52 IMPRESSIONS OF ENGLAND IN 1883. In England you seem to have everything you want lying ready to your hand. Books, newspapers, domestic furniture, dress of all sorts, the little conveniences that oil the wheels of life are all there and all accessible. Most of these minor comforts are much cheaper than they are in this country. You do pay for them, indeed, but you seem to pay almost nothing for them. Personal and domestic service of all kinds, too, is wonderfully accessible. You cannot carry a parcel through the streets but a score of men or boys want to carry it for you. You cannot drop a glove but somebody is around who expects a trifle for picking it up. The same is true of the facilities for locomotion. You can, in the Old Country, get from place to place. You go from London to Nottingham, 120 miles, in two hours and a half. You go right into Nottingham station too. You do not stand outside it for an hour while they take away the engine and shunt two or three cars and bring another engine and take a quiet nap on the side of the track and re-arrange creation generally. It does not take you ten hours to go 180 miles as it does in some places. All the trains get in on time, too, not an hour and a half late as in more favoured countries. In the cities there are services of street cars at intervals of four or five minutes, and the cars are not so crowded as to make walking easier than riding. Of course, I know the traffic is far greater than it is here. And I do not complain. But it is a luxury for once in one's life, to go promptly and swiftly and without overcrowding whither one wants to go. But these, after all, are little things. You will be asking me, and quite rightly, how the Mother Country stands with reference to the greatest things of all-with reference to morals and religion. In attempting an answer, one thing that strikes us is the less dogmatic and creed-defined character of English Christianity. Doctrines have been, so to speak, dissolved in a sort of temper or spirit which cannot be expressed in words, or at all events in definitions. Men believe in God and in Christ, but they do not attempt to tell us the mode of God's being, or the constitution of His person. To them, God is eternal righteousness and love, and Christ is the love of God manifest in humanity, bearing our sins and carrying our sorrows. Definite theories of Trinity, or Atonement, or Incarnation are distrusted; wise men are doubting whether we have faculties to form them, or words adequate to express them. But I do not think the religion of England less real and true because it is less doctrinal. I met some of the devoutest souls I ever spoke to while I was at home on this visit. I took sweet counsel together with them, and my heart burned within me as we meditated on the highest themes of life and godliness. We spoke, indeed, with humility and awe; we did not forget that "fools rush in where angels fear to tread;" but we spoke with earnestness, and with a perfect faith in the righteous love of God. If there was little definite belief as to the particulars of the plan on which God works, there was a perfect faith that He doeth all things well. I think, too, that the religion of England is less selfish than it was. It does not dwell so much on personal salvation as an escape from hell; and it thinks very much more of rising into the life of Christ,-the life of self-forgetting love. It longs to be good with the goodness of God, and to do good with the unselfish love of Christ. Our Pulpits. "THE NOBLE ARMY OF MARTYRS." "What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."-Rev. vii. 13, 14. "AVOID grand texts, because you can never say more than the text itself says." Such was the advice given to a group of men who were just entering on their life's work, by one whose name is a household word amongst us. Our text is a magnificent sermon in itself. It comes ringing down the ages like the refrain to some beautiful song, and if nothing more, we can sit and listen to its melody. It is not necessary to understand the mixing of colours in order to appreciate the artist's picture. We may be indifferent soldiers, and yet our hearts throb as we contemplate that noble army of martyrs who stand before the throne, clothed in white robes, waving their palms of victory. You do not deny the mariner a glimpse of the harbour lights as he is tossed to and fro on the restless wave; one glance at the lights nerves him to deeds of daring and of heroism. You do not deny the workman toiling under a burning sun the privilege of glancing at the cottage called home,-where wife and children are listening for the evening bell which shall call him home. That glance inspires him, and the toil becomes a pleasure. Who have reached home? Who now celebrate the victory? Those who stood where you and I stand-battling with doubts and fears-encountering tribulation. "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." I. WHO ARE THEY? Martyrs! Witnesses! To witness honourably is the meaning of a martyr. Not necessarily to suffer and die, but to witness. Martyrdom and misery, although often spoken of as if they were closely allied, are the two extremes. "Life