp!antflowers around
our dwellings, we may cause oar halls to glow’with
the;Ea|liancerof beauty with song, we may
flit our rooms with gorgeous furniture and load our ,
tables with costliest-abundance- but our -feet shall ■
not.-always tread therein—pur voices shall- not long
mingle there! ’ The scenes pf the past will be acted
over again, and others of r oSr households shall die—
others of our kindred pass t ’into. the shadows. We
Shall soon cease to feel the power that sits enshrined
in mere nationality. Nations will pass away, and
our ear shall not listen tp the crasli-r-our hearts
shall not feel the ruin,- • Wg are destined to a state
where human homes and kingdoms have no place.
Oh ( . then, let all that', stiralbat love and claims bur
devotion in oar homes; belfw be ..reminders of the
coming life f Let onr ngtrimism. and loyalty tp hu
man governmentlmbiflyfellfeents'in the
oMy. of the Christian.. Leiitheleo'untfy which how
we love, and whose .woundswe; deplore,, us,.in
best characterisjtics and|privileges, only .a fore T
taste of the kii%dom whichhath foundations; and
let the .gratitude we? feel foqiour homes and .our na
tive la.nd.be but.the. first,ge,#le note iu that thanks
giving which sliail mingie with the raptures of “ the
general assembly and cnurchttf the fiirst-born,” and
roll its high; strains thrpughjeternity. ; ; - - ;
“ This life of outs, these lingering years of earth' .
Are briefer, swifter than t|tey;se,em.; -
Alittle while,‘and the grew Seebnd birth
Of time is herb, dhe prophets!ancient theme !
Then He the King, the J udge, atlengthshall cpme;
And, for this desert, whereiwe sadLy rpam,
Shall give the kingdom for our endless‘home, 1
..Thslend Qf.tyhich . .
SACEED SYMBOLS.
BT KEV. DANIEL MABCH.
.IB STREAMS IS THE SOUTH,'
Ps. 126: 4. Turn again oqr captivity;' Q Lord, as
the streams in the south. , ■ . ■...,
Tiie streams ’ in,, the, 4ppj;h, .Tgere.;
, wfien' rams^aff - fallen on the
distant hills. ,1“ antieipatipjmpf th.eir coming,
the- husbandjnan sowed the .parched .field,
and .trusted that the fertilizing flood would flow
in due time; among, all the valleys. But while
it delayed it£ . ..ppiping, he witched every
gathering cloud,;,.he listeppd for, the sound of
the wind that might foretaken the needed rain;
he rose early to observe the,goings forth of the
morning; he studied the reddening hues of the
setting day, and he compared all the signs of
the earth and the 'shies, if’ pefadvehture v he
might gather any promise of help from'tid
distant hills, any hope of the returning streams
amon g the valleys. • And if the needed blessing
of the skies was withhold en wbile the beds of
the torrents were bare, and the fields were
burnt with drought and the food of the
dried up, and lean famine looked in at the
peasant’s door, his must have been a brutish
heart not to mourn; And when the deliverance
came in a single night, there was music for the
husbandman in the voice of the thunder, and
there was beauty in the blackness of the storm.
And when, the morning shone upon the glad
dening torrents bursting from the hills’, and the
reviving herbage roSe.with new life from the
fresh baptism of the flooded streams and the
falling rain, then the husbandman needed only
a human heart to rejoice with tears of gratitude,
and to sing aloud for joy. ; :
% So from natural and' necessary reasons as
well divine ■ appointment, miistive all,
as faithful husbandmen in God’s great field of
this world,-sow with'tears and with the tremb
ling of uncertain' expectation, if we would reap j
with joy unutterable, when the pitying heavens
tire bowed and the gracious; rain descends and
ensures a plentiful harvest. The tears shed in
the time of sowing, themselves give promise
that the reaper shall bring'hoxae his fall sheaves
rejoicing. The troubles Mid sorrows, the
temptations and burdens which try the spirit
most Severely, only give it wings to rise and
help it on in the heavenly way. The sore
conflict, through which the children of God
pass in their; journey to tie promised test, ,is
i the merciful chastisement of their The
life of , the good soldier of Jesus Christ, is well
described by the words applied to the armies
of Wallenstein in the thirty years war—“never
resting homeless, their life was but a battle and
a march.” For the faithful children’of God,
there is no rest here, no home, till they reach
the better country. Their victory over one
adversary does not secure them spoils with
which to be enriched and to repose, but only
new incentives to press on more vigorously in
their ceaseless march to meet a yet sorer con
flict and a greater foe. And when at last
presented faultless before the throne pf the
Redeemer’s .glory with exceeding joy, they are
washed from the defilements of sin in the blood
of the, slain Lamb Thus. all the way pain is
the price of pleasure, and at, last life eternal
springs only from the charnel of death, and
“beauty immortal awakes from the tomb.”
