ceeds in bringing back the treasure from the desert island. May we then humbly knock at the first Gate of Heaven, Consecration to God; then there will be no danger in passing through the second, the Gate of Conservation; and finally the road will of itself lead to the long desired Gate of Divine Illumination, to which may we all come, soon, in this life. THE COLT AND THE HORSE. Amen. In order to settle A King had two sons who were twins. which of them should inherit the Kingdom the Father gave to each an equally fruitful field, and to each an equally powerful colt to cultivate it, telling them both whoever should, at the end of ten years, have reaped the most fruit should inherit the Kingdom. The first son (to designate) made prepration to plow, but found that his colt would not permit itself to be harnessed. So he waited for eight years until the colt had grown old and weak enough to be docile. Then the first son began to plow, but with his utmost efforts he only gathered in two harvests. The second (to designate), however, as soon as he found his colt unmanageable procured himself a great whip and much cord and by very cruel usage for ten days so broke the spirit of the colt that he was then docile in spite of his youngness and great vitality. This the son used in cultivating the field, and so he raised on it ten harvests. When the tenth year had passed the son brought to his Father gold only to the amount of two harvests. The second son brought gold to the amount of ten harvests. The Father commended the second son, and gave him the Kingdom, appointing the first son, in view of his having brought back the value of two harvests, to the dignity and position of a door-keeper. The horse of the human physical body is, in youth, unmanageable. Those who proceed to conquer it, by permitting it to exhaust itself, will only reap fruit in age, and very little of it, for the horse is then already decayed with age. Those who proceed to tame it by remorseless asceticism for a sufficient period can make use of its vitality not only in later, but also in earlier, more vigorous life. They who only bring forth two harvests will only be rewarded for two, while those bringing forth ten, will be rewarded for ten. The reward is the same for both, in respect to the fact that it is a reward, and that it expresses the good will of the Pather. But oh, how much more beautiful it would be if the reward was tenfold, instead of twofold only! May God grant us courage to tame our bodies so remorselessly that we may reap its vital fruits from this hour forward. THE PRODIGAL SON. An Eastern King had an only and beloved Son, on whom he purposed to bestow the kingdom as soon as he should be old enough to assume its responsibilities. The Son, although still young, was angered at nou receiving it immediately, and, wearied with sojourning at his father's court, fled in the middle of the night with all the wealth that he possessed. In the far country he spent his substance in riotous living, and when he became poor and cast out by those whom he had fed. and was forced to wander begging his food, both half afraid and ashamed to return to his Father, and partly so brutalized as to have lost desire to return home. It was the custom of the father to look down over the fields every evening, in the vain hope of seeing his Son returning. One day he saw his brutalized Son, who, on seeing his Father, turned to run away. The Father immediately sent soldiers to bring the outcast into the palace. The Son first plead with the soldiers to be let loose, and sought to free himself by main force, but was overpowered and brought into the presence of the King. At the sight of him the Son was frightened, and struggled desperately to get loose. The King, feeling compassion on the outcast, directed the soldiers to let him loose, whereupon the latter fled away as for his life. The King immediately sent after him a servant who, meeting the fugitive as by chance offered him an opportunity to labor on the King's estate, as a muck-raker, at a moderate wage. Half grumbling the Son accepted the position, whereupon the King took off his royal robes, blackened his face, put on the garb of a muck-raker, and went to work half of each day by his son's side. Through his kindness and wisdom he awoke in the Son his own better self, and by education created in him the nobler asperations. Soon as the Father felt that his efforts had succeeded, he instructed a servant to offer the Son pleasant and more remunerate work, which, the latter accepting, the Father also shared daily, ever leading his Son upwards to a cleaner life and nobler ideals. Finally the Son was appointed manager of all the King's estate. When he had in this position approved himself as worthy, the Father sent for him to come into the palace, then presented him to the courtiers as the long-lost prince, revealed himself as his Son's fellow-laborer, and admitted the bewildered Son to a share in the ruling of the kingdom. MORAL. It is in vain to endeavor to bring the sinful man directly into the full presence of God. The Son will not be wil ling to stay in it, till he shall have become worthy of it, through labor and moral growth. The father is ever educating His children without their faintest suspicion of His presence and His purpose; the only delay in their receiving the kingdom consisting in their own delay in becoming worthy of it. May it be given to us to grow worthy of it soon. THE BICYCLE INSTRUCTOR. On a quiet side street, that was paved with asphalt, by night, the bicycle learner went up and down, swaying from side to side, now falling off, now just avoiding a catastrophe. The instructor ran by his side, one hand on the handlebars, the other beneath the seat. And so it went on, up and down the street, until both grew tired. A parable of human destiny. The bicycle is the human body, the learner is the soul, trying to ride the body in a straignt line, but swaying around intoxicated by its powerlessness. The in structor is the Guardian Angel, who seeks to hold the learning soul in balance, and off the sidewalk, where it must fall off in defeat by the body. It is not the angel's fault