is martyrdom or misery." The man who cannot witness for something, or somebody, is the most miserable of men. When life becomes a martyrdom-a witnessing-it ceases to be misery. History and experience teach this truth: where there has been anything worthy of martyrdom, there have been martyrs. You may have seen the lifeboat go forth into the storm to rescue those in peril on the sea; or members of our fire brigade risk life and limbfighting the flames. Every walk in life has had its heroes, its witnesses, and has them to-day. History is crowded with the record of splendid deeds. And yet the history of Christianity and the Christian church is the grandest. The New Testament is the story of martyrdom. What shall we say respecting those grand lives lived since ? Surely their names will occupy no ignoble position when the appendix to the Acts of the Apostles is written! History has given them a niche in the temple of fame; poets have sung about them; painters have painted them-witnessing. Turning over some old music the other day, I came across a song called "The Christian Martyr." On the cover is an engraving of a great French picture-the martyred church. A beautiful woman-her hands tied with cruel cordsappears to be floating out to sea, with a halo of glory encircling her. I never see it but it speaks to my soul of witnessing-silently and yet eloquently witnessing. The burning faggots, the rack, the scaffold, all speak of witnessing. These are they who witnessed, "and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Martyrdom changes with the ages. The precise form changes, but the principle-never. My friend, if thou wouldst join that innumerable company who stand before the throne, thou must be a martyr, a witness. If thou hast not to die for Christ, live for Him. Art thou rich? Be a wise steward of thy Lord's bounty; forget self and use it for Him. Give something for His sake which involves sacrifice-thy time-thy talents-thine influence to the hastening on of His kingdom. Art thou poor? Show to the world that it is possible to be poor and yet honest, lowly and yet noble, in the world and yet not of the world. Hast thou toiled for the Master, ardently and long, and art disappointed at the smallness of the result?-discouraged and faint-hearted? Show that the servants of Christ can manfully do their duty and leave the result with Him, waiting His time. Wherever thy lot may be castin the mill, in the mart, on Change, or in the world-witness for God and the right! This is not the whole of martyrdom, only the first stages, but "he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in that which is much." Does this seem a very difficult task? Art thou discouraged? Then list to the description of the redeemed: "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." II. WHENCE CAME THEY? "Out of great tribulation." This is why we call them martyrs. You will notice the exact expression out of tribulation, because it teaches an important truth. God never permits His children to pass into any kind of tribulation that has not a way out. We may not at first see the way out, only gloom and despair and darkness are apparent, but "to the upright there ariseth light in the darkness." There is no need to trouble about the matter; God knows, and that is sufficient. He will lead us out in a very much better way than we could lead ourselves. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and the burden of their song is "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thee be all the glory." There is another thought. How did they come out? Seemingly vanquished, and yet the victors. Humanly speaking defeated, but not disgraced-garments tattered and soiled, but with a pure heart. Scarred, it may be; and yet all scars received in the battle for the right are honourable because they are heaven's medals. They came out clean! This seems to be the teaching of the text. There are a great many who encounter tribulation who do not come out clean. There may be little or no difference between the Christian and the worldling entering into tribulation, but there is a profound difference in the way they come out. One comes out with a firmer trust in God, the other with greater mistrust. One comes out with his manhood strengthened, the other "THE NOBLE ARMY OF MARTYRS." 55 with his manhood weakened. In the one case "tribulation has worked patience," and "patience-experience," and "experience-hope;" in the other, tribulation has worked discontent, and discontent--dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction-despair. It is not how we enter tribulation, but how we come out that determines whether we are martyrs. "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Many have to encounter tribulation-not amid the din of machinery, before the gaze of men, but in the quietude of home. The battle-field to many a noble soilder is confined to the threshold and hearth. Even in the home there is sufficient scope to play the martyr-the witness. Performing the daily duties of life in the right spirit is the subject of many an angel's theme. Do not shirk the tribulation-utilise it! Bind fast to thy heart the cross which