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Marking books strictly for- " bidden. ^ - ' ' •-,-- - Readers are' asketi ; «f to, report all cases of books marked or muti- » -lajed. Cornell University Library PR5548.T53 1897 Songs, poems and prose. /r Old songs that we loved long ago ! — And Memory shall waken her train, Sweet fancies that round us shall flow, To carry us back to the times, So youthful and joyous and grand ! — And sweeten our lives for awhile, By a touch of her wonderful wand. ENGLAND. To the north and the south, To the east and the west, Afar did I wander and roam ; But of lands I have seen, In the parts I have been, I still love thee the best, Dear England, my country, my home ! Oh, sweet are thy valleys ! Around which the blue hills Give shelter, and beauty, and charm ; To cottage and village, To orchards and tillage, 204 England And clear, winding, bright rills, Each flowing by pastures and farm. Sweet, too, are thy moorlands ! — Where bees, mid the heather, Full often do murmur and rove ; — Where the rough granite shows, With the wild English rose ; And, close grown together. Blackberries each schoolboy doth love. But sweeter than moorlands, 'Neath the breath of the morn, Thy sons and thy daughters are seen !— The one manly and true ; And the other we sue, For that charm, which is born In our race, where woman is queen. Thy coasts long and rugged With cliffs, coves, and bays, Doth nourish bold seamen and true ; They full oft on the main, When returning again From lands far away, Feel glad when its outlines they view. The arts of thy cities, And the works of thy towns ; — England 205 The commerce thy children command, Have built up by their worth, Mid the realms of the earth, To their uttermost bounds ; — An empire majestic and grand ! — Dear land of my fathers ! — What a history thou Hast writ on the pages of Time ! What a glorious record Of the pen and the sword Is wreathed round thy brow ! Won well from past ages and clime ! — In the north and the south, In the east and the west, Wherever we wander and roam ; Mid the continents wide, Or the deep rolling tide, By those who loved best, Dear England, our country, our home ! 206 Lottie LOTTIE. Nut-brown hair has Lottie ! In many a graceful tress ; And well enough the lassie knows Its witching loveliness ; For in its lights and shadows, Its curling waves of brown ; The hearts of many laddies She hath securely bound. Chorus. Lottie ! Lottie ! Darling little Lottie ! Joy of my heart and my life ! How sweet it is to love thee ! — Love thee ! Oh, love, wilt thou be my wife ? Dark-brown eyes has Lottie ! Gems that match her bonnie hair ! And sparkling, beaming, laughing, bright Tempt laddies on to dare Oft her rosy lips to kiss, — Her sunny smile to woo ; Each as fresh, and sweet, and fair As flowerets wet with dew. Lottie 207 Bonnie face has Lottie ! With many a winning charm ; Suffused full oft with blushes Like peach glows soft and warm ; When to her heart most tender There comes, like flight of dove, The glances of a lover, — The one she best doth love ! Blushes sweet of Lottie ! More sweet and dear to me Than all her other outward charms Of winsome witchery ; For tell they not most truly All that I would request — The true love of the maiden ! — The lassie I love best ! — Composed at Babbacombe when home for my holidays, August 18-19, 1893. OUR GOOD SHIP. Our good ship is bounding !— Bounding o'er the main ! — Rushing through the billows !- Sailing home again ! 208 Our Good Ship Pleasantly the breezes. Speed us swift along ! — Merrily the cordage Breaketh into song. Buoyant is her motion ! — Graceful is her form ! — Flitting o'er the ocean, Braving wind and storm. Many hearts are waiting For the gladsome day ; When, her voyage ended, We anchor in the bay. Then shall come our sweethearts !- Then shall come our wives ! — Then shall come the dear ones ! — Who brighten up our lives, Standing on the pier-ways By the landing-place, — Gazing out towards us With enraptured face. Longing for to meet us, — Bid us welcome home ! — Standing there to greet us, — Safe across the foam ! Our Good Ship 209 Then we'll sing for gladness, As we grasp their hands : — Dear England, how we love thee! — Before all other lands ! MINNIE. Love of my life ! How sweet that early morn When first we met ! No shadow then of agony Which pains me even yet ; But all was bright and beautiful With love, and hope, and youth ; And peerless mid the beautiful, Wert thou, my love, in truth. As one who looks upon Some lovely flower He ne'er hath seen before ; So did I gaze on thee, Enchanted with thy winsomeness — Thy soul's sweet rarity ! Our eyes they met, Then turned away, 14 210 Minnie To meet full oft again ; And every glance our love bespoke, 'Twas to each other plain. For as the wayside well reflects The form of him who draws ; So doth the heart reflect itself, And pleadeth well its cause. Thus gradually and silently, As opes the budding flower, There came upon us peacefully A blessed, holy dower — A confidence and influence Known only heart to heart ; — Yet strong, and full, and durable, Love only could impart. — Yea, though we were but children then Scarce entering on our teens, Still in our hearts there grew first love With all its golden scenes ; And all its little courteous acts Which pleasant make the hours ; And round life's pathway gently strew The fragrance of sweet flowers. Returning homeward from our school One mellow close of day, Minnie 211 Some schoolmates wild with jealousy Stood menacing the way ; — Then was it seen the force of love To conquer and restrain ; — To quell the anger of the lads, And make them blush with shame ; — For, like a flash, from mid a group Of homeward-going girls, Dear Minnie came, and stood by me, — Then dared them harm a hair, Lest her displeasure on them fell ; — So let them all beware ! In memory still I see her now ! — Nor shall that memory fade ! — Whilst life shall last within this heart ! — And strength to do and brave : — A girlish figure, tall and slim ! — Her features all aglow With rose-tints, like carnations sweet, Which summer winds do blow ! — And blue-black hair, in tresses rare ; — Match for her bonnie eyes ! — Then bright and sparkling, like the seas, When all their waves arise ; And on them radiantly the sun Doth beam like living gold; 14 — 2 212 Minni While every little tossing crest, Has beauty manifold ; — So did she stand in loveliness ! — In beauty all her own ! — In fascinating winsomeness ! — The very ground her throne ! — For she was every inch a queen ! — This noble Cornish maid ! — And worthily upon the scene, Her queenly part she played. Abashed, then, and blushing deep, The lads they moved away ; Yet smiling approbation sweet For her whose brave display Had won their hearts, And checked their hands ; Had calmed their jealous ire, — Who, to obey her least commands, Would willing walk through fire. Well, as for me, I scarcely knew, So sudden was the scene ! The right or wrong thing best to do ■- But stood as in a dream ; While o'er me rolled in tidal waves, Of ever deep'ning power, Minnie 213 The influence of that loving act, Felt to this very hour ! — I took her hand, I could not speak ! And pressed it with mine own, — Our eyes meanwhile in volumes spoke, — Though tongue-speech there was none. A little incident, that's all ! Perchance I hear you say ; AncVyet 'tis graved upon my heart, E'en to this present day ; — • Though twenty years have since gone by Since that auspicious eve ; Yet memory with matchless charm, Around me still doth weave The items of that youthful time ! — The events of that day !— The picture of that maiden fair ! — Who since hath passed away : Ay ! on her grave hath daisies grown For many a changeful year, — Yet in my heart I still do own Her memory most dear ; — For incidents which thus unite The dear ones whom we love, Are treasured, and their influence felt From earth to heaven above. 214 Minnie To me she was God's messenger ! Who taught the power of love, — Her very presence causing peace, And thoughts of things above ; And in the years which since have flown From youth down to this hour ; By various acts my life hath shown That influence still has power, — To check the evil of my moods ! — To cheer me when I'm sad ! — To elevate and raise my thoughts ! — And make my heart feel glad. Thus often do my thoughts turn back Towards the wild Land's End ! — Towards St. Sennen's quaint old church !- Where rests my little friend. Her body rests there, not the soul ! — For that were far too bright To sparkle anywhere, or rest, Save in the halls of light ! — Amid the treasures of the King ! — The jewels of His throne ! — There only may it find a rest ! — Yea, there, and there alone ! — Oh ! who can estimate the power For very good or ill Minnie 215 A beauteous being makes each hour By virtue of her will ? See, then, ye daughters of our land, Ye use that power for good ! — So shall ye reap, on either hand, A harvest free from flood ! — Yea, harvest in the springtide, — The golden days of youth ; — Then, harvest in the summer-time, . To give it further proof. — Next, harvest in the autumn, The falling of the year ; — When ye are getting olden, And winter draweth near. — Thus, as the seasons pass thee, The good deeds thou hast done Shall come again to bless thee, And brighten as the sun ! — Shall lighten up thy journey, And cheer thy lonely road, — Illuminate death's valley, — And guide thee home to God. Composed at Brawby during February, 1896, to the cherished memory of my dear friend and schoolmate, M. V, T. , who departed from this earthly life September 27, 1876, aged seventeen years. 216 Filey Brigg FILEY BRIGG. Upon the rugged Yorkshire coast, And shelt'ring Filey Bay, There is a jagged tongue of rocks, Which stretches right away Far out amid the billows ; That ever round it roar : — Such is the famous Filey Brigg ! Which centuries have wore From out the ever-crumbling cliffs, With sleet, and snow, and rain ; And frosts of many winters, And waves of hurricane. One morn I went to Filey, Just when the tide was low, And after looking through the town, Went on the sands below. — The sands and bay of Filey Are worth the while to see : — A crescent path, a golden plain, Set off exquisitely ! With crested waves to seaward, And rugged cliffs around, Whilst overhead the seagulls Their shrilly cries do sound ; Filey Brigg 217 But the Brigg's the chief attraction, As everyone doth know, — Therefore my steps instinctively Soon thither turned to go. And as I went I passed A group of fisher-folk, Whose high-topped boots and oilskins Their calling well bespoke. The fishermen of Filey Are pious, hardy men ! And in their cobbles bravely 'Gainst wind and wave contend ; Yet fishing is precarious, For oft the weather's rough, — Therefore the summer visitors Are welcomed glad enough, And shouldst thou go to Filey, Before thy visit ends, No doubt among the fisher-folk You'll have a lot of friends. Thus mused I as I sauntered Beside the sounding sea, Till presently I wandered Just where I wished to be.— It was a novel station, Far out upon the Brigg, — 218 Filey Brigg Upon the seaward portion, And on its furthest rigg, — Surrounded by the billows That ever round me rolled, Like hungry wolves besieging Some solitary fold ! I looked me to the eastward, And saw them, row by row, Come onward like an army, With clamorous ebb and flow ; — The Brigg the solid rampart ! — 'Gainst which they hurled in vain Their most gigantic warriors, — The monarchs of the main ! Ay, line on line came onward In splendid majesty ! With little wavelets leaping Around them boisterously ; — And rushing forward furious Toward the Stoic Rocks, There hurled themselves to fragments, With most convulsive shocks, That sent the white foam flying All seething mid the air ; Like spirits of the ocean, Which fall back in despair, Filey Brigg 219 Amid the roaring torrents And cataracts of rills ; That hurry downward quickly To join the liquid hills, Which on again are coming, Intent on victory, And chanting forth sonorous The music of the sea. In wrathful indignation, In tossing swells of foam, They meet those hoary warriors That ever shoreward come. — There in a battle furious, Fought out amid the sea, Retreating and advancing, Both struggle mightily ; — Then lifts the ocean proudly, And swells its aged breast ; Soon other ranks rush forward, Obeying its behest. — Thus, backward in confusion, Before advancing waves, The shattered, broken billow Is forced, despite its rage, — Till, mingling with them freely, It taketh heart once more, 220 Filey Brigg And with its charging brothers Recharges for the shore ; Where here again 'tis broken, As wave on wave repeats, This conflict of the ocean, — Advances and retreats. Long did I stand there gazing On this tumultuous war ! — Upon the billows' raging Around that rugged scaur ! — The scene was full, and varied With life and form and sound, As wave on wave rolled onward, And backward did rebound !— The wind came fresh and breezy From out the Northern Sea, And whistled round me freely A song of liberty ! — The bell-buoy in the distance Tolled loud its warning note !— And running in for shelter, Went by a fishing-boat ; — For on the leeward station The bay was calm and free, Protected by this rampart From all the heavy sea ! Filey Brigg 221 One day, perchance, when Science, Takes Filey Brigg in hand, A noble refuge harbour The east coast will command ! — So thought I when this shelter Before me I espied, In contrast to the warfare Upon the other side. Then, as the tide was flowing, Or just begun to flow, I turned me, scarcely knowing, And landward moved slow, — Oft looking out to seaward, Or halting here and there To pick up sundry relics From out their rocky lair. These bits of wood and pebbles, With now and then a shell, The waifs and strays of ocean ! — Cast here at length to dwell ; Till storms again remove them, And toss them to and fro, Away to various regions Not one of us may know ! — I felt a strange attraction, Towards these waifs and strays ! — 222 Filey Brigg Which evident were fragments, Of things of better days. Who could recount their stories Their journeys on the deep, The record of their tossings, Where mountain billows leap ? These playthings of the ocean ! — These relics from the sea ! — Are like, methought, to pilgrims, Of poor humanity. — God only knows the future, Or where our lot is cast ; — For in His hand the waters He ever holdeth fast. From out these ruminations I presently awoke ! — And even as I did so, A mighty billow broke, In tumult and commotion ; And silv'ry showers of spray ; — As if it said, ' Take warning ! — It's time to move away !' — Then, too, far off by Scarborough, I saw a rack of foam Come scowling o'er the ocean, With edges white and torn ; Filey Brigg 223 Which, even as I paused, Sent heralds through the air — These white and feathery snowflakes, That also said, ' Prepare !' Well, not caring to be found there, To face the sleet and snow ; With scarce a place of shelter, I speedily did go. — And thus I left behind me, Wrapped in a squall of sleet, The grand old Brigg of Filey ! — And gained a safe retreat. GENERAL BOUDIER. Whilst travelling through this wilderness, I now and then have found Some men well worthy of the name ! — Who neither advertise themselves, Nor sound The silver trumpet of their fame Upon the public streets ! — Nor yet within 224 General Boudier The columns of the daily press, With clamorous puff and din, Bid high for brief notoriety ; — Or seats wherein, Folks frequent find much bitterness. These men they mind not worldly things !- Nor seek such selfish ends ! — But rather love to make themselves Of poor humanity the friends ; — No scornful pride dwells in their hearts, Like Pharisees of old ! — Nor do they flatter with the tongue, Or fawn because of gold ! — But cheerfully, contentedly, Go onward day by day ; With tokens of a loving heart, Which oft doth find display, In many little courtesies — And various kindly deeds, — Proclaiming them to all around The sowers of good deeds ! — Which bloom again in blessing Amid their fellow-men, And thus in part redressing The ravages of sin. General Boudier 225 And so they gain a sympathy, Which binds men heart to heart ; Beyond what golden bands may do, Or buy in any mart. Such was General W. E. Boudier ! — A man well known in Babbacombe For nearly twenty year ! — In gentleness and kindness, In manly sympathy, In sturdiness of character, And grand integrity, With evenness of temper, And cheerfulness of mien, United to a candour, Not very often seen. He was a great example, Of what a man should be ; Who daily lived out in his life His Christianity. — His childlike faith in Jesus, — His love of All Saints' Church, — His interest in its people — Proclaimed him without search An almost perfect warden ! — To whom they could entrust 226 General Boudier Their interests and welfare, — Well knowing he was just ! — Thus, year by year they knew him, And, knowing, learnt to love ; Till God in wisdom took him To be with Him above. An ear of wheat well ripened, The Master gleaned him in, And placed him in His garner, Free from the tares of sin. — Yet many hearts do miss him, And mourn his loss severe ; But, chief, his wife and children, To whom he was most dear. — And shouldst thou go to Babbacombe, There, just inside the church, Upon the left side as you enter, You'll find it without search ! — A stained and figured window, In memory of his name, Recording he was warden, And the year when he was ta'en. — This is the outward tribute And token to his worth !— But what the inward love may be Will not be known on earth. General Boudier 227 It often is a wonder, Beyond what words can tell ! — Why God removeth from us Those whom we love so well, Just when they're in their beauty And at their very best ! — Is it because that on them Maturity doth rest? For, 'tis a fact most certain, As everyone doth know ; — That farmers reap in autumn The corn in spring they sow ! — Thus, too, we may be aiding In working out some plan, — Some great work God's preparing For us and fellow man. — And thus we are His husbandry, Each planted by His will ; — And growing or transplanted, That great design to fill. IS— 2 228 Three Rivers THREE RIVERS. Three rivers fair in Devonshire Run southward to the sea : — One is the Exe, whose stream reflects Much pleasant scenery, — The chief of which are pastures rich Along its upper reaches ; With parks and trees, the eye to please, And Exmouth's bar and beaches. Here on a night when stars are bright, 'Tis sweet to cross the Ferry ! — With moon on high, in tranquil sky, On launch, or swan, or wherry. Likewise the city looketh pretty From river points of view ! When looming tall its cathedral, Stands in the centre true. * * * * * The next the Teign, of placid mien ! — That looks exquisitely ! — When full and wide, in flows the tide, 'Twixt Newton and the sea. Three Rivers 229 And boats come down unto the town, With clay for distant ports, — Whilst all around with varied sound The graceful sea-bird sports. Oft have I seen upon its sheen, As in a looking-glass, Reflected clear, these birds appear With sky, and trees, and grass. Their colours, too, were in the view, A harmony of mixture ! — And thus did show above, below, A most entrancing picture ! — Like silver then on to the den, And by the lofty Ness, Past bridge and ships, by quays and slips It ever on doth press. A lovely stream, 'neath morning's beam ! — Or when the day is done ! — When on its breast doth sweetly rest The jewels of the sun. ***** The third the Dart, well known to art, By picture, song, and story ! — Recounting clear, both far and near, The treasures of its glory. 230 Three Rivers Of these I love that scene above Where Totnes comes in sight ; — That quaint old town which looketh down Upon the river bright ! — Then Dittisham, too, is fair to view, With woods along the ferry, — Renowned for its damson plums ! — As Kent is for the cherry. Whilst further south, and near its mouth, There stands its ancient port ; With castled crag, and many a flag Of yachts which here resort. And that old ship, full well equipped For training of cadets ; Who hence may stand and give command When valour fame begets. Oft in this town I've wandered round Amid old streets and houses ; And peopled them with forms of men, Whose names emotion rouses. These to and fro again do go As in the olden time ; When on the main they fought with Spain, And they were in their prime. Three Rivers 231 Here Raleigh came, when in his fame, And likewise Francis Drake ; — And Davis too, and many a crew, Who kept the Dons awake. But now I pause, yet not because I've all the story told ; For still the muse could if she choose Much further yet unfold. Therefore, farewell, thou lovely belle ! Thou fairest English stream ! Thy beauty bright is to the sight Like to a heavenly dream ! ALL SAINTS' CHURCH. All Saints' Church at Babbacombe Is very dear to me ; — For with it is connected Much pleasant memory. I've known it since my boyhood, Some twenty years ago ! — And watched the masons building Whilst going to and fro. — 232 All Saints' Church I saw them add the chancel Unto the central nave ; And then the tower and steeple Which overlook the wave ; — Whilst rearing up the latter An incident took place ; Resulting in a panic Within the sacred place. One stormy Sunday evening When folks were in the church, And Mr. Hewett preaching ! Upon the roof and porch, A scaffold pole came falling, And on its way to ground Sent forth the most appalling, Quick, clamorous bursts of sound.