jOBAL EARTHQUAKES. BB1NOINO . SALVATION, grrmoaby tnaKaT, T Witt ) Talmage. 'n,Urrf on th Lord Jnm Chrixt. Jj Mi ;u '"" "rl." Act xvi., 81. Tvpn now; they wete worn in the n- im.n. I imnaine. to-day. we are " tin in the Phillppian dungeon. Do you '"V!i the rhill? I" you not hear the groan :.h m- incarcerated once wno Tor ten years wen the fuulight, and the deep sigh ITmourn over' their wanted estates? Listen It is the cough of consumptive, or "emirffle ot one in nightmare of a (treat . You listen again, ami hear a culprit, ..h'sir. rattling a he roll over in hi l and you y "Hod pity the pri. u..t there in another sound in that t i a aong of Joy and gladnee. ,Mi!nilirough the corrldort of the prison, i n nil the dark ward the whisper is JVlVhat'a that Whaf. that!" It U "L m of I'aul and Hllae. They can They h'Ve lieen whipped, ver Lilr hi 'led. The lot K abc on the r 1?; Irf bleedm r yet. They lie flat on the HkliP'Un . their feet fast iu wooden m-k-IT, ml"' course ,h'T rnnot rieep. Hut I . on ine- Jailer, what are you doing ., these people? W'hy have they b.en put "' A .. . l. . ... .-;,, t...L a . . .. ' 1. .1... Tl, I. -II . ... I. ft I,.,,.'. . . a v A for tlnninl il IH'TL T. in Uliii nil. . im" m i.i I n't I"" I - ---- :f ,n- Hirnn for Nha.lra.h. C tim for ,X A" nt ,'",a ,or rhl"p M "1' rtti'ii A dungeon for I'aul and Kilo, tjt'wn'l wesresta lng In the clooin of Lt l'hiliM'ia I du geon, and we hear the ",(. v.iir. of wil. and gma i. ami blai i.V and hallelujah, widen T an earth , . i l,.. ir m lu.r i if I i iri4ll twist. L i iilar rnck off. th" wilid manry Iwgina Z, i rave mi l rock till al the door. ing n an I tlm walls fall witj a t rrillc crnsli. fy' lailir. feeling himsolf reeixnin Idu lorth priwiier. ami feeliiiif auicide to be k,Tit -ince Ilrutua killoil liiiiiaclf, and fit.iki'ilfd himself, and t'awiua killeil him l(imtihi .word to hi own heart, pro ..mi n itii cue strong, keen thrust to put an Jt , excitement anil agitation. Hut Rial Ti'i ni: : "Stop! atop! Ihi thyself no kirk We arc all here." Theu I aoo the th a:i'i- running through the ilust ami imi'l tli" i-ti in of that prison, anil I eee him thr,iiii' himself down at the foet of tbcau pn .iter- Who mr: crving out: t nat anon I 11117 l.alf 1 do?" Did I'aul nn- (it nut of thw place before i Here another earthquake; put linnd- Hii I in'i'l'les on these other prwonera, Wtthev i;e? uway?'-' No word of that kind. C.!;i''t. thrilling, treuiendoua answer; an rfr nieiinirnble all through earth and k"Pii. Ilclievn on the lxrd Jeaua Christ, m l til 'ii -h ilt 1 saved." Well. i- have all read nf the earthqunki hljlin, in I.unn, in Alepiw and in t'urac ; hut e live in a latitude whore in all mirnv ii "ry th-re hn not been one wvoro tnl v.im' ili' ttirimiii'e. And yet we have he.-u tftv cni;h,imk"s. Her,! is a man who has Uv'n liiiililiug tip a large fortuue. His bid on tii- in, ii' y market was felt in all theciti". He thinks lie hat got. beyond nil annoying rnalii"iu trade, and he nnys to himself: "N'otr I :u ii fiee and safe from all possible rerturlntifii." Hut a national panic strike tiie fiiiiMihi'.ioii nf the. commercial world, lii'l'Va-h''M'S all that inngnitlcent business ektaliii.-huieiit. He is a man who has built up a very b-uutiful home. His daughter kiw cHiiio home from the Hutiii nnry wit, i iliplomo.4 of graduation. Hu i huve started in life, honest, temjier timl pure. Wh "U the evening lights are itni k, t'u'-re i a happy and au unbroken fannlv eir. !e. Hut there has been au acci-('-lit tiewn at the bench. The young man vemtne.i :) for out in the surf. Tile tele- I (rp..ii hurled the terror up to the city. An wrth iuiike struck under the foundations f Hint U.citiful home. The piano closed: the iirinin ilrnpied. the laughter hushed. 'ra-n' those dmnvKtii.' Ikims, and pros I tie'ts. nn ! "xiiectHtiotis. So, my fricii'ls, we I iuvn!l Ir the slialjing down of Home great! Uciililf. uii l there was a time when we were , m:i 'h excited as this mun of the text, tiul e . rii'd i ut as ho dl'U "What ! li'"il I ilo- U'kat khall I dov,l Tl.e Men. reiilv that the aunstle I D,a t' t" hi:u is appropriate to us: "Believe wi tue I... ;-, .le.us Christ, and thou slialt be ar.vru I here are some documents of so litl 1c , iiiiirtii,e e tiiat vou do not care to put nny i ni 'ii ii.au your lust name under them, or even V'iiii uiitiuls; but there are some documents "I wi great. iius)i'tunce that you write out "Ur full name. So the Saviour in some part. ..r the Hil.l" is called "l.r.l," and in uthei ,Ni Sof the HihleHois culhsl "Jesus," ati'l in other parts of the Hiblo He is called "J'lirit." hut that there might lie no misMk i nliit this pussage.all three numiwcome in to-p-tii-r-"fne b.rd Jesus Christ." Now, who mis neiiij; that you want urn to ainl believe in" "Men sometime trust iu i come to ni- ,t. i credentials and certificates of good ylMiH' tiT but 1 cannot trust them. There ''" dishonesty in their look that niakei Die ku ,w 1 ,l,ui ,e cheated if 1 ooutldu in ""'ii uii cunnot put your heart's conll ui'uee iii h iiihu until you know what Htuff ho u inii'te of, and am I unreasonable this iiii'i-iimg. when 1 stop to ask you who this is th J'' Wn"t ,l18 t'uxt in? No man would ifciiik of wnturiiig his lifo on a vessel going out h, s,,i ;jlt,t hadiiever been insweted. No, 'm in.:..! have the certilleAte hung amidships, teihin :ow many tons it enrntw, nnd how "'s :'?" 