has been given thee; do not lay it down, for crowns are only made from crosses, and the greater the tribulation, the brighter the crown. III. WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Before the throne of God. That means at home. We cannot explain all this word means. Doubtless there is a meaning which can only be fully realized when we reach home. Heaven is heaven to the Christian not because of its pearly gates and jasper walls, but because it is HOME. There is a beautiful custom in England, that once during the year-generally at Christmas-most of the members of a family gather together round the old hearthstone. It is called the family re-union. What gladness it brings to those battling with difficulties-the thought of going home! How the weeks and days are anxiously counted! What friendly rivalry there is to reach home first in order to welcome the others! How-strange to say we think it a great calamity if one precedes us for a few short years; and yet heaven would not be home in its truest sense if there were no loved ones to welcome us. What a glad time the re-union is! The lamps lighted-the door barred-the yule log burning brightly-how eagerly we listen as each tells of battles fought, victories achieved. And still our brightest joys are tinged with sadness; very often there is a vacant chair-very often in faltering accents the prayer ascends, "God bless the prodigal." But yonder the circle is complete, the prodigal has come home and is reconciled to the father. The lost sheep has been found. No thought of parting mars the joy. Harpers! retune your harps! Choristers! sing out your gladdest strains, and let us catch the refrain of your music: are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple." "A noble army, men and boys, The matron and the maid, Around the Saviour's throne rejoice, They climbed the steep ascent of heaven O God, to us may grace be given "These C. RUSHBY. MOST newspaper readers, who have any interest in the Eastern question, have of late had their attention called to a movement in Northern Africa, led by an adventurer designated the Mahdi. The Mahdi (Arabic, Al-Mahdi) means "the guided." Muslims recognize not only an infallible book, but the necessity of an infallible guide; and this infallible guide, when he appears, will come as Al-Mahdi. Who the Mahdi really is perhaps no one in Europe knows. There have been different accounts of his origin and career. One says he is of very humble birth, a native of Khartoum, who in his youth was a carpenter, then a boatman, next an ascetic, and then a false prophet. Another account says he is an Egyptian, who years ago was in the revenue department of the Egyptian Government. In process of time he became interested in the slave trade, and gradually came to be an open rebel and leader of rebels. Who he pretends to be is perhaps easier of explanation. It is a prevalent idea among Muhammadans that God took a ray of light from His own glorious effulgence, and joined it to Muhammad's body. From Muhammad this light descended to 'Ali, and from 'Ali it passed on to the twelve true Imams, who are the only lawful successors of the Prophet. Eleven of these Imams have lived and died; but the twelfth, who, according to a certain section of Muslims, was born at Baghdad 258 years after the flight of Muhammad from Mecca, disappeared, and is living somewhere in secret until the dawn of the Muslim millennium, when he will appear to resume the universal leadership of the faithful. There is now, and has been of recent years, a general expectation that the time of his coming is nigh at hand. Any one who could so work on the popular superstition as to draw the masses to his standard, would perhaps, by the force of Muslim fanaticism, be able to stir the Muhammadan world, or at least the Arabian portion of it, to its centre. The movement in the regions beyond Egypt proper constitutes a very distinct danger to the Egyptian and perhaps Turkish governments. Egypt was conquered by the Ottoman ruler Selim the First (A.D. 1516). About that time Selim obtained from a descendant of the Baghdad Khalifs the transfer of the khalifate to himself. By this means the Sultans of Turkey became the Khalifs of Islam. There is thus an irregularity in the khalifate of the Sultan; and many Muhammadans regard him as little better than a usurper. They have very little respect either for him, or the Khedive whom they have been accustomed to consider as subordinate to him. If the conviction should get widely established that the false prophet of the Soudan is the Mahdi, unless checked by England or some other power, a wave of Muslim fanaticism would not unlikely soon sweep away the present government of Egypt. The sultan also has cause for apprehension. It is said that there are 175,000,000 of Muhammadans in the world. Of these, there are over 50,000,000 in India. Besides these, about 20,000,000 are Turks. The remainder are mainly Arabs. Now does it seem reasonable to suppose that this preponderance of Arabs would submit to the khalifate of Turkey, if they became possessed with the idea that the lawful divinely-inspired descendant of Muhammad had come to reign? Should |