THE MIDNIGHT BELLS. I. A MUFFLED PEAL FOR THE OLD YEAR. HE poet rings a muffled peal Sighing for what? for brothers slain And daughters, beautiful and good; And so the Old Year dies, On to the rapids, and the mighty "fall" II. A MERRY PEAL FOR THE NEW YEAR. Oh, the concert of bells! the beautiful bells! From thousands of towers, in cities and towns, In gentle vibrations, And sweet undulations, Now soft, and now loud, in passionate swell, On moors, and in woods, where nobody dwells, How they joyously swing, and merrily ring For the land that we love, which puts forth her might For the conquest of wrong, and the triumph of right; For the Queen on her throne, whose sceptre is swayed O'er millions at home, and millions abroad. And the flag of old England, unfurled on the wave, Still humbles the despot, and shelters the slave! So we ring the joy bells for our island home, For England, no longer the vassal of Rome, For the Family Bible which lies on the stand, The charm of our homes and the light of our land. We ring for our Sabbaths calm and sweet, With their whispers of love From Heaven above; And the hallowed shrines where households meet, Under the wings of the Holy Dove; And festive groups, and kindly greetings, That's why the bells so merrily ring; But the bells suddenly cease; Over the landscape silence reigns :— And on the threshold of the opening year Behold him stop our music and our rhymes, BENJAMIN GOUGH, Author of "Lyra Sabbatica." EARTHLY STORIES WITH HEAVENLY MEANINGS. I. INTRODUCTORY. BY THE EDITOR. HE papers which I hope to present to the reader in this series of "Earthly Stories with Heavenly Meanings," are designed to illustrate and enforce in the simplest style and manner some of the more prominent Gospel lessons contained in the Parables of our Lord. In carrying out this intention, there will be little room for originality of thought or comment, and I shall not hesitate to make what use I can of the contributions of other writers who have laboured before me in this field of Scripture exposition; but as men are wont to look and look again at the masterpieces of our illustrious painters with an interest that never tires, and are ever discerning some fresh development of the touches of genius, demonstrating that "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever," so I trust it will be profitable to direct the reader's attention, if only from another point of view, to the study of some of the wonderful word-pictures which are so prominently and so attractively portrayed on the page of Inspiration. I have entitled the Parables "Earthly Stories with Heavenly Meanings." The definition, I believe, was given by a child, but a better it would be difficult to find. The Parables are illustrations gathered from things earthly, adapted to the purpose of conveying, as by a picture, conceptions of things spiritual. Almost exclusively peculiar to Christ as a mode of instruction, they seem to bespeak the Divine condescending to the human. Truth is clothed in attractive attire. The language of Simplicity commends His teaching to the understanding; the language of Sympathy commends it to the heart. The Parable is the essence of simplicity. It is teaching by likeness. Familiar and common subjects and objects were made to act the part of interpreters of a heavenly language. The natural world supplied the fount of types with which the words of Jesus were printed, in order that they might be intelligible to the whole human family. Nature became the handmaid of Revelation. Alone, without an interpreter, we know she is dumb. The practical atheist rejects her testimony to a God. The heathen blinds himself to the rays of light that would penetrate his darkened mind from the external creation. But at Christ's touch the dulled ear regains its power of hearing; the scales fall from the filmed eye; nature becomes eloquent of truth. Responding to the Divine Teacher, voices innumerable, from the heavens above and the earth beneath, unite-" a great company of preachers." The seed, the bird, the flower, the vine, the branch, the harvest, the sun, the moon, the stars,-every object becomes significant of some spiritual lesson. Christ spiritualized nature, and hence the In the simplisimplicity of His teaching. city of nature the simplicity of truth was reflected. So true it is, the hearing ear and the observing eye of a man spiritually taught and spiritually enlightened, "Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything." This characteristic trait of Christ's teaching may well remind us that our progress, as learners in His school, does not depend upon intellectual powers, or length of application. "The wisdom of this world," as a means to a spiritual end, "is foolishness with God." It is of no service in making men "wise unto salvation." Were it otherwise, the poor man, the unlettered man, might complain that his circumstances hindered him from becoming acquainted with the truth. But this cannot be. Bible is the book that all may read and understand. The Gospel is wisdom to the The simple; it may be preached to the poor. "The wayfaring man," although ignorant in other respects, need not "err therein." God reveals His truth to babes. Men