Page096

Page096

96 THE PRAC'l'ICAL CHRISTIAN.


POETRY.


WHERE IS I1EAVEN~


ORIGINAL MISCELLANY.


' PERSONALITY.


Truth is most potent when " she s peaks in


ge ne ra l an i! impersonal terms. Then s he re­bukes


e very body, a nd nil con fess bp- fore


her words. She draws her bow, a nd lets fly


lIer ar row s at Hroad venture into th e ages, t"


pierce all evils and ah , nses at heart. S h


wo unds pe rsons throllgh jJl'in<: ip les, ' o n wh 06' ;


phy laetcry, ' thn n II I'l rile ma ll,' is e \'~ r written


10 th e eye of a ll mIJn,- .1. 13. . il. lcott.


DESTRUCTION OF LIFE IN ANCIENT WARS.


Ac customed as we are to th e effects of war


in civilized tim es, wh en the most bloody COli­tests


are follow ed hy an increa se in th e num­bel'S


Ofth e peopl e, it is difficult to form a COII­ception


of the desolation which it produced in


barbarous age ~, ' wh en th e voi ; l caused by ' the


sword is not s upplied by th e irnpulse. of subse­quent


tranquili ty. A few facts - will show its


prodi gious influ en c'e in form ernges, It is as­ce


rta iued by an exac t computation, that when


th e th ree great cupitnls ofKhornssan were de­stroyed


hy Trmour, 4 ,347,000 per sons were


put to th e sword. At th e salli e tim e, 700,000


peopl e were eluiu in the city ofMonsul, which


had risen in the neighborhood of the ancient


Nineveh; lind the desol ation produced a cen­w


ry and a hulf before, by th e sa c k of Genghis


Khan, hnd been at lea st as grea t. S uch were


the rav a ges of thi s mighty conqueror, and IIis


Mog nl followers in th e count ry between the


Cas pian 811< 1 the Indus, that th ey almost ex­termiauterl


th e inh abitants; aIII I five subse ­quent


centur ies hav e been unable to repair th e '


ra vages of four ycars. An arm y ' of 500,000 I


:; Uoguls, und er th e so ns of Gen ghis, so com ­plet


ely laid waste th e pr o vin ces tothe North


~ f th e Danube, th at t hey hav e never sinc e re­gn


ine d thei r forme r numhers ; and in the fam ­ine


l: o n~ e q lle ll t upon th e irruption of the saIIII'


hnrburiuns into th e Chinese empire , 13,000,000


lire eOlllpnteel to have perishe'l. Dnl'ing the


inv as ion o f T i, ilOn r, twel ve of ti, e most flour­is


illng" l: fti( is;;; o f l\ si n,- i iiCl ii'din g- D ell ii~ Ispa hiJl1,


Bagd ad allll Dl\ r ~ ascus, were ull erly destroy­ed


; a IIII pyramids of human he lllls, one o f:


which cOlllnined 90,000 sk nlls; er ected on th eir


rllins. During tltirty- two years of the reign


of Justinian , tb e hllrl lllrians a nn na lly made lin


incursion intn tltH Greeiul1 empire, and tlley ,


carried off or dest royed lit lin overage on eac h


occosion, 200, OOO persons, Nor was the d e­population


of the Sonthern and \ Vestern pl'OV­inc


es less during th e same d isastrous ' periot/._


In the \ vllrs of Udisarins in Africll, 5,000,000


of its inhahitanls lire computed hy a cOllle m­porory


writer to hav e perish ed ; lind dnring


th e contest. s between that illus trious warriol'


and his sup. ces soi · Norse!', alii I th e barbarian


armies in Italy, the whole Gothic 1lation, lind


ne a r ly fift een milliolls of the natives of Italy


disappeareel. . Tile plagne which followe,(


th ese sangninary contests cllrried ofrstill gr eat­el'


nUlllh ers thnn the sword ; and during th e f


fili v- two yenrs that it desolated tile Roman ,


ern'pire, is said to hav e destroyed II :' hundeet1' '


million.! of inhahitunts.- J1lison .


