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TWILIGHT, b
2A golden glory in the sky,
Mirrored in waves which strive no moze;
{The ery of night birds, flitting by,
~ Ard lo! the day is o'er.
{The crescent moon disc, rising slow,
With one attendant, radiant sphere,
tA cloud across the sunset’s glow,
And lo! the night is here!
—Ninette M. Lowater, in Youth’s Companion.
———————me
The Sword and the Altar.
BI WALKER Y. PAGE.
] MONG the almost
innumerable inei-
dents of our Civil
Wer, heroic, pethet-
ic and otherwise,
which from time to
time have found a
place in the col-
umns of the lead-
ing magazines and
newspapers of the
country, I have
failed to see any
mention of the sim-
ple story which I
am about to relate, which, while it is
‘mot wholly destitute of pathos, will at
ithe same time serve to illustrate most
forcibly the undercurrent of genuine
religious sentiment and personal piety
ithat pervaded all ranks and conditions
of the men engaged in that fratricidal
strife—an undercurrent none the less
deep and strong that the surface was
stained with the blood of brothers and
strewn with the wrecks of war—the
dying and the dead.
In was in the early spring of 1862,
rwhen the Federal forces, under Major-
General B——, were advancing on that
memorable campeign in the valley of
[Virginia. Every foot of ground, from
ithe Potomac to Staunton, had already
‘been fought over—at one time occu-
pied by Federal hosts, at another by
Confederate.
General B had advanced his
lines as far as Middletown, in the upper
valley and beyond, while the Confed-
erate army, under General J , Was
occupying the Luray valley, near
Staunton and Harrisonburg—made fa-
mous in history by the not far distant
battle field of Port Republic.
It was one of those calm, quiet Sun-
day mornings, suggestive rather of
peace on earth and good will to men
than of the fiery passions born of war
and bloodshed, when General B
rode out from his headquarters in the
town, accompanied by his personal
staff, on a short tour of reconnoissance.
It was a sightly pageant—that well ap-
pointed band, with their bright sabres
flashing in the sunlight, and their gaily
caparisoned steeds impatient of the
control of bit and bridle.
An hour’s rapid ride through field
and wood brought them in sight of a
emall country church, nestled away
just within the vestibules of a forest,
with its modest spire still pointing
heavenward, having not yet had the
desecrating hand of war laid upon it.
As the cavalcade approached they
‘became aware of the fact that a con-
gregation had assembled, and that the
services had already commenced.
Concluding that he was still by
several miles within his picket
lines, General B—— ordered a
‘halt, and after a brief consultation
with his officers, and the stationing of
four sentries commanding all the ap-
proaches to the building, the whole
cavalcade dismounted, and leaving
itheir horses in charge of their order-
lies, proceeded in a body to the
church.
The beautiful morning service—the
(distinguishing feature of Episcopal
'worship—was just ending as this un-
expected accession to the congregation
entered.
". The organ wag pealing jorth its al-
most human cry of ‘‘Jesus, Saviour of
my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,”
as, quietly and with most respectful
solemnity, this small but distingusihed
band of officers took their seats.
Small as was that little country
church, there were numbers of empy
pews, and those that were occupied
were occupied mostly by women and
children, with a small contingent of
gray-haired men.
There was a most noticeable absence
of men worshipers—only two or three
old men with whitened locks,
three others, two young men and a
manly boy who had seen scarcely four-
teen summers, all three dressed in
Confederete uniform.
The momentary ripple of excitement
occasioned by so unlooked-for a pres-
ence soon gave way before the spell of
pious devotion which pervaded that
little sanctuary as though some angel
had whispered to their hearts: ‘Peace,
be still I”
And now came from the chancel the
voice of the aged pastor, as he an-
nounced his text—a voice deep, sonor-
ous, and pathetic. Standing there,
with his long white hair and flowing
beard, his very presence seemed a ser-
mon in itself; but from the moment
he announced his text: . “Come unto
Me, all ye that are weary and heavy-
laden, and I wil give you rest,” every
eye was riveted upon him, every ear
was strained to catch his holy utter-
ances.
He stood within the chancel rail,
without manuscript or note. He said?
‘I come to you this Sabbath morning,
my beloved brethern, with a gracious
message from heaven. I come as the
embassador of Christ, to offer rest to
the weary, and relief to the heavy-
laden—rest, sweet abiding rest, to
earth’s toil-worn and sin-laden suffer-
era
‘‘Let us first consider, my brethren,
who it is that makes this gracious
offer. When I tell you it is Christ
Himself, mighty to save all who come
unto God through Him, you will re-
cognize not only the ability, but the
willingness of the gracious offerer.
