descend, stage by stage, until at last they were obliged to seek refuge in a cave of the rock, where for hours they remained bewildered until rescued; and though all were taken safely off the reef, yet one of them died, and another mysteriously disappeared and was never more heard of. Then a third edifice was erected by Smeaton, begun in the year 1756, and which for more than a century has withstood every stormy wind and tempest. The idea of the builder was to erect his edifice after the manner of an oak, with deep far-reaching roots, gripping the rock far in on every side; and, with beautiful feeling, he inscribed beneath the lamp these Old Testament words: "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it;" while over the lamp and near the cope-stone, these two Latin words, Laus Deo-praise to God. And who can tell how many precious lives that noble beacon light has been the meansof saving, and how many weary travellers and sailors it has cheered by indicating the nearness of their desired haven ! Another lighthouse near the old site has been erected, under the superintendence of Mr. Douglass, which was only completed early in the summer of 1882. The foundation stone of this edifice was fixed to be laid, in the "summerless summer" of 1879, on the 21st June, by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh. But so tempestuous was the weather that the royal Princes had to beat a retreat, and postpone the ceremony for an indefinite period. It is said that "Britannia rules the waves," but literally it is not SO. God rules the deep, and while “: man proposes, God disposes." Yet, though the intended ceremonial had to be postponed, the great design had been brought to a satisfactory completion; so that now the new Eddystone Lighthouse may be seen flashing its kindly, warning light, from night to night, while the older one is to be taken down and rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe. Such is a brief history of this famous lighthouse, and here are three lessons which to my view it very strikingly illus trates. (1.) A man may profess to build his hopes for eternity on Christ, and yet all the while be putting an undue dependence, if not more, on his own works. And in such a case a man must fail. For the foundation which God has laid, and on which alone we can expect to be justified, is singly and solely the righteousness of Christ. It is not what He did and suffered along with what we can do, but only and absolutely His obedience unto death. "Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone"-not many stones, but one stone-unique and complete in Himself. And yet there is hardly anything about which we are more apt to go wrong than about this. Hence the many mediators of the Church of Rome, and the great stress that is put on penance and good works. But "other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." And whosoever receiveth and believeth or buildeth on this foundation-on the righteousness of the Lord Jesus, no more and no less-is forgiven and accepted of God. Now the foundation on which Winstanley built his edifice was perfectly sound and good; but then he failed to dovetail his building sufficiently into the rock, and put too much dependence on his own workmanship. Hence he failed. It all came down, and great was the fall of it. So will it be in the case of every one who, while professing to build on Christ, yet really and truly builds his hopes on his own doings. That is dishonouring God. It is crossing His plan of grace. For He has designed that your salvation should rest solely on the finished work of Christ. See how Judas fell. He professed to build on Christ, and yet it was not really so. Oh, nothing but the blood and righteousness of Christ can avail as a foundation on which to stand before a holy God! Can you say― "My hope is built on nothing less "The foundation of God standeth sure; having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His." But (2.)—Take heed how you build. For there is a very solemn passage in the 3rd chapter of the Corinthians that runs in this way: "If any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work will be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire: and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." Now, one meaning of that is, that whatever we do, as believers in Christ, from a right motive, out of love to Him and His cause, it will stand like gold and silver and precious stones; but whatever we do, as Christians, from a wrong motive, that will be consumed like the wood, hay and stubble-just as the wood and the other combustibles were consumed in Rudyerd's lighthouse. Everything in your life and mine, not done for Jesus' sake, but for self or for some worldly purpose that will all be loss to us on the great day. Therefore take heel how you build. What a beautiful spirit was that which Smeaton showed, when below his lamp he wrote these words: "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it;" and over the lamp these words, Laus Deo-praise to God! And what is all that but an illustration as to how we ought to dedicate everything to the glory of God? And when that is the motive of our lives, we never live in vain, whether on sea or land. But (3.)-What is the use of a lighthouse? Is it not by giving light to guide weary sailors safe to shore? And is it not that the end for which God is pleased to save us by His grace, that we may so hold up the lamp of truth to others as to lead them by its light to see how "God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"? Oh, how are you trying to help to fetch weary, tempest-tossed souls into peace! Have you ever saved any of your companions from death, and had the joy of fetching them back to life? Smeaton said that his lighthouse was erected as a debt he owed to the general stock of happiness-to save human lives and lighten human sorrows. And are not we also called upon, if we know the saving grace of God, so to shine as that men seeing our good works may glorify our Father who is in Heaven"? Let us remember this whenever we think of or see the lighthouses that are so helpful to those who journey over the deep. The Warrior Prophet's Death. U P to Mount Pisgah's lonely height Ascending out of Israel's sight To solitude and God. Six score long years have o'er him passed, Nor on his manly figure cast Marks of long pilgrimage.. Undimmed his eye, erect his frame, To find an unknown tomb.. The border of the land was reached, A fruitful land and unsurpassed Type of the Christian's heaven. Oft had the prospect cheered his heart, From friend or foe he dies. No loving hand his pillow smoothed, For Israel's God is near. To comfort and sustain His saint, And then the warrior prophet slept, No eye hath seen that hallowed grave, The corse to men to show. But this we know, the warrior bold With Christ his Lord and God. So may my life be closed with God. My soul with Christ be found. It recks not whether friend be near To whisper loving last farewell, If with my Lord I then appear All shall for me be well. An Old Scholar's Memories.. I. T was an April afternoon, it was in the country: and, now that I think it over, fifteen years must/ have passed since then. I remember it as if it were yesterday. The bud was on the tree; the sunlight, soft and clear, was in the air; and to-night I can |
