furnace of flame;--and in himself he felt no hope,--no chance of
rescue;--in himself he knew that the appalling work of destruction
was being accomplished with a deadly swiftness that left no time for
lamentation,--that the nations of the world were as flying straws
swept into the burning, without space or moment for a parting prayer
or groan. Tortured by an excruciating agony too great for tears, he
suddenly found voice, and lifting his face towards the lurid sky he
cried aloud--

"God of Eternity, stay Thy hand! For one remaining Cause be
merciful! Doom not Thy creature Man to utter destruction!--but still
remember that Thou wast born even as he! As helpless, as wronged, as
tempted, as betrayed, as suffering, as prone to pain and death! Thou
hast lived his life and endured his sorrows, though in the perfect
glory of Thy Godhead Thou hast not sinned! Have patience yet, oh
Thou great Splendour of all worlds! Have patience yet, Thou outraged
and blasphemed Creator! Break once again Thy silence as of old and
speak to us!--pity us once again ere Thou slay us utterly,--come to
us even as Thou earnest in Judaea, and surely we will receive Thee
and obey Thee, and reject Thy love no more!"

As he thus prayed he was seized with a paralysing fear,--for
suddenly the red and glowing chaos of fire above him changed into
soft skies tinged with the exquisite pearl-grey hues of twilight,
and he became conscious of the approach of a great invisible
Presence, whose awful unseen beauty overwhelmed him with its
sublimity and majesty, causing him to forget altogether that he
himself existed. And Someone spoke,--in grave sweet accents, so soft
and close to him that the words seemed almost whispered in his
ears,--