- The congregation, startled, In terror of the tower, Rushed madly for the doorway And strove with all their power To gain a hasty exit, — To beat a safe retreat, — Thus emptying as they did so Full well-nigh every seat. The vicar soon concluded ! The choir had flown away ! — All Saints' Church 233 And of the few remaining None seemed inclined to stay y So thus the sermon ended Upon that Sunday night ; As many still remember, — By virtue of the fright ! I saw them put the bells in, And heard the ringing peal With which the eight announced Their quality and zeal. — Since then on Sunday evenings, And on a Wednesday night, I've heard them oft with gladness And feelings of delight. — Ay, after years of parting, Returning home again, Have listened to their pealing With pleasure nigh to pain ! — I saw them paint the ceilings Of chancel and of aisles In many varied colours, And cleverness of styles. — And then the organ also, And stained windows too — I saw them added yearly, And each enriched the view. 234 All Saints' Church Then last the walls were built Which gird the church around, — Protecting thus the fabric, The grass and flower-ground. Come, then, and I will show thee The beauties of the place ! — Its many features lovely ! — To charm thee with their grace ;- Note well the nice position, In which the church is found ; Upon a gentle hillside, With copse and villas round ! — Then gaze upon the tower On which the spire is built, Surmounted by its weather-vane, A bird of golden gilt ; It is a graceful arrow, Wrought out in various stone ! While chiselled decorations At intervals are shown. — Now look along the building To where the chancel stands ! Whose trellis-work and panels A word of praise demands. All ranged around the window Which doth the eastward face ! All Saints' Church 235 And giving to this portion A beauty and a grace. — See near to it an angel Stands quietly alone, Suggestive of devotion, Carved out of solid stone 1 — Next gaze upon the fabric And look it to and fro, — Surrounded by its stone walls Where clinging ivies grow ! — And tell me as thou viewest The hallowed place around, — The outside it is handsome ! — So may inside be found ! — For things should be in keeping, As taught our Saviour dear,- — By cursing of the fig-tree, Which pleasant did appear, — With many leaves upon it, Extended far and wide, — Yet not the slightest fruitage For all this outward pride ! — How many pass as Christians, Who are very much the same ? Plenty of grand professions ! — But actions weak and tame. 236 All Saints' Church Come, now, and we will enter This very pretty porch ! — By which we gain admittance, And pass into the church. As thus we gain the fabric, Be reverent, and take care ! — Remember, 'tis Jehovah's ! — Then breathe a fervent prayer ! — Here by the font of blessing We will awhile remain, And, looking to the eastward, Behold the sacred fane. How beautiful the chancel, ' With dim religious light ' ! And glorious figured window, With colours fair and bright. — The four-and-twenty elders Around the glassy sea Are praising Him who was, and is, And evermore shall be. — How often have I gazed Upon this holy scene I— This great artistic sweetness, To which my soul doth lean ; With feelings and emotions Beyond the reach of words, — All Saints' Church 237 Exalting the devotions, And binding with their cords ! How sweetly fair the table From which the sacred food, Is given to disciples To strengthen them for good ! Most lovely, too, the flowers One always seeth here : — Fair emblems of the powers Perfection holdeth dear !— Here meet the true and faithful In memory of their Lord, And plead His precious merits With solemn, sweet accord. — And thus they join with heaven In worship and in praise, — And thus they get God's blessing Throughout their earthly days. Now, look upon this basin ! — Amid its marble walls, Of pillars and of niches, Of canopies ann stalls ; It is a font most lovely ! Where oft a winsome babe Receives the sacred symbol Of Him who died to save : 238 All Saints' Church Admitted to His blessing, And joined to the lot Of Christ, who loved the children, And never them forgot. — Oh, mothers, bring your infants Unto the Saviour dear ! Oh, fathers, train your children To have a holy fear ! Lest things devout and sacred Should ever from them flee, And leave a desolation Like to a desert sea; Where storms indeed are frequent, And loneliness doth reign ; But comfort, peace, and blessing 'Tis hopeless to obtain. — Amid the storms of ages That Time doth ever roll, One only Power assuages The troubles of the soul ; — It is in God the Father ! — It is in God the Son ! — Complete with God the Spirit ! — The ever Three, yet One ! — Next, glance along the ceiling, And view its painted ground ; — All Saints' Church 239 Then note the marble pillars Which everywhere abound ! — Look well upon the windows On each side as you pass ; For they are very poems Of records wrought in glass ! — The chief of which are Moses A-smiting of the rock ! — Nathaniel and the Saviour ! — And the angel who did shock The soldiers who were watching Around the sealed stone, When on~lhat Easter morning Dark Death was overthrown. — Here stand the women gazing, Who came at dawn of day, With spices and with ointment, Their tribute sweet to pay, — Each looking at the angel With awe of holy fear, Who, to their sight amazing, All glorious did appear. — The scene is truly graphic, Impressive on the mind, And is as sweet memorial As in the church you'll find. 240 All Saints' Church Now move we to the chancel, And view its polished floor, Wrought out in coloured marble, All thickly studded o'er With forms and figures many, Of geometric shape, Inlaid and bound together — A beautiful mosaic ! Then note the four Apostles, Who by the altar stand ; — Also the shields of marble : Straight up on either hand ; — And then the candelabra, — And gates of solid brass, — Likewise the pretty lectern, We in the transept pass : — Each beautiful in workmanship, Bespeaking perfect taste, And adding to and making One harmony and grace. — Then, too, there is the organ Just yonder on the right, And lovely little window, Of which we get a sight. The subject is most holy — The Saviour on the cross, All Saints' Church 241 The story of redemption, And its tremendous cost. Upon the left the pulpit, Well worthy of the fane ! — Wrought out in polished marble, From which you can obtain A good view of the seating ; And of the space behind, Made up by church and tower,— In which you'll surely find Another window, telling From out the tower alone That story of the Saviour ; By whom were overthrown The tables of the changers ; Who dealt in temple gold, When He cast out the oxen, And they who bought and sold, — Saying, with an anger Which. deep impression leaves,— ' My Father's house, that is for prayer, Ye've made a den of thieves !' From out this rostrum I have heard Sermons good and many, Delivered with an eloquence, Surpassing almost any 16 242 All Saints' Church It has been my lot to hear In city or in town, Or in the great cathedrals, Where men of mark are found. The preacher, too, the vicar, Whose great ability Shines out in public speaking; And in a mastery Of church and parish business, Requiring tact and skill, With energy and courage, And plenty of goodwill. — These hath he shown full frequent Throughout a long career, And still they shine most brightly, As year succeedeth year. — To him is due this fabric, Beneath whose roof we stand ; His able brain conceived it, For it he toiled and planned, Through many years of waiting, Through periods of distress, Till last it stood completed, In all its loveliness — A monument most noble To speak when he is gone, All Saints' Church 243 And witness to posterity, And those who hither throng. A clever man and able, In actions and in mind, Is the first Vicar of All Saints', As here and there you'll find ! — Then, too, whilst I am speaking, I'll give a word of praise, To those whose wealth and talent Contributed to raise, Supplies as they were needed \ To carry things along, Who asked not, nor received, The tribute of a song. Of names I best remember, Whom worthily we prize, Are Hanbury and Robson, Duke, Rivington, and Wyse ; Then Boudier, Grant, and Eddins, With Oughton, Myers, Rose, Likewise Smith and Colson, With which the list I close. Now, ere we leave the building, I'll fancy once again, The festivals I've witnessed Within this hallowed fane. 16 — 2 244 -^ Saints' Church These, Easter-tides and Christmas, The Octave of All Saints, Thanksgivings for the harvests, And others memory paints. — How beautiful the fabric Upon such days as these, With flowers in every window, To charm the eye and please ! — When font and gates and altar Are lovely to behold, And all the church is radiant With beauty manifold ! — Such scenes by force of merit And their artistic worth, Raise high the soul and spirit, Above the dross of earth ! — And when the organ pealeth In glorious notes around, And every arch vibrateth With harmony of sound, — When holy songs are swelling The congregation's praise, Their tribute to Jehovah, To whom their hearts they raise, - Then, sweet indeed and pleasant It is to worship here, All Saints' Church 245 And join in the devotions With relatives most dear ! — Full often with my parents, And with my sister, too, I've tasted of this sweetness, As I to manhood grew ! — And now that we are parted, And scattered here and there, We still are constant-hearted Toward this house of prayer. Well, now I think I've shown you The salient points around ; Therefore we'll leave the others Which here and there are found, Till you attend the service, As you are sure to do ! — Or come again at leisure, To have another view. — Now as we quit together This beauteous house of God ; Whose courts re-echo praise's, — Where reverent feet have trod,— Our visit shall remind us, — How pleasant is the lot, Of those we leave behind us ! — Who worship in this spot. Composed at Brawby Lodge, May 18 to June 6, 1896. 246 Beautiful Devon BEAUTIFUL DEVON. Lovely Devon ! Who hath seen the beauty Of thy sea-girt shore, White with pebbly beaches, And billows breaking o'er ! — Where old red sandstone cliffs Look out upon the sea, Clad to their very summits, And that luxuriantly ; With ivy and with hazels, With brambles, grass and fern, Exhibiting fresh grandeur Whichever way you turn ? — Beautiful Devon ! Who hath seen thy moorlands Beneath the morning sun ; Or sauntered by thy streamlets, Just when the day was done. ? — Who hath scaled thy granite tors, Or rambled mid thy coombes, Where honeysuckles, traveller's-joy, And many a floweret blooms. — Or hath walked thy country lanes, Beneath their arch of trees, — Beautiful Devon 247 Those quaint old-fashioned roadways That charm the eye and please ! — Where primroses and violets With ferns and ivy grow, And rabbits mid the high banks Oft scamper to and fro ? — Fair Devon ! Who hath seen these treasures, Tasted of their bliss, Viewed thee in the glory Of thy loveliness ? — But has felt within him Of thy peaceful charm, And hath said with fervour, Fervour true and warm, — Sweet Devon ! thou art lovely ! — Lovely as a dream ! — Of English counties worthy, For beauty to be queen ! 248 Dear Old Cornwall DEAR OLD CORNWALL. Lonely, rugged, rocky land ! Away in the south-west, — Full oft my thoughts return to thee, And feelings deep attest The love I bear to Cornwall And for her children dear : — A hardy, kindly, courteous race As earth did ever rear ! Her sons are full of enterprise, As many countries tell ; — Her daughters sweet, affectionate, And beautiful as well. Ay, many have in them the blood, As old traditions show, Of the Phoenicians, who for tin Came hither long ago. How pretty are thy villages, By bay, and cliff, and moor ! — How grand thine island scenery Along thy western shore ! — Where flowers in dawn of springtide, Ere winter's course is run, Come forth in countless thousands, The children of the sun. Dear Old Cornwall 249 Where in the fields in April Potatoes may be seen Luxuriant in blossoms, And leaves all glossy green. Oh, land of old-time legends ! — Land of the Druid ring ! — Land of the Celtic crosses And cliffs where castles cling ! How ancient are thy cromlechs ! Thy Logan Stones and mines ! Thy lonely, rugged, granite cairns ! Mid which the chough still finds Secure retreat impregnable To almost every foe, With lofty beetling crags above, And foaming seas below ! Oh, land of many fisheries ! — Of pilchards, prawns, and crabs, — Of mackerel and mullet, — Of gannets, gulls, and shags ! How fruitful is thy story With magic and romance, And many a legend hoary From Tamar to Penzance ! — Of Lyonesse and Arthur, Of Druids and of saints, 250 Dear Old Cornwall Of Britons and of Romans, And others history paints. Whilst linked to these brave stories These deeds of old renown ! — Some modern ones well worthy Will here and there be found ; Which are thy valued heritage, The growth of many years, — Which with thy land and people Full cordially endears — Ay, speaks throughout the empire, Beyond the power of pen, The praise of dear old Cornwall !— And of the Cornish men. Composed at Brawby Lodge, June 18-28, 1896. BONNIE YORKSHIRE. Oh, Yorkshire, thou art bonnie ! With hill, and dale and moor, With stream, and wold, and forest, And abbeys nigh a score. — Most ancient are thy churches : — Kirkdale and Lastingham ! — Bonnie Yorkshire 251 And famous, too, thy great towns : Leeds, Hull, and Rotherham, — While Middlesbro' and Sheffield Are known both far and wide, And York with its grand minster Is spoken of with pride. — Then ample are thine acres And great thy woollen trade ; Such centres of industry Have England's fortune made — ■ And given her a station Of influence and worth Behind none other nation Upon the face of earth. The history of thy people , Among thy sons to-day, Reflects itself in actions ; Which truthfully display The Saxon and the Northmen, Their sires of long ago ! — Whose vigorous blood still active, Most generously doth flow, In candour and in courage, In energy and skill, With manliness and kindness — The outcome of goodwill. 252 Bonnie Yorkshire Ay, Yorkshire men and women Are worthy of their fame : — Grand types of Britain's children !- An honour to her name. THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD. Come, let us sing of Jesus ! — Who is the sinner's friend, — Whose precious blood redeemed us, — Who loves us to the end. In Him are all the promises From Adam until now, Well sealed with types and prophecies, And many a solemn vow. He is the Star of Ages, Of royal David's line ! — Who lights the sacred pages With glory all Divine. He came at time appointed, The blessed Virgin's Son ; And thus the Lord's Anointed His manhood here begun. The Saviour of the World 253 His was a twofold nature — A man as well as God ; — United and yet separate, — And thus this earth He trod. For us He condescended To pay the debt of sin ; And suffered death upon the Cross, That we might heaven win. Then in the grave was buried ; The third day rose again, — O'er death and hell triumphant ; And evermore doth reign. And now with God the Father He sits enthroned on high ; While angel hosts adore Him And ever ' Holy !' cry. From thence in might triumphant, He shall return again, With all the holy angels Attendant in His train. And at His coming all men, The quick, also the dead ! — Shall gather round His footstool, Where judgment shall be said. 254 The Saviour of the World Then shall the righteous only Return with Him to reign ; But those that love the evil In evil shall remain. This is the glorious Gospel The Scriptures doth unfold ! — The pearl of priceless value Beyond the power of gold ! — To sinners it is welcome, It cheers them mid the strife ; — To them the old, old story Points out the path of life. Then let us praise the Saviour, For all have gone astray, And wandered from the Father Upon an evil way. We praise Him that He sought us When we were rebels bold, And with His life-blood bought us. And took us to His fold. We thank Him that He shows us How we may noble live, By force of that example He to the world did give. The Saviour of the World 255 We thank him for the Spirit, The Comforter Divine ! — He gives unto His children To cause their face to shine. To lift up the affections, — To strengthen the new man, — To elevate life's actions, — And consummate God's plan. And then that sweet communion, — That sacred, holy joy,- — He gives unto His people, Which nothing can destroy, Save only sin, that separates, That keepeth man from God ! — And raiseth up the barriers Which darkeneth his road. There is no greater happiness, Upon this earth below, Than that which love of Jesus, Dpth cause in hearts to glow ! — 'Tis He that gives us righteousness ! — 'Tis He that gives us peace ! — And joins us to a brotherhood, Which ever shall increase. 256 The Saviour of the World He is our Mediator ! — Our Advocate alone ! — Our Prophet, Priest, Creator ! — Our King upon His Throne ! — He is the Sun of heaven ! — He is the Light of earth ! — Who to man's fallen nature Gives life and second birth. Therefore, we pray Thee keep us, O Jesu, Saviour, Friend ! — Most faithful through life's journey, Till death that journey end. Then, when the morning breaketh,- The morn of heavenly life ! — We shall, as each awaketh, Be safe from sin and strife. LOVINGKINDNESS: Some men love Eve's daughters For figure, form, and grace !— For beauty of expression And loveliness of face. Lovingkindness 257 Enhanced by fine manners And dress in latest style ! — Such are enough for some men, And doth their hearts beguile ! — Now, whilst with eye artistic Men love to see all these, — There still is something lacking To charm the heart and please ! — And that is Lovingkindness, For which all men do sigh ; — In that the charm of woman Most certainly doth lie. Without it, they are flowers Men idly cast away, When fades their bloom and lustre Before some younger spray ; — But Lovingkindness always Draws ever near the heart ; — And as the years roll onward, Death only can it part. Composed at Babbacombe, August, 1896. 17 258 To Miss Margaret D- TO MISS MARGARET D E. Gentle lady, of the noble name ! — And of a nature nobler still, I would that I thy meed of fame, Could in a measure richly fill With grateful feelings from the heart All through thy life thy path hath been An ever-broad'ning road of love ; Like to the just, whose rays serene, Lead wand'rers home to God above, — Thou blessed messenger of good ! — Upon thy brow refinement, truth, Have set their seal indelibly, With sweetness, too, and good, forsooth, Replete with winsome charity, — And manners of the lady born. I'm privileged to call thee friend, — For thou hast been a friend to me ! — In kindly actions, kindly words, And gracious, pleasant courtesy, — Reflecting clear thy soul within ! — Full often when I think of thee, — Those holy women in the Word, To Miss Margaret D e 259 Who followed forth from Galilee, And ministered unto the Lord, Stand out revealed from shades of time ! — For thou with them hast many things In common, like unto their worth. — Each handmaid of the King ofkings ! — Each minister of good on earth — As such to thee, I pen these lays, Accept them as thy well-won praise ! Composed at Brawby Lodge, November 23-26, 1896. From boyhood I have had the happy privilege and honour of knowing and esteeming the friendship, virtues, and sincere Christian life of this truly noble gentlewoman, who holds a deservedly high place of merit in the hearts of our family. FREEMASONRY. Here is laud to the craft, That is lawful and right ! — To its members wherever they're found ! — Whose watchwords are ' God, Brotherhood, Light, And Charity ' all the world round. It has stood ere the time Of the pyramids old ! — Its brethren to help and to bless ! — As the centuries around it have rolled, Has succoured and soothed their distress. 17 — 2 260 Freemasonry 'Tis dreaded by despots, And loved by slaves ! — For its comrades are loyal and true ! — And their object is, manhood to save, From those who would grant it to few. Then give laud to the craft, That is noble and good ! — And its members wherever they're found !- Who full oft have oppression withstood, And tyranny, fettered and bound. Composed at Brawby Lodge, November 26, 1896. THE BUTTERFLY. Bright wanderer of summer hours ! — Gay rover of the spring ! Full well I love thee mid the flowers, — Thou blossom on the wing ! — And frequently in boyhood's day Have watched thee in thy flight, As joyously athwart my way, Thou fluttered onward bright. The Butterfly 261 Oft high in space amid the sky, Upon thy painted wing, — I've seen thee like a fairy sprite Most pretty wandering To fields of clover red and beans, Whose fragrance filled the air, — Where belted bees and melodies Came sweet beyond compare. Oh, charming little wanderer ! Beloved by every boy ! — To mankind surely thou art sent, A source of guileless joy ! — To tell him of a future life, By reason of thine own, — So full of strange development, Through many changes shown ! — From egg to caterpillar-worm, — From chrysalis to fly, — Thou teachest souls of men, to yearn, For realms of bliss on high. For who would think on finding thee, A worm upon the earth ! — That in such creeping, crawling state, Thy lovely form had birth ? 2(>2 The Butterfly Or seeing thee a chrysalis, All dormant, quiet lie, — That here reposed the life and germ Of beauteous butterfly ? What change. — what mighty change is here ! What transformation given ! When thus an earthly thing becomes A creature of the heaven — A winged creature clad in robes Of various colours bright ! And suited to its fresh abodes Amid the halls of light, With tastes and habits different From those it had before, — Enabling it, to nectar sip, And other worlds explore. Oh, living lesson from the Lord ! To all who choose to learn, — We bear the witness with accord That in thee we discern A type of immortality ! — A likeness of man's soul ! — When this frail earthly life is past, Then heaven shall be its goal. The Land's End 263 THE LAND'S END. Once more I stand upon these cliffs ! — And look me out to sea, — Enjoying much the pleasant breeze And rock-bound scenery. Beneath me lieth the Land's End, Renowned throughout our land ! — A granite cape of jagged shape, Girt with an heather band. And round its ancient deep-scarred base, The winds and breakers whirl, — As if they sought to interlace, With roar, and rush, and curl. While out beyond a passage wide The Longships Reef is seen, — With the Shark's Fin, a sullen rock, A-peeping up between. And nearer home the Armed Knight, With Ennis Dolman, too ; Likewise the Irish Ladies' Leap 'Neath crags of Ped^maen-dhu. 264 The Land's End Around that cairn the Cowloe lies, And by it Sennen Cove ; With Whitsand Bay and Genver Sands, Where oft I loved to rove. Then further on Cape Cornwall looms With the Botallick Mine,— As famed in the days of old, As those of modern time ! — Here off the shore the Brizzons stands, An isolated rock ! — Known well to cormorants and gulls Which hither love to flock. For down amid and almost hid By crevices and stones, Those wanderers of sea and sky, Find refuge safe and homes. Away upon the horizon, The Scilly Isles show clear ; Whilst the Wolf Rock and Seven Stones, Much nearer home appear. Towards the east there stretches forth A headland, rocky, rude ; With little stacks of peaty turf Amid its solitude. The Land's End 265 Behind me is the Common old, With furze and heather clad, — Close grown together, beautiful ! Elastic as a pad ! A carpet full of golden flowers, Upon an emerald ground ! Which with its purple heather bells Sheds sweetest fragrance round. Here troops of bees and butterflies, Together roam along ; — Whilst the Atlantic gives a breeze That charms the heart to song — A breeze sweet, fresh, and beautiful ! Soft laden with ozone, — That soothes the tired traveller Till weariness has flown — A wind which makes the heart feel glad ! — As round it rushes free, Amid the gray mossed granite crags, From off the billowy sea, And sings along in paeans sweet, That tell of other days, — Of other countries, other climes, — Its mighty Maker's praise. 