't was built, and who built it, and n ui,.it ,t Au1 you. ,.AMnot export me to i '''"'' f my immortal interests on '"r':i".v craft till you tell mo what it is " ' ' '"'J "here it was made, and what 1 1. t ,.., t,H)i i nsk yim wnot,i8 is you s. ui 'totnt in, yuu tell me he was a u.irutive person. You toll me that th, ",h'.'icirary writers descrilie him, und eivr the color of his eves, and tho color th of "'l.i. and tlleV ihtst'l'ilut hid l&'hole iitt- rear.ii,, i!lie,ng ivsnluudont. Christ did Hot t, f.T 1 U UV children til eomu t.. ITitu ".nl'. little i iiildivu to ivmio unto Me," was I' n 'T In the children, it. whs sunken to II' t no c.iii'iivu nn i come W illi s'J. uii v it, v, i iii :,n. -v.. i i.i i ",. .in MKiiier inn ije.m n;j I'-u'llii'.ii ;he little ons pitch 1 from iheir ll'llier, , u, avllttI.B f , .aity n, '. into Hi. Ip. "Sutler little children to iii'.. inn,, Me.'' That was u ldre.ssed to tin. not to the children. Christ did "ta-k .l"l:n t. put his head down on His "".'.'i.u, there Job nt' I not help hut put. his head 'Sip-,, rvvs. Mitch checks such n chin "Jdl 11 '. such physical condition and up-''-why, it must have been coui caiitiviitinji and winsome. I su '"U nt fliiu was just to love I'-'u-nu Jile',.V III,,:, if. '"" anru''iive jus i i.. ... ..... . - - maimer: " 'o . r. M.ii hey kiiw C'.irist conilni.- alnnir Itii Ii -v ran into their houses, and "I y wrapped up their invalids as quick as toev ,, ,i .i t .... .... ei ' i i . ' ilieill out, limi. nw RVllt I in,' i' f I,..,., i, M.w,i.ilhiii.. lli-.is o. t ... ... .. Iii... .i, , " '""' so ciieeilllg ill eyti j- "' III lllil. ill Hiu tiMi-tr il k t'licsi 'i.j i. ...... ..I. ..... .u.i ii , -.saw I'lwiiKiib uui iiiti no nu . ,i v'ty tliwm Hoi'; do not trouble .Mo WH' tKiL ft.....A ll I al Jl I t JUIILIH flMl, LI1UIU nUn fr.i!',? h'u 1,"U' U' 'r'"'y c"id t "oi wuy hi addition to this softnesaof character, acre wa... :i n,.ry moineiituin. How tho old Kr'ocl'ites lrcmlile.1 Is'foie Him. How tho .Vil i,jt turnwl pule. Here is a P am man with a few sailor at His biek, niiliigoir thowa nt (ialilee. ooiiiir un Uithe lsihf, of thu Ciesaes. iimkiic' that nalace i. . l'' me louiidations. und uttoriuir a ii, V "wt'Y mid kinduetm which throbs iiiriiu-li all the earth, and through all the "v". and tlunugU all the ages. Oli t He Inviiig Christ. But it was noteffem "". r insipidity of character; It a ae.iaipaiiied witii majesty, Infinite and """IX'jj-ut. Un tha world should not Bu eui ueitiisss, thU Christ uiountt thaerow. Ton aayt "If Christ ha to flla, wbr not let Him take some deadly potion ana He on a couch in noma bright unci beautiful horn If He mint die, let. Him expire amid all kindly attention." No, the world must hear tha hammer on the head of the (ml km. The world mint listen to the .1 . U -..l.- f W. Tka will nilt fen) HU warm blood dropping on each cheek, while it looks up into the face nf Hi anguish. Ana so toe cross must lie intea, and the hole it dug on tha top of Calvary. It must be dug three feet deep, and then the cross I laid on the ground, and the sufferer I stretched upon it, and the nail are pounded through nerve, and muscle, and bona, through the right hand, through the left hand; and then they shake Hi right band to see if it is fast, ant they shake Hi left fewt to see if it t fast, and then they htava on the wood, half a doxen shoulder coder the weight, and they put the end of tha cross to the mouth of the hole, and they plunge it In, all the weight of His body coin ing down for the first time on the spikes; and while some hold the cross upright, other throw in the dirt and trample it down, and trample it hard. O. plant that tree well and thorouh.y, for it 1 to bear fruit such as no other tree ever Inire. Why did Chr st endure it' He could h-'Ve taken those rock ,and with them crushed Hi cruel fler. tie co Id have reached up and grasped tha sword of the omnipotent Uod and with una clean o it have tumbled them into perdi tion. But no, He was to Hi . Ho must d e. His life for my life. H life for you life. In on- of the Kuropean cities a young man did on th scaffold or ihe rr.me of mur der. Some time after, the mother of this youi g ma i was dying, and the pries: came in, and she made con ession to the pr est hat she was the murde e , ant not i er son. n a mo nnt of anger site had struck her hustutnd a blow that slew him. The son came suddenly into the room, and was washing away the wound and try ing to resuscitate his father, when some one looked through the window and saw him. and suppose! him to 1" the criminal. Tnat young man died for his ou mother. You yi "It was wonderful that he never ex led her." Hut I tell you of a grander thing. Christ, the Son of Hod, died not for His mother, not for Hi father, but for His sworn enemies. O. such a Christ as that so loving, so self saorillcing can you not trust Him? I think there are many under the spirit of (lod who are saving' "Twill trust Him if you will only tell me how," and the great ones tion asked by thousands iu this assemblage is: "How! how' And while I answer your