are on a level here. There is nothing to prevent the poor and unlettered from being far advanced in the knowledge which gives peace to the conscience, and hope and confidence to the heart, the knowledge of the love of God in Christ Jesus, "which passeth knowledge." The sympathy of Christ as a Teacher is equally prominent in the Parables. His earthly stories are homely, and they appeal to home affections and sympathies. The voice of the Teacher was ever the voice of tenderest compassion. Sometimes He rebuked faithfully, when only reproof was likely to impress, but still the element of sympathy was not absent. He solemnly warned that He might effectually win. From the heart He spake to the heart. His aim was not merely to reach the intellect of His hearers, but to stimulate dormant affections, and subjugate the will. The Teacher cannot be severed from His teaching. Almost the Teacher is merged in the Exemplar: He acts, rather than teaches, the lessons He inculcates. It is the life of Jesus which speaks to us in sublime and stirring eloquence. To awaken responsive love in the sinner's breast, by bringing His own love to bear practically on each individual case, is the ever-pervading feature of His mission of mercy. His doctrine is not far above out of our reach. He makes truth familiar: He brings it home to our experience. The feeblest comprehension can catch the general idea, not only because of the simplicity with which it is expressed, but because it fastens upon some feeling that is common to our nature. The key of sympathy is in His hand, and with it He unlocks the heart of His audience. Very striking are the words of Arndt, enforcing this view of Christ's parabolic teaching: "Christ made it His business to speak in parables; and, indeed, one may say, the whole visible world is only a parable of the invisible world. The parable is not only something intermediate between history and doctrine; it is both history and doctrine-at once historical doctrine and doctrinal history. Hence its enchaining, ever fresher, and younger charm. Yes, the Parable is nature's own language in the human heart; hence its universal intelligibility-its, so to speak, permanent sweet scent, its healing balsam, its mighty power to win one to come again and again to hear. In short, the parable is the voice of the people, and hence also the voice of God."* Yet let it not be forgotten, the Simplicity of the Parable and the Sympathy of the Teacher, do not necessarily ensure the profiting of the hearer or the reader. The Parable in its very nature is a test—a test of disposition and character. Whilst it makes spiritual truth more simple and attractive to all who "will do the will of God," it also possesses the function of concealing the doctrine in judgment from closed eyes and hard hearts. "It is like the husk which preserves the kernel from the indolent and for the earnest." Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. In order to discern spiritual truth in the Bible as a whole, or in the Parable as a part of Divine Revelation, we must be "taught of God." In one sense, the teaching of Christ could scarcely fail to awaken interest and attention. Even the officers of the Chief Priests and Pharisees sent to arrest Him, were so impressed with awe and admiration, that they returned without their captive, exclaiming, "Never man spake like this Man." Hence the measure of popularity to which He attained. The gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth caused the people to press upon Him, in order that they might hear Him. The same influence, the same measure of popularity, still attend His teaching. Those portions of the Scriptures particularly which record the parables and discourses of Christ, and exhibit His character, His conduct, His life and death, call forth expressions of admiration, and emotions of sympathy, even from avowed unbelievers; and, of course, the feeling is stronger in the case of professors. Far be it from us to undervalue this appreciation. It is a cause of thankfulness * Die Gleichniss-reden Jesu Christi, von Fred, Arndt, Vol. I., 2. feeling on the part of many who, in the moment of enthusiasm, hail Christ, "Lord! Lord!" and yet, in the moment of temptation, commit wilful sin, and so rank themselves in spirit with that frantic mob which surrounded the Saviour on Calvary, and cry with them, "Not this man, but Barabbas !"—not Jesus, but the world;--not the reproach of Christ, but the treasures of Egypt. when any degree of feeling, any manifesta- | constantly witnessing similar revulsions of tion of interest, is excited by the simple, majestic, moving eloquence of the Man Christ Jesus. But, in very faithfulness, the warning must be given; this alone is not sufficient. The religion of emotion or intellectual assent is not the religion of a man who, in the Scriptural sense of the words, confesses Jesus to be the Christ. It is the human responding to the human, but it is not the human responding to the DIVINE. It is the religion which may cry Ecce Homo, but fails to add with equal distinctness Ecce Deus. It is the recognition of Christ as the Philanthropist, but not the recognition of Christ as "the Way, the Truth, and the Life," the