We all know, my brethren, what rest
means to the hungering and thirsting
and |
soul. It is this He offers you on the
sole condition that you will come. His
invitation is: ‘Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and
| be that hath no money, come ye, buy
and eat—jyes,
| milk without money and without price.
{Incline your ear and come unto Me,
come, buy wine and
and your soul shalllive.’
“This gracious Saviour offers a balm
for every wounded heart in Divine
presence this morning—the oil of joy
for mourning, and the garment of
praise for the spirit of heaviness.
There are many of you, I know, who
greatly need this Divine Comforter.
Those habiliments of woe (the ladies of
the congregation were all in mourning)
speak to me of bleeding hearts beneath
them. To you my text commends it-
self with special emphasis. The grave
has shut forever from your eyes the
loved forms and faces of those who
were once your joy and pride. Did I
say ‘forever? Oh, no! not forever!
Hear the righteous Job, and let his
holy confidence be your abiding con-
solation: ‘I know that my Redeemer
liveth, and that He shall stand at the
latter day upon the earth; and though
after my skin worms destroy thisbody,
yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom
I shall see for myself?’
‘“Yes, my beloved brethren, be as-
sured there will come a time when =all
these tears shall be wiped away, when
our loved and lost ones shall be re-
»stored to us. when reunited we shall
sing together the song of the redeemed.
‘“Come! This is the only condition
He imposes. Come just as you are.
Weary and heavy-laden, it may be,
with the burden of your sins, heavily
oppressed with sorrows manifold, many
of you, like Rachel, weeping for her
children, and who would not be com-
forted because they were not. Come
to the only Fountain that can wash
away sin, the only true balm and con-
solation for wounded hearts; come,
for earth hath no sorrow that heaven
cannot heal.
‘“Tis Jesus bids you come. Will
you slight His gracious invitation?
Come, my beloved brethren, to the ta-
ble of your Lord, which is spread for
you this day; come with your bruised
and broken hearts. He has said: I
will refresh you.” Come to the foot of
the cross this morning. View your
crucified Redeemer agonizing there.
See in His feet and hands the
nail prints, and the spear
thrust in His side. Behold that crown
of thorns, and hear that mocking ery
of ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the
Jews.” Was ever other king so crowned ?
‘Let us commemerate, my brethren,
that scene in our hearts this day. Let
us feed on Him in our hearts by faith
with thanksgiving.”
The above is but a meagre sketch of
the sermon of that eloquent old man.
When he closed, there were but few
dry eyes in that hushed and awed con-
gregation. Perhaps it was expected
that the visitors would retire quietly
at the close of the discourse. Butno!
they remained and participated in the
ante-communion service, and when the
communicants were invited to approach
the sacred table, the church presented
a scene as rare as it. was impressive;
eight Fedeial soldiers, together with
their general, and three Confederate
officers, including the boy, knelt to-
gether around that holy table and par-
took of the broken body and shed blood
of a common Lord and Saviour.
Not until all had communed, and
the old pastor had invoked a blessing
upon all, did these Christian soldiers
offer to retire; and when they arose to
go, it seemed as though they were
loath to quit the sacred precincts of
that old country church where
they had doubtless been brought
nearer to God and nearer to their
loved omnes, worshipers of the same Al-
mighty Father, in temples far away.
With bowed heads and deeply rev-
erential manner, they filed two and
two out of the church, led by the com-
mander, the congregation remaining
in their pews until all had passed out.
This soldierly cavalcade, once more
ine the saddle, formed an imposing
group to look upon; the general, a
man of rare personal presence, seared
on a magnificent charger, and sur-
rounded by his staff officers, each of
whom was but second to his com-
mander.
The spell of the sanctuary was still
upon them, for as yet not a word had
been spoken, and they waited in silence
for the command “Forward.” It did
not come. Their leader seemed pon-
dering upon some thought which had
taken possession of his mind to the
exclusion, for the moment, of the sol-
dier instinct of mental alertness.
Suddenly he spoke. ‘‘Cell en or-
derly,” he said.