ijuestion I look upend utter the prayer which How land Hill so often uttered iu the midst of his sermons: "Master, help!" How are you to trust, in Christ? Just a you trust anyone. You trust your rlner iu busi ness with important things. If a com mercial house give you n note payable three months hence, you excct tlie imy ment of t'lat note nt the end of three months. You have perfect confidence in their word and in their ability. l ou go home to-day. You expect there will bo food on the table. You have confidence iu that. Now, I ask you to have tho same confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. He says: "You believe: I take awav your sins;" and theyare is-f'ore I all taken away. " hat !" you say. pray any more' Before 1 read mv Hiblo nnv 1 iii..i' li..fore lerv ov..l 1.1V sins nnv more''' v.. ii,;. ,,,.u,'.t ii1i.,vm witi all v., I heart aad you are saved. Whv. Christ is only waiting to get from you what you give to scores of people every day. What is tiiat' Conlldenco. If these people whom you trust day by day are more worthy than Christ, If they are more faithful than Christ, if they hnv.i done in r than Christ ever did, then give them the preference, but if you really tuiuk that Christ is as trustworthy as they are, then deal with Him n fairly. "Oh, ' nays some one in a light wny, "I believe that Ciirist was born in Bethlehem, and I believe that He died on the cross." Do you lielieve it with your head or your heart? I will illustrate the difference. You are in your own house. In the morning vou oiena newspaper, and you read how Cap- ! tain Bravehcart on the sea rlskisl his lite for the salvation of his passengers. You say "What a grand fellow he must havj ' ln! His family deserves very well of the country." You fold the newspaper nnd sit down at the table, und perhaps do not think ! of that incident again. That is liistoiici.i : faith. But now you are on the sea, au I it is night, mid you are usluep, and are iiwnkcnist by tho shriek ol , "Kire!" You rush nut on the dock. ! You hear, amid tho wringing of the hands and the fainting, the cries: ".No 1 hope! we are lost! we are lost!" Tho tail : puts out its wings of tire, the ropes make a . lilirmtig ladder in the night heavens, the ; spirit of wreek hisses in the waves, ami oil ' the hurricane dcic shukes out its banner of I smoke end durkness. "Down with the life . boats! " cries the Captain "Down with the , into them. The life boats!'' l'eople rush boats nM about full. Kooiu only for one more nmn You are standing on the deck beside the Captain. Who shall it be? You j or the Caplum? Tho Captain says: "You"! You jump and are saved. He stun, Is there and dies. Now. you believe that Captain Braveheart socritlceil himself for his passen- gers, hut you Isilieve it with love, with tears, j w ith hot und long continued exclamations, j witii grief nl his loss and with .joy at your I deliverance, 1 hat is saving faith. In other words, what you believe with all the heart. ; and believe iu regard to yourself. n this hinge turns my sermon; aye, the sulvutiou of your immortal soul. I You often go across a bridge you know ' not'.iing ntsiut. You do not know who built the bridge, vou do not know what material i it is made of ; but you come to it, nnd walk over it, and ask no questions. And here is j nil aivhud bridge blasie i from the "Hock of Ages," and built by the architect of the whole universe, spanning the dark gulf be- tweeii kin und righteousness, ami all (rod 1 ttss you is to walk across it; aim you start, and you come to it, and you stop, and you go u little way on ami vou stop, mid you full back and you j cxMriineiit. You say. "How do I know that bridge will hold mo:" instead of march ing nn with fil-iii step, asking no questions, I nit. feeling that the strength of thu eternal tiod is under you. I, was thor. ever a prize offered so cheap ft pardon and heaven are offered to you? For how much? A million dollars? it is certainly worth more than that. But cheaper than that you can have ir. Ten thousand dollurs? Hess thun that. Five thousand dollars" l.esn thun that. One dollar? l.es than that. One furthing? Less than that. "Without money and without price." No money to pay. No journey to tuke. No jiHiiance to sutfur. Only just one decisive action of the soul "Believe on the Iir.l Jesus Christ, mi l thou shall be saved." Shall 1 try to toll you what it is to be saved? I cannot toll vou. No man, no angel e.'in I.-II vou. Hut I can hint at it. For my text brings nn up to this point: "Thou slialt he savisi u means a nappy nio nere, und u peaceful death and a blisslul eternity. It is a grand thing to go to sleep at ruirlit. und to gut un iu the morning, ami to do business nil day feeling that all is right between my heart and tiod. No aisjideiit, no sickness, no persecution, no peril, no sword cull do me uny permnneiit damage. 