Incarnate Deity, Emmanuel-God with us, the Priest to atone for, the King to rule over, as well as the Prophet to teach His people. We cannot insist too strongly upon this distinction, for it affects the spiritual or nonspiritual vitality of the Oracles of Godthose Oracles delivered by the Word of God Himself. As a principle of Interpretation, it is Christ the Divine Saviour of sinners, not merely Christ the Philanthropist, whom we must know in order to a right understanding of His mission and teaching. If we regard Him only as the Philanthropist, there will be no spiritual power in His words. Like the Pharisees and Scribes, we may listen to them, and, as far as our human sympathy is aroused, no doubt be the better for them. We may learn lessons of morality, lessons of forbearance, forgiveness, meekness, tenderness, whilst thus sitting at the feet of Jesus; but we might learn almost the same lessons at the feet of the heathen philosophers. The power to practise what we know, even the precepts of the second table of the Law, is man's great necessity; and no mere human teaching can supply it. And if this be true of the second table, how much more of the first table of the Law? How speedily both tables were violated by the multitude, whose hosannas greeted our Saviour on every side, when He made His triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. The same multitude cried out, "Let Him be crucified !" And are we not These considerations should be brought to bear upon every portion of our Saviour's teaching. Nothing should satisfy us unless we can express our deep sense of the infinite value of that teaching in the language of His disciples, "Lord, to whom should we go ? Thou hast the words of ETERNAL LIFE.” This deep-seated conviction is something far beyond that feeling of interest which men in general evince. They have what may be termed the casket only in their hands. This they admire, and worthy of admiration it truly is the workmanship is exquisite. But the casket contains the Pearl, "the Pearl of great price," and that they never seek. And the treasure unsought is " a hid treasure"-hidden from the necessity of the case, if not hidden in penal judgment because the eye refuses to admit spiritual light. In expounding the Parables, let it be understood the spiritual Pearl is the main object of our search. Whilst many incidental lessons will be suggested, the paramount thought must be this-the Earthly Stories have a Heavenly Meaning; and for a right comprehension of the heavenly, spiritual meaning, a receptive heart is a qualification more indispensable than a penetrating understanding. "Every word of God is good; but some persons maintain such an averted attitude of mind, that it glides off like sunbeams from polar snows, without even obtaining an entrance to melt or to fructify. To one or two persons who stand in the same room, gazing on the same picture in the sunlight, the beauty of the landscape may be fully revealed, when to the other, on account of a certain indirectness of position and view, it appears only as an unpleasant dazzling glass. So of two Jews who both eagerly listened to Jesus as He taught from the fishing-boat on the Lake of Galilee, one found in the story the word of the kingdom, refreshing as cold waters to a thirsty soul; while the other, hearing the same words, perceived nothing in them but incoherent and tantalizing enigmas. It is the method, not unknown in other departments of the Divine government, of making the same fact or law at once profitable to the humble, and punitive to the proud. Not only the Lord's Word, but also the Lord Himself, partakes of this twofold character, and produces these diverse effects; the same rock on which a meek disciple surely builds his hope, is also the stone over which scoffers stumble in their final fall."* May spiritual discernment, "the hearing ear, and the understanding heart," be vouchsafed to the writer and readers of these papers. It is a responsible privilege we enjoy when we listen to Him of whom the Father said, "This is my beloved Son." With lowly reverence and a teachable spirit, let us sit at Jesus' feet, and learn of Him. II. THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. [Having published a lengthened exposition of this inimitable Parable in "THE WAY HOME," that I may not repeat what I have already said, I prefer commending to the reader the following exquisite lines, as illustrative of the accompanying engravings. A more impressive comment on the Parablewhich Lange beautifully terms "a gospel within a gospel, a universal text for preaching about the lost and recovered sons of our heavenly Father"-could scarcely be found.] COMING TO HIMSELF. And art thou he! But ah! how changed With love as with a garland crowned, And joy was in thy footfall's sound; "The Parables of our Lord." By the Rev. W. Arnot. "The Way Home; or, The Gospel in the Parable. An Earthly Story with a Heavenly Meaning." London: W. Macintosh. That quivering lip, that clouded eye, And sin and shame they speak! An honoured sire his blessings shed, And where is now the siren throng, So full of mirth and glee, Who filled thine ear with wanton song, Till they saw thy wealth run dry, |