‘When the soldier came forward, he
thus addressed him:
‘“Orderly, go to the church and pre-
sent General B——’s compliments to
the three gentlemen dressed in Con-
federate uniform, and say that he
would be glad to sce them for a mo-
ment.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, the
three came forward, accompanied by
the orderly. After the salute, which
was gracefully acknowledged by the gen-
eral and his entire staff, the general,
addressing them as ‘‘soldiers,” said :
‘I requested your presence, gentle-
men, because I suppose you cannot
possibly be aware that you are several
miles within our lines, which have been
very recently moved forward. I do
not know how you propose to get back
to your command, but thisI do know,
that any way you may choose will be
attend with much risk and perhaps cap-
ture as prisoners of war. After what
has transpired to-dav, I feel anxious
that you should get back without being
subjected to the danger and annoy-
ance of arrest ard probably indefinite
detention.” Then, tearing a leaf from
his pocket portfolio, he wrote:
Give the bearers safe escort beyond the
Federal lines. Signed B y
Major-General Commandin, .
This he repeated three simes: only.
when he wrote the boy's passport, he
said: ‘‘Confederate boy soldier.” He
bowed gracefully as he handed each
one his passport. As he handed the
boy his, he said: “My son, you are
young to be a soldier; Thope you may
live through this terrible conflict to
be a blessing and a comfort to your
mother.” The boy’s heart was fouched,
for as he turned away, unbidden tears
were in his eyes.
The general continued: ‘Gentle.
men, please present our thanks to your
worthy pastor for his sermon to-day.”
So, saying, “Forward! double quick!”
and almost before the three Confeder-
ates had rejoined their friends in the
church, the Federals were out of sight
in the distance. .
When five or six minutes had elapsed
in discussing the event of the day, and
before the congregation had dispersed
to their respective homes, they were
startled by the appearance of a horse-
man in their midst, riding a noble
steel, black as a raven’s wing, except
where his glowing hide was flecked
with foam.
The rider, who, at the head of his
command, sat like a centaur, as he
drew rein in front of the church, wag
recognized at once by all the congre-
gation as the famous commander of the
‘Black Horse Cavalry.” When in-
formed of the character of their
distinguished visitors, the part they
had taken in the services of the day,
and the generous manner in which the
Confederate soldiers had been treated,
he made no comment, but merely re-
marked: “We knew they were here,
and rode hard to capture them, and
should have done so, but for the time
consumed in a skirmish with their
picket line.”
‘““‘After what has happened.” con.
tinued the famous chief of the ‘‘Black
Horse,” “Iam glad that we did not
arrive in time. Even now we might
cut them off before reaching Middle-
town ; but let it pass! We will return
to our headquarters empty-handed, as
we came.”
The Confederate horsemen dis-
appeered as suddenly as they had
come, leaving the congregation stand-
ing in that old church-yard dazed
and uncertain whether it had not all
been a Sunday mornings waking
dream, the baseless fabric of some
distorted vision.—Blue end Gray.
ere ee
A Durable Watch.
After hanging on the limb of a tree
all winter, exposed to the rain and
snow, a valuable gold watch and chain
belonging to O’Hara Darlington, who
lives a short distance above Sharps-
burg, Penn., has been discovered, and
to-day is keeping time just as it did
before it was lost early in last Novem-
ber. Mr. Darlington owns the old
Darlington mansion with its broad
acres at Guyasuta, where the noted In-
dian chieftain bearing the same name
is supposed to be buried. Last fall he
was in the woods superintending the
burning of some brush.
The day was warm and sultry, and
on his way home he carried his coat
and vest over his arm. At the supper
table he had occasion to look at his
watch, but it was not in the accus-
tomed pocket, neither was there any
trace of the heavy gold chain with
which the watch had been attached to
the vest. A careful search failed to
reveal the missing valuables. Hastily
leaving the supper room, Darlington
caelied his hired men, six in
zumber, who in turn gathered together
a large number of neighbors.
Procuring lanterns and rakes, the
party went to the woods and spent the
entire night in searching for the miss-
ing watch and chain. Eerly the next
morning Mr. Darlington were back in
the woods again, and the search was
kept up for two weeks. The entire
woodland was raked from one end to
the other, but no trace of the watch
and chain was found. The search was
finally abandoned and Mr. Darlington
gave up his watch for lost.
One afternoon recently Fred and
Frank Stout, sons of Harry A. Stout,
manager of Tibb’s glass house, Sharps-
burg, went to the wood for a stroll.
The two boys had not gone far till
one of them had his hat knocked from
his head by the overhanging branch of
a tree. Glancing up to see what he
had run against, he was astonished to
see right before his eyes and within
easy reach a gold watch and chain.