1 am a forgiven child of tiod, and He is ImhiikI to see me through. He bus sworn He will see me through. The mountains may ilcpurt, the earth may burn, the light of the stars may be blown out by the blast, of the judgment hurricane; but life and death, things present and things to coine, ure mine. Yea, farther than that it means i peaceful dentil. Mrs. Hemaus, Mrs. Sigoiirney. Dr. Young and almost all the poets have said handsome things about death. There is nothing beau tiful alsmt it. When we stand by the white ami rigid fentures of tlnsw whom we love, and they give no answering pressure of the hand, and n returning kiss of the lip, we do not want anybody (sietiiting around about us, lieu th is loathsomeness, and mid night, and the wringing of thu heart unt il the teudrila sirup and curl in the torture un less Christ be with us. I confess to you to an intluite fear, a consuming horror, of death unless Christ shall be with me. I would rather go down into a cave or wild beast or a jungle of Veptiles than Into the grave, unless Christ goes with ino. AV ill you I irriftV O. lilllOO a- fL"rm oiim niu, aaawuii, I tell me that I am tola ia;ri'.Hl out from my ! bright home, and put away In tha darkneaa? I I cannot bear darknea. At the first oominff of the evening I must have the gas UL and the further on in life 1 get, the mora 1 like to have my friends around about me. And am I to be put off for thousands of year in a dark place, with no one to epeak to! Whan , the holiday come, and the gift are di-; trihtited, shall I add no Joy to the: "Merry t hr atmaa" or tn "Itapny Year' Ah, do not point down to the holej In the ground, the grave, and call it a lieouti nl plai-e; unless there be some aupernatur il ' Illumination, I ehu tiler back from I . My Wiiole nntu e revolts a it. Hut now this gl rhnii lamp is lifted abova the grave, an I all the darkness is gone, and the way is clear. I look Into it now without a1 single shudder. Now my amiet is not about death; my anxiet " is that I mav lire aright, for I know that if my life is consistent when I come to the last hour, and this voice is silent, and those eyes are closed, and these hands with which I tsg for Tour eternal salvation to-dar are folded over the still heart, that then 1 shall only be gin to live. What power is there in anything' to chill nvi in the last hour if Christ wrap around me the skirt of of Hi own garment' What darkness can fall uihiii mr eyelids then, amid the heavenly daybreak ) death, I will not, fear thee' then! Hack to thy cavern of dark-' ness, thou robber of all the earth. Klv, tboil despoilerof families. With this battle a hew thee in twain from heinlct to san l.il, tha voice nf Christ sounding all over t he earth, and through the heavens; "() denth, I will, be thy plague. O grave, I will bo thy de struction.'' To lie saved Is to wnke up In the presence of Christ! You know when Jesus was ujioii earth how happy He made every house He went into, and when lie iirings us up to ins house how great our gle. His voice ha more music in it t han is to tie hoard In nil the oratories of eternity. Talk not about hank dashed with etllorescMice. Jesus is the chief bloom of heaven. We shall seethe very face that Imamed sympathy in Hethanv, and take the very hand that dropped its IiIinkI from the short beam of the cross. O. 1 want to stand in eternity with Mini. Toward that haiimr 1 steer. Toward that goal I run. I shall be satisfied when 1 awake in His likeness. Oh, broken hearted men and women, how sweet it will be in that gool land to pour nil your hardships, and bereavements, and losses into the loving car of Christ, and then have I tin explain why it was best fur you to be sick, mid why it was bust for you to bo widowed, ami why It was best for you to tie persecuted, and why it was best for you to be tried, and have Hun iint to au elevation proportion, ate to your di.ipiietude here, saying: "You suffered with Me omarth, come up now biiJ be glorillc, I with Me in heaven." Some one went into a house whore there had been n good deal of trouble and said to the woman there: "You nfin to be lonely." Yes," she sai l, "I am lonelv." "Hon-many in tliefiinnv" ' inly mvs'-lf." "Have you had any children" "I had seven children." "Wh"re are they" "(ione." "All gone" "All." "All dead:" "All." Then she breathed a long sigh into the loneliness, and said: "(), sir, I have been n good mother to the grave. Ami so there are Hearts nere mat are utterly broken down by th" bereavement '. lv"t von to-dny to the eternal halm of heaven. Are there any here thiitlnm missing this iiioriiini:' ( I, you poor waiting maid! your heart's sorrow poured in no hu man ear, lonely and sad! h iw glad you will lie when Christ shall disband all your sor rows and crown you ipieen unto tiod and the Ijimb forever! l aged men mid women, fed by His love and warmed bv His gr.w o for tliree-score-years-an l-ten ' will not your decrepitude change! for the leap of a hart when you come to look fain to fa"o Umii Him whom, hawng not seen, you love! U, that will be the tl.ssl Shcif held, not nut in the night ami watch ing to keep off the wolves, but with the lambs reclining on the sun lit lull. That will be the Captain of our salvation, not amid the roar, and crash, and Immiiii of battle, but amid His disbanded tnsips keeping victorious festivity. That will ba the Bridegroom of the Church coining from nfar, tho bride leaning noon His arm while He looks tlown into her face and says: "Behold, tnoti urt full', uiy love! Behold, thou art fair." rronrr Cure of curi'lairc. There i no varnish made that will liolil its Brilliancy more