, There is a bird ip Eastern lands possessing a
form so graceful, and a plumage so brilliant
with all the hues of heaven, that.it has seemed
to inen, too bright and beautiful a creature to
be an inhabitant of a sinful world; and as
if supposing it still to belong to the; glory lost
in Eden, they have named it the “Bird.of
Paradise.” And travellers say. that, that bird
never from its own choice flies before the wind.
And when from fright or danger compelled to
do so, its long train of brilliant; plumes are
disordered and torn by the, favoring breeze, and
I soon the bird so beautiful a 3 to suggest to the
beholder the. brightest hues of heaven, is
wearied, disconcerted, beaten down and all its
.glorious plumage trailed in the dust, But
then again, let it mount upon the wing and
face the rushing wind, and soon the dust is
swept from the soiled plumes by the opposing
breeze,the bird recovers her seemly shape and
graceful motion, ,and ascends with; .unwearied
.wing,,to the gate,of .heaven.; ; . ,
Bo .ths ransomed soul,-purged from the
defilements of sin and clothed in the robes qf a
divine righteousness, is already before reaching
the paradise above, adorned with a beauty'
&ore glorious 'than the brightest things! of
earth. The restored image of’ holiness and
perfect love proves his dew life, to be Of
herivebly hirthj ‘ and pydihiSeS filter 1 skies ’and ,’a
better' country fob his e verlasting‘ habitation.
Arid yet even such aabne, to reach'Bis heavenly
home,' must face the storm/ The 1 favoring
breeze of earthly prosperity will disarray - the
garments of his glorious beauty. The heaven
dyed plumes of his soaring spirit will be soiled by
success. The abundance of temporal blessing
'will impede his flight arid cast liim down to
earth. If he would join the angel reapers in
singing the harvest home in the great reaping
time of the earth’s ripeness, he mdst be content
to pldugli the desert iri tears aria to sow in
sorrow, beside empty streams waiting ;■ for,the,
rain. Many a time must he pray in unison;
with the prayer of the Hebrew exiles iri the
strange land, “Tam our captivity, 0 Lord, as
the streams in the south.”
PRESENTIMENTS
We recently saw a letter from a brave volun
teer, asking religious reading ,to distribute,
giving substantially the... following statement: •
During a severe engagement, he stood beside
his .brother, who was a..devoted Christian; and
who, taking from his pocket little mementos
for friends, said, “Brother, I shall fall, in this
battle! But lam ready to go. It .is glorious,
to die for the old flag; and I shall go home t ( o
Christ.” The third round, he fell dead, pierced
by a minnie ball, in bis brother’s arms ; telling
him u little tract among his effepts had led him
to Jesus, and begging him to read, and fol-
him. This led to his conversion. -We
know of no Solution rifthe mystery of presenti
ments, when, as in this, instance, not or morbid
melancholy, but distirictand clear, excepting the
.sovereign interposition of God to secure a cer
tain end, which in no other way could be secured,,
The celebrated William Tennent .was, saved
from the pillory by a dream and 'present! inept
| attending it, yrhen on trial for the crimp of
rtobir ; tr riflf that
Gfod can touch all springs of action,.pnd wjJJ
‘‘make all things, work together for good to
.them that love him,, the palled- according,to, his
purpose.” While to the disloyal,-—the impeni
tent, all, things must conspire to his overthrow
and eternal ruin. P. G. H.
