valley of the Meuse-those grave and solemn chants sent out into the night by hundreds of thousands of voices. No orgy, no disorder, no relaxation of discipline; the men mounting guard under arms until the inexorable task was done; the hymns to the God of victory and the distant home; they seemed like an army of priests coming from the sacrifice. This one picture painted as the novelist knows how to paint, in his best days, would have shown us what virtues, wanting in our own camp, had kept fortune in the service of the other." In these fitful times, when confidence in national character and in human nature seems sadly shaken, it is a pleasure to record this tribute by a Frenchman to German constancy and stability. I shall beg leave to quote the first and last verses of Luther's great hymn, both in German and in Carlyle's English translation: I. Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, Mit Ernst ers jetzt meint; Gross Macht und viel List. I. A safe stronghold our God is still, He'll help us clear from all the ill That hath us now o'ertaken. The ancient prince of hell Hath risen with purpose fell; On earth is not his fellow. IV. Das Wort sie sollen lassen stahn, Er ist bei uns wohl auf dem Plan Gut', Ehr', Kind und Weib, Lass fahren dahin, Sie haben's kein Gewinn, Das Reich muss uns doch bleiben. IV. God's word, for all their craft and force, One moment will not linger, But in spite of hell, shall have its course, 'Tis written by his finger. And though they take our life, Goods, honor, children, wife, Yet is their profit small; These things shall vanish all, The City of God remaineth. Dr. Watts great hymns come to mind here, "Am I a Soldier. of the Cross," "Stand up my soul, shake off thy fears." Life is always a fight for every valiant soul, nor need he have enemies without, for most of us have foes enough within to keep us busy. MONTGOMERY'S hymn, or rather apostrophe to prayer, is certainly one of the most popular at Christian services. It was written in eight stanzas, but is usually found in present day hymnals divided into two renditions. The fourth verse was literally exemplified in his own experience, for he fell dead at eighty-four years of age, while engaged in prayer at his family worship: Prayer is the soul's sincere desire Uttered or unexpressed; The motion of a hidden fire That trembles in the breast. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The upward glancing of an eye, Prayer is the simplest form of speech Prayer the sublimest strains that reach Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice While angels in their songs rejoice And cry, "Behold, he prays." The instances cited that the "effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" are innumerable-from Elijah down. When Philip Melancthon lay ill and likely to die, Luther came into the room very softly and knelt. Soon Melancthon turned in the bed and saw him. "Martin, why can't you let me die in peace?" "We can't spare you yet, Philip," replied Luther, as he rose from his knees. Going out, he soon brought in a bowl of broth. "Now, Philip, drink this broth or I will excommunicate you." Melancthon obeyed and in a remarkably short time was up and at work again. There are few if any alive today who personally knew Jabez Swan, the famous evangelist. Jabez Swan was mighty in the pulpit—no slang, always dignified, and yet with a way of putting things that could not fail to capture people. instance, take his graphic description of Jonah: For "Now, the Lord sent Jonah down to Nineveh to hold protracted meetings, but Jonah was unruly and made up his mind to go to Tarshish and have a time. So he took passage and paid the fare thereof-plenty of money you see. Then the Lord sent along such a southeaster as made even the heathen mariners tremble. Jonah was finally dumped overboard and a big fish took him into his private apartments, probably lit up with whale oil for the occasion, and by and by, at the Lord's bidding, the fish sent him ashore, and the way that gentleman scrambled over the pebbles, brushing the sea weed from his face, and struck a bee line for Nineveh, was a caution." My father-in-law, Rev. Dr. Adams Cleghorn, told me of his riding with Mr. Swan along the bank of the lake north of Norwichville, N. Y., during the first half of the last century, when he gathered from him the following incident: Swan lived nearly a mile from the center of the village where was the hotel kept by a man of rather rough life. Opposite the hotel was a building the upper story of which was used as a dance hall. It was a warm evening and the windows all open. A messenger came to Swan's house saying that the hotel keeper was very ill and they wanted Mr. Swan to go down at once. Entering the sick room, he grasped the situation and went down on his knees in prayer. He was a mighty man in prayer and had a voice of wonderful carrying power. Having laid the case of the landlord before the Almighty, he branched out and prayed for the community, and especially for the young people there in full swing at the dance hall, possibly mentioning some by name, as he knew them all. The young folks knew Swan lived a mile away and as his voice came floating in like the sound of one crying in the wilderness they became startled. The ladies declined to dance more. The young men could not keep on alone, the musicians stopped and in a very short time the lights were put out and all went very quickly home. "Well, well," the evangelist concluded, "the upshot of it was that in a little while I baptized forty of them in that lake.” The opening lines of Pope's "Universal Prayer" give succinctly the instinctive lifting of the human heart in prayer: Father of all! in every age, In every clime adored By saint, by savage and by sage, Jehovah, Jove or Lord! IN England, and indeed wherever English people are, Good Friday is venerated and solemn church services are held. It is one of the two days (Christmas being the other) when business is wholly suspended. In Rome, and in all Catholic countries throughout the world, the day is kept with impressive observance, though in Rome, owing to the political situation, the shops and offices and places of public business, picture galleries, etc., are open as usual. Centering in the Sistine chapel are stately, solemn processions and the great hymns of the ages are chanted, "The Miserere," and the "Stabat Mater," each of which is entitled to a word of comment. "The Miserere" is a metrical Latin version of the fifty-first Psalm, called the "penitential psalm." It has been a prime |