,,bible ,,characters ,illustration3 ,,the ,,expulsion ,,from ,,the ,,garden4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore ,,bible ,,characters ,,described ,,and ,,analyzed ,,in ,,the ,,sermons ,,and ,,writings ,,of ,,the ,,following ,,famous ,,authors3 ,dwight ,lyman ,moody4 ,t4 ,de ,witt ,talmage4 ,joseph ,parker4 ,,supplemented ,,by ,,the ,,greatest ,,poems ,,in ,,print4 ,illustration ,,chicago3 ,,thos4 ,w4 ,,jackson ,,publishing ,,company4 ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #aijb1 by the ,,rhodes ,mc,c,l,u,r,e ,,publishing ,,company in the ,office of the ,librarian of ,congress1 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,all ,rights ,reserved4 ,,introduction4 ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,c4 ,b4 ,,gillette1 ,,ph4 ,d4 ,it frequently occurs to the devout ,bible student and to the earnest ,christian that1 if he could have had the personal acquaintance of ,jesus1 and other ,bible characters1 it would have helped materially in the cultivation of a religious and spiritual life4 ,one feels that1 if he could have been a ,james1 or a ,john1 a ,martha1 or a ,mary2 if he could have stood by ,jesus himself1 and listened to the words falling from ,his lips3 observed his life1 become acquainted with his thought1 and felt that silent1 subtle influence emanating from his personality2 such would have been potential factors1 aiding one onward and upward in the divine pathway4 ,so also1 but in lesser degree1 one regrets the impossibility of personal contact with ,elijah1 ,isaiah1 ,john1 ,paul1 et al4 ,but time has drawn the veil1 and we cannot lift it4 ,we must look at them through the varying atmosphere of many generations1 and the best we can do is to avail ourselves of the best aids possible1 and through them draw as near as possible to these great and good characters1 so closely linked with our religious belief and our faith in the ,infinite and ,eternal4 ,one of ,brooklyn's greatest divines once said1 that he had never visited ,palestine personally1 but by study he had become so thoroughly acquainted with that country1 that1 should he be left at any point in ,palestine at midnight1 he would be able to tell in the morning1 from the surrounding topography1 where he was4 ,so the editor of this volume has sought the scholars who have been recognized by the world as the leading religious teachers of their age1 and culled from their utterances choice selections1 respecting ,jesus and the 8,holy men of old1 who spake as they were moved by the ,holy ,ghost40 ,,dr4 ,,talmage1 who1 perhaps1 more than any other living preacher1 has commanded the public ear4 ,,joseph ,,parker1 who1 from his immense intellectual store-house1 well filled1 has brought out such wonderful thoughts1 respecting the ,bible ,characters4 ,,dwight ,l4 ,,moody1 who moved the millions1 both of this country and ,great ,britain4 ,what was the source of his power8 ,not superior scholarship--far from it4 ,not his general appearance3 for that1 while not mean1 was neither imposing nor inspiring4 ,not his eloquence2 he never depended upon that4 ,what1 then1 was the source of his power8 ,it was the power of ,god4 ,the ,holy ,spirit used him as a means in the conversion of souls4 ,the editor of this volume then presents you1 in this age1 when intelligent minds are looking for the greatest and the best1 with the best thoughts of these great men1 respecting the ,christ and other great characters which adorn the pages of the ,holy ,writ4 ,c4 ,b4 ,,gillette4 ,,chicago1 ,,ill41 ,,january #a1 #aijb4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,dwight ,,lyman ,,moody4 ,abel #ag ,abraham #ah ,ahab #ba ,barabbas #be ,bartimeus and ,zacchus #bg ,belshazzar #cb ,caleb #cd ,daniel #cf ,david #ed ,elijah #ee ,gideon #fj ,ittai #fa ,jacob #fc ,jacob's ,sons #fg ,john the ,baptist #fh ,joshua #hd ,lot #ie ,martha #ajc ,mephibosheth #ajg ,moses #aaa ,naaman #aad ,peter #abb ,saul #acf ,simeon #ada ,the ,good ,samaritan #add ,the ,leper #adi ,the ,penitent ,thief #aeb ,the ,pharisee ,the ,publican #afd ,the ,widow's ,son #agb ,rock of ,ages #age ,where ,he ,leads ,i ,follow #agf ,t4 ,,de ,,witt ,,talmage4 ,athaliah #agg ,david #aha ,deborah #ahg ,dorcas #ahh ,ehud #aih ,esau #bjj ,felix and ,drusilla #bja ,gallery of ,characters #bjd ,gideon #bjf ,hezekiah #bjg ,jehoiakim #bji ,jehu #baa ,jesus at ,emmaus #bad ,job #bae ,jonah #bag ,joseph #bbj ,lazarus #bbd ,noah #bcj ,othniel #bca ,paul #bcd ,pharaoh #bdf ,pontius ,pilate #bdg ,queen of ,sheba #beb ,salome #bed ,saul #beg ,solomon #bei ,the ,gentile ,mother #bfc ,zacchus #bff ,nearer1 ,my ,god1 ,to ,thee #bfh ,,joseph ,,parker4 ,abijah #bfi ,ahab #bhb ,ahaziah #cjh ,asa #cad ,athaliah #cba ,balaam #cbh ,elah #cci ,elijah #cdb ,elisha #ccb ,gehazi #cgd ,hezekiah #chd ,jabez #dja ,jehoram #djd ,jehoram1 ,king of ,judah #dad ,jehoshaphat #dba ,jehu #dcj ,job #ddj ,micaiah #ddg ,moses #ddi ,nebuchadnezzar #deg ,queen of ,sheba #dei ,rehoboam #dfa ,shishak #dff ,solomon #dfg ,baseless ,pride #dgf ,,illustrations ,selected ,especially for ,this ,work ,,from ,,the ,,great ,,art ,,galleries ,,of ,,the ,,world ,,the ,,expulsion ,,from ,,the ,,garden4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,opposite ,page ,frontispiece ,,the ,,trial ,,of ,,the ,,faith ,,of ,,abraham4 ,genesis1 xxii4 ,opposite ,page #af 8,,the ,,first ,,mourners40 ,from the ,painting by ,bougereau4 ,opposite ,page #ag ,,the ,,arrival ,,of ,,the ,,good ,,samaritan ,,at ,,the ,,inn4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,opposite ,page #add ,,david4 ,from ,statue by ,angelo4 ,opposite ,page #ade ,,jacob ,,tending ,,flocks ,,of ,,laban4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,opposite ,page #afj ,,moses ,,breaking ,,the ,,tables ,,of ,,the ,,law4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,opposite ,page #afa ,,the ,,prophet ,,amos4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,opposite ,page #bhh ,,the ,,despair ,,of ,,judas4 ,from a ,photograph of the ,character in the ,passion ,play4 ,opposite ,page #bhi ,,joseph ,,interpreting ,,pharaoh',s ,,dream4 ,genesis1 xli4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,opposite ,page #cjd ,,st4 ,,paul4 ,from the ,painting by ,raphael4 ,opposite ,page #cje ,,solomon4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,opposite ,page #dcb ,,the ,,judgment ,,of ,,solomon4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,opposite ,page #dcc ,,the ,,cross4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,opposite ,page #ddh ,,moses ,,in ,,the ,,bulrushes4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,opposite ,page #ddi ,illustration3 ,,the ,,trial ,,of ,,the ,,faith ,,of ,,abraham4 ,genesis1 xxii4 ,illustration3 8,,the ,,first ,,mourners40--,from the ,painting by ,bougereau4 ,,bible ,,characters ,,described ,,in ,,his ,,soul-,,winning ,,sermons ,,by ,,the ,,world-,,known ,,evangelist1 ,,dwight ,,lyman ,,moody4 ,,abel4 ,abel was the first man who went to ,heaven1 and he went by way of blood4 ,so we find it in all the worships of ,god from the earliest times4 ,in the story of ,abel and ,cain we are told3 8,in process of time it came to pass that ,cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the ,lord4 ,and ,abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock1 and of the fat thereof1 and the ,lord had respect unto ,abel and to his offering2 but unto ,cain and his offering ,he had not respect4 ,and ,cain was very wroth1 and his countenance fell40 ,now1 we find that ,cain brought a bloodless sacrifice--8he brought of the fruit of the ground0--and ,abel brought a bleeding lamb4 ,right on the morning of grace we see here that ,god had marked a way for men to come to ,him1 and that way was the way that ,abel took1 and ,cain came to ,god with a sacrifice of his own1 in his own way4 ,cain1 perhaps1 reasoned that he did not see why the products of the earth--why the fruit--should not be as acceptable to ,god as a bleeding lamb4 ,he did not like a bleeding lamb1 and so he brought his fruit4 ,now1 we do not know how there was any difference between those two boys4 ,both must have been brought up in the same way2 both came from the same parents4 ,yet we find in the offerings there was a difference between them4 ,,abraham4 ,in the twenty-second chapter of ,genesis we find the story of ,abraham and his only son1 ,isaac4 ,abraham was a follower of ,god1 a man who loved and feared ,god1 and ,he commanded him to make a blood sacrifice4 ,we read in this chapter that ,he commanded ,abraham to make the sacrifice of his only son4 ,and we read that the next morning the old man saddled his ass and started4 ,he did not tell his wife any thing about it4 ,if he had1 she would likely have persuaded him to remain where he was4 ,but he has heard the voice of ,god1 and he obeys the command4 ,he has heard ,god's wish1 and he is going to do it4 ,so1 early in the morning--,abraham did not wait till #aj or #ab o'clock1 but went early in the morning--he takes two of his young men with him and his son ,isaac1 and you can see him starting out on the three days' journey4 ,they have the wood and the fire1 for he is going to worship his ,god4 ,as ,abraham goes on1 he looks at his boy and says3 8,it is a strange commandment that ,god has given4 ,i love this boy dearly4 ,i do not understand it1 but ,i do know it is all right1 for the ,judge of all the earth makes no mistakes40 ,an order from the ,judge of ,heaven is enough for ,abraham4 ,the first night comes1 their little camp is made1 and ,isaac is asleep4 ,but the old man does not sleep4 ,he looks into the face of his sleeping boy1 and sadly says3 8,i will have no boy soon4 ,i shall never see him on this earth again4 ,but ,i must obey ,god40 ,i can see ,abraham marching on the next day1 and you might have seen him drying his tears as he glanced upon that only son and thought upon what he had been called upon to do4 ,the second night comes2 tomorrow is the day for the sacrifice4 ,what a night that must have been to ,abraham6 ,hear him say3 8,tomorrow ,i must take the life of that boy--my only son1 dearer to me than any thing on earth--dearer to me than my life40 ,the third day comes1 and as they go along they see the mountain in the distance4 ,then ,abraham says to the young men3 8,you stay here with the beasts40 ,he takes the wood and the fire1 and along with his boy prepares to ascend ,mount ,moriah1 from the peak of which could be seen the spot where1 a few hundred years later1 the ,son of man was offered up4 ,as they ascend the mountain ,isaac says3 8,here are the wood and the fire1 father4 ,but where is the sacrifice80 ,this question shows that the boy knew nothing of what was in store4 ,how the question must have sunk down into the old man's heart6 ,and he only answers3 8,the ,lord will provide a sacrifice40 ,it was not time to tell him1 and they go on until they come to the place appointed by ,god1 and build the altar1 and lay the wood upon it4 ,every thing is ready1 and ,i can just imagine the old man take the boy by the hand1 and1 leading him to a rock1 sitting down there and telling him how ,god had called upon him to come out of his native land2 how ,god had been in communion with him for fifty years2 what ,god had done for him4 8,and now10 he says1 8my boy1 when ,i was in my bed three nights ago1 ,god came to me with a strange message1 in which ,he told me to offer my child as a sacrifice4 ,i love you1 my son1 but ,god has told me to do this1 and ,i must obey ,him4 ,so let us both go down on our knees and pray to ,him40 ,after they have sent up a petition to ,god1 ,abraham lays ,isaac on the altar and kisses him for the last time4 ,he lifts the knife to drive it into his son's heart1 when all at once he hears a voice3 8,abraham6 ,abraham6 ,spare thine only son40 ,ah6 ,there was no voice heard on ,calvary to save the ,son of ,man4 ,god showed mercy to the son of ,abraham4 ,you fathers and mothers1 just picture to yourselves how you would suffer if you had to sacrifice your only son4 ,and think what it must have caused ,god to give up ,his only ,son4 ,we are told that ,abraham was glad4 ,this manifestation of ,abraham's faith so pleased ,god that ,he showed him the grace of ,heaven and lifted the curtain of time to let him look down into the future to see the ,son of ,god offered1 bearing the sins of the world4 ,,ahab4 ,there is a familiar saying3 8,every man has his own price40 ,ahab had his1 and he sold himself for a garden2 ,judas sold himself for thirty pieces of silver1 and ,esau for a mess of pottage4 ,ahab sold himself just to please a fallen woman4 ,and so we might go on--citing the men who have sold themselves4 ,it is easy for us to condemn these men1 but let us see if there are not men and women doing the same thing today4 ,how many are selling themselves tonight for naught6 ,it is easy enough to condemn ,judas1 ,herod and ,ahab1 but in doing this do we not condemn ourselves8 ,we thought that slavery was hard4 ,we thought it hard that those poor black people should be put upon the block1 in the market1 and sold to the highest bidder2 but what do you think of those men who sell themselves today to evil8 ,ahab sold himself to evil1 and what did he get8 ,elijah was the best friend that ,ahab had1 but he did not think so2 he thought that ,elijah was his enemy4 ,ahab was a religious man--that is1 he thought he was4 ,he had #hej prophets4 8,and what king has more8 ,what king does more for religion than ,i80 ,so he would have said4 ,there is a difference between religion and having ,christ4 ,there are a great many people that have religion but have no ,christ in it--that have not a spark of ,christianity4 ,this man was very religious1 but he began wrong4 ,his marriage was his first wrong step4 ,he did not care about the law of ,god4 ,he wanted to strengthen his kingdom4 ,i can imagine they said3 8,we have outgrown the laws of ,moses4 ,we do not want your ,god2 we have got something better4 ,here are the nations all around us worshiping ,baal1 and we will worship ,baal40 ,ahab's wife1 ,jezebel1 wanted the patriarchs and the prophets put to death1 and they were put to death4 ,obadiah had a few1 but wherever they were found they were put to death4 ,i suppose they said of ,elijah3 8,that man belongs to the old ,puritanical school40 ,he was bigoted and narrow4 ,the idea of only worshiping one ,god6 ,ahab was willing to turn away from the ,god of ,elijah1 but he did not look to have ,elijah reprove him1 and thus he was his enemy4 ,many a man who has a good1 praying mother thinks that mother is his enemy4 ,ahab thought the ,god of ,elijah was not going to carry out ,his warning4 ,i will leave it to you if the man who warns you of danger is not the best friend you have got4 ,if ,i saw a man about to walk over a precipice and he was blind and ,i did not warn him1 would not the blood of that man be required at my hands8 ,would not ,i be guilty morally8 ,jezebel hated ,elijah1 and she disliked him for his warnings4 ,the man who warns you is the best friend that you have got4 ,suppose ,i am going home at night--at midnight--and ,i see a building on fire and ,i pass along and say not a word about it1 and the occupants are all asleep and ,i go right home and go to bed1 and in the morning ,i find that fifteen people in that house were burned up--how you would condemn me6 ,and if in preaching the ,gospel ,i do not warn you about your danger--about your sins and ,god's punishment--what will you say to me when ,i meet you at the ,eternal ,throne8 ,i do not want you to think that ,i am trying to please the people by preaching that the just and unjust will fare alike4 ,you may be successful for a time4 ,ahab had two grand and glorious victories upon the battle field1 and he was a very popular man for a while4 ,he built a palace of ivory1 and just here ,i want to speak of one act of that man4 ,when ,ahab's beautiful palace was finished1 he found there was a poor man who had a garden near it4 ,this ,ahab wanted4 ,and ,ahab came to ,naboth1 the poor man1 and wanted him to sell his garden4 ,but ,naboth said he could not do so1 for it was against the law of his people4 ,then ,ahab said to him3 8,i will give you a better place than this1 and ,i will give you a better vineyard than this40 ,but ,naboth was firm1 and would not agree to sell his garden4 ,many men would have liked to sell to the king4 ,such would have said3 8,we know it is against the law1 but he is foolish not to sell to the king40 ,naboth said3 8,god forbid that ,i should sell40 ,ahab returns to his palace1 where he pouts like a child4 ,jezebel notices him1 and begins to speak with him4 ,she asks3 8,what is the matter80 ,ahab makes answer like a peevish child3 8,i want ,naboth's garden40 ,and she asks him why he does not take it1 and then he tells her4 ,again she asks3 8,are you not king of ,israel80 8,yes40 8,well6 ,then why do you not get it8 ,i will get it for you1 and it shall not cost you any thing4 ,i will arrange it40 ,then ,jezebel sent that infamous letter to the truculent elders4 ,those elders were just as bad as ,jezebel4 ,they knew that ,naboth served the ,god of ,heaven4 ,the instructions of the letter were followed4 ,the two witnesses said they saw ,naboth despise ,god and the king1 and so he was taken out and stoned to death4 ,i can see him kneeling there and the crowds taking up the stones and hurling them at him4 ,well1 when ,ahab goes down to take possession of that vineyard there is a message that had come from the throne of ,heaven4 ,god has been watching him4 ,he notices all of us1 and there is not a hellish act that has been1 or is going to be1 committed but ,god knows about it4 ,elijah stood before ,ahab as the latter went down to that garden1 and ,ahab got out of his chariot and met him4 ,he knew that ,elijah knew all1 and he did not like to be reproved4 ,ill-gotten gains do not bring peace4 ,if you get any thing at the cost of the truth or honor1 it will be peace lost for time1 and perhaps for eternity4 ,as he walked through that garden1 ,ahab looked up and said3 8,why1 is not that ,elijah80 ,he knew it was1 and he knew what it meant4 ,elijah walks up to him and asks3 8,hast thou killed and taken possession80 ,ahab answers3 8,i wonder how he found that out4 ,he knows all about me40 ,and then ,elijah said3 8,in the place where the dogs licked the blood of ,naboth they shall lick thy blood40 ,then ,ahab asked the prophet3 8,mine enemy1 have you found me out80 ,elijah answered3 8,yes4 ,because you have sold yourself to evil1 you will be found out40 ,a few years before1 ,ahab had laughed at ,elijah1 but he now remembered that every thing which ,elijah's ,god had promised had been done1 and he could not get these words out of his mind3 8,in the place where the dogs licked the blood of ,naboth they shall lick thy blood40 ,sometimes just one act1 that we can do in a minute1 will cost us years of trouble and pain4 ,little did ,ahab think that it was going to cost him his kingdom and cause his whole family to be swept from the face of the earth when he gave the promise to ,jezebel to write that letter4 ,ahab lived three years after ,elijah met him in that garden1 and how many times do you suppose those awful words of ,elijah came into his mind8 ,he could not get them out of his mind4 ,jezebel tried to help him1 but she could not4 ,he wanted to improve the garden1 and no doubt he did improve it2 but whenever he walked there the words came to him which ,elijah had spoken4 ,then the time came for the judgment against ,ahab to be carried out1 and the ,bible tells how it was done4 ,,barabbas4 ,i have often thought what a night ,barabbas must have spent just before the day when ,christ was crucified4 ,as the sun goes down1 he says to himself3 8,tomorrow--only tomorrow--and ,i must die upon the cross6 ,they will hang me up before a crowd of people2 they will drive nails through my hands and feet2 they will break my legs with bars of iron2 and in that awful torture ,i shall die before this time tomorrow1 and go up to the ,judgment with all my crimes upon me40 ,maybe1 they let his mother come to see him once more before dark4 ,perhaps he had a wife and children1 and they came to see him for the last time4 ,he could not sleep at all that night4 ,he could hear somebody hammering in the prison yard1 and knew they must be making the cross4 ,he would start up every now and then1 thinking that he heard the footsteps of the officers coming for him4 ,at last the light of the morning looks in through the bars of his prison4 8,today--this very day--they will open that door and lead me away to be crucified60 ,pretty soon he hears them coming4 ,no mistake this time4 ,they are unbarring the iron door4 ,he hears them turning the key in the rusty lock4 ,then the door swings open4 ,there are the soldiers4 ,good-by to life and hope6 ,death--horrible death--now6 ,and after death--what will there be then8 ,the officer of the guard speaks to him3 8,barabbas1 you are free60 ,he hears the strange words1 but they make very little impression on him4 ,he is so near dead with fear and horror that the good news does not reach him4 ,his ears catch the sound1 but he thinks it is a foolish fancy4 ,he is asleep and dreaming4 ,he stands gazing a moment at the soldiers1 and then he comes to himself4 8,do not laugh at me6 ,do not make sport of me6 ,take me away and crucify me1 but do not tear my soul to pieces60 ,again the officer speaks3 8,you are free6 ,here--the door is open6 ,go out--go home60 ,now he begins to take in the truth4 ,but it is so wonderful a thing to get out of the clutches of the ,roman law that he is afraid to believe the good news4 ,and so he begins to doubt1 and to ask how it can be4 ,they tell him that ,pilate has promised the ,jews the release of one prisoner that day1 and that the ,jews have chosen him instead of one ,jesus of ,nazareth1 who was condemned to be crucified4 ,now the poor man begins to weep4 ,this breaks his heart4 ,he knows this ,jesus4 ,he has seen ,him perform some of ,his miracles4 ,he was in the crowd1 picking pockets1 when ,jesus fed the five thousand hungry people4 8,what6 ,that just man to die6 ,and ,i--a thief1 a highwayman1 a murderer--to go free60 ,and in the midst of his joy at his own release his heart breaks at the thought that his life is saved at such a cost4 ,,bartimeus ,,and ,,zacch,,us4 ,in the eighteenth chapter of the ,gospel of ,st4 ,luke you will find ,christ was going into ,jericho1 and as ,he drew near the gates of the city there was a poor blind man who sat by the wayside1 begging people to give him a farthing1 and crying out3 8,have mercy on a poor blind man60 ,this blind beggar met a man who said to him3 8,i have good news to tell you1 ,bartimeus40 8,what is it80 asked the beggar4 8,there is a man of ,israel who can give you sight40 8,oh1 no6 ,there is no chance of my ever receiving my sight4 ,i never shall see4 ,in fact1 ,i never saw the mother who gave me birth4 ,i never saw the wife of my bosom4 ,i never saw my own children4 ,i never saw in this world1 but ,i expect to see in the world to come40 8,let me tell you4 ,i have just come down from ,jerusalem1 and ,i saw that village carpenter1 ,jesus of ,nazareth2 and ,i saw a man who was born blind1 who had received his sight1 and ,i never saw a man who had better sight4 ,he does not even have to use glasses40 ,then hope rises for the first time in this poor man's heart1 and he says3 8,tell me how the man got his sight40 8,oh10 says the other1 8,jesus first spat upon the ground and made clay1 and put it on his eyes1 and then ,he told the man to wash his eyes in the pool of ,siloam1 and he would receive his sight4 ,more than that1 ,bartimeus3 ,he does not charge you any thing4 ,you have no fee to pay4 ,you just tell him what you want1 and you get it--without money and without price4 ,it does not need dukes1 lords or influence4 ,you just call upon ,him yourself4 ,and if ,he ever comes this way1 do not let ,him go back without your going to see ,jesus40 ,and ,bartimeus said3 8,i will try it4 ,there is no harm in trying it40 ,i can imagine ,bartimeus being led by a child to his seat1 as usual1 and that he is crying out3 8,please give a blind beggar a farthing40 ,he hears the footsteps of the coming multitude1 and he inquires3 8,who is passing8 ,what does this multitude mean80 ,they tell him that it is ,jesus of ,nazareth passing by4 ,the moment he hears that he says3 8,why1 that is the man that gave sight to the blind60 ,the moment it reached his ear that it was ,jesus of ,nazareth1 he began to cry out at the top of his voice3 8,jesus1 thou ,son of ,david1 have mercy upon me60 ,some of those who went before--perhaps ,peter was one of them--rebuked him1 thinking the ,master was going up to ,jerusalem to be crowned ,king1 and did not want to be distracted4 ,they never knew the ,son of ,god when ,he was here4 ,he would hush every harp in ,heaven to hear a sinner pray4 ,no music would delight ,him so much4 ,but the blind man still lifted up his voice1 and cried louder3 8,thou ,son of ,david1 have mercy on me60 ,this prayer reached the ears of the ,son of ,god1 as prayer always will1 and they led the poor blind man to ,him4 ,well1 when ,jesus heard the blind beggar1 ,he commanded him to be brought4 ,so they ran to him1 and said3 8,be of good cheer4 ,the ,master calls you4 ,he has a blessing for you40 ,when ,jesus saw ,bartimeus ,he said3 8,what can ,i do for you80 8,lord1 that ,i may receive sight40 8,you shall have it40 ,and the ,lord gave it to him4 ,and now the beggar follows with the crowd1 glorifying ,god4 ,i can imagine he sang as sweetly as ,mr4 ,sankey--and no one can sing more sweetly than he--when he shouted3 8,hosanna to the ,son of ,david60 ,no one sang louder than this one who had received his sight4 ,then he follows on with the crowd1 which we see pressing into the gates of the city4 ,i can imagine1 when he gets into the city1 he says to himself3 8,i will go down and see ,mrs4 ,bartimeus40 ,of course1 after all those years of blindness1 he had some curiosity to see what his wife looked like4 ,as he is passing down the street1 a man meets him1 and turns around and says3 8,bartimeus1 is that you80 8,yes2 it is ,i40 8,well1 ,i thought so1 and yet ,i feared my eyes must deceive me4 ,how did you get your sight80 8,i just met ,jesus of ,nazareth outside the walls of the city1 and ,i asked ,him to have mercy on me2 and ,he gave me sight40 8,jesus of ,nazareth6 ,is he now in this part of the country80 8,yes2 ,he is on ,his way to ,jerusalem4 ,he is now going down to the eastern gate40 8,i should like to see ,him10 says the man4 ,and he runs straightway down the street4 ,but he can not get a glimpse of ,him1 being small of stature1 on account of the great throng around ,him4 ,he runs to a sycamore tree1 and says to himself3 8,if ,i get up there and hide1 without any one seeing me1 ,he can not get by without my having a good look at ,him40 ,a great many rich men do not like to be seen coming to ,jesus4 ,well1 there he is in the sycamore tree1 on a branch hanging right over the highway1 and he says to himself3 8,he can not get by without my having a good look at ,him40 ,all at once the crowd comes in sight4 ,he looks at ,john4 8,that is not ,he40 ,he looks at ,peter4 8,no1 that is not ,he40 ,then he sees ,one who is fairer than the sons of men4 8,that is ,he60 ,and ,zacchus1 just peeping out from among the branches1 looks down upon that wonderful--yes1 that mighty--,god-,man in amazement4 ,at last the crowd comes to the tree1 and it looks as if ,christ is going by2 but ,he stops right under the tree4 ,all at once ,he looks up and sees ,zacchus1 and says to him3 8,zacchus1 make haste and come down40 ,i can imagine ,zacchus says to himself3 8,i wonder who told ,him my name4 ,i was never introduced to ,him40 ,but ,christ knew all about him4 ,well1 ,he said to ,zacchus3 8,make haste and come down40 ,he may have added3 8,this is the last time ,i shall pass this way1 ,zacchus40 ,that is the way ,he speaks to sinners4 8,this may be the last time ,i shall pass this way4 ,this may be your last chance of eternity40 ,there are some people in this nineteenth century who do not believe in sudden conversions4 ,i should like them to tell me where ,zacchus was converted4 ,he certainly was not converted when he went up into the tree1 but he certainly was converted when he came down4 ,he must have been converted somewhere between the branches and the ground4 ,the ,lord converted him right there4 ,people say they do not believe in sudden conversions1 and that if a man is converted suddenly he will not hold out--he will not be genuine4 ,i wish we had a few men converted like ,zacchus in ,london4 ,they would make no small stir4 ,when a man begins to make restitution it is a pretty good sign of conversion4 ,let men give back money dishonestly obtained in ,london1 and see how quickly people will believe in conversion4 ,zacchus gave half his goods to the poor4 ,what would be said if some of the rich men of ,london did that8 ,zacchus gave half his goods all at once1 and he said3 8,if ,i have taken any thing from any man falsely1 ,i restore him fourfold40 ,i think that is the other half4 ,but to get ,christ is worth more than all his wealth4 ,i imagine1 the next morning1 one of the servants of ,zacchus going with a check for #ajj1 and saying3 8,my master a few years ago took from you wrongfully about #be1 and this is restitution money40 ,that would give confidence in ,zacchus's conversion4 ,,belshazzar4 ,in the fifth chapter of ,daniel we read the history of ,king ,belshazzar4 ,it is very short4 ,only one chapter tells us all we know about him4 ,one short sight of his career is all we see4 ,he just seems to burst upon the stage and then disappears4 ,we are told that he gave a great feast1 and at this feast he had a thousand of his lords1 and they were drinking and praising the gods of silver1 of gold1 of brass1 of iron and of wood1 out of the vessels which had been brought from the ,temple at ,jerusalem4 ,as they were drinking out of these vessels of gold and silver from the house of ,god--,i do not know but it was at the hour of midnight--all at once came forth the fingers of a man's hand and began to write upon the wall of the banquet hall4 ,the king turns deathly pale1 his knees shake together and he trembles from head to foot4 ,perhaps if some one had told him the time was coming when he would be put into the balance and weighed he would have laughed at him4 ,but he knows the vital hour has come1 and that the hand has written his doom in the words3 8,mene1 mene1 tekel1 upharsin40 ,he calls the wise men of his kingdom1 and the man who can interpret this will be made the third ruler of his realm1 and shall be clothed in scarlet and have a chain about his neck4 ,one after another tried1 but the eyes of no uncircumcised man could make it out4 ,belshazzar was greatly troubled4 ,at last one was spoken of who had been able to interpret the dream of his father1 ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,he was told if he would send for ,daniel the latter might interpret the writing4 ,so the prophet was brought in1 and he looked upon the handwriting4 ,he told the king how his father had gone against ,god1 and how he 7,belshazzar7 had gone against the ,lord of ,heaven1 and how his reign was finished4 ,and this was the meaning of the mysterious writing3 8,,mene--,god hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it4 8,,tekel--,thou art weighed in the balance1 and art found wanting4 8,,peres--,thy kingdom is divided1 and given to the ,medes and ,persians40 ,the trial is over1 the verdict is rendered and the sentence brought out4 ,that very night the king was hurled from his throne4 ,that very night the army of ,darius came tearing down the streets1 and then you might have heard the clash of arms and shouts of war1 and might have seen the king's blood mingling with the wine in that banquet hall4 ,,caleb4 ,caleb and ,joshua are great favorites of mine4 ,they have got a ring about them4 ,they were not all the time looking for hindrances and obstacles in their way4 ,they got their eyes above them4 ,you remember how those men were sent forward to spy out the land of ,canaan4 ,they had been sent out forty days to go over that land4 ,they went from the wilderness of ,zin to ,rehob1 and thence unto ,hebron4 ,and when they reached the 8brook of ,eshcol they secured a branch with one cluster of grapes1 and bare it between two upon a staff2 and they brought of the pomegranates and of the figs40 ,they were gone forty days1 and the twelve men brought back what ,congress would call a majority and a minority report4 ,ten men reported that they had gone unto the land to which they were sent1 and that surely it flowed with milk and honey4 ,and so ,god's word was true4 ,they found milk and honey4 ,and they brought along grapes4 ,but ten of them were full of unbelief4 ,they further reported that they saw giants there--the sons of ,anak1 which come of the giants4 ,the ,hittites1 ,jebusites1 ,amalekites and ,amorites dwelt there4 ,they were all there1 and also those great giants1 in whose sight they were as grasshoppers4 ,it was a great war city1 and they asked themselves if they looked as though they were able to war with such giants4 ,they said3 8,we are not able40 ,they undoubtedly brought back maps and charts1 and said3 8,there is the region4 ,it would be monstrous for us to attempt to take it4 ,there are massive iron gates and a great wall1 and we are not able to take it4 ,we are defenseless people--without any weapons4 ,we will not be able to overcome those people40 ,i can imagine one man said3 8,why1 ,i looked up at those giants1 and ,i seemed as a little grasshopper1 and ,i felt as small as a grasshopper4 ,we can not hope to cope with those giants4 ,it is a good land1 but we will not be able to go up and possess it40 ,then they began to murmur4 ,it does not take a very great while to get unbelievers to murmuring4 ,but ,caleb tried to encourage them4 ,he says to them3 8,let us go up at once and possess the land4 ,we are well able to overcome it40 ,even ,joshua joined in with ,caleb1 and they proved two with the faith4 ,to be sure1 they were in the minority2 but if the ,lord is with us we are able to prove a powerful majority over the enemy4 ,they determined to take it1 and they wandered across all through ,canaan1 but the people took up stones1 and would have stoned them to death4 ,but 8the glory of the ,lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation1 before all the children of ,israel40 ,and about three millions of people wandered in the wilderness for forty years1 until all the men laid themselves down in the desert grave and were kept out of the ,promised ,land--all on account of their unbelief4 ,and ,i believe today that four-fifths of the church is wandering around in the wilderness1 far away from the cross of ,calvary and the ,promised ,land4 ,we are able to have victory with ,god with us4 ,ten men were looking at all those obstacles that this new land presented to them1 while these two men--,caleb and ,joshua--looked up yonder4 ,and they saw ,god's face and remembered the waste in ,egypt1 the crossing of the ,red ,sea1 the destruction which was brought upon the ,philistines1 the water from the flint rock1 and they believed that ,god was able--as ,he most certainly was--to give them that land ,he had promised4 ,,daniel4 ,i want to talk about the life of the prophet1 ,daniel4 ,the word means 8,god with him0--not the public with him1 not his fellow men1 but ,god4 ,therefore1 he had to report himself to ,god and hold himself responsible to ,him4 ,i do not know just what time ,daniel went down to ,babylon4 ,i know that in the third year of ,king ,jehoakim ,nebuchadnezzar took ten thousand of the chief men of ,jerusalem1 and carried them captive down to ,babylon4 ,i am glad these chief men1 who brought on the war1 were given into the great king's hands4 ,unlike too many of the ringleaders in our great war1 they got the punishment on their own heads4 ,among the captives were four young men4 ,they had been converted1 doubtless1 under ,jeremiah1 the 8weeping prophet0 that ,god had sent to the children of ,israel4 ,many had mocked at him when he lifted up his voice against their sins4 ,they had laughed at his tears and told him to his face--as many say of us--that he was getting up a false excitement4 ,but these four young men listened1 and they had the backbone to come out for ,god4 ,and now1 after they were come to ,babylon1 the king said a number of the children should be educated1 and ordered the same kind of meat and wine set before them that were used in his palace1 and that at the end of a year they should be brought before him4 ,daniel and his three friends were among these4 ,now1 no young man ever comes to the city without having great temptation cross his path as he enters it4 ,and just at this turning point in his life1 as in ,daniel's1 must lie the secret of his success4 ,this was the secret of young ,daniel's success3 ,he took his stand with ,god right on his entering the gate of ,babylon1 and cried to ,god to keep him steadfast4 ,and he needed to cry hard4 ,a law of his and his nation's ,god was that no man must eat meat offered to idols1 but now comes the king's first edict1 that this young man should eat the same kind of meat he himself did4 ,i do not think that it took young ,daniel long to make up his mind4 ,the law of ,god forbade it1 and he would not do it4 8,he purposed in his heart0--in his heart2 mark this--that he would not defile himself4 ,he did not resolve in his head1 but love in his heart prompted him4 ,if some ,chicago ,christians could have advised ,daniel1 they would have said to him3 8,don't you do it2 don't set aside the meat4 ,that would be a species of ,phariseeism40 ,oh1 yes2 they would have insisted to the poor young captive that he should carry out the commandments of his ,god when he was in his own country1 but not there where he was but a poor slave2 he could not possibly carry along his own religion down there to ,babylon4 ,thank ,god1 this young man would not eat the meat1 and1 ordering it taken away1 he got the eunuch to bring him pulse4 ,and behold1 when he came before the king1 the eunuch's fears were gone1 for the faces of ,daniel and the rest of the dear boys were fairer and fatter than any that the king looked down upon4 ,they had not noses--like too many in our streets--as red as if