\ ittle store, but ,. that a ser vant girl whom sh r


had hired to take care of the children, while


she herself nttended tlie store, had induced,


him - to go off with her, and to tak e every,


thing of valu e , that he posses sed . a long with


them. From that tim e s he did nothing bu n


pin e away, until necessit y compell ed her to go


in search of her hu sband, whom she knew to


be in New York : And we have heardthe


re sult. The complaint ' of th e lar ceny having


been withdrawn, the unfortunate family were


ordered toTie taken care of, and will probably


be handed ov er to th e Commiss ioner of the


Alms House th is morning,


m: NTI. F. NESS.


lo;' · e to rc~ arrl all souls as bab es, yet' in


th eir prime nnd inn ocen ey of being, nor wonld


1upbraii! l" Iulely a fellow creature, hut tr eat him


as ten derl y as a n infant, j \ Vouldhe gentle ai - 1


way. Ge nt leness is th e div ine st of graces, : 11111


all men j oy in it. Yet seld om does it a ppear


on ' earth. Nor in th e fi, ce o f IlIan , nOI' yet in


the filee o f wollla u, ( 0 a pos tac y,) but in the


conn te na nce ofch ild hood it some times lingers,


~ ven amidst tile violence, the d ispathy that


heset it; tllere, for a littl e while, feci by divine


fir es, tile ser en e flam e glows, hut soou flicke rs


and die s Ilway, e hoked by tile passions and


lusts o'f sense - its emhers monlcl ering alone i~


, Ihe boso ms of men .- A. B. Alcott.


Will its , bli8s be found in those shJn ~ ng ways '


That are pouring their glories down ,


From countless millions of starry rays-


Is there the etern al crown?


' Tis found in the robe of holiness,


In the life unstained bY, s in,


In the narrow way of the pure in heart ,


" The kingdom of God is within .


h it far above the arch of the sky,


In iIM depths of unfathomed blue,


In regions unknow n to the clouded eye


Of our dim and earthly view ?


' T is found at the holy shrine of prayer,


In the peace which the . world has not given,


' Tis found in the spirit that waits for us there,


!" or THE PRESENCE_ OF GOD I " H EAVEN .


' Ti8 not in the path of the cloud or the sky,


' T is not in the stars ofl ight,


' Till not in the depths ' unknown to. the eye,


Or the ken of human sight. '


an uuattained and ever. ibvitilig Good, shining I ' I do, sir, I do ,' ex claimed the' prisoner,


in all the brightness and beauty of its own mi- c lasping her hands together" and looking as


borrowed Immortality, seeming and promis- nothing but deep misery and want can look,


ing all that th e Inrgest hea rt, the divinest soul ' I do, sir, I do. It is for stealing a little brass


could desi re. And it would be there too , candlestick; ond , oh God ! oh God ,! 1 wish


through a ll the succeeding ag es of eternity- I had stol en and got off with it, for I fear that


r ising upon our rmnds continually ' in new and my little D icky is dead, arid th at my poor lit; le


more and more lovely aspects forever.- Tho' Ellen and Mary are crying themsel ves to death


th e , stars would grow pal e, by reason of om' over him.'


progress beyond them, and the s un give no Court- s- You acknowledge then, that you


light, ye t at every step of our improvement, atte mpted to steul th e . candlesti ck.


th er e would be a deeper convicti on in us, than Prison er- i- I do , s ir- k ill me- i- hunu me- s- do


th er e even now is, t ha t th e SUPREME SOURCE what you lik e with me- but oh ! for God sa ke


of life and blessedness, th e Almighty Fath er, se nd . some one to look aft er my ch ildren;


can neeer be seen in all his unveiled Ex c~ l- Court- j- \ Vher e are yo nI' chi ldren?


lence. And viewed in th e light of th is inspir- Prison er-( Ioooking wildly about h er~ Ah,


ing truth , how important and how sublime is th at's it, that's it ; I fear they are dead , lind


th e tru e so ul's career a nd de stiny, But thi s gone fur eve r; for thcy have noth illg to wear,


we will dwell upon hereafter. Meanwhile nothing to eat- nQ bed to lie on : nnd their poor


let 0111' co ns ta nt pray er he: - moth er in ' pri son. Oh God !- I wish I had


'~' LO V E divine, all love excell ing, kill ed myself' und th em be fore it came to thi s,-