The boys approached the limb to
which the watch was hanging, cau-
tiously, lest by some awkward move-
ment a pretty optical illusion should
be dispelled. However, they soon be-
came convinced that they had not been
made the victims of a trick, and a
few moments later they were flying
homeward, with the watch dnd chain
safely stowed away in one of their
pockets. When Mr. Stout came home
in the evening and was shown the
watch he, too, was greatly surprised,
for along with a party of other neigh-
bors he had gone on an all-night
search for that watch five months be-
fore. How the watch came to be in
the position in which it was found is a
mystery. —Pittsburg Dispatch,
—_—
An Artist in Paper.
It is remarkable how many wonder-
ful children there are in the world in
latter days. Mrs. George Dunlap, who
is the head and centre of the children’s
department of the World’s Fair, re-
ceives almost daily letters giving an
account of some infant prodigy in that
especial region. One of the most
unique is a youth who produces most
interesting results with paper and
scissors. His mother reads him a
story, which he illustrates with figures,
trees, houses and animals, all made of
tissue paper, cut with scissors. It is
said that somewhere in the Eleventh
Century there was a young prince
who excelled in this art, which has
been lost to the world ever since.—
Detroit Free Press.
Ee ein
There are no native kangaroos except
on tke continent of Australia.
—
REV. DR. TALMAGE’S SERMON.
An Elocyent Discourse on a Subject
Seldom Selected.
TEXT = *®¥nd Mirtam,the prophetess, the sis-
ter of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and
i all the women went out after her with timbrels
| and with dances. And Miriam answered
| them, ‘Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath tri-
| umphed gloriously; the horse and his rider
hath He thrown into the sea.”—Exodus xv.,
20, 21.
Sermonizers are naturally so busy in get-
' ting the Israelites safely through the parted
| Red sea and the Egyptians submerged in the
returning waters that but little time is or-
| dinarily given to what the Lord’s people did
after they got well up high and dry on the
beach. That wasthe beach of the Red sea,
which is at its greatest width 200 miles and
| at 2s least width 12 miles. Why is the ad-
| jective ‘‘red” used in describing this water?
i It is called the Red sea because the moun-
tains on its western coast look as though
sprinkled with brick dust, and the water is
colored with red seaweed and has red
! zoophyte and red coral.
This sea was cut by the keels of Egyptian,
| Pheenician and Arabic shipping. It was no
insignificant pond or puddle on the beach of
which my text calls us to stand. I hear
upon it the sound of a tambourine, for which
the timbrel was only another name—an in-
strument of music made out of a circular
hoop, with pieces of metal fixed in the sides
of it, which made a jingling sound,
and over which hoop a piece of parch-
ment was distended, and this was beaten by
the knuckles of the performer.
The Israelites, standing on the beach of
the Red sea, were making music on their de-
liverance from the pursuing Egyptians, and I
hear the Israelitish men with their deep bass
voices, and I hear the timbrel of Miriam as
she leads the women in their jubilee. Rather
lively instruments, yousay, for religious ser-
vice, the timbrel or tambourine. But Ithink
God sanctioned it. And I rather think we
will have to put a little more of the festive
into our religious services and drive out the
dolorous and funereal, and the day may
come when the timbrel will resume its place
in the sanctuary. But that which occupied
the attention of all the men and women of
that Israelitish host was the celebration of
their victory. They had crossed. They had
triumphed. They were free.
More wonder was this victory and defeat
than when the hosts of Richard overcame the
hosts of Saladin at Azotus, than when at
Bannockburn Scotland was set free; than
when the Earl of Northumberland was
driven back at Branham Moor, than when at
the battle of Wakefleld York was slain, than
when at Bosworth Field Richard was left
dead, than when the Athenians under Mil-
tiades at Marathon put the Persians to flight,
for this victory of my text was gained with-
out sword or catapult or spear. The weapon
was a lifted and prostrated sea. ‘‘And
Miriam, the prophetess, the sister of Aaron,
took a timbrel in her hand, and all the
women went out after her with timbrels and
with dances. And Miriam answered them
Bing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed
gloriously ; the horse and his rider hath He
thrown into the sea.”
Brooklyn Tabernacle to-day feels much as
Moses and Miriam did when they stood on
the banks of the Red sea after their safe
emergence from the waters. By the help of
God and the generosity of our friends here
and elsewhere our $140,000 of floating
church debt is forever gone, and this house,
which, with the ground upon which it
stands, represents $410,000, I this day recon-
secrate to God the Father, God the Son and
God the Holy Ghost. A stranger might ask
how could this church get into debt to an
amount that would build several large
churches? My answer is, Waves of destruc-
tion, stout as any that ever rolled across the
Red sea of my text.