J'jerMirf’s jp«#f§®|i.
FOURTH SCRAP-LONELY HOURS.
• . Soldier: —How. do you spend your lonely
hours ? If the. question seems abrupt, please
reflect that it springs from.a-true Christian so
licitude for your immortal welfare, and then I
am sure you will; not be angry that I press .it:
I know that you haveifcSw such hours. In
your tent you are.'almost never alone, and if
you wander outside, men are everywhere
around you. You have no private chamber to
Which you can resort for holy exercises; -there
is no quiet grove inside rof the guard, where
youcanToam, and not even a fence, behind
which you can kneel to pour out your: heart
i before God. : i: •
: Still you have some: lonely hours; and the
yeryfaet that they: are so few,. adds
surably to their preciousness, and imparts un
speakable importance to the question how they
are spent. In our homes of peace, those hours
are.the most influential of all, for. good or for
evil, over oar whole life and character. If
those hoqrs are devoted to. communion with
God, and to securing the defence of his grace
against temptation, we shall probably come : off
without spot from our intercourse with men,
and our open conflicts with sin. If they are
given over to corrupt meditations and desires,
they will stain our whole lives with moral
foulness. ' r r : .
This universal Iaw !i of "the power of solitary
hours follows you to the camp, and there are
-reasons why its working is doubly sure there.
You will not be offended; for you know I speak
the truth, when I say, that there virtue has
fewer' outward guards than among the refine
ments and gentle amenities of life which only
scenes of-peace developed You are far away
■from the eye of loving, perhaps praying-parents
and sisters; some of you far away from wives
and children, in whose sight you would not
for worlds bring moral disgrace upon yourself.
Where you are, your chief restraints from sin
must be found in your own heart; and the few
-lonely hours Which you do have, will probably
be decisive of the character of that heart!
What are your meditations in those hours ?
You. cultivate pleasurable thoughts ; do you
seek them from corruption of holiness; from
earth or heaven ? Dbes your imagination revel
in vile delights, and perishing good; or does
your'mind surround itself with visions'from
the world of glory? In whichever direction
these fancies strike out, they are sure to bear
your heart along. Prom these ' meditations,
you will come back to your comrades with an
inflamed zest for sih, or a truer heart for your
Lord, They will make you a worse sinner, er
[ a better Christian.
What is the reading of your lonely hours ?
The friends of Jesus offer you the" Holy Scrip
tures, and much other pious reading, without
money and without price. Satan has also his
agents among you, loaded with publications
which are corrupting and damning. But he is
a bookseller, and not a’book giver. He filches
your pockets in exchange for his vile trash.
Indeed, he never damns men without making
them pay well for it beforehand, And yet
what crowds rush forward to purchase hell,
who might have taken heaven as the free gift
of God in Christ Jesus!
Do you turn , from the .Bible, , and from books
of Christian counsel and.story, tq read,what
inflames your vicious propensities, and chases
every solemn feeling from .your heart ?., The
page w;hich you voluntarily spread before your
eye, is the. mirror ,of your, heart. Alas for the
'heart .thus [reflected 1. It is the, fountain of
which the, life is.the stream.] The stream can
neyer.nisehighertban the fpuntain. Alas then
for the life! ; . .. . .
Do you pray in your lonely .hours? .They
are all the-closet which,yquhave now.; lathe
dead of nighh.Y.b®qii o qf.q®P l t^ e^^ l6 i p t F e i ( ?^ e^
few ~of quiet communion, with God ?
When you are .pacing your night watch, do you
lift fo Heaven the soft, earnest prayer for grace
•to watch against .the enemy—sin, and to be
kept in the hour, of temptation ; in prayer the
soul stands sentry over itself,, The penalty for
sleeping on the.,post of military duty, is death,
fjn the spiritual guard, if you are prayerless, it
is because you are asleep. .God save you,
brave soldier, from the everlasting death which
is the just judgment for such guilty slumber 1
’•'V- "“ : • ‘B.B. H.