they were just going to blossom4 ,it is ,god's truth1 and ,daniel tested it1 that cold water1 with a clear conscience1 is far better than wine4 ,and the king one day had a dream1 and all the wise men were called before him4 ,but they all said3 8,we can not interpret it2 it is too hard40 ,the king1 being wroth1 threatened them4 ,still getting no answer1 he made an edict that all the wise men should be put to death4 ,and the officers came to ,daniel1 with the rest of the wise men1 but ,daniel was not afraid4 ,i can imagine he prayed to ,god1 falling low on his knees and with his face to the earth1 and asked ,him for guidance2 and then he crawled into bed and slept like a child4 ,we would hardly sleep well under such circumstances4 ,and in his sleep ,god told him the meaning of the dream4 ,there must have been joy among the wise men that one of their number had found it1 and that the king would save their lives4 ,and he is brought before the king1 and cries out3 8,o king1 while thou didst lie with thy head on thy pillow1 thou didst dream1 and in thy dream thou sawest a great image40 ,i can imagine1 at these opening words1 how the kings eyes flashed1 and how he cried out with joy3 8,yes1 that is it--the whole thing comes back to me now40 ,and then ,daniel1 in a death-like stillness1 unfolded all the interpretation1 and told the king that the golden head of the great image represented his own government4 ,i suppose ,babylon was the biggest city ever in the world4 ,it was sixty miles around4 ,some writers put the walls from sixty-five to eighty-five feet high and twenty-five feet wide4 ,four chariots could drive abreast on top of them4 ,a street fifteen miles long divided the grand city1 and hanging gardens in acres made the public parks4 ,it was like ,chicago--so flat that they had to resort to artificial mounds2 and1 again like ,chicago1 the products of vast regions flowed right into and through it4 ,this great kingdom1 ,daniel told the king1 was his own2 but he said a destroying kingdom should come1 and afterward a third and fourth kingdom1 when1 at the last1 the ,god of ,heaven should set up ,his kingdom4 ,daniel lived to see the first kingdom overthrown1 when the ,medes and ,persians came in1 and centuries after came ,alexander1 and then the ,romans4 ,i believe in the literal fulfillment1 so far1 of ,daniel's ,god given words and in the sure fulfillment of the final prophecy of the 8stone cut out of the mountains without hands10 that by-and-by shall grind the kingdoms of this world into dust1 and bring in the ,kingdom of ,peace4 ,then will be the ,millennium1 and ,christ will sway ,his scepter over all the earth4 ,well1 the king was very much pleased4 ,he gave to ,daniel a place near the throne1 and he became one of the chief men of the world4 ,his three friends were also put in high office4 ,god had blessed them signally1 and ,he blessed them still more--and that was1 perhaps1 a harder thing--in keeping them true to ,him in their prosperity4 ,their faith and fortunes waxed strong together4 ,time went on1 and now we reach a crisis indeed4 8,nebuchadnezzar1 the king10 we read1 8made an image of gold1 one hundred and ten feet high and nine feet wide40 ,it was not gilded1 but was solid gold4 ,when ,babylon was pillaged the second time a single god was found in the temple that was worth more than two million pounds sterling4 ,the king's monstrous image was set up in the ,plains of ,dura1 near to the city4 ,i suppose he wanted to please his kingly vanity by inaugurating a universal religion4 ,when the time came for the dedication ,i do not suppose ,daniel was there4 ,he was probably in ,egypt1 or some other province1 on affairs of the empire4 ,counselors1 satraps1 high secretaries and the princes of the people were ordered to hasten to the dedication1 and when they should hear the sound of the cornet1 flute and psaltery announce that the great idol was consecrated they were to bow down and worship it4 ,perhaps they called the ceremony the unveiling of the monument1 as we should say4 ,but one command was made certain4 ,at a given signal all the people were to fall to the earth in worship4 ,but in the law of ,god there is something against that4 8,thou shalt have none other gods but ,me40 ,god's law went right against the king's4 ,would all of us have ,daniel's three friends to do the right thing at any hazard8 ,would none of us1 without backbone1 have advised them to just bow down a little1 so that no one would notice it1 or to merely bow down but not worship it8 ,the hour came1 and ,daniel's friends refused to bow down4 ,they refused utterly to bend the knee to a god of gold4 ,how many cry out in this city3 8,give me gold--give me money--and ,i will do any thing60 ,such may think that men in ,nebuchadnezzar's time should not bow down to a golden idol1 but they themselves are daily doing just that very thing4 ,money is their golden image1 or position1 or golden ambition4 ,well1 the informers came to the king1 and told him that ,shadrach1 ,meshach and ,abednego had stood with unbended knee1 and straightway they were hurried before him4 ,the old king1 speechless with rage1 was gesturing his commands4 ,i can imagine that one last chance was given them1 after the king finally regained his voice1 and that one of them1 probably ,meshach1 spoke up in a firm but respectful voice that they must obey ,god rather than man4 ,at once the raging king cried out3 8,what is your ,god that ,he can deliver you out of our hands80 ,and in the same breath he screamed a command to bind them hand and foot and cast them into the fiery furnace1 and make it seven times hotter than ever4 ,the command was instantly executed1 and the flames leaped out from the door and consumed the officers who cast them in4 ,but ,jesus was with ,his servants as the flames raged about them1 and soon word was brought to the king that four men walked about in the flames4 ,yes1 they walked there with ,jesus--they did not run--as in a green pasture and beside still waters4 ,and directly the king rushed up and cried3 8,ye sons of the living ,god1 come forth40 ,and behold1 even the hair of their heads was not singed4 ,then the king made a royal edict1 that all in his realm should reverence the ,god of ,shadrach1 ,meshach and ,abednego4 ,then the king had a dream1 and he was greatly perturbed thereby4 ,this time the particulars of the dream had not gone from him4 ,they stood out vivid and clear in his mind1 as he sent out to fetch the wise men1 and called to them to give him the interpretation4 ,but they can not give it4 ,when he had his first dream he had summoned these same soothsayers1 but they had stood silent4 ,and now they stand silent again as the second dream is told them4 ,they can not interpret it4 ,then once again he sends for the prophet1 ,daniel1 whom he had named after one of his gods1 ,belteshazzar4 ,and the young prophet comes before the king1 and as soon as the king sees ,daniel he feels sure that he will now get the meaning4 ,calling out from his throne1 he tells how he had dreamed a dream1 wherein he saw a tree in the midst of the earth1 with branches that reached to ,heaven1 and the sight thereof to the ends of the earth4 ,the beasts of the field had shelter under it1 and the fowls of the air dwelt in the boughs thereof4 ,the tree was very fair and had much fruit1 and all flesh was fed on it4 ,and then1 lowering his voice1 he tells how1 as he gazed1 he saw a watcher and a holy one come down from ,heaven1 who cried aloud3 8,hew down the tree40 8,and now10 cries the king1 8can you tell me the interpretation80 ,for a time ,daniel stands motionless4 ,does his heart fail him8 ,the record simply says3 8,for one hour he was astonished40 ,the ready words doubtless rush to his lips1 but he dislikes to let them out4 ,he does not want to tell how the king's kingdom and mind are going to depart from him1 and he is to wander forth to eat grass like a beast4 ,the king1 too1 hesitates2 a dark foreboding for a time gets the better of curiosity4 ,but soon he nerves himself to hear the worst1 and speaks very kindly3 8,do not be afraid to tell me1 ,o ,daniel6 ,let not the dream or its interpretation trouble thee40 ,and at last ,daniel speaks3 8,o king1 thou art the man4 ,god has exalted thee over every king and over all the world1 but thou shalt be brought low4 ,thou shalt be driven out from men1 and shalt eat grass among the beasts of the field2 but thy kingdom--as the great watcher spared the stump of the tree--shall afterward return to thee4 ,wherefore1 ,o king1 break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor1 if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility40 ,and straightway the king repented in sackcloth and ashes1 and ,god stayed the doom4 ,but twelve months from that time we see ,nebuchadnezzar walking in his palace and boasting3 8,is not this my great ,babylon that ,i have built by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty60 ,and behold1 while he yet spake a voice came from ,heaven1 saying3 8,thy kingdom hath departed40 ,and undoubtedly ,god then touched his reason1 and straightway he ran madly through the gates to eat grass4 ,but his kingdom had not passed from him forever1 and1 according to the prophet's word1 at the end of seven years--or1 possibly1 seven months--his reason came back1 and he returned to his palace4 ,all his princes and officers gathered about him4 ,then he immediately sent out a new proclamation1 and its closing words show his repentance1 and how ,daniel had brought this mighty king to ,god3 8,and at the end of the days ,i1 ,nebuchadnezzar1 lifted up mine eyes unto ,heaven1 and my understanding returned unto me1 and ,i blessed the ,most ,high1 and ,i praised and honored ,him that liveth forever1 whose dominion is an everlasting dominion1 and ,his kingdom is from generation to generation4 8,at the same time my reason returned unto me1 and for the glory of my kingdom mine honor and brightness returned unto me1 and my councilors and my lords sought unto me4 ,i was established in my kingdom1 and excellent majesty was added unto me4 8,now ,i1 ,nebuchadnezzar1 praise and extol the ,king of ,heaven1 all whose works are truth and ,his ways judgment1 and those that walk in pride ,he is able to abase40 ,and then he passes from the stage4 ,this is the last record of him1 and undoubtedly he and ,daniel now walk the crystal pavement together4 ,that mighty monarch was led to the ,god of the ,hebrews by the faith of this ,hebrew slave1 and just because he had a religion and dared to make it known4 ,but now we lose sight of the prophet for a few years1 perhaps fifteen or twenty4 ,the next we hear is that ,belteshazzar is on the throne--possibly as regent4 ,he is believed to have been a grandson of ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,one day he said he would make ,daniel the third ruler of the people if he would interpret for him the handwriting on the wall4 ,he was probably second himself1 and ,daniel would be next to him4 ,of this prince we have only one glimpse4 ,the feast scene is the first and last we have of him1 and it is enough4 ,it was a great feast1 and fully a thousand of his lords sat down together4 ,in those days feasts sometimes lasted six months4 ,how long this one lasted we do not know4 ,the king caroused with his princes and satraps and all the mighty men of ,babylon1 drinking and rioting and praying to gods of silver and gold and brass and stubble--just what we are doing today1 if we bow the knee to the gods of this world4 ,and the revelers1 waxing wanton1 even go into the temple and lay sacrilegious hands on the sacred vessels that had been brought away from ,jerusalem1 and drank wine from them--drank toasts to idols and harlots4 ,and1 undoubtedly1 as they are drinking they scoff at the ,god of ,israel4 ,i see these revelers swearing and rioting when1 suddenly1 the king turns pale and trembles from head to foot4 ,above the golden candlesticks1 on a bare space on the wall1 he sees the writing of the ,god of ,zion4 ,he distinctly sees the terrible fingers4 ,his voice shakes with terror1 but he manages to falter out3 8,bring in the wise men6 ,any man who can read the handwriting ,i will make third ruler of the kingdom40 ,then the wise men come trooping in1 but there is no answer4 ,not one of them can read it4 ,they are skilled in ,chaldean lore1 but this stumps them4 ,at last the queen comes in and whispers3 8,o king1 there is a man in the kingdom who can read that writing4 ,when your grandfather could not interpret his dreams he sent for ,daniel1 the ,hebrew1 and he knew all about them4 ,can we find him80 ,they did find him1 and now we see the man of ,god again standing before a king's throne4 ,to the king's hurried promises of gifts and honors ,daniel replies3 8,you can keep your rewards40 ,quietly he turns his eyes on the writing4 ,he reads it at the first glance1 for it is his ,father's handwriting4 ,he says3 8,mene--,thy kingdom hath departed from thee4 8,tekel--,thou art weighed in the balance1 and art found wanting4 8,upharsin--,thy kingdom is divided4 ,it is given over to the hands of the enemy40 ,how these words of doom must have rung through the palace that night6 ,and the destruction did not tarry4 ,the king recovered himself1 banished his fears1 and went on drinking in his hall4 ,the mystery and its interpretation were as an idle tale4 ,he thought he was perfectly secure4 ,he had deemed the great walls of ,babylon thoroughly safe4 ,but there was ,darius besieging the city2 the enemy was right upon him4 ,was that safe8 ,while they reveled1 the river ,euphrates1 that flowed under the walls1 was turned into another channel4 ,the hosts of ,medes and ,persians rushed through1 unobstructed1 and in a few minutes more battered down the king's gate and broke through the palace guard into the inmost palace chamber4 ,and the king was slain1 and his blood flowed in that banquet hall4 ,we are next told ,darius took the throne and set over the people #abj rulers1 and over these three presidents1 of whom ,daniel was first4 ,and so we find him in office again4 ,i do not know how long he was in that position4 ,but by-and-by a conspiracy took head among his fellow officers to get rid of him4 ,they got jealous and said3 8,let's see if we can get this man removed4 ,he has bossed us long enough--the sanctimonious old ,hebrew40 ,and then he was so impracticable1 they could not do any thing with him4 ,there were plenty of collectors and treasurers1 but he kept such a close eye on them that they only made their salaries4 ,there was no plundering of the government with ,daniel at the head4 ,he was president of the princes1 and all revenue accounts passed before him4 ,i can overhear the plotters whispering3 8,if we can only put him out of the way1 we can make enough in two or three years to retire from office1 have a city house in ,babylon and two or three villas in the country--have enough for all our days4 ,we can then go down to ,egypt and see something of the world4 ,as things now are1 we can only get our exact dues1 and it will take years to get any thing respectable4 ,yes1 let us down this pious ,jew40 ,well1 they worked things so as to get an investigating committee1 hoping to catch him in his accounts4 ,but they found no occasion for fault against him4 ,if he had put any relatives in office it would have been found out4 ,if he had been guilty of peculation1 or in any way broken the unalterable statutes of the kingdom1 it would have come to light4 ,what a bright light was that1 standing alone in that great city for ,god and the majesty of law6 ,but at last they struck on one weak point1 as they called it--he would worship no one but the ,god of ,israel4 ,the law of his ,god was his only assailable side4 ,the conspirators reasoned in their plotting3 8,if we can only get ,darius to forbid any one making a request for thirty days except from the king himself1 we shall trap him1 and then we can cast him among the lions4 ,we will take good care to have the lions hungry40 ,and the hundred and twenty princes took long council together4 8,take care10 they said2 8you must draw up the paper which is to be signed by the king with a deal of care and discretion4 ,the king loves him1 and he has influence4 ,do not speak of the movement outside this meeting4 ,it might come to the ears of the king1 and we must talk to the king ourselves40 ,when the mine is all ready1 the hundred and twenty princes come to the king and open their business with flattering speech4 ,naturally1 we hear these men saying3 8,king ,darius1 live for ever60 ,they tell him how prosperous the realm is1 and how much the people think of him4 ,and then they tell him1 in the most plausible way that ever was1 that if he would be remembered by children's children to all ages1 just to sign this decree4 ,it would be a memorial of his greatness and goodness for ever4 ,and the king replies graciously3 8,what is the decree you wish me to sign80 ,casting his eye over the paper1 he goes on3 8,i see no objection to that40 ,in the pleasure of granting a request he thinks nothing of ,daniel1 and the princes carefully refrain from jogging his memory4 ,and he asks for his signet ring1 and gives the royal stamp4 ,the edict has become one of the laws of the ,medes and ,persians1 that alter not4 ,it reads3 8,any man that worships any ,god but me for thirty days shall be cast into the lions' den40 ,the news spreads all through the city1 and quickly gets to the ears of ,daniel4 ,i can imagine some of them going to the prophet and advising him about the edict1 saying3 8,if you can only get out of the way for a little time--if you can just quit ,babylon for thirty days--it will advance your own and the public interest together4 ,you are the chief secretary and treasurer2 in fact1 you are the chief ruler in the government4 ,you are an important man and can do as you please4 ,well1 now1 just you get out of ,babylon4 ,or1 if you will stay in ,babylon1 do not let them catch you on your knees4 ,at all events1 do not pray at the window toward ,jerusalem4 ,if you must pray1 close that window1 pull down the curtain and put something in the keyhole40 ,i can imagine how that old prince1 ,daniel1 now in his gray hairs1 would view such a proposition--that he desert his ,god in his old age4 ,all the remonstrances that must have been made fell dead4 ,he just went on praying as usual three times a day1 with his face toward ,jerusalem4 ,this old prophet found plenty of time to pray1 though secretary and treasurer of the most important empire of the world4 ,and besides his own business1 he had to attend1 doubtless1 to much belonging of right to those hundred and twenty4 ,but he would never have been too busy or ashamed at a prayer meeting to stand up for ,god4 ,daniel had a purpose1 and he dared to make that purpose known4 ,he knew whom he worshiped4 ,the idea of looking back to church records of long ago to see whether a man has professed religion is all wrong4 ,in ,babylon they knew whom ,daniel believed on4 ,these hundred and twenty knew the very day after the passage of the edict4 ,he knows they are watching near his window when the hour comes for prayer4 ,he can see two men close at his side1 and he knows they are spies4 ,perhaps they may be taking down every word he says for the papers4 ,the moment comes1 and ,daniel falls on his knees4 ,in tones even louder than ever he makes his prayer to the ,god of ,israel1 ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob4 ,he does not omit to pray for the king4 ,it is right to pray for our rulers4 ,the reason they are not better1 oftentimes1 is just because we do not pray for them4 ,and now the spies rush to the king and say1 8,o ,darius1 live for ever6 ,do you know there is a man here in your kingdom who will not obey you80 8,will not obey me8 ,who is he80 8,why1 that man ,daniel40 ,and the king says3 8,i know he will not bow down and worship me4 ,i know that ,daniel worships the ,god of ,heaven40 ,then the king sets his heart to deliver him1 all the day1 from those hundred and twenty men4 ,but they come to him and say3 8,if you break your law1 your kingdom will depart4 ,your subjects will no longer obey you4 ,you must drive him to the lions' den40 ,so ,darius is compelled to yield1 and at last he gives the word to have ,daniel sent away and cast into the den of lions4 ,these men take good care to have the den filled with the most hungry beasts of ,babylon4 ,he is thrown headlong into the den1 but the angel of ,god flies down1 and ,daniel lights unharmed on the bottom4 ,the lions' mouths are stopped4 ,they are as harmless as lambs4 ,the old prophet1 at the wonted hour1 drops on his knees and prays1 with his face toward ,jerusalem1 as calmly as he did in his chamber4 ,and when it gets later he just lays his head on one of the lions and goes to sleep4 ,undoubtedly no one in all ,babylon sleeps more sweetly than does ,daniel in the lions' den4 ,in the palace1 the king can not sleep4 ,he orders his chariot1 and early in the morning rattles over the pavement and jumps down at the lions' den4 ,i see the king alight from his chariot in eager haste1 and hear him cry down through the mouth of the den3 8,o ,daniel1 servant of the living ,god6 ,is thy ,god1 whom thou reverest continually1 able to deliver thee from the lions80 ,hark6 ,why1 it is a resurrection voice6 ,it is ,daniel1 saying3 8,my ,god is able4 ,he hath sent one of ,his angels1 and hath shut the lions' mouths40 ,i can see them now just embrace each other1 and together they jump into the chariot and away they go back to the palace to breakfast4 ,i want to say something further about ,daniel4 ,i want to refer to how an angel came to him1 and1 as we read in the twelfth chapter of ,daniel1 told him he was a man greatly beloved4 ,another angel had come to him with the same message4 ,it is generally thought this last angel was the same one spoken of in ,revelations--first chapter and thirteenth verse--as coming to ,john when banished to the ,isle of ,patmos4 ,people thought he was sent off there alone1 but he was not2 the angel of ,god was with him4 ,and so with ,daniel4 ,here1 in the tenth chapter and fifth verse1 he says3 8,then ,i lifted up mine eyes1 and behold1 a certain man clothed with fine linen1 and otherwise arrayed as ,god's messenger1 who cried3 #8,o ,daniel1 a man greatly beloved1 understand the words which ,i speak unto thee1 and stand upright1 for unto thee am ,i now sent4'0 ,it was ,daniel's need that brought him from the glory land4 ,it was the ,son of ,god right by his side in that strange land4 ,and that was the second time when the word came to him1 saying he was greatly beloved4 ,yes1 three times a messenger came from the throne of ,god to tell him this4 ,i love to speak of that precious verse in the eleventh chapter--the thirty-second verse3 8,the people that do know their ,god shall be strong and do exploits40 ,i also love to speak of the twelfth chapter and second and third verses3 8,and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake1 some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt2 and they that be wise shall shine as the stars of the firmament1 and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever40 ,this was the angel's comfort to ,daniel1 and a great comfort it was4 ,the fact with all of us is that we like to shine4 ,there is no doubt about that4 ,every mother likes her child to shine4 ,if her boy shines at school by reaching the head of his class1 the proud mother tells all the neighbors1 and she has a right to do so4 ,but it is not the great of this world that will shine the brightest4 ,for a few years they may shed bright light1 but they go out in darkness1 without an inner brightness4 ,supplying the brightness1 they go out in black darkness4 ,where are the great men who did not know ,daniel's ,god8 ,did they shine long8 ,why1 we know of ,nebuchadnezzar and the rest of them scarcely a thing1 except as they fill in the story about these humble men of ,god4 ,we are not told that statesmen shall shine2 they may1 for a few days or years1 but they are soon forgotten4 ,look at those great ones who passed away in the days of ,daniel4 ,how wise in council they were6 ,how mighty and victorious over hundreds of nations6 ,what gods upon earth they were6 ,yet their names are forgotten--written only in the grave4 ,philosophers1 falsely so-called--do they live8 ,behold men of science--scientific men they call themselves--going down into the bowels of the earth1 digging away at some carcass and trying to make it talk against the voice of ,god6 ,they shall go down to death1 by-and-by1 and their names shall rot4 ,but the man of ,god shines4 ,yes1 he it is who shall shine as the stars for ever and ever4 ,this ,daniel has been gone for #b1ejj years1 but still increasing millions read of his life and actions4 ,and so it shall be to the end4 ,he will only be better known and better loved2 he shall ever shine the brighter as the world grows older4 ,of a truth1 they that be wise and turn many to righteousness shall shine on1 like stars1 to eternity4 ,,david4 ,you know how ,david fell4 ,no man rose so high and fell so far1 ,i think4 ,god took him from the sheepfold and put him upon a throne4 ,he took him from obscurity and made him king of ,israel and ,judea2 gave him lands in abundance1 and would have given him more if he had wanted them4 ,he was on the pinnacle of glory1 and honored among men4 ,but one day1 while looking out of a window1 he saw a woman with whom he became enamored4 ,he yielded to the temptation1 and ordered her to be brought into the palace1 and committed the terrible sin of adultery4 ,after that1 as is the case with all men who commit a sin1 he had to commit another to cover it up1 so he laid plans to kill her husband1 and ordered him to be put in a position in the ranks of his army so that he could be killed4 ,months rolled away1 and one day ,nathan came into the palace of the king4 ,i can imagine that ,david was glad to see him4 ,nathan began to tell him about two men who dwelt in a certain city4 ,the one was rich1 the other poor2 one had herds and flocks1 and the other had only a little ewe lamb1 and he went on to tell how this rich man seized this ewe lamb1 all that the poor man had1 and slew it4 ,i can see the anger of ,david as it flashed from his eye when he heard the story1 and he cried3 8,as the ,lord liveth1 the man that hath done this thing shall surely die40 ,he turned to ,nathan1 and in tones of thunder demanded who the man was4 8,thou art the man40 ,this was the reply of ,nathan4 ,david had convicted himself4 8,the man who did this thing shall die40 ,then the ,lord said3 8,i will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house1 because thou hast kept this thing secret40 ,soon after this the hand of death was put upon that house4 ,not only did death enter ,david's house1 but it was not long before his eldest son committed adultery with his sister1 and another committed murder--murdered his own brothers1 and went off into a foreign land into exile4 ,then he got up a rebellion and drove the king from the throne1 and at last died and was buried like a dog1 and they heaped stones upon his resting place4 8,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap40 ,david committed adultery1 and so did his son2 ,david committed murder1 and his son did the same4 ,he was paid back in his own coin4 ,he learned the truth of this passage3 8,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap40 ,,elijah4 ,let us go to ,carmel for a few minutes4 ,king ,ahab had forsaken the ,god of ,israel1 and all the court people and 8upper ten0 had followed his example4 ,but there was an old prophet out in the mountains1 to whom ,god said3 8,go to ,ahab1 and tell him the heavens shall be shut up and there shall be no rain40 ,away he goes to the wicked king4 ,he bursts in upon him like a clap of thunder1 gives his message and hurries away4 ,i suppose ,ahab laughed at the old prophet4 8,what6 ,no more rain8 ,why1 the fellow must be crazy40 ,pretty soon the weather gets very dry4 ,the earth is parched1 and begins to crack open4 ,the rivers have but little water in them1 and the brooks dry up altogether4 ,the trees die2 all the grass perishes1 and the cattle die1 too4 ,famine--starvation--death6 ,if rain does not come pretty soon1 there will not be a live man or woman left in all the kingdom4 ,one day the king was talking with the prophet1 ,obadiah4 ,you see1 he did have one good man near him1 along with all the prophets of the false god4 ,almost anybody likes to have one good man within reach1 even if he is ever so bad4 ,he may be wanted in a hurry some time4 8,see here1 ,obadiah60 says ,king ,ahab4 8,you go one way and ,i will go another1 and we will see if we can find some water somewhere40 ,obadiah has not gone a great way before ,elijah bursts out upon him4 8,o ,elijah6 ,is that you8 ,ahab has been hunting for you everywhere1 and could not find you4 ,he has sent off into all the kingdoms about1 to have them fetch you1 if you were there40 8,yes2 ,i am here10 says ,elijah4 8,you go and tell ,ahab ,i want to see him40 8,i dare not do that10 says ,obadiah1 8for just as soon as ,i tell him you are here1 the ,spirit will catch you away and take you off somewhere else1 and then the king will be very angry1 and maybe he will kill me40 8,no10 says ,elijah4 8,as the ,lord liveth1 ,i will meet ,ahab face to face this day40 ,so ,obadiah hurries off to find ,ahab1 and tells him he has seen the prophet4 8,what6 ,elijah80 8,yes40 8,why didn't you bring him along80 8,he would not come4 ,he says he wants you to come to him40 ,ahab was not used to have people talk that way to him1 but he was anxious to see the prophet1 so he went4 ,and when he sees ,elijah he is very angry1 and asks3 8,art thou he that troubleth ,israel80 8,not at all10 says ,elijah4 8,you are the man that is troubling ,israel--going off after ,baal1 and leading ever so many of the people with you4 ,now1 we have had enough of this sort of thing4 ,some people are praying to ,god and some are praying to ,baal1 and we must have this question settled4 ,you just bring all your prophets and all the priests of ,baal up to ,mount ,carmel1 and ,i also will come4 ,we will make us each an altar1 and offer sacrifice on it2 and the god that answereth by fire1 let ,him be ,god40 8,agreed10 says ,ahab4 ,and away he goes to tell his priests and get ready for the trial4 ,i fancy that was a great day when this question was decided4 ,all the places of business were closed1 and everybody was going up to ,mount ,carmel4 ,there must have been more people on ,mount ,carmel than there are today at the races4,a ,a better class of people1 too4 ,a ,this was said on ,derby ,day1 in ,opera ,house1 ,haymarket1 ,london4 ,there were eight hundred and fifty of the prophets and priests of ,baal altogether4 ,i fancy ,i can see them all1 going up in a grand procession1 with the king in his chariot at their head4 8,fine-looking men1 aren't they80 says one man to another1 as they go by4 8,they will be able to do great things up there on the mountain40 ,but there ,elijah marched1 all alone--a rough man1 clad in the skins of beasts1 with a staff in his hand4 ,no banners1 no procession1 no great men in his train6 ,but the man who could hold the keys of ,heaven for three years and six months was not afraid to be alone4 ,now1 ,elijah says to the people3 8,how long will ye halt between two opinions8 ,let the priests of ,baal build them an altar and offer sacrifice1 but put no fire under1 and ,i will do the same2 and the god that answereth by fire1 let ,him be ,god40 ,so the priests of ,baal build their altar4 ,i am sure that1 if ,god had not held him back1 ,satan would have brought up a little spark out of hell to set that sacrifice on fire4 ,but ,god would not let him4 ,then they begin to pray3 8,o ,baal1 hear us6 ,o ,baal1 hear us60 ,elijah might have said3 8,why haven't you prayed to ,baal for water this dry weather8 ,you might just as well have asked him for water as for fire40 ,after a long time they begin to get hoarse4 8,you must pray louder than that1 if you expect ,baal to hear you10 says the old prophet4 8,maybe he is asleep4 ,pray louder1 so as to wake him up40 ,poor fellows6 ,they haven't any voice left4 ,so they begin to pray in blood4 ,they now cut themselves with knives1 and lift their streaming hands and arms to ,baal4 ,but no fire comes down4 ,it is getting toward sundown4 ,the prophet of the ,lord builds an altar4 ,mind you1 he does not have any thing to do with the altar of ,baal4 ,he builds an entirely different one1 on the ruins of the altar of the ,lord1 which had been broken down4 8,we will not have any one saying there is any trick about this thing10 says the prophet4 ,so they bring twelve barrels of water and pour over the altar4 ,i do not know how they managed to get so much water1 but they did it4 ,then ,elijah prays3 8,o ,god of ,abraham and of ,isaac and of ,jacob1 let it be known this day that ,thou art ,god in ,israel40 ,he did not have to pray very loud4 ,god heard him at once1 and down came the fire4 ,it burnt up the sacrifice--burnt up the wood--burnt up the water--burnt up the very stones of the altar4 ,jehovah is ,god2 nobody can halt any longer4 ,ah1 but some of you say3 8,i1 too1 would have decided for ,god if ,i had been on ,mount ,carmel that day40 ,but ,calvary is far more wonderful than ,carmel4 ,the sacrifice of ,christ on the cross is more wonderful than the sacrifice which was burnt on that altar4 ,,gideon4 ,i believe this man ,gideon was called an enthusiast in the camp of ,israel4 ,the very idea of his going out to meet a hundred thousand men with pitchers and lanterns6 ,how many people would have said3 8,the man has gone clean mad40 ,yes1 he was an enthusiast2 but the ,lord was with him4 ,if we lean upon ourselves we will have failure1 but if we lean upon the arm of ,god we will see how swiftly ,god will give us victory4 ,god wants the glory1 and no flesh shall glory in ,his stead4 ,look at what ,he said to ,gideon4 ,gideon had called in an army of thirty-two thousand men4 ,the ,lord said to him3 8,you have too many men4 ,if ,i give you victory1 ,israel will vaunt themselves against ,me1 saying3 #8,my own hand hath saved me4' ,you can not work with so many1 because ,i must have the glory4 ,just say to all that are fearful3 #8,depart if you want to4'0 ,so ,gideon proclaimed1 in accordance with ,god's command1 saying3 8,whosoever is fearful and afraid1 let him return and depart early from ,mount ,gilead40 ,and there returned of the people twenty and two thousand1 and there remained ten thousand4 ,i can imagine that ,gideon became a little scared at first4 ,only ten thousand left6 ,but the ,lord came again1 and said3 8,gideon1 you have got too many men4 ,if ,i work with them1 you will take the glory40 ,so he brought down the people unto the water1 and the ,lord said unto ,gideon3 8,every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue1 as a dog lappeth1 him shalt thou set by himself2 likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink40 ,three hundred lapped and ninety-seven hundred wheeled out of line4 ,i can imagine they were like many ,christians4 ,what can ,god do with those who are like those of ,gideon's army who were full of fears and doubts8 ,look at the reduction in that great army4 ,but three hundred men with the ,almighty6 ,three hundred men that side with ,god can be a power for ,god4 ,three hundred like ,gideon's men will move any city4 ,what a routing there was before that band6 ,they fly like chaff before the wind4 ,do not call any thing small of ,god4 ,,ittai4 ,i will read a few verses in the fifteenth chapter of ,second ,samuel1 beginning at the nineteenth verse3 8,then said the king to ,ittai1 the ,gittite3 #8,wherefore goest thou also with us8 ,return to thy place1 and abide with the king2 for thou art a stranger1 and also an exile4 8#8,whereas1 thou camest but yesterday1 should ,i this day make thee go up and down with us8 ,seeing ,i go whither ,i may1 return thou1 and take back thy brethren4 ,mercy and truth be with thee4' 8,and ,ittai answered the king1 and said3 #8,as the ,lord liveth1 and as my lord the king liveth1 surely in what place my lord the king shall be1 whether in death or life1 even there also will thy servant be4' 8,and ,david said to ,ittai3 #8,go1 and pass over4' ,and ,ittai1 the ,gittite1 passed over1 and all his men1 and all the little ones that were with them4 8,and all the country wept with a loud voice1 and all the people passed over4 ,the king also himself passed over the brook ,kidron1 and all the people passed over1 toward the way of the wilderness40 ,what must have been the feeling of ,david when he got outside the city and found this foreigner and stranger out there with six hundred men1 ready and willing to go with him6 ,he had had three men who sat at his table1 and in the hour of trial1 in the hour of trouble1 they had deserted him4 ,it is in the time of darkness that we find out our friends4 ,you find then who are your friends4 ,now1 ,david was in trouble1 and here was this ,ittai standing right by him4 ,how that must have cheered the heart of the king6 ,he had been driven from the throne by ,absalom1 and the whole kingdom seemed to be going with ,absalom4 ,absalom and those who were with him were planning to take the life of ,david1 but here we find this stranger--this man ,ittai--just following ,david2 and when ,david told him to go back1 see what he says4 ,i think it is one of the sweetest things in the whole life of ,david3 8,then said the king to ,ittai1 the ,gittite3 #8,wherefore goest thou also with us8 ,return to thy place1 and abide with the king2 for thou art a stranger1 and also an exile4 8#8,whereas1 thou camest but yesterday1 should ,i this day make thee go up and down with us8 ,seeing ,i go whither ,i may1 return thou1 and take back thy brethren4 ,mercy and truth be with thee4'0 ,here was a man who was attached to a person4 ,that was the point ,i wanted to call your attention to4 ,we are living1 ,i think1 in the day of shams4 ,there are a good many people who are attached to creeds1 denominations and churches4 ,they are attached to this and to that1 instead of a person4 ,creeds and churches are all right in their places1 but if a man puts them in the place of the ,savior and the personal ,christ1 then they are but snares4 ,he would be willing to give up every thing but ,christ in the hour of trouble1 and if he is attached to ,christ he will be able to say3 8,wherever ,thou goest ,i go40 ,david had nothing to offer this man4 ,there he was--barefooted and leaving the throne4 ,ittai was attached to the man4 ,david was every thing to ,ittai1 and life was nothing4 ,no man had better friends than ,david had in his day4 ,what we want is to be attached to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ as ,ittai was attached to ,david4 ,,jacob4 ,the key to all ,jacob's difficulties will be found in the twentieth chapter of ,matthew4 ,it is the story of the laborers in the vineyard4 ,the thought is in the second verse4 ,the first men hired agreed to the bargain4 ,the men would not go until the owner of the vineyard had made a bargain with them4 ,he told them that he would pay them what was right4 ,they got a penny4 ,he gave them the lawful wages4 ,they probably asked3 8,and is this all you are going to give us80 ,jacob was all the time making bargains4 ,the ,christians who are making bargains with the ,lord do not get as much as those who trust ,him4 ,it does not pay to make bargains with the ,lord4 ,jacob is a twin brother of most of us4 ,where you find one ,joseph or one ,daniel you will find a hundred ,jacobs4 ,we are not willing1 all of us1 to take ,god at ,his word and trust ,him4 ,there is a strong contrast between the character of ,joseph and ,jacob4 ,the one trusted ,god implicitly1 but ,jacob wanted to trust ,him no farther than he could see ,god4 ,there would have been a great deal of murmuring if ,jacob had been thrown into jail in ,egypt4 ,no doubt ,jacob got much of his weakness from his mother4 ,there was a division in that home4 ,isaac favored ,esau1 and ,rebekah favored ,jacob4 ,such dissensions are just the thing to stir up the old ,adam in the man4 ,a mother and a father have no right to take this course4 ,rebekah plans continually to keep ,jacob at home4 ,the very thing that ,rebekah tries to achieve1 in that she fails4 ,by nature ,esau was the better of the two4 ,if such a mean and contemptible nature as ,jacob's can be saved1 then there is hope for all of us4 ,the ,lord promised to ,jacob from the bottom of the ladder what he should have4 ,jacob gets up and says3 8,if ,god will be with me and keep and clothe me1 then shall the ,lord be my ,god40 ,what a low and contemptible idea he had6 ,god had promised him all from ,dan to ,beersheba4 ,that is the difficulty with the people at the present time4 ,if ,god will bless us in our basket and store1 we shall have ,him for our ,god4 ,we find ,jacob after this in ,haran1 driving bargains all the time1 and the worst of it is he gets beat every time4 ,he had to work seven years for his wife1 and then gets another woman in her place4 ,he is paid back in his own coin4 ,we must not think that ,god will allow us to deceive without punishing us for it4 ,jacob forgot all the vows which he made at ,bethel1 but ,god did not forget ,his4 ,some of ,god's promises are unconditional4 ,the promise which ,he made at ,bethel was unconditional4 ,god chose ,jacob rather than ,esau4 ,some people say that ,god hated ,esau before he was born4 ,this is not the teaching of ,scripture1 even though one of the minor prophets long years after mentioned it4 ,god says to ,jacob after he had been in ,haran for so many years3 8,i am the ,god of ,bethel4 ,arise and dwell there40 ,jacob ought to have been proud1 and should have left ,haran like a prince1 but instead he steals away like a thief4 ,he starts off1 and his uncle and father-in-law pursue4 ,god took care of him4 ,god was determined to keep ,his vows1 and there is no doubt that1 had not ,god interfered1 ,jacob would have been slain4 ,we find that ,jacob stays behind1 like a miserable coward1 after he had sent his effects away4 ,a man out of communication with ,god is a coward always4 ,there was a man who wrestled with ,jacob4 ,he was ,christ4 ,when did ,jacob prevail8 ,when his thigh was out of joint all he could do was to hold on and get the blessing4 ,the man who is the lowest down is the man whom ,god lifts up the highest4 ,the man that has the greatest humility will be the most exalted4 ,a great many say that ,jacob was a different man4 ,would to ,god his thigh had been left out of joint1 so that there was no more of the flesh in him4 ,the next thing1 we find ,jacob and ,esau embracing1 and we would suppose that he would be filled with gratitude4 ,but no4 ,he goes down to ,shechem and builds an altar and calls it by a high-sounding name4 ,jacob in ,shechem1 with this altar with a high-sounding name1 was no better than he was in ,haran without an altar4 ,he built an altar1 finally1 at ,bethel4 ,he said that he would go to ,bethel and build an altar to his ,god1 as if the ,shechem altar was no altar4 ,he called it ,el-,bethel4 ,just the moment he came to ,bethel the ,lord ,god met him4 ,the next thing we hear is the saddest episode in the career of ,jacob--the death of ,rachel1 his favorite wife4 ,his sons go back to ,shechem1 and hunt up the old idols4 ,his sons bring him back news from there that his most dearly loved son was dead4 ,do you see how ,jacob begins to reap the harvest of the sins of his early days8 ,for twenty long years he mourned that beloved boy4 ,he deceived his own father1 and his own sons1 in turn1 deceived him4 ,what a bitter life6 ,what was ,jacob's dying testimony to ,pharaoh8 ,it would take ten thousand ,jacobs to get one convert like ,pharaoh4 8,few and evil10 said ,jacob1 8have my days been40 ,he started with a lie in his mouth4 ,he died in exile4 ,he died in ,egypt--not in the land which ,god had promised him4 ,he would not let ,god choose for him4 ,he was saved by fire--or1 as ,job said1 by the skin of his teeth4 ,,jacob',s ,,sons4 ,look at the sons of ,jacob4 ,look at them when they took away their brother1 and after they had delivered him into slavery see them coming back4 ,how much they must have suffered with their secret during those twenty years6 ,what misery they must have endured as they looked1 during all those years1 at their old father sorrowing for his son1 ,joseph6 ,they knew the boy had not been killed4 ,they knew he was in slavery4 ,for twenty years the sin was covered up1 but at last it came back upon them4 ,god had1 in the meantime1 been doing every thing for ,joseph4 ,he had raised him nearly to the throne of ,egypt4 ,a famine struck the land of the father1 and the old man sent his sons down into ,egypt to purchase corn4 ,god was at work4 ,he was making these men bring their own sin home to themselves4 ,their consciences smote them1 and they confessed1 in the presence of ,joseph1 that their sin had found them out4 ,twenty years after it was committed that sin was resurrected1 and they were brought face to face with it4 8,he that covereth his sin shall not prosper40 ,,john ,,the ,,baptist4 ,i want to call your attention to ,john1 the forerunner of ,christ4 ,on hearing the news of the death of the king ,joseph brings ,jesus back to ,nazareth1 and there ,he remained for thirty years4 ,i once read of the founder of the ,russian ,empire going down to a ,dutch sea port as a stranger and in disguise1 that he might learn how to build ships and return home and impart this knowledge to his own subjects4 ,people have wondered at that4 ,but this is a far greater wonder1 that the ,prince of ,glory should come down here and learn the carpenter's trade4 ,he was not only the son of a carpenter1 but ,he was a carpenter ,himself4 ,his father was a carpenter1 and ,he was a carpenter1 too1 for we read that they brought it up against ,him that ,he was a carpenter4 ,we read3 8,and when ,he was come into ,his own country1 ,he taught them in their synagogue1 insomuch that they were astonished1 and said3 #8,whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works8 ,is not this the carpenter's son8'0 ,right here is one lesson that we ought to learn1 and that is1 when ,christ was here ,he was an industrious man4 ,i have often said on this platform that ,i have never known a lazy man to be converted4 ,if one ever was converted1 he soon gave up his laziness4 ,i tell you that laziness does not belong to ,christ's ,kingdom4 ,i do not believe a man would have a lazy hair in his head if he was converted to the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,if a man has really been born of the ,spirit of ,christ1 he is not lazy4 ,he wants to find something to do1 and no kind of manual labor is degrading4 ,it is honorable4 ,if our ,master1 who is the ,prince of ,peace and the ,king of ,glory1 could leave ,heaven and come down here and work as a village carpenter1 let us not think that manual labor is beneath our notice4 ,let us be willing to go out and work4 ,if we can not find what we want1 let us do what we can4 ,if we can earn only twenty-five cents a day1 let us earn that rather than do nothing4 ,we not only want something to occupy our hands1 but also our minds4 ,but this is not the point of the lecture this morning4 ,i want to go back to those two wonderful men4 ,the thirty years have rolled away1 and it is now time that this wonderful ,messiah should come unto the nation4 ,the ,scriptures have been fulfilled1 and the first sound we hear of ,his coming is that strange voice crying in the wilderness4 ,those thirty years that have just expired were as nothing to the nation4 ,undoubtedly1 the rumors about those two children1 which created a great sensation at the time1 had died out4 ,the story of the shepherds on the plains of ,bethlehem had gone out of popular recollection--faded away4 ,the story of this child being brought into the ,temple1 and that old man and that old woman coming in there just at the time--that wonderful scene had faded away4 ,many who were in the ,temple at that time had gone4 ,zacharias and ,elizabeth had passed away1 and the ,roman ,empire had also died1 after sending out a decree that the country should be taxed4 ,herod was also dead4 ,a great change had taken place in thirty years4 ,you just carry your minds back through thirty years1 and see how many who stood with you thirty years ago--with whom you were acquainted--have gone1 and are sleeping in their graves4 ,if the ,holy ,ghost had not come after ,christ went to ,heaven1 the story of ,his death and ,his resurrection would have been forgotten as soon as ,his birth and ,his life4 ,no doubt about that4 ,it is that which has kept the memory of ,christ in the world1 and ,his name so fresh and fragrant4 ,the ,holy ,ghost has come down here to keep in our minds the glory and beauty of ,christ4 ,now1 we find ,his forerunner comes4 ,matthew says3 8,in those days came ,john the ,baptist1 preaching in the wilderness40 ,mark says3 8,the voice of one crying in the wilderness40 ,luke says3 8,the word of ,god came unto ,john1 the son of ,zacharias1 in the wilderness40 ,john's account is3 8,there was a man sent from ,god1 whose name was ,john40 ,the last prophet had closed up his prophecy by saying that ,john should come before the ,messiah1 and that he should be the herald who would come to introduce ,him4 ,now1 these four evangelists all take up their pens1 and they all notice it4 ,you know1 if you let any four men write up any one thing1 they will not all write about it alike4 ,why1 when men went to the ,centennial1 at ,philadelphia1 not any four of them wrote about it alike4 ,let a man come in here1 and let any four of us look at him4 ,one will get a side view of him1 one a front view1 and so on2 and no two of the four will see him alike4 ,so these evangelists wrote about ,john1 but not one of the four used the same language4 ,you know1 it was said he was to be like ,elijah4 ,well1 he looked like him1 dressed like him1 and his preaching was like him4 ,he came suddenly and unexpectedly upon the world1 and it was not long before his voice rang clear through the whole nation1 and the whole nation was stirred4 ,he stood between the two dispensations4 ,he was the last prophet the new dispensation was to have4 ,they had had some mighty prophets--wonderful men2 but this man was to be the last one4 ,now1 we find this man standing there1 as it were1 between these two dispensations2 and when he commenced to preach his preaching was very much like that of ,elijah4 ,he was a reformer4 ,his cry was3 8,repent6 ,reform60 ,but if he had stopped there his reform would have died out with him4 ,a great many reformations die out with the reformers because they cry out3 8,repent6 ,repent6 ,reform6 ,reform60 but they do not get any farther than that4 ,thank ,god1 ,john had something else to tell them4 ,he did not stop at 8,repent6 ,repent60 ,he kept telling them there was ,one coming mightier than himself4 ,undoubtedly that was what thrilled the nation4 ,talk about sensation6 ,there was never a nation moved as that one nation was moved by ,john the ,baptist4 ,in these days1 if certain persons want to stir a town or city1 they need to influence the leading men of that city to stand around them1 help them and pray for them4 ,but there stood ,john the ,baptist1 preaching in the wilderness1 without any influence of your committee4 ,he did not have ,mr4 ,sankey to sing for him to draw out the people4 ,he stood there upon the banks of the ,jordan alone1 preaching the glorious tidings that the ,messiah was coming after him1 and he probably was preaching this to the lowest beggar in the land4 ,there ,john was in the wilderness1 dressed like his predecessor1 ,elijah4 ,there he was1 preaching in the wilderness2 and just bear in mind1 it was not any milk-and-water preaching4 ,he gave the message just as ,god gave it to him4 ,i suppose1 if he had some of the ,christians of the present day there1 they would have said3 8,do not be so bold2 be mild about it4 ,don't you know you must use a little moderation about this8 ,come1 ,john6 ,if you talk against these ,pharisees they will cut your head off40 ,but that did not enter his mind4 ,it was not what they wanted4 ,it was what ,god gave him to deliver2 and if any man just takes the message and delivers it as ,god gives it to him1 ,i tell you ,god will stand by him4 ,he is going to succeed--mind that4 ,he may be unsuccessful at first2 his labor may seem to be unprofitable for a time1 and people may turn away4 ,but the time will come when his words will cut deep down into their hearts and lead them to salvation4 ,then the people began to tremble4 ,they had no newspapers then to print the sermons2 they had no telegraph wires to flash them over the country4 ,but one man just took the matter up and passed it to the next1 and so on1 and very soon it was spread over the whole country4 8,there he is10 they said1 8dressed just like ,elijah1 with his leathern girdle and his raiment of camel's hair40 ,he comes out about #i o'clock in the morning1 and there he stands on the banks of the ,jordan1 and there he continues his talk4 ,day after day he is seen there1 and his cry is3 8,repent6 ,repent60 ,and that was his appeal4 ,well1 it is not very long before every city1 town and village has heard of this wonder4 ,john preached the law just as it was given him1 and as a specimen of his preaching just read this4 ,see how bold he was3 8,then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him3 #8,o generation of vipers6'0 ,o generation of vipers6 ,pretty hard talk1 wasn't it8 ,i don't know as you could get many people into this ,tabernacle by such talk as that4 ,but he knew what he was doing4 ,he knew they hated his ,master4 ,he knew that1 away down in their hearts1 they were at enmity with ,god4 ,read a little farther1 and see what he said3 8,o generation of vipers1 who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come8 8,bring forth1 therefore1 fruits worthy of repentance1 and begin not to say within yourselves3 #8,we have ,abraham to our father4' ,for ,i say unto you that ,god is able of these stones to raise up children unto ,abraham40 ,he knew the men pretty well4 ,i do not know where he had been all these thirty years4 ,but he had found out the human heart4 ,he had found out human nature pretty well4 ,and those people undoubtedly said3 8,we belong to the seed of ,abraham4 ,we are the descendants of ,abraham4 ,we do not need to be converted4 ,we have got the law from ,moses1 and we obey that4 ,let these poor dogs of ,gentiles be converted4 ,it is not for us40 ,and that is just the doctrine now4 8,we do not need to be converted4 ,john a first-rate reformer8 ,oh1 yes2 but that does not touch us4 ,we go to church regularly4 ,it is for these publicans and harlots4 ,that kind of preaching is not for us4 ,oh1 it is all good enough--all very good40 ,and no doubt they would put up a ,tabernacle for them--for the harlots and drunkards to go to4 8,oh1 no6 ,that preaching is not for us4 ,it is good enough for them1 but we do not need to go4 ,we are the seed of ,abraham4 ,we belong to ,moses1 and we are not such bad men4 ,what do you mean by conversion8 ,we do not need to be born again4 ,what do we need to be born again for8 ,we pay our debts4 ,we are good men40 ,see8 ,that same old spirit4 ,eighteen hundred years have rolled away1 and you find human nature the same4 ,john knew them pretty well4 8,i say unto you that ,god is able of these stones to raise up children unto ,abraham40 ,you need not flatter yourselves that you are better than the other people4 ,god can make children right out of these stones1 and make them the seed of ,abraham4 8,and now1 also1 the ax is laid unto the root of the tree2 every tree1 therefore1 which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire4 8,and the people asked him1 saying3 #8,what shall we do1 then8'0 ,see6 ,they had an inquiry meeting1 right there on the banks of the ,jordan4 8,he answereth1 and saith unto them3 #8,he that hath two coats1 let him impart to him that hath none2 and he that hath meat1 let him do likewise4' 8,then came1 also1 publicans to be baptized1 and said unto him3 #8,master1 what shall we do8' 8,and he said unto them3 #8,exact no more than that which is appointed you4' 8,and the soldiers likewise demanded of him1 saying3 #8,and what shall we do8' ,and he said unto them3 #8,do violence to no man1 neither accuse any falsely1 and be content with your wages4'0 ,now1 that was his preaching up to the time that ,christ came4 ,as ,i said before1 it was3 8,repent6 ,repent6 ,reform6 ,reform60 ,and you may tell these men they ought to do better2 but if you do not tell them how1 you can not save them4 ,now1 we find here1 in this fifteenth verse1 that they were looking for something more3 8,and as the people were in expectation1 and all men mused in their hearts of ,john1 whether he were the ,christ or not1 ,john answered1 saying unto them all3 #8,i1 indeed1 baptize you with water2 but ,one mightier than ,i cometh1 the latchet of whose shoes ,i am not worthy to unloose4 ,he shall baptize you with the ,holy ,ghost and with fire4 8#8,whose fan is in ,his hand1 and ,he will thoroughly purge ,his floor1 and will gather the wheat into his garner2 but the chaff ,he will burn with fire unquenchable4' 8,and many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people40 ,now1 what a chance there was for ,john to have let self come in6 ,when people were wondering in their hearts if he was not the true ,messiah--if he was not ,christ--he might have been tempted to come out and say he was more than himself--that he was ,christ4 ,but there was this commendable trait about ,john3 ,he never preached up self4 ,he was preparing the nation to receive the ,lord of ,glory4 ,he had come merely to introduce ,him4 ,he was nothing4 ,just as a man comes and introduces a friend to you1 he barely introduces him and steps aside4 ,he does not put himself forward4 ,so ,john introduces the ,son of ,god1 and then begins to fade away1 and soon is gone4 ,he had not come to introduce himself1 but to preach ,christ4 ,and let me say1 right here1 that this is the very height of preaching4 ,when they begin to wonder who he is1 he just comes right out and says3 8,i am not ,jesus4 ,i am only just one sent to introduce ,him4 ,i have come for that purpose4 ,i have not come to preach up myself1 but ,him that is mighty to save40 ,and then we find that while his star was just at its height1 while he was just about at the zenith of his glory1 while people were flocking in from the towns and villages to hear him1 the chief rulers of ,jerusalem send down a deputation to inquire what this religion meant4 ,they appointed some influential men to find him out1 and they said to him3 8,we have been sent by the chief priest of ,jerusalem to find out who you are4 ,are you ,christ80 ,and ,john answered3 8,no40 8,well1 who are you8 ,are you this man or that man80 8,no40 8,are you this prophet or that prophet80 8,no40 8,well1 who are you80 ,did he say3 8,i am ,jesus08 ,no4 8,merely ,mr4 ,nobody--merely a voice crying in the wilderness40 ,what a message that was to send back to ,jerusalem6 ,he was not trying to put himself forward4 ,he was all the time trying to get out of self4 ,in the nineteenth verse and first chapter of ,john we read3 8,and this is the record of ,john1 when the ,jews sent priests and ,levites from ,jerusalem to ask him3 #8,who art thou8' 8,and he confessed1 and denied not2 but confessed3 #8,i am not the ,christ4' 8,and they asked him3 #8,what1 then8 ,art thou ,elias8' ,and he saith3 #8,i am not4' #8,art thou the prophet8' ,and he answered3 #8,no4' 8,then said they unto him3 #8,who art thou8 ,that we may give an answer to them that sent us4 ,what sayest thou of thyself8' 8,he said3 #8,i am the voice of ,one crying in the wilderness4 ,make straight the way of the ,lord1 as said the prophet1 ,esaias4' 8,and they which were sent were of the ,pharisees4 8,and they asked him1 and said unto him3 #8,why baptize thou1 then1 if thou be not ,christ1 nor ,elias1 neither that prophet8' 8,john answered them1 saying3 #8,i baptize with water2 but there standeth ,one among you whom ye know not4 ,he it is who1 coming after me1 is preferred before me1 whose shoe's latchet ,i am unworthy to unloose4' 8,these things were done in ,bethabara1 beyond ,jordan1 where ,john was baptizing40 ,now1 this was the day1 ,i say1 when ,john was at the very zenith of his glory2 but see how noble he stood4 ,he did not take any honor or glory to himself1 and in two different places he declared that he knew not this ,stranger that he was the herald of--his ,messiah4 ,some are trying to make out that this was all planned by ,john and ,jesus1 that he should say he did not know ,him4 ,but he declares in two places that he did not know ,him4 ,they were brought up in two extremes of the country--one in the northern part of it1 ,nazareth1 and the other at ,hebron4 ,talk about eloquence6 ,john was one of the most eloquent men1 ,i suppose1 that ever lived4 ,he was the herald of ,god1 and when the nation was in a terrible state of excitement1 and the chief priests of ,jerusalem1 and even the king himself1 went to hear him4 ,there he stood on the banks of the ,jordan4 ,i can see the men and women on both sides of the river--little children1 mothers with their babes in their arms--all intensely excited and leaning forward to catch what he says4 8,now10 says ,john1 8if you believe what ,i say1 that if you have broken the law given at ,sinai you have sinned1 to be forgiven you must repent and come down into this ,jordan1 and ,i will baptize you in the name of the ,god of ,hebron40 ,the people went in by scores and hundreds1 and there he baptized them4 ,and as he stood there baptizing them ,i can imagine about twenty thousand people hanging upon his lips4 ,there was a man came down through the crowd4 ,i can imagine that ,john was a man who looked as though he was more like a mountain eagle1 but his wings seemed to droop4 ,that eye which had been so keen and so severe on the ,israelites when he called them a generation of vipers became lusterless1 his face fell and he shook his head1 as this ,stranger came4 ,i suppose1 as ,he came walking along toward ,john1 ,god revealed the fact to him and said3 8,this is ,my ,son4 ,this is the ,savior of the world4 ,this is the ,prince of ,peace40 ,and when ,john saw ,him he quailed before ,him1 and he said3 8,i have need to be baptized of ,thee40 ,what excitement6 ,how it must have thrilled the audience as ,john drew back and said3 8,i have need to be baptized of ,thee40 ,john knew ,him4 ,john at once recognized ,him4 ,he knew ,he was the promised ,one of the law4 ,john said3 8,i have need to be baptized of ,thee1 and comest ,thou to me80 ,but ,jesus said unto him3 8,suffer it to be so now1 that the law may be fulfilled40 ,now1 what excitement as these two men went down into the river together6 ,oh1 if ,jordan could speak it could tell some wonderful stories6 ,wonderful scenes have taken place there4 ,naaman had gone into that river and washed1 and had come forth clean4 ,elijah1 going up with his mantle1 struck the water and went over dry-shod1 as also did ,elisha after ,elijah had ascended4 ,but a more wonderful scene was taking place in ,jordan than ever took place before4 ,it was of transcendent interest to all mankind4 ,our ,lord was going down into ,jordan to be baptized1 and ,he was going to come up on resurrection ground4 ,so ,he goes down with ,john the ,baptist1 and the moment ,he was baptized and came up out of the water the heavens were opened unto ,him1 and the ,spirit of ,god descended upon ,him like a dove1 and alighted upon ,him4 ,heaven witnessed the scene4 ,god the ,father spoke then4 ,he broke the silence of ages4 ,the ,god of the ,old ,testament was the ,christ of the ,new4 ,and he heard a voice from ,heaven1 saying3 8,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased40 ,some one says that was the first time ,god could look down on the world since ,adam fell and say that ,he was well pleased4 ,in ,hebrews1 tenth chapter and seventh verse1 we read3 8,lo1 ,i come 7in the volume of the book it is written of ,me7 to do ,thy will1 ,o ,god40 ,he was the ,son that was born above4 ,the heavens opened and the ,holy ,ghost descended upon ,him4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord came down on ,him1 and ,god owns ,him and recognizes ,him4 ,now1 there is another thought to which ,i want to call your attention4 ,john's preaching changed4 ,but he was not like many men of the present day1 who want to reform the world without ,christ1 who set a good example and tell men to sign pledges and to do this or that1 and to trust in their own strength4 ,the moment ,john got his eye on ,christ he had one text3 8,behold the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sins of the world40 ,that is how you are going to get rid of your sins4 ,says ,john3 8,i bear record of this in the ,son of ,god40 ,and he told his disciples3 8,now1 you follow ,him4 ,go with ,him40 ,one afternoon1 as he sat there with his disciples1 he said3 8,behold the ,lamb of ,god60 ,and they left him to follow ,jesus--two of his own disciples4 ,i tell you that is something which you do not like to do--to make your friends leave you2 to preach them away--your own congregation4 ,but now this man begins to ask his disciples to leave him4 8,why10 said he1 8,i tell you ,i am not worthy to just unloose ,his shoes4 ,he is more worthy than ,i am4 ,follow ,him40 ,he began to preach up ,christ4 8,he must increase2 ,i must decrease40 ,some of his disciples came to him one day and said3 8,you know that ,man you baptized over there in the ,jordan8 ,well1 more men are coming to ,him than are coming to you40 ,that was jealousy--envy rankling in those men's bosoms4 ,but what did ,john say8 8,i told you that ,i was not ,he4 ,why1 ,he must increase1 and ,i must decrease4 ,that's right1 ,i would rather see the crowd flocking to hear ,him40 ,john1 ,i think1 was terribly abused by some one4 ,he was cast into prison4 ,then he sent two of his disciples to inquire of ,christ if ,he was the true ,messiah1 or must he look for another4 ,i do not know1 but ,i have an idea that he wanted his disciples to leave him and go over to ,jesus4 ,so he called two of his most influential disciples and told them3 8,now1 you go and ask ,him if ,he is the true ,messiah40 ,i can not believe in ,john's faith wavering2 but1 if he was wavering1 he took the very best way1 and sent those men to ask the ,savior4 ,i see his deputation arrive1 and when ,jesus had finished preaching these disciples come up and say3 8,our master has sent us to ask if ,you are the true ,messiah8 ,or1 shall he look for another80 ,jesus goes on healing the sick1 causing the lame to leap1 giving sight to the blind1 making the deaf to hear1 and after ,he had gone on performing these miracles ,he said to ,john's messengers3 8,you go back and tell your master what you have seen and what you have heard4 ,go back and tell ,john that the blind see2 that the deaf hear2 that the lame walk1 and that the poor have the ,gospel preached to them40 ,when ,john heard that1 in prison1 it settled all his doubts4 ,his disciples believed1 and the poor had the ,gospel preached to them4 ,that was the test1 and then ,john's disciples1 one after another1 left him4 ,and now we find him thrown into prison4 ,there he is1 in prison--awaiting his appointed time4 ,just bear in mind that ,god had sent him4 ,his work was done4 ,he had only just come to announce the ,savior--only for that object4 ,some think that ,christ's treatment of ,john was rather hard--in fact1 harsh2 but the greatest tribute ever paid to any man was paid by ,jesus to ,john4 8,but what went ye out to see8 ,a man clothed in soft raiment8 ,behold1 they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses4 8,but what went ye out to see8 ,a prophet8 ,yea1 ,i say unto you1 and more than a prophet4 8,for this is he of whom it is written3 #8,behold1 ,i send my messenger before thy face1 which shall prepare thy way before thee4' 8,verily1 ,i say unto you3 #8,among them that are born of women there has not risen a greater than ,john the ,baptist2 notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of ,heaven is greater than he4'0 ,there was none greater than this same ,john4 ,our ,savior knew that ,john was going first4 ,he knew that ,he was soon to die1 and that ,john would have to come to ,him2 that they would soon be together in ,glory1 and then they could talk matters over2 that ,john must sink out of sight1 and the ,lord of ,glory must be the central object4 ,jesus and ,john were like the ,sun and ,moon in comparison with the stars4 ,all the prophets were like the stars in comparison with those two men4 ,there was no prophet like ,john4 ,none born of woman was greater4 ,moses was a mighty prophet4 ,elijah was the son of thunder1 and a great and mighty prophet2 and so was ,elisha4 ,but they were not to be compared with ,john4 ,what a character6 ,he lost sight of himself entirely4 ,christ was uppermost2 ,christ was the all-in-all with him4 ,he was beheaded outside the ,promised ,land4 ,he was buried in ,moab1 somewhere near where ,moses was laid away4 ,the first and last prophet of that nation were buried near together1 and there they lie1 outside the ,promised ,land2 but their bodies1 by-and-by1 will be resurrected1 and they will be the grandest and most glorious in ,god's kingdom4 ,,joshua4 ,joshua was a man who walked by faith1 and you will find the key to his character in three words--courage1 obedience and faith4 ,courage1 obedience and faith4 ,and he dared to be in the minority4 ,now1 friends1 there are very few men at the present time who like to be in the minority4 ,they always want to be in the majority4 ,they want to go with the crowd4 ,but when a man has laid hold of the ,divine nature of ,god1 and has become a product of the ,divine nature1 he is willing then to go against the crowd of the world and be numbered with the minority4 ,where ,joshua met the ,god of ,israel first we are not told4 ,we do not catch a glimpse of him until the man is about forty years old4 ,the first sight we get of ,joshua is as he comes up out of ,egypt4 ,we are told that after ,moses had struck the rock in ,horeb and the children of ,israel had drank the water that came out of that rock--and that rock was typical of ,christ and of ,god's pure throne--,amalek came out to fight them1 and after they had got a drink of this pure water they were willing to meet him4 ,we find that ,joshua's first battle was successful1 and that his last one was successful4 ,he never knew what defeat was4 ,he was successful because he believed in the ,lord ,god of ,heaven--because he had perfect faith in ,god4 ,moses went up into the mountain to pray1 and while he was praying ,joshua was down fighting ,amalek4 ,and when ,moses held up his hand ,israel prevailed1 and when he let down his hand ,amalek prevailed4 8,and ,aaron and ,hur stayed up his hands--the one on the one side and the other on the other side--and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun40 ,his hands were up until ,amalek was defeated4 ,there is only one thing against ,joshua4 ,he was opposed to the preaching of ,eldad and ,aminidab4 ,he did not like to see ,eldad and ,aminidab out there preaching in the camp1 because they did not belong to the ,apostolic body4 ,so he says to ,moses3 8,i wish you would rebuke ,eldad and ,aminidab for preaching in the camp4 ,i do not want them to preach there40 ,but ,moses said3 8,no6 ,i will not rebuke ,eldad and ,aminidab4 ,that's just what we want4 ,i wish to ,god there were more of them40 ,after ,moses rebuked ,joshua we never hear him complaining any more about ,eldad and ,aminidab4 ,that is the only thing on record against him4 ,the next thing we hear of is the matter of those twelve spies1 and ,i will pass over that4 ,you remember how they came back1 and ,joshua and ,caleb were the only two out of the twelve that dared to bring in a minority report4 ,but now the forty years' wilderness journey is over1 and during all those forty years you can not find any place where ,joshua or ,caleb ever murmured or complained4 ,they were not of that kind4 ,now1 as ,i said1 the forty years' wilderness journey is over1 and ,moses is about to leave4 ,he went up into ,mount ,nebo1 and 8,god kissed away his soul and buried him40 ,then ,joshua was commanded to take charge of the army4 ,the word of the ,lord came to him1 saying3 8,joshua1 arise and go over this ,jordan4 ,moses1 my servant1 is dead40 ,there was no president1 no general1 no marshal about it4 ,there was no title at all1 but just merely3 8,joshua1 arise and go over this ,jordan40 ,now1 ,joshua just obeyed1 and here you will find the secret of his wonderful success4 ,he did just what the ,lord told him to do4 ,he did not stand1 like many people would have done1 and say3 8,i don't know how ,i am going to get these people over4 ,hadn't you better wait1 ,lord1 until the next day8 ,how am ,i to get these three million people over this angry flood8 ,hadn't we better wait until the waters recede80 ,no6 ,joshua did not say that4 ,he had got his command from ,god3 8,arise and go40 ,when the ,lord gave orders1 that was enough4 ,he had got ,his word1 and he brings these children of ,israel down in sight of the swollen stream4 ,faith must be tried4 ,god will not have people whom ,he can not try4 ,joshua brings them there in three days1 in sight of the angry flood1 with not a word of murmuring4 ,if he had brought them there forty years before1 what murmuring there would have been6 ,we will get trained--every one of us4 ,they had had their faith tried in those forty years in the wilderness1 and now they murmured not4 ,there was not a word of complaint4 ,but forty years before they would have asked1 when they had got opposite ,jericho3 8,what is ,he going to do8 ,how are we going to get over8 ,we've got to have a bridge or a pontoon4 ,and even if we get over1 they will see us and defeat us4 ,they will slay us here on the bank of ,jordan4 ,guess we had better turn around and go back40 ,that is about what they would have said1 what they would have tried1 and what they would have done forty years before4 ,but now ,joshua tells the people that the priests are to walk out in front of them1 and that the moment the priests touched the water--the moment the soles of their feet touched the water--the water was to be cut off4 ,there was faith for you6 ,when those seven men took up the ark ,god was with them1 and the moment the soles of their feet touched the water the waters were cut off1 and they passed into the middle of the stream and put down the ark4 ,that ark represented the ,almighty4 ,he was in the ark1 with the ark right there in the midst of death--for ,jordan is death and judgment--right in the middle of the stream4 ,he held that stream in the palm of ,his hand4 ,and now the people pass beyond--three millions of them4 ,you can hear their solemn tread4 ,not a word said on their march through death and judgment until ,joshua led them on to ,resurrection ,ground4 ,after he had got them all over1 he told twelve men--one from each tribe--to take each a stone and set them up where the priests stood1 so that when their children asked 8,what mean ye by these stones80 they could tell how the ,almighty brought them through dangers into the ,promised ,land4 ,now1 after they had placed their stones1 the ark was brought up out of the ,jordan1 and the waters rolled off4 ,instead of moving right on at once to ,jericho1 the children of ,israel stopped to keep the ,passover4 ,they were in no hurry4 ,they were willing to worship ,god4 ,they kept the ,passover1 and after that they started for ,jericho4 ,jericho was shut off1 undoubtedly1 and surely the hearts of those people were filled with fear4 ,here the children of ,israel had come to their country and their ,god had brought them through the ,red ,sea with an out-stretched arm4 ,surely there was a strange ,god among them4 ,jericho had no such ,god as that4 ,he had defended them and led them1 and had given them light and life after that4 ,but now ,joshua just takes a walk around the walls of ,jericho4 ,god had ordered him to take it1 and he must4 ,and as he was walking around1 viewing the walls of ,jericho1 all at once a man stood right in front of him with a drawn sword right over him1 and ,god said3 8,no man can be able to stand before you all the days of your life40 ,and ,joshua steps right up to him1 and asks3 8,art thou for us or for our adversaries80 ,the stranger answered3 8,i am captain of ,god's host1 come to lead you to victory40 ,then ,joshua fell on his