Joy of heaven, to earth come down ! for th en, at all eve nts, I wou ld have been with


Fix in us thy humble dwelling, . th em wh en th ey wer e dy ing,


All thy faithful mercies crown: ' Co nrt- Po or woman , 1 pity yOIl, and will


Faher ! thou art all compassion, ha ve you comfor ted. - '


Pure, unbounded love thou urt : I Prisoner- Y Oil c~ n no t comfor t me , unless


Visit us with thy salvation, you bring me my c hildre n. The biggest is


GOD. • Enter every longing heart," only six year s old, and th ey have ea te n 1I0th-


It wa s , askRd by one of 01,1: - " W ho by w , }{, F. illg s ince Mond ay. 0 go, go qui ck, - for I


searching can find outGod, who can find out kn ow my babies lire dead 01' dyiug [ o r human


the Almighty to perfection ?"- nnd it may be SELECTIONS. I nature ca nno t sta nrl so mu ch as th ey are called


for ever asked, e ve n by the most exalted intelli- A THRILLINGN AR, I.' l'IVE. up on to s ufle r ,


, gences. There is a Universal Existence- a I kn ow not wh enI hav e met with , a more Court- I again ask you where we can fiur]


Fountain ' o~ being- of I~ fe, Power is every . tou ching discription of human wretch edn ess th em: . .


wheremal1lfe. st. and .\~ lsdom . andGoOl. I - thanthefollowing. Jtis£ i · oma. NewYorkPl. lson er- O . slr. IdOl~. tknowhowto. te. 1I


ness. There rs that which WII S, and ever Will ' pa per contained in th e P oli ce R eports for Jan- you, but I co u ld find It out mys elf, for It IS


be: From ete rn ity to eternity, th ere i~ some- uary last. Here we witness th e streng th of a so m~ w he re c lor e lit h"~ H\. They are in a long


tlung above man, and above wh at st rikes th e " fotllel" s love t: I e offsnri l' ,01' I I' rrsprmg. The Ileal'ttlia t dark hall, und er a pa ll' of stu Irs, wh er e we


senses. At tim: s, we are all c. ons~ ious of this. can remain unmoved at th is ;' ecital of s uffe ring have , lived for a ~ ortnigbt. . For ~ h e sake ~ f


' Ve cannot resist th e conc lusion, if we would is not to be en vied. R eader; may we duilv th e F ather of mercies, yo ur worship- c- p ermit


:- we certainly ou ght not to, if. we , could, It ' bless God fo;' th e mercies we e nj oy , and chee r- me to go and. find th em, and dead or a live, I'll


, IS a momentous and sublime truth- s- a truth fully lab or in the wo rk~ ' of phil anthropy and return , and let you do ~ v h a t you plea se with


which lies at the foundation of all genuine im- lov e. G. W. s , me.


provement, And it is the d eclaration of eve n GenII)' I 1f t h d A t 11 h d Here th e poor cr eature threw her self on her , I e re c e ness.- n, aggur' ,


one who rejected Christi anity, that: ifa nation looking ''( oman , very neatly clad, but with an kn ees to implore his worship for libe r ty to go


could he fo. und without the ' idea, of. a God, it air of WOI'II ou t geIJtiJliItY aboutlleI', wns c IIUr- and look. for her ' children, and an offic er had ,


wou Id eVlelently be on a level with , If not be- ged with stea ling a brass cand les tick worth been deSired to att end her fol' that purpose,


lle. ath~ e bl'Ulal crea tion.' , Still. tb er e i~ much _ abouL two sbi ll ings. ~ Sbe sat a l'arLfi'olluhe _ _,~~~ n~! Je_ door. . o.!):!~ d~ ~ n~ ~~ ate~ I~ I _ en-_


of my stery copnect ed wllh tillS s ubJec t,- oth er prison er s, and appenred t ~' he d eeply ter eil wuh ' a n llI. fant. m IllS Ill'llll': lIllll two !> al~ ­There


mtl st ne eds be. F in ite minds cnnnot stricken with poverty and so rro w. It was evi- naked , trembling , littl e gi l'l~ , thc one ab out fOllr


fathom the depths_ of the universe; n'or ascer- ( Jen't,! IoI\ vev'' e , that SIJet00 · k no · 111 · te rest' 111 her a nd th e other six years old, holding on bv• his


ta in its height, nor its imni ensity . It is tln- pr esellt posit ion', nor ca re d for ti le , li sgrace coat. Jn stantly th e pi ison er Spl'llllg to her feet