PEAYES A TELEGEAPH.
It'Hfaa.a noble achieyement of modern science
when the Atlantic and Pacific shores of our co'un
ti
iry ; were bought into immediate intercourse.
Still more Subljme was " the event of instan-
:aheous communication between two. remote con-
tinents,-r-when persons began to talk across and
under the ocean, and it was supposed that al
most as readily as messages are sent at night
from the outer dodr to the pillow of a physician,
hey might be sent through the dark and silent
sea to a friend thousands of miles away. No in
tcrcontinental event so stirring has transpired
since Columbus’s first voyage of more than two
hundred days. It was fitting that there should
be : demonstrations of delight in- the ringing of
bells, in processions and illuminations, at an>oc
currence which was announced simultaneously in
the evening journals of two hemispheres, and
which vpas to give impulse to the whole civilized
world] helping on to ‘ a practical übiquity of en
terprising minds,-and'to a 1 recognition of the
brotherhood of all nations.
If now from this world, asValentia Harbor,
there were, carried a sable across, the. vast ocean
of space, 'touching at the moon; then at- the.
nearest planet of our system; thence to the far
thest one; thence to some fixed star; and so on,
from .constellation,-to honstellationy till that dis
tant place were reaohed, where we may suppose
is the more immediate presence. of God—the
Trinity Bay of the umyerse,—and thus between
thoWinhte-'ahode'and-'duf world]’this'meieieiet'
of. the .great sea, instantaneous' communications
could take place, what a sensation ought it to
create!; How should the mountain-tops ;be
lighted upl How would the spheres give a new;
arid Ibridsr chorus j the’sun come forth from his
tabernacle: with a more smiling face, and the pale
moon fill her horns anew; ,r' ; '
“ While all the stars that round her bum,
And all the planets,in theirturn,
Oopfirm the .tidings as they roll.
And spread the truth from pole to pole.”
Such a spirtual telegraph exists; it was laid
centuries ago, arid has held two worlds in un
broken connection. .
.. The great mass of men, however, seem to hare
no practical belief in.any real intercourse between
heaven and earth. The only Son' of Him who
mfc the worlds thus in communication has come
hither to bear witness tp ; the "truth: “ Pray to
thy Father in secret, and thy Father which seeth
in secret , shall reward thee openly.” Did not
that Son come from the bosom of the Father?
Is he hot perfectly acquainted with the whole
system of intercourse, and vrith all arrangements
at the celestial station ?
/ A well-known JEuropean astronomer was ac
customed to announce his discoveries in a pub
lication called Mundm Siderius, or Herald of
the Heavens. There have .been spiritual astron
omers, men familiar with the celestial meehanism
who have published their, observations, It is
certainly, pertinent to take the testimony of wit
nesses whp have made prpof of the reality and
power of this instrument.. Going back to an early
period, and looking into the biography of the fa
ther of’the faithful, we find this wonderful ap
paratus in full play. Abraham said unto God,
“Oh that Ishmael might live before thee.” In
the memorable intercession for Sodom, what ra
pid; and repeated transmissions from earth to
hbaven and from heaveh to earth! The great
general and lawgiver'of Israel, at a certain junc
ture, said, “I beseech tKee : show me thy glory;”
and,the answer was, returned, “I will make all
my goodness pass before thee.” Samuel* urged
by the elders of Israel to give them a king,
prayed to theTjord; arid the’Lord said'unto Sani
uel, “Hearken unto the'voice of the people in
all they say unto thee,” Iu critical circumstan
ces, David inquired of the Lord, “ Shall I go
and. smite these Philistines?” and the word came
o ljavid, “ Go'and"smite the. Philistines.” One
of the longest despatches-of old was at the dedi
cation of Solomon’s temple. The immediate re
sponse raff thus: “I have heard thy prayerand
thy supplication . which thou hast made before
me.” It was in the temple, and while at prayer
the message came to Paul,'“ Make haste, and,
get out of Jerusalem.”