face1 and ,god talked with him4 ,how many men of the present time would have laughed at ,joshua if they had been in ,jericho6 ,how much sport they would have made of him6 ,if there had been a ,jericho ,herald1 what articles would have come out6 ,the idea of taking the city in that way6 ,the ark was to come out1 and the priests were to blow rams' horns4 ,that was very absurd1 wasn't it8 ,rams' horns6 ,well1 the seventh day came1 and they were up quite early in the morning4 ,here were these seven men blowing their rams' horns1 and the people going around for the seventh time4 ,at the end of the seventh time ,joshua says3 8,shout1 for the ,lord has given you the city40 ,they shout1 and down tumble the walls of the city4 ,then they went up and entered ,jericho1 and every man1 woman and child of that city perished4 ,god had given the order1 and ,his commands were obeyed4 ,now they move on to ,ai4 ,you know1 after a victory is gained over some large town they attack and take the little outlying towns4 ,so1 in this case1 they moved right on to ,ai4 ,joshua sent men from ,jericho to ,ai1 and they came back and told him that just a few thousand men could take ,ai2 and they go up and are repulsed4 ,then ,joshua rends his clothes and falls on his face1 and asks ,god what the fault was4 ,he knew the fault was in the camp--not ,god's4 ,when they went into ,jericho they were told not to touch one solitary thing4 ,but there was ,acham1 who saw a nice garment--perhaps he thought it would be a nice dress for his wife4 ,he also saw two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold1 and he coveted all these things and took them4 ,he hid them1 but he could not conceal them4 ,he had to confess that he had sinned against the ,lord ,god of ,israel4 ,those men of ,ai were so humbled that they could not stand before the ,lord4 ,after leaving ,ai1 we read that ,joshua came to ,mount ,ebal1 and there a wonderful thing took place4 ,on one side1 on the slope of ,mount ,gerizim1 were half of the children of ,israel1 and on the other side1 on the slope of ,mount ,ebal1 were the other half4 ,there were three million people gathered there1 and the whole law of ,moses was read over to them4 ,it was a solemn sight4 ,moreover1 all the law of ,god was read--not a part1 but the whole4 ,joshua read the blessings and cursings4 ,he did not stand up there like some one reading a moral essay and say that they must be good for they were going into the ,promised ,land2 that there were blessings for them1 and said nothing about the curses4 ,no2 he did not do that4 ,he read all4 ,it says here1 in the eighth chapter3 8,and all ,israel and their elders and officers and their judges stood on this side the ark and on that side1 before the priests1 the ,levites1 which bore the ark of the covenant of the ,lord1 as well the stranger as he that was born among them2 half of them over against ,mount ,gerizim and half of them over against ,mount ,ebal1 as ,moses1 the servant of the ,lord1 had commanded before1 that they should bless the people of ,israel4 ,and afterward he read all the words of the law1 the blessings and cursings1 according to all that is written in the book of the law40 ,now1 mark that4 8,he read all the words of the law1 the blessings and cursings1 according to all that is written in the book of the law40 ,if ,joshua had been like many of the present day1 he would have said to himself3 8,i will read the blessings1 but not the cursings4 ,i do not believe ,god is going to curse a man if he does wrong1 so ,i will read the blessings and omit the cursings40 ,but1 thank ,god1 he read the whole law--the blessings and the cursings4 ,he did not keep back any thing4 8,and there was not a word of all that ,moses commanded which ,joshua read not40 ,thank ,god for such a man6 ,that is the kind of men we want nowadays--men who will not cut the ,bible to pieces like the king who took out his penknife and said3 8,i don't like that2 cut that out4 ,i don't like this2 cut this out40 ,so they cut and slashed the ,bible until very little was left4 ,the thirty-third verse of the eighth chapter says they were all there--8as well the stranger as he that was born among them40 ,you see1 ,joshua made no distinction4 ,he read to the stranger as well as to those that were of the children of ,israel4 ,it was all read4 ,and now ,joshua is ready to move on4 ,the law had been read1 they had worshiped their ,god1 and they were ready to move on4 ,undoubtedly the nations throughout that land had heard how this solemn assembly had met on the mountain side and the law had been read4 ,now they are ready to move on again4 ,they had been there about three days4 ,some one now comes to ,joshua with startling news4 ,the messenger begins with the question3 8,joshua1 have you heard that there is a confederacy formed to oppose you8 ,instead of meeting one man you are to meet five4 ,they are coming down from the mountains with great regiments of giants4 ,why1 the mountains are full of the sons of ,anak--full of giants--and some of them are six feet high4 ,why1 they are so big that they would scare our own men to death4 ,why1 one man came out and just shook his little finger at our men1 and scared them out of their lives4 ,there was not a man who dared to meet them4 ,the whole land is full of giants4 ,do you know that they have formed a confederacy8 ,five kings are coming down against you with hordes of these giants40 ,i see the old warrior4 ,he does not tremble at all4 ,he had received the word of ,god3 8,joshua1 be of good courage4 ,no man shall be able to stand against you40 ,he moved on in his godly armor and in the name of his ,god1 and he routed his adversaries4 ,the hour was growing late1 and he commanded ,sun and ,moon to stand still1 and they obeyed him4 ,so there were two days in one4 ,he found the five kings hid away in a cave1 and he took them out and hanged them4 ,he took thirty-one kings and kingdoms4 ,he just took that land by faith4 ,now1 some people ask3 8,what right had he to come over and take that land80 ,if you will read the fourth verse of the ninth chapter of ,deuteronomy1 you will see what right he had4 8,speak not thou in thine heart1 after that the ,lord thy ,god hath cast them out from before thee1 saying3 #8,for my righteousness the ,lord hath brought me in to possess this land4' ,but1 for the wickedness of these nations1 the ,lord doth drive them out from before thee40 ,that is why ,he drove them out4 ,their cup of iniquity was filled1 and ,god just dashed it to pieces4 ,when any nation's cup of iniquity is full1 ,god sweeps them away4 ,now1 mark the ,scripture3 8,not for thy righteousness or for the uprightness of thine heart dost thou go to possess their land2 but1 for the wickedness of these nations1 the ,lord thy ,god hath driven them out from before thee1 and that ,he may perform the word which the ,lord swore unto thy fathers--,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob40 8,understand1 therefore1 that the ,lord thy ,god giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness2 for thou art a stiff-necked people40 ,they were a stiff-necked people4 ,it was not for the righteousness of the children of ,israel that the ,lord gave them this land4 ,he hated these nations on account of their wickedness4 ,now1 ,joshua has overcome them and driven them from the face of the earth1 and this brings out one noble trait in his character4 ,when he came to divide up the land1 ,joshua took the poorest treasure himself1 that he might be near the ark4 ,and there1 on ,mount ,ephraim1 he died at the ripe old age of one hundred and ten years4 ,during all those years not a man was able to stand before him4 ,see the contrast between his dying testimony and that of ,jacob6 ,jacob's self-reproach was3 8,few and evil have the days of the years of my life been40 ,he had a stormy voyage4 ,look and see this old warrior going to rest4 ,he had tried ,god forty years4 ,he had heard the crack of the slave driver's whip1 down there in ,egypt4 ,but probably he had a praying mother1 who talked to him about this ,king of the ,hebrews1 about the ,god of ,abraham1 of ,isaac and of ,jacob1 and he believed in that ,god4 ,when ,moses came down into ,egypt he found this young man just in the prime of his life4 ,joshua recognized in ,moses that he was an instrument of the ,almighty1 and that the ,king of the ,hebrews had sent him there to deliver ,his people4 ,joshua had tried ,god forty years in the wilderness1 and when eighty years old he was called into the ,promised ,land4 ,he had tried ,god thirty years in ,canaan1 and now1 at the age of one hundred and ten1 the aged and invincible warrior is going home4 ,but he is not going to die like an infidel4 ,he knows he is about to die1 and he calls for all the tribes of ,israel and their elders4 ,these come up from the tribe of ,benjamin1 the tribe of ,simeon1 the tribe of ,zebulon1 and so on2 and they are gathered at ,shiloh1 to be there to hear the old prophet and patriarch4 ,that man of ,god speaks1 and what does he say8 ,what is his dying testimony8 ,how we all linger around the couch of our dying friends6 ,how anxious we are to get their last words6 ,well1 let us turn back4 ,what are the last words of this man who has tried ,god and proved ,god8 ,these are the words3 8,i am going the way of all the earth2 and ye know in your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the ,lord your ,god spake concerning you4 ,all are come to pass unto you1 and not one thing hath failed thereof40 ,not one good thing has failed6 ,god has kept ,his word4 ,god has made ,his word good4 8,not one good thing hath failed40 ,what a dying testimony6 ,how glorious6 ,in the beautiful sunset light the old warrior sank away1 like he was going to sleep4 ,in the dusk of a beautiful ,summer's evening he passed away4 ,there is the old man's dying testimony4 ,he could tell the people of ,god4 ,he was the only one left4 ,the rest had gone4 ,moses had sunk into his desert grave1 and the other leaders of the tribe of ,israel had passed away4 ,but now he was going to die in the ,promised ,land4 ,truly1 he was a man of courage1 obedience and faith4 ,,lot4 ,one reason why ,i take up this character is because ,i believe he is a representative man1 and perhaps there is no ,bible character that represents so many men of the present day as ,lot of ,sodom4 ,where you can find one ,abraham1 one ,daniel or one ,joshua you can find a thousand ,lots4 ,lot started out very well4 ,he got rich1 and that was the beginning of his troubles4 ,he and ,abraham1 his uncle1 went down to ,egypt1 and they came out of ,egypt with great wealth4 ,the next thing we hear of is strife among their herdsmen4 ,but ,lot could not get up a quarrel with ,abraham4 ,abraham said to him3 8,you are my nephew1 and ,i can not quarrel with you2 but take your goods and go to the right and ,i will go to the left1 or ,i will go to the right and you go to the left40 ,and they separated4 ,right here ,lot made his mistake4 ,he should have said1 in reply to ,abraham3 8,no1 uncle6 ,i don't want to leave you4 ,the ,lord has blessed me with you1 and ,i do not wish to leave you40 ,but1 if he had been determined to leave his uncle1 he should have asked ,abraham to choose for him4 ,instead of that1 he lifted up his eyes and saw the well watered plains of ,sodom1 and that decided him4 ,no doubt ,lot was very ambitious2 he probably wanted to become richer4 ,perhaps there was a little spirit of rivalry toward his uncle4 ,he wanted to excel ,abraham in worldly goods--to become rich faster4 ,so he saw and determined upon the well watered plains of ,sodom4 ,if he had asked ,abraham he would not have gone there4 ,if he had asked ,god1 ,lot would never have entered ,sodom2 no man ever goes into ,sodom by ,god's advice4 ,he determined for himself1 and pitched his tent toward ,sodom4 ,i do not know how long ,lot lived upon those well watered plains1 but no doubt the men of those days said of him when he had settled down3 8,there is a shrewd man2 he is a smart man4 ,why1 ,i can predict that in a very short time he will be a wealthier man than his uncle1 ,abraham4 ,look at these well watered plains4 ,why1 he is a great deal better off than is ,abraham now40 ,lot is in a position in which he can soon become a rich man4 ,how long he remained on those plains ,i do not know1 but the next thing we know is that he got into ,sodom4 ,we are told that ,sodom was very wicked4 ,lot lived near it1 and he went into it with his eyes open1 for he knew all about it4 ,the wickedness of ,sodom was coming up to ,god4 ,he was going to destroy it soon4 ,do you think1 if ,lot had asked ,him1 ,he would have permitted the nephew of ,abraham to enter that city8 ,all the years that ,lot was in ,sodom we do not read that he had any family altar4 ,he must have known it meant ruin for his family to take them in there4 ,but he did not look at that4 ,it was business that took him there4 ,he might have said3 8,well1 ,i've got a large family4 ,i've got a great many dependent upon me1 and ,i must get rich faster2 so ,i will go into ,sodom4 ,business is the first consideration1 and it must be attended to40 ,so he goes into ,sodom1 and the next thing we hear he is in trouble4 ,sodom had got a war on hand1 and when he went into the city he was forced to take its side4 ,in the war he was taken captive4 ,it is a great mercy he was not killed in battle4 ,the first thing ,abraham did when he heard of his nephew's trouble was to set out after him4 ,when ,lot was captured in battle he was liable to be taken into slavery1 and his children also4 ,he might have died in slavery if ,abraham had not gone after him4 ,but ,abraham takes his servants and sets out and overtakes the warriors who had taken ,lot captive1 and brought him back1 with all the property that had been taken4 ,now1 you would think ,lot would have kept out of ,sodom4 ,you would expect to hear of his saying3 8,i have had enough of ,sodom2 ,i will not go near it again40 ,you would think that men1 when they get into this and that difficulty and affliction1 would keep out of ,sodom2 but they will not4 ,it is one of the greatest mysteries to me why men will remain in their ,sodom when they have continual trouble4 ,so ,lot went back4 ,probably he said3 8,i've lost a great deal1 and ,i must go back and try to recover it4 ,i must go back and make it up for my children40 ,and he prospered in ,sodom4 ,if you had gone into ,sodom before these angels came down you would probably have found that no man had got on so well4 ,if they had a ,congress1 perhaps they sent him to represent ,sodom1 because no man had done better in business4 ,that is the way of the world4 ,possibly they might have made him ,mayor of ,sodom4 ,if you could have seen his 8turnout10 it would have been one of the very best4 ,mrs4 ,lot must have moved in the most select society of the city4 ,the ,misses ,lot were looked upon as the most fashionable people there4 ,they got on well4 ,perhaps ,lot was a judge and had great influence4 ,when the angels got to the gate they might have heard of the ,honorable ,judge ,lot4 ,it sounded pretty well4 ,he might have owned many corner lots4 ,he might have owned many buildings with 8,lot0 printed all over them1 and on account of his property he might have been a very high man in ,sodom4 ,that is the way the world looks at it4 ,no doubt the dispositions of those people were exactly as they are today4 ,human nature has been pretty much the same always4 ,but time rolls on1 and ,lot1 while sitting at the gate one evening1 saw two strangers upon the highway4 ,they are coming toward ,sodom4 ,likely these ,sodomites did not know them1 but twenty years before ,lot had been in the company of ,abraham1 and he had seen these men at his uncle's house--had seen them sitting at his uncle's table4 ,so he knew these angels when they approached1 and he bowed down and worshiped them2 he bowed down to the ground1 and then invited them into his residence4 ,but it was a sink of iniquity1 and they would not enter in4 ,lot pressed his invitation upon them1 and finally they accepted4 ,the news was soon noised around the streets that he had two strangers there1 and it was not long before a crowd was around the door1 and wanted to know whom he had inside4 ,lot came out and endeavored to pacify them1 but he was met with the derisive query3 8,who made this fellow a judge over us80 ,he was dragged back into the house1 and the door was shut against the mob4 ,his influence was gone4 ,he had been in the city twenty years and had not made a convert4 ,i suppose ,lot lived in a marble front house there1 and his heart was away from ,god4 ,then these men said to ,lot3 8,whom have you got here beside yourself8 ,what is your family8 ,have you got any others beside yourself in this town80 ,well1 the father and mother had to own up that they had married their children to some of the ,sodomites4 ,that was the result of his going into the city4 ,you go into the world and live like the world1 and see what the result will be4 ,how many fathers and mothers are now mourning on account of marrying their sons and daughters to ,sodomites6 ,marrying them to death and ruin6 ,these angels said to ,lot3 8,if you have got any1 get them out of this place1 for ,god is determined to burn it up4 ,tell them this1 and if they will not come1 escape for your lives and leave them1 for ,he will surely destroy the city40 ,now1 all these twenty years we do not know that ,lot ever had a family altar4 ,he could not call his children around him and pray to his ,god4 ,they had all become identified with ,sodom and its people4 ,look at that scene4 ,there are the men at the outside of the door1 groping about to find it1 and the door opens and ,lot starts out to tell his son-in-law of the coming destruction4 ,i can see the old man1 head bowed down1 passing through the streets of ,sodom at midnight4 ,he goes to a house and knocks4 ,no sound2 all are asleep4 ,he knocks again1 and likely shouts at the top of his voice2 and the man gets up and opens the window4 ,he puts his head out and asks3 8,who's there80 8,lot1 your father-in-law40 8,what has brought you out of bed at this hour8 ,what's up80 8,why1 two angels are at my house1 who say that ,god is going to destroy ,sodom and every one who shall remain here40 8,you go home and get to bed40 ,they mock ,lot4 ,he has lost his testimony4 ,they all think he is deluded4 ,i can see him now1 going off to another daughter's house4 ,i know not how many daughters ,lot had4 ,he might have had as many daughters as ,job4 ,he goes to them1 and they mock him1 too4 ,there is that old man1 in that midnight hour1 plodding along those streets of ,sodom to urge them to flee from the city1 and they mock him4 ,he had been long enough with ,abraham to know that every thing that came from ,god could be relied upon4 ,now he starts back home4 ,you can see him--his head bowed down1 his long white hair flowing over his bosom and tears flowing from those aged eyes6 ,the world calls him a successful man2 but what a miserable end is his6 ,look at him tonight6 ,he had achieved his ambition1 and was wealthy4 ,he obtained what he longed for1 but with it came leanness of soul4 ,next morning the angels take him by the hand4 ,he and his wife and two daughters are led out of the city4 ,and they lingered4 ,how could they do otherwise than linger1 when they had left their sons and daughters in the city and knew they would be destroyed8 ,yes1 they linger4 ,i do not blame them4 ,they had1 probably1 a faint hope that the threatened storm might be stayed1 and they could get their children out4 ,but the angels took them by the hand and hastened them out of the city4 ,poor mother6 ,ah1 how sad when ,god came in judgment6 ,i can see that mother hesitating1 but ,god orders her not to look back4 8,flee for your life2 escape or you will be destroyed40 8,no man having put his hand to the plow1 and looking back1 is fit for the kingdom of ,god40 ,mrs4 ,lot gets out of ,sodom1 but she looks back1 and judgment falls upon her4 ,and ,i believe that the condition of ,lot's wife is the condition of millions today4 ,they have come out of ,sodom1 but their hearts are in the world4 ,they ask3 8,have ,i to give up the world8 ,have ,i to give up all and follow ,christ80 ,they linger and look back1 and judgment will fall upon them4 ,we are told in the ,scriptures that the people were eating1 drinking1 buying and selling1 planning and building until the very moment ,lot went out of ,sodom4 ,perhaps not a man in all ,sodom took any account of his going out4 ,it might have got rumored around that he was going because he believed the city was about to be destroyed1 but no man believed it4 ,his sons and daughters did not believe what their father said to them1 and the ,son of ,god says they were all destroyed--great and small1 learned and unlearned1 rich and poor4 ,all alike perished4 ,bear in mind that if you live in ,sodom destruction will come upon you4 ,the world may call you successful1 but the only way to test success is to take a man's whole life--not the beginning nor middle1 but the whole of it4 ,if a man is in ,sodom1 he will find at last the fruits of his life to be 8,nothing but leaves--nothing but leaves40 ,lot spent his life in gaining worldly goods for his children1 and he lost all and his children besides4 ,how many men of the present day can only say they have the same object in view that ,lot had4 ,they went into the city to make money4 ,they have built no family altar4 ,they recognize only two things--money and business4 ,they say3 8,my sons may become gamblers and drunkards and my daughters may go off into ungodly society and marry drunkards and make their lives miserable2 but ,i want money1 and ,i will have all ,i wish if ,i get it40 ,my friends1 was ,lot's life a successful one8 ,it was a stupendous failure4 ,let us not follow in the footsteps of this man ,lot4 ,let us keep out of ,sodom4 ,,martha4 ,there was a woman right in the midst of this darkness1 when many disciples left ,him1 who came forward and invited ,him to her home--a woman by the name of ,martha4 ,i can imagine ,martha coming from ,bethany1 one day1 and going into the ,temple1 in ,jerusalem1 to worship4 ,the great ,galilean ,prophet came in1 ,who spake as never man spake1 and she listened to ,his words4 ,and as the words came from ,his lips they fell upon ,martha's ears1 and she says3 8,well1 ,i will invite ,him to my house40 ,it must have cost her something to do that4 ,christ was unpopular4 ,there was a hiss going up in ,jerusalem against ,him4 ,they called ,him an impostor4 ,all the leading men of the nation were opposed to ,him4 ,they said ,he was ,beelzebub1 the ,lord of filth4 ,they charged that ,he was an impostor and a deceiver4 ,and yet ,martha invites ,him to her home4 ,i hope there will always be some ,martha to invite ,him to her home1 to be her guest4 ,he will make that home a thousand times better than it ever was before4 ,martha invited ,him home with her4 ,we read of ,his going often to ,bethany4 ,the noblest1 best and grandest thing ,martha ever did was to make room in her home for ,jesus ,christ4 ,that one act will live for ever4 ,little did she know1 when she invited the ,son of ,god to become her guest1 who ,he was2 and when we receive ,jesus into our hearts little do we know who ,he is4 ,it will take all eternity to find out who ,he is4 ,there was a dark cloud then over that home in ,bethany1 but ,martha did not know it4 ,neither did ,mary see that cloud4 ,it was fast settling down upon that home4 ,it was soon going to burst upon that little family4 ,the ,savior knew all about it4 ,he saw that dark cloud coming across that threshold4 ,we read that ,jesus often lodged there4 ,but a few months after ,he became their friend and guest1 ,lazarus sickened4 ,the fever laid hold of him4 ,it might have been typhoid fever4 ,you can see those two sisters watching over their brother4 ,the family physician is sent for to ,jerusalem1 and he comes out and does every thing he can to restore ,lazarus to health2 but he sinks lower and lower4 ,some of us know what it is when the doctor comes in and feels the pulse1 begins to look very serious and takes you into another room1 away from the patient1 and tells you it is a critical case4 ,martha and ,mary passed through that experience4 ,there was no hope1 and ,lazarus must die4 ,they felt that if ,jesus was only here ,he would rebuke this disease4 ,he might prevent death from taking away our only brother4 ,they sent a messenger a good ways off to tell ,jesus ,his friend was sick1 and this was the message3 8,he whom ,thou lovest is sick40 ,they do not ask ,him to come4 ,they knew ,jesus loved ,lazarus1 and that ,he would come if it was for their good4 ,the messenger at last returned4 ,he found ,christ and delivered his message4 ,when he got back1 he found that the cloud had burst upon that little home1 and ,lazarus was dead and buried4 ,i see those two sisters as they gather around the messenger1 eagerly plying him with questions4 ,they asked3 8,did you find ,him80 8,yes1 ,i found ,him40 8,what did ,he say80 8,he said the sickness was not unto death1 and ,he would come and see him40 ,now1 for the first time1 ,i see faith beginning to stagger4 ,mary asks the messenger3 8,are you sure you understood ,him8 ,did ,he say the sickness was not unto death80 8,yes40 8,are you quite sure80 8,yes40 8,well1 that is strange4 ,if ,he is a prophet ,he should have known that ,lazarus was dead4 ,sure ,elijah would have known it4 ,if ,he was a prophet1 ,he must have known it4 ,you had not been away from the house an hour before ,lazarus died4 ,he was dead when you met ,him40 8,well1 that is what ,he told me4 ,he said ,he would come here and see him40 ,i see those two sisters as they kept watching for that ,friend to come and comfort them4 ,how long those nights must have seemed1 as they watched and waited6 ,i can imagine they did not sleep through the night1 but listened to hear a footfall4 ,the next day they watched1 and ,he did not come4 ,the second night passed1 and ,he did not come4 ,the third day came1 and ,he did not come4 ,the fourth day comes1 and the messenger returns and says3 8,martha1 ,jesus and ,his apostles are just outside the walls of the city4 ,he is coming on toward ,bethany40 ,martha runs out to meet ,him1 and says3 8,if ,thou hadst been here my brother had not died4 ,thou wouldst have kept death away from our dwelling40 ,jesus answered her3 8,but thy brother shall rise again40 8,yes1 ,i knew that10 says ,martha4 8,i know ,lazarus will rise again1 for he was such a good brother4 ,he will rise at the resurrection of the just40 ,jesus had probably taught them of the resurrection4 ,he answered ,martha3 8,i am the resurrection of the just4 ,i carry the keys with ,me4 ,i have the keys to death and the grave40 ,then ,he asks3 8,where is ,mary8 ,go call her40 ,they ran and told ,mary that ,jesus was there4 ,mary met ,jesus with the words of ,martha3 8,if ,thou hadst been here my brother had not died40 8,thy brother shall rise again4 ,where have you laid him80 8,come and see40 ,and they led the way4 ,look at that company moving along toward the grave yard4 ,these two sisters are telling about the last words and last acts of ,lazarus4 ,perhaps ,lazarus left a loving message for ,jesus4 ,you know what that is4 ,when you go to see friends who are mourning1 how they will dwell upon the last words and the last acts of the departed ones6 ,you see ,martha and ,mary weeping as they went along toward the grave1 and the ,son of ,god wept with them4 ,jesus said to ,his disciples3 8,take away the stone40 ,again the faith of those sisters wavered1 and they said3 8,lord1 by this time he stinketh1 for he has been dead four days40 ,they did not know who their ,friend was4 ,when the disciples rolled away that stone ,christ cried in a loud voice to ,his old friend3 8,lazarus1 come forth40 ,then ,lazarus leaped out of that same sepulcher and came forth4 ,some old divine has said it was a good thing that ,jesus singled out ,lazarus1 for there is such power in the voice of the ,son of ,god that the dead shall hear ,his voice1 and if ,he had not called for ,lazarus by name all the dead in that grave yard would have come forth4 ,little did ,martha know whom she was entertaining when she invited ,christ into her home4 ,the world has been sneering at ,martha ever since4 ,but it was by far the grandest1 sublimest and noblest act of her life4 ,,mephibosheth4 ,there is a story in the ,books of ,samuel--away back as far as the time of the kings of ,israel--which will help us to understand the ,gospel4 ,it is about a man of the name of ,mephibosheth4 ,you remember what a hard time ,david had when ,saul was hunting him to kill him--just as men hunt for game4 ,well1 one day ,david and his good friend1 ,jonathan1 were taking a walk together in the fields4 ,saul was very angry1 and was bent on killing ,david2 but his son1 ,jonathan1 was looking out for a chance to save him4 ,the fact had been revealed to ,jonathan that ,david was to be king after ,saul's death1 instead of himself1 but this did not lessen his love for ,david4 ,that must have been a real friendship which could stand this sort of thing4 ,after they had agreed upon a sign by which ,david was to know whether it was safe for him to stay around the court of the king1 where he could see his friend once in a while1 or whether he must leave1 and go off into the cave of ,adullam1 ,jonathan says to him3 8,david1 it has been revealed to me that you are to be king after my father4 ,now1 ,i want you to promise me one thing4 ,when you come to the throne1 if any of the house of ,saul are alive1 ,i want you to be good to them1 for my sake40 8,i will do that1 of course10 said ,david4 ,so he made a solemn covenant to that effect1 and then he went away to the cave of ,adullam1 to get out of the way of ,saul1 who was bound to kill him if he could4 ,but ,god took care of ,david4 ,you never can kill or harm a man if ,god is taking care of him4 ,about four years after that1 ,david heard that there had been a great battle over by ,mount ,gilboa1 and that the ,philistines had beaten back the ,israelites with great slaughter1 and that ,saul and ,jonathan were both dead4 ,so he got his men together1 and went out after the enemies of the ,lord and of ,israel2 and it was not a great while before he had turned the tables on them1 and set up his kingdom at ,hebron4 ,it must have been pretty near fourteen years after that before ,david remembered his promise to his old friend1 ,jonathan4 ,it is a great deal easier to make promises than to keep them4 ,how many broken vows has ,god written down against you8 ,but one day ,king ,david was walking in his palace at ,jerusalem1 where he had removed his capital1 and all at once he happened to think of that promise4 ,it is a good thing ,god does not forget ,his promises that way4 8,that's too bad10 mused ,david4 8,i had forgot all about that promise4 ,i have been so busy fighting these ,philistines and fixing things up that ,i have not had time to think of any thing else40 ,so he called his servants in great haste1 and asked3 8,do any of you know whether there is any of ,saul's family living80 ,one of them said there was an old servant of ,saul's by the name of ,ziba1 and maybe he could tell4 8,go and tell him ,i want him1 right away40 ,pretty soon ,ziba appeared1 and ,king ,david asked3 8,do you know whether there is anybody of the house of ,saul in my kingdom80 ,ziba said there was one he knew of--a son of ,jonathan1 by the name of ,mephibosheth4 ,jonathan6 ,how that name must have smitten ,king ,david6 ,one of the sons of his old friend living in his kingdom for as much as fourteen years1 and he had never known it6 ,what would ,jonathan think of him for forgetting his promise that way8 8,go1 fetch him60 says ,david4 8,go quickly4 ,tell him ,i want him4 ,i want to show him the kindness of ,god40 ,now1 where do you suppose ,mephibosheth was all this time8 ,why1 he was down at ,lo-debar4 ,did you ever hear of that place8 ,if you are a sailor1 did you ever come across that port8 ,when you have traveled on the railway1 did any of you ever stop at that station8 ,ah1 yes6 ,that is where the whole human race are until they come to ,christ for salvation--away down at ,lo-debar1 which means 8a place of no pasture40 ,the king is in haste to keep his promise now4 ,i see them hurrying off4 ,maybe they take the king's own chariot1 and rattle away to find this son of ,jonathan4 ,when they reached the little out-of-the-way place1 ,i fancy there was a great commotion4 8,where is ,mephibosheth8 ,the king wants him40 ,poor fellow6 ,when he heard this announcement he hung his head4 ,he was afraid the king wanted to kill him because he was of the house of ,saul1 his old enemy4 8,don't be afraid10 said the servants4 8,the king says he wants to show you the kindness of ,god4 ,he is in a great hurry to see you1 so get ready and jump right into the chariot4 ,don't you see the king has sent his own chariot to fetch you80 ,it did begin to look as if the king meant no harm to him4 ,but poor ,mephibosheth had another difficulty4 ,he was lame in both feet4 ,he was a little fellow when ,king ,david came to the throne1 and an old servant1 who was afraid that all the house of ,saul would be killed1 took him up and ran away to hide him4 ,somehow he managed to drop the lad1 and lamed him in both feet4 ,and now ,i can see poor ,mephibosheth looking down at his feet4 ,maybe his toes turned in1 or he was club-footed4 ,and he says to himself3 8,i am not fit to go to the king4 ,i am a poor cripple4 ,i am not fit to be seen among the tall and handsome servants of the palace in ,jerusalem40 8,never mind your lame feet1 ,mephibosheth2 so long as the king sends for you1 it is all right40 ,so they take him up and put him in the chariot1 and start for ,jerusalem on a run4 ,as soon as the king sees him he takes him in his arms and cries out3 8,o ,mephibosheth6 ,the son of my dear old friend1 ,jonathan6 ,you shall have all that ever belonged to the house of ,saul1 and you shall live with me here1 in the palace40 ,some people think that ,mephibosheth1 like certain low-spirited ,christians1 after he went to live with the king1 must have been all the time worrying over his lame feet4 ,but ,i do not think so4 ,he could not help it1 and if ,david did not mind it1 it was all right4 ,so1 ,i think that when he dined with ,david in state1 with the great lords and ladies all around him1 he just stuck his club feet under the table1 and looked the king right in the face4 ,,moses4 ,moses was about to leave the children of ,israel in the wilderness4 ,he had led them up to the borders of the ,promised ,land4 ,for forty long years he had been leading them in that wilderness1 and now1 as they are about to go over1 ,moses takes his farewell4 ,he said a great many wise and good things on that memorable occasion4 ,there was not a man on the face of the earth at that time who knew as much about the world and as much about ,god as did ,moses4 ,therefore1 he was a good judge4 ,he had tasted of the pleasures of the world4 ,in the forty years that he was in ,egypt he probably sampled every thing of that day4 ,he tasted of the world--of its pleasures4 ,he knew all about it4 ,he was brought up in the palace of a king1 a prince4 ,egypt then ruled the world1 as it were4 ,moses had been forty years in ,horeb1 where he had heard the voice of ,god--where he had been taught by ,god--and for forty years he had been serving ,god4 ,you might say he was ,god's right hand man1 leading those bondmen up out of the land of ,egypt and out of the house of bondage into the land of liberty1 and this is his dying address--you might say1 his farewell address4 ,this is the dying testimony of one who could speak with authority and one who could speak intelligently4 ,if you have not read that farewell address of ,moses1 you will find it in the last few verses of ,deuteronomy4 ,i advise you to read it4 ,you are reading a great many printed sermons4 ,suppose you read that4 ,why1 there is as much truth in that farewell address of ,moses as there is in fifteen hundred printed sermons at the present time4 ,let me just give you a few verses3 8,give ear1 ,o ye heavens1 and ,i will speak2 and hear1 ,o ,earth1 the words of my mouth4 8,my doctrine shall drop as the rain2 my speech shall distill as the dew1 as the small rain upon the tender herb1 and as the showers upon the grass4 8,because ,i will publish the name of the ,lord4 ,ascribe ye greatness unto our ,god4 8,he is the ,rock2 ,his work is perfect4 ,for all ,his ways are judgment2 a ,god of truth and without iniquity1 just and right is ,he4 8,they have corrupted themselves2 their spot is not the spot of ,his children4 ,they are a perverse and crooked generation4 8,do ye thus requite the ,lord1 ,o foolish people and unwise8 ,is not ,he thy ,father that hath bought thee8 ,hath ,he not made thee and established thee8 8,remember the days of old2 consider the years of many generations4 ,ask thy ,father1 and ,he will show thee2 thy elders1 and they will tell thee4 8,when the ,most ,high divided to the nations their inheritance1 when ,he separated the sons of ,adam1 ,he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of ,israel4 8,for the ,lord's portion is ,his people2 ,jacob is the lot of ,his inheritance4 8,he found him in a desert land1 and in the waste howling wilderness4 ,he led him about2 ,he instructed him2 ,he kept him as the apple of ,his eye40 ,there are two or three sermons in that last verse4 8,as an eagle stirreth up her nest1 fluttereth over her young1 spreadeth abroad her wings1 taketh them1 beareth them on her wings1 so the ,lord alone did lead him1 and there was no strange god with him4 8,he made him ride on the high places of the ,earth1 that he might eat the increase of the fields2 and ,he made him to suck honey out of the rock1 and oil out of the flinty rock40 ,and so ,moses went on and finished his sermon1 and ,god called him off into the mountain4 ,he went up into ,mount ,nebo1 and there ,god showed him1 from the top of ,pisgah1 that land which he could not possess2 showed him the land from ,dan to ,beersheba4 ,then 8,god kissed away his soul and buried him40 ,,naaman4 ,naaman was a successful1 valiant and noble man4 ,but he was a leper--and that spoiled him4 ,what a blight that must have cast on his path6 ,it must have haunted him day and