Grace Darling | Page 8

next to speak was one of the
nobles, and the Dean of Westminster, in an interesting and instructive
lecture, thus beautifully gives the counsel of this layman:--"You know,
O king, how, when you sit at supper in your great hall in the winter,
with your commanders and ministers around you, and a good fire
blazing in the midst, whilst the storms of rain and snow prevail outside,
and the two doors are open at each end, sometimes it happens that a
poor little sparrow flies in at one door, and immediately out at the other;
but for the short space during which he is in the hall, he enjoys the light
and warmth, and is safe from the wintry storms. The swift flight of the
sparrow from one darkness to another darkness, but with this brief
intervening space during which we see him, is like to the life of a man.
What the life of man was, before he came upon this earth, and what it is
to be afterwards, we know not. All that we know is, what we see of him
during the time that he is here. If, then, this new doctrine can tell us
something more of whence and whither man comes and goes, it is
worth while to listen to it." Paulinus was then called in, to answer these
men, and we are sure that he was able to say how the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ does throw light on the dark before and behind of our
sojourn in the world.
Not only did King Edwin become a loyal and devoted Christian, but
Coifi, the priest, at once went forth and began to demolish the idols and
their temples, which formerly he had worshipped. Edwin was baptised,
and so eagerly did the people embrace Christianity, that crowds of them
followed the example of their king. Paulinus is said to have baptised
many thousands in the river glen; and at another place, Holy Stone, he
baptised three thousand more. Nor was this mere profession. The
Northumbrians became mild instead of warlike; and the terrible scenes
of violence and cruelty with which the country had abounded, gave
place to far other and fairer experiences.
One chronicler, Fabyan, thus describes the change:--"So great peace
there came upon this kingdom, that a woman might have gone from
one town to another without grief or noyance." Edwin, too, seems,
under the influence of Christianity, to have established drinking
fountains; for we also read--"And for the refreshing of wayfarers this

Edwin ordained, at clear wells, cups or dishes, of brass or iron, to be
fastened to posts standing at the said well-sides; and no man was so
hardy as to take away these cups, he kept so good a justice."
After the death of Edwin, there was a struggle between Christianity and
Paganism, and many of the people went back to their former practices,
and a time of persecution set in, which obliged Paulinas to flee into
Kent for safety. After a time Oswald, the nephew of Edwin, became
Bretwalda. He was a Christian, and a wise and good prince, who loved
the people, and sought to bring them to the feet of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
A good and great man, Columba, an Irishman, of royal descent, was
residing, with other brethren, in the Island of Iona, and he travelled to
many places, in order to teach the people the principles of Christianity.
The Scotch Christians could not always agree with the Romish ones,
and, indeed, they had fierce differences respecting shaving the head and
keeping the Easter festival; but Columba, his associates and successors,
sowed seeds which have brought forth fruit a hundredfold, for the
nourishment of the spiritual life of the Northumbrian Christians ever
since.
One of the missionaries from Iona, however, whose name was Carman,
came, and failed to commend himself to the people. He returned,
disheartened and unsuccessful. His place was most worthily filled by
the good Aiden, who was then only an obscure monk, but his wise
remarks on the cause of his brother's failure caused him to be chosen as
the bearer of the Good Tidings. He travelled from his home, on the
western coast of Scotland, to Northumberland, bringing the bread of
life to many who were aware of the heart-hunger that consumed them.
He is described, in the "History of Northumbria," as "a man of truly
noble spirit, of deep learning, and the most devoted piety, energetic and
ardent in temperament, patient in the removal of obstructions to the
cause which he came to advocate; of deep humility, and earnest love."
But there was a grave difficulty in the way of his disseminating the
principles that he loved, for he could not speak the language. This
obstacle, however, was overcome, for