Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-07-23
THE WONDERFUL LAMP.
BY ALEXANDER MACLEOD, D. D.

One of the most famous stories III the
world is about lamp. | was as young
as you when l first heard 1t, and to-day,
speaking to you here, it all comes back
to me. Aladdin, the ragged orphan boy,
his poor, Woodworking mother, the
magician selling his wares on the street.
and the wonderful lamp! One thing l
well remember. that, like every other
good thing, it had to be brought up out
of deep place, and when 1t was found,
it was, to look at it, nothing but an old
and common everyday lamp.
And who that has once read the story,
can ever forget how the poor mother,
rubbing it one day with sand to make it
look bright, found out what sort of a
lamp it was, and what it could do for her
boy and her? 1t was fortune to them.
1t gave them everything they wished. 1t
brought food, clothes, money and SER
wants to Aladdin and his mother.
1t built houses for them; brought
them horses and carriages; made friends
for them; put enemies away from them.
And it opened to Aladdin the gates of the
kings palace made him kings son, and
at last king.
remember, after first heard the
story, how | used to sit at the fireside and
look at the Goals burning in the CRATE,
and at the flames turning and twisting
about the bars, and far in among the
flames and the glowing coal, at the
strange houses, and fields, and trees, and
faces, which boys are always seeing in
the fire, and how said to myself: "Oh
for one other such lamp as Aladdin's, for
a lamp that would make king of me, or
carry me like bird over all the wonder
full places of the earthw
And l dare say many other boys has
been as simple as /, and wished the same
wish. would not be surprised If there
should be boys before me, who have read
the story and wished that wish, and
wish it still, and over and over again
wish it in the long Winter evenings as
they sit by the fire. l am sure there is
many an intelligent boy in this country
not so we'll off as you are, who has to
rise early in the morning, and go through
the dark, cold lanes to some factory, who
has said to himself: "Oh, for a lamp like
,Aladdin's to put all this darkness and
cold away. and bring the factory little
nearer, and give me little time for
school, and warmer clothes and better
dinner when get homer
And that is not such a foolish wish as
many people might suppose. 1t is not a
mere dream, or a thing only to be found
in story. The Bible tells us of lamp
that will DO all that Aladdin's did for
him, and mOre-a lamp which has been
lighted in heaven and sent down to
earth, which has light for hearts. and
homes, and churches; and something
better than gold or silver, or houses and
lands. or coaches and horses for ourselves
which many boy and girl may have,
which many a boy and girl already have.
This is that lamp about which prophets
and apostles so often speak-the wonder
working lamp of truth and life, which
shines in the word of God. OF the many
wonders Of the lamp intend at present
to speak of only one. And it is among
the LOWEST of them all. 1t is the WON
der mentioned by King David i'm one of
his Psalms: "Thy word is a lamp unto
my feet
But must first explain:-HOw tcord
can be q lamp to ones feet.
Seven hundred years ago, all Europe
was sending soldiers to Jerusalem to
fight for the SaviOr's grave. The lords
of Jerusalem at that time were fierce
Saracens; who did not believe in Jesus.
And the people of Europe said: why
should unbelievers like these be lords Of
the place where our Savior lay?"
France, and Germany. And sometimes
they won, and sometimes they lost. And
when it was their lot to lose, they were
seized, made prisoners and sold as
slaves.
1t happened in one of the battles that
young Englishman, named Gilbert a
Beckett was taken prisoner and sold as a
slave. He was sold to rich and prince
ly Saracen, who set him to work in his
garden. And there, as she took her daily
walks in the garden, the daughter of his
master saw him. And when she looked
at his sad, but beautiful face and re-
membered that he was slave, first she
wept for him, and then she loved him
and then she resolved to help him tC
escape. So one night she procured a
little ship, and had it waiting near the
shore, and she opened the door Of a
Becket's prison, and gave him money
and said to him, $50 back to England
Now Gilbert had seen the love and re.
turned ii. And when he was going away
he said to her, "YOu too will one day
escape, and find your way to London, and
there / will make you my wife," Add
then he kissed her, and blessed her anf
went out free. And he reached the little
ship and found his way to England
But the Saracen maid remained in the
East.
Many night she looked towards thu
sea, along the very path he went ant
thought of him, and lOnged for him ant
wept. She lOnged to be at his side. But
how was she to escape from home? How
could she ever hope to arrive in Eng
land? She could not speak the English
speech. The only word she knew was
London Beckett" A Beckett had taught