night4 ,he was a leper1 and there was no physician in ,syria who could help him4 ,it was an incurable disease1 and ,i suppose he thought he would have to go down to the grave with that loathsome ailment4 ,we read that several companies had gone down to the land of ,israel and brought back to ,syria some poor captives4 ,among them was a little girl1 who was sent to wait on ,naaman's wife4 ,i can imagine that little maid had a praying mother1 who had taught her to love the ,lord1 and when she got down there she was not ashamed to own her religion4 ,she was not ashamed to acknowledge her ,lord4 ,one day1 while waiting on her mistress1 ,i can think of her saying3 8,would to ,god your husband was in ,samaria4 ,there is a prophet in that country who would cure him40 8,what6 ,a man in ,israel who can cure my husband8 ,child1 you must be dreaming4 ,did you ever hear of a man being cured of leprosy80 8,no4 ,but that is nothing4 ,why1 the prophet in ,samaria has cured many persons worse than your husband40 ,and perhaps she told her about the poor woman who had such an increase of oil1 and how her two boys were saved from slavery by the prophet1 and also how he had raised the child of that poor woman from the dead1 adding3 8,if the prophet can raise anybody from the dead he can cure your husband40 ,this girl must have had something about her to make those people listen to her4 ,she must have shown her religion in her life4 ,her life must have been consistent with her religion to make them believe her4 ,we read that ,naaman had faith in her word1 and he went to the king and told him what he intended to do4 ,and the king said3 8,i will tell you what ,i will do4 ,i will give you a letter to the king of ,israel4 ,of course1 if any cure is to be effected1 the king will know how to obtain it40 ,like many men nowadays1 they believed1 if a thing was to be got1 it was to be got from the king1 and not from his subjects4 ,so you see this man starting out to the king of ,israel with all his letters and a very long purse4 ,i can not find1 just now1 how much it was1 but it must have been something like #ejj1jjj4 ,the sum was a very large one1 likely4 ,he was going to be liberal4 ,he was not going to be small4 ,well1 he got all his money and letters together and started4 ,there was no small stir as ,naaman swept through the gates of ,syria that day with his escort4 ,he reaches ,samaria1 and sends a messenger to the king1 announcing his arrival4 ,the messenger delivers the letter to the king1 and the first thing he does is to open the letter and begin to read it4 ,i can see his brow knit as he goes on4 8,what is this8 ,what does it mean8 ,this man means war4 ,this ,assyrian king means to have a war with me4 ,who ever heard of such a thing as a man cured of leprosy80 ,and the king rent his mantle4 ,every one knew something was wrong when the king rent his mantle1 and the news spread through the streets that they were on the eve of a war4 ,the air was filled with rumors of war2 everybody was talking about it4 ,no doubt the news had gone abroad that the great general of ,assyria was in the city1 and he was the cause of the rumors1 and by-and-by it reached the prophet ,elisha that the king had rent his mantle1 and he wanted to know the cause4 ,when he had heard what it was he just told the king to send ,naaman to him4 ,now you see the major-general riding up in grand style to the prophet's house4 ,he probably lived in a small and obscure dwelling4 ,perhaps ,naaman thought he was doing ,elisha a great favor by calling on him4 ,he had an idea that he was honoring this man1 who had no influence or position4 ,so he rides up4 ,a messenger is sent in to announce ,major-,general ,naaman of ,damascus4 ,but the prophet does not even see him4 ,he just tells the servant to say to his master3 8,go and wash in ,jordan seven times40 ,when the messenger comes to ,naaman and tells him this1 he is as mad as any thing4 ,he considers it a reflection upon him--as if he had not kept his person clean4 8,does the man mean to insinuate that ,i have not kept my body clean8 ,can't ,i wash myself in the waters of ,damascus8 ,we have much better water than they have here4 ,why1 if we had the ,jordan in ,syria we certainly would look upon it as a ditch4 ,the idea--wash in that contemptible river60 ,naaman was as full of rage as he well could be1 but suddenly he said3 8,behold1 ,i thought40 ,that is the way with sinners2 they always say they thought4 ,in this expression we can see that ,naaman had thought of some plan1 and had marked out a way for the ,lord to heal him4 ,keep this in mind3 8,my ways are not your ways1 nor my thoughts your thoughts40 ,if you look for the ,lord to come in one direction1 ,he will come in another direction4 8,my ways are not your ways10 thought the leper4 ,no man gets into the kingdom of ,god until he gives up his thoughts4 ,god never saves a man until he gives up his own thoughts and takes up ,god's4 ,yes1 ,naaman thought the moment the prophet knew he was outside he would come out and bow and scrape1 and say he was glad to see such a great and honorable man from ,syria4 ,instead of that1 he merely sent him the peremptory prescription3 8,go wash in ,jordan seven times40 ,when we were in ,glasgow we had an employer converted1 and he wanted to get a man in his employ to come to our meetings1 but he would not come4 ,if he was going to be converted1 he would not be converted by those meetings4 ,you know1 when a ,scotchman gets an idea into his head he is the most stubborn man you can find4 ,he was determined not to be converted by ,moody and ,sankey4 ,the employer argued and pleaded with this man1 but he could not get him to come to the meetings then being held4 ,well1 we left ,glasgow1 and got away up to the north of ,scotland--in ,inverness--and the employer sent his stubborn friend up there on business1 thinking he might be induced to go into the meetings4 ,one night we were singing 8,on the ,banks of ,that ,beautiful ,river10 and he happened to be passing4 ,he wondered where the sweet sounds were coming from4 ,he came into the meeting1 and ,i happened to be preaching that evening on the very text3 8,i ,thought40 ,the stubborn man from ,glasgow listened attentively1 and soon did not know exactly where he was4 ,he was convicted--he was converted--and he became a ,christian4 ,verily1 a man must yield his own way to the way of the ,lord4 ,now1 you can see all along that ,naaman's thoughts were altogether different from those of ,god4 ,he was going to get the grace of ,god by showing favors--just as many men now believe they can buy their way into the kingdom of ,god4 ,but we can not purchase the favor of ,heaven with money4 ,if you get a seat in ,heaven1 you must accept salvation as a gift4 ,naaman had another thought4 ,he believed he could get what he wanted by taking letters to the king--not to the prophet4 ,the little maid told him of the prophet1 yet he was going to pass the prophet by4 ,he was too proud to go to the prophet4 ,but pride1 if you will allow me the expression1 got a knock on the head on this important occasion4 ,it was a terrible thing for him to think of obeying by going down to the ,jordan and dipping seven times4 ,he had got better rivers in ,damascus1 in his own wisdom1 and he queries3 8,can't ,i wash there1 and be clean80 ,naaman was angry1 but when he got over it he listened to his servants4 ,i would rather see people get angry than see them go to sleep4 ,i would rather see a man get as angry as possible at any utterance of mine than to see ,i had sent him to sleep4 ,when a man is asleep there is no chance of reaching him1 but if he is angry we may get at him4 ,it is a good thing for a man to get angry sometimes1 for when he cools off he generally listens to reason4 ,so ,naaman's servant came to him and said3 8,suppose ,elisha had bid thee do some great thing1 wouldst thou not have done it80 ,probably1 had ,elisha told ,naaman to take cod liver oil for ten years1 he would have willingly done it4 ,if he had told ,naaman he wanted as much money as the leper brought along1 that would have been all right4 ,but the idea of literally doing nothing--just to go down into ,jordan and wash himself6 ,it was so far below his calculations that he thought he was being imposed upon by some charlatan4 ,but ,naaman's sensible servant said to him3 8,if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing1 wouldst thou not have done it8 ,hadn't you just better go down and wash in ,jordan80 ,possibly1 ,naaman answered3 8,if ,i go down into ,jordan and am not cured1 what will my enemies say of me when ,i get back to ,damascus80 ,but he was influenced by the servant1 and he went4 ,that was one good point in ,naaman's character--he was influenced by an humble messenger4 ,a good many people will not accept a messenger unless he is refined and cultured and educated4 ,but it is the message you want--not the messenger4 ,it would be the message ,i would want4 ,and so it was with ,naaman4 ,she was a little ,hebrew girl who first told him to go to ,samaria1 and now he was told to wash by his servant4 ,so ,naaman goes down and dips into the waters4 ,the first time he rose he said3 8,i would just like to see how much my leprosy has gone40 ,he looks1 but not a bit has left him4 8,well1 ,i am not going to get rid of my leprosy in this way2 this is absurd40 ,but the servant persisted4 8,do just as the man of ,god tells you2 obey him40 ,and this is just what we are told to do in the ,scriptures--to obey ,him4 ,the first thing we have to learn is obedience4 ,disobedience was the pit ,adam fell into1 and we must get out of it by obedience4 ,well1 ,naaman goes into the water a second time4 ,if some ,chicago ,christians had been there1 they would certainly have asked1 sneeringly3 8,well1 how do you feel now80 ,he did not see that he was any better1 and down he went a third time2 but when he looked himself over1 he saw just as much leprosy as ever4 ,down he goes a fourth1 fifth and sixth time4 ,he again looks at himself1 but not a speck of leprosy is removed4 ,naaman now chides his servant4 8,i told you so6 ,look at me6 ,i am just the same as ever40 8,but10 says the servant1 8you must do just what the man of ,god tells you to do--go down seven times40 ,naaman takes the seventh plunge1 and comes out4 ,he looks at himself4 ,behold1 his flesh is as that of a little child4 ,he says to his servant3 8,why1 ,i never felt as good as ,i do today4 ,i feel better than if ,i had won a great battle4 ,look6 ,i am cleansed6 ,oh1 what a great day this is for me6 ,the leprosy has gone40 ,the waters to him had been as death and judgment1 and he had come out resurrected--his flesh as that of a little child4 ,i suppose ,naaman got into his chariot1 and away he went to the man of ,god4 ,he had lost his temper2 he had lost his pride2 he had lost his leprosy4 ,that is the way now4 ,if a man will only lose his pride1 he will soon see his leprosy disappear2 leprosy will go away with pride4 ,i believe the greatest enemies of men in this world are unbelief and pride4 ,naaman drives back to the man of ,god1 and takes his gold and silver4 ,he offers him money4 8,i do not want your money10 replies the prophet4 ,if ,elisha had taken money1 it would have spoiled the beautiful story4 ,naaman had to take back every thing he brought from ,damascus except his leprosy4 ,,peter4 ,the first glimpse that we catch of ,peter is when ,andrew brought him to the ,savior4 ,that is ,john's account4 ,that is when he became a disciple2 but he did not leave every thing then and follow ,christ4 ,he waited until he got another call4 ,i think we all can learn a lesson right here--that it is not every one who is called to be a disciple of ,jesus that is called to leave his occupation and become ,his follower entirely4 ,i believe there are many self-made preachers--man-made preachers--and this is the reason why so many fail4 ,no man who was called by ,god has ever failed1 or has ever broken down in the ministry2 but when a man runs before he is sent1 ,i believe he will fail4 ,now1 we are called to be ,his disciples--all called to follow ,him--but we are not all called on to give up our occupations and devote all our time to the ministry4 ,i have men come to me constantly who say they have been raised up1 and want to give up their business and their worldly occupation and go into the work of the ,lord entirely2 but ,i never advise a man to go into the ministry4 ,i think ,i never advised a man to give up his occupation1 and to go out into the vineyard of the ,lord and go to work4 ,it is too high a calling1 it seems to me1 for men to be influencing one another to go into it4 ,if a man will only wait until ,god calls him--be sure that ,god sends him--then success will crown his efforts4 ,now1 we find1 in the fifth chapter of ,luke1 and also in the fourth chapter of ,matthew1 where ,peter got his calling4 ,he was out with his partners and others1 fishing1 when ,jesus came along and told them to cast their net1 or to launch out into the deep and cast their net into the sea4 8,but10 says ,peter1 8we have toiled all night and caught nothing40 8,nevertheless10 commanded ,jesus1 8let down your nets40 ,at the word of ,god they did so1 and were successful1 and when they got ashore they found ,jesus had called them to be ,his disciples4 ,just open your ,bible at the fifth chapter of ,luke3 8,and it came to pass that1 as the people pressed upon ,him to hear the word of ,god1 ,he stood by the lake of ,gennesaret1 and saw two ships standing by the lake2 but the fishermen were gone out of them1 and were washing their nets4 8,and ,he entered into one of the ships1 which was ,simon's1 and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land4 ,and ,he sat down1 and taught the people out of the ship4 8,now1 when ,he had left speaking1 ,he said unto ,simon3 #8,launch out into the deep1 and let down your nets for a draught4' 8,and ,simon1 answering1 said unto ,him3 #8,master1 we have toiled all the night1 and have taken nothing2 nevertheless1 at ,thy word ,i will let down the net4' 8,and when they had done this1 they inclosed a great multitude of fishes1 and their net broke4 8,and they beckoned unto their partners1 which were in the other ship1 that they should come and help them4 ,and they came1 and filled both the ships1 so that they began to sink4 8,when ,simon ,peter saw it1 he fell down at ,jesus' knees1 saying3 #8,depart from me2 for ,i am a sinful man1 ,o ,lord4' 8,for he was astonished1 and all that were with him1 at the draught of the fishes which they had taken4 8,and so1 also1 were ,james and ,john1 the sons of ,zebedee1 which were partners with ,simon4 ,and ,jesus said unto ,simon3 #8,fear not4 ,henceforth thou shalt catch men4' 8,and when they had brought their ships to land1 they forsook all1 and followed ,him40 ,you see1 it says ,christ just said to them3 8,follow me1 and ,i will make you fishers of men40 ,and no one was more successful in the world1 in catching men1 than ,peter4 ,and if you will just follow the ,lord and believe in ,him1 ,he will make you fishers of men4 ,now1 some may wonder why it was that ,god did not call them when they had their nets empty4 ,why did the ,lord just give them a draught of fish and then tell them to leave it8 ,now1 it seems to me that ,he did so because ,he wanted them to leave something4 ,there are a good many of us willing to be disciples of the ,lord if it does not cost any thing4 ,if they can just swing their bag across their back with the fish in it and follow ,jesus1 then they are willing to follow ,him1 and to be ,his disciples4 ,so ,jesus wanted them to give up something4 ,they might have said3 8,we have been fishing a great while in the lake1 business is pretty poor1 and we might as well give up the business and go into this40 ,but no6 ,the ,lord did not call them until after they attained success4 ,now1 after they scored a business success1 ,he put the test to these men whether they were willing to give up their nets and follow ,him4 ,sometime after that1 ,peter says3 8,we have left every thing to follow ,thee40 ,what did ,peter leave8 ,why1 a few old broken nets6 ,and it is just so now4 ,people leave a few old broken nets1 and then say to the ,lord3 8,we have left every thing to follow ,thee40 ,the next glimpse we catch of ,peter is when he takes on the character of a doubter4 ,you will find1 if you read it over1 that it is our own experience right over again4 ,peter got to doubting4 ,in the fourteenth chapter of ,matthew1 beginning at the twenty-second verse1 you will find these words3 8,and straightway ,jesus constrained ,his disciples to get into a ship1 and to go before ,him unto the other side1 while ,he sent the multitudes away4 8,and when ,he had sent the multitudes away1 ,he went up into a mountain apart to pray2 and when the evening was come ,he was there alone4 8,but the ship was now in the midst of the sea1 tossed with waves2 for the wind was contrary4 8,and in the fourth watch of the night ,jesus went unto them1 walking on the sea4 8,and when the disciples saw ,him walking on the sea1 they were troubled1 saying3 #8,it is a spirit4' ,and they cried out for fear4 8,but straightway ,jesus spake unto them1 saying3 #8,be of good cheer2 it is ,i2 be not afraid4' 8,and ,peter answered ,him and said3 #8,lord1 if it be ,thou1 bid me come unto ,thee on the water4' 8,and ,he said3 #8,come4' ,and when ,peter was come down out of the ship1 he walked on the water to go to ,jesus40 ,now1 that took faith4 ,the idea of his just letting go the boat1 and stepping down into the water6 ,why1 that required faith4 ,and there are a great many men today willing to become ,christians if they can only just see how they are going to walk4 ,they want to walk by sight4 ,they do not want to walk by faith4 ,it took faith for ,peter to let go of the boat and take the first step on the water1 but the ,lord had bid him to do it1 and he just did it2 but after he began to sink he began to doubt1 and called on the ,lord to save him4 8,but when he saw the wind boisterous1 he was afraid2 and beginning to sink1 he cried1 saying3 #8,lord1 save me4'0 ,see6 ,he began to sink when he took his eyes off his ,master4 ,peter did not trust in ,him4 ,he did not have perfect faith4 ,now1 the ,lord says in ,isaiah1 twenty-sixth chapter and third verse3 8,thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on ,thee1 because he trusteth in ,thee40 ,peter did not have perfect faith1 because his mind was not stayed on ,christ2 he did not trust in ,him4 ,if ,peter had trusted in the ,lord he would not have sunk4 ,the ship was in the midst of the sea2 the wind was blowing quite a gale1 and the waves were rolling high1 and ,peter began to tremble and doubt1 and down he went4 ,and a good many ,christians follow his example4 ,when it gets dark1 when the wind begins to blow1 and when the water rolls high about them1 they begin to doubt--and down they go4 ,some one says if ,peter had as long a preamble to his prayer as most people1 he would have been forty feet under water before he got through praying for what he wanted4 ,now1 just read a little farther3 8,and immediately ,jesus stretched forth ,his hand1 and caught him1 and said unto him3 #8,o thou of little faith1 wherefore didst thou doubt8'0 ,but ,i want to pass rapidly over this portion of the ,word of ,god1 and get at something which1 perhaps1 may be of more help to us than any thing here4 ,in the sixteenth chapter of ,matthew1 twenty-fourth verse1 we find that ,peter was willing to confess ,christ as the ,son of the living ,god4 ,many men want to be disciples of ,christ1 but they are not willing to confess ,him4 8,then said ,jesus unto ,his disciples3 #8,if any man will come after ,me1 let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow ,me40 ,to go home and tell your friends that you want to be a disciple of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ requires much moral courage4 ,but it required more then than it does now1 for the ,jews said any man who should confess ,christ should be cast out of the synagogue4 8,when ,jesus came into the coasts of ,csarea ,philippi1 ,he asked ,his disciples1 saying3 #8,whom do men say that ,i1 the ,son of man1 am8' 8,and they said3 #8,some say that ,thou art ,john the ,baptist2 some1 ,elias2 and others1 ,jeremias or one of the prophets4' 8,he saith unto them3 #8,but whom say ye that ,i am8'0 ,and ,peter--he generally spoke first--speaks out and says3 8#8,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god4' 8,and ,jesus answered and said unto him3 #8,blessed art thou1 ,simon ,bar-jona2 for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee1 but my ,father which is in ,heaven4'0 ,see6 ,jesus blessed ,peter right there1 and ,i have yet to find the first man and the first woman who are willing to confess ,christ who will not say that ,god has blessed their souls after they have confessed ,him4 ,now1 let me call your attention to another scene in the life of ,peter4 ,he got to be a sort of a--well1 ,i may say a sort of 8high church0 man4 ,he belonged to the 8high church40 ,he was a sort of ,ritualist4 ,he had got this idea that ,christ was the same as any other saint2 that ,he was to be put on a level with some of the rest of the saints4 ,he did not make any distinction4 ,in the ninth chapter of ,luke we find that ,jesus took ,his disciples and went up into a mountain to pray4 ,we begin at the twenty-eighth verse3 8,and it came to pass about eight days after these sayings1 ,he took ,peter and ,john and ,james1 and went up into a mountain to pray4 8,and as ,he prayed1 the fashion of ,his countenance was altered1 and ,his raiment was white and glistering4 8,and1 behold1 there talked with ,him two men1 which were ,moses and ,elias4 8,who appeared in glory1 and spake of ,his decease which ,he should accomplish at ,jerusalem4 8,but ,peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep2 and when they were awake1 they saw ,his glory1 and the two men that stood with ,him4 8,and it came to pass1 as they departed from ,him1 ,peter said unto ,jesus3 #8,master1 it is good for us to be here2 and let us make three tabernacles--one for ,thee and one for ,moses and one for ,elias'--not knowing what he said40 ,peter wanted to put ,jesus on a level with ,moses and ,elias4 ,to be sure1 ,moses was a mighty man4 ,he went into the mountain and took the law from the ,lord ,god of ,heaven1 and ,elias was a representative of the prophets and a mighty man2 but when ,peter wanted to put them on a level with the ,god-man--with ,jesus--what took place8 ,why1 there came a cloud which over-shadowed them4 ,god caught them right away4 ,god would not have them placing ,moses and ,elias on a level with ,his ,son4 ,he is above the angels of ,heaven2 and we find over here1 in the last chapter of the ,bible1 and in almost the last verse in it1 that ,john was guilty of the same thing--of worshiping angels4 ,it says over here1 in the twenty-second chapter and eighth verse of ,revelations3 8,and ,i1 ,john1 saw these things and heard them4 ,and when ,i had heard and seen1 ,i fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things4 8,then saith he unto me3 #8,see thou do it not2 for ,i am thy fellow servant1 and of thy brethren the prophets1 and of them which keep the sayings of this book4 ,worship ,god4'0 ,now1 if ,jesus was not the ,god-man--if ,he was not ,god in the flesh--then you and ,i are guilty of idolatry2 we are breaking the first command3 8,thou shalt have no other ,god before ,me40 ,but when ,jesus came down here1 ,he said3 8,come unto ,me1 all ye that are weary and heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest40 ,and ,he never rebuked any one for worshiping ,him4 ,but ,john fell down and worshiped that angel1 and the angel refused to let him2 and when ,peter wanted to put ,elias and ,moses on a level with ,christ1 ,god the ,father spoke and said3 8,this is my beloved ,son4 ,hear ye ,him40 ,no matter about ,elias now4 ,no matter about ,moses now4 ,hear ,jesus4 ,he is the one that ,god wants all of us here to worship4 ,now1 some one says we can not know1 down here1 whether we are safe or not4 ,well1 we have an assurance right here3 8,then ,simon ,peter answered ,him3 #8,lord1 to whom shall we go8 ,thou hast the words of eternal life4 8#8,and we believe and are sure that ,thou art that ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god4'0 ,i will now call your attention to ,peters faults4 ,if you will just turn over here into the twenty-second chapter of ,luke1 you will find there a fault4 ,begin at the thirty-third verse of the twenty-second chapter of ,luke1 and you will find the following3 8,and he said unto him3 #8,lord1 ,i am ready to go with ,thee1 both into prison and to death4' 8,and ,he said3 #8,i tell thee1 ,peter1 the cock shall not crow1 this day1 before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest ,me4' 8,and ,he said unto them3 #8,when ,i sent you without purse and scrip and shoes1 lacked ye any thing8' ,and they said3 #8,nothing4'0 ,now1 here we find ,peter's fault of self-confidence4 ,that was really his besetting sin1 and when the ,lord told him that the cock should not crow twice before he had denied ,him thrice1 he ought to have believed the words of ,christ and cried for help2 but no1 he was very self-confident4 8,why10 says he1 8if the rest of the disciples deny ,you1 ,i will not deny ,you40 ,peter not only declared he would not deny ,jesus1 but he even tried to make the other disciples worse by comparison4 ,if you meet a man full of conceit and self-confidence1 you may look for that man's downfall4 ,men who have stood the highest1 in ,scripture1 have often fallen on their strongest point4 ,moses was noted for his humility4 ,right there he fell4 ,he got angry instead of being humble1 and fell through lack of humility4 ,elijah was noted for his boldness4 ,right there he fell4 ,why1 he stood on ,mount ,carmel and defied the whole nation4 ,he stood there alone4 ,he seemed to be the boldest man in the whole nation4 ,but after a while he got word that ,jezebel was going to take his life1 and then he lost all his boldness and got scared at the threat of a woman4 ,there was ,samson1 who was noted for his strength4 ,he lost his hair1 wherein his strength consisted1 but he recovered it4 ,they cut off his hair1 but they did not remove the roots1 and it grew out again4 ,abraham was noted for his faith4 ,but he got into ,egypt1 and denied his wife4 ,there was only one time1 ,i am told1 that ,edinburgh ,castle was ever taken by the enemy1 and that was done by climbing on the back rocks4 ,the rocks were so steep the besieged did not believe the enemy could get in that way1 but that was just where they got in4 ,i used to think when ,i had been a ,christian ten or twelve years ,i should be so strong that there would be no danger of my ever being tempted1 but ,i find that ,i was blind4 ,i have more temptations now than ,i ever had before1 and it takes twenty times as much grace to keep me now as at first4 ,let every man take heed1 lest he fall4 ,we can not tell how quickly we may fall if we are not kept by the grace of ,god4 ,peter had to learn this lesson before he went out to preach to others4 ,he was kept by the grace of ,god1 if he could not keep himself4 ,well1 ,i have got right here two faults of the apostle4 ,when the ,lord told him he should deny ,him thrice1 he ought to have trembled and cried3 8,lord1 keep me from denying ,thee60 ,but1 no6 ,he said3 8,lord1 ,i am not going to deny ,you1 if the rest do40 ,just see where he stands4 ,he stands on a slippery place1 and it will not be long before he will be down4 ,self-confidence leads many men to their fall4 ,we must keep very humble and keep our eyes on the ,master1 and see that we do not go to sleep4 ,if we do get asleep1 then it won't be long before we deny ,him4 ,and so we find that when ,christ was down in the garden1 sweating great drops of blood1 ,he knew ,he was hastening to death on the cross4 ,peter went to sleep4 ,and when ,jesus came back ,he said3 8,why sleep ye8 ,rise and pray1 lest ye enter into temptation40 ,peter had been with the ,lord three years1 but he had to sleep4 ,the next that happens1 for that second step down1 we find that ,peter fights in the flesh4 ,when they came to arrest ,christ1 ,peter took out his sword and cut off the servant's ear4 ,that servant was the only person who had suffered through the followers of ,christ up to that time4 ,peter cut the ear off1 but it did not stay off long1 for it got back in just about five minutes4 ,jesus cried out3 8,peter1 put up your sword4 ,if ,i wanted to defend ,myself1 ,i could call seventy thousand angels down2 ,i could call legions of angels down2 ,i could defend ,myself if ,i wanted to40 ,but1 no2 ,he did not do that4 ,he had to rebuke ,peter1 to put a thorn in his flesh4 ,the next thing ,peter did was to follow ,jesus afar off2 that is the next step4 ,when a man gets away from the ,savior1 then it won't be long before he follows ,him afar off4 ,you know ,peter said1 at first1 he would keep close to ,him4 8,i will stand by ,you2 ,i am willing to die with ,you10 he had said4 ,but now ,peter changed his mind1 and he followed ,jesus afar off4 ,well1 the next thing1 we find that ,peter is in bad company4 ,that is another step down4 ,he had got1 by this time1 down pretty low4 ,a young lady comes in1 looks at ,peter1 and says3 8,this man is one of ,his disciples40 8,no1 ,i am not2 no1 not ,i10 says ,peter4 ,the maid cries out at him in perfect amazement--for perhaps she had heard him preach some time--and she says3 8,you are one of ,his disciples40 8,oh1 no2 no1 not ,i40 ,he did not know ,jesus1 who was right there inside1 where he could see him2 and yet this man1 who was so bold1 did not know ,him4 ,another man comes to ,peter and says3 8,you are one of ,his disciples40 8,no1 ,sir--not ,i4 ,i don't know ,him--no ,sir40 ,you see1 he had got a good ways off4 ,the man says3 8,you are40 8,no2 ,i am not40 ,about an hour after ,peter has denied ,him1 another man came around and said3 8,you are one of ,his disciples40 8,no2 ,i am not40 8,oh1 but you are4 ,your speech betrays you40 ,peter had been with the ,master three years1 and he talked a different language from those men2 and you who have been with ,god two or three years know that you talk better than you did before4 ,this man said3 8,you are one of those40 ,and ,peter began to curse and swear1 and said he never knew ,him4 ,how did the ,lord call him back8 ,although ,satan had been at work on him for hours and hours1 yet the ,lord did call him back4 ,the ,lord asked him3 8,peter1 is it true that you have forgotten ,me so soon8 ,do you remember1 when we walked together by the sea1 how ,i saved you8 ,do you remember the time ,i called you again8 ,do you remember the wonderful sermon that ,i preached on the mount8 ,is it true1 ,peter1 that you do not know me80 ,he might have said these things to ,peter1 but ,he did not4 ,he just gave him one look--and what a look that was6 ,it was a look of love1 a look of tenderness1 a look of pity1 a look of peace4 ,he flashed upon ,peter4 ,peter remembered what he had done to the ,lord4 ,then the cock crew1 and ,peter went out and wept bitterly4 ,no one on ,earth knows how ,peter suffered in those hours that ,christ was laid in the tomb4 ,what hours they must have been to him6 ,i can imagine that he did not eat any thing2 that he did not sleep2 that he spent those hours praying that the ,lord might be given back to him4 ,at last ,sunday morning comes--that blessed morning--and the first thing ,peter hears is that ,christ has risen4 ,and ,he sent word to ,peter--one of the most touching things ,he did4 ,just let me read from the sixteenth chapter of ,mark and the seventh verse3 8,but go your way1 tell ,his disciples and ,peter that ,he goeth before you into ,galilee2 there shall ye see ,him1 as ,he said unto you40 ,oh1 how tender6 ,i don't know but if ,he had said 8,go back and tell ,my disciples10 ,peter would have said3 8,i am no disciple2 ,i have forfeited my right as such40 ,but ,jesus said3 8,tell ,my disciples and ,peter40 ,tell ,peter2 put his name in2 don't leave him out4 ,we are told that ,christ had an interview with ,peter1 and they met alone4 ,no one ever told us what took place1 but ,i can imagine how ,peter felt4 ,like the woman that we read about in the seventh chapter of ,matthew1 ,he restored him to salvation and then sent him out to preach4 ,but when the twelve were at meat together the ,lord turned to ,peter and asked3 8,lovest thou ,me more than these80 ,how those words must have cut down into ,peter's heart6 ,jesus wanted to see whether his conceit had been taken out4 ,that was hard1 you know4 ,he could not get any thing out of ,peter4 ,peter did not say a word4 ,again the ,lord asked3 8,peter1 lovest thou ,me more than these80 ,he was a broken and empty vessel1 and must be filled4 ,then ,jesus gave ,peter his commission3 8,go1 feed my sheep2 preach the ,gospel to all the world40 ,this is a sweet thought1 that after ,peter had denied the ,lord1 ,he took him back and used him6 ,,saul4 ,i have been speaking on the ,prodigal ,son1 but now ,i want to take up another man--a much harder case than the prodigal1 because he did not believe he needed a ,savior4 ,you need not have talked a great while to that prodigal before you could have convinced him that he needed a ,savior4 ,it is easy to reach a prodigal's heart when he reaches the end of his rope4 ,the man of whom ,i shall now speak stood high in the estimation of the people4 ,he stood1 as it were1 at the top of the ladder1 while the prodigal was at the bottom4 ,this man was full of self-righteousness1 and if you had tried to pick out a man in ,jerusalem as a hopeless case1 so far as accepting ,jesus of ,nazareth as a ,savior1 you would have picked out ,saul4 ,he was the most utterly hopeless case you could have found4 ,i would sooner have thought of the conversion of ,pilate than of this man4 ,when they were putting to death the martyrs to the cross he had cheered on the murderers2 but1 in spite of all this1 we find the ,son of ,god coming and knocking at his heart1 and it was not long before he received ,him as his ,savior4 ,you can see ,saul as he goes to the chief priests of ,jerusalem1 getting the necessary documents that he might go to ,damascus--that he might go to the synagogue there and get all who were calling upon the ,lord ,jesus ,christ cast into prison4 ,he was going to stamp out the teachers of the ,new ,gospel4 ,one thing that made him so mad1 probably1 was that when the disciples were turned out of ,jerusalem1 instead of stopping they went all around and preached4 ,philip went down to ,samaria1 and probably there was a great revival there1 and the news had come from ,damascus that the preachers had actually reached that place4 ,this man ,saul was full of zeal and full of religion4 ,he was a religious man1 and no doubt he could say a prayer as long as any one in ,jerusalem4 ,he had kept the laws faithfully1 and been an honest and upright man4 ,the people then would never have dreamed of him being in need of a ,savior4 ,many persons today would say of ,saul3 8,he is good enough4 ,to be sure1 he does not believe in ,jesus ,christ2 but he is a good man40 ,and there are many people today who do not believe in ,him4 ,they feel if they pay their debts and live a moral life they do not need to be converted4 ,they do not want to call upon ,him2 they want to get ,jesus and all ,his teachings out of the way1 as ,saul wanted to do4 ,that is what they have been trying to do for eighteen centuries4 ,saul just wanted to stamp them out at one swoop4 ,so he got the necessary papers1 and away he went down to ,damascus4 ,suppose1 as he rode out of the gate of ,jerusalem on his mission1 any one had said to ,saul3 8,you are going down to ,damascus to prosecute the preachers of ,christ1 but you will come back a preacher yourself40 ,if any man had said this1 his head would not have remained on his shoulders five minutes4 ,saul would have protested3 8,i hate ,him--,i abhor ,him4 ,that is how ,i feel40 ,yes1 ,saul wanted to get ,christ and ,his disciples out of the way4 ,he was no stranger to ,christ4 ,he knew ,his working1 for1 as ,paul said to ,agrippa3 8,this thing was not done in a corner40 ,he knew all about ,christ's death4 ,probably he was acquainted with ,nicodemus and the members of the ,sanhedrim who were against ,christ4 ,perhaps he was acquainted with ,christ's disciples1 and with all their good deeds4 ,yet he entertained a malignant hatred for the ,gospel and its propagandists1 and he was going down to ,damascus to put all those ,christians in prison4 ,you see ,saul as he rides out of ,jerusalem with that brilliant escort1 and away he goes through ,samaria1 where ,philip was4 ,he would not speak to a ,samaritan1 however4 ,the ,jews detested the ,samaritans4 ,the idea of speaking to an adulterous ,samaritan would have been repulsive to ,saul4 ,so he rode on1 proudly1 through the nation1 with his head raised1 breathing slaughter to the children of ,god4 ,damascus was about #ach miles from ,jerusalem1 but we are not told how long he took for that journey4 ,little did ,saul think that1 nineteen hundred years after1 in this country1 then wild1 there would be thousands of people gathered just to hear the story of his journey down to ,damascus4 ,he has arrived at the gates of the city1 and is not yet cooled off1 as we say4 ,he is still breathing revenge4 ,see him as he stands before that beautiful city4 ,some one has said ,damascus is the most beautiful city in the world1 and we are told that when ,mohammed came to it he turned his head away from it1 lest the very beauty of it would take him from his ,god4 ,so this young man comes to ,damascus1 and he tells the hour of his arrival4 ,he never forgets the hour1 for it was then that ,christ met him4 ,he says3 8,i saw in the way a light from ,heaven above the brightness of the sun40 ,he saw the light of ,heaven1 and a glimpse of that light struck him to the ground4 ,from that light a voice called3 8,saul6 ,saul60 ,yes1 the ,son of ,god knows his name4 ,sinner1 ,god knows your name4 ,he knows all about you4 ,he knows the street you live in and the number of your house1 because ,he told where ,ananias lived when ,paul went there4 8,saul6 ,saul6 ,why persecutest thou ,me80 ,how these words must have gone down into his soul6 ,he stopped4 ,the words were