VOL. XXVII.

Out-door Pleasures in Spring.

BY THE EDITOR.

"Ye glittering towns, with wealth and splendor crown'd;

Ye fields, where summer spreads profusion round;

Ye lakes, whose vessels catch the busy gale; Ye bending swains, that dress the flowery vale;

For me your tributary stores combine; Creation's heir, the world, the world is mine." Thus wrote a man who never owned a house nor a foot of land. He had, however, what was better: A contented heart, and a grateful taste for all that is beautiful in the natural world. He wandered through many lands, often with an empty purse but always with a cheerful heart. Sometimes he would secure a meal and night's lodging by playing his flute for the children on the village green. Thus, as he wandered afoot from place to place, looking at and enjoying other people's beautiful houses and lands, parks and paintings, and above all, the numberless beauties which our merciful Father has so lavishly bestowed upon our world, which alike belong to all His rational creatures, he felt that though poor, he was part owner of it all, that he was the child of a Father who owned and had the disposal of it. And a higher Authority than he says to Christians, "All things are yours."

Spring comes but once a year. Its beauties are of short duration. But while they last we should endeavor to enjoy them. The recluse who morosely shuts himself up in his house loses much. One must lead an out-door life fully to enjoy this charming season.

NO. 6.

Get on a hill or mountain, where you can take in at one view the charming landscape, covered with blossoming orchards, green meadows, farm-houses nestled among the extended branches of old household trees. Take a walk at five in the morning, and inhale the fragrant, bracing air, and listen to the early songs of the birds. If you have ground, work in it; if not, walk out into God's beautiful world.

Our American life is too much indoor. Far different is it with our English cousins. In England all classes seek the open air. And that, too, in a climate which has few cloudless and rainless days during the year. Rich and poor walk and loiter about after out-door pleasures. Wealthy ladies, those of noble families, one can everywhere meet in the country. Dressed in plain garments, with thick-soled shoes, they think nothing of walking eight and ten miles a day, even though they have their fine coaches to do their bidding. This kind of life gives them rosy cheeks, a fine physique and robust health. The vigorous health of the Germans is partly owing to their fondness for out-door life. Their places of amusement in the summer are in gardens and groves. Cities have their vast parks, and every village has its forest in which parents and children stroll about at will. All learn and love to walk, to live and work in the pure, open air.

In our own dear country there is a growing dislike for walking. Everybody must visit and travel in cab, car or carriage. If these are denied us, we would rather remain cooped up indoors.

Often have we been pleased to see crowds of people walking over different roads to their country churches of a Sunday morning. People, too, who had worked hard during the previous week, and doubtless felt wearied. Yet none the less did they enjoy their walk to church; whilst others who had their horses and carriages, refused to join them in God's house in worship. We are afflicted with certain diseases unknown to other countries. May they not arise from our preference for in-door life. Get thee out of thy room, dear reader. Walk and work in the open air. Enjoy the lovely spring season while it lasts. It will cost you nothing. And its sight is worth a thousand times more than Barnum's Museum or the best show of Art or Nature in the world.

"The tonic of a Mawl and Wedge

Contracted nerves will surely stretch,
And Crowbar Acid sets you right
When you have lost your appetite.
In June, to make potato hills,
Will rid a lazy man of chills;
Or if digestion seems to fail,
Then plowing makes the patient well;
And should Dyspepsia still prevail,
I'd recommend the threshing Flail.
Should Hypochondria be your dread,
Then leave at early dawn your bed,
And make a journey ere you eat,
And thus the cure will be complete.
These are the modern specifics
Not tainted with those Yankee tricks.
Let any one who values wealth
Just try these cures and keep his health."

The Fate of Christ's Foes.

BY THE EDITOR.

"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn." Isaiah

54: 17.

History is philosophy teaching by example. Many of its events are illustrations of principles. All its lessons ultimately proclaim and exemplify the justice and truth of God. Although sin is in this life punished only in part, the ultimate doom of its votaries being reserved for the Judgment of the last day, its leading champions have, since the days of Cain, in this life already been branded with a curse. Thus the justice of God is vindicated before the eyes of men.

"Die Welt-Geschichte ist das WeltGericht."

(The world's history is the world's judgment.)

In a very striking sense, in this life already the wicked are punished and the righteous are rewarded. "They shall prosper that love Thee." For a season God may chasten them to purify and prepare them for ultimate victory, as He did Job.

Judgment may not always be executed speedily upon the wicked, but it is sure to come. "The mills of the gods grind slowly, but surely." Which heathen maxim teaches an important truth of the true God. He may in mercy bear long with His enemies, but the biow is sure to come. This is shown by the tragical end of most of the leading opposers of Christ in ancient and modern times.