than six month'. A cairiaoc should He icviiruishcil every six mouths tu keep it exactly in lino oriicr. If rcvaniishcil once a year, it will juc serve, tin: undercoats from il.uii:i'rc, Ihit there are circutnsl. mces t Hut rentier rcvar liishinp: neei'ssiirv nt more frciw nt inter vals. I( one has not a Miitalilc cai'iiuoo house scii:itc from tho stable, the iini moiii.i from the stalls or the manure pile, or perhaps from ileeayiii"; ve'clalilcs, has iitiitcj with the oil iti the varnish ami Kiailually dissolved it or Burnt it. We have known it ilone in one iiiohl, so that the whole surface exposed to the ammonia was shriveled up in small Brown, crisp rolls. We knew it case where a gentle man left his horse ami luigoy standing in front of a distillery for half nn hour, ami when he returned one side of his bugy was completely covered with wiuit looked like rust, hut which was simply the remains of the decayed varnish. Tho oil had Been consumed, leaving only thu k'liiii crumbled up in Burnt crisp ll.ikes. Soinu people do not take the pains to wash tho mud from a cmriau soon cnoiioli after iisiin;, Hut permit it to dry, when the mud acts like it sponge and a li sorbs tho oil from the varnish. Some, people wash the currUgu with Hoap, und c have even known hot wt.ter used.. For Hiieh nets of stupidity thcro iiro no words to express disgust. Some people, seem to rrn-ard varnish iw n kind of high polish, put on By hard ruBBiii";, and tho more rubbing it gets the Brighter it ought to look. The number of people who iiro absolutely ignorant ubout varnish i something astonishing. The Htnlile. KiTort of the HI ml on Hirer Hanks. It has been observed that many of tho river of Saxony, which flow through loose or soft materials, have a steep Bank on tho east, northeast or sjutheast, whilo the opposite shore is flat. Horr Kuck tiisehel, who has been studying the sub ject, attributes, this oiir-sideducss to tho action of the prevailing southwest, west or northwest winds, which drive tho rain almost ut right tingles uguinst tho bank sloping from the east, und wash uwuy the soil in much greater ipuiutity than from tho western bunk. Homo of the river vulley of 1'russia and Uuvuriii exhibit aiiuilinr phenomena. Why We Sink in (Jiilcksaiiil. Quicksand is composed chiefly of nmll particle of mica mixed largely with water. The mica is so smooth that the fragment alip upon each other with tho greatest facility, so that nuy heavy body which displaces them will sink mid con tinue to sink until a solid bottom is reuehed. When particle of sand nro nigged und angular any weight pressing on them will crowd them together until they are compacted Into a solid mass. A sand composed of mica or soitpstone, when mixed with tmlhcient wuter, nccuis . . . "fupuble of uch counolidatlou. SUNDAY SCHOOL. LESSCM FOR SUNDAY JANUAnY.29 "Joy orar tha Child Jesus," aO-Oolden Text, Luke Comment. Luke 3. a, 14 S. "And there was In the same country shepherds abiding in the Held, keeping watch over their Hocks by night." lod, who doeth according to His will in the army of Heaven and among the inhabitant of the earth, had. through the decree of the l'otnaii Kmperor, caused Joseph and Mary to come to I'.ethle hem. Il was trying to "the flesh to take such a journey nt such a time, but it wasnllof (iod. Movements of Knitiires are overruled to fulfill His word, mid all things are ordered for the good of those who love Him. Mary's home was iu Narareth, about seventy miles north of Jerusalem. (lod had said by His servant Micah that Israel's ruler should be horn in Bethlehem (some six miles south of Jerusalem), and now that the time had come, the Koman Kmperor is unconsciously made Hod's instrument to fulfill His word. Fred erick Whitfield snys: "Ho tlod' hand move silently and surely. The Koman KmMror ex ercised his almost tiounillcKs sway over tho whole world, and issued his decress with sov ereign authority. A rushing tide went forth each to his place to obey his commands. No thought disturbs the mighty throng from on high. And yet in the obscure villngeof Bethle hem, at the back of an inn, nnd lying in a man rer, there lies helpless babe, the son ofan hum tile rarsnter's w ife: mid in His helple.Mtcxs lie enfolded that which is to turn the tide of all things in this world and in that which is to come, and liefore which the mightiest vent of imperial Home were 1 1 d'vimlle Into insignificance.'' These shepherds watch ing their flocks in the night watches remind us of other shepherds to whom t"l came as they watched their fbx'ks, mi Ii as Moses, David and Amos. 