■ Answers have also come without words in the
hestowment of what was asked. While Abra
ham's servant was saying, “ I pray thee sendme
good speed this day,” behold ltebecca presented
herself. 'When the children of Israel fell into
idolatry in the very light of. burning Sinai, Moses
besought the Lord, “Turn from thy fierce‘wrath,'
“ and' the Lord ■ repented of the evil which he
thought to do unto his people.” Samuel asks for
thunder and rain amidst the wheat harvest, and
“the, Lord sent thunder and,rain that day.”'
Elijah prayi for rain, and the heaven gives rain,
He prays fbr the restoration of a widow’s son!
and the soul of the child comes into him again.
The supplication of Asa went up, “ Help us, 0
Lord our God ;” so “ The Lord smote the Ethio
pians before Asa and before Judah.” Peter
prays iff the room of Dorcas; and she opehs her
eyes; Can- any one doubt therealityof'inter
oourse between heaven and earth through the me
dium-of prayer ? . / :
This spiritual telegraph is no private enterprise;
nor is it designed for theTew, but for the many,
and is open gratuitously to' all. The old man and
the child, the learned man-and the one who can
neither read nor write, the miliionnaire and the
beggar are alike welcome to the freest use.
There’ are no mistakes in transmission. Much
as it may be crowded, various as messages may
be in length, topic, and character, they are sent
forward without loss of a word. Be the language
what it may, grammatical imperfections whdt
they may, there is no confusion and no inaccu
racy wten despatches reach their destination.
Peter h'ouse top, the thief oh the erdss,.
ftEimsWß EVANGELIST. —Whole No. 918.
Signals often coine from above, sensible inti
mations’ from the other world. The first recor
ded prayer in the'Bible is Abraham’s; when Je
hovah specially revealed himself. •; “Thou wilt
prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to
hear.” With wharprompffiess Should these di
vine hints be heeded! With what eagerness
should eyery such. gracious monition.-of our Fa
ther’s special desire to-communicate with his chil
dren be. noticed !' 'lt is-peculiarly the .time for
Esther to make known her requests when the
king, stretching out bis sceptre,, invites, her ag
pfbarite ' l ’'Hbibis the ladder JaCotf sbw reacting
to heaven, and on which angels aseehd; and de
scend.; Who need ever be-lpnely? Here is a
nerve going direct to the central heart of the un
seen world, arid along which e very every
desire, may pulsate immediately and sensibly to
Him who is head of the church; and along which
in return the Holy Spirit sends the fulness of his
consolation to waiting souls.
A British soldier in India was lying near death.
He-had neglected and even reviled religion,
bat now he was dying and had no one near to fell
him how ho might be saved. He bethought
himself of a Christian friend living at the distance
of one hundred and sixty miles to whom, he sent
a telegraphic message, “lam dying: what shall I
do to be saved?" instantly the message was
sent back to him, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Thus mes
sages kept passing till the soldier sank in death;
and he expired; with words of hope and joy on
his lips. To every wounded, sinsick mortal there
is telegraphed from the best of friends, “Believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ! Look unto me, and
be saved!’’ - -
All changes, truly* are not from bad to,
good, or good to better. They may be from
good to bad, or from bad to worse. Moisture'
dims the polished blade, and turns its bright
steel into dull, red rust; fire changes the spark
ling diamond into black coal and grey ashes;
disease makes loveliness loathsome, and death
converts the living form .into a mass of foul
corruption. But the peculiarity of grace is
this, that like heaven it changes whatever is
applied to it into': its .own nature. _ For as
leaven turns meal into leaven, so Divine grace,
imparts a gracious character to the heart; and
this is what I : call 'its assimilating element.
Yet let there be no mistake. While the grace
of God changes all who are brought in eonver-.
sion under its influence, it does not impart any
new ppwer nr passion, , but works byr giving to
those we' already have a holy bent; by im
pressing on them a heavenly character. For
example, grace did hot make David a poet, or
Paul an orator,: or JoHnamaa of'warm affec
tions, or Peter a man of strong impulses »ml ;
ardent zeal. They were bom such. _
natural features of. the mind than it does those
of the body—as the negro, said, it gave him, a
white, heart, but it left him. still, to use the
language of another, the imagb' of God carved
in ebony* Be the meal into which that woman''
hides the leaven meal of wheat; or meal of bar
ley, it will come from her hands, from the pro
cess of leavening] from the fiery oven, cakes of
the same, grain. For it is not the substance
but the character of the meal that is changed.'