Examine ail the pages of church history
and all the pages of the world's history and
show me an organization, sacred or secular,
that ever had to build three great structures,
two of them destroyed by fire. Take any of
your biggest life insurance companies, or
your biggest storehouses, or your biggest
banks, or your biggest newspaper establish-
ments and let them have to build three times
on the same foundation, and it would cost
them a struggle if not demolition. My text
speaks of the Red sea once crossed, but one
Red sea would not have so much overcome
us. It was with us Red sea after Red sea.
Three Red seas! Yet to-day, thanks be to
God, we stand on the shore, and with organ
and cornet in absence of a timbrel we chant:
‘Sing ye unto the Lord, for He hath tri-
umphed gloriously ; the horse and his rider
hath He thrown into the sea.”
But why the great expense of this structure?
My answer is the immensity of it and the
firmness of it. It cost over $34,000 to digthe
cellar before one stone was laid, reaching as
the foundation does from street to street, and
then the building of the house was con-
structed in a way, we are told by experienced
builders who had nothing to do with it, for
durability of foundation and wall such as
characterizes hardly any other building of
this city. To the day of your death and mine,
and for our children and grandchildren after
us, it will stand here a house of God and a
gate of heaven. 2
For me personally this is a time of gladness
more than tongue or pen ortypecanever tell.
For twenty-four years I had been building
churches in Brooklyn and seeing them burn
down until I felt I could endure the strain
no longer, and i had written my resignation
es pastor and had appointed to read it tw¢
Sabbaths ago &nd-0.se my~, rk in Brooklya
forever. I feir #&ut my chief Work was yet to
be done, but that I could not do it with the
Alps on one one shoulder and the Himalayas
on the other. But God has interfered, and
the way is clear, and I am here and expect to
be here until my work on earth is done.
My thanks must be first to God and thento
ul who have contributed by large gift or
imall to this emancipation. Thanks to the
nen, women and as who have helped,
ind sometimes helped with self sacrifice that
[ know must have won the applause of the
1eavens. If you could only read with mea
bw of the thousands of letters that have
ome to my desk in The Christian Herald
pffice, you would know how deep their sym-
yathy, how large their sacrifice has been. “I
1ave sold my bicycle and now send you the
noney,”’ is the language of one noble young
nan who wrote to The Christian Herald.
“This is my dead son’s gift to me, and I have
yeen led to send it to you,” writes a motherin
Rhode Island.
As a church we from this day make new
leparture. We will preach more instructive
lermons. We will offer more faithful pray-
irs. We will do better work in all depart-
ments. We will in the autumn resume our
fay college. We will fill all the rooms of this
magnificent pile with work for God and suf-
lering humanity. More prayers have been
offered for this church, and on both sides the
sea, than for any church that has ever ex-
sted, and all those prayers will be answered.
Clear the track for the Brooklyn Tabernacle!
“Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath tri-
amphed gloriously ; the horse and his rider
beth He thrown into the sea.”
If we never shouted victory till we got
elear through the struggles of this life, we
would never shout at all. Copy the habit of
Miriam and Moses. The moment you geta
victory celebrate it. The time and place to
bold a jubilee for the safe crossing of the Red
pea is on its beack and before you leave it.
It is awful, the delayed hosunnahs, the be-
lated halleluiahs, the postponed doxologies,
the trains of thanksgiving coming in so long
after they are due!
The time to thank God for a rescue from
temptdtion is the moment after you have
broken the wine flask. The time to thank
God for your salvation is the moment after
the first flash of pardon. The time to be
grateful for the comfort of your bereft soul
is the first moment of Christ’s appearance at
the mausoleum of Lazarus. The time for
Miriam's tambourine to sound its most iubir
1
| ON THE BANKS OF THE RED SEA |
lant note isthe moment the last Israelita |
puts his foot on the sand on the parted inland {
ocean. Alas, that when God's mercies have
such swift wings our praises should have
such leaden feet!
Notice that Miriam’s song in my text had
for its burden the overthrown cavalry. It
was not so much the infantry or the men on
foot over whose defeat she rejoiced with
ringing timbrel, but over the men on horse-
back—the mounted troops! ‘“The horse and
his rider hath He thrown into the sea.” Tre-
mendousarm of war is the cavalry ! Josephus
says that in that host that crossed the Red
sea there were 50,000 cavalrymen. Epamin-
ondas rode into battle with 5000 cavalrymen
and Alexander with 7000. Marlborough de-
ended on his cavalry for the triumph at
lenheim. It was not alone the snow that
despoiled the French armies in retreat from
Moscow, but the mounted Cossacks. Cave
alrymen decided the battles of Leuther and
Leipsic and Winchester and Hanover Court
House and Five Forks. Some of you may
have been in the relentless raids led on by
Forrest or Chalmers or Morgan or Stuart of
the southern side, or Pleasanton or Wilson
o= Kilpatrick or Sheridan of the northern
side. The army saddles are the thrones of
battle. Hurricanes in stirrups are the cav-
en.