'I hey also remind us of many other shepherds, watching over the souls under their care in this niitht of tho world's history, and daily expecting a cull from the skies to summon them to the mar riage of Him who was once the bubo iu Bethlehem, U. "And nn angel of the lord Mood by them, and the glory of the Iord shone round alsiut them, and they were sore afraid ' lit. V.. Kven though these shepherds were, UkeSiiiKsui mid Anna, "waiting for the con sola tion of Israel' and "looking for rcdeiii tiou in Jerusalem," this unusual sight ami Strange visitor was enough to make them afraid, t'ut yourself m their place. Fancy a heavenly visitor suddenly npMariug to you and something of heaven's glory shining about you. Would vou Is- (s i fis tlv ipnet lit such a presence, or is there a possibility that you might be somewhat afraid We in-cl to reineuilsT that now, as then, angels nre min- Isterin t spirits sent forth to do service lor the sr.ke of them that shall inherit salvation (lleb. I., 14, H. V.l, and although iuvisibln they nre ever with us, serving unseen mid untlianked. lo. "Kear not; for, Isdmlil I bring you good tidings of great joy, w hich shall be tonllpco- ide." This is the third "fear not" which we tear from angels to mortals in this (io.pel; and what good tidings there are in just those two words. Kear and foreliodings nre tho constant companions of so many Christians, instead of the peace and ,i"V which should characterize those who have f ine children of (lod by faith in Jesus Christ, and who, if they belii'Ved od, Would l.esurethat llcnho siared not His own Sou would with Hun freely give all things, and make all things work for gisiil (Bom. vin., v!, :i'J; l's. Iiimv., 11; Jer. xxix., 1 1;, i 11. "I'ntoyoii is born tl.i- day, in the city of Mavi'l, a Fu i, nn , w ho is Christ the I Lord." Truly hns one said that, "Though Christ a thousand times iu Bethlehem be born, if He's not born in ties., thv soul is still forlorn." This day Is nisi) tho time when He will enter thy soul If you huvo not et let Him in, nod are willing now. VI. "Ye shall find the Bute wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying inn manner.'' How great the grace of our l.i i 1 Jesus Christ that led Him to become s i pi, 'I' for us that we through He; poverty might be rich (II Cor. viii.. P.) His era. lie a manger, His home ouo of the poorest in Nnarcth; in His ministry Ileuses a borrowed boat, lidesona I'oiTowcl ass, keeps Cue piissoer in a In n ro .i cl room; when He dies lie sleeps in u borrowed tomb; He Is lor l nf all oi i I vet lives lu re as liiivm;; nothing of this world's His-es-iois. When ahull we Icani that this woiMs goods 1114 only of value lis we can lis" He 111 I or Hi.c, ami thut tiuvlhing should - n 1 1 -1 v us h.i.i while we wait, for the coining of the Km-, iloin? 111. "And suddenly there was with the an gel a miiltilu lent the heavenly let piaism liod." dacoli on his wav home ii".ii I..1I nu is met by the impels of find, nnd hc-ni,l: "This is 1 list's host." When Joshua is nhoiit to take Jericho he is met by one whosnvs: "As captain ol the liol of the I .or, I am I tlow coiiie.'' When Klishi's servant was afraid because nf the Syrian niinv, Klisloi prayed und the Lord ncne I the young man's eyes, and he saw the nioiintaiii full of horses and chariots of fire round about Klili i ((leu. xxxii., I. '.'; Jos. f., H; Ki, vi., I.i. Thus the heavenly hosts delight to do Hod's will, praising Him in song nnd iu service, 11s they minister unto His servants. 14. "(ilory to liod in the highc.t, and 011 earth peace among men 111 w hom He is well pleasetl" (H. V.i. 'Die aim of all iiuk'-Iic service is to bring (ilory to i;,sl--th ,i- maml tons is; "tilorify Co. in r bil)." 1.1, "14 us now go even unto Bcthleheio, and see this thing which is eomu to pass, which tho Lord hath made known unto 11 The shepherds had heard and scon that whio they could never forget; their ears must have lieeu somewhat dulhsl to earth's luilsio and their eyes dimmed tu earth s glories after 1 these sounds and sights. Ho it must have I been with l'nul lifter ho wns caught up into l'uradise. Oh, for such a siuht by faith of , JohtrsamlHis glory its would forever wean us from all the sinful sights and sounds of this . present evil world ! Id, "They came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the bals', lying in a manger," They found the angel's message true, found the Saviour of Israel mid of thu ' world, a helpless bals. lying in a manger; I ami as they look is I tiny Isdieved that this . was indeed Ho of whom the prophets had' DjMikuu, the Son of I'avid, Son of Ala ahum, j 17. "When they bad Men they uncle I known abroad the saying which was told , them concerning I his child." Joy tilled their own hearts, and Joyfully they' spread the tidings, and tell simply whul they have seen and heard. IN. "And nil they that, heard it wondered nt those things which were told tli 'iu by the. shepherds." if that was all the e;!',.-t tli.i tilling had upon them, they might won let to all eternity and be noun tic, I. -i t.-r lor it ; it is not wonder, but faith, thut. brings thu blessing. HI. "Jlut. Mary kept all thesu tidings und pondered thein 111 her heart." I. ike Daniel, who though he could not iinderstaud yet kept tho matter in bis heart (ian. vii., '.'si . 