to him4 ,could ,saul give any reason when the question was put to him3 8,why persecutest thou ,me80 ,can any sinner give a reason for persecuting ,christ8 ,i can imagine some of you saying3 8,i never persecute ,christ4 ,i have a great many sins4 ,i swear often--sometimes drink2 but ,i always speak respectfully of ,christ40 ,do you8 ,do you never speak disrespectfully of ,his disciples and ,god's children8 ,when ,christ asked ,saul that question ,he might have added3 8,i lived on ,earth thirty years1 and ,i never did you any hurt or injury2 ,i never even injured your friends4 ,i came into the world to bless you4 ,why persecutest thou ,me80 ,when this question was put to ,saul ,he supplemented it by saying3 8,it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks40 ,you and ,i would not have had any compassion upon ,saul if we had been in ,christ's place4 ,we would have said the hardship is upon the poor ,christians in ,damascus4 ,but the ,lord saw differently4 ,in those days1 when people did not drive their camels with whips1 they had a stick with a sharp piece of steel at the end1 called a prick1 and with this the animal was goaded4 ,hence the point of the saying is obvious4 ,,simeon4 ,the ,lord was one day at ,jerusalem1 and a banquet was given him by ,simeon4 ,there was a banquet table in the house1 arranged according to the fashion of that day4 ,instead of chairs for the guests1 the guests sat reclining on lounges4 ,well1 it was just one of these repasts that our ,lord sat down to1 along with the wealthy ,simeon and his many guests4 ,but no sooner had ,he entered than a certain woman followed ,him into the house4 ,she fell down at ,his feet1 and began to wash them with her tears4 ,it was the custom in those days to wash one's feet on entering a house4 ,sandals were worn1 and the practice was necessary4 ,this woman had got into the house by some means1 and1 once inside1 had quietly stolen up to the feet of the ,savior4 ,in her hand was a box2 but her heart1 too1 was just as full of ointment as the box she carried4 ,and there was the sweetest perfume as she stole to ,his feet4 ,her tears started to fall down on those sacred feet--hot1 scalding tears1 that gushed out like water4 ,she said nothing while the tears fell1 and then she took down her long black hair and wiped ,his feet with the hair of her head4 ,and after that she poured out the ointment on ,his feet4 ,at once the ,pharisees began to talk together4 ,how1 all through the ,new ,testament1 these ,pharisees kept whispering and talking together6 ,they said1 shaking their heads3 8,this ,man receiveth sinners4 ,were ,he a prophet1 ,he would know who and what manner of woman this is that touches ,him1 for she is a sinner40 ,no prophet1 they insisted1 would allow that kind of a woman near him1 but would push her away from him4 ,but ,jesus read their thoughts1 and quickly rebuked them4 ,he said3 8,simeon1 ,i have something to say to thee40 ,simeon answered3 8,master1 say on40 8,seest thou this woman8 ,i entered into thine house1 thou gavest me no water to wash my feet2 but she has washed my feet with tears1 and wiped them with the hairs of her head4 ,thou gavest me no kiss1 but this woman1 since ,i came in1 hath not ceased to kiss my feet4 ,my head with ointment thou didst not anoint1 but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment40 ,simeon was like many ,pharisees nowadays1 who say3 8,oh1 well6 ,we will entertain that minister if we must4 ,we do not want to1 for he is a dreadful nuisance2 but we will have to put up with him4 ,it is our duty to be patronizing40 ,well1 the ,master said more to ,his entertainer1 as follows3 8,there was a certain creditor which had two debtors4 ,one owed #ejj pence and the other #ej pence1 and when he had nothing to pay----0 ,mark that1 sinner2 the debtor had nothing to pay4 ,there is no sinner in the world who can pay any thing to cancel his debt to ,god4 ,the great trouble is that sinners think they can pay--some of them #ge cents on the dollar1 some even feel able to pay #ii cents on the dollar1 and the one cent that they are short they believe can be made up in some manner4 ,that is not the correct way2 it is all wrong2 you must throw all the debt on ,god4 ,some few1 very likely1 will only claim to pay #be cents on the dollar1 but they are not humble enough1 either2 they can not begin to carry out their bargain4 ,why1 sinner1 you could not pay one-tenth part of a single mill of the debt you are under to ,god4 ,now1 it is said in this parable the debtors could not pay their creditor any thing2 they had nothing to give1 and their creditor frankly forgave them both4 8,now1 ,simeon10 the ,master asked1 8which should love that man the more80 8,i suppose10 was the reply1 8he that was forgiven the more40 8,you have rightly judged4 ,this woman loves much because she has been forgiven much40 ,and ,jesus went on to tell ,simeon all about her4 ,i suppose ,he wanted to make it plainer to ,simeon1 and ,he turned to the poor woman and said3 8,thy sins are forgiven2 go in peace40 ,all her sins were forgiven--not simply part of them2 not half them1 but every sin from the cradle up4 ,every impurity is blotted out for time and eternity4 ,yes1 truly1 she went out in peace1 for she went out in the light of ,heaven4 ,with what brightness the light must have come down to her from those eternal hills6 ,with what beauty it must have flashed on her soul6 ,yes1 she came to the feet of the ,master for a blessing1 and she received it4 ,,the ,,good ,,samaritan4 ,we are told that as ,jesus stood with ,his disciples a man1 a lawyer1 stood up and tempted ,him4 ,the lawyer asked ,jesus this question3 8,master1 what shall ,i do to inherit eternal life80 ,he asked what he could do to inherit eternal life--what he could do to buy salvation4 ,jesus answered his question by asking another question3 8,what is written in the law8 ,how readest thou80 ,to this the lawyer answered3 8,thou shalt love the ,lord ,god with all thy heart1 and with all thy soul1 and with all thy strength1 and with all thy mind1 and thy neighbor as thyself40 8,thou hast answered right4 ,but who is #8thy neighbor8'0 ,then ,jesus drew a vivid picture1 which has been told for the last eighteen hundred years1 and ,i do not know any thing that brings out more truthfully the wonderful power of the ,gospel than this story4 ,it is the story of the man who went down from ,jerusalem to ,jericho1 and who fell among thieves4 ,jerusalem was called the ,city of ,peace4 ,jericho and the road leading to it were infested with thieves4 ,probably it had been taken possession of by the worst of ,adam's sons4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,arrival ,,of ,,the ,,good ,,samaritan ,,at ,,the ,,inn ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,illustration3 ,,david4--,from ,statue by ,angelo ,i do not know how far the man got from ,jerusalem toward ,jericho1 but the thieves had come out and fallen upon him1 and had taken all his money1 stripped him of his clothing and left him wounded4 ,i suppose they left him for dead4 ,by-and-by1 a priest came down the road from ,jerusalem4 ,we are told that he came by chance4 ,perhaps he was going down to dedicate some synagogue or preach a sermon on some important subject1 and had the manuscript in his pocket4 ,as he was going along on the other side1 he heard a groan4 ,he turned around1 and saw the poor fellow1 lying bleeding on the ground1 and pitied him4 ,he went up close1 took a look at him1 and said3 8,why1 that man is a ,jew6 ,he belongs to the seed of ,abraham4 ,if ,i remember aright1 ,i saw him in the synagogue last ,sabbath4 ,i pity him2 but ,i have too much business1 and ,i can not attend to him40 ,he felt a pity for him1 and looked on him1 and probably wondered why ,god allowed such men as were those thieves to come into the world4 ,then he passed by4 ,there are many men just like this priest4 ,they stop to discuss and wonder why sin came into the world1 and look upon a wounded man1 but do not stop to pick up a poor sinner--forgetting the fact that sin is in the world already1 and must be rooted out4 ,soon another man came along1 a ,levite1 and he also heard the groans of the robbers' victim4 ,he1 too1 turned about and looked upon him with pity4 ,he felt compassion for him4 ,he was one of those men that1 if we had him here1 we would probably make an elder or a deacon4 ,he looked at the suffering man and said3 8,poor fellow6 ,he is all covered with blood6 ,he has been badly hurt2 he is nearly dead2 and they have taken all his money and stripped him naked6 ,ah1 well2 ,i pity him40 ,he would like to extend help1 but he1 too1 has very pressing business2 and so he passes by on the other side4 ,but he has scarcely got out of sight when another one comes along1 riding on a beast4 ,he heard the groans of the wounded man1 and went over and took a good look at him4 ,the traveler was a ,samaritan4 ,when he looked down he saw the man was a ,jew4 ,ah1 how the ,jews looked down upon the ,samaritans4 ,there was a great1 high partition wall between the ,jews and the ,samaritans4 ,the ,jews would not allow them in the ,temple2 they would not have any dealings with them2 they would not associate with them4 ,i can see him coming along that road1 with his good1 benevolent face2 and as he passes he hears a groan from the poor fellow4 ,he draws in his beast1 and pauses to listen4 8,and he came to where he was40 ,this is the sweetest thing1 to my mind1 in the whole story4 ,a good many people would like to help a poor man if he was on the platform--if it cost them no trouble4 ,they want him to come to them4 ,they are afraid to touch the wounded man2 he is all over blood1 and they will get their hands soiled4 ,and that was just the way with the priest and the ,levite4 ,this poor man1 perhaps1 had paid half of all his means to help the service in the ,temple1 and might have been a constant worshiper2 but they only felt pity for him4 ,this good ,samaritan 8came to where he was10 and after he saw him he had compassion on him4 ,that word 8compassion0--how sweet it sounds6 ,the first thing he did on hearing him cry for water--the hot sun had been pouring down upon his head--was to go and get it from a brook4 ,then he goes and gets a bag1 that he had with him--what we might call a carpet-bag or a saddle-bag in the ,west--and pours in oil on his wounds4 ,then he says to himself3 8,the poor fellow is weak40 ,so he goes and gets a little wine4 ,he has been lying so long in the burning sun that he is nearly dead now--he had been left half dead--and the wine revives him4 ,the good ,samaritan looks him over1 and sees all the wounds that need to be bound up4 ,but he has nothing to do this with4 ,i can see him now1 tearing the lining out of his coat1 and with it binding up his wounds4 ,then he takes him up and lays him on his bosom until he is revived1 and1 when the poor fellow gets strength enough1 the good ,samaritan puts him on his own beast4 ,if the ,jew had not been half dead he would never have allowed the ,samaritan to put his hands on him4 ,he would have treated him with scorn4 ,but he is half dead1 and he can not prevent the good ,samaritan treating him kindly and putting him on his beast4 ,did you ever stop to think what a strong picture it would have been if the ,samaritan had not been able himself to get the man on the beast--if he had needed to call any assistance8 ,perhaps a man would have come along1 and he would have asked him to help him with the wounded man4 8,what are you80 8,i am a ,samaritan40 8,you are a ,samaritan1 are you8 ,i can not help you--,i am a ,jew40 ,there is a good deal of that spirit today--just as strong as it was then4 ,when we are trying to get a poor man on the right way--when we are tugging at him to get his face toward ,zion--we ask some one to help us1 but he says3 8,i am a ,roman ,catholic40 8,well10 you say1 8,i am a ,protestant40 ,so they give no assistance to one another4 ,the same spirit of old is present today4 ,the ,protestants will have nothing to do with the ,catholics2 the ,jews will have nothing to do with the ,gentiles4 ,and there was a time--but1 thank ,god1 we are getting over it--when a ,methodist would not touch a ,baptist nor a ,presbyterian a ,congregationalist2 and if we beheld a ,methodist taking a man out of the ditch1 a ,baptist was sure to ask3 8,what are you going to do with him80 8,take him to a ,methodist church40 8,well1 ,i'll have nothing to do with him40 ,a great deal of this has gone by1 and the time is certainly coming when1 if we are trying to get a man out of the ditch1 and they see us tugging at him1 and we are so faint that we can not get him on the beast1 they will help him4 ,and that is what ,christ wants4 ,well1 the ,samaritan gets him on his beast1 and says to him3 8,you are very weak1 but my beast is sure-footed2 he'll take you to the inn1 and ,i'll hold you40 ,he held him firmly1 and ,god is able to hold every one ,he takes out of the pit4 ,i see them going along the road1 he holding him on1 and he gets him to the inn4 ,he gets him there1 and he says to the inn keeper3 8,here is a wounded man2 the thieves have been after him2 give him the best attention you can2 nothing is too good for him40 ,i can imagine the good ,samaritan as stopping there all night1 sitting up with him1 and attending to his every need4 ,and the next morning he gets up and says to the landlord3 8,i must be off2 ,i leave a little money to pay you for what the man has had1 and if that is not enough ,i will pay what is necessary when ,i return from my business in ,jericho40 ,this good ,samaritan gave this landlord twopence to pay for what he had got1 and promised to come again and repay whatever had been spent to take care of the man1 and he had given him1 besides1 all his sympathy and compassion4 ,jesus tells this story in answer to the lawyer who came to tempt ,him1 and showed that the ,samaritan was the neighbor4 ,now1 this story is brought out here to teach church-goers this thing3 ,it is not creed or doctrine that we need so much as compassion and sympathy4 ,,the ,,leper4 ,see that poor leper6 ,do you know what an awful thing leprosy is8 ,a disease so terrible that it separates its victim from all the world1 and makes him an outcast1 even from his home4 ,every one is afraid of him4 ,his disease is so contagious that to touch him or even to breathe the air near him is dangerous2 and so these poor1 afflicted wretches have to go away and live in cave or desert all alone4 ,they sit by the wayside afar off1 calling to the passers-by for charity--who sometimes throw them a piece of money and hurry off1 lest they also come into that terrible plight4 ,here is a poor man who finds the marks of what he thinks is this terrible disease upon his body4 ,according to the law1 he must go to the priest and be examined4 ,alas6 ,the priest says it is leprosy--nothing else4 ,now the poor man1 with broken heart1 turns away from the ,temple4 ,he goes to his house1 to say good-by to his wife and to take his children in his arms once more before he goes away to spend the long years in the wilderness alone1 or with other lepers like himself1 until death shall come to deliver him from his sufferings4 ,what a sorry house is that6 ,surely1 this is worse than death itself4 ,he goes out of his door with no hope of ever entering it again4 ,he walks the street by himself1 and if any one comes near he lifts up his voice in that mournful cry3 8,unclean6 ,unclean60 ,out of the gates of the city he goes1 away from all his friends and acquaintances1 carrying with him the sorrow of separation and the seeds of death4 ,one day he sees a crowd passing along the road1 but he dares not go near enough to inquire what it is4 ,all at once he happens to think it may be that ,prophet of ,nazareth whom he had heard of--that same ,man that1 people said1 could open the eyes of blind men1 make lame men to walk1 and who had even raised the son of the widow from death1 over there at ,nain4 ,if only ,he were passing6 ,at any rate1 he will take the chances1 and cry out after ,him2 and so he shouts1 at the top of his voice3 8,have mercy upon me60 ,all the rest of the crowd are afraid of him1 but ,jesus1 who is in the midst1 hears some one calling2 and1 just as ,he always did when any one wanted any thing of ,him1 ,he stopped to find out what it was4 ,he is not afraid of the leper2 and so1 while the rest of the crowd stand apart by themselves1 ,he calls the poor fellow up to ,him1 and asks him what he wants4 ,the leper1 with his heart full of anxious hope1 makes answer3 8,lord1 if ,thou wilt1 ,thou canst make me clean40 ,jesus says3 8,i will2 be thou clean40 ,a strange sense of health and strength comes suddenly over the man4 ,he looks at his hands1 and finds the leprosy all gone4 ,he begins to pour out his heart in thanks to ,jesus1 who sends him away to the priests1 saying3 8,go1 show thyself to the priests1 and offer the gift that ,moses commanded40 ,now1 ,i seem to see that cleansed leper1 hurrying off to show himself to the priest1 to be pronounced cured1 according to the law2 and then hastening to his little home1 to see his wife and children once more4 ,he bursts into the house1 weeping for joy4 ,he stretches out his arms to his wife and little ones1 saying3 8,i am clean6 ,jesus did it--,jesus of ,nazareth40 ,,the ,,penitent ,,thief4 ,i am going to take for my text1 this morning1 8,a ,man0--the last one that ,jesus saved before ,he returned to ,heaven4 ,the fact that ,jesus saved such a man at all ought to give every one of us much hope and comfort4 ,this man was a thief--a highwayman and murderer1 perhaps--and yet ,christ takes him with ,him when ,he ascends to glory2 and if ,jesus is not ashamed of such a man1 surely no class of sinners need to feel that they are left out4 ,it is a blessed fact that all kinds of men and women are represented among the converts in the ,gospels1 and almost all of them were converted suddenly4 ,very many people object to sudden conversions1 but you may read in the ,acts of the ,apostles of eight thousand people converted in two days4 ,that seems to me rather quick work4 ,if all the ,christians before me this morning would only consecrate themselves to the work of ,christ1 they might be the means of converting that number before the week is out4 ,let us look at ,christ hanging on the cross1 between two thieves--the ,scribes and ,pharisees wagging their heads and jeering at ,him1 ,his disciples gone away1 and only ,his mother and one or two other women in sight to cheer ,him with their presence1 among all this concourse of enemies--relentless and mocking enemies4 ,hear those spiteful ,pharisees calling out to ,jesus3 8,if ,thou be the ,son of ,god1 come down from the cross1 and we will believe on ,thee40 ,and the account says that the two thieves cast the same in ,his teeth4 ,so1 then1 the first thing that we know of our man is that he is a reviler of ,christ4 ,you might reasonably think that he ought to be doing something else at such a time as this2 but1 hanging there in the midst of his tortures1 and certain to be dead in a few hours1 instead of confessing his sins and preparing to meet the ,god whose laws he had broken all his life--instead of that1 he is abusing ,god's only ,son4 ,surely1 this man can not sink any lower until he sinks into hell6 ,the next thing we hear of him1 he appears to be under conviction4 ,nobody is ever converted until he is convicted4 ,in the twenty-third chapter of ,luke we read3 8,and one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on ,him1 saying3 #8,if ,thou be the ,christ1 save ,thyself and us4' ,but the other1 answering1 rebuked him1 saying3 #8,dost not thou fear ,god1 seeing thou art in the same condemnation8 ,and we indeed justly1 for we receive the due reward of our deeds2 but this man hath done nothing amiss4'0 ,what1 do you suppose1 it was that made this great change in this man's feelings in these few hours8 ,christ had not preached him a sermon--had given him no exhortation4 ,the darkness had not yet come on2 the ,earth had not opened its mouth2 the business of death was going on as usual2 the crowd was still there1 mocking and hissing and wagging their heads2 and yet this man1 who in the morning was railing at ,christ1 is now confessing his sins4 8,we indeed justly40 ,no miracle had been wrought before his eyes4 ,the ,son of ,god had not come down from the cross4 ,no angel from ,heaven had come to place a glittering crown upon ,his head1 in place of the bloody crown of thorns4 ,what was it1 then8 ,i will tell you what ,i think it was4 ,i think it was the ,savior's prayer3 8,father1 forgive them1 for they know not what they do40 ,i seem to hear this thief talking with himself in this fashion3 8,what a strange kind of man this must be6 ,he says ,he is ,king of the ,jews2 and the superscription on ,his cross says the same thing4 ,but what sort of a throne is this8 ,he says ,he is the ,son of ,god4 ,why does not ,god send down ,his angels1 and destroy all this great gathering of people that are torturing ,his ,son8 ,if ,he has all power now1 as ,he used to have when ,he worked those miracles they talk about1 why does ,he not bring out ,his vengeance1 and sweep all these wretches into destruction8 ,i would do it in a minute1 if ,i had the power4 ,oh1 if ,i could1 ,i would open the ,earth1 and swallow up these tormentors6 8,but this man prays to ,god to #8forgive them4' 8,strange6 ,strange6 ,he must be different from the rest of us4 ,i am sorry that ,i said one word against ,him when they first hung us up here4 ,what a difference there is between ,him and me6 8,here we are1 hanging on two crosses--side by side2 but all the rest of our lives we have been far enough apart4 ,i have been robbing and murdering1 but ,he has been visiting the hungry1 healing the sick1 and raising the dead4 ,now these people are railing at us both4 ,what a strange world is this6 8,i will not rail at ,him any more4 ,indeed1 ,i begin to believe ,he must be the ,son of ,god2 for1 surely1 no son of man could forgive his enemies this way40 ,that is what did it1 my friends4 ,this poor man had been scourged and beaten and nailed to the cross1 and hung up there for the world to gaze upon2 and he was not sorry for his sins one single bit--did not feel the least conviction on account of all that misery4 ,but when he heard the ,savior praying for ,his murderers that broke his heart4 ,i remember to have heard a story1 somewhere1 of a bad boy that had run away from home4 ,he had given his father no end of trouble4 ,he had refused all the invitations that his father had sent him to come home and be forgiven1 and help to comfort his old heart4 ,he had even gone so far as to scoff at his father and mother4 ,but one day a letter came1 telling him his father was dead1 and they wanted him to come home and attend the funeral4 ,at first he determined he would not go1 but then he thought it would be a shame not to pay some little show of respect to the memory of so good a man after he was dead2 and so1 just as a matter of form1 he took a train and went to the old home4 ,he sat through all the funeral services1 saw his kind old father buried1 and came back with the rest of the friends to the house1 with his heart as cold and stony as ever4 ,but when the old man's will was brought out to be read1 the ungrateful son found that his father had remembered him along with all the other members of the family in the will1 and had left him an inheritance with the others1 who had not gone astray4 ,this broke his heart4 ,it was too much for him1 that his old father1 during all those years in which he had been so wicked and so rebellious1 had never ceased to love him4 ,that is just the way our ,father in ,heaven does with us4 ,that is just the way ,jesus does with people who refuse to give their hearts to ,him4 ,he loves them in spite of their sins1 and it is the love which1 more than any thing else1 brings hard-hearted sinners to fall upon their knees4 ,now1 this thief on the cross confessed his sins4 ,a man may be very sorry for his sins2 but1 if he does not confess them1 he has no promise of being forgiven4 ,the thief says3 8,we are suffering justly40 ,i never knew any man to be converted until he confessed4 ,cain felt bad enough over his sins1 but he did not confess4 ,saul was greatly tormented in his mind1 but he went to the ,witch of ,endor rather than to the ,lord4 ,judas felt so bad over the betrayal of his ,master that he went out and hanged himself2 but he did not confess--that is1 he did not confess to ,god4 ,he came back and confessed to the priests1 saying3 8,i have sinned in that ,i have betrayed the innocent blood40 ,it was of no use to confess to them2 they could not forgive him4 ,what he should have done was to confess to ,god2 but instead of that1 he rushed out and hanged himself4 ,how different is the case with the penitent thief6 ,he confesses his sins to ,christ1 and ,christ has mercy on him at once4 ,just here is one of the great difficulties with many people4 ,they do not like to come up face to face with their sins4 ,they do not like to own that they are sinners4 ,they excuse themselves in every way4 ,they think they are not very bad sinners2 that there are a great many worse than they are2 and so they try to cover up the great fact that this penitent thief confesses openly4 ,my friends1 you never will be saved1 so long as you try to cover up your sins4 ,we have heard a great deal about the faith of ,abraham and the faith of ,moses2 but this man seems to me to have had more faith than any of them4 ,he stands at the head of his class4 ,god was twenty-five years toning up the faith of ,abraham2 ,moses was forty years getting ready for his work2 but this thief1 right here in the midst of men who rejected ,him--nailed to the cross and racked with pain in every nerve1 overwhelmed with horror1 and his soul in a perfect tempest--still manages to lay hold upon ,christ1 and trust in ,him for a swift salvation4 ,his heart goes out to the ,savior4 ,how glad he would be to fall on his knees at the foot of that cross1 and pour out his prayer to ,him who was hanging on it6 ,but this he can not do4 ,his hands and feet are nailed fast to the wood2 but they can not nail his eyes1 nor his heart4 ,he can1 at least1 turn his head1 and look upon the ,son of ,god2 and his breaking heart can go out in love to the ,one who is dying beside him--dying for him1 and dying for you and me4 ,and what did ,jesus say in answer to his prayer8 ,that prayer was a confession of ,christ4 ,he calls ,jesus 8,lord10 and begs to be remembered in ,his kingdom4 ,that must be a kingdom in ,heaven--for1 surely1 there was no chance of a kingdom on ,earth1 as matters looked at that time4 ,christ fulfilled ,his promise to the thief3 8,whoso confesseth ,me before men1 him will ,i confess before my ,father and the holy angels40 ,he looks kindly upon him1 and says3 8,today thou shalt be with ,me in ,paradise40 ,and now the darkness falls upon the ,earth2 the ,sun hides itself2 but1 worse than all1 the ,father hides ,his face from the ,son4 ,what else is the meaning of that bitter cry8 8,my ,god6 ,my ,god6 ,why hast ,thou forsaken ,me80 ,ah6 ,it had been written3 8,cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree40 ,jesus is made a curse for us4 ,god can not look upon sin2 and now ,his own ,son is bearing1 in ,his own body1 the sins of the world2 and so ,he can not look upon ,him4 ,i think that was what was heaviest upon the ,savior's heart1 away there in the ,garden1 when ,he prayed3 8,if it be possible1 let this cup pass away from ,me40 ,he could bear the unfaithfulness of ,his friends1 the spite of ,his enemies1 the pain of ,his crucifixion and the shadow of death4 ,he could bear all these4 ,but when it came to the hiding of ,his ,father's face1 that seemed almost too much for even the ,son of ,god to bear4 ,but even this ,he endured for our sins2 and now the face of ,god is turned back to us1 whose sins had turned it away1 and looking upon ,jesus1 the sinless ,one1 ,he sees our souls in ,him4 ,in the midst of all ,his agony1 how sweet it must have been to ,christ to hear that poor thief confessing ,him6 ,he likes to have men confessing ,him4 ,do you remember ,his asking ,peter3 8,who do men say that ,i am80 ,peter answered3 8,some people say ,you are ,moses2 some people say ,you are ,elias1 and some people say ,you are one of the old prophets40 ,he asked again3 8,but1 ,peter1 who do you say that ,i am80 ,and when ,peter said 8,thou art the ,son of ,god10 ,jesus blessed him for that confession4 ,and now this thief confesses ,him--confesses ,him in the darkness4 ,perhaps it is so dark he can not see ,him any longer2 but he feels that ,he is there beside him4 ,this poor thief did as much for ,christ in that one act as if he had lived and worked for ,him fifty years4 ,that is what ,christ wants of us--to confess ,him2 in the dark as well as in the light1 and when it is hard as well as when it is easy4 ,for ,he was not ashamed of us1 and carried our sins even unto death4 ,just look for a minute at the prayer of this penitent thief4 ,he calls ,jesus 8,lord40 ,that sounds like a young convert4 8,lord1 remember me when ,thou comest into ,thy kingdom40 ,not a very long prayer1 you see1 but a prevailing prayer4 ,some people think they must have a form of prayer--a prayer book1 perhaps--if they are going to address the ,throne of ,grace properly4 ,but what would that poor fellow do with a prayer book up there--hanging on the cross1 his hands nailed fast to the wood8 ,suppose it were necessary that some minister or priest should pray for him1 what is he going to do8 ,there is nobody there to pray for him1 and he is going to die within a few hours4 ,he is out of reach of help from men1 but ,god has laid help upon ,one who is mighty1 and that ,one is close at hand4 ,then look at the answer to his prayer4 ,the supplicant received more than he asked4 ,he only asked to be remembered when ,christ came into ,his kingdom4 ,but ,christ said to him3 8,i will take you right up with ,me into ,my kingdom today40 ,the ,savior wants us all to remember ,him in ,his old kingdom--to remember ,him in the breaking of bread and in the drinking of wine--and then ,he will remember us in the new kingdom4 ,just think of this1 my friends4 ,the last the world ever saw of ,christ ,he was on the cross4 ,the last business of ,his life was the saving of a poor penitent thief4 ,that was a part of ,his triumph2 that was one of the glories attending ,his death4 ,no doubt ,satan said to himself3 8,i will have the soul of that thief1 pretty soon1 down here in the caverns of the lost4 ,he belongs to me2 he has belonged to me all these years40 ,illustration3 ,,jacob1 ,,tending ,,flocks ,,of ,,laban4--,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,illustration3 ,,moses1 ,,breaking ,,the ,,tables ,,of ,,the ,,law ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,but ,christ snapped the fetters of his soul1 and set him at liberty2 ,satan lost his prey4 8,the ,lion of the tribe of ,judah0 conquered the lion of hell4 ,you know that in the ,british colonies1 before the day of ,wilberforce1 there used to be a great many slaves2 but that good man began to agitate the question of setting them free2 and all the slaves in the colonies1 when they heard of it1 were very anxious to hear how he was getting along4 ,they knew the bill was before ,parliament1 and with them it was a question next to that of life itself4 ,but in those days there were no telegraphs and no steamships4 ,the mails went by the slow sailing vessels4 ,they would be from six to eight months in making the voyage to some of the more distant of the colonies4 ,the slaves used to watch for the white sails of ,british ships1 hoping to hear good reports1 and also fearing they might hear bad ones4 ,there was a ship that had sailed immediately after the ,emancipation ,act had been passed and signed by the king2 and when she came within hailing distance of the boats that had put off from the shore at the port of her destination1 the captain could not wait to deliver the message officially1 and have it duly promulgated by the government2 but1 seeing the anxious men standing up in their boats1 eager for the news1 he placed his trumpet to his mouth1 and shouted with all his might3 8,free6 ,free60 ,just so the angels shouted when this poor bondman of ,satan's1 almost in the jaws of the pit1 was taken in hand by the ,savior ,himself2 delivered from the bondage of darkness into the liberty of ,his dear ,son6 ,free--free from sin--free from the curse of the law--free1 too1 in a short time1 from the bonds of the flesh4 ,what a contrast6 ,in the morning he is led out a condemned criminal2 in the evening he is saved from his sins4 ,in the morning he is cursing2 in the evening he is singing hallelujahs with a choir of angels4 ,in the morning he is condemned by men as not fit to live on ,earth2 in the evening he is reckoned good enough for ,heaven4 ,christ was not ashamed to walk arm-in-arm with him along the golden pavements of the ,eternal ,city4 ,he had heard the ,savior's cry3 8,it is finished40 ,he had seen the spear thrust into ,his side4 ,jesus had died before his very eyes1 and hastened before him to get a place ready for this first soul brought from the world after ,he had died4 ,you have heard of the child that did not like to die and go to ,heaven1 because he did not know anybody there4 ,but the thief had one acquaintance--even the ,master of the place4 ,he calls to ,gabriel1 and says3 8,prepare a chariot2 make haste6 ,there is a friend of ,mine hanging upon that cross4 ,they are breaking his legs2 he soon will be ready to come4 ,make haste and bring him to ,me40 ,and the angel in the chariot sweeps down the sky1 takes up the soul of the poor penitent thief1 and hastens back again to glory2 while the gates of the city swing wide open1 and the angels shout their welcome to this poor sinner--8washed in the blood of the ,lamb40 ,and that1 my friends1 is just what ,christ wants to do for every sinner4 ,he wants to save you4 ,that is the business on which ,he came down from ,heaven4 ,that is why ,he died2 and if ,he gives such great and swift salvation to this poor thief on the cross1 surely ,he will give you the same deliverance1 if1 like the penitent thief1 you will repent1 confess and trust in the ,savior4 ,somebody says that this man 8was saved at the eleventh hour40 ,i do not know about that4 ,perhaps it was the first hour4 ,it might have been the first hour with him1 ,i think4 ,perhaps he never knew ,christ until he was led out to die beside ,him4 ,this may have been the very first time he had ever learned the way of faith in the ,son of ,god4 ,but how many of you gave your hearts to ,christ the very first time ,he asked them of you8 ,are you not farther along in the day than even that poor thief8 ,a little while ago1 in one of the mining districts of ,england1 a young man attended one of our meetings1 and refused to go from the place till he had found peace in the ,savior4 ,the next day he went down into the pit1 and the coal fell in upon him2 and when they took him out he was broken and mangled1 and had only about two or three minutes of life left in him4 ,his friends gathered about him1 saw his lips moving1 and1 bending down their ears to catch his words1 this was what they heard him say3 8,it was a good thing ,i settled it last night40 99 99 99 99 99 ,begin now to confess your sins1 and to pray the ,lord to remember you when ,he cometh into ,his kingdom4 ,,the ,,pharisee ,,and ,,the ,,publican4 ,in this first parable we are told that men ought to pray always and everywhere2 that prayer should not be left to a few in the churches1 but all men ought to pray4 ,jesus gives us a picture1 so that we may understand in what spirit we ought to pray4 ,two men went up to the ,temple--one to pray to himself and the other to pray to ,god4 ,i think it will be safe to divide the audience into two bodies1 and put them under these two heads4 ,however1 whether we divide the audience or not1 we come under these two heads--those who have the spirit of the publican and those who have the spirit of the ,pharisee4 ,you can find that the entire community may be correctly divided into these two classes4 ,the spirit of the prodigal and the spirit of an elder brother are still in the world2 the spirits of ,cain and ,abel are still in the world1 and these two are representative men4 ,one of them trusted in his own righteousness and the other did not have any trust in it1 and ,i say ,i think all men will come under these two heads4 ,they have either given up all their self-righteousness--renounced it all and turned their backs upon it--or else they are clinging to their own righteousness2 and you will find that these self-righteous men that are ever clinging to their own righteousness are continually measuring themselves by their neighbors4 8,i thank ,god that ,i am not as other men are40 ,this was the spirit of that ,pharisee1 and this is the spirit today of one class in this community1 and the other class comes under the head of this other man4 ,let us look at the man ,christ pictured first4 ,it is evident that he was full of egotism--full of conceit--full of pride2 and ,i believe1 as ,i have said before on this platform1 that is one of the greatest enemies the ,son of ,god has today1 and ,i believe it keeps more men from the kingdom of ,god than any thing else4 ,pride can grow on any soil1 in any climate4 ,no place is too hot for it1 and no place is too cold for its growth4 ,how much misery it has caused in this world6 ,how many men here are kept from salvation by pride6 ,why1 it sprung up into ,heaven1 and for it ,lucifer was cast out2 by pride ,nebuchadnezzar lost his throne4 ,as he walked through ,babylon he cried3 8,is not this a great ,babylon which ,i have built80 ,and he was hurled from his throne4 ,how many men that have become drunkards1 who are all broken up--will gone1 health gone--and yet are just as full of pride as the sun is of light6 ,it will not let them come to ,christ and be saved4 ,a great many live like this ,pharisee--only in the form of religion2 they do not want the wheat--only the husk2 they do not want the kernel--only the shell4 ,how many men are today just living on empty form6 ,they say their prayers1 but they do not mean any thing4 ,why1 this ,pharisee said plenty of prayers1 but how did he pray8 ,he prayed to