No wonder that Miriam was chiefly grateful
that the Egyptian cavalrymen, pursuing the
Israelites down to midway the Red sea, were
unsaddled, unstirruped, unhorsed.
And I have to tell you, O child of God, that
tho Lord, who is on your side now and for-
ever, has at His disposal and under His com-
mand all waters, all winds, all lightnings, all
time and all eternity. Come, look me in the
© while I utter the word God commands
me to speak to you, ‘No weapon .>rmed
against you shall prosper.” Don’t throw
away your tambourine. You will want it as
sure as you sit there and I stand here, and
the tune you will yet play on it, whether
standing on beach of time or beach of etern-
ity, will be the tune that Miriam played when
she cried ‘Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath
triumphed gloriously ; the horse and his rider
hath He thrown into the sea.”
I expect to have a good laugh with you in
heaven, for the Bible says in Luke, sixth
chapter, twenty-first verse, ‘‘Blessed are ye
that weep now, for ye shall laugh.” We
shall not spend all eternity psalm singing,
but sometimes in review of the past, as
Christ says, we shall laugh. There is
nothing wrong in laughter. It all depends
on what you laugh at, and when you laugh.
Nothing, it seems, will more thoroughly
kindle our heavenly hilarities after we have
got 1nside the pearly gate than to see how in
this world we got scared at things which
ought not to have frightened us at all.
How often we work ourselves up into a
great stew about nothing! The Red sea be-
fore may be deep, and the Egyptian cavalry
behind us may be well mounted, but if we
trust the Lord we will go through no more
hurt by the water than when in boyhood we
rolled our garments to the knee and bare-
foot crossed the meadow brook on the old
homestead. The odds may seem to be all
against you, but I guess it will be all right
with you if you have God on your side and
all the angelic, cherubic, seraphic and arch-
angelic kingdoms. ‘“If God ue for you, who
can be against you?”
But let me criticise Miriam a little for thee
Instrument of music she employed in the di-
vine service on the sandy beach. Why not
take some other instrument? The harp was
a sacred instrument. ~Vhv did she not take
that? The cymbal was a sacred instrument.
Why did she not take that? The trumpet
was a sacred instrument.
take that? Amid that great host there must
have been musieal instruments more used in
religious service. No. She took that which
she liked the best and on which she could
best express her gratulation over a nation’s
rescue, first through the retreat of the waves
of the Red sea, and then through the clap-
ping of the hands of their destruction. So I
withdraw my criticism of Miriam, ZLetevery
one take her or his best mode of divine wor-
ship and celebration. My idea of heaven is
that it is a place where we can do as we
please and have everything we want. Of
course we will do nothing wrong and want
nothing harmful.
How much of the material and physical
will finally make up the heavenly world I
know not, but I think Gabriel will have his
trumpet, and David his harp, and Handel his
organ, and Thalberg his piano, and the great
Norwegian performer his violin, and Miriam
her timbrel, and as I cannot make music on
any of them I think I will move around
among all of them and listen. But there are
our friends of the Scotch Covenanter church
who do not like musical instruments at all in
divine worship, and they need not have
them.
What a day it will be when we stand on
the beach of heaven and look back on the
Red sea of this world’s sin and trouble and
celebrate the fact that we have got through
and got over and got up, our sins and our
troubles attempting to follow gone clear down
under the waves.
Oh, crimson floods roll over them and
drown them, and drown them forever! In
this world we have so little time for that, I
am looking forward to eternal socialities.
To be with God and never sin against Him.
To be with Christ and forever feel Hislove. To
walk together in robes of white with those with
whom on earth we walked together in black
raiment of mourning. To gather up the
members of our scattered families and em-
brace them with no embarrassment, though
all heaven be looking on.
A mine in Scotland caved in and caught
amid the rocks a young man who in a few
days was to have been united in holy mar-
riage. No one could get heart to tell his
afflanced of the death of her beloved, but
some one made her believe that he had
changed his mind about the marriage and
willfully disappeared. Fifty years passedon,
when one day the miners delving in the
earth suddenly came on the body of that
oung man, which had all those years been
kept from the air and looked just as it was
the day of the calamity. Strong, manly,
noble youth, he sat there looking as on the
day he died. But no one recognized the
silent form.