~ ou~ Hled, sh oreless, measurele~ s. The imag- or inconve nience s he. mig ht be su bjecteci to, alld r. u sh e~ t o~ ards the wate. hlllan , shriek ing,


matlon may not onl~ stretch IIs~ lf from olle but that bel' sorrows had a deeper ro ot , an il ' I ~ Di ck abve ? and on , find ll1g th at be, was


Pole to th e other of our earth- II may tak e to tlJat IIeI' hea r t ( aIas ,\ wIIUt a' wretc hecI Ileart ahve , sh e lau gh ed hystel'lca lly, c las pe d th e in-itself


the wings of the morning, and go from , vas tllat ,) wa" D, else wIJere. "'" ' JeI" slgIlecI cont1' 11- fant wildly to he r bosom , and '' dan ced ab out


star to star, m tir eless effort, and at tbe termin- unlly, bnt her si gh s were sn ppressed as if she tb e office, and throwi ng h1': rself n pon the


ation of long ages, have to confess'thllt it has did not wish them to be ove rhe ad; and her form ex ha ns ted , sh e look her two half fhm-utterly


failed to begin to conceive of illimitable. e ves , vere re cI an< I IIanI WI · th we ep ' mg, a nd she islwd infants in her lap , wh e' n th ey all com-


~ pa? e . . S till there is t~ lat, all mu st . confess, \~ o u l d hnve we'pt still but sh e had 1 10 tears to menced lal~ ghing and weeping togethel:.


willch gives to e very tiling whatev er of wone sh e I SI ewidtl . t ' rh Meanwhtle the watchman had told hiS wor- , , . , C • I as leyon 1! 1. e poor crea-. .


derfulness, 01.' a'mma. lJon, 01'. harlIlony, • or , tt ll'e"" hat'l' , va s Ioose an d ra gge d ; IIeI' parox- S. lllP that th e e" lde st g n'l had call ed his atten -


beauty pertallJs to It, TillS by common ysm, hel' wI' · lllkled brlow nnc1' 1leI' IJ8ggard ey e tlon to th e chlldreli, nnd th at he found them


consent, we call God- the Infin ite, the Ever- ga ve e,' c1ellce f h t' I ' ffi ' d huddled tog eth er un, ler t. he stuirs, evident ly in I 0 muc mcn a su ermg, an


lasting, the Unchimgeahle. He it is that per- her pinched- up, att enuated nose and c h in, and a state of s ta rvatio n, lind with nothing to cov-vades,


that moves, that gov erns 1111 PUl'tS of, hollow skinny c hee k, told but too plainly that er them other than th e rags t he y had o u.


creation- visibl~ a~ d inv isible.. I~ e, says- stark fnmme had nlmost done its worst upon Court-~ ow, l\ Ir~ . Bar cla y, s inc e you have


' Let there he light - and there IS hght ;- He her , for sh e was so mnch wnsted , th at th ere got y ou r c lll idren, . Will yo u answer me a few


wills, a~ d whatever Hewi!! s he accomplishes. co'ltld he hilt littl e fu rth er effe cted hy the g rave qu e~ tion s, and I'll hav e you and them pI: operly


In Him we all live, and move, anll ha ve our an d the worms. Her dress con sist ed of an tak en car e of. ,


being. '~ i n and misery e x cept e c~,' He is th e old tatter ec1 gown, and that was all, for the Prisoner- I will, s ir, I'll do lJny , thing


Author- the first and de signing cause of rents her e and there made it but too evident now; but 0 ! whatevel' yon 11 0, don't part us


wli'atever e xists. Awful fllCt, anll su blilue ! . that sh e had no inner garll1ent, an cl, she was again .