Herod, the first persecutor of our Saviour, slew the innocents of Bethlehem with the vain hope of slaying the infant Jesus among their number. He murdered his beautiful wife Mariamne, his two sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, and other relatives, besides perpe trating numerous cruelties against the Jews. When his end approached he assembled the chief men of the nation at Jericho, locked them up, and issued the following orders:

"My life is now short. I know the Jewish people, and nothing will please them better than my death. You have them now in your custody. As soon as the breath is out of my body, and before my death can be known, do you let in the soldiers upon them and kill them. All Judea, then, and every family will, though unwillingly, mourn at my death."

Not long after the murder of the innocent children of Bethlehem, the hand of God struck him with a loathsome disease. A slow fire seemed to creep through his veins. He was tormented with a lingering, wasting fever; ulcers in his entrails and bowels; a violent colic, and an insatiable appetite; a venomous swelling in his feet; convulsions in his nerves; a perpetual asthma and offensive breath; rottenness in his joints and other members; accompanied with prodigious itchings, crawling worms and an intolerable smell, so that he was a perfect hospital of incurable distempers. In his agony he attempted to kill himself. In body and spirit he suffered

the torments of the lost. Thus died Herod the Great, the first persecutor of Christ.

Judas. the betrayer of our Lord, into whom "Satan entered," struck by remorse, cried out: "I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood." He cast down the price of blood in the temple, and went and hanged himself. And so Luke adds that "falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out." So shocking was the occurrence, that it horrified "all the dwellers at Jerusalem."

Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea, who officially condemned our Saviour, although convinced of His innocence, was afterwards arraigned before the emperor Caligula, for cruelties committed against the Samaritans. He was banished to Vienne, in Gaul. Soon afterwards, "wearied with misfortunes, he killed himself." So says the historian, Eusebius. A more correct wording of the motive that led to his last crime, would be that he was conscience-stricken and cursed of God. A pyramidal monument, 52 feet high is found here to this day, which is called Pontius Pilate's

tomb.

During the first three centuries of the Christian Church, a number of Roman Emperors tried to exterminate it by cruel persecutions. Multitudes were torn to pieces by wild beasts, and tortured to death by other methods. The most prominent among these emperors met with the following fate: Nero, killed his mother, his teachers, and many of the best Roman citizens, and martyred the Christians. "Some were

covered with the skins of wild beasts

and torn to pieces by dogs, and others

smeared with combustibles, and burned

by night in the imperial gardens, while Nero drove his chariot by the light of the flames." He was finally deserted by his army, condemned by the Senate,

and killed himself.

Domitian was killed by his own servants. Hadrian died of a distressing disease, in great mental agony. Severus never prospered after he persecuted the Church, and was killed by his own son. Maximinius reigned but three years. He was raised from a poor shepherd to the throne; physically a powerful man, eight feet in height, a barbarian

in taste and habits, a glutton and a wine bibber, eating forty pounds of meat a day, and swilling vast quantities of wine; a cruel persecutor of God's people, and was murdered by his own soldiers. Decius, noted as a violent persecutor, fell at the side of his son in battle. One authority holds that he was drowned in a marsh, and his body never found. Valerian was taken prisoner by the Persians. After several years of great suffering, he was flayed alive. Diocletian was forced to resign his empire, and became insane. Maximianus Herculeus was strangled to death. Maximianus Galerius died a sudden death. Severus killed himself. Thus died the leaders of the great persecutions of Christ and His people.

Very prominent among the imperial foes of Christianity was Julian the Apostate. During an expedition to Persia with his army, one of his followers tauntingly asked a Christian at Antioch, "What the carpenter's son was doing?" The latter replied: "The Maker of the world, whom you call the carpenter's son, is employed in making a coffin for the emperor." A few days later, Julian was mortally wounded in battle. When approaching death, he filled his hand with blood, and casting it into the air, exclaimed: "O, Galilean! Thou hast conquered."

D'Alembert, Diderot, and about twenty others, visited Voltaire on his death-bed, when he cried out: "Retire; it is you that have brought me to my present state. Begone; I could have done withwithout me; and what a wretched glory out you all, but you could not exist have you procured for me!" They heard him mingle his blasphemy and prayer. Now crying: "O Christ!" then complaining that he was abandoned of God and man. At one time he was found with a prayer-book in his hand, endeavoring to repeat some prayers. At another, he had fallen out of bed on the whom I have denied, save me too?" floor, and cried: "Will not this God, His physician and intimate friends could not endure the horrid scene, and fled from his room. He offered his physician half of what he was worth if he would keep him alive six months longer. "You cannot live six weeks," was the reply.