After awhile they called the oldest inhab-
{tants to come and see if any one could rec-
ognize him. A woman with bent form and
her hair snowy white with years came last,
and looking upon tke silent form that had
been so completely preserved gave a bitter
cry and fell into along swoon. It was the
one to whom half a century before she was
to have been wedded, looking then just as
when in the days of their youth their affec-
tions had commingled. But the emotion of
her soul was too great for mortal endurance,
and two days after those who fifty years be-
fore were to have joined hands in wedlock
were at last married in the tomb, and side by
side they wait for the resurrection.
My friends, we shall come at last upon
those of our loved ones who long ago halted
in the journey of life. They will be as fair
and beautiful —yea, fairer and more beauti-
ful than when we parted from them.
I see them now—the glorified—assembled
for a celebration mightier and more jubilant
than that on the banks of the Red sea, and
from all lands and ages, on beach of light
above beach of light, gallery anove gallery
and thrones above thrones, in circling sweep
of 10,000 miles of surrounding and upheaved
splendor, while standing before them on ‘seq
of glass mingled with fire’ Michael, the arche
angel, with swinging scepter beats time f
the multitudinous chorus, crying: ‘Sin
Sing! Sing ye to the Lord, for He hat}
triumphed gloriously ; the horse and his rides
hath He thrown into the sea.”
The Retort Courteous,
(He has come for her in a buggy
and she objects to the turnout)—¢ ‘You
are very particular; you put on more
airs than a music-box.” “Well, 1
don’t go with a crank, anyway.”—
Quips
A Kise In Value.
The painting by Millet recently
sold at Brussels for $200,000 was
originally sold by the artist for a cask
of wine worth abouy 38,
Why did she not | &
SUNDAY SCHOOL
bene
LESSON FORSUNDAY,JUNE 11.
fp
*The Creator Remembered,” Eccles.
xii., 1-7, 3,11, Golden Text: Eccles.
xii., 1. Ccmmentary.
1. “Remember now thy Creator in the days
of thy youth, while the evil days come not,
nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt
say, I have no pleasure in them.” In the
last two verses of the Xovjous chapter the
young man is warned that there is a judg-
ment to come, in the light of which all pres-
ent things should be tested, and now he is
entreated to think of his Creator in the days
of his youth and strength and to consider
Him who is the giver of every good and per-
fect gift. Let Samuel, David, Joash and
Josiah be studied es'ezamples.
2. “While the sun, or the light, or the
moon, or the stars be not darkened, nor the
clouds return after the rain.” This is sug-
gestive of days of judgment, as in Isa. xiii.,
10 ; Math. xxiv., 29; Rev. viii., 12; Jer. xiii,
16, for those who persistently refuse the
merey of God. But the content seems rather
to indicate the time of old age, when the
senses become dull, and with no light from
heaven in the soul the condition of such a
one is dark and gloomy indeed. Listen to
old Barzillai when invited by King David to
make his home with the king in Jerusalem :
“I am this day four score years old, and can
I discern between good and evil? Can thy
servant taste what I eat or what I drink?
Can I hear any more the voice of singing
men and singing women? Wherefore, then,
should thy servant be yet a burden unto my
lord the king” (II Sam. xix., 35)? Barzillai
was doubtless a good man, yet he simply de-
seribes the ordinary failures of the body in
old age.
8. ‘In the day when the keepers of the
house shall tremble, and the strong men shall
bow themselves, end the grinders cease be-
cause they are few, and those that look out
of the windows be darkened.” This is sug-
gestive of the failure of hands and arms, feet
and legs, teeth and eyes. The earthly house
begins to decay, failure is evident in every
part, and if there is no light shining from
above the sun it is a dreary picture. But
listen to Caleb, the friend and companion of
Joshua, each of whom wholly followed the
Lord: “Lo, I am this day four score and five
years old. As yet I am as strong this day as
I was in the day that Moses sent me. As my
strength was then, even so is my strength
now for war, both to go ouf, and to come in”
(Josh. xiv., 10, 11).
4. “And the doors shall beshusin the streets
when the sound of the grinding is low, and
he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and
all the daughters of music shall be brought
low.” Suggestive of lips closing in upon
toothless gums, inability to sleep and failure
of the voice. Comment seems unnecessary ;
rather consider the possibilities of an old age
in the fear of God. Think of Moses, of whom
it is written that at the age of 120 his eye was
not dim nor his natural force abated. At that
age he walked up the mountain alone and
went out to be with God, and 1400 years later
we find him alive and well (Deut. xxxiv., 7;
Math. xvii., 3).