Even so with the -effect of grace. It did not
give Jobn his warm but it fixed
them on his beloved Master—sanctifying Ms
love. It did hot give Dorcas a woman’s heart;
her tender sympathy with suffering; but it as-i
sociated charity with piety, and- made her a
holy philanthropist. It did not give Paul his
genius, his resistless logic; and noble oratofy 5 ]
but it, con secrated them to the cause of Christ
Daniel in the lions’ den, Jeremiah in the dun
geon, Jonah in the depths of. the sea, may, alike
send rip a word. Every one,'at home or abroad,
by land or by sea, in the counting-room, the clo
set* or the sanctuary,-pan lay-hi* bands- at cnee
npbn the k'eys of this divine instrument. Break
or derangement can never fate place. Constant
access a'nd constant success are the, privilege o
HOW GRACE CHARGES A MAH-
—touching His lips as with a live coal from the
altar, it made him such a master of holy elo
quence that he swayed the multitude at his
will, humbled the pride of kings, and com
pelled his very judges to tremble. It did not
give David a poet’s fire and a "poet’s lyre; but
it strang his harp with -chords from heaven,
and tuned all its strings to the service of reli
gion and the high, praises of God. So grace,
ever works! It assimilates a man to the
character of God. It does not, change the
metal, but stamps it with the Divine image;
and so assimilates all who have received
Christ to the nature of Christ, that’ unless we
have the same mind,'more or less developed,
in us that was in him, the Bible declares that
we are none of His.— Dr. Ihomas Guthrie ,
“I IMPROVED THE TIME”
Passing through the hospital one day a young -
man was pointed out to me whom the nurse
said was pear his end. I approached, and
kneeling by the side of his cot, took his hand
in mine. As he opened his eyes and looked
up into mine, a smile of recognition passed
over his features. “ I know you, I know you,”
said he. “Do you remember Eckington Hos
pital ? Hot long since, you and a good lady
wefeithere. Under a grove of trees in front of
the buildin'g, you preached to us about the
great:Physician. Then the lady sung to us
some sweet songs of Zion, and reading matter
furnished by the Christian Commission was
distributed among the men. Well, chaplain, I
was then a convalescent soldier, and a poor,
wicked young man. When 1 was a little boy,
my mother Used to kneel with me at the bed
side and teach me the little prayer—‘Now I
lay me down to sleep,’ and till I left home I
was instructed how to live, but for all that, I
never became a Christian. Well, as I listened
to the preaching and singing of those sweet
songs, 1 began to feci that at last I ought to
give my heart to - God. I saw how good he
had been to me all my life, and I felt that Iliad
done nothing but sin against Mm while my
heart was at enmity with him. I resolved to
go to Jesus, and through him, seek salvation.
That night I begun to pray, and though for a
time it seemed very dark, yet it was not long
before I felt that Jesus was my Saviour. That
he saved me now. No sooner did I commit my
soul to God with all its interests through Jesus,
than I felt, yea, I knew I was accepted and
saved. Oh, how I loved Jesus in a moment.
How I love him now’” he said, as floods of
■tears flowed from his eyes, “ and how I long to
be with him. I did not expect to die so soon
—but a few days have elapsed—thank God I
HAVE lOTBOVED THE HKX»" ,' • ’
? spoke J of his''mother 1 . “Mother will be
■happy,’’said he. “I
I shall see her in heaven./. Father has ' *
gone.’? He was so much affecte- 3 "
his tears and emotions would
so I said to him, “Bp as calm
brother.” He only® Whisperer
■wept.” I Jeff hint; with the
beaming; through his pale fei
. soul .all. radiant .with glory—d
whispers, with idescribable t<
. the word. Jesus.
Mr. Guiniiess is