WELSH TRANSLATION OF LUTHER'S CELEBRATED HYMN. bring happiness wherever it goes, and, like the water of the fountain, it will return to you with its virtues a thousand times greater, and you will be made better and younger by it. In your joy remember the children, not just your own-they have you to look after them-but think of the little ones whose homes are bare, where life is like a tossing sea. Remember the sick children. Think of the joy a beautiful toy, a great round orange, a big bag of sweets, will bring to the little ones whose limbs are tied down for ever. Think of the great picture book over which the eyes will open wide-eyes, my friend, that will soon be closed for ever in death; and of the great and intense delight felt when a wonderful tree is recognized, or a bird's name is known to the little boy whose life has been spent in the close streets. These are gifts that you will never regret. Give of them-give of your plenty and from your heart, and be sure that to each little one of your own will come special happiness because you have remembered the sufferers among the babies. When that Divine Baby slept so quietly in the stable, the great kings of the earth thought it worth while to bring presents to Him, and surely as you consider the least among these, He will remember you. Let the bells ring out then on Christmas morning, and let your heart beat in unison as you know that you have brought joy unto his little ones. Children are God's own angels sent by Him to brighten our world, and what we do for these messengers from the sky, especially at the time of the year which belongs to them, will come back to us threefold, like unto bread cast upon the waters. Remember, the first Christmas gifts were laid at the feet of a child-a poor child of humble parents. Give your gifts then to the humble, to the poor, 367 Ein nerth a'n cadarn dwr yw Duw, Gwan lewyrch ddaw o allu dyn; Mewn siomiant blin mae'n diffodd Ond trosom ni mae'r addas un; A Duw ei hun a'i trefnodd. Pwy? medd calon drist: Neb ond Iesu Grist; Arglwydd lluoedd nef, Ac nid oes Duw ond ef. Pe'r byd yn ddieifl fel uffern ddofn, Ni roddwn le i fraw Dac ofn; Y gair a saif; a llwyddo raid, Er t'wylled mae'n ymddangos: Bywyd rhown yn rhydd, THANKSGIVING DAY. Let thanks flow like a river To our God above, Creator of great mercies The Father full of love: God of this day we raise For sheaves of ripened grain In human form, the God-head veiled, Ye saints, and seraphs bright on high, Hosanna! sounding as the sea Peace on this sin-stained world abides, Good will to men of every race, Oh! boundless wealth of grace and love, And lay his glory down! That mocking, thorny crown! Thy sceptre Christ! shall never fail, Thy birth and mortal pain; What once was told 'neath Bethlehem's sky, On winged wheels shall roll and fly, New York City. FIVE PATHWAYS. To Wealth: AP DANIEL. Deep set in thoughtful toil, This pathway winds through long and weary years Bordered with pain and sorrow, grief and tears, Threat'ning and slippery, gloomy to the Mark where those boulders grey sight, O'erhang the path which gains the temple bright, Mark how those depths their myriad victims claim, For few are they who scale the rugged height, And pass the perilous way To fame. THE LATE REV. D. SAUNDERS, D.D., AS A PREACHER. With force of arms we nothing can; Full soon were we down-ridden: God's word for all their craft and force, And tho they take our life These things shall vanish all THE LUTHER CELEBRATION.-A great cele bration was held on Monday, Oct. the 31st at Wittenberg and throughout Germany in commemoration of the desicive act by which Luther began the Reformation. On October 31, 1517, he nailed to the door of the Castle Church a paper which was his defiance to Rome. It was a paper against indulgences, and its ninety-five theses or propositions formed the basis of the great doctrinal edifice which Luther afterwards reared. The act is the subject of an annual festival, but it was celebrated this year with peculiar pomp to mark the ceremony attending the consecration of the newly restored "Schlosskirche, "to the door of which the Reformer nailed his famous Theses. The Emperor was accompanied by the Empress and Count von Caprivi, and there were also present all the Protestant monarchs of Germany or their representatives. The Duke of York representing the Queen, travelled from Berlin with the Emperor, who was also accompanied by the Crown Prince of Sweden. THE LATE REV. D. SAUNDERS, D. D., SWANSEA, AS A BY THE LATE REV. OWEN THOMAS D.D., LIVERPOOL. The following excellent tribute and estimate of the mental endowments 369 and service in the gospel ministry of the late Rev. Dr. Saunders, will be found timely and interesting, coming as it does from the pen of the late eminent preacher, Rev. Dr. Owen Thomas, Liverpool. Both were among the leading ministers in Wales, and both now have been called by the Master to enjoy their heavenly reward. The following is taken from a private letter written by Rev. Dr. Owen Thomas to Hon. R. P. Howell, Racine, Wis., who has kindly furnished us with a copy for publication in THE Cambrian.-Ed. "Mr. Saunders' mind is naturally of a very high order; and that mind has by hard and diligent study, been richly endowed with varied and extensive knowledge. He has read, and read thoroughly, a large number of the best writers of ancient and modern times, especially in the department of Philosophy and Theology; but has read them with an independent mind, calling no man his master. After all, the extent and variety of his knowledge does not strike one so much as the perfect command, he seems always to have, over all the knowledge he has acquired, and the ease with which he brings it all under subjection to the gospel. His great mental superiority consists, not in the predominance of any one power, or faculty, overshadowing the others, but in a wellbalanced proportion, and exquisite harmony of all the powers, vigorous and keen in intellect, acute and discriminating in reason, sound and transparent in judgement, rich and beautiful in imagination, deep and tender in feeling-his mind has always appeared to me, as fine a specimen as I ever knew, of an intellectually complete whole. And his moral nature, if possible, is finer