266 The Land's End Oh, wind of God ! oh, fragrant breeze ! Thou comest not in vain ; — Mine heart reflects thine ecstasies, And joineth in thy strain. ***** Here, too, the antiquary finds Cliff castles, cairns, and barrows, Druidic circles, graves of kings ; And now and then flint arrows. What stories could these heights reveal, If one could read their pages ! — Since first they rose from out the sea As barriers to its rages ! Of battles and of social life When all was wild and rude ; — Of British chieftains and their tribes, A warlike multitude ; Of Druids and their mystic rites, At Maen, where lies the stone, — The ancient tolmen of a race Scarce to tradition known ! — ***** I've wandered here when storm-winds blew, And boisterous was the main ; — When mountain seas o'er Ped-maen-dhu, Dissolved in sheets of rain ; — The Land's End 267 When Longships Reef and the Land's End Were hid in wrack and foam ; As billows broke incessantly With hoarse and hollow moan ; — When flying clouds of fearsome form And many a darksome hue; Like giant legions of the storm, Athwart the heavens flew. To cross the moor were hard work then, And trying to the best, — Yet oft I've done so, when the shore Was white, from east to west. With clam'rous breakers hurling round, In tossing wild commotion, The seething wrath their billows found, Within the troubled ocean. When thus Land's End lies on the lee, God, keep all ships away ! — Much better then far out at sea Than in by Whitsand Bay ! — ***** I've stood me here at early morn, When gentle was the tide ; — So free from din that the shark's fin Scarce ripple roll'd beside ; 268 The Land's End Have seen the little fishing-boats Hie hither here and there — For on such day 'tis mere child's-play To row them anywhere — In quest of pollack, mullet, bass, Of conger, cod, or bream ; — When like a polished looking-glass The peaceful waters gleam. The ancient cliffs of granite stones, Thick clad with lichens gray, Stood out like mighty, vacant thrones Set for the King of Day ! — Who on them threw like living gold His sunshine warm and bright ; A thing of beauty to behold, And gladsome to the sight ! — But sweeter than his morning smile Is that when day is done, — When 'neath the ocean as a wheel Sinks down the glowing sun. Then all the vaulted element Is richly robed with red, Commingled with a thousand tints, From other hues outspread ! — The Land's End 269 Here opals, pearls and amethysts With brilliant glory shine, Amid the glowing, golden flames Of chrysolite divine ! — Thus weaves the sun a mantle vast With splendour all its own ; — Then on the rolling billows casts This jewel from his throne ! — A dream of beauty on the wave ! — A privilege to see ! — And one that does not quickly fade From off the memory. — Here on such soothing hour as this, I've watch'd the vision bright, Change imperceptibly, recede, Then vanish into night ; — Have seen the moon and stars come forth Amid the tranquil sky, — Likewise the lighthouse lantern's gleam From reef and rock hard by. Then home have sped toward the cove With feelings sweet and calm, Reflected from these works of God ; And laden with their balm. 270 The Land's End A score of years have sped since then ! — Boyhood for ever gone ! — Yet still the same these ancient cliffs And memory liveth on ! — And once again I seem to breathe The golden prime of youth. — Yet what a gulf 'twixt then and now ! What changes, too, forsooth ! I am the same, yet not the same, As when at school a boy ! — For separation, lapse of time, And growth, bring in alloy. Old friends are gone ! yet still a few With families remain ; — I make inquiries, seek the rest — Such efforts are in vain ! — For time and change have swept them far, Upon life's troubled sea ; — That none may tell where now they are — O solemn mystery ! Mysteriously we hither come ! — Mysteriously depart ; — Mysterious, too, our earthly life From finish to the start ! — The Land's End 271 So, too, perchance when we are gone, A thousand years or more ! — Mid sim'lar scenes these cliffs shall stand, As they have done of yore. For man is like the passing ship Out there upon the main ! — Whilst God, and these,— His handiwork, For ever doth remain. Composed at Brawby Lodge, December, 1896, after revisiting the Land's End, August, 1896. SALTON AND CHURCH. , Let's take a walk to Salton I And view it from Cliff Hill ; A picture will reward us Of meadow, moor and rill. Of Normanby and Edstone, With Appleton and Ness, And sev'ral other townships, Like flowers upon a dress ; — While at our feet lies Salton Mid many grand old trees, That well have stood cold winter's, And summer's warmer breeze, — 272 Salton and Church Which lovely look in springtide, And in the autumn, too ; When leaves and buds are glowing, With tints of every hue. — Full pretty then the village, Seen from this higher ground ; Its houses tiled, and gardens, That thorny hedges bound. — In front stands out the vicarage, The manor house and farm ; With church and school and tower, And other sites that charm. — Here often have I gazed Upon the picture sweet ; And thought 'twould give an artist, A rare artistic treat ! — The little church is bonnie ! And worth the while to see ; 'Tis named from that worthy, St. John of Beverley. — In shape it is an oblong, With chancel, nave and aisle ; — The walls are gray with stonework, The roof is red with tile ; — It has a Norman archway, And Norman windows, too ; Saltan and Church 273 The tower, the porch, the doorways Are firm as if they grew. — The seating is all oaken, The altar-rails and roof, The pulpit and the lectern, The ancient chest of proof. — To east and west the windows Are made of stained glass, And the fabric well is lighted By hanging lamps of brass. — The chancel end is curtained, The vestry has a screen ; While on the walls are tablets, And brasses bright between. — The font is stonework sturdy, In keeping with the wall, And stands beside the entrance, A pillar quaint and small. — Near the communion-table A tiled floor is found, With two oak chairs reposing On its mosaic ground. — Here sacramental Sundays With love and awe we kneel Beneath the eastern window, Whose colours bright reveal 18 274 Saltpn and Church Upon the cross the Saviour, Two women standing near ; While round and o'er them angels On wings of light appear. — St. Hilda and St. Wilfrid Along the base are seen, With good St. John enthroned The central seat between. — These honour' d are at Whitby, At York and Beverley, As pillars of the principles Of Christianity. — Yon brass and tower window Of William Abbey tell ; For forty years as Vicar He served this parish well, Till Death the Reaper took him, Removed him from the scene ; Yet still with many people His memory is green. — Now notice on the stonework Those ruddy tints that glow ; Such colours speak of fire In years long, long ago, Ere this restored building Did upward raise its head, Salton and Church 275 In other generations, Gone now, for ever fled ; — For on this spot have churches Stood nigh a thousand years, From whence through many changes This present one appears. — Such is our church at Salton, For Brawby forms a part ; — We all and each regard it With honest pride of heart. For is it not most worthy To stand among the best That you will find around us, If you should seek with zest ? Here reg'lar have I worshipped For quite a dozen years. — How short, though full and varied, Such lapse of time appears ! Here on a Sabbath morning, Or on a Sunday eve, Full pleasantly the service Doth good impressions leave. — And often, too, the fabric Gives meditations sweet, Which chant, and psalm, and sermon With blessing doth complete. 18—2 276 Saltan and Church Then, too, it is a pleasure To meet each holy day Our brethren altogether, And kindness to display ; — To join in hymn and prayer, — To sweet thanksgiving raise, — And, thus united, share Our duty and our praise. — Small wonder then we love it, Amid its hallow'd ground ! Where many friends are sleeping Their last long sleep profound ; Where we perchance may join them, And as in days of yore, Awake with them together, When time shall be no more. — Then in that other country, One endless Sabbath day, Shall be the sweet fruition, Of these that pass away. Composed at Brawby Lodge, December 28, 1896, to January 5, 1897. The Apple 277 THE APPLE. I sing of the apple, Ripe, rosy, and red, That brightens the orchard When summer has sped ! How sweet is its fragrance ! How pretty its form ! How lovely the branches Its clusters adorn ! From the time of its birth, To the close of the year, Bud, blossom and fruit, All glorious appear, Delighting the vision Of childhood and age ; — A song for the poet ! A theme for the sage ! Its juices most pleasant In cider are found — A drink of our nation, Through all the year round ! 278 The Apple For cooking and eating, Preserved or raw, Its virtues are priceless, A gem without flaw ! Then, here's to the apple, Green, golden, or red ! That graces the orchard When summer has fled : The joy of our childhood ! The pleasure of age ! The song of the poet ! The theme of the sage ! Composed at Brawby Lodge, January 4, 1897. JEHOVAH-JIREH. Genesis xxii. 14. Those strong, brave words of Abraham, So full of faith and cheer ! Still shine from out the night of time With lustre sweet and clear. Though thrice a thousand years have flown, Since that supreme event ; When, tested on the altar stone, His faith through trial went, Jehovah-Jireh 279 Yet, still they speak as cheerful now, From out the sacred page ; As they have done in days of yore, To each successive age, And tell us of abiding trust Upon a Father's care, — That teaches mortals of the dust, To hope and not despair. Then let us in temptation's hour, Our need to God confide ; And say with faithful Abraham, ' Jehovah will provide !' Composed at Brawby Lodge, January 4-5, 1897. AMY. Amy, beloved, sweet thy name ! Like music to mine ears ! And sweet thy memory has been, Through many lonely years. How womanly thy gentle love ! So tender and so true ! It seems to me but yesterday Since I that rapture knew. 280 Amy Yet years have sped away since then In swift and silent flight ! — As morning heralds in the noon; And noon the eve and night. Still yet there lives the thought of thee, As in the days gone by ! — And thus thy winsome influence, Hath charms that cannot die ; For love is such a sacred thing ! Unselfish and sublime ! And comes to us mysteriously, A blessing for all time ! Composed at Brawby Lodge, January 9, 1897. THE COMMEMORATION DAY OF QUEEN VICTORIA'S SIXTY YEARS' REIGN, JUNE 22, 1897. Hail, gentle lady, Britain's Queen ! Whom sixty years as monarch The British race has seen. On this historic morning, Thy record reign adorning. May blessings on thee beam ! Commemoration Day of Queen Victoria 281 For never such a Sovereign, Sat on our throne before, Though we have been a nation, A thousand years or more ! — As mother and as ruler, As matron, wife, and maid, Thy wisdom, love, and honour, A glorious path has made ! In family joys, and home life, In Council, and in Court ; Therefore thy subjects love thee, Thou Queen of good report ! — And children of thine Empire, Who rest beneath thy sway, Are gathered from all quarters, Throughout the world to-day ; To do thee heartfelt homage ! — To praise thy royal worth ! — Victoria, Queen and Empress ! — The greatest Queen of earth ! — ***** Then heartily, my brothers, Join in the festal throng ! Throw out the arms of welcome To those who've journeyed long, From Canada and India, Australia and the Cape, 282 Commemoration Day of Queen Victoria New Zealand and the Islands Which help the Empire make ; — Who gathered are to London On this eventful day, The triumph of old England, To witness and display.- — ■ Up with the Royal Standard For castle, court, and seat ! — Throw out a million banners O'er every crowded street ! — Flock to our grand Metropolis The pageant bright to see ! — 'Twill live for ever in your minds A cherished memory ! — Our noble sailor laddies,- — The flower of all the fleet ! Will with their soldier brothers, — So handsome, brave, and neat ! March in a grand procession, In honour of our Queen, With bands of music playing At intervals between. — And princes to this triumph, Their brilliant suites shall bring, From Europe and from Asia; Which round the day shall fling Commemoration Day of Queen Victoria 283 A halo of deep interest ! — A history that endears ! And known to our posterity, In future far-off years, — As the commemoration Of good Victoria's reign ! — Wherein the British nation Won empire, wealth and fame. — Thus when confederation, The British race shall bind, These islands and their colonies ! — In unity and mind ; Then shall the mighty Empire Remember well this day ! And history in chronicles, Most truthfully shall say — There never was a monarch, That reigned like her before ; Though we have been a nation, A thousand years and more ! — * * * * * Then on, O Queen, rejoicing Through thy remaining years ! — For mid our ablest Sovereigns, No name like thine appears ! — And in this zenith of thy fame, We would that with thee stood, 284 Commemoration Day of Queen Victoria Thy noble-hearted husband, Albert the Wise, the Good ! — But that, perchance, is wishing 'Gainst Heaven and its decree ; — Therefore as finite creatures, Who know not what should be ; We thank the God of heaven, For all that thou hast been ; Those sixty years unto us, Through many a varied scene ! — And shout with those that see thee On this historic day : — ' God bless good Queen Victoria For ever and for aye !' Composed at Brawby during the latter part of June, 1897. CRADLE SONG. Peace, Baby, peace ! — Hush thee, my dear !— Fret not, my Darling ! — Mother is near ! — Rest, Baby, rest ! — Sleeping-time's come !- No one shall hurt thee, Rest, pretty one ! Cradle Song 285 Sleep, Baby, sleep ! — Sweet be thy dreams ! — Visions of beauty ! — Fairy-like scenes ! — Robes of the eve ! — Gems from the night ! — All things most lovely, Beauteous and bright ! — Angels to guard thee, Vigils shall keep ! — Rest thee, my Darling ! — My little one, sleep !— THE ALMIGHTY. My God, I love Thee ! 'Tis because Thou art to me a Friend ; — One who can soothe and sympathize, And help till life shall end. No other friend is like Thee ! Nor can with Thee compare ; For Thou dost know my sorrows, My pleasures and my care. — I could not do without Thee, Thou centre of the soul ! 286 The Almighty Thou art its source and fulness, Its glory and its goal ! — All wisdom and all beauty, All strength in Thee are found, Mid earth, and air, and ocean, And in the heavens round ! — All merciful, all loving, Forgiving every day, Delighting in repentance Of those who err and stray ! — Therefore, with faith instinctive, I come as one who knows Thou art a joy in sadness ! — A balm for earthly woes ! — A God that's true and tender When trials sore are rife ! — In dangers a Defender ; — - And sweeter far than life ! — In Thee as God the Father, In Thee as God the Son, In Thee as God the Spirit, Thou ever Blessed One ! — I worship, and I praise Thee, I love Thee, and adore ! — And trust Thee, now, hereafter, And on for evermore. Composed at Babbacombe, August 23-24, 1897. Byland Abbey 287 BYLAND ABBEY. In the lovely vale of Mowbray, Amid romantic scenes, Made by the hills of Hambleton, And woods and moorland streams ; There standeth Byland Abbey, In pleasant Bella-land— A ruin now that's noble, And once superb and grand. — The north and west fronts standing Still speak of what has been ; Also a spacious chancel, And a transept ivy green ; — The windows, too, and arches, Triforia, and the aisles, — The doorways three, and pavement, — The grass-grown debris piles, — With length and breadth of structure, Which mark the sacred fane, — Each telleth forth most truly The glory of its reign — A kindly reign that lasted For nigh four hundred years ! — Till came the Dissolution, — When, robb'd by King and Peers, 288 Byland Abbey Its wealth and lands were taken, — The Monks were driven away ; — And it despoiled, forsaken, Abandoned to decay. — Long years have sped since that time ! Yet still the ruin stands ; Its rugged walls appealing, — Like supplicating hands ! Toward the Heaven above them, As if they silent said, ' Restore again this Fabric ! Give life unto the Dead !' And Time — the gentle Healer — The ivy hath entwined Around the wounded building, As if to soothe and bind. Whilst thorn-trees, ash, and elder, The bramble-bush and weed, Grow in the nave together, And propagate their seed. — Then pigeons, too, and sparrows Make here their home and nest And throstles vie with blackbirds, To sing their very best ; — Whilst belted bees melodious Make music all around, Byland Abbey 289 A flitting mid the flowers Within the sacred ground. These hide the wounds of ages, The de'bris of decay, And beautify the ruins In Nature's own sweet way. One morning in the Springtide, When gentle was the gale, And budding trees and flowers Made lovelier the vale, I sauntered up from Kilburn, As oft I'd done before, Enchanted with the song-birds And brooks from off the moor ; Whose waters rushed and sparkled, All full of life and song, As through the primrosed meadows They gaily bounded on. — A husbandman was ploughing Beside the Abbey grounds, As I came nigh the gateway, That marks its outer bounds. — Here, 'neath an arch I rested, And sat me in the shade, Delighted with the picture The grand old Abbey made : 19 290 Byland Abbey With meadows fair around it, In which fed kine and sheep ; And further on Wass village, And woods that downward sweep From off the hills of Hambleton, Fresh clad in mantles green, With here and there a farmstead A-peeping out between. — From off these hills most charming The valley doth unfold A wealth of views enthralling, Each glorious to behold : The Abbey in the centre, The fertile vale around, At morning, noon, and evening, All beautiful is found ! Now, as I gazed in rapture, On this romantic scene ; I thought me of Gundreda, — And saw, as in a dream, The wanderings of Gerald, And his companions twelve ; — Who, driven forth from Furness, Came here to live and delve. — I saw them and the lady, Likewise her noble son, Byland Abbey 291 And Robert de Alnato, Who aided them each one. From Thirsk to Hode, old Byland, From Oldstead to this place, — Their wanderings and trials For forty years I trace, — Till came the hour of triumph, In which the monks were paid, Full well for all their sorrows, And efforts they had made ; By seeing rise in beauty, A splendid sacred fane ! Of which the present ruins Are only but a name. — Here, clad in robes Cistercian, In garments pure and white, In honour of the Virgin, They sang by day and night ;. And taught the various children Who came unto their school, Relieved the poor and needy, And generously did rule. — Enriched by popes and princes, By emperors and kings, The centuries flew onward As if on golden wings ; 19 — 2 292 Byland Abbey But not without their incidents — As on that noted day, When clamorous the valley, Resounded with the fray, Fought there by Scot and Saxon, In deadliness of hate, Mid which the second Edward Dashed through this very gate ; As, fleeing from the Scotchmen, And from the battle-strife, Discomfited and beaten, He swiftly rode for life. Here, too, at different intervals, Death took the true and brave ! And summoned them from earthly scenes To lives beyond the grave. Thus here the good Gundreda, And Roger de Mowbray — The founders of the Abbey — When they had passed away, Were buried with high honour, And many a loving word ; Whilst on his tomb was carved The figure of a sword. — And here reposeth Wymond, Bishop of Isle of Man ! — Byland Abbey 293 Comrade and friend of Gerald !— He fought with many a clan Along the coast of Scotland, Till, taken by surprise, They captured him, imprison'd, And tore out both his eyes. At length, released from them, He came to end his days At Byland, with the brethren, And meditate and praise. — Here too good Abbot Philip, And thirty Abbots more, Were buried by their fellows Beneath the Abbey floor. — Then came the rude, sharp ending, The roughest scene of all ! When monastery and building, Were left to waste and fall. — I see the monks departing, Each hanging low his head, Their cheeks all wet with tear-drops That they in sorrow shed ; — On either side their people Do line the rural way, All weeping and all grieving On this most mournful day. — Along the road I see them Move slow, then disappear ; 294 Byland Abbey And nevermore in Byland Behold their presence dear. — No more their praises daily Fall on the ambient air ! — No more the bells of Byland, With music sweet and rare, — Tell out the hour of Vespers, Of Matins and of Prime ! — For they are gone for ever — Departed for all time ! As thus I mused sadly, A robin on a spray, Upon the arch above me, — Began a roundelay ; And as I listened to it, Enjoying much the song, The sadness of my musings Departed and was gone. — I felt, if God allowed it, He did so for the best ; And though such things are puzzles, Which all our efforts test ; One day, perchance, we'll know them, Shall see them all quite clear ; — Though now, their meaning holden, All veiled they appear. Composed at Babbacombe, August 20-31, 1897. Fragments 295 FRAGMENTS. Sunbeams of morning, And sunbeams of eve, — Arrows of beauty, That beauty doth weave. — In the flash of a dewdrop, Mid the heart of a rose, — On the crest of a mountain, Where sparkle the snows, — In the garb of the eve, Or the dress of the morn, When the splendours of cloudland Alternate are born, — When the breast of the ocean Seems covered with gold, Or its waves opalescent With joy we behold, — At all times we love thee, As onward we plod — Source of life ! source of beauty ! Sweet sunbeams of God ! Speak, little flower,* with golden eye, To one who, absent far, yet's ever nigh, * The flower mentioned above is the Forget-me-not, which grows abundantly by the riverside at Brawby, in clusters and groups of bewitching loveliness. 