5. ‘‘Also when they shall be afraid of that
which is high, and fears shall be in the way,
and the almond tree shall flourish, and the
rasshopper shall be a burden, and desire
shall fail, because man goeth to his long
home and the mourners go about the streets.”
This is probably suggestive of the easily terri.
fled old person to whom everything is a bur-
denand nothing is satisfying. The almond tree
may suggest the white head of old age, and
the. grave is spoken of asthe long home,
‘‘Under the sun” is still the key, for rejoicing
believer anticipates no long home in the
grave, but ‘‘with Christ in paradise,” ‘‘ab«
sent from the body, present with the Lord”
(Luke xxiii., 43; II Cor. v., 8
6. ‘Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or
the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be
broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken
at the cistern.” Possibly the reference here
may be to the spinal cord and whole nervous
system, the brain, the heart, with its veins
and arteries. However much or little the
writer may have known about these things,
the Holy Spirit who wrote through him was
‘perfect in knowledge” (Job xxxvi., 4).
7. “Then shall the dust return to the earth
as ii was, and the spirit shall return unto
God who gave it.” God said to Adam,
*‘Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou re-
turn.” And the psalmist wrote concerning
vain man, ‘‘His breath goeth forth; he re-
turneth to his earth; in that very day his
thoughts perish” (Gen. iii., 19; Ps. exlvi., 4).
Through Jesus, the last Adam, the second
man, we learn of victory over death ard of
the fact that many shall never die. ‘We
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed” (I Cor. xv., 45, 47,
61, 52). See also I Thess. iv., 16-18. And in
contrast to this whole dreary picture of frail
old age, with no light from heaven, listen to
this contrast, “Though our outward man
perish, yet the inward man isrenewed day by
day.” By receiving Him who became man
and a sin offering for us we may be sure of
an endless life and eternal youth.
13. “Let us hear the conclusion of the
whole matter. Fear God and keep His com-
mandments, for this is the whole duty of
man.” But inasmuch as no mere man since
Adam fell, ever kept the commandments of
God there is little comfort here, ‘Whosoever
shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in
one point, he is grilty of all” (Jas. ii., 10).
And it is written that the law was given to
condemn man and prove to man his helpless-
ness, that he might be led to receive Him
who is the fulfilment of the law and the end
of the law for rightenoussness to every one
that believeth (Rom. ili., 19, 20; x., 4; Gal.
ii., 21; lii., 21, 22). The Lord Jesus Christ is
the only man who has ever done the whole
duty of man. He was made sin for us that
we might be made the righteousness of God
in Him (II Cor. v., 21). Receiving Him, He
becomes our life and righteousness (John i.
12; I John v., 12; Col. iil, 4; I Cor. i., 30),
and His love constraining us we live hence.
forth unto Him, rejoicing in hope of the
glory of God (II Cor. v., i4, 15; Rom. v., 1,
14, “For Cod shall bring every work into
judgment, with every secret thing, whether
it, be good or whether it be evil.” If we are
in Christ, we can rejoice that the judgment
for our sins is past, and they shall be remem-
bered no more (John v., 24; Rom. viil., 1;
[sa xliii., 25). Every believer will, however,
appear before the judgment seat of Christ
that all his works as a Christian may be tried:
(II Cor. v., 10; Rom. xiv., 10; I Cor. iii., 11
15; Luke xix., 11-26), and position in the
kingdom will depend upon his faithfulness,
Bo in due time and in due order the secrets of
all hearts shall be made manifest, and onl
those who are in Christ and the works whic
He has wrought through them shall stand.
All else shall perish.—Lesson Helper, .
——— Gen.
nRICI Or Tosrage In i131ia,
An old almanac for 1814 gives the
following as the rates of postage pre-
vailing at vhat time: For every sin-
gle letter by land for 40 miles, 8
cents; 90 miles, 10 cents; 150 miles,
12} cents; 300 miles, 17 cents; 500
miles, 20 cents, and for more than
500 miles, 25 cents. No alfowance to
be made for intermediate miles.
Every double letter is to pay double
the said rates; every triple letter,
tripple; every packet weighing 1
ounce, at the rate of 4 single levters
each ounce. Every ship letter origi.
nally received at an office for delivery,
6 cents. Magazines and pamphlets,
not over 50 miles, 1 cent per sheet;
over 50 miles and not exceeding 10
miles, 1} cents per sheet; over 100
miles. 20 cents per shet.—Quincy
Patriot.
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