for persons to define a spirit by saying what it is not, but I query whether there is, or ever could be, any man who could form any idea of what it is. We sometimes talk about seeing a spirit; ignorant persons in ages gone by, and some now, in benighted villages, talk about seeing spirits by night. They must know that they talk contradictions. Matter can be seen, but a spirit, if it clothed itself in any light substance, could not even then be seen it would only be the substance that would be seen. The spirit itself is a thing which can neither be tasted, handled, seen nor discerned in any way whatever by our senses; for if it could be, it would then be proof positive that it was not a spirit at all, but belonged to the realm of matter. We divide all things into matter and spirit, and whatsoever can be recognized by the senses in any way is matter, depend on it. Spirit is itself a thing too subtile to be either seen or in any other way recognized by the senses. I say, then, I suppose there is no man living, and never will be any man in this mortal state, who will be able to define a spirit as to what it is, though he may say what it is not. Now, there is a region where there are spirits dwelling without body. They are pure spirits-beings whose substance we cannot imagine; purely immaterial, as they are also immaculate. But on earth you will find no such a thing as a pure spirit. We are all spirits in bodies, and somehow, from the fact that wherever we find souls and spirits they are always found in bodies, we are very apt to confound bodies and spirits together. But let us always understand that bodies and spirits are distinct things; and though it hath pleased God in this world never to make a spirit without making a house for it to dwell in, called the body, yet the body is not the spirit. Now, you will easily learn this, for in man's body no one can tell where the life is. In vain the surgeon lays the body on the table and dissects it: he will find life neither in the brain nor in the heart; he may cut the body in pieces as he pleases: he will not find anything that he can lay hold upon tangibly and really and say, That is life." He can see all the effects: he can see the parts moving, he can see all the appearances of life caused by a supernatural something; but life he cannot see. It is altogether beyond his ken, and after all his searching he would lay down his scalpel and say at once, "There, now! the task is all over. There is a spirit that quickeneth this body, but in my search after life this flesh profiteth me nothing. I might as well search for a soul within a stone or within one of the pillars that support this house as search for a soul within mere flesh and blood if I look for something which I can see, which I can lay hold of, or which, by either taste, sight, smelling, or anything else, I can distinguish and designate as being a spirit." I question whether there is any man who can define himself; the most any man can say is, "I am; I know I have an existence; but what kind of thing my spirit is I do not know, I cannot tell; I have no knowledge of what it is. I feel it, I know it moves my body, I feel its outward manifestations, I am certain of my existence; but what I am I know not." C. H. SPURGEON. THE RICH MAN AND THE POOR MAN. O goes the world! If wealthy, O'goes you may call This, "friend;" that, "brother"-friends and broth ers all. Though you are worthless, witless, never mind it; You may have been a stable boy what then? 'Tis wealth, good sir, makes honorable men: You seek respect, no doubt, and you will find it. But if you are poor, Heaven help you! Though your sire Had royal blood within him, and though you Possess the intellect of angels too, 'Tis all in vain the world will ne'er inquire On such a score. Why should it take the pains? 'Tis easier to weigh purses, sure, than brains. I once saw a poor fellow keen and clever, He walked on this side, then on that, Said by their silence, "Better stay at home.” A rich man burst the door; As Croesus rich, I'm sure He could not pride himself upon his wit, What a confusion! All stand up erect; These crowd around to ask him of his health, These bow in honest duty and respect, "Allow me, sir, the honor;" then a bow And to himself he said, "This is indeed beyond my comprehension;" Then, looking round, One friendly face he found, And said, "Pray tell me why is wealth preferred To wisdom?"-"That's a silly question, He took his little boy and girl and set them on his knee, "If a policeman's careless, dears, or if not over-bright, And their mother hung about his neck, and When he should show a red flag it may be her tears flowed fast and free. "I'm going by the rail, my dears.-Eliza love, don't cry.— Now, kiss me, both, before I leave, and wish papa good-bye. I hope I shall be back again this afternoon to tea, he shows a white; Between two trains, in consequence, there's presently a clash : If poor papa is only bruised, he's lucky, in the smash. 'Points may be badly managed, as they were the other day, And then I hope alive and well that your Because a stingy company for hands enough. An accident occurs, and Say 'Good-bye' May he return on two legs to his children And there's a risk for poor papa's and every- So, in case the worst may happen, you are so body's necks. "Or there may be a screw loose, a hook or bolt or pin, Or else an ill-made tunnel may give way and tumble in ; And in the wreck the passengers and poor papa remain Confined, till down upon them comes the next excursion-train. far all secured; MAHOMET. HEN Mahomet commenced Prophet and his followers. As soon as they carried their arms beyond the Arabian peninsula it was at the expense of these two powers that their first conquests had to be won. Within a few years after the death of Mahomet, Persia was entirely subdued and Rome shorn of its Oriental provinces. Mahomet was born in the year 569, in the reign of Justin II., emperor of the Romans, and of the famous Khosru, or Chosroes, surnamed Nushirvan, king of Persia. The Roman empire, the seat of whose government was then fixed at Constantinople, the New Rome, still extended over nearly all the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The commands of Cæsar Augustus were still obeyed from the Atlantic to the Euphrates. Mahomet was the son of Abdallah, and of the noblest race in Mecca and in Arabia. To his family belonged the hereditary guardianship of the Kaaba and a high place among the aristocracy of his native city. Personally poor, he was raised to a position of importance by his marriage with the rich widow Khadijah, whose mercantile affairs he had previously conducted. In his fortieth year he began to announce himself as an apostle of God sent to root out idolatry and to restore the true faith of the preceding prophets, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Slowly and gradually he makes converts in his native city. His good wife Khadijah, his faithful servant Zeyd, are the first to recognize his mission; his young cousin, the noble Ali, the brave and generous and injured model of Arabian chivalry, declares himself his convert and vizier; the prudent, moderate and bountiful Abu-Bekr acknowledges the pretensions of the daring innovator. Through mockery and persecution the Prophet keeps unflinchingly in his path; no threats, no injuries, hinder him from still preaching to his people the unity and the righteousness of God, and exhorting to a far purer and better morality than had ever been set before them. He claims no temporal power, no spiritual domination; he asks but for simple toleration, for free permission to win men by persuasion into the way of truth. He is sent neither to compel conviction by miracles nor to constrain outward profession by the sword. He is but a preacher sent to warn men that there is one God and that there is none other but he, that all that he requires is that men should do justice and love mercy and walk |