296 Fragments And tell her with thy tiny petals blue, This heart to hers remains still true ; — And if she would possess that heart, Implore her, not to let it smart ; But to herself and love restore — Peace, love, and happiness once more. Like ships upon the sea, We meet to part again ! — One short brief interview, And then the white sails fill ; — As on our vessels speed Toward a land and port unknown. — Full soon the distant horizon We gain, then fade and disappear ;— Yet still there lives the memory Of those that we have seen — Of friends we've met, and loved, and lost, Who vanish'd as a dream. Saviour, when united To that dear heart of Thine ;- And our spirits plighted To be only Thine ; — Fragments zgy Oh, round us draw Thy Love ! All cold unkindness kill ; — Come gentle as a dove, And mould us to Thy will ! — Little by little, What work may be done ! From the dawn of life's morn, To the set of its sun. — Little by little, Of ill or of good : — Evil committed, or evil withstood ! Little by little, every day, Good traits developed, Or left to decay. — Thus little by little, Our lives leave a mark, — Small, bright, and vanishing, Gone like a spark ! Came softly down the valley, Borne on the evening wind, A sound so pure and holy, It soothed the wearied mind. 298 Fragments And wayworn hearts grew bright As the western sky at eve, When sunbeams kiss the night, And round her blushes leave. In sailing o'er life's waters, — While on its troubled main,— Let's steer for right and goodness !- Though not for earthly gain ; — But do so for their beauty, Their pure unselfish love ; — Then shall we find this duty, As sweet as heaven above ! We each and all are workers, Weaving in the loom of Time j— Each fashioning and making Some wondrous deep design ; — Which well the Master Worker, With His exquisite skill, Shall join and piece together According to His will- Like shuttles we are flashing Through warp and woof to-day, And now and then quick passing From out life's web away. — Fragments 299 Thus, onward to the evening, Which cometh sure to all ; When rest unto the weary And quiet night shall fall. — Then from that night a morning Shall dawn with heavenly light ; When work and workers, perfect In the great Master's sight,—' There, radiantly effulgent, With joy we shall behold The pattern we were weaving On earth in days of old ! — Then arm in arm, dear brothers, And heart with heart press on ! — Work well for that that's noble, And down with that that's wrong ! — Aye, though sad sin assail us, Yet happy still our lot ; For God will never fail us ! — Though oft by man forgot. All through the darkness moves the earth Towards the morning light ; — And surely shall the morning come, And everything be bright ! — So deep within the hearts of men, The germs of righteousness, 30O Fragments Though hidden for a little while By wrongs done to excess, — Shall blossom forth in coming years, Despite dark doubts and scorn ; — And brighten up the hemispheres, Like sunbeams of the morn ! PR SE. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS TO THE READER. In the following pages I have endeavoured to set forth in as brief, lucid, and honest a manner as I am capable of, the Christian Belief and Sacraments. The conclusions arrived at are the result of much personal experience, careful study of the Bible, and corroboration from the same and other sources. In obtaining these, I find I have instructed and edu- cated myself not a little, and so, in a certain degree, have been repaid for the trouble taken in their production. I myself unfeignedly believe the statements herein expressed, and I have the temerity to hope that any Christian who reads, marks, learns, and inwardly digests them, may, with some degree of confidence, be able to give a good and sufficient reason for the belief and hopes which are within him or her. Should this result be the fruition of my efforts, I shall rejoice, for I shall then know that the book has not been written in vain, and that knowledge will also be some recompense for the time, study, effort, and expense ex- pended on it. I dare say not a few will wonder to see prose of such a theological and religious nature in a book of songs and poems. Well, my reasons for placing it here are as 304 Introductory Remarks to the Reader follows : I most certainly believe in Sin, the Atonement, the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ here below, and the Future Life beyond the grave. Now, believing thus, their study is to me the most important thing in the world, all other sinking into insignificance in comparison therewith. Therefore it is small wonder that I have caused these teachings to appear in the first and, perchance, the only book I may ever publish or produce. It is quite possible, however, should the book prove a success, that they may be issued in a cheaper form, with the addition of one or more essays of a similar nature. I most sincerely desire that those who read these pro- ductions will not take the statements contained therein without the most careful study, analysis, and corrobora- tion by the Bible — the inspired Word of God to man. It is nothing but ignorance and indolent indifference to spiritual life and welfare that constrains a man or woman to accept unconditionally statements which are made by writers and preachers on things religious. As God has given you the gift, so criticise, analyze, and examine for yourselves whether these things be so. If, after doing so, you arrive at the same conclusions, you are strengthened and substantiated in the same ; on the other hand, if you see just cause to disagree, well, you have developed and made stronger your spiritual growth and well-being by the stimulus of research and study which you have given it. Doubtless you will find imperfections if you so seek ; but what work of man is perfect and without blemish ? I trust, however, that you will find nothing herein con- trary to sound doctrine, as I have not the remotest Introductory Remarks to the Reader 305 desire to act the part of the casuist or the sophist in behalf of any sect, party, or individual. My aim in placing these Teachings thus before you has been the desire of doing something for God's kingdom, His honour, and His glory. Perchance it may stimulate some in their spiritual life ; others may receive instruc- tion in matters whereof they were unlearned ; and, again> there may be some who, desirous of presenting a gift to some relative, friend, or 'acquaintance, may consider this book a suitable one for so doing, by reason of its contents. At any rate, I sincerely hope it will do good, not only to myself, but to others, and that it may very materially increase, strengthen, and instruct the members of Christ's spiritual kingdom of righteousness here on earth. Though a member of the Church of England by choice and self-consent (because I sincerely believe its Prayer-Book to contain the purest, highest, and most congregational form of Christian devotional service extant throughout the world), yet I desire to be con- sidered also as belonging to that great universal Church of God where there are no distinctions of sectarianism, but Christ is all and in all (see Col. iii.). 1 believe that this Church is made up of many parts, but all of one body and having one Head, even Christ. Believing thus, I think the duties of each individual member thereof ought to be mutual improvement, mutual protec- tion, and mutual love. In this spirit I present this book unto you, trusting it may be received in a similar manner. Life was not given unto us simply to live for the pleasures, ambitions, and vanities of this world, neither was it given unto us to labour like a slave or beast 20 306 Introductory Remarks to the Reader of burden in order to favour some scheme of others or of our own; or simply to eat, sleep, and obtain the common necessaries of sustenance. Such a life is void and un- profitable ; the things of this world are transient — they pass away ; but the spiritual life and the things pertaining thereto are eternal. It is very true that the burdens of the poor are often made by the follies of the rich, the greed of the miser, and the cruelty of the heartless and indifferent ; yet it is also patent as a fact that the evils of our common humanity are due, not to any one particular section of the community, but collectively to the whole. Every individual leaves a mark along the pathway of life wherein he or she has walked, either to the establishment of good or evil — sometimes to both, for none are perfect. Therefore as no one liveth unto himself, or herself, but each one has an influence, though sometimes exceed- ingly small, let us cast it in the scales of time for good. In this way we indeed become God's husbandry — workers with Christ Jesus, builders up of that spiritual kingdom of righteousness which He established here on earth. Perchance we may stumble, make mistakes, and fall 'neath temptations at times, for ' to err is human '; still, if we have fervent charity within our hearts towards God and man, and are resolutely determined to do our best, the Holy Spirit helping us, to lead a godly, righteous, and sober life, we shall find some outlet for our talents, and life will not be lived by us in vain. While we have time, let us do good and distribute, for with such sacrifice God is well pleased. Let us not bury our talents in the ground like the miser, nor waste Introductory Remarks to the Reader 307 them on self like the worldling ; for one good action, though it may be as trivial as the gift of a cup of water, is better and more acceptable to God and man than a life- time of empty, canting talk, empty sentiment, empty self- advertisement, empty respectability, and empty humbug. Of course, the Christian's spiritual life is not a bed of roses. It is not easy to take up the cross, deny ourselves, and follow the path the Saviour trod — that is the reason so few find it and walk therein— yet this striving for the mastery, this overcoming, brings forth all our noblest qualities, and is well worthy of our high calling as sons and daughters of God. By it we perpetuate good, collectively and individually, among the children of men, and in a measure, only to be revealed in the great hereafter, work out the plans of the Great Architect of the Universe whom we call our Father. Composed partly at Babbacombe, and partly at Brawby, August 2 to September 16, 1896. GOD. ' The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.' Truly, he must be a fool, and a great one, who could honestly say so, either in his heart or in his head. Wherever man is or has been found there are evidences to show that God is, or has been, acknowledged and worshipped. Holy Writ, antiquarian research, and the records of explorers, all and each tend to confirm this. The Hindoos and the people of the East acknowledge and worship the Divine Being through the medium of 308 God Buddhism and Brahminism ; the Persians and Parsees through the medium of the sacred fire and the sun. The followers of Mahomet have ever acknowledged the existence of God, and consider Mahomet His one true and great Prophet. The North American Indian, with the simplicity and candour characteristic of a child, accustomed to Nature, as evidenced on the prairies and mid the mountains and forests of his native land, looks up and calls God the Great Spirit. Amongst the nations of antiquity the Aztecs made Quetzalcoatyl the medium of their intercourse with the Most High, whilst the Assyrians, Phoenicians, and Canaanites regarded Him through the medium of Baal, the Greeks and Romans through Jupiter and the pagan deities of Olympus. Among the ancient Egyptians, God was worshipped in His attributes, by gods many and various, the principal of whom were Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Apis, and our Scandinavian forefathers also wor- shipped Him through Oden, Woden, and Thor. To the seed of Abraham, however, in the days of old, was committed the truest knowledge and conception of the Great Invisible, the One true and holy God. This knowledge was carefully guarded and jealously preserved. They — the children of Israel — ever regarded themselves as the chosen of the Lord, a holy nation, a peculiar people, set apart as a city upon a high hilltop, from whence the lights thereof could be seen far and wide. To the Sun of Righteousness, though, who came as the Light of the World, was it reserved to make known the Supreme Being in all the fulness of His glory, as Creator, Father, Disposer Supreme, Judge, and the very essence of love, nobility and justice. God 309 From the foregoing we thus see, that though the con- ceptions of Jehovah, and the manner of worshipping Him among the heathen of the past and the present, may, through the lapse of ages, the growth of sin and other potent influences, have become crude, dark, and grossly idolatrous, when brought into comparison with the full, pure light, beauty, and peace of the followers of the Son of God, yet, were not the conception of God in their midst most assuredly, we should not have any such worship or idolatry ; for such is but the outward evidence of an inward fire of belief inherent in the souls of men. There are some among us who say, — 'A man's god is that which he loves best !' Now, I do not believe this ; I fail to see that even to the victims of the various greeds and passions which take possession of the hearts of men, and quite usurp the place of God, such can in any way be called by the sacred name of God. No, the sanctify- ing conception of the Almighty One in every human breast (though almost obscured by degrading habits, and the mists and storm-clouds incidental to poor humanity) is something higher, loftier, and nobler than that Why does the professing atheist then say, 'There is no God '? Not because he is a fool entirely, but because he not unfrequently adds to that term the qualities of a knave. He knows full well in his heart that there is a God ; but he wishes from that same heart that there was not ; and so, in order to cheat himself into the belief of the non existence of such a Creator and Divine Being, he preaches it. In course of time it is quite possible that by so doing he may delude both himself and others into such a belief, for such things frequently become a mania, and the man is then, in very deed and truth, a 310 God fool ; but there shall come a rude awakening from such dreams, either at the last hour of earthly life, or the first moment of the dawn of the life hereafter ; for then the shadows shall flee away, and they shall behold God. What being endowed with intelligence can contem- plate the grand, the vast, the mighty, the wonderful, the beautiful works of the universe, and its myriad in- habitants so delicate and complex in their component parts, yet so marvellously adjusted, that the subtilest imagination of art and skill, or the grandest achieve- ments of the intellect of man, will not for one moment bear comparison to the most common of God's creation strewn around us so lavishly on every hand — what mortal, I say, can do this and look up and honestly say, ' There is no God ' ? Of a surety all the works of God praise Him ; they each and all set forth His many attributes, for in them we see wisdom of design, beauty of art, strength of almighty will, providential foresight, and the everlasting love of a great, a beneficent, and all-loving Creator. The seasons, in their courses, the sun, the moon, the stars, and all the heavenly host proclaim silently, yet eloquently, God ! The ocean, with its myriad waves, seen in the majesty of the tempest, or lying calm and shimmering under the benign and softening influences of a moonlit night, speaks of God. The hoary and eternal mountains, with summits clad in virgin snow, whisper as they catch and reflect the sunset glories or the beams of the dawn, God ! The forests of pines, and other children of the woods rocked by the winds, chant forth sonorously, God ! The mighty cataracts of God 311 the Zambesi and Niagara, as they leap their foaming precipices, shout aloud and thunder forth the name, the sacred name of God ! The giant rivers of the earth, slow winding to the sea, the vast inland lakes of either hemisphere, the lonely prairies, the parched deserts each tell of Him. The clouds as they sail along in their ever- changing beauty acknowledge Him as their Pilot and Creator. The flowers, — the stars that enamel the earth with their loveliness, — praise God with incense- bearing breaths every moment of their existence. The birds, like choirs of angels, sing of Him. The cattle on a thousand hills, and the young lions seeking their prey, own Him as their Lord and Master; and man, the glory and masterpiece of the Creator, so Godlike in his abilities, so potent for good or evil, cannot help but join in the universal chorus, and sing, ' The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth ' ; or, in the beautiful words of the Benedicite, or the Psalms of David, give Him praise, and the honour due to His name. Architecture, receiving fresh inspiration from Him, has raised to His honour temples of wondrous beauty. Art, awakening 'neath His influence, blossoms forth in dreams and pictures of splendour, loveliness, and glory. Science, advancing, stands in awe at the majesty of His revelations. Literature and Poesy, enriched by His bounties, render Him homage. Among the poets who, like David of old, have sweetly sung His praise, I may mention Milton in ' Adam and Eve's Morning Hymn,' Thompson in his hymn appended to ' The Seasons,' and Coleridge in his ' Hymn before Sunrise ' in ' The Vale of Chamouni.' This last I esteem as one of the sweetest and sublimest songs in the English 312 God language, and cannot refrain from giving the last portion of it : ' Ye ice-falls ! ye that from the mountain's brow Adown enormous ravines slope amain ; Torrents, methinks, that heard a mighty voice And stopped at once amid their maddest plunge ! Motionless torrents ! silent cataracts ! Who made you glorious as the gates of heaven Beneath the keen full moon ? Who bade the sun Clothe you with rainbows ? Who, with living flowers Of loveliest blue, spread garlands at your feet ? God ! let the torrents like a shout of nations Answer ! and let the ice-plains echo, God ! God ! sing ye meadow streams with gladsome voice, Ye pine-groves, with your soft and soul-like sounds, And they, too, have a voice, yon piles of snow. And in their perilous fall shall thunder, God ! ' Ye living flowers that skirt the eternal frost ! Ye wild goats sporting round the eagles' nest ! Ye eagles, playmates of the mountain storm ! Ye lightnings, the dread arrows of the clouds I Ye signs and wonders of the elements ! Utter forth, God ! and fill the hills with praise.' Finally, we have the Revelation of God as given in the inspired writings of the Bible — that peerless book 'gainst which none other can compare. Here He is seen by the aid of the Holy Spirit as in a mirror — the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, the eternal Father, the Triune God, from everlasting to everlasting eternally the same ; full of pity, love, and the tenderest forbearance and compassion, united with the most sovereign justice toward the creatures of His handiwork. When such a mass of testimony, both internal and external, lies around, I can only think of a person, in the gall and bitterness of some great and crushing dis- appointment, or series of disappointments and sorrows, God 313 saying, as he or she looks upward mid the storm-clouds and wrack of their environment, or the deep dark black- ness of their night of trouble, ' There is no God !' Awful words, and awful the tempest-tossing of the poor soul that thus in agony of spirit sayeth them. Yet, O mariner on life's stormy main, take heart ! The darkest hour is found full oft quite close unto the dawn ! Think of Him, thy Saviour, in His agony on the cross, with the chastise- ment of thy peace upon Him; with the blackness and darkness of that pall of suffering, of trouble, of sorrow, and of wrath, earthly and heavenly, lying heavily around Him ; with God's face hidden from Him, — His beloved Son, in so much that He (the Man of sorrows, and the One acquainted with grief) cried out,' ' My God ! My God ! why hast Thou forsaken Me ?' Think of that, and then thou shalt feel comforted by the contemplation thereof, and wilt feel also vastly inclined to say with the centurion who stood opposite Him on that ever- memorable and never-to-be-forgotten day, 'Truly, this Man was the Son of God!' Then, too, God in the person of His Son shall come to thee (like as on the Sea of Galilee He came walking on the wings of the storm), and saying to His wearied followers, 'It is I ; be not afraid. O thou of little faith! wherefore didst thou doubt?' And ye, feeling the Divine light and healing of His Presence, shalt say, as they of old, 'Of a truth, Thou art the Son of God.' Yea, who is like unto our God ? He shall be our Guide for ever and ever, even unto, and past the dark valley, and river of Death. This and the following pieces were composed at Brawby, from February, 1894, to December, 1895. 314 Jesus Christ JESUS CHRIST. I. 1 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' You have doubtless heard this expression hundreds of times. Well, do you know what such words mean ? From personal experience I may hazard a guess. It is this : That those whom you heard them from never explained them to you much further than by saying that Jesus Christ had suffered on the cross for all mankind, and that therefore all who believed this were saved from the punishment of their sins, and had a free pardon, entrance to heaven, and eternal life extended unto them. This is what the majority of people would say, and, as far as it goes, it contains certain elements of truth. It, however, displays a very crude, elementary, and selfish knowledge of the nature and work of the Saviour. Do you not think that those who know Christ no further than such a construction implies know Him only, and believe in Him only, for the benefits which they receive thereby ? To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to pay court to His ministers for the sake of the loaves and fishes, is a very common failing of humanity ; it is, in fact, the religion of a vast multitude. But by no stretch of the imagination can it be called the religion of Christ. Don't you see, His religion is one of un- selfishness, self-sacrifice, and self respect ; whereas such as mentioned is a religion of selfishness, self-gratification, and meanness. By the reading of the Bible, and by careful and Jesus Christ 315 prayerful consideration of such reading afterwards, you may come to see and to know that belief in the Lord Jesus Christ means : First, that not only is He the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, but that He is also God of God, Light of light, Very God of very God ; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven ; and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made Man. We therefore believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man : God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds ; and Man, of the substance of His Mother, born in the world ; Perfect God, and Perfect Man ; of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting ; equal to the Father, as touching His Godhead ; and inferior to the Father, as touching His Manhood. Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God. One altogether, not by con- fusion of substance, but by unity of person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ. Who suffered for our salvation ; descended into hell rose again from the dead; and ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of the Father God Almighty from whence He shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies ; and shall give account for their own works. You will observe that the preceding three paragraphs 316 • Jesus Christ are taken from the Trinity of Creeds as given in the Prayer-Book of the Church of England. I have made these extracts from it, not only because I am a member of the Church of England, and believe that next to the Bible the Prayer-Book is about as perfect and good a book as imperfect humanity can put together, but because I am ever ready to acknowledge goodness and truth wherever I may find them, and I cannot think or bring forth anything so forcible or so truly representative of my belief in the Second Person of the Holy Trinity as is so clearly put and contained in the Creeds. I would that every brother and sister in Christ Jesus not only knew the three Creeds by heart, but could also explain them when called upon to do so; for not only are they an epitome of religion, but comprise within themselves the very pillars of the Christian faith. Having travelled thus far, let us see what else is meant by believing in Jesus Christ. Well, in the second place, I take it that belief in Him is to accept Him as our Saviour. Now, how did He save us ? or, How does He save us ? You are doubtless aware that sin separates the sinner from communion and fellowship with God. This much we have all learnt, I suppose, by bitter personal experience. The first proof of it was given when Adam and Eve, conscious for the first time of sin, hid themselves from God. Again, sin bringeth death and its various at- tendant ills, sickness, pain, sorrow, poverty, etc., in its train. Now, the Triune God, looking down from heaven and regarding the children of men, saw that their hearts were set to imagine and to do evil continually, and repenting Jesus Christ 317 Him that He had ever made creatures who, instead of being a source of pleasure unto Him and ministering to their own true happiness and His glory, were otherwise bent on their own destruction, and by every form of wickedness continually grieving His Holy Spirit, He resolved on their extermination ; yet, full of Divine justice, wisdom, and mercy, He saved Noah and His family because He had seen righteousness in him, but the rest were all drowned and swept away by the great flood. After such an awful and convincing lesson of the hatred and abhorrence which God has against sin, one would have thought that mankind would have walked circum- spectly before their Creator ; but such is their malignant nature that, as all history shows, they did not, but again and again provoked Him to anger. The next event in this great struggle between life and death was the selection by God of a chosen people, and the delivering to them, for their guidance and conduct, the Ten Commandments. These, with the prophets sent from time to time, prepared the way of Him who was to be ' a Light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of His people Israel;' and in the fulness of time the Desire of Nations came. We believe that He was the long-promised One, the Messiah of whom the prophets spake. The chief reasons for our belief are the following : (a) The Old Testament Scriptures (which were jealously guarded by the Jewish people, and by that people were, and are, thoroughly believed and considered to be the revealed and inspired Word of God) fit and dovetail into the New Testament of Jesus Christ so beautifully, and 318 Jesus Christ bear such overwhelming testimony in favour of Him, that one cannot well be faithless, but believing. (b) It is almost universally conceded that Jesus Christ was a Prophet and a good man. Not only did He, whilst here on earth, speak as never man spake, but He also showed an unselfishness and self-sacrifice united to a noble humility never known in man before. He went about doing good and preaching the doctrine of a kingdom of righteousness, authenticating the same by miracles, and signs, and divers proofs. (c) Again, what a beneficial influence has Jesus Christ had on the life and history of the world ! Men have become ennobled through Him, leaving behind them their besetting sins, and bringing their bodies and attendant passions into subjection to His will, and into accordance with His life and teaching. Women have been raised by that same influence to an equality with man in the social conditions of their lives. Slavery and despotism have been checked throughout the world, and in many cases entirely abolished, through the restraining power of the countries which have embraced Christianity. In these and other ways it may truly be said that in Christ Jesus al the nations of the earth have been, and shall be, blessed. (d) If He was a deceiver, as His enemies said He was, how could He possibly have fulfilled the following, over which, as a man, He had no control whatever ? (e) He was born in Bethlehem, as foretold by the prophet (Micah v. 2). (/) He was born of a Virgin (Isa. vii. 14). (g) He was rejected by the Jews (Isa. viii. 14). (h) He was sold for thirty pieces of silver, and the potter's field bought with the money (Zech. xi. 12, 13). Jesus Christ 319 (*) He was crucified in the same month, on the same day, and at the same hour in which the Israelites were ordered to kill the Paschal lamb. Now, it is quite possible that only a few here and there among the children of Israel ever for one moment thought that the Paschal lamb was a great and true type of the Messiah which was to come. They simply kept up the Feast of the Passover because they were so ordered, and as a memento of their deliverance from death and Egypt. The meaning thereof was hidden from them, tor the thought that they, the chosen people of God, were to be the instrumental means whereby the Messiah was to be put to an unjust, shameful, and agonizing death, would have been too awful for contemplation in its maddening intensity. For a similar reason the knowledge of the personality and kingdom of Christ was also mercifully withheld from them. Tis true that St. John the Baptist, the great herald of Christ, when he saw Jesus coming to him, pointed him out as 'the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world ;' — but we must not forget that John was the greatest of the prophets, and that it was in a spirit of prophecy that he uttered those remarkable words. Those disciples who, hearing their Master thus speak, followed Jesus, very evidently did not understand their significance as far as the sufferings and death of Jesus were concerned, as evidenced by their conduct and words to our Lord afterwards, especially seen in the case of St. Peter. (_/) The parting and casting of lo for the clothes of Jesus Christ (Psa. xxii. 18). 320 Jesus Christ (k) Like the Paschal Lamb, a bone of Him was not broken (Exod. xii. 46 ; Numb. ix. 12; Psa. xxxiv. 20). (/) His hands, feet and side were pierced (Psa. xxii. 16 ; Zech. xii. 10). (m) He was crucified with the two thieves, and died in their midst, and he was buried in the grave of the rich man, Joseph of Arimathaea, by Joseph and Nicodemus (Isa. liii. 9). The fulfilment of such prophecies as these, and the various types of Adam, Isaac, Melchizedek, Moses, Joshua, the brazen serpent, and the Feast of the Pass- over, with many others, are, I should think, abundant evidence of Jesus Christ being the true Messiah, the Son of God, the promised One. ***** Let us now look at His life and work, and see what we may learn and believe from them. By His wondrous Incarnation He humbled Himself so infinitely, that it can only be equalled or measured, by His infinitely great and wondrous love, for poor, erring, sinful, death-deserving man. His baptism, fasting, temptation, ministry, agony in the garden, betrayal, denial, trial, agony on the cross, and the final seal of death, were each and all the price He paid to redeem and save mankind. Moreover, this life which he lived, and sealed with His life-blood, was a perfect life. Never before in the history of the world had there been a sinless and perfect man. He was the only one who thoroughly fulfilled all the law of God in its entirety, and He was able to do so because He combined in His person both God and man. He was, as has been said, God in the person of Jesus Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. Thus Jesus Christ 321 we call Him the Lord our Righteousness simply because He fulfilled all righteousness for us (Jer. xxiii. 5, 6). Having thus done, naught remained for Him to do but to give up His sacred life as a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice and oblation, the just for the unjust. This He was willing to do, and, with a humility and love only to be compared to that shown at His incarna- tion, He humbled Himself and became obedient even to the death on the cross. ' Greater love hath no man than this. Glory be to His dear name !' This tremendous sacrifice of infinite love, this perfect offering of Himself, — the Lamb of God, the beloved and only-begotten Son in whom the Father was well pleased, — was acceptable, and accepted, by that same Father as the payment, the ransom which redeemed the world from the curse of eternal death or eternal separa- tion from heaven and God. Alleluia ! Death was thus swallowed up in victory, and Jesus Christ Himself became the firstfruits of that, — the greatest victory the world ever saw, — for God the Father to give proof to all men of His acceptance of this great offering and atonement so splendidly consummated by the Saviour when on the cross. He said, ' It is finished !' and then bowed His head- and gave up the ghost ; raised Him from the dead and gave to Him not only life for ever- more, but the keys of hell and of death. The other gifts which He then won for all who, acknowledging their wickedness with a childlike, confiding faith, turn to Him as their Saviour, and with a hearty repentance not only resolve to forsake their evil ways and besetting sins, but actually do their best, by the 322 Jesus Christ Holy Spirit's help, to weed them out and keep them in subjection, are, in addition to eternal life and the forgive- ness of sins, cleansing or the making clean from sin and victory over it by the grace of the Holy Spirit ; reconcilia- tion with God, whom we had separated ourselves from and by our sins offended ; perfect righteousness, and the various gifts of the Spirit. This plan of salvation not only shows the love of God, but also exemplifies His wisdom and justice. For, as by the transgression of one man (Adam) sin and death entered the world and passed upon all men, so, by the obedience of one Man (Christ Jesus) perfect righteousness and eternal life have been won for all men. The work of Jesus was also a finished work. We can add nothing to it, neither can we detract therefrom. It was a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice and oblation for the sins of the world offered once for all, insomuch that no further offering was, or is, necessary. All that is required of us is to believe in it, to accept it, and to walk in newness of life as becometh good children and the heirs of such an inheritance. We further believe that after the death of Christ He was buried, and whilst His sacred body remained in the tomb, His spirit went into the Spirit Land and told those there the joyful news of the World's Redemption. We believe that after this He arose from the Dead, thus sealing by that action the triumph of His life. That a great change had taken place during the interval that elapsed between His death and that of His resurrection is very evident, as instanced and shown by the non-recognition of Mary, the two disciples on the Jesus Christ 323 road to Emmaus, and His appearance in the upper room to His disciples when the doors were shut. Yet He had the same body, for He said unto them, ' Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself, handle Me and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have. And when He had spoken thus, He shewed them His hands and His feet.' It is clear, then, that He had fully risen with body, soul and spirit; but in some mysterious manner there was a change. Of that change we know simply nothing, save the knowledge that His body was for ever free from death and all its ills. In like manner we also believe that we shall, after this transitory life is over, similarly arise from the dead to a joyful Resurrection and an everlasting life by His merits. At this Resurrection our bodies also shall be changed and made like unto that of our Saviour, the glorious Head of the Church ; and thus waking up in His likeness, we shall be satisfied. We further believe that this Resurrection is but the counterpart and consummation of a still greater and holier Resurrection (if that be possible) wrought out in each fol'ower and believer in Christ Jesus by the grace imparted to him by prayer and the Holy Spirit, when becoming convinced of the hateful, mysterious and deadly nature of sin, and of its destroying, degrading effects on his own soul and the world at large, he, with a sorrowful and repentant heart, turns, believes, and accepts the salvation God has prepared for him in and through Jesus, and from that time lives a godly, righteous and sober life to the best of his ability. This life not only shows the man's true repentance 324 Jesus Christ and belief, but it also beareth witness that such a one most thoroughly comprehends that part of Christ's life and doctrine which to a great extent is not known, or else ignored, by the majority of so-called Christians of to- day. I refer to the words of Jesus Christ when He said, ' The kingdom of God is within you ' (St. Luke xvii. 2 1 ; Romans xiv. 17). Now, these words set forth a truth which is not grasped in the present day as its importance deserves, viz., that Jesus Christ not only came to suffer and die, that mankind might through Him obtain for- giveness and cleansing from sin, with reconciliation to God the Father, — but in order to make the world better, as well as to prepare us for our inheritance in glory, as becometh heirs of eternal life. He thus came to found a kingdom of righteousness, of which each true believer is a citizen and Christ the King. In this way do His disciples become stones in the temple of God, of which the head and corner-stone is Jesus ; lights on the difficult hills of life, to guide weary pilgrims below ; salt which sweetens all that it comes in contact with, and checks and overcomes the deadly contagion of sin. As the little leaven they work in the world, and by doing good, not only put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, and the sneers of the scep- tical, but improve and make better the morals, prin- ciples and actions of the universe, and thus leaven the whole. For this purpose the Son of God was made manifest, that He might destroy the works of the devil, and for this purpose is this, His kingdom of righteousness, founded here on earth, and for this purpose are all members of the Church militant called upon to watch Jesus Christ 325 and pray, lest they enter into temptation, and to fight the good fight of faith. By so doing not only do they show the Holy Spirit's working within them, and have its witness that they are the children of God and joint heirs with Christ, of immortality and glory, but they also show that they are in very deed and truth branches — not dead and withered or unfruitful — of Him the true Vine, rather fruitful of good works. Thus, we believe, does Jesus save His people from their sins by giving them the victory over them, and thus is He the author and finisher of their faith. Finally, we believe that Jesus Christ is now exalted as a Prince and a Saviour at the right hand of the majesty of God the Father in heaven. There He, as our great High Priest, our One Mediator and Advocate, ever liveth to make intercession for us. From thence at the appointed time will He come to be our Judge, and from Him as Judge, His true followers and believers need fear no condemnation, for ' There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit ' (Rom. vii. 1). On those, however, who, whilst professing Christianity and belief in Jesus, still go on, either openly or secretly, in their pernicious ways, and daily bring forth the fruits of darkness and of evil, on such a just punishment will doubtless fall. There is also no neutral zone; those who have the advantages of the Gospel of Jesus Christ must either be in unison with Him and His kingdom, or in warfare against Him and it (see 2 St Peter ii., and especially verses 9-22 ; also St. Luke xii. 47, 48 ; 326 Jesus Christ St. James iv. 17 ; Rom. i. 20-32 ; ii. 17-29, and many other references. To what a great and holy design are we then called ! Let the thought encourage us that we are fellow-workmen with Christ, building up a temple and kingdom of righteousness to the glory of God the Father, and renovating and conforming the world to the goodness and pleasure of the Most High, and in so doing forwarding the happiness and best interests of the world and of ourselves. This truly is a work and an end worthy of the followers of the Son of Man, and a glorious preparation for the life hereafter. We may compare ourselves like unto Israel in Egypt, saved, and brought forth from bondage and death, chiefly by means of the Paschal Lamb, — leaving behind us in the Red Sea of His blood all our sins, pressing onward through the wilderness of this mortal life, led by the great Captain of our salvation, till, finally, crossing the river of death, we enter the promised land, a great, a mighty nation which no man can number, there to dwell in the new Jerusalem, the inheritance of the saints in light, with the Triune God as King for ever- more. II. The parable of the prodigal son not only very beauti- fully, but also very perfectly, sets forth the Sinner and his ways, and also shows the Father's generous love and nobility towards him. The first picture in that graphic series portrays the condition of man before the Fall. He is then in communion with God the Father, Jesus Christ 327 and walks with Him in Paradise. The next scene reveals a series of temptations enticingly put before the youth of both sex, in the shape of pleasures and know- ledge of the world, and of the flesh. These produce, as Satan intends them to do, dis- content, curiosity, and a covetous desire to have and to know of them. Soon this is followed by a rebellion of the will against the ordinances of God, and then, as a consequence, comes separation from Him and from His house, and His people. Gradually, little by little, man drifts farther and farther from God, and from all that is holy and good and true, until he finally finds himself in that far country towards which he has been hastening or slowly drifting ever since he took that first step from his Father and his home. Now, having reached the far-off country, away from God, away from home, away from loved ones, away from good associations, away from all restraint, surrounded by all that can conduce and induce to sin, bad com- panions, worldly pleasures, and fleshly lusts, what does he do ? Well, he has his fling ; he goes the pace. He sinks deeper and deeper into the mire of degradation, misery, and remorse, which separation from God and companionship with sin and sinners in the far country involves, till at last we find him among the lowest of the low — the swine. It is wonderful that the love of God and the fire of faith pierceth the human heart when in this lost, sad, and miserable state, so far removed from what man might have been, so steeped in guilt, so case-hardened. Nothing but the knowledge of that Father's love, and a firm, full faith in it, could ever have brought man to 328 Jesus Christ himself. Were it not for that, he would have perished in the leprosy of his sin, but that Divine touch of love made him whole, and restored him to his Father and his home. The next picture shows the repentant, believing man, returning to the