But bere we must pause. ' Vith our lim- also defi cient in shoes and'stockin gs. God Co nrt - Ne ver fear. How long have you


ited faculties, we ca ! 1 go no farth er. \ V e eun- help her ! mn ch as we' a re used to see ne s of been in thi s city?


not comprehend the mode ofdi vine exist~ n c e, pov erty a nd misery, we elid not thiuk th ere Pl'i soner,.- Abotlt two months, s ir.


nor attempt a description! But ' God is love' was so fa rlom a being in existence, 01' ev ell a Co nrt- How ha\' e you s npported yourse lf


' - and how enrapturing the th ou ght !- Love being could ex ist aud be so forlorn. ' Her allthlll time ? '


' passing knowledge.' 0, that everyone were nam e was Ellen , Barclay. y Prison er"":::' I hardly know, sir, but ''' Ie eat


wise, and pure, to understand this, ~ o be- The Cou rt h a vin g di sp osed of three o d our very little- I tried to get wo rk , but nn , one


lieve on this point, and with a right he art- triflin g ca ses, c alled Ellen Bnrci lly, hnt receiv- would employ me, be eau se I looked so 8ha lJhy.


~ o see rathel', is to .' rej oice alway s.' But th e eel no answer. ' Don' t you hear h is worsh ip I then w ent to heg, bnt some peopl e told lIIe


, near er approach we make to God, t he fnrther call ?' s ni, l a watchman. Still no ans we r. th ey would hav e me taken up, and others that


. ¥ emov- ed from us does He seem-:- the more of ' Get up,' ndd ed the , watchman with an oath, I was drunk ; though, God knows, at tLe titlle


' love we have, th e 1I10re we di scover in Him. and he was abont to lay rud'iJ hands on her, I was almost wild with sta r vlltion ancl wi th


And . if we were to make progress in intelli- when he looked in her filce, but wa s nt once hea ring my poor infilll ts c ry ing fur food. And


gence, lJfld every ex ceflence forever,' at ev ery slihdued and · almost te .... ified by its ex pres - so, s ir, I was driven on hy s hee r necessit y un­stage'


of ou r gl'owth, we should be prompted s ion of ab stract miser y. It was e vide nt the til I did th e thing that brought me her e. •


to exclaim, and with constan tly increasing wretched woman was wrnpt in her own ago- COlJl't.-\ Vhat br ou ght you to New York,


wonder: 0, the depth, both of th e greatness n izi ng reflections, lind thllt she was not awnre whe n you had no £ i'iend her e ? '


and goodness, ' of God! how unsearchabl e is of what was passing arouud he,'. P risoner- I came to seek Illy h~ sband. si r,


His, nature and Hisperfection past finding out! Being a t len gth amnsed to a knowledge of who. deserted me six nlOnths ago for a n ~ t. her


Forever and f" rever, ev en lhns ; advnncin g, her position, ho we ve r, her fit of abstraction woman; but wh en I found him, he o nlv b~ lI t


th er! J would b~ be(? re us th e UNFATHOMABLE for so ok he r, aud she bec iune sens ative, her me; a nd wh en I told him th at J a nd my ch il­-


the INEXHAUSTIBLE. Thotlg] J our capaci- co nn tanance rela xing from i'ts ex p ression of dren were sta rv ing, he sai rl he wish ed we wer e


, t ies sh ould ev ery, moment be enlarg ing, and ' contemplative su ffer ing, and nsurn ing a min- de ad ; and Go d kn ow s, so d id r.


onr spir itua l vision ev er y moment'. extending gled air ofeage~ ness, d istrll; t and so lici tat ion. POOl' E llen then stated, that for sev el\ years


and becoming more and mor e ac ute, still there ' Do you know wha t you a re co nfine d for her hll shnnd Ul1< 1 she lived ver y " o m( u rt ah! y


.. w o uld be far away in , the Everlast ing Future, Elleu?' inqui re d , the C ~ lirt . toge! her in AI'JllIlY, where t! ley hUG !\ l'pt at


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Page 96 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840