still. As a preacher he is universally regarded by his countrymen of all creeds and churches, and by the most intelligent, as well as by the people generally, as one of the first rank. In his lucid exposition of his text, in his power of laying hold upon the principle directly taught or involved in it; in the aptness and beauty of his illustrations; in the richness of his diction; in the perspicuity, and elegance of his style; in the sweetness of his voice; in the natural ease of his delivery; in his entire self-possession, notwithstanding his thorough self-oblivion; in these and other qualities, he stands unrivalled; and is in the highest and best meaning of the term, an eloquent speaker." THOUGHTS FROM DR. CUYLER, The successful people in this world are commonly those who make the most of their opportunities. That martial mastiff, Frederick of Prussia, defied half of Europe to conquer him for seven bloody years, simply by his intuitions of the right moments, and his prompt use of them. His famous pupil, Napoleon, was the king of opportunities; he used to say, "There is a crisis in every battle, a ten or fifteen minutes on which the fate of the battle depends. To gain this is victory, to lose it is defeat." In every battle of life there are pivot occasions, on which the greatest interests are depending. The loss of these never can be retrieved. There are merchants who never buy until the wares have gone up, and do not sell until they have gone down. "That's just my luck!" is their stereotyped story; but it is always the luck of the dilatory to be just a little way behind the point where all the successes are won. Ten minutes of sharp striking when the iron is hot, are worth days of tiresome hammering when it has grown cold. BIBLE religion is the highest common sense applied to the service of God. "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men." In his letter to his Ephesian brethren, Paul exhorts them to redeem the time. A liberal rendering would be "buying an opportunity." The word time is vague and indefinite; the word opportunity signifies the very nick of time, the golden moment. The great busy Apostle practiced what he preached. There was a chance given him to direct a convicted sinner in the prison of Philippi, and to restore a cripple at Lystra, and to put a pungent truth into the ears of Felix, and to speak the right word at the right moment on Mars Hill. He did not the most successful soul-winners have allow one of his chances to slip. All been those who improved the nick of time. When Providence set a door ajar, they pushed it open, and entered. In the biography of Robert Murray McCheyne are several incidents, showing how he bought his opportunities, to say a word in season-and kindly also to the unconverted. Payson of Portland was famous for this. So was that model Christian worker, Harlan Page. THE wisest pastor is the man who knows how to time his visits when sickness or sorrow require them most; the heart may be like wax then to receive the stamp. He is on the lookout also for chances to speak the seasonable, loving word to those who are yet out of Christ. For one I can testify that much of the good that the Master has ever enabled me to do has been in this very way; and it is the remorse of my life that I have allowed too many precious opportunities to drift by me. Let every young minister write this sentence on the first page of his pastorate-the loss of opportunities will be the loss of success THE OLD WAY TO THE MASSES. in the ministry. Sunday school teachers should heed the same truth. To explain a Bible-lesson is only a fraction of a teacher's duty; an infinitely more important matter is to win the hearts of your scholars to the Saviour. To everyone who is yet without Christ there is a solemn lesson in this word opportunity. My friend, if your soul is lost, it will be because you threw away your chances of securing heaven. Many such you have flung away already. Your life is the poorer, your influence for good the weaker, your conscience is the more uneasy, your guilt is the deeper, and your prospects for eternity are the darker, simply because you have always resisted the divine Spirit who was pleading with you. You may do this too often. The loving Saviour gives last knocks at the heart's closed door! It is only a moment's work to accept Christ when you are in earnest. The present is yours! Grasp your opportunity and you secure eternal life! The nick of time is now. 371 well endowed with spiritual gifts, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. Perceiving the great service that such men could render in the capacity of ushers, they assigned them to that duty. The pastor in the pulpit was not more careful in preparing or anxious in delivering His message than were these wise and godly men in devising and expressing fitting remarks to strangers and other attendants to whom a personal word might be as a nail driven in a sure place. Besides the courtesies of seating them, they stood at the doors at the close of the service to say a timely word to these strangers and neighbors, assuring them of a cordial welcome to the prayer meetings, as well as Sabbath services, and learning their residences, would endeavor to prepare the way for or get an invitation for the pastor or themselves to call on them. These methods were blessed in a most gratifying degree, and the church grew and became one of the strongest and most efficient of the Baptist churches of New York city. Instead of endeavoring to "draw" or allure the masses, they went to the people, and from house to house made known their messages. When the people came to them, their older and more experienced members greeted them in behalf of the church, and prepared the way for the personal work which has been and ever will be essential in saving souls. We are not disposed to criticise and disparage those pastors and churches who are trying to do something more to win outsiders. Better anything than indifference. We are assured that pastors of the churches, resorting to various expedients (in hope of alluring some to their services), preach the Gospel in all faithfulness to those who come. That is well. Better be awake to duty and sufficiently alive to do something than to be despondent |