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Sociology

Poverty - by James Platt

white wax, so that they might be deaf to the sweet tones of their voices; but he was not to put it into his own, but he was to get his men to fasten him to the mast with a rope, and if they saw him struggle to get free, they were to get another rope and fasten him more strongly than before, and keep it until they were out of danger. Then they pulled away like Greeks to pass the island. The Sirens sang so sweetly, but they were deaf to their sweet tones, and safely passed the danger.

Beware of the siren voices. How sweetly they sound, all to draw you out of the right way. Our ears must be stopped to their voices, but ever be kept open to hear the sweeter voice that calls so lovingly, "This is the way, walk ye in it. I am the Good Shepherd Who will fold and feed you."

But there is another account of Ulysses and the Sirens; that he had on board his ship Orpheus, who could play the lyre, and had a beautiful loud voice, and he sang so loud and so sweet, that he drowned the Siren voices; so they were not heard, and they got safely by.

We read in the Old Book about Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, being invaded by an immense army of Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites. He marched against them, the singers in front, and they struck up and sang, "Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth for ever," and they were put to confusion; and the Moabite and Ammonite soldiers fell upon the Edomites and utterly destroyed them, and then they fell upon each other. Judah's song was a better one than the Sirens'.

At the Battle of Dunbar, September 2nd, 1650, when General Leslie's army fled before the charge of Oliver Cromwell's soldiers under the first rays of the rising sun, Oliver exclaimed, "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered!" Cromwell called a halt at the foot of Doon's Hill for the horse to come up. "Now," said he, "let us sing the one hundred and
seventeenth psalm"

"0 give ye praise unto the Lord
All nations that be,
Likewise, ye people all,
accord His name to magnify!

"For great to usward ever are
His loving kindnesses:
His truth endures for evermore,
The Lord 0 do ye bless."

And then the chase to Bellheven, even towards Haddington, and a complete victory was gained. There was a picture in last year's exhibition (1888) at the Royal Academy ("Cromwell at Dunbar") of the halting of Cromwell with eyes lifted heavenward singing this Psalm. There was holy resolution and courage in their faces, taking inspiration from their song.