himself4 ,he might as well have prayed to a post4 ,he did not pray to ,god1 who knew his heart a thousand times better than he himself did4 ,he thought he knew himself2 he forgot that he was a sepulcher1 full of dead men's bones2 forgot that his heart was rotten1 corrupt and vile2 and he comes and spreads out his hands and looks up to ,heaven4 ,why1 the very angels in ,heaven veil their faces before ,god as they cry3 8,holy1 holy1 holy60 ,but this ,pharisee comes into the ,temple and spreads out his hands1 and says3 8,lord1 ,i thank ,thee that ,i am not as other men are4 ,i fast twice a week40 ,he set before ,god what he had done in comparison with other men1 and was striking a balance and making out ,god to be his debtor1 as thousands are doing today2 and then he says3 8,i give one-tenth of all ,i possess40 ,i suppose if he was living in ,chicago now1 and we had gone to him and asked him for a donation to help put up this ,tabernacle1 he would have said3 8,well1 ,i think it will do good2 yes1 ,i think it will4 ,it may reach the vagabonds and outcasts--,i do not need it1 of course--but if it will reach that class it will do good4 ,i will give #ej1 especially if you can get it in the morning papers--if you can have it announced3 #8,john ,jones gave #ej to build the ,tabernacle4'0 ,that is the way some of the people give donations to ,god's cause2 they give in a patronizing way4 ,but in this manner ,god will not accept it4 ,if your heart does not go with your gift1 ,god will not accept it4 ,this ,pharisee says3 8,i give one-tenth of all that ,i have2 ,i keep up the services in the ,temple2 ,i fast twice a week40 ,he fasted twice a week1 although once was only called for1 and he thought because of this he was far above other men4 ,a great many people nowadays think because they do not eat meat on ,fridays1 but only fish1 they deserve great credit1 although they go on sinning all the week4 ,look at this prayer6 ,there is no confession there4 ,he had got so bad1 and the devil had so covered up his sins1 that he was above confession4 ,the first thing we have to do when we come to ,god is to confess4 ,if there is any sin clustering around the heart1 bear in mind we can have no communion with ,god4 ,it is because we have sin about our hearts that our prayers do not go any higher than our head4 ,we can not get ,god's favor if we have any iniquity in our hearts4 ,people1 like the ,pharisee1 have only been educated to pray4 ,if they did not pray every night their consciences would trouble them1 and they would get out of bed and say their prayers2 but the moment they get off their knees1 perhaps1 you may hear them swearing4 ,a man may just as well get a string of beads and pray to them4 ,it would do him as much good4 ,this ,pharisee's prayer showed no spirit of contrition2 there was no petition2 he did not ask any thing from ,god4 ,this is a queer kind of prayer3 8,lord1 ,i thank ,thee that ,i am not as other men are--extortionate1 unjust1 adulterous--or even as the poor publican40 ,not a petition in his prayer4 ,it was a prayerless prayer--it was downright mockery4 ,but how many men have just got into that cradle and been rocked to sleep by the devil6 ,a short time ago ,i put this question to a man3 8,are you a ,christian80 8,of course ,i am2 ,i say my prayers every night40 8,but do you ever pray80 8,didn't ,i tell you ,i prayed80 8,but do you ever pray80 8,why1 of course ,i do2 haven't ,i said so80 ,i found that he prayed1 but he only went through the form1 and1 after a little1 ,i found that he had been in the habit of swearing4 8,how is this80 ,i asked4 8,swearing and praying6 ,do your prayers ever go any higher than your head80 8,well1 ,i have sometimes thought that they did not40 ,my friends1 if you are not in communion with ,god your prayers are but forms2 you are living in formalism1 and your prayers will go no higher than your head4 ,how many people just go through the form6 ,they can not rest unless they say their prayers4 ,how many are there with whom it is only a matter of education8 ,but this ,pharisee trusted in his own righteousness2 he ignored the mercy of ,god and the love of ,jesus4 ,he was measuring himself by his own rule4 ,now1 if you want to measure yourself1 do it by ,god's law--by ,god's requirements4 ,a great many people have a rule of their own1 by which they measure themselves1 and by that rule they are perfectly ready and willing to forgive themselves4 ,so it was with this ,pharisee4 ,the idea of coming to ,god and asking ,his forgiveness never enters his mind4 ,while talking to a man--one of those ,pharisees--some time ago1 about ,god and the need of ,christ1 he said to me3 8,i can do without ,christ2 ,i do not want ,him4 ,i am ready to stand before ,god any time40 ,that man was trusting in his own righteousness4 ,now1 take a good look at this ,pharisee4 ,you know1 ,i have an idea that the ,bible is like an album4 ,i go into a man's house1 and1 while waiting for him1 ,i take up an album from a table and open it4 ,i look at a picture4 8,why1 that looks like a man ,i know40 ,i turn over and look at another4 8,well1 ,i know that man40 ,by-and-by1 ,i come upon another4 8,why1 that man looks like my brother40 ,i am getting pretty near home4 ,i keep turning over the leaves4 8,well1 ,i declare6 ,here is a man who lives in the same street ,i do4 ,why1 he is my next-door neighbor40 ,then ,i come upon another1 and ,i see--myself4 ,my friends1 if you read your ,bibles1 you will find your own pictures there4 ,it will just describe you4 ,now1 it may be there is some ,pharisee here tonight4 ,if there is1 let him turn to the third chapter of ,john1 and see what ,christ said to the ,pharisee3 8,except a man be born again1 he can not enter the kingdom of ,god40 ,nicodemus1 no doubt1 was one of the fairest specimens of a man in ,jerusalem in those days1 yet he had to be born again1 else he could not enter into the kingdom of ,god4 8,but10 you may say1 8,i am not a ,pharisee4 ,i am a poor and miserable sinner--too bad to come to ,him40 ,well1 turn to the woman of ,samaria1 and see what ,he said to her4 ,see what a difference there was between that publican and that ,pharisee4 ,there was as great a distance between them as between the ,sun and the ,moon4 ,one was in the very highest station1 and the other occupied the very worst station4 ,one had only himself and his sins to bring to ,god1 and the other was trying to bring in his position and his aristocracy4 ,i tell you1 when a man gets a true sight of himself1 all his position and station and excellences drop4 ,see this prayer3 8,i thank ,god40 8,i am not40 8,i fast40 8,i give40 8,i possess40 ,why1 if he had delivered a long prayer1 and the copy had been put into the printers' hands1 they would have had to send out for some 8,i's40 8,i thank ,god10 8,i10 8,i10 8,i40 ,when a man prays--not with himself1 but to ,god--he does not exalt himself2 he does not pass a eulogy on himself4 ,he falls flat down in the dust before ,god4 ,in that prayer you do not find him thanking ,god for what ,he had done for him4 ,it was a heartless and prayerless prayer--merely a form4 ,i hope the day will come when formal prayer will be a thing of the past4 ,i think the reason why we can not get more people out to the meetings is because we have too many formal prayers in the churches4 ,these formal ,christians get up1 like this ,pharisee1 and thank ,god that they are better than other men2 but when a man gets a look at himself he comes in the spirit of the publican4 ,you see this ,pharisee standing and praying with himself1 but ,god could not give him any thing4 ,he was too full of egotism--too full of himself4 ,there was no religion in it4 ,god could not bless him4 ,now1 for a moment1 take a look at that poor publican4 ,just give his prayer your attention4 ,there was no capital 8,i0 there--no exalting of himself4 8,god be merciful to this ,pharisee2 ,god be merciful to the other people who have injured me2 ,god be merciful to the church members who have not been true to their belief40 ,was that his prayer8 ,thank ,god1 he got to himself4 8,god be merciful to me1 a sinner40 ,it was very short4 ,he had got his eye upon himself2 he saw that his heart was vile2 he could not lift his eyes to ,heaven4 ,but1 thank ,god1 he could lift his heart to ,heaven4 ,there is not a poor publican in the audience tonight but can send up this prayer4 ,no matter what your past life has been--no matter if it has been as black as hell--if you but send up the prayer it will be heard4 ,he did not buy his own righteousness2 and ,god heard his appeal4 ,spurgeon1 speaking of that publican1 said he had the soundest theology of any man in ,england4 ,he came before ,god1 struck his hand on his heart1 and cried3 8,god be merciful to me1 a sinner40 ,,the ,,widow',s ,,son4 ,think of that poor widow at ,nain4 ,she is an old woman now2 and her only son1 who is the staff of her life1 is sick4 ,how she watches him2 sits up all night to see that he has his medicine at the right time2 sits by his bedside all day1 fanning him1 keeping away the flies1 moistening his parched lips with water6 ,every thing he asks for she brings4 ,the very best doctor in ,nain is sent for2 and when he comes and feels the pulse of the young man and looks at his tongue1 he shakes his head2 and then the poor woman knows there is no hope for her boy4 ,what an awful thought6 8,my son--my only son--must die6 ,what will become of me then80 ,sure enough1 the doctor is right2 and in a little while the fever comes to its crisis1 and the poor boy dies1 with his head upon his mother's bosom4 ,the people come in and try to comfort the bereaved mother2 but it is of no use4 ,her heart is broken2 and she wishes she were dead1 too4 ,some of you know what it is to look your last upon the faces of those you love4 ,some of you mothers have wept hot tears upon the cold faces of your sons4 ,well1 they make him ready for burial2 and when the time comes1 they celebrate the funeral service1 and place him on a bier to carry him away to the grave4 ,what a sad procession6 ,just as they come out of the city gates1 they see a little company of thirteen dusty-looking travelers1 coming up the road4 ,there is ,one among them who is tall and far fairer than the sons of men4 ,who can ,he be8 ,he is moved with compassion when ,he sees this little funeral procession2 and it does not take ,him long to find out that this woman who walks next the bier is a poor widow1 whose only son she is following in sadness to the grave4 ,he tells the bearers to put down the bier2 and while the mother wonders what is to be done1 ,he bends tenderly over the dead man1 and speaks to him in a low and sweet voice3 8,arise60 ,and the dead man hears ,him4 ,his body begins to move2 the man that was dead is struggling with his grave clothes2 they unbind them1 and now he sits up4 ,he leaps off the bier1 catches sight of his mother1 remembers that he was dead and is now alive again4 ,he takes his mother in his arms1 kisses her again and again1 and then turns to look at the ,stranger who has wrought this miracle upon him4 ,he is ready to do any thing for that ,man--ready to follow ,him to the death4 ,but ,jesus does not ask that of him4 ,he knows his mother needs him2 and so ,he does not take him away to be one of ,his disciples1 but gives him back to his old mother4 ,i would have liked to see that young man re-entering the city of ,nain1 arm-in-arm with his mother4 ,what do you suppose he said to the people1 who looked at him with wonder8 ,would he not confess that ,jesus of ,nazareth had raised him from the dead8 ,would he not go everywhere1 declaring what the ,lord had done for his dead body8 ,oh1 how ,i love to preach ,christ1 who can stand over all the graves1 and say to all the dead bodies3 8,arise60 ,,xxx ,,xxx ,,xxx ,,xxx ,,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ,,xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ,,xxx ,,xxx ,,xxx ,,xxx ,,xxx ,,xxx ,,xxx ,,xxx ,,xxx ,,rock ,,of ,,ages4 ,rock of ,ages1 cleft for me1 ,let me hide myself in ,thee6 ,let the water and the blood ,from ,thy riven side which flowed ,be of sin the double cure-- ,cleanse from guilt and make me pure4 ,in my hand no price ,i bring2 ,simply to ,thy cross ,i cling4 ,naked--come to ,thee for dress2 ,helpless--look to ,thee for grace2 ,foul--,i to ,thy fountain fly2 ,cleanse me1 ,savior1 or ,i die6 ,not the labors of my hands ,can fulfill ,thy law's demands4 ,could my zeal no respite know-- ,could my tears for ever flow-- ,all for sin could not atone2 ,thou must save1 and ,thou alone6 ,while ,i draw this fleeting breath1 ,when my eye-strings break in death1 ,when ,i soar to worlds unknown1 ,see ,thee on ,thy judgment throne-- ,rock of ,ages1 cleft for me1 ,let me hide myself in ,thee6 ,,where ,,he ,,leads ,i',,ll ,,follow4 ,sweet are the promises1 kind is the word-- ,dearer far than any message man ever heard6 ,pure was the mind of ,christ--sinless ,i see2 ,he the great example is1 and pattern for me4 ,where ,he leads ,i'll follow-- ,follow all the way6 ,where ,he leads ,i'll follow-- ,follow ,jesus every day6 ,sweet is the tender love ,jesus has shown-- ,sweeter far than any love that mortals have known6 ,kind to the erring one1 faithful is ,he2 ,he the great example is1 and pattern for me6 ,where ,he leads ,i'll follow-- ,follow all the way6 ,where ,he leads ,i'll follow-- ,follow ,jesus every day6 ,list to ,his loving words3 8,come unto ,me40 ,weary1 heavy-laden1 there is sweet rest for thee6 ,trust in ,his promises--faithful and sure2 ,lean upon the ,savior1 and thy soul is secure4 ,where ,he leads ,i'll follow-- ,follow all the way6 ,where ,he leads ,i'll follow-- ,follow ,jesus every day6 ,,bible ,,characters ,,as ,,depicted ,,by ,,the ,,brilliant ,,and ,,noted ,,preacher1 ,t4 ,,de ,,witt ,,talmage4 ,,athaliah ,grandmothers are more lenient with their children's children than they were with their own4 ,at forty years of age1 if discipline be necessary1 chastisement is used2 but at seventy1 the grandmother1 looking upon the misbehavior of the grandchild1 is apologetic and disposed to substitute confectionery for whip4 ,there is nothing more beautiful than this mellowing of old age toward childhood4 ,grandmother takes out her pocket handkerchief and wipes her spectacles and puts them on1 and looks down into the face of her mischievous and rebellious descendant1 and says3 8,i don't think he meant to do it2 let him off this time2 ,i'll be responsible for his behavior in the future40 ,my mother1 with the second generation around her--a boisterous crew--said one day3 8,i suppose they ought to be disciplined1 but ,i can not do it4 ,grandmothers are not fit to bring up grandchildren40 ,but here we have a grandmother of a different hue4 ,i have been at ,jerusalem1 where the occurrence that ,i shall describe took place1 and the whole scene came vividly before me while ,i was going over the site of the ancient ,temple and climbing the towers of the king's palace4 ,here is old ,athaliah1 the queenly murderess4 ,she ought to have been honorable4 ,her father was a king4 ,her husband was a king4 ,her son was a king4 ,and yet we find her plotting for the extermination of the entire royal family1 including her own grandchildren4 ,the executioner's knives are sharpened2 the palace is red with the blood of princes and princesses4 ,on all sides are shrieks1 and hands thrown up1 and struggle and death groan4 ,no mercy6 ,kill6 ,kill6 ,but while the ivory floors of the palace run with carnage and the whole land is under the shadow of a great horror1 a fleet-footed woman--a clergyman's wife1 ,jehosheba by name--stealthily approaches the imperial nursery1 seizes upon the grandchild that had1 somehow1 as yet escaped massacre1 wraps it up tenderly but in haste1 snuggles it against her1 flies down the palace stairs--her heart in her throat1 lest she be discovered in this ,christian abduction4 ,get her out of the way as quickly as you can1 for she carries a precious burden--even a young king4 ,with this youthful prize she presses into the room of the ancient ,temple1 the church of olden time1 unwraps the young king and puts him down1 sound asleep as he is1 and unconscious of the peril that has been threatened2 and there for six years he is kept secreted in that church apartment4 ,meanwhile1 old ,athaliah smacks her lips with satisfaction and thinks that all the royal family are dead4 ,but the six years expire1 and it is now time for the young ,joash to come forth and take the throne1 and to push back into disgrace and death old ,athaliah4 ,the arrangements are all made for political revolution4 ,the military come and take full possession of the ,temple1 swear loyalty to the boy ,joash1 and then stand around for his defense4 ,see the sharpened swords and burnished shields6 ,every thing is ready4 ,now ,joash1 half affrighted at the armed tramp of his defenders1 scared at the vociferation of his admirers1 is brought forth in full regalia4 ,the scroll of authority is put into his hands1 the coronet of government is put on his brow1 and the glad people clap and wave1 huzza and trumpet4 ,athaliah is aroused1 and asks3 8,what is that8 ,what is that sound over there in the ,temple80 ,she hurries out to see1 and on the way they meet her and say3 8,why1 haven't you heard8 ,you thought you had slain all the royal family1 but ,joash has come to light40 ,then the queenly murderess1 frantic with rage1 laid hold on her mantle and tore it to tatters1 and cried out until she foamed at the mouth3 8,you have no right to crown my grandson4 ,you have no right to take the government from my shoulders4 ,treason6 ,treason60 ,while she stood there1 making this cry1 the military started for her arrest1 and she took a short cut through a back door of the ,temple and ran through the royal stables2 but the battle-axes of the military fell on her in the barn-yard1 and for many a day1 when the horses were being unloosed from the chariot after drawing out young ,joash1 the fiery steeds would snort and rear while passing the place1 as they smelt the taint4 ,the first thought which ,i hand you from this subject is that the extermination of righteousness is an impossibility4 ,when a woman is good she is apt to be very good1 and when she is bad she is apt to be very bad2 and this ,athaliah was one of the latter sort4 ,she would exterminate the last scion of the house of ,david1 through whom ,jesus was to come4 ,there was plenty of work for embalmers and undertakers4 ,she would clear the land of all ,god-fearing and ,god-loving people4 ,she would put an end to every thing that could in any wise interfere with her imperial criminality4 ,athaliah folds her hands and says3 8,the work is done2 it is completely done40 ,is it8 ,in the swaddling clothes of that church apartment are wrapped the cause of ,god and the cause of good government4 ,that is the scion of the house of ,david2 it is ,joash1 the ,christian reformer2 it is ,joash1 the friend of ,god2 it is ,joash1 the demolisher of ,baalitish idolatry4 ,rock him tenderly2 nurse him gently4 ,athaliah1 you may kill all the other children1 but you can not kill him4 ,eternal defenses are thrown all around him1 and this clergyman's wife1 ,jehosheba1 will snatch him up from the palace nursery1 and will run up and down with him into the house of the ,lord1 and there she will hide him for six years1 and at the end of that time he will come forth for your dethronement and utter obliteration4 ,,david4 ,david1 the shepherd boy1 is watching his father's sheep4 ,they are pasturing on the very hills where afterward a ,lamb was born of which you have heard much--8the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world40 ,david1 the shepherd boy1 was beautiful1 brave1 musical and poetic4 ,i think he often forgot the sheep in his reveries4 ,there in the solitude he struck the harp-string that is thrilling through all ages4 ,david the boy was at work gathering the material for ,david the poet and for ,david the man4 ,like other boys1 ,david was fond of using his knife among the saplings1 and he had noticed the exuding of the juice of the tree2 and when he became a man he said3 8,the trees of the ,lord are full of sap40 ,david the boy1 like other boys1 had been fond of hunting the birds' nests1 and he had driven the old stork off the nest to find how many eggs were under her2 and when he became a man he said3 8,as for the stork1 the fir trees are her house40 ,in boyhood he had heard the terrific thunder storm that frightened the red deer into premature sickness2 and when he became a man he said3 8,the voice of the ,lord maketh the hinds to calve40 ,david the boy had lain upon his back1 looking up at the stars and examining the sky1 and to his boyish imagination the sky seemed like a piece of divine embroidery1 the divine fingers working in the threads of light and the beads of stars2 and when he grew up he wrote3 8,when ,i consider ,thy heavens1 the work of ,thy fingers40 ,when he became an old man1 thinking of the goodness of ,god1 he seemed to hear again the bleating of his father's sheep across many years1 and to think of the time when he tended them on the ,bethlehem hills1 and he cries out3 8,the ,lord is my shepherd40 ,there is one scene in the life of ,david that you may not have pondered4 ,you have seen him with a harp1 playing the devil out of ,saul2 with a sling1 smashing the skull of ,goliath2 with a sword1 hacking to pieces the ,philistines2 with a scepter1 ruling a vast realm2 with a psalm1 gathering all nations into doxology4 ,but now we have ,david playing the fool4 ,he has been anointed king1 yet he is in exile and is passing incognito among the ,gathites4 ,they are beginning to suspect who he is1 and they say3 8,i wonder if this is not the warrior1 ,king ,david8 ,it looks like him4 ,is not this the man about whom they used to make poetry1 and about whom they composed a dance1 so that the maidens of the city1 reeling now on one foot and now on the other1 used to sing3 #8,saul has slain his thousands1 but ,david has slain his tens of thousands'8 ,yes1 he is very much like ,david2 he must be ,david2 he is ,david40 ,david1 to escape their hands1 pretends to be demented2 and he said within himself3 8,if ,i act crazily1 then these people will not injure me4 ,no one would be so much of a coward as to assault a madman40 ,so1 one day1 while these ,gathites are watching ,king ,david with increased suspicion1 they see him standing by the door1 running his hands meaninglessly up and down the panels--scrabbling on the door as though he would climb up1 his mouth wide open1 drooling like an infant4 ,i suppose the boys of the streets threw missiles at him1 but the sober people of the town said3 8,this is not fair4 ,do you not see that he has lost his reason8 ,do not touch this madman4 ,hands off6 ,hands off60 ,so ,david escaped4 ,but what an exhibition he made of himself before all the ages6 ,there was a majesty in ,king ,lear's madness after ,regan and ,goneril1 his daughters1 had persuaded him to banish their sister1 ,cordelia1 and all the friends of the drama have been thrilled with that spectacle4 ,the craziness of ,meg ,merrilies was weird and imposing1 and formed the most telling passage in ,sir ,walter ,scott's 8,guy ,mannering40 ,there was a fascination about the insanity of ,alexander ,cruden1 who made the best concordance of the ,bible that the world ever saw--made it between the mad houses4 ,but there was nothing grand1 nothing weird1 nothing majestic1 nothing sublime about this simulation on the part of ,david4 ,instead of trusting in the ,lord1 as he had trusted on other occasions1 he gathers before him a vast audience of all generations that were to come1 and1 standing on that conspicuous stage of history1 in view of all the ages1 he impersonates the slavering idiot4 ,taking the behavior of ,david as a suggestion1 ,i wish to show you how many of the wise1 the brave and the regal sometimes play the fool4 ,those men as badly play the fool as did ,david who1 in any crisis of life1 take their case out of the hand of ,god4 ,david1 in this case1 acted as though there were no ,god to lift him out of the predicament4 ,what a contrast between his behavior1 when this brave little man stood up in front of the giant ten feet in height1 looking into his face1 and this time1 when he debased himself and bedraggled his manhood by affecting insanity in order that he might escape from the grip of the ,gathites6 ,in the one case1 he played the hero2 in the other case1 he played the fool4 ,there came a time when ,david fled from his pursuers4 ,the world runs very fast when it is chasing a good man4 ,the country is trying to catch ,david1 and to slay him4 ,david goes into the house of a priest1 and asks him for a sword or spear with which to defend himself4 ,the priest1 not being accustomed to use deadly weapons1 tells ,david that he can not supply him2 but suddenly the priest thinks of an old sword that had been carefully wrapped up and laid away--the very sword that ,goliath formerly used4 ,he takes down that sword1 and while he is unwrapping the sharp1 glittering and memorable blade it flashes upon ,david's mind that this is the very sword that was used against himself when he was in the fight with ,goliath1 and ,david can hardly keep his hand off it until the priest has unwound it4 ,david stretches out his hand toward that old sword1 and says3 8,there is none like it2 give it me40 ,in other words3 8,i want in my own hand the sword that has been used against me1 and against the cause of the ,lord40 ,so it was given him4 ,here passes through these streets1 as in imagination ,i see him1 a wonderful man4 ,can it be that ,i am in the very city where lived and reigned ,david--conqueror1 king and poet8 ,david--great for power and great for grief6 ,he was wrapped up in his boy1 ,absalom1 who was a splendid boy1 judged by the rules of worldly criticism4 ,from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot there was not a single blemish4 ,the ,bible says that he had such a luxuriant shock of hair that1 when once a year it was shorn1 what was cut off weighed over three pounds4 ,but1 notwithstanding all his brilliancy of appearance1 he was a bad boy1 and broke his father's heart4 ,he was plotting to get the throne of ,israel4 ,he had marshaled an army to overthrow his father's government4 ,the day of battle had come2 the conflict was begun4 ,david1 the father1 sat between the gates of the palace1 waiting for tidings of the conflict4 ,oh1 how rapidly his heart beat with emotion6 ,two great questions were to be decided--the safety of his boy and the continuance of the throne of ,israel4 ,after a while a servant1 standing on the top of the house1 looks off1 and he sees some one running4 ,he is coming with great speed1 and the man on top of the house announces the coming of the messenger4 ,david watches and waits1 and as soon as the messenger from the field of battle comes within hailing distance the father cries out4 ,is it a question in regard to the establishment of his throne8 ,does he say3 8,have the armies of ,israel been victorious8 ,am ,i to continue in my imperial authority8 ,have ,i overthrown my enemies80 ,oh1 no4 ,there is one question that springs from his heart to his lip1 and springs from the lip into the ear of the besweated and bedusted messenger flying from the battle field--the question3 8,is the young man--,absalom--safe80 ,when it was told to ,king ,david that1 although his army had been victorious1 his son had been slain1 the father turned his back upon the congratulations of the nation1 and went up the stairs of his palace1 his heart breaking as he went1 wringing his hands sometimes1 and then again pressing them against his temples1 as though he would press them in1 crying3 8,o ,absalom6 ,my son6 ,my son6 ,would to ,god ,i had died for thee1 ,o ,absalom6 ,my son6 ,my son60 99 99 99 99 99 ,stupendous grief of ,david1 resounding through all succeeding ages6 ,,deborah4 ,a text of five words1 and four of them one and the same1 is found in the fifth chapter and twelfth verse of ,judges3 8,awake1 awake1 ,deborah2 awake1 awake60 ,it seems that the men of ,israel had lost their courage4 ,trampled into the dust by their oppressors1 the cowards had not spirit to rise4 ,their vineyards destroyed1 their women dishonored1 their children slain1 the land was dying for a leader worthy of the cause4 ,a holy woman by the name of ,deborah saw the desolation1 and1 putting her trust in the ,lord1 sounded the battle-cry1 and by the help of ,general ,barak launched into the plain ten thousand armed men4 ,the ,canaanites1 of course1 came out with a larger force4 ,they came out against ,israel with nine hundred iron chariots1 each of these iron chariots having attached to the sides of it long and sharp scythes1 so that when these engines of war were driven down to battle1 each one of the nine hundred was ready to cut two great swaths of death4 ,but1 when ,god gives a mission to a woman1 ,he also gives her strength and grace to execute it4 ,the nine hundred iron chariots of the ,canaanites could not save them4 ,they fly6 ,they fly--horse and horseman1 chariot and charioteer1 officers and troops--in one wild and terrific overthrow4 ,sisera1 their leader1 is so frightened in the conflict that he can not wait until his team turns around4 ,he leaps from the chariot and starts1 full run1 for the mountains4 ,then this epic of the text was composed to celebrate the grand womanly triumph3 8,awake1 awake1 ,deborah2 awake1 awake60 ,,dorcas4 ,impressed as ,i am with the mosque at ,joppa1 the first ,i ever saw1 and stirred as ,i am with the fact that this harbor once floated the great rafts of ,lebanon cedar from which the ,temple at ,jerusalem was builded1 ,solomon's oxen drawing the logs through this very town on the way to ,jerusalem1 nothing can make me forget that this ,joppa was the birthplace of the sewing society that has blessed the poor of all succeeding ages in all lands4 ,the disasters to ,joppa when ,judas ,maccabus set it on fire and when ,napoleon had five hundred prisoners massacred in this neighborhood can not make me forget that one of the most magnificent charities of the centuries was started in this seaport by ,dorcas--a woman who with her needle embroidered her name ineffaceably into the beneficence of the world4 ,i see her sitting in the village home4 ,in the door way and around about the building1 and even in the room where she sits1 are the pale faces of the poor4 ,she listens to their plaint4 ,she pities their woe4 ,she makes garments for them1 and she adjusts the manufactured articles to suit the bent form of this invalid woman and to that cripple who comes crawling upon his hands and knees4 ,she gives a coat to this one and sandals to that one4 ,with the gifts she mingles prayers and tears and ,christian encouragement4 ,then she goes out to be greeted on the street corners by those whom she has blessed1 and all through the way of her walk the cry is heard3 8,dorcas is coming60 ,the sick look up gratefully in her face as she puts a hand on the burning brow1 and the lost and the abandoned start up with hope as they hear her gentle voice1 as though an angel had addressed them2 and as she goes out the lane1 eyes half put out with sin think they see a halo of light about her brow and a trail of glory in her pathway4 ,that night a half-paid shipwright climbs the hill and reaches home4 ,there he sees his little boy well clad1 and he asks3 8,where did these clothes come from80 ,they tell him3 8,dorcas has been here40 ,in another place1 a woman is trimming a lamp2 ,dorcas brought the oil4 ,in another place1 a family that had not been at table for many a week are gathered now1 for ,dorcas brought them bread4 ,but there is a sudden pause in that woman's ministry4 ,they say3 8,where is ,dorcas8 ,why1 we have not seen her for many a day4 ,where is ,dorcas80 ,then one of these poor people goes up and knocks at the door1 and finds the mystery solved4 ,all through the haunts of wretchedness the news comes3 8,dorcas is sick60 ,no bulletin flashing from the palace gate1 telling the stages of a king's disease1 is more anxiously waited for than the news from this sick benefactress4 ,alas for ,joppa6 ,there is weeping and wailing4 ,that voice which has uttered so many cheerful words is now hushed2 that hand which had made so many garments for the poor is cold and still2 that star which had poured light into the midnight of wretchedness is dimmed by the blinding mists that go up from the river of death4 ,in every ,god-forsaken place in that town2 wherever there is hunger and no bread2 wherever there is guilt and no commiseration2 wherever there is a broken heart and no comfort--there are despairing looks1 streaming eyes and frantic gesticulations as they cry3 8,dorcas is dead60 ,they send for the apostle1 ,peter4 ,he edges his way through the crowd around the door1 and stands in the presence of the dead4 ,what expostulation and grief all about him6 ,here stand some of the poor people1 who show the garments which this good woman had made for them4 ,their grief can not be appeased4 ,peter1 the apostle1 wants to perform a miracle4 ,he will not perform it amid the excited crowd1 so he kindly orders that the whole room be cleared4 ,the door is shut against the populace4 ,the apostle stands now with the dead4 ,oh1 it is a serious moment1 you know1 when you are alone with a lifeless body6 ,the apostle gets down on his knees and prays1 and then he comes to the lifeless form of this one all ready for the sepulcher1 and in the strength of ,him who is the resurrection he exclaims3 8,tabitha1 arise60 ,there is a stir in the fountains of life2 the heart flutters2 the nerves thrill2 the cheek flushes2 the eye opens2 she sits up6 ,we see in this subject ,dorcas the disciple1 ,dorcas the benefactress1 ,dorcas the lamented1 ,dorcas the resurrected4 ,if ,i had not seen that word disciple in my text1 ,i yet would have known this woman was a ,christian4 ,such music as that never came from a heart which is not both chorded and strung by ,divine grace4 ,before ,i show you the needle-work of this woman1 ,i want to show you her regenerated heart--the source of a pure life and of all ,christian charities4 ,i wish that the wives and mothers and daughters and sisters of this congregation would imitate ,dorcas in her discipleship4 ,before you sit with the ,sabbath class1 before you cross the threshold of the hospital1 before you carry a pack of tracts down the street1 before you enter upon the temptations and trials of tomorrow1 ,i charge you1 in the name of ,god and by the turmoil and tumult of the ,judgment ,day1 ,o women1 that you attend to the first1 last and greatest duty of your life--the seeking for ,god and being at peace with ,him4 ,now1 by the courtesies of society1 you are deferred to1 and he were far less than a man who would not oblige you with kind attentions2 but when the trumpet shall sound1 there will be an uproar1 and a wreck of mountain and continent1 and no human arm can help you4 ,amidst the rising of the dead1 and amidst the boiling of the seat and amidst the live1 leaping thunders of the flying heavens1 there will be no chance for these courtesies4 ,but1 on that day1 calm and placid will be every woman's heart who has put her trust in ,christ2 calm1 notwithstanding all the tumult1 as though the fire in the heavens were only the gildings of an autumnal sunset--as though the peal of the trumpet were only the harmony of an orchestra--as though the awful voices of the sky were but a group of friends bursting through a gateway at eventime with laughter1 and shouting3 8,dorcas the disciple60 ,would to ,god that every ,mary and every ,martha would this day sit down at the feet of ,jesus6 ,further1 we see ,dorcas the benefactress4 ,history has told the story of the crown2 the epic poet has sung of the sword2 the pastoral poet1 with his verses full of the redolence of clover-tops and arustle with the silk of the corn1 has sung the praises of the plow4 ,i tell you the praises of the needle4 ,from the fig-leaf robe prepared in the ,garden of ,eden to the last stitch taken last night on some garment for some church fair1 the needle has wrought wonders of kindness1 generosity and benefaction4 ,it adorned the girdle of the high priest2 it fashioned the curtains in the ancient ,tabernacle2 it cushioned the chariots of ,king ,solomon2 it provided the robes of ,queen ,elizabeth2 and in high places and in low places1 by the fire of the pioneer's back-log and under the flash of the chandelier--everywhere1 it has clothed nakedness1 it has preached the ,gospel1 it has overcome hosts of penury and want with the war-cry of3 8,stitch1 stitch1 stitch60 ,the operatives have found a livelihood by it1 and through it the mansions of the employers have been constructed4 ,amidst the greatest triumphs in all ages and lands1 ,i set down the conquests of the needle4 ,i admit its crimes2 ,i admit its cruelties4 ,it has had more martyrs than the fire2 it has butchered more souls than the ,inquisition2 it has punctured the eye2 it has pierced the side2 it has struck weakness into the lungs2 it has sent madness into the brain2 it has filled the potter's field2 it has pitched whole armies of the suffering into crime1 wretchedness and woe4 ,but1 now that ,i am talking of ,dorcas and her ministries to the poor1 ,i shall speak only of the charities of the needle4 ,this woman was a representative of all those women who make garments for the destitute1 who knit socks for the barefooted1 who prepare bandages for the lacerated1 who fix up boxes of clothing for ,western missionaries1 who go into the asylums of the suffering and destitute bearing that ,gospel which is sight for the blind and hearing for the deaf1 and which makes the lame man leap like a hart1 and brings the dead to life with immortal health bounding in their pulses4 ,what a contrast between the practical benevolence of this woman and a great deal of the charity of this day6 ,dorcas did not spend her time planning how the poor of ,joppa were to be relieved2 she took her needle and relieved them4 ,she was not like those persons who sympathize with imaginary sorrows1 and go out in the street and laugh at the boy who has upset his basket of cold victuals2 nor was she like that charity which makes a rousing speech on the benevolent platform1 and goes out to kick the beggar from the step1 crying3 8,hush your miserable howling60 ,the