'JO. "Tha shepherd returned, glorifying and praising (iod for all thu things that they bad heard und sisn, us it was told unto lliein.1' You could not shut them up any more than you could stop a volcano. It wus iu them, and like Jeremiah they could not keep still about it (Jer. xx.. Hi. They had caught thu spirit of tha angels ami praise (iod they must; and their testimony was all about Jesus. Jxa us in our ordinary vocation servo the Und with gladness, and even though trtisl let us ba cbuerful, knowing that a loving Father apK)inU it, and thus we shall glorify (iod aud spread peace among tlnsse iu whem He in well pleased. Ltuon Helper. Carson I'arker, a Methodist preacher, wa found dead in a south-side, saloon at l'ueblo, Col., on a recent Sunday. For year ha wa on of the most eminent preacher of the Methodist Church in New York State. Ha became a drunkard and outcast, wandered to I'uoblo, reformed, and apuin joined tha Church. . lUa reformation lusted a year. KELIG10US HEADING. I.OV1 t MollT. Mr little girl, o brave by dav, tirow timid a the shadows fall I cannot charm her fear awav; My reasons have no force at all. She plead with all tier childish might, That sh may have a light. 1 calm tier fears, and stroke her hair, 1 tell her of the anirels near er iod. whose love is everywhere, And Chnst, to whom each child Is dear. Pli- hoars, but only clasjis inu tight, And begs me for a'light. Hut when I say it cannot lie, And strive to make her understand Just w hy, she makes another plea That I will stay and hold her hand. She wlilsers, lis we kiss good night, "Thut's better than a light." And thus, content, she falls asleep. Mv clasp grows closer on her band; Musing: tioidoth his wisdom ki-ep In childish lips. I understand, That, in that other, darker night, "I'm lovo that makes it light. I, too, have shrunk In childish dread From tha. dumb darkness that doth creep And thicken round the dving !ed, And, tearful, felt I could not sleep 'Without a light. 1 understand, 'lis light to hold love's hand. A'. G. Chtvtrton or a t iiossrs. "No man hnth n velvet cross," wn Kla el's assertion, year, ago, audit Is just ns) true now as I lieu. Only lie who gives it Pi Us ami he w lio licnrrtli the cross knows i'.i j weight. IhhIoiiIv knows the strength nistl f'll for every burden. When we have le I that we were sinking iitnler the weiitbt of jtrenl sorrow, His baud hath been placed be neath us to lilt us. Sicklies,, pecuniary losses, the loss of our loved ones, wi'iu'li heavily upon us. Separation 111 this world from those w ho are dear to us saddens iniH hearts hevoiid endurance, bud we 11. strength but our own. To be misrepresent ed bv the ninny, end lo be inalinncd if only by the few, nre nil crosses which we are. loth to bear; but w hen we remember time each cross borne adds lustre to the crown, weshoiild welcome I hem or. at least, no able to say, "Thy will be done." rtiiKsit.it iiri.i'.ioM. . The home underlies both commonwealth .atiil church, and we cannot look for good citizens or good Christians from nny other 'quarter. The parent is the pastor' of the 'church iu the house." Uod ordains fathers and mothers to this high otlice; "first to show piety at home" was one of the Ureal .Apostle's injunction, and another was for wive to be "keepers ut home." There mav h'ven be such a thing a letting their light shine iu a female prayer iuect ing, while it sniokc very sadly among their own house hold. This is the time ofthe yinr for tho culti vation of family religion. It is the season of long evenings and of indoor occupations. The qii sliou "What shall I do with my evenings "' comes up 111 the mind of tens of thousands of sons ami daughters: and utiles parents help tlieni to settle it wiselv the devil will belp many of them to settle it in a way to he sorry for. The strong est counter - attraction to dangerous evening resorts is a cliisTful and happy bonie. If w ives were iser 111 this directum, there would be fewer husbands in the lul rooiuor in the saloons. Il all parents would try to make home bright and w insotie. there Would be fewer sons in the theatre, the pub lie billiard room, und the drink-cursed haunts. I kmov a Christian gentleman who ha lilted up a billiard table In bis up per story, and engage-in a friendly game With Ins own boys there,' be lets them go occasionally to some public, amusement where he can go w ith them. 1 fear that there 1 more t him one godly father, who prays and give money for the conversion of the heath. 'ti in China or Africa, and yet docs not seem to be winning his own chil dren very successfully tow aids 11 christian life. Ile'tiri s at too loti range, and neg lects the religion of bis own hearth stone. "There' no place like home" for training character. But we must anchor our chil dren to it if we would make it a good training-school. I C 1 1 1 1 1 1 it up; make it look bright. More than on. e iu thes luniii I have advocated an open tire as a "means of grace." Beside such a generous wnle luoutbeil liicplace 1 rejoice to have passed the autumnal and winter evenings of 111 v boybood. And bow I pity the thousands of 'young men ho, leavii g sin h rural fire sides, have no such evening attraction ill the rather cheerless bulging bouses of our (treat cities. 1 1 many of thcni drift into dangerous evening r sorts, it is pot to he wondered at. Here lies on., of the strongest pleas for such pi n es of w hole-ome resorl as ! the "Young Men's i'liri-tinn Association'' provide. 