the body is struct down by obstacles; if the soul would only listen to the Still Small Voice of the Angel, all would be well. But nothing can be done until the soul has succeeded in learning to ride the body; it may take the whole life and still remain unlearnt. O, ye Heavenly Powers, ! Steady us, as we sway from side to side on our body. Teach us to balance! Teach us to go ahead, nothing doubting, that we may remain upright! Teach us that to stand still means to fall. When we most sway, then hold on the hardest, lest we get our deserts by falling. Through the darkness run by our side silently, and do not leave us. Speak to us from time to time, and give us courage to continue. Let us see your efforts so that we be shamed into making some ourselves. When we fall hold the body, lest it break to pieces in the catastrophe ; then help us again into the saddle. You may praise us for learning, but we shall give you eternal gratitude for your help, without it we should not attain anything. O, may we cherish a noblest ideal to become Guardian Angels, on our own account, so to teach others to ride their bodies to the New Jerusalem. Help us, ye Heavenly Powers! Without you we cannot even call on you for help. Help us, O, ye who have learned our lessons long ago! Succor us, that we too may become Gods. 66 Obey Heaven, and follow the orders of Him who geverns it." - Coufucius. THE "MESSENGER OF LIFE." A certain just man, Elchasai, received a book from the Seri of Parthia, which he gave to some one called Sobiai; this book was delivered (procured) by an Angel whose height was twenty four schoeni, which is ninety-six miles, but his width four schoeni, and from shoulder to shoulder six schoeni; but the tracks of his feet three and a half schoeni in length, which is fourteen miles, but the breath of one schoenus and a half, and the depth half a schoenus. And there is with him also a Female whose measurements he says are in accordance with those above mentioned; and that the Male is SON of the God, but the Female is called the Holy SPIRIT (Ghost). Simon Magus says the same thing. (Hippolytus, II. p. 255). A new remission of sins was announced in the year of Trajan, and he defines a baptism . . . But he says that Christ was born a man, like all men, and that he was not now born for the first time, from a virgin, but also before and again having been and being born he appeared and existed, changing his births, and having been transmigrated. These Elchasites also apply themselves to mathematics, astrological and magic arts as if true, and, using these, they alarm the senseless so that they think these people possess the magic word (logou dunatou); they teach both incantations and epilogues to those dog-bitten and afflicted with demons and possessed by other sicknesses. These are the wonderful MYSTERIES of the Elchasai ( Elxai ), the secret and great which he delivered to his disciples. (Hippolytus, II. pp. 464-407). He says thus: There are wicked Stars of impiety. This has now been said to you, O pious and disciples; beware of the power of the days over which they rule, nor make the commencement of works on their days, and do not baptize man or woman on the days of their power, when the moon crosses them and journeys with them. (Ibid, p. 469.) St. Jerome says "the Daemons observing the lunar tempora.". Hieronym, to Matt iv. 24. -- WHAT WAS THE BUG BIBLE? asks one our correspondents, and we answer that the " Bug Bible" was printed in 1551. It contained a prologue by Tyndall. It was so called from the peculiar rendering of the 5th verse of the 91st Psalm, which was made to read: "Thou shalt not need to be afraid of any bugs by night." "The mind moves slow when sound suggests the thought, But fast, when fancies on the eyes are wrought.". Horace. Curious Logarithmic Combinations. NUMBERS. = = LOGARITHMS. = = LOGARITHMS OF THE DIGITS. 1. Log 118264.0728379 X 28.1456758 log 139854276 2. Log 12363 4.0921239 X 2 8.1845478 log 152843769 3. Log 12543 4.0984014 X 2 = 8.1968028 log 157326849 4. Log 146764.1666077 X 2 8.3332154 log 215384976 5. Log 15681 4.1953738 X 2 = 8.3907476 log 245893761 6. Log 15963 = 4.2031145 X 2 = 8.4062290 log 254817369 7. Log 18072 4.2570062 X 2 = 8.5140124 log 326597184 8. Log 19023 4.2792700 X 2 = 8.5585580 log 361874529 9. Log 19377 4.2872865 X 28.5748530 log 375468129 10. Log 19569 = 4.2915686 × 2 = 8.5831372 log 382945761 11. Log 196294.2928982 X 2 = 8.5857964 log 385297641 12. Log 20316 4.3078382 X 2 8.6156764 log 412739856 13. Log 22887 = 4.3595889 X 2 = 8.7191778 log 523814769 14. Log 23019 = 4.3610865 X 2 = 8.7221730 log 529874361 15. Log 23178 8.7281520 log 537219684 16. Log 23439 8.7398781 log 549386721 17. Log 242374.3844789 X 2 = 8.7689578 log 587432169 18. Log 24276 = 4.3851771 X 2 = 8.7703542 log 589324176 19. Log 24441 = 4.3881190 X 2 8.7762380 log 597362481 20. Log 24807 =4.3945742 X 2 = 8.7891474 log 615387249 21. Log 25059 = 4.3989637 X 2 = 8.7979274 log 627953481 22 Log 25572 = 4.4077647 X 2 = 8.8155294 log 653927184 23. Log 2594144139867 X 2 = 8.8279734 log 672935481 24. Log 26409 4.4217520 X 2 = 8.8435040 log 697435281 25 Log 267334.4270477 X 2 = 8.8540954 log 714653289 26. Log 27129 4 4334338 X 28.8668676 log 735982641 27. Log 27273 4 4357329 X 28.8714658 log 743816529 28. Log 290344-4629069 X 2 89258138 log 842973156 29. Log 291064 4639825 X 2 = 8.9279650 log 847159236 30. Log 30384 4 4826449 X 2 = 8.9652898 log 923187456 = 4.3640760 X 2 = = Then LOGARITHMS OF Digital Squares. The digits can be placed in only 30 ways so that the square roots can be taken. the logarithms of these 30 roots each multiplied by 2 will give the logarithms of the 30 digital squares. The table is simply an exercise, and a curiosity in its way, and formed an evening's entertainment at the cosmical rising and setting of the Pleiades, the present year. The total eclipse was on, and one member of the class said twelve digits; another said there are only ten digits; Webster was appealed to, and both were right. Some authorities say nine digits. Well, Orion was examined and behold (%), Mercury and Mars nearly at quadrature, and these several-meaning terms accomplished the above table. |