sufferers of the world want not so much theory as practice2 not so much tears as dollars2 not so much kind wishes as loaves of bread2 not so much smiles as shoes2 not so much 8,god bless yous60 as jackets and frocks4 ,i will put one earnest ,christian man1 who is a hard worker1 against five thousand mere theorists on the subject of charity4 ,there are a great many who have fine ideas about church architecture who never in their lives helped to build a church4 ,there are men who can give you the history of ,buddhism and ,mohammedanism who never sent a farthing for the evangelization of the adherents of those religions4 ,there are women who talk beautifully about the suffering in the world who never had the courage1 like that of ,dorcas1 to take up the needle and assault it4 ,i am glad that there is not a page of the world's history which is not a record of feminine benevolence4 ,god says to all lands and peoples3 8,come1 now1 and hear the widow's mite rattle down into the poor-box40 ,the ,princess of ,conti sold all her jewels1 that she might help the famine-stricken4 ,queen ,blanche1 wife of ,louis ,,viii4 of ,france1 hearing that there were some persons unjustly incarcerated in the prisons1 went out and took a stick and struck the door1 as a signal that all might strike it2 and down went the prison door1 and out came the prisoners4 ,queen ,maud1 the wife of ,henry ,i41 went down amidst the poor and washed their sores1 and administered to them cordials4 ,mrs4 ,retson1 at ,matagorda1 appeared on the battle field while the missiles of death were flying around1 and cared for the wounded4 ,but why go so far back8 ,why go so far away8 ,is there a man or woman in this house who has forgotten the women of the sanitary and ,christian ,commissions8 ,has any one forgotten that1 before the smoke had gone from ,gettysburg and ,south ,mountain1 the women of the ,north met the women of the ,south on the battle field1 forgetting all their animosities while they bound up the wounded and closed the eyes of the slain8 ,have you forgotten ,dorcas1 the benefactress8 ,i come now to speak of ,dorcas the lamented4 ,when death struck down that good woman1 oh1 how much sorrow there was in ,joppa6 ,i suppose there were women living in ,joppa possessing larger fortunes2 women1 perhaps1 with more handsome faces2 but there was no grief at their departure like this at the death of ,dorcas4 ,there was not more turmoil and upturning in the ,mediterranean ,sea1 dashing against the wharves of that seaport1 than there were surgings to and fro of grief in ,joppa because ,dorcas was dead4 ,there are a great many who go out of life and are unmissed4 ,there may be a very large funeral2 there may be a great many carriages and a plumed hearse2 there may be high-sounding eulogiums2 the bell may toll at the cemetery gate2 there may be a very fine marble shaft reared over the resting place4 ,but the whole thing may be a falsehood and a sham4 ,by this demise the ,church of ,god has lost nothing2 the world has lost nothing4 ,it is only a nuisance abated2 it is only a grumbler ceasing to find fault2 it is only an idler stopped yawning2 it is only a dissipated fashionable parted from his wine cellar--while1 on the other hand1 no useful ,christian leaves this world without being missed4 ,the ,church of ,god cries out like the prophet3 8,howl1 fir tree1 for the cedar has fallen40 ,widowhood comes and shows the garments which the departed had made4 ,orphans are lifted up to look into the calm face of the sleeping benefactress4 ,reclaimed vagrancy comes and kisses the cold brow of her who charmed it away from sin1 and all through the streets of ,joppa there is mourning--mourning because ,dorcas is dead4 ,i suppose you have read of the fact that when ,josephine was carried out to her grave there were a great many men and women of pomp and pride and position that went out after her2 but ,i am most affected by the story of history that on that day there were ten thousand of the poor of ,france who followed her coffin1 weeping and wailing until the air rang again1 because when they lost ,josephine they lost their last earthly friend4 ,oh1 who would not rather have such obsequies than all the tears that were ever poured in the lachrymals that have been exhumed from ancient cities6 ,there may be no mass for the dead2 there may be no costly sarcophagus2 there may be no elaborate mausoleum4 ,but in the damp cellars of the city1 and through the lonely huts of the mountain glen1 there will be mourning--mourning because ,dorcas is dead4 ,i speak to you of ,dorcas the resurrected4 ,the apostle came to where she was1 and said3 8,arise60 ,and 8she sat up40 ,in what a short compass the great writer put that3 8,she sat up60 ,oh1 what a time there must have been when the apostle brought her out among her old friends6 ,how the tears of joy must have started6 ,what clapping of hands there must have been6 ,what singing6 ,what laughter6 ,sound it all through that lane6 ,shout it down that dark alley6 ,let all ,joppa hear it6 ,dorcas is resurrected6 ,you and ,i have seen the same thing many a time--not a dead body resuscitated1 but the deceased coming up again after death in the good accomplished4 ,if a man labors up to fifty years of age1 serving ,god1 and then dies1 we are apt to think that his earthly work is done4 ,no6 ,his influence on ,earth will continue till the world ceases4 ,services rendered for ,christ never stop4 ,here is a ,christian woman4 ,she toils for the upbuilding of a church through many anxieties1 through many self-denials1 with prayers and tears1 and then she dies4 ,it is fifteen years since she went away4 ,now the ,spirit of ,god descends upon that church2 hundreds of souls stand up and confess the faith of ,christ4 ,has that ,christian woman1 who went away fifteen years ago1 nothing to do with these things8 ,i see the flowering out of her noble heart4 ,i hear the echo of her footsteps in all these songs over sins forgiven--in all the prosperity of the church4 ,the good that seemed to be buried has come up again4 ,dorcas is resurrected4 ,after a while all these womanly friends of ,christ will put down their needles for ever4 ,after making garments for others1 some one will make a garment for them2 the last robe which we shall ever wear--the robe which is for the grave4 ,you will have heard the last cry of pain4 ,you will have witnessed the last orphanage4 ,you will have come in worn out from your last round of mercy4 ,i do not know where you will sleep1 nor what your epitaph will be2 but there will be a lamp burning at that tomb and an angel of ,god guarding it1 and through all the long night no rude foot will disturb the dust4 ,sleep on--sleep on6 ,soft bed1 pleasant shadows1 undisturbed repose6 ,sleep on6 ,,ehud4 ,ehud was a ruler in ,israel4 ,he was left-handed1 and1 what was peculiar about the tribe of ,benjamin1 to which he belonged1 there were in it seven hundred left-handed men2 and yet1 so dextrous had they all become in the use of the left hand1 the ,bible says they could sling stones at a hair's breadth and not miss4 ,well1 there was a king by the name of ,eglon1 who was an oppressor of ,israel4 ,he imposed upon them an outrageous tax4 ,ehud1 the man of whom ,i first spoke1 had a divine commission to destroy that oppressor4 ,he came1 pretending that he was going to pay the tax1 and asked to see ,king ,eglon4 ,he was told the king was in the ,summer house1 the place to which his majesty retired when the heat was too great to sit in the palace4 ,this ,summer house was a place surrounded by flowers1 springing fountains and trees--the latter filled with warbling birds4 ,ehud entered the ,summer house1 and said to ,king ,eglon that he had a secret errand with him4 ,immediately all the attendants were waved out of the royal presence4 ,king ,eglon rises up to receive the messenger4 ,ehud1 the left-handed man1 puts his left hand to his right side1 pulls out a dagger1 and thrusts ,eglon through until the haft went in after the blade4 ,eglon falls4 ,ehud comes forth to blow a trumpet of right amidst the mountains of ,ephraim2 and a great host is marshaled1 and proud ,moab submits to the conqueror1 and ,israel is free4 ,i learn first1 from this subject1 the power of left-handed men4 ,there are men who1 by physical organization1 have as much strength in their left hand as in their right hand2 but there is something in the writing of the fifteenth verse of the third chapter of ,judges that implies ,ehud had some defect in his right hand1 which compelled him to use the left4 ,oh1 the power of left-handed men6 ,genius is often self-observant1 careful of itself1 not given to much toil1 burning incense to its own aggrandizement2 while many a man1 with no natural endowments1 actually defective in physical and mental organization1 has an earnestness for the right1 a patient industry1 an all-consuming perseverance1 which achieve marvels for the kingdom of the ,lord4 ,though left-handed as ,ehud1 they can strike down a sin as imperial as ,eglon4 ,but ,i do not suppose that ,ehud1 the first time he took a sling in his left hand1 could throw a stone a hair's breadth1 and not miss4 ,i suppose it was practice that gave him the wonderful dexterity4 ,go forth to your spheres of duty1 and do not be discouraged if1 in your first attempts1 you miss the mark4 ,ehud missed it4 ,,esau4 ,esau had the birthright given him4 ,in the olden times this meant not only temporal but spiritual blessing4 ,one day ,esau took this birthright and traded it off for something to eat4 ,oh1 the folly6 ,but let us not be too severe upon him1 for some of us have committed the same folly4 ,after ,esau had thus parted with his birthright1 he wanted to get it back4 ,just as though you1 tomorrow morning1 should take all your notes and bonds and government securities1 and should go into a restaurant1 and in a fit of restlessness and hunger throw all those securities on the counter and ask for a plate of food1 making that exchange4 ,this was the exchange ,esau made4 ,he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage1 and he was very sorry about it afterward2 but 8he found no place for repentance1 though he sought it carefully with tears40 ,there are sins which1 though they may be pardoned1 are in some respects irrevocable2 and you can find no place for repentance1 though you seek it carefully with tears4 ,after wasting forty years1 you can not get back the neglected advantages of boyhood and youth4 ,,felix ,,and ,,drusilla4 ,a city of marble was ,cesarea--wharves of marble1 houses of marble1 temples of marble4 ,this being the ordinary architecture of the place1 you may well imagine something of the splendor of ,governor ,felix's residence4 ,in a room of that palace--floor tesselated1 windows curtained1 ceiling fretted1 the whole scene affluent with ,tyrian purple1 and statues1 and pictures1 and carvings--sat a very dark-complexioned man by the name of ,felix1 and beside him sat a woman of extraordinary beauty1 whom he had stolen by breaking up another's domestic circle4 ,she was only eighteen years of age1 a princess by birth1 and unwittingly waiting for her doom--that of being buried alive in the ashes and scoria of ,mount ,vesuvius1 which in sudden eruption1 one day1 put an end to her abominations4 ,well1 one afternoon ,drusilla1 seated in the palace1 weary with the magnificent stupidities of the place1 says to ,felix3 8,you have a very distinguished prisoner1 ,i believe1 by the name of ,paul4 ,do you know he is one of my countrymen8 ,i should very much like to see him1 and ,i should very much like to hear him speak1 for ,i have heard so much about his eloquence4 8,besides that1 the other day1 when he was being tried in another room of this palace1 and the windows were open1 ,i heard the applause that greeted the speech of ,lawyer ,tertullus1 as he denounced ,paul4 ,now1 ,i very much wish ,i could hear ,paul speak4 ,won't you let me hear him speak80 8,yes10 said ,felix1 8,i will4 ,i will order him up now from the guard room40 ,the clank of a chain is heard coming up the marble stairway1 there is a shuffle at the door1 and in comes ,paul--a little old man1 prematurely old through exposure--only sixty years of age1 but looking as though he were eighty4 ,paul bows very courteously before ,governor ,felix and the beautiful woman by his side4 ,they say3 8,paul1 we have heard a great deal about your speaking4 ,give us1 now1 a specimen of your eloquence40 ,oh1 if there ever was a chance for a man to show off1 ,paul had a chance there6 ,he might have harangued them about ,grecian art1 about the wonderful water-works which he had seen at ,corinth1 about the ,acropolis by moonlight1 about prison life in ,philippi1 about 8,what ,i ,saw in ,thessalonica10 or about the old mythologies4 ,but1 instead1 ,paul said to himself3 8,i am now on the way to martyrdom1 and this man and woman will soon be dead2 so this is my only opportunity to talk to them about the things of eternity40 ,and1 just there and then1 there broke in upon the scene a peal of thunder4 ,it was the voice of ,judgment ,day speaking through the words of the decrepit apostle4 ,as the grand old missionary proceeded with his remarks1 the stoop begins to go out of his shoulders1 and he rises up1 and his countenance is illumined with the glories of a future life1 and his shackles rattle and grind as he lifts his fettered arm1 and with it hurls upon his abashed auditors the bolts of ,god's indignation4 ,felix grew very white about the lips4 ,his heart beat unevenly4 ,he put his hand to his brow1 as though to stop the quickness and violence of his thoughts4 ,he drew his robe tighter about him1 as under a sudden chill4 ,his eyes glare and his knees shake1 and1 as he clutches the side of his chair in a very paroxysm of terror1 he orders the sheriff to take ,paul back to the guard room4 8,felix trembled1 and said3 #8,go thy way for this time2 when ,i have a convenient season1 ,i will call for thee4'0 ,i propose to give you two or three reasons why ,i think ,felix sent ,paul back to the guard room and adjourned this whole subject of religion4 ,the first reason was3 ,he was unwilling to give up his sins4 ,he looked around2 there was ,drusilla4 ,he knew that1 when he became a ,christian1 he must send her back to ,azizus1 her lawful husband2 and he said to himself3 8,i will risk the destruction of my immortal soul sooner than ,i will do that40 ,delilah sheared the locks of ,samson2 ,salome danced ,herod into the pit2 ,drusilla blocked up the way to ,heaven for ,felix4 ,another reason why ,felix sent ,paul back to the guard room and adjourned this subject was3 ,he was so very busy4 ,in ordinary times he found the affairs of state absorbing1 but those were extraordinary times4 ,the whole land was ripe for insurrection4 ,the ,sicarii1 a band of assassins1 were already prowling around the palace1 and ,i suppose he thought3 8,i can not attend to religion while ,i am so pressed by affairs of state40 ,it was business1 among other things1 that ruined his soul4 ,aye1 with thousands of the present day1 it is the annoyance of the kitchen1 and the sitting room and the parlor--the wearing economy of trying to meet large expenses with a small income4 ,ten thousand voices of 8business0 drown the voice of the ,eternal ,spirit4 ,,gallery ,,of ,,characters4 ,i see the ,gallery of the ,prophets and ,apostles4 ,who are those mighty ones up yonder8 ,hosea1 ,jeremiah1 ,daniel1 ,isaiah1 ,paul1 ,peter1 ,john and ,james4 ,there sits ,noah1 waiting for all the world to come into the ark4 ,moses is waiting till the last ,red ,sea shall divide4 ,jeremiah is waiting for the ,jews to return4 ,john of the ,apocalypse is waiting for the swearing of the angel that ,time shall be no longer4 ,glorious spirits6 ,ye were howled at2 ye were stoned2 ye were spit upon4 ,they have been in this fight themselves1 and they are all with us4 ,daniel knows all about lions4 ,paul fought with beasts at ,ephesus4 ,for ,joseph1 a pit2 for ,daniel1 a wild beast den2 for ,david1 dethronement and exile2 for ,john the ,baptist1 a wilderness diet and the executioner's ax2 for ,peter1 a prison2 for ,paul1 shipwreck2 for ,john1 desolate ,patmos2 for ,vashti1 most insulting cruelty4 ,in that gallery1 prophetic and apostolic1 they can not keep their peace4 ,daniel cries out3 8,thy ,god will deliver thee from the mouth of the lions60 ,david exclaims3 8,he will not suffer thy foot to be moved40 ,isaiah calls out3 8,fear not6 ,i am with thee4 ,be not dismayed40 ,paul exclaims3 8,victory through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ60 ,i see the ,angelic ,gallery4 ,there they are4 ,there is the angel that swung the sword at the gate of ,eden1 the same whom ,ezekiel saw upholding the throne of ,god1 and from which ,i look away1 for the splendor is insufferable4 ,here are the guardian angels4 ,that one watched a patriarch2 this one protected a child4 ,that one has been pulling a soul out of temptation4 ,all these are messengers of light4 ,those drove the ,spanish ,armada on the rocks4 ,this turned ,sennacherib's living hosts into a heap of one hundred and eighty-five thousand corpses4 ,those1 yonder1 chanted the ,christmas carol over ,bethlehem1 until the chant awoke the shepherds4 ,these1 at ,creation1 stood in the balcony of ,heaven1 and serenaded the new-born world wrapped in swaddling clothes of light4 ,and there1 holier and mightier than all1 is ,michael1 the archangel4 ,to command an earthly host gives dignity2 but this one is leader of the twenty thousand chariots of ,god1 and of the ten thousand times ten thousand angels4 ,i think ,god gives command to the archangel1 and the archangel to the seraphim1 and the seraphim to the cherubim1 until all the lower orders of ,heaven hear the command and go forth on the high behest4 ,,gideon4 ,the seventh chapter of the ,book of ,judges contains a detailed report of the strangest battle ever fought4 ,god had told ,gideon to go down and thrash the ,midianites1 but his army is too large2 for the glory must be given to ,god1 and not to man4 ,and so proclamation is made that all those of the troops who are cowardly1 and want to go home1 may go2 and twenty-two thousand of them scampered away1 leaving only ten thousand men4 ,but ,god says the army is too large yet2 and so ,he orders these ten thousand remaining to march down through a stream1 and commands ,gideon to notice in what manner these men drink of the water as they pass through it4 ,if they get down on all-fours and drink1 then they are to be pronounced lazy and incompetent for the campaign2 but if1 in passing through the stream1 they scoop up the water in the palm of the hand and drink1 and pass on1 they are to be the men selected for the battle4 ,well1 the ten thousand men march down into the stream1 and the most of them come down on all-fours1 and plunge their mouths1 like a horse or an ox1 into the water and drink2 but there are three hundred men who1 instead of stooping1 just dip the palm of their hands in the water and bring it to their lips--8lapping as the dog lappeth40 ,those three hundred brisk1 rapid and enthusiastic men are chosen for the campaign4 ,they are each to take a trumpet in the right hand and a pitcher in the left hand1 and a lamp inside the pitcher2 and then at a given signal they are to blow the trumpets1 throw down the pitchers and hold up the lamps4 ,so it was done4 ,it is night4 ,i see a great host of ,midianites1 sound asleep in the valley of ,jezreel4 ,gideon comes up with his three hundred picked men1 and when every thing is ready the signal is given1 and they blow the trumpets1 throw down the pitchers and hold up the lamps4 ,the great host of ,midianites1 waking out of a sound sleep1 take the crash of the crockery and the glare of the lamps for the coming on of an overwhelming foe2 and they run1 and cut themselves to pieces1 and most horribly perish4 ,the lessons of this subject are very spirited and impressive4 ,this seemingly valueless lump of quartz has the pure gold in it4 ,the smallest dewdrop on the meadow at night has a star sleeping in its bosom1 and the most insignificant passage of ,scripture has in it a shining truth4 ,god's mint coins no small change4 ,,hezekiah4 ,luxurious living is not healthy4 ,the second generation of kings and queens and of lords and princes is apt to be brainless and invalid4 ,the second crop of grass is almost always short4 ,royal blood is generally scrofulous4 ,you will not be surprised1 then1 to hear that ,king ,hezekiah had disorders which broke out in a carbuncle1 virulent and deathful4 ,the ,lord told him he must die4 ,but ,hezekiah did not want to die4 ,he turned his face to the wall1 so that his prayer would not be interrupted1 and cried to ,god for his life4 ,god heard the prayer and answered it1 saying3 8,behold1 ,i will heal thee40 ,but there was human instrumentality to be employed4 ,this carbuncle needed a cataplasm4 ,that is a tough word that we use to show how much we know4 ,if in the pulpit we always used words the people understood1 we never should have any reputation for learning4 ,well1 this carbuncle needed a cataplasm1 which is a poultice4 ,your old mother1 who doctored her own children in the time when physicians were not as plentiful as they are now1 will tell you that the very best poultice is a fig1 and that was what was used upon the carbuncle of ,king ,hezekiah4 ,the power of ,god1 accompanied by this human instrumentality1 cured the king4 ,in this age of discovery1 when men know so much it kills them1 and write so wisely it almost kills us1 it has been found out that prayer to ,god is a dead failure4 ,all things are arranged according to inexorable law4 ,ah1 my friends1 have we been so mistaken8 ,does ,god hear and answer prayer1 or does ,he not8 ,why come out with a challenge in this day1 and an experiment1 when we have here the very experiment8 ,hezekiah was sick unto death2 he prayed for his life2 ,god heard him1 and added fifteen years to that lifetime4 ,the prayer saved him1 the lump of figs applied being merely the ,god-appointed human instrumentality4 ,,jehoiakim4 ,we look in upon a room in ,jerusalem4 ,two men are there4 ,at the table sits ,baruch1 the scribe1 with a roll of parchment and an iron pen in his hand4 ,the other man is walking the floor1 as if strangely agitated4 ,there is an unearthly appearance about his countenance1 and his whole frame quakes as if pressed upon by something unseen and supernal4 ,this is ,jeremiah1 in the spirit of prophecy4 ,being too much excited to write with his own hands the words that the ,almighty pours upon his mind about the coming destruction of ,jerusalem1 he dictates to ,baruch1 the scribe4 ,it is a seething1 scalding1 burning denunciation of ,jehoiakim1 the king1 and a prophecy of approaching disasters4 ,of course1 ,king ,jehoiakim hears of the occurrence1 and he sends ,jehudi to obtain the parchment and read its contents4 ,it is winter4 ,jehoiakim is sitting in his comfortable winter house1 by a fire that glows upon the hearth and lights up the faces of the lords1 princes and senators who have gathered to hear the reading of the strange document4 ,silence is ordered4 ,the royal circle bend forward to listen4 ,every eye is fixed4 ,jehudi unrolls the book gleaming with the words of ,god1 and as he reads ,jehoiakim frowns2 his eye kindles2 his cheek burns2 his foot comes down with thundering indignation4 ,king ,jehoiakim snatches the book from ,jehudi's hand1 feels for his knife1 crumples up the book1 and goes to work cutting it up with his penknife4 ,thus ,god's book was permanently destroyed1 and the king escaped4 ,was it destroyed8 ,did ,jehoiakim escape8 ,in a little while ,king ,jehoiakim's dead body is hurled forth to blacken in the sun1 and the only epitaph that he ever had was that which ,jeremiah wrote3 8,buried with the burial of an ass40 ,to restore the book which was destroyed1 ,baruch again takes his seat at the table1 while ,jeremiah walks the floor and again dictates the terrible prophecy4 ,it would take more penknives than cutler ever sharpened to hew into permanent destruction the ,word of ,god4 ,he who shoots at this eternal rock will feel the bullet rebound into his own torn and lacerated bosom4 ,when the ,almighty goes forth armed with the thunderbolts of ,his power1 ,i pity any ,jehoiakim who attempts to fight ,him with a penknife4 ,that ,oriental scene has vanished1 but it has often been repeated4 ,there are thousands of ,jehoiakims yet alive who cut the ,word of ,god with their penknives4 ,king ,jehoiakim showed as much indignity toward the scroll when he cut one way as when he cut the other4 ,you might as well behead ,moses as to behead ,jonah4 ,yes1 ,sir1 ,i shall take all of the ,bible or none4 ,men laugh at us as if we were the most gullible people in the world for believing in the genuineness of the ,scriptures2 but there can be no doubt that the ,bible1 as we have it1 is the same--no more1 no less--as ,god wrote it4 ,as to the books of the ,new ,testament1 the great writers of the different centuries give complete catalogs of their contents4 ,polycarp1 ,ignatius and ,clemens ,romanus1 in the first century1 give a catalog of the ,new ,testament books2 ,tertullian and ,justin ,martyr1 in the second century2 ,cyprian and ,origen1 in the third century2 ,augustine1 ,jerome and ,eusebius1 in the fourth century4 ,their catalogs of the different books of the ,new ,testament silence the suggestion that any new books could have been stealthily put in4 ,as to the books of the ,old ,testament1 ,christ sanctioned them by recommending them to the ,jews4 ,if any part of the ,old ,testament had been uninspired1 ,christ would have said3 8,search the ,scriptures--all except that ,book of ,jonah10 or 8,search the ,scriptures1 except the ,book of ,esther40 ,when ,christ commends to all the canon of the ,old ,testament ,scriptures1 ,he affirms its genuineness4 ,there never could have been any interpolations in the ,bible1 for the ,jews were constantly watching1 and there were men whose lifetime business it was to attend to the keeping of the ,scriptures unadulterated4 ,,jehu4 ,joram1 wounded in battle1 lies in a hospital at ,jezreel4 ,the watchman1 standing in the tower1 looks off and sees against the sky horsemen and chariots4 ,a messenger is sent out to find who is coming1 but he does not return4 ,another messenger is sent1 but with the same result4 ,the watchman1 standing in the tower1 looks off upon the advancing troop1 and gets more and more excited1 wondering who are coming4 ,but long before the cavalcade comes up1 the matter is decided4 ,the watchman can not descry the features of the fast approaching man1 but he exclaims3 8,i have found out who he is4 ,the driving is like the driving of ,jehu1 the son of ,nimshi2 for he driveth furiously40 ,by the flash of that one sentence we discover ,jehu's character4 ,he came with such speed not merely because he had an errand to do1 but because he was urged on by a headlong disposition1 which had won him the name of a reckless driver1 even among the watchmen4 ,the chariot plunges until you almost expect the wheels to crash under it1 or some of the princely party to be thrown out1 or the horses to become utterly unmanageable4 ,but he always goes so2 and he becomes a type of that class of persons to be found in all communities1 who in worldly and in religious affairs may be styled reckless drivers4 ,to this same class belong all those who conduct their worldly affairs in a headlong way1 without any regard to prudence or righteousness4 ,the minister of ,christ does not do his whole duty who does not plainly and unmistakably bring the ,gospel face to face with every style of business transaction4 ,we have a right1 in a ,christian manner1 to point out those who1 year by year1 are jeopardizing not only their welfare1 but the interests of many others1 by reckless driving4 ,as a hackman1 having lost control of a flying span1 is apt to crash into other vehicles1 until the property and lives of a whole street are endangered1 so a man driving his worldly calling with such loose reins that1 after a while1 it will not answer his voice or hand1 puts in peril the commercial interests of scores or hundreds4 ,there are today in our midst many of our best citizens who have come down from affluence into straitened circumstances1 because there was a partner in their firm1 or a cashier in their bank1 or an agent representing their house1 or one of their largest creditors1 who1 like ,jehu1 the son of ,nimshi1 was a furious driver4 ,when ,i see in the community men with large incomes1 but larger outgoes1 rushing into wildest undertakings1 their pockets filled with circulars about gold to be found in ,canada and lead in ,missouri and fortunes of all sorts everywhere1 launching out in expenditures to be met with the thousands they expect to make1 and with derision dashing across the path of sober men depending upon their industry and honor for success1 ,i say3 8,here he comes1 the son of ,nimshi1 driving furiously40 ,when ,i see a young man1 not content gradually to come to a competency1 careless as to how often he goes upon credit1 spending in one night's carousal a month's salary1 taking the few hundred dollars given him for getting a start in the purchase of a regal wardrobe1 lazy or ashamed to work1 anxious only for display1 regardless of his father's counsel and the example of the thousands who1 in a short while1 have wrecked body1 mind and soul in scheming or dissipation1 ,i say3 8,here he comes1 the son of ,nimshi1 driving furiously40 ,when this world gets full power over a man1 he might as well be dead4 ,he is dead6 ,when ,sisera came into the house of ,jael1 she gave him something to drink1 and got him asleep on the floor4 ,then she took a peg from the side of her tent1 and with a mallet she drove the peg through the brain of ,sisera into the floor4 ,so the world feeds and flatters a man1 and when it has him sound asleep it strikes his life out4 ,,jesus ,,at ,,emmaus4 ,two villagers1 having concluded their errand in ,jerusalem1 have started out at the city gate1 and are on their way to ,emmaus1 the place of their residence4 ,they go with a sad heart4 ,jesus1 who had been their admiration and their joy1 had been basely massacred and entombed4 ,as with sad face and broken heart they pass on their way1 a stranger accosts them4 ,they tell him their anxieties and bitterness of soul4 ,he1 in turn1 talks to them1 mightily expounding the ,scriptures4 ,he throws over them the fascination of intelligent conversation4 ,they forget the time1 and notice not the objects they pass1 and1 before they are aware1 have come up in front of their house4 ,they pause before the entrance1 and attempt to persuade the stranger to tarry with them4 ,they press upon him their hospitalities4 ,night is coming on1 and he may meet a prowling wild beast1 or be obliged to lie unsheltered from the dew4 ,he can not go much farther now4 ,why not stop there1 and continue their pleasant conversation8 ,they take him by the arm1 and they insist on his coming in1 addressing him in the words3 8,abide with us2 for it is toward evening40 ,the candles are lighted4 ,the tables are spread4 ,pleasant sociabilities are enkindled4 ,they rejoice in the presence of the stranger guest4 ,he asks a blessing upon the bread they eat1 and he hands a piece of it to each4 ,suddenly1 and with overwhelming power1 the thought flashes upon the astonished people3 8,he is the ,lord60 ,and as they sat in breathless wonder1 looking upon the resurrected body of ,jesus1 ,he vanished4 ,the interview was ended4 ,he was gone4 ,the journey from ,jerusalem to ,emmaus will soon be ended4 ,our ,bible1 our common sense and our observation reiterate this fact in tones that we can not mistake1 and which we ought not to disregard4 ,,job4 ,job had it hard4 ,what with boils and bereavements and bankruptcy1 and a fool of a wife1 he wished he was dead2 and ,i do not blame him4 ,his flesh was gone1 and his bones were dry4 ,his teeth wasted away until nothing but the enamel seemed left4 ,he cried out3 8,i am escaped with the skin of my teeth40 ,there has been some difference of opinion about this passage4 ,st4 ,jerome and ,schultens and ,doctors ,good1 ,poole and ,barnes have all tried their forceps on ,job's teeth4 ,you deny my interpretation1 and ask3 8,what did ,job know about the enamel of the teeth80 ,he knew every thing about it4 ,dental surgery is almost as old as the ,earth4 ,the mummies of ,egypt1 thousands of years old1 are found today with gold filling in their teeth4 ,ovid1 ,horace1 ,solomon and ,moses wrote about these important factors of the body4 ,to other provoking complaints1 ,i think ,job had added an exasperating toothache1 and1 putting his hand against the inflamed face1 he said3 8,i am escaped with the skin of my teeth40 ,a very narrow escape1 you say1 for ,job's body and soul2 but there are thousands of men who make just as narrow escape for their soul4 ,there was a time when the partition between them and ruin was no thicker than a tooth's enamel2 but1 as ,job finally escaped1 so1 thank ,god1 have they4 ,paul expresses the same idea by a different figure when he says that some people are 8saved as by fire40 ,a vessel at sea is in flames4 ,you go to the stern of the vessel4 ,the boats have shoved off4 ,the flames advance2 you can no longer endure the heat on your face4 ,you slide down on the side of the vessel1 and hold on with your fingers1 until the forked tongue of the fire begins to lick the back of your hand1 and you feel that you must fall1 when one of the life-boats comes back1 and the passengers say they think they have room for one more4 ,the boat swings under you--you drop into it--you are saved4 ,so some men are pursued by temptation until they are partially consumed1 but1 after all1 get off--8saved as by fire40 ,but ,i like the figure of ,job a little better than that of ,paul4 ,with ,god's help1 some men do make narrow escape for their souls1 and are saved as 8with the skin of their teeth40 ,,jonah4 ,god told ,jonah to go to ,nineveh on an unpleasant errand4 ,he would not go4 ,he thought to get away from his duty by putting to sea4 ,with pack under his arm1 ,i find him on his way to ,joppa1 a seaport4 ,he goes down among the shipping1 and says to the men lying around on the docks3 8,which of these vessels sails today80 ,a sailor answers3 8,yonder is a vessel going to ,tarshish4 ,i think1 if you hurry1 you may get on board her40 ,jonah steps on board the rough craft1 asks how much the fare is1 and pays it4 ,anchor is weighed1 sails are hoisted1 and the rigging begins to rattle in the strong breeze of the ,mediterranean4 ,joppa is an exposed harbor1 and it does not take long for a vessel to get out on the broad sea4 ,the sailors like what they call a 8spanking breeze10 and the plunge of the vessel from the crest of a tall wave is exhilarating to those who are at home on the deep4 ,but the strong breeze becomes a gale--the gale a hurricane4 ,the affrighted passengers ask the captain if he ever saw any thing like this before4 ,he answers3 8,oh1 yes4 ,this is nothing40 ,mariners are slow to admit danger to landsmen4 ,but1 after a while1 8crash60 goes the mast1 and the vessel pitches so far 8a-beam's-end0 that there is a fear she will not be righted4 ,the captain answers few questions1 but orders the throwing out of boxes and bundles and so much of the cargo as they can get at4 ,at last1 the captain confesses there is but little hope1 and he tells the passengers they had better begin praying4 ,it is seldom that a sea captain is an ,atheist4 ,he knows there is a ,god1 for he has seen ,him at every point of latitude and longitude between ,sandy ,hook and ,queenstown4 ,captain ,moody1 commanding the ,cuba1 of the ,cunard line1 at ,sunday service led the music and sang like a ,methodist4 ,the captain of this ,mediterranean craft1 having set the passengers to praying1 goes around the vessel1 examining it at every point4 ,he descends into the cabin to see whether1 in the strong wrestling of the waves1 the vessel has sprung a leak1 and he finds ,jonah asleep4 ,jonah had had a wearisome tramp1 and had spent many sleepless nights about questions of duty1 and he is so sound asleep that all the thunder of the storm and all the screaming of the passengers disturb him not4 ,the captain lays hold of him1 and begins to shake him out of his unconsciousness with the cry3 8,don't you see that we are all going to the bottom8 ,wake up and go to praying1 if you have any ,god to go to4 ,what meanest thou1 ,o sleeper8 ,arise1 call upon thy ,god--if so be that ,god will think upon us--that we perish not40 ,the remainder of the story ,i will not rehearse1 for you know it well4 ,to appease the sea1 they threw ,jonah overboard4 ,the devil takes a man's money1 and then sets him down in a poor landing place4 ,the ,bible says ,jonah paid his fare to ,tarshish4 ,but see him get out4 ,the sailors bring him to the side of the ship1 lift him over 8the guards10 and let him drop with a loud splash into the waves4 ,he paid his fare all the way to ,tarshish1 but he did not get the worth of his money4 ,neither does any one who turns his back on his duty and does that which is not right4 ,the worst sinner on shipboard1 considering the light he had1 was ,jonah4 ,he was a member of the ,church1 while they were heathen4 ,the sailors were engaged in their lawful calling--following the sea4 ,the merchants on board1 ,i suppose1 were going down to ,tarshish to barter4 ,but ,jonah1 notwithstanding his ,christian profession1 was flying from duty4 ,he was sound asleep in the cabin4 ,oh1 how could the sinner sleep8 ,if ,jonah had been told1 one year before1 that any heathen sea captain would ever waken him to a sense of danger1 he would have scoffed at the idea2 but here it is done4 ,so now--men in strangest ways are aroused from spiritual stupor4 ,if1 instead of sleeping1 ,jonah had been on his knees confessing his sins from the time when he went on board the craft1 ,i think ,god would have saved him from being thrown overboard4 ,but he woke up too late4 ,the tempest is in full blast1 the sea is lashing itself into convulsions1 and nothing will stop it now but the overthrow of ,jonah4 ,so ,jonah was cast overboard4 ,,joseph4 ,the ,egyptian capital was the focus of the world's wealth4 ,in ships and barges1 there had been brought to it3 ,from ,india1 frankincense1 cinnamon1 ivory and diamonds2 from the ,north1 marble