1 But I am pot speaking i f the homeless now. I am e horn ug those ho control the home to make it the safe anchorage, the training school, tint house of worship, and the spiritual birthplace and tearing -place ol their children. No school like this w hen j it i well kept. The liresiile of lr. I.yman Bccclier on I.itrhlield Hill. Connecticut lis he describe it in bis charming autobi ography was worth as much lor educa tional purposes to bis eight or nine children. as a 11 v school or college which they ever entered. Books of the right stamp were read there and were discussed by the fami ly. (Question were debated there, to tin) great sharpening of their wits; some of thcni were about theological problems. l'leasant game were played during the long evenings, and sometime tin1 inerrv hearted old Boanerges brought in bis violin, as a source of entertainment to the liresiile group. Music i one of the sweetest and pure t of home enjoyments; and it is to he regretted that so many moth ers discard the musical attainments "nf their gitlhood amid the cares of maternity, or the demand of that inexorable gobbler-up of lime and thought called "society," No parent ought to lay aside hi or her musical accomplishments, More than one wise father has anchored hi buys at home l.y practising with them on the flute, tho vio lin or the piano. Of the great vital matter of household worship w inch, 1 fear, is pot a generally observed 11.1 formerly I have no space to write. Thu lowliet thatched collage 01 log cabin, such as the Mis-iounry I ioode I 1 pee described among the New Kuglund hills, or sin bus I he Missionary I'aloti describes iu bis recent autobiography, i a safer plai n for a child's soul 1 1 1 111 1 thu most elegant and cultured mansion that lias no family nltar. Again let us remind Christian parents that tin V ale the pi rst.s and the pie tors of t he hoinc llock. No insta'hitioii of minister over a church is more solemn in Its nature, mice imperative in its ditfU-s, more far reaching in its spiritual influence. When a son or a daughter gets weaned from home, il Is too niton the prelude to being weanisl from hope of conversion, and 11 1 1 i 111 itcly weaned from Heaven. A cheerful, happy, ( linst inhabited homo I the best eaitbly picture of, nnd preparation for, "our Father's house on high. lit v. 1'lnvttv, A. fuyler, ll. I)., in Krnmjtlinl, Tongue cannot describe tho love of Christ; finite mind cannot conceive of it; and tboso who know most of it can only say, with in spiration, that it "paaseth knowledge." J'tlimn. Kate Muller, n baby two ami a half year old, who lived in Brooklyn, died from drink ing whisky. While her parent were out, Katie mid her brother John, live years old, ?;ot a bottle of whisky out of a closet, and the ittlu girl drank a small cupful. She liecaine sick almost immediately, ami little John took her down stair to tho apartmoubi of a Mrs. Callahan, tiho became unconscious uuj ucvur revived. The ricture'e Till Wan Obtturo - till i '." Vmiif'afi Mr. .1. l-'oxeroft llaglcr ( oli'oiUmtiLM . "When shall we three inert ulto i i V Wenllv, I tuwu't K-t the ;ioi.ii to tit. -y.iyr. a rirtnrexqtif I'nslan Jhti.. Nothing could be more piciu,, than the bazaar in I'ersin. Around the square nre open booths, generally filled with fruit run I vegetable arraii"ed in masses to produce brilliant color cllects. Here and there is a group of horses or camels, whose drivers are lying on the grouud Muoking or sleeping. In another P tpu v. ..' 1' L: 'JV-' - V1 il A n:lISIA STKI;l.l -VKMlKI:. rortier, perhaps, is a pack of stiei t dog, eiigiiU'cd in the various pursuits which re lieve the monotony of a canine life in ihn far Knst, such as searching for liens, ami "such small dear," lighting over a bone, or s'ccpi'iL' I nilera tneti vciiiicri.f shcrin t issur rounded by iigroiijiof sm:l boys, as irre pressible there :is with its. I r a hawker of pilall', the tuition. il ,!i.h ol rice, has an immense kettle full of t'uc toothsome dish, steaming ho! and savory. I'rom ull quarters shopkeepers come lo him with dishes, which he tills by the aid of u large wooden ladle In another corner, perhaps, an jtm eranl musician is thrumming on he; guitar and singing love ilittidor reciting strophes from rirdoiisee, and surnnuiileil by idlers of all see and attes, listetitti with rapt attention. Across the open space men may i.c seen constantly passing, bearing lighted narghiles or water pipe-, and tiny cups of aromatic collec on carved disks o: brass for the shopkeepers in the neigh borhood. In the tree-lops, or on 11 neighboring roof, the long-legged, w liite-wingcil stork solemnly stands on one leg and sur vers the scene, or beats its slender bill with 11 long, sharp drumming, while doves f all colors flutter down, and strut and coo ou the ground as uneotieeriiedly as il no one was there but their little graceful selves. The llmriwiktr. A I'lizlcr. "I mot with an agitating CTporicnet the other day," said 11 voting ttuwlilifr' mini. " hat was it ?" "A voiitig ladv snid she w ns going tf faint." "What did you do?" "I told her to wait 11 minute mid wi would be lit her flit Iici 'm IhiIImp-- 1 lien she could sit oil the hiopK." "And did she faint then '.'" "No; I can't quite utidcrs!iu;d it." All Heroic Iteineily. i.l r. . ..1 L' . YvA 4v "Oh ! mamma, I've swallow c. I n iiioiim'." "Well, why don't you swallow a trap, then, my dear.'" Tivit. A (ieniiine Alligator ii'rip. Tlcrlin conti mjilato holding World's Fair in 1801 to eilebra'o the centenary of the lu'o lliuporor William' birthday.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers