"And is mine one?" asked Abou. "Nay, not so," Replied the angel. Abou spake more low, The angel wrote and vanished. fellow-men." The next night And showed the names whom love of God had blest; 71. POLONIUS TO LAERTES. William Shakspeare. Born, 1564; died, 1016. My blessing with you! And these few precepts in thy memory Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy: And they in France, of the best rank and station, For loan oft loses both itself and friend, 72. WHERE IS HE?- Henry Neele. Born, 1798; died, 1823. "AND where is he?" Not by the side And she as fair, - but where is he? No, no! the radiance is not dim, Are dear to life and nature still; And seem to whisper, Where is he? and where is he? 73. GROWTH OF INTERNATIONAL SYMPATHIES. -President Wayland. In many respects, the Nations of Christendom collectively are becoming somewhat analogous to our own Federal Republic. Antiquated distinctions are breaking away, and local animosities are subsiding. The common people of different countries are knowing each other better, esteeming each other more, and attaching themselves to each other by various manifestations of reciprocal good will. It is true, every nation has still its separate boundaries and its individual interests; but the freedom of commercial intercourse is allowing those interests to adjust themselves to each other, and thus rendering the causes of collision of vastly less frequent occurrence. Local questions are becoming of less, and general questions of greater importance. Thanks be to God, men have at last begun to understand the rights and feel for the wrongs of each other! Mountains interposed do not so much make enemies of nations. Let the trumpet of alarm be sounded, and its notes are now heard by every nation, whether of Europe or America. Let a voice borne on the feeblest breeze tell that the rights of man are in danger, and it floats over valley and mountain, across continent and ocean, until it has vibrated on the ear of the remotest dweller in Christendom. Let the arm of Oppression be raised to crush the feeblest nation on earth, and there will be heard everywhere, if not the shout of defiance, at least the deep-toned murmur of implacable displeasure. It is the cry of aggrieved, insulted, much-abused man. It is human nature waking in her might from the slumber of ages, shaking herself from the dust of antiquated institutions, girding herself for the combat, and going forth conquering and to conquer; and woe unto the man, woe unto the dynasty, woe unto the party, and woe unto the policy, on whom shall fall the scathe of her blighting indignation! 74. THE WORTH OF FAME.-Joanna Baillie. Born, 1765; died, 1850. O! WHO shall lightly say that Fame Is nothing but an empty name, The young from slothful couch will start, Like them to act a noble part! O! who shall lightly say that Fame When, but for those, our mighty dead, O! who shall lightly say that Fame To earth-worn pilgrim's wistful eye A twinkling speck, but fixed and bright, For is there one who, musing o'er the grave No; saith the generous heart, and proudly swells. 66 Though his cered corse lies here, with God his spirit dwells." 75. THE PURSUIT OF FRIVOLOUS PLEASURES.-Young. O, THE dark days of vanity! while here And smiles an angel, or a fury frowns. And time possest both pain us, what can please? TIME USED! The man who consecrates his hours At once he draws the sting of life and death; One moment unamused a misery Not made for feeble man; who call aloud To drag your patient through the tedious length 76. FORGIVE. - -Bishop Heber. Born, 1783; died, 1826. O GOD! my sins are manifold; against my life they cry, My foemen, Lord, are fie ce and fell; they spurn me in their pride; They render evil for my good; my patience they deride; Arise! my King! and be the proud in righteous ruin driven! 66 Forgive!" the awful answer came, "as thou wouldst be forgiven!" Seven times, O Lord, I've pardoned them; seven times they 've sinned again; They practise still to work me woe, and triumph in my pain; But let them dread my vengeance now, to just resentment driven ! 77. TRUE SCIENCE OUGHT TO BE RELIGIOUS. - President Hitchcock. I AM far from maintaining that science is a sufficient guide in religion. On the other hand, if left to itself, as I fully admit, "It leads to bewilder, and dazzles to blind." Nor do I maintain that scientific truth, even when properly appreciated, will compare at all, in its influence upon the human mind, with those peculiar and higher truths disclosed by Revelation. All I contend for is, that scientific truth, illustrating as it does the divine character, plans and government, ought to fan and feed the flame of true piety in the hearts of its cultivators. He, therefore, who knows the most of science, ought most powerfully to feel this religious influence. He is not confined, like the great mass of men, to the outer court of Nature's magnificent temple; but he is admitted to the interior, and allowed to trace its long halls, aisles and galleries, and gaze upon its lofty domes and arches; nay, as a priest he enters the penetralia, the holy of holies, where sacred fire is always burning upon the altars; where hovers the glorious Schekinah; and where, from a full orchestra, the anthem of praise is ever ascending. Petrified, indeed, must be his heart, if it catches none of the inspiration of such a spot. He ought to go forth from it, among his fellow-men, with radiant glory on his face, like Moses from the holy mount. He who sees most of God in His works ought to show the stamp of Divinity upon his character, and lead an eminently holy life. Yet it is only a few gifted and adventurous minds that are able, from some advanced mountain-top, to catch a glimpse of the entire stream of truth, formed by the harmonious union of all principles, and flowing on majestically into the boundless ocean of all knowledge, the Infinite mind. But when the Christian philosopher shall be permitted to resume the study of science in a future world, with powers of investigation enlarged and clarified, and all obstacles removed, he will be able to trace onward the various ramifications of truth, till they unite into higher and higher principles, and become one in that centre of centres, the Divine Mind. That is the Ocean from which all truth originally sprang, and to which it ultimately returns. To trace out the shores of that shoreless Sea, to measure its measureless extent, and to fathom its unfathomable depths, will be the noble and the joyous work of eternal ages. And yet eternal ages may pass by, and see the work only begun! |