paths of righteousness, leaving behind him the companions and haunts of sin. Observe he did not remain in the far country, the servant of sin, the companion of swine ; but he arose, turned his back on it and its surroundings, and, step by step, walked away from that land of false pleasure and degradation. He journeyed on day by day towards his father and his father's house. What were his feelings on that journey ? Every individual soul must answer that ques- tion for himself or herself. We feel sure, however, that he found the first stages of the return journey very painful and difficult, that he had many hills to climb, many slips and rolls backward in overcoming them, many scratches from thorns, many bruises from stumbling stones, now and then an encounter with a wild beast, or with the serpents which love to bask on the stones of the hill- sides. Again, he might have had to walk on a narrow path skirting the face of some awful precipice, where a single false step would result in his destruction. Rivers of difficulty would sometimes obstruct his course, swollen by heavy rains ; then he would have to wait until they once more resumed their proper and common level, or until he found a ford or bridge where he could cross in safety. Perchance he might have hot, dry, sandy plains to pass over, where he would feel weary and thirsty, or marshes and bogs, where he met with fogs, causing him to lose his way, and making him cold and benumbed ; Jesus Christ 329 where also he would find it difficult walking, on account of the mud, mire, and sloughs of despond so frequently found there. All these and many more difficulties would he en- counter. On some days it would be fine weather, and on others rough. Still he struggled bravely onward day by day, step by step, getting fresh experience and return of vigour and strength as he moved ; for the thought that he was going home, and going every step nearer to his father, cheered his heart, buoyed him up, kept him from fainting, and helped him on. He was a very different man now to what he had been as he was travelling into, and unto the far country. Then he was young, hot, rash, and impetuous. Now he was older both in years and also in knowledge and experience ; he had tasted and drank deeply of the wine of life and of sin, had, indeed, drained its goblet to the dregs, and knew full well the meaning of that speech of the serpent, 'Then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.' In very truth his eyes were opened, and, fortunately, not too late, for not only did he see, but he also had the blessed privilege and power granted him to return. When going into the far country he had bounded along heedlessly, intent only on pleasure. The way then did not seem long or wearisome, for he was strong and vigorous, blessed with riches and gay company. Now, however, he was weak and worn in his constitution, with- out riches or boon companions, and well-nigh at times overcome because of the hardness of the way ; still, the faith in his father's love, the knowledge of the home that he had wandered from, that it was there awaiting 330 Jesus Christ him, held him up, and he struggled, with many a prayer for strength, towards that father and that home. His struggles, his prayers, his faith, his true repentance, — as evidenced not only by his sorrow for his former ill- spent life, but also far more truly by his leaving the far country and its people, and returning to the paths of righteousness, which eventually led him to his true home, — were not in vain ; for while he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and ran to meet him, and fell on his neck and kissed him. Here again the love of the father is prominently set forth. He did not wait for the son to come to the house and crave his forgiveness, neither did he go slowly towards him ; but he ran, and, in token of full and free pardon and reconciliation, he embraced and kissed him. The son confessed his misdoings, as he had said he would, by saying to his father, ' Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.' But at this point he stopped ; he did not finish it as he had purposed when he set out to come home. Then, you will see, he said also, ' Make me as one of thy hired servants.' What made him pause and refrain from saying this latter portion ? I think, in the first case, that he saw that it would grieve and pain his father to mention such a thing ; and, secondly, by his struggles, sufferings, and victories won on the journey homewards, he had regained some small portion of that self-respect which he had well-nigh lost whilst in the far country. At any rate, perfect reconciliation took place, and the father and son, in sweet communion and fellowship, now journeyed the remainder of the way together, re- Jesus Christ 331 joicing in each other's society, till, finally, they arrived at home. Here the father immediately gives orders for the best robe, a ring, and shoes to be brought for his son, and a feast to be prepared, of the best they had in the house. Whilst these preparations were going on, doubtless the son, according to Eastern custom, had a bath, and a thorough cleansing from the stains and dust incidental to his journey. The best robe was then put on him, the shoes were then placed upon his feet, and the ring on his hand ; the fatted calf was killed, the feast was made ready, and they sat down to eat, and were merry. Now, all these things are emblematic. The cleansing represents the making clean of the sinner's soul in the blood of Jesus. The best robe is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is given or imputed to us. Our Lord clearly shows us, in the parable of the wedding garment, that His righteousness must be accepted and put on by us, if we wish to be partakers of the marriage-feast of the Lamb. We must not think to partake of the benefits of His passion clothed in our own righteousness and morality ; for, not only were that a grievous personal insult, well meriting our ejection, but our robe of righteousness, when contrasted with that of Jesus Christ, is, in the Father's sight, even as filthy rags full of leprosy and plague-spots. Shoes were placed on his feet. This clearly shows that he was fully reinstated to the rights and privileges of sonship in the father's sight, and that he desired his servants and the members of his household so to regard 332 Jesus Christ him, for shoes were seldom worn by slaves or servants — they generally went barefooted. The ring not only was a correct emblem of eternal life by having no beginning and no end, but it also denoted authority. In olden times rings were frequently given to people to invest them with power. The ring was also a token of respect, friendship, and peace. All and each of these did the ring which the father gave signify to his son. The feasting and rejoicing which took place was but an outward manifestation and memento of the inward joy and happiness which fills the hearts of God the Father, the holy angels, and all good people when they see a sinner turn from the error of his ways and walk in newness of life in the paths of righteousness. The conduct of the elder son is somewhat difficult of explanation, but it may possibly set forth the jealousy, bigotry, and intolerance of a Christian sect, shown now and then to another, or to other Christian sects — a jealousy altogether unreasonable, and opposed to the teachings of Christ, and which, but for the goodness and restraining influence of God the Father, might work a great deal of mischief, damage, discord, and unhappi- ness in the household. When will the Christian sects begin to know that they are each and all members of the body of Christ Jesus, of which He is the Head, and that they cannot hurt each other without causing the Head and whole body to suffer? More unity, brotherly love, and Christ-like actions are required. Let every Christian, then, pray for the Holy Spirit to bring about such a consummation of love and goodwill. Our Lord again sets forth this jealousy in the parable Jesus Christ 333 of the labourers called to work in the vineyard, where those who had worked from the first hour of the day, receiving no more than those who had wrought one hour, grumbled at the good man of the house. We may also learn from this that the blessings of Christ's atonement, given unto us because of our belief and Sonship in Him, so transcendentally surpass all our best efforts to obtain them, that we must not for a moment harbour the notion that we deserve them by any good conduct on our part. They are gifts of grace, won for us by the finished work of Christ ; and when we have done our duty, and our very best, as far as coming up to God's standard of holiness is concerned, or winning His gifts, we may count ourselves unprofitable servants. All our salvation is begun, continued, and ended in Jesus Christ By the grace of God we are brought to Jesus, kept in Him throughout our earthly pilgrimage, and finally received into glory everlasting. Christians, therefore, should pray for the Holy Spirit to rest on the Unconverted and on each other ; for, by so doing, they would greatly forward the Kingdom of Christ here on Earth. Furthermore, the eldest son may be taken to represent the Children of Israel ; the youngest, the Gentiles. Happy indeed will it be if, through the ingathering of the Gentiles, Israel be stirred up to a holy jealousy of good works and zeal for God. The elder son (God's chosen people) was ever with him, as the father said, and, as the Great Apostle of the Gentiles clearly shows, will be saved by the election of God, thus proving the truth of the father's words, ' Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 334 Jesus Christ We do not read of the son going back to the far country, or of his leaving his home again. He had full freedom and power so to do if he wished ; but he had seen and experienced quite enough of that sort of life, and so he never desired to leave, or left, his father's house again, but remained there, a good and dutiful son. You will doubtless remember that when • God com- manded the Israelites to make ready their first Passover, He also told them to ' remain in their houses until the Morning, and not to go outside the door'; if they did, they would be cut off from Israel. Similarly must we abide in Jesus Christ until the Morning of the Resur- rection. O Jesu, Thou in whom all fulness dwells, in whom all the longings and desires of the human soul after things heavenly do culminate, and find their centre and resting- place — O Thou, who, like some lofty mountain peak soaring heavenwards, high, and lifted up above Thy fellows, clad in the spotless purity of Thine eternal righteousness, reflecting the earliest and the latest beams from the brightness and glory of the majesty of the presence of God ; to Thee we humbly pray that ever through the wrack and storm of this our mortal night, we may see Thee lifted up in all the beauty and loveli- ness of Thy character and Godhead, and find Thee mighty to save. Draw us unto Thee, so that, leaving sin behind, we may be found in Thee when the day shall dawn, and the shadows and clouds of darkness which have hitherto hid Thee from us shall fade for ever away in the revealed light and splendour of Thy dwelling- place. Jesus Christ 335 III. I recently came across a man who firmly believes that once a man is saved, he is always safe, and he quotes the following to prove the truth of his faith : St. John x. 27-29, where Jesus says, ' That He gives His sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of His hand.' He also quotes St. John iv. 36 : ' He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life,' and many more similar passages. I should not have referred to this, only I believe there may possibly be many more persons holding the same views ; and as I consider them not only destructive to Christian energy, but also adverse to God's kingdom of righteousness here below, I feel that I should not be doing my duty as a citizen of that kingdom were I to let them go unchallenged. To my mind, such a belief is like Satan coming as an angel of light and deceiving folks. I should like to know whether, when a man accepts salvation as it is in Christ, God takes away from him at the same time his free will ? Does man become a mere machine in his worship after he has accepted Jesus as his Saviour ? I maintain that man still has his free will, and can, if he so likes, exercise it by giving up and renouncing Jesus Christ and his belief in Him as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. A case of this sort came under my own personal ob- servance some years ago. A man who had often preached to others from the pulpit, and also from the example of his life and faith shown that he believed the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, gradually altered in his belief, and in 336 Jesus Christ the course of five or six years he renounced Jesus as being the Son of God and the Lamb that taketh away the sin of the world, and took up a belief and views very similar to those of the Unitarians (2 St. John 7). He said that he believed Jesus to have been a good man and a great teacher, but he was not prepared to follow Him any further. Now, such a faith as that limits Jesus Christ to the rank and level of such men as Socrates and Plato. For my own part, I cannot believe such heresy, and I pity those who do. Not only is Jesus Christ set forth as the Messiah by the various proofs of types, prophecies, miracles, and signs, as contained in the inspired Scriptures, but I further think, if he was a good man, as accounts show Him to have been — His very enemies not being able to convince Him of sin — that He would not have gone about acting the part of a deceiver, and making such statements as are contained in the following : St. John iv. 26, x. 30, xii. 44-46, xiv. 7-10 ; also St. Matt. xvi. 18. In the latter part of this verse Jesus refers, not to Peter as being the rock, but to the great truth which Peter had just pro- nounced — viz., that Jesus was ' the Christ, the Son of the living God.' That the Apostles, taught by Jesus Himself and inspired by the Holy Spirit, so regarded Him is very evident to those who read their writings (see 1 John v. 7 ; Col. i. 5-20, ii. 6-10 ; 2 Cor. v. 19). Now, this instance of a man forsaking Christ after he had formerly believed and trusted in Him is not, I suppose, a solitary exception ; rather is it to me a proof that one can leave Christ and give up the salvation which is in Him. It is a very sad thing, I will allow ; never- theless, I believe it is possible. Jesus Christ 337 Again our Lord teaches us similar lessons in the parables of the unmerciful servant (St. Matt, xviii. 23-35), the ten virgins, the talents (xxv. 1-30), and the true vine (St. John xv. 1-8). The great Apostles, St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. John, all bear witness to this ; see St. Peter (ii. 19-22) ; St. Paul in his Epistles to the Hebrews and the Corinthians (Heb. vi. 4, 9, x. 23-39, xii. 1, 2 ; 1 Cor. ix. 24, 27); and the First Epistle of St. John (i. 6, 7, ii. 3, 4) ; also the Second Epistle (vv. 9-1 1 ). I know St. John in his First Epistle (iii. 9) says : ' Who- soever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.' These words and expressions I take to mean simply this : Man, by reason of his fallen and weakened nature, transmitted through the centuries from one generation to another, cannot please God. By his belief in, and acceptance of, Christ Jesus, a new birth, fostered by the Holy Spirit, is raised up within him, and groweth daily. This new nature cannot sin, because it is born of God. The old nature, however, is still there, and only kept in subjection by the man yielding himself to the workings of the holy nature given unto him at the new birth. Sometimes man slips and stumbles and falls into sin by giving way to the old nature, and not heeding that of the new. The two natures ever war against each other whilst the man is in the body of this mortal life, and only death, which we now see is a blessed design of God, can separate us from the evil of our mortal nature. 22 338 Jesus Christ It is thus we fully see the truth of St. Paul's statements in 1 Cor. xv. 42-58; Phil. iii. 7-21; Col. iii. 1-10; and of St. John in his First Epistle (iii. 1-3). A man may be (and many are) as weak as a bruised reed or smoking flax in his religious life on account of the old Adam-nature clinging to him ; but if he yields his will to God and abides in Christ, he will have grace given him to remain faithful unto death, and in the righteousness of Christ he stands complete in the sight of God the Father. We are, as some have said, ' Like students copying the work of some great artist. Some copy so much better than others that they can be said to excel, while some there are who make a poor scrawling daub of the great picture.' Perhaps they have not apti- tude for the work ; perchance they are idle ; it may be, they do not listen to the instructions of the master ; or, if they do, they heed them not, or else forget them. At any rate, as all men have not faith, so all men have not the same gifts and abilities in religion as others ; still, as long as they abide in Christ, and do not deny Him by expressing their unbelief in Him, and showing that un- belief by turning their backs on Him and His and going out from Him, though they may fall and have many a slip and stumble into sin, yet they belong to Christ, and these their weaknesses shall be burned and de- stroyed, so that no one shall remember them any more for ever ; but for their good works, however small and trifling, even as a cup of cold water given in Christ's name, they shall receive a reward. If, however, they have rejected Christ and are not found in Him, how can they expect reward from Him ? The idea is simply pre- posterous, and consoling only to those who, in ignorance Jesus Christ 339 or selfishness, accept such plausible casuistry, such un- enlightened sophistry. Saviour ! when united To that dear heart of Thine, And our spirits plighted To be only Thine, Oh, round us draw Thy love ! All cold unkindness kill. Come, gentle as a dove, And mould us to Thy will. THE HOLY SPIRIT., God the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the ever Blessed Trinity ; who proceedeth forth from God the Father and God the Son ; who spake by the mouths of the prophets (Heb. i. 1) and holy men of old ; who at the creation moved upon the face of the waters ; who, as the breath of God, was breathed into the nostrils of the first man, Adam, inspiring him with life and soul . who at the baptism of Jesus Christ descended upon Him in the form of a dove, and on His disciples on the Day of Pentecost in cloven tongues like as of fire, He it is who is not thought about, prayed for, or searched after, according to the mighty influence and spiritual power which He wields and exercises in the kingdom of God, and among the members of Christ's Church militant here on earth. The Holy Spirit is He whom Jesus said He would pray the Father to send His disciples to comfort them, after He was taken from them (St. John xiv. 16-18, 26 ; 22 — 2 340 The Holy Spirit also xv. 2.6). Notice here how Jesus identifies Himself with the Holy Spirit and with God the Father. This same truth of the Trinity is again graphically shown at the baptism of Christ : God the Father speak- ing from heaven, and bearing witness to God the Son, who had just come out of the water, whilst God the Holy Spirit was seen in the form of a dove alighting upon Him. There is also a remarkable verse in the First Epistle of St. John (v. 7), which speaks most ex- plicitly on the same point. Again, the Holy Spirit is the very essence of the new birth begun in all believers in Jesus Christ, as clearly put before us in that interview our Lord had with Nicodemus (St. John iii. 1). He it is who also sustains this spiritual existence and unity in Christ ; without Him we can do nothing. He brings forth in us the various fruits of righteousness, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, as mentioned in Gal. v. 22-26 ; see also 1 Cor. xii. 8-14. In comparing the Holy Spirit with the wind which men cannot see, though they feel the effects thereof, and which bloweth wherever it listeth, no one knowing whence it cometh, or whither it goeth, three verses are suggested to me : The first in Gen. ii. 7, where God breathed into Adam's nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul. The second in Psa. xxxiii. 6, where God is said to have made the heavens and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. The third in St. John xx. 22, where Jesus appeared The Holy Spirit 341 after His resurrection unto His disciples in the room where they were assembled, and after a few remarks, we are told ' He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.' Such passages as these not only show that the Holy Spirit is the gift of God (Acts viii. 20, xi. 17), but that He also proceedeth forth from God. Figuratively, the Holy Spirit is also shown to be as essential to the spiritual life of mankind as the air they breathe is abso- lutely necessary to their physical existence. Christians can no more live and grow in grace without Him than can the natural man without air. The Holy Spirit is also the guide, instructor, and illuminator of those to whom the Father gives Him, convincing them of sin, of righteousness, and ot judgment, and guiding them into all truth (St. John xvi. 7, 16). Being, then, so essential to Christian life, and the glory of that Kingdom of Righteousness which the Saviour founded here below, it behoves all members of that kingdom to follow the example of their Lord and Master, and to pray the Father to send the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, unto them, and to abide with them for ever. In everything should Christians consult and pray to God, and then not only may they expect to receive good things from Him (St. Matt. vii. 7-12 ; xxi. 22), but with the Holy Spirit, the best gift of all, they will be able to live and move and have a healthy and happy existence in Christ Jesus, building up to the glory of God the Father a holy temple (1 Cor. iii. 16, 17 ; vi. 19, 20), and becoming in very deed and truth the people of God (2 Cor. vi. 16) and fruitful of good works (see also Ephes. ii. 18-22). 342 The Holy Spirit It is worth while noticing the various occasions and manners on and in which the Holy Spirit came in the days of our Lord and of His Apostles. In the case of our Lord, we know He descended in the form of a dove at His baptism, and it has also been shown that He transmitted this power to His disciples by breathing on them, confirming the same on the Day of Pentecost by the gift of tongues, etc. (Acts ii. 1-4), It was also given by the laying on of hands, as in- stanced in the Ordination of the seven deacons by the Apostles (Acts vi. 6), and the appointment of Barnabas and Saul to go to the Gentiles to preach (Acts xiii. 2-4). You will observe here that this was a special setting apart in both cases by a solemn Ordination of particular persons for particular work. All these had the Holy Spirit before, as is clearly shown ; but a special measure of the gift of God was vouchsafed them for their special need and work. ', In the case of the people of Samaria, who believed the preaching of Philip, we see that though they were baptized by an ordained deacon, yet the Holy Ghost came not upon them, until Peter and John, sent by the Apostles, which were at Jerusalem, came, and, as was customary, prayed for them, and laid their hands on them, when the Holy Ghost was given, much to the astonishment and envy of Simon the Sorcerer (Acts viii. 5-24). Again, in the conversion of Saul we see God in a vision telling Ananias to lay his hands on him. This act, which was duly performed, seemed not only to give sight physically to Saul, but spiritually also, and to ordain him to become a chosen vessel unto God The Holy Spirit 343 (Acts ix. 10-22). It is singular to remark that in this instance the gift of the Holy Spirit was given first, and baptism took place immediately after. The same thing is exemplified much in the same manner in the conversion of Cornelius and his house- hold. Here the Holy Ghost fell on them, which having received, they were baptized in the name of the Lord (Acts x. 44-48). It seems, therefore, from such instances as these that deacons had the power of preaching and of baptizing granted unto them ; but the gift of the Holy Spirit could only be transmitted through special agents and agencies, such as the Apostles and the laying on of hands. That it was entrusted, however, to others, and not limited to the Apostles we have proof in the case of Ananias, whom God sent to lay hands on Saul, that he might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost. St. Paul also, it is clear, gave the gift of transmitting the Holy Ghost to others unto Timothy, by the laying on of his own hands (see 2 Tim. i. 6), exhorting him not to neglect the use of it (1 Tim. iv. 14), yet warning him to be discreet, and to lay hands suddenly on no man (v. 22). We thus gather from the foregoing the evidence of there being an Ordained Ministry of the Church of Christ, and of certain degrees of office in it, such as deacons, priests, and bishops, each and all appointed by and ful- filling their sphere of work according as the Holy Spirit rested on them (see 1 Cor. xii. 28-31). We further learn that the gift of God came in various ways and at various times, not being controlled or limited to any in particular, being, as our Lord truly said, like the wind. 344 The Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit, then, is He who sanctifieth the people of God (Rom. xv. 16), and beareth witness within them that they belong to His kingdom (Rom. viii. 1 6, 17); and through Him they hope to receive wisdom, faith, charity, and knowledge in things spiritual, until finally, passing through this temporal life, they gain the eternal life beyond. As the dew cometh down from heaven silently, mysteriously; as the gentle rain falleth, refreshing the parched earth; as the sweet breezes sing us songs of other scenes, and reinvigorate our weary frames, so come, Holy Spirit, with Thy dove-like presence, refresh- ing and reinvigorating our life in Christ, filling us with the music of the Gospel and of the songs of the re- deemed, inspiring our manhood with Thy strength to do and dare for Jesus, purging us by Thy holy fire from the dross of sin, and making us meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. BAPTISM. Baptism is a sacrament of Christ's Church and of His kingdom of righteousness founded here on earth. Of the two sacraments sanctioned, instituted, and com- manded by our Lord, baptism is to be administered the first to all believers. Sacrament in the days of the Greek and Roman Empires meant the taking of the oath of allegiance to the state or emperor by each soldier on his enrolment. Baptism 345 Tis true they were the subjects of the emperor before this ; but we can all plainly perceive that then they became particularly attached to him and his service, and bound themselves over as belonging wholly and solely to him. Similarly the Christian, before being baptized, believes in Chrift, and acknowledges Him as his God and Saviour ; but by the act of baptism he unites himself in an open and special manner with Christ. And as the Roman soldier received certain rights and privileges by taking the sacramental oath, so Christians, by accepting this appointed means of grace, receive the Holy Spirit, and are united to Christ, their spiritual Head, in a special manner. The Church of England, in her Catechism, says that sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given unto us, ordained by Christ Himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof. The word ' baptize ' means to dip or dye. Baptism was in use long before the time of St. John the Baptist and of our Lord. It was a ceremony both of the Gentiles, or heathen nations, and of the Jews, who practised it on proselytes on their admission to their churches. It seems to have been thought necessary, not only as an outward and visible sign to the world of the belief of the person baptized, but also for the removal of ceremonial uncleanness. In fulfilment of the law, our Lord was Himself baptized (St. Matt. iii. 13-15), and sanctioned, instituted, and commanded His disciples to administer and observe the same (St. John iii. 22, iv. 1, 2; St. Matt, xxviii. 19, 20). 346 Baptism That they followed out this injunction of their Master is evident not only by their preaching, but by the per- formance of the rite (Acts ii. 37-41 ; viii. 12, 13, 36-39; ix. 1-19 ; x. ; xix. 1, 6. In all these instances you will perceive that belief came first ; it was the one thing needful for a candidate for baptism to have. Repentance and confession of sin to and before Almighty God were also necessary (see St. Matt. iii. 2, 6 ; Acts ii. 38, iii. 19). Of course, these were but the fruit or outcome of their belief. Such, then, were the essentials necessary to everyone who desired to be baptized — (a) Belief, (6) Confession of sin, (c) Repentance, or the forsaking of sins. In addition to these, the early Church, before admitting persons to the rite of baptism, deemed it right and necessary that they should be instructed in the way of righteousness, so that, anyone asking them for a reason for the hope that was within them, they should be able in all meekness and wisdom to give it. Those thus instructed were called Catechumens, because they were learners of the rudiments of Chris- tianity. When fully taught, at certain seasons of the Christian year (generally Easter or Whit-Sunday) they were taken to places most suitable and convenient, and there baptized in the name of the Trinity. The giving of a name at this time was not essential to the ceremony; but sometimes, in addition to the surname (which each inherited from their parents), a Christian or baptismal name was added. This name generally denoted some Christian virtue, trait, or character for which the baptized person was well known. Thus, in ime it grew customary to give each person a name, and Baptism 347 so the Christian name became a common and established part of the proceedings. Another and beautiful custom also gradually insinuated itself, and became more or less universal — viz., the habit of baptizing the catechumens in the early morning of Whit-Sunday in some stream of water just as the sun was rising. Each candidate, as he or she came up out of the water, faced the east and went towards it, in token of leaving behind them the gloom and shadows of the night of sin, and of coming out and pressing on towards Him who was the Day-star from on high, the Sun of righteousness, who in the power and glory of the Holy Spirit was then arising within them in the fire and life of regeneration, bringing into their hearts light and joy and the sunshine of peace and happiness. Easter and Whitsuntide, the seasons of resurrection and descent of the Holy Spirit, were eminently typical and fitted for the rite of baptism, and evidently on this account they were so unanimously selected. This doctrine of regeneration was not only symbolized by the various proceedings here mentioned, but further enforced by each newly-baptized person at once putting on a new white garment, called a chrysome. This chrysome was worn for a certain period afterwards, and not only showed to all around that the wearers thereof had been baptized, but that they had put on the righteousness of Christ, of which their chrysome was as the wedding garment, a sign, and from henceforth they intended to walk in newness of life, and worthy of their high calling as sons and daughters in Christ Jesus. From the foregoing we can also see why the Day of Pentecost is called Whit-Sunday, and why veils and 348 Baptism white clothes are worn at this time of the year and at confirmations. The remission of sins and the purification of the soul, symbolized by the washing in water, is also spoken of by St. Paul (Acts xxii. 16) and by St. Peter (Acts ii. 38). The inward and spiritual grace of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, or newness of life, is referred to in St. John iii. 3-6, where Jesus sets forth the new birth by water and the Holy Ghost. We also find the same truth in Rom. vi. 3-11 ; Titus iii. 5, 6; and 1 Peter iii. 20, 21. It will therefore be seen that baptism by water is necessary to salvation in Christ Jesus. It is also the means whereby we show our faith in Him to the world. He has commanded that we receive it from those who have the right to administer it, and by our worthy and reverent observance of this rite and sacrament we may expect the blessing of the Holy Spirit, the gift of God, to alight on us. It is also an outward and visible sign of our belief and covenant with God. Respecting infant baptism, I would make a few remarks. I can quite sympathize with the desire of godly, Christian parents that their children should by baptism receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and so become very members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven ; that the old Adam nature born in them and received from countless generations of sin-stained ancestors might be checked by the blessed influences of the Holy Spirit thus given ; and so, daily strengthened by that same Spirit, they might grow up blameless and harmless, the sons and daughters of God. I believe that this is taught in Acts xvi. 15, 33, and Baptism 349 i Cor. i. 1 6, where we find the households of Lydia, the keeper of the prison at Philippi, and Stephanus, men- tioned as being baptized. Again, the example of the parents of our Lord should also have its effect on this matter. Not only did they conform to the ancient Jewish custom of Circumcision with regard to the naming of the Child, but they also presented Him in the temple unto the Lord (St. Luke ii. 21-40 ; Exod. xiii. 2, xxii. 29, xxxiv. 19). Our Lord also invites the little children to come unto Him, not only saying, ' For of such is the kingdom of heaven,' but rebuking those who would have kept them away, and taking them up in His arms, putting His hands upon them, and blessing them (St. Mark x. 13-17). Likewise, those who in faith, love, and prayer bring their offspring to the font to be baptized shall receive a blessing from on high by the Holy Spirit coming down, resting on, and consecrating them and theirs. In the early Christian Church, however, baptism of infants was rather the exception than the rule. It was only on rare and special occasions, and by special agents, such as the Apostles, that it took place. The reasons for this were the smallness of their numbers, and the liability to many and great persecutions, with other minor causes. It was absolutely essential to the spiritual life and welfare of the primitive Church that belief, confession, and repentance of sin should be forthcoming from every candidate who presented himself or herself for baptism. This is also shown by the remains of ancient Baptisteries, which invariably stood apart from the main building. Not only did these serve the purpose for which they 350 Baptism were erected, but they symbolized at the same time that until persons were baptized they were to be considered as outside of the Church. As the Church grew, however, infant baptism grew also, and at last became a customary and established usage. No longer did she limit herself to adults and the seasons of Easter and Whitsuntide, but as soon as children could conveniently be brought to be baptized, the rite was performed. Then the baptistery, having lost its meaning, was gradually abolished from the outside and placed within the church, in the form of an apse, with the font at the west end, not far from the entrance. Thus, still the truth that baptism was to be met with at the beginning of the Christian life was again symbolized, and also that regeneration by the Holy Spirit, which would eventually grow up into a holy temple of the soul, meet for the service of God. and for the reception of the sacrament of His sacred body and blood. To remove the difficulty experienced by the infant being entirely ignorant of such things as belief, confession, or repentance, the Church brought forward godfathers and godmothers, who stood as sureties for the child, promising that as well as they were able, with the help of the Holy Spirit, they would see that it was brought up in the faith, and instructed in those things relating unto baptism, and to its moral and spiritual welfare, until, being assured of the fitness of the child to make a confirmation of the same, they brought it unto a bishop, to ratify and sanction by his blessing its admittance into the rights, privileges, and full com- munion of all true believers. Baptism 351 How many, however, who act in this capacity not only are ignorant of the plan of salvation, but of the meaning of the sacraments of the Church, and have per- chance never been baptized themselves ! It is therefore highly important that ministers of Christ should see that only fit and proper persons act as godparents — people who are known for their godly, righteous, and sober lives, who have themselves been baptized, and are consistent and regular communicants. For this purpose, who can be more suitable than the father and mother of the child, with some godly relative, as they are in constant intercourse with it, and not liable to separation so much as others, and so have many more advantages of instructing it in the way that it should go, and of the things they promised for it ? Now, although the doctrine of godparents is not taught in the Scriptures, yet you will see how necessary such witnesses are in infant baptism. You will also see their office, and how erroneous it is to suppose that they believe for the children, or confess and repent for them. They could not do these things if they wished it, and I do not for one moment think that the Church in any way teaches or means such. The godparents are simply witnesses, guardians, and instructors of the children. Furthermore, the catechism of the Church of England says that children thus baptized are bound to perform the promises of their godparents when they come to age, i.e., when they come to be confirmed of the bishop. Of course, all good children who have been properly in- structed by their godparents will only be too pleased to thus honour them by so doing. In no other way, however, are they bound, because when such promises were made 352 Baptism for them they were thoroughly irresponsible, being too young to agree with or know of the nature of that which was being enacted for them. It was merely for the con- venience and benefit of the Church that such a (if I may call it so) liberty was taken with them. Tis true, it was also for their good, as thereby the Holy Spirit was in a special manner granted them, whereby their unity with Christ was assured ; and as the Roman soldier from that day on which he was enrolled began a new life, altogether different from the civilian life he formerly led, so a new life unto holiness, or a warfare with the earthly or sinful nature, commences within the child, and grows with its growth, if fostered and carefully guarded. Of such, however, the children at that time know nothing, but having come to the knowledge and belief of these things; and being desirous of continuing in the same, they are then bound to come forward, and at the Confirmation Service express themselves accordingly. At the end of the ministration ceremony of Public Baptism of Infants you will find a note which says : ' It is certain by God's word that children which are baptized, dying before they commit actual sin, are undoubtedly saved.' That I firmly believe, and I suppose that such a note is put there to convince and strengthen the belief of those who bring, or have had their children baptized, in the potency and efficacy of that sacrament. On the other hand, if it is intended to suggest a doubt in the minds of those whose children have not been baptized as to whether a child dying, and having never received baptism, is unsaved, then I think the sooner such a note is eradicated the better. Though I believe in infant baptism, yet I also believe that the Holy Baptism 353 Spirit is not limited, bound, or controlled to come only at certain times and seasons, and in certain prescribed methods and ways, for, as our Lord truly said, 'it bloweth where it listeth.' I can quite believe that in some case of dire necessity godly parents may, with prayer to God, even administer it themselves to their dying children; but I do not believe that babes dying without having it administered unto them are cut off from Christ and heaven : such a thought is too horrible and superstitiously bigoted to be enter- tained. Again, in the case of Christian parents, if the tree is holy, the fruit thereof will be holy also ; and with respect to those who are the children of unbelievers or of heathens, I believe that they will be judged according to their merits, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, in the manner and way God sees expedient. The coming of our Lord, and the institution jsf His sacraments, did not limit and restrain the actions and power of the Holy Spirit, but it did extend and increase them. We should, however, endeavour to obey the command of our Lord, who said, ' Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ' (St. Matt, xxviii. 19). It is an unprofitable as well as a disputable -point, whether the persons baptized are to be dipped into the water, or to have it sprinkled or poured upon them. It is the spirit, not the letter, of the ceremony that is required. It is very possible that at the baptism of Christ by St. John the Baptist He might have stood in the river while some water was poured on His head by the 23 354 Baptism prophet. The hand in such a case would be used to dip up the water and deposit it on the head, and thus dyeing it, as it were, in the fluid. The person being baptized might stand in a stooping posture whilst the act was being performed, for not only would this position be more convenient for the one who was performing the ri' e, but it also would betoken — at any rate outwardly — a humble and reverent appreciation of the benefit to be received. With some who baptized a small shell may have been used, as being more convenient than the hand ; and for this reason, perchance, shells were formerly worn in the hats of pilgrims who had been to the Holy Land, and are still to be met with as fonts in many of our churches. Finally, as may be seen by turning to .the Baptismal Services of the Church of England, baptism by dipping or immersion is sanctioned and commanded, yet it scarcely ever takes place — and why ? Well, there are various reasons, of which the two following are the most salient : (a) the want of a suitable baptistery ; {b) the general custom of infant baptism pro- hibiting such tender babes on account of the danger which might happen to their health, owing to the rigour of our climate, etc. The font, therefore, is eminently suitable for the majority of cases ; still, it would not be out of place if cathedrals and churches in populous centres had baptisteries also. Confirmation 355 CONFIRMATION. Confirmation means to strengthen,' to make certain. In the English Church it is a ceremony in which those who have been baptized in infancy, and have arrived at years of discretion, may openly come forward before their brethren and make confession of their faith in Jesus Christ, and ratify and confirm the promises of their god-parents made for them at their baptism. On such occasions a bishop is always present, who, having heard their assent to the same, makes a short prayer to God that He will strengthen them with the Holy Spirit. He then puts his hands on their heads, etc. Throughout the Bible the laying on of the hands on the heads of others signifies blessing. It is right that a bishop should perform this function, because it can be seen from Holy Writ that only apostles, and holy men high in influence and authority in the Church of Christ, were deemed worthy to exercise it (1 Tim. iv. 14; v. 22 ; and 2 Tim. i. 6). That it was used as a means whereby the Holy Spirit was given, not only after baptism, but also at times of ordination, is also evident. In fact, the person in whom this gift of giving the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands rested could, with prayer, use it for whatsoever service of the Church he thought necessary. It was used by St. Peter and St. John on the people of Samaria, as a means whereby they received the Holy Ghost, after having been baptized by Philip the deacon (see Acts viii. 17). Again, it was used by St. Paul 23—2 356 Confirmation immediately after having baptized the twelve men at Ephesus (see Acts xix. 5-7). In the Greek Church it is still used immediately after baptism, but the Church of England very properly considers it more suitable and appropriate to administer it at a later period, especially in the case of those of its members who have been baptized in infancy. For instances in which the Holy Spirit was given by the laying on of hands, as a means of ordination and blessing for some sacred work, see the ordination of the seven deacons (Acts vi. 5, 6), the ordination of Saul by Ananias (Acts ix. 17), and the appointment of Barnabas and Saul for mission work (Acts xiii. 2-4). That this power not only conferred the gift of the Holy Spirit on those upon whom it was exercised, but that it could be given over or transmitted into the keeping of another, is evident from St. Paul giving it to T imothy (2 Tim. i. 6). We should remember this, as it is a strong proof in favour of an ordained clergy. Very properly, also, the Church of England prohibits any from coming to the communion, to be partakers of the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, save those who have been confirmed, made confession of their faith, and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is highly important, then, that ministers should see that only those who are leading a godly, righteous, and sober life, thoroughly in harmony with the principles and doctrine of Jesus Christ, should be admitted to the confirmation ceremony. Let them remember that the Church of God is not made up of numbers, so much as of quality, and if they present to the bishop persons whose lives are inconsistent to those principles, they are Confirmation 357 giving unto the Church a spurious kind of strength, which in after years may not only be injurious to the Church of God, but bring upon themselves a very grave responsibility. THE HOLY COMMUNION. This is the second sacrament which our blessed Lord instituted whilst here on earth. It took place for the first time on a very solemn and momentous occasion, viz., at His last supper with His disciples, immediately preceding His crucifixion. In the Gospels of St. Matthew (xxvi. 26-29), St. Mark ( x * v - 22-26), St. Luke (xxii. 17-21), and in St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians (xi. 23- 26), we may read accounts of what He then said and did. Two great types also prefigure it in the Old Testament, viz., that of Melchizedek, who, meeting Abraham on -his return from rescuing Lot out of the hands of Chedorlaomer, gave to him bread and wine with his blessing, and that of the Feast of the Passover. In the former Melchizedek resembles Christ, for both are priests and kings (Heb. vii. ; Rev. xvii. 14). Mel- chizedek gave bread and wine with his blessing to Abraham, who was doubtless faint and weary with the strife of battle, so Jesus (in the communion) gives bread and wine with His blessing to His faithful followers, wearied in the incessant fight with sin, to the strengthen- ing and refreshing of their spiritual nature. In the latter we may observe that the Feast of the Passover was not only commanded and instituted, to 358 The Holy Communion prefigure Christ by the Paschal lamb, but also to keep the Israelites in remembrance of their escape from Egyptian bondage. Likewise, all sincere Christians are required to keep the sacrament of the Lord's Supper in obedience to His command, and in memory of their deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan. The Catechism of the Church of England very appropriately explains why believers should accept of this sacrament, viz. : ' for the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and of the benefits which we receive thereby.' Very properly, also, she permits, as far as her ministers are able to ascertain, only those she considers worthy to receive it, such as baptized and confirmed believers, who live godly, righteous, and sober lives, and hold the faith as it is in Christ Jesus. Furthermore, she requireth of all who desire to come, and be partakers of this Holy Sacrament, are — ' to examine themselves whether they repent them truly of their former sins, steadfastly purposing to lead a new life, have a lively faith in God's mercy through Christ, with a thankful remembrance of His death, and be in charity with all men.' For, should any take this sacrament in an unworthy manner, instead of receiving a blessing and spiritual strength, they bring upon themselves a curse (i Cor. xi. 2 7-3 1 )- By the Twenty-fifth Article of Religion we are taught that ' Sacraments ordained of Christ be not only badges, or tokens, of Christian men's profession, but rather they be certain sure witnesses and effectual signs of grace and God's goodwill towards us ; by the which He doth work The Holy Communion 359 invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our faith in Him.' Again, in the Twenty-eighth Article we are told that ' Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of bread and wine) in the Supper of the Lord cannot be proved from Holy Writ, but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a sacra- ment, and hath given occasion to many superstitions. The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper only after an heavenly and spiritual manner, and' the mean whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is faith. The sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped. In these two Articles I think that not only members of the Church of England, but all righteous men will agree ; for, not only does it come into harmony with the prophecy of David (see Psa. xvi. 10, where it is expressly stated, ' Thou shalt not suffer thy Holy One to see cor- ruption '), but it also coincides with the fact that our Lord was alive and had not suffered crucifixion and death at the time He used the sacramental words of ' body and blood.' Again, in the note at the conclusion of the Communion Service, you will find the following : ' For the sacramental bread and wine remain still in their very natural substances, and therefore may not be adored; for that were idolatry to be abhorred of all faithful Christians; and the natural body and blood of our Saviour Christ are in heaven, and not here, it being against the truth of Christ's natural body to be at one time in more places than one.' Again, in the Thirty-first Article you may see what is 360 The Holy Communion taught respecting the sacrifice of the death of Christ in conjunction with this sacrament : ' The offering of Christ once made is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual ; and there is none other satisfaction for sin, but that alone. Wherefore the sacrifices of masses, in the which it was commonly said that the priest did offer Christ for the quick and the dead, to have remission of pain or guilt, were blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits.' That the sacrifice of the Atonement was made once for all is clearly set forth in St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews (vii. 27 ; ix. 24-28 ; x. 10-14), al, d l Peter iii. 18. It is therefore not a sacrifice, but we take the Com- munion in memory of Christ's sacrifice and plead His Atonement before God. By so doing, not only do we fulfil His request, ' Do this in remembrance of Me,' but the intercessions and worship of the Church on earth are united to those of the Church above, where our sanc- tified Redeemer and glorious Great High Priest ever liveth to make intercession for us. It will therefore be seen that the Church of England is very explicit in her statements respecting the spiritual union of Christ with the faithful in the Lord's Supper ; whilst she severely discountenances the material presence of the Incarnate One, or the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. If either priest or members err respecting this sacra- ment, it is not her fault ; that they do so is their own, and doubtless produced by a want of knowledge, both of the Scriptures and of their own Prayer-Book. St Paul is sometimes quoted as an authority for The Holy Communion 361 morning communions (see 1 Cor. xi. 17 to end). These words of admonition, however, were not spoken against evening communions, or against communions at any time, as St. Paul undoubtedly would consider that when and wherever Christians met together in a holy, reverent, and loving manner, they could dutifully and obediently show forth their faith in Jesus by this great symbol of His death, and of His sacred body and blood offered up in the Atonement. What, however, St. Paul was talking about was the Agape or Love Feast, which, in the primitive Church, immediately preceded and accompanied the sacrament of Holy Communion. This is important to remember, because the two are frequently considered by the majority of people to be one and the same, whereas they are totally different. The Love Feast preceding the Communion was taken in commemoration and in imitation of the Last Supper of our blessed Lord, which, as all Christians know, immediately preceded the Ordination of the blessed sacrament of Holy Communion, and was entirely distinct and separate from it. Now, in the course of time, the eating of the Love Feast, preceding and in conjunction with the Holy Com- munion, led to many serious abuses, rendering the Corinthians open to St. Paul's righteous indignation and censure, who very plainly told them to ' eat at home,' and to ' tarry one for the other,' so that they despise not the Church of God, and come not together unto con- demnation. You will now see clearly what the Apostle meant by eating and drinking the Holy Communion in an unworthy manner. He considered that the Love Feast would be best eaten at home, so that the house 362 The Holy Communion of God might be held in reverence, and the sacrament of Holy Communion taken in a worthy and becoming manner. It is very clear, then, that St. Paul said nothing re- garding the unlawfulness of evening communions, or even anything adverse to them. It is also equally plain that the early Christians and the Apostles themselves, at the first celebration of this sacrament, took it after they had eaten a supper. The first bread theory, therefore, in a Scriptural sense, falleth to the ground. On the other hand, I do not desire it to be considered that I am speaking adversely to early morning com- munions ; for, as a fact, I much prefer them to evening communions, and almost invariably partake of the com- munion at an early celebration. Neither am I adverse to fasting communions, especially where the recipient is strong and robust ; but when such is not the case, I think something taken previously, or a communion at mid-day, or even in the evening, is not a sin. The early Church, after the days of St. Paul, profiting by the various abuses which had grown up alongside of evening communions, gradually accustomed itself to morning celebrations of this sacrament ; yet Holy Com- munion is nowhere limited in Scripture to any particular time, but may be celebrated at all times in an holy, reverent, and worthy manner, and when received in a similar spirit, the eyes of the recipients thereof shall be opened, and Christ shall be made known unto them in the breaking of bread, even as He was to the two disciples who went with Him to Emmaus. I do not know of a greater act of obedience and worship than the taking of the Holy Communion in a The Holy Communion 363 reverent and loving manner, and the service as given in the Church of England Prayer-Book provides for this in a most remarkable and eminently becoming way. The truths, sentiments, prayers, and composition contained therein, render it not only worthy of the holy and devout men who produced them, but make it one of the noblest and finest literary productions in the English or any language. With such a soothing, comforting, and refreshing means of grace at their disposal, it is, and has been for years, a matter of wonderment to me that people who would feel very indignant if you were to doubt or question their belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Saviour of the world can yet live on, year after year, and never obey the last request that Saviour so solemnly and earnestly commanded His disciples to observe — yea, even on the night of His betrayal and agony, and the ever memorable eve of His crucifixion for them. How can abstainers from this holy rite be in union or com- munion with Him or His ? For did not this same Jesus also say, ' If ye love Me, keep My commandments '; and what more sacred and important command could possibly be given than this ? It is not too much to say that the individual or sect which neglects and omits this sacred rite and institution of Jesus Christ does so at an in- calculable spiritual loss ; ay, and stands in jeopardy, not only of spiritual decadency, but of spiritual life itself. Just in passing I would like to say that I believe the less we robe this great Feast of Love with ceremonies, the better it will be for those who communicate. Many good and holy ministers of Christ's Church so wrap the Communion with the swathing bands of ceremony that 364 The Holy Communion the ignorant lose sight of that for which all the ceremony is intended. They see the garments, and by reason of them fail to distinguish the man, Christ Jesus. Another point has often forcibly presented itself to me when partaking of the contents of the sacramental cup, that is, the use, or rather, the non-use, of napkins. I have frequently thought it would be an excellent thing if napkins were used by the officiating ministers to wipe the edge of the chalice after each communicant has received the sacramental wine. For my own part, I also prefer small cubes of bread and unfermented wine to wafers and fermented wine, as I think it is more in keeping with what Christ had at the time of the institution of the sacrament. Respecting the time of taking, it seems to me, that the time which is most convenient for the congregation is the best time. I know some prefer the morning, for, say they, ' It should be the first bread that enters our mouths for the day.' I prefer the morning myself, because I think it is an excel- lent way of beginning the Sunday, and not because of its being the first bread eaten for the day. I am not a strong advocate of this first-bread theory, as I have seen many of its adherents faint on account of so fasting and en- countering the keen morning air on an empty stomach. Again, I also remember that it was evening, and after supper, when Jesus took the cup and the bread and gave of them to His disciples. Let us, therefore, keep and observe this test of our love to the Saviour, without which, as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. xiii., everything else is vain and unprofitable. We may, indeed, have all knowledge of things religious, yet, if we lack love, we shall never do and dare for the kingdom of The Holy Communion 365 Christ here on earth as we ought. We shall, however, by prayer for the Holy Spirit, by attendance on this means of grace, and by carefully reading and studying our Bibles, go far to gain and cultivate that most excel- lent gift of charity, without which it is impossible to live, move, or have any being spiritually. In conclusion, let me say that God gave, instituted, and commanded this sacrament with the same intentions as actuated Him to set forth His other commandments, viz., man's true happiness and communion, and union with his Creator. The commands of God were never formulated or intended to be a grievous burden unto man- kind, or to restrict their true liberty of thought or action. They were, however, intended to keep mankind from evil and harm to themselves, from drifting away from that which is holy, good, just, and true, and, finally, from separation from God, heaven, and that glorious company who, having followed out the commands of their God and King, find a rest unto their souls in the many mansions prepared for them. As guide-posts along the roads of this our earthly life, so are the commands of God, teaching us and telling us the right directions which we must take in order to gain the city of eternal life and happiness. If we heed them not we shall go astray, and be lost in the morasses of sin, when the mists of age and the night of death cometh and obliterateth the landscape of this brief day of our mortality. On the other hand, happy in this life, and happy in the life hereafter are those who take heed and keep the commands of God. They stand on secure ground ; presently their feet shall walk the streets of the golden 366 The Holy Communion city, and their voices join the anthems and songs of the redeemed. There shall they abundantly realize that land which was once afar off, but now nigh, even in their midst. There shall they see their God and King in all His marvellous beauty, and taste of those seraphic joys which eye hath not seen, or ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive thereof, but which God hath prepared for those that love Him. CONCLUDING REMARKS. Before I finish this book I should just like to make, as briefly and tersely as possible, the following remarks : Great is the mystery of the Godhead ! Who can unravel it ? Three Persons, yet one God ! from ever- lasting to everlasting, without beginning or end of days ! Eternally the same ! Infinite in wisdom, justice, mercy, love, and power ! Truly, without faith it is impossible to please Him. Great is the mystery of godliness ! Who can under- stand or estimate the searchings of the heart by the Holy Spirit ? Who can tell when, or why, and wherefore it cometh and resteth upon the just and the unjust ? Yet, blessed be God, that He does not leave us comfortless, but cometh unto us as the Comforter Divine, who is the sweetest gift that earth or heaven can give. If godliness is a great mystery, sin seems to me to be a greater. We see its virulent effects on every hand. We know it cost the Son of Man His life, brought about the Incarnation, and the agony in the garden, etc. ; but Concluding Remarks 367 whence it is, or what it is, no one knoweth. Why one should be tempted with it more than another, or why we should be tempted with it at all, we know not. Some say it is the negative form of good, while others tell us it is rebellion against the will of God ; yet, what it is, doth still remain a mystery. Great, indeed, is the mystery ot sin ! Then, what a mystery is life ! We find it so in its birth, growth, and decay. Why should we for a time go on from strength to strength till a maximum is reached ; then, from weakness to weakness on to decay and death? It is a mystery ! What mysteries, too, hover around death ! Resurrection, and the life of the world to come ! Is life worth living ? That depends on how we live. All nature works with God and hymns His great purpose; and if we, too, are workers one with another, and with Christ Jesus, in this earthly vineyard, towards making the world better, and establishing a higher, nobler, and happier life among our fellow-men, what happiness shall be ours ! Then shall we not fear death or regret life, for shall we not be accomplishing the end of our being ? Little by little, day by day, generation after generation, all and each of us, saints and sinners, are working out some great plan of God's which shall have its consum- mation in heaven. Sad, indeed, is he who retards or militates against this great' purpose of God by idleness or active sin, for his reward here is unrest and unhappi- ness, and remorse and separation from God and all that is good in the hereafter. The true end of man is per- fection ! — All good work is progress, and all progress is gradual ! — Little by little, like the growth of the mustard- 368 Concluding Remarks seed, the path of the just leadeth on to the Perfect Man, and shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Dear reader, are you squandering the life which God has entrusted to you for the purpose of aiding Him in building up this spiritual kingdom of righteousness, of which Jesus Christ Himself is the Founder and chief Corner-stone ? Are you engrossed in worldly pleasures, pursuits and ambitions ? Do you think and act in behalf of such, more than you think and act in preparing your- self and your fellow-men for the inheritance above ? Remember the will of God is our sanctification — not that anyone is perfect in this life — that is an impossibility. The best cultivated land bringeth forth weeds ! — there- fore, — ' If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us ' ; but the desire and design of the Most High is — that we be holy — that we attain per- fection. Now, the beginning of this perfection — the commencement of this sanctification — takes place in this life, and finds its consummation in the life everlasting. God requireth that we prepare ourselves as far as lieth in our power for the home above. For, what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose this higher life, both here and hereafter? We may fall, stumble, and be weary in well - doing at times, but, as long as we keep in the narrow way and do not forsake Christ, He will never leave or forsake us. By God's law, man is under condemnation because of sin ; but — blessed be God ! — by another law, proceeding from the same God, and made known unto us in the plan of redemption, which is another supreme mystery, we pass from con- demnation, and, having our fruit or actions unto holiness in this life, attain in the hereafter the end of our being Concluding Remarks 369 — viz., Perfection and Everlasting Life. What shall we say, then, if we neglect such great salvation ? Let us rather work on, though perchance in weakness, and help forward the progress of humanity, and the happiness of mankind, and God will not only help us with the grace of the Holy Spirit, but give the increase in happiness to ourselves. Remember that this Earthly Life which we are now living is no more the end and consummation of our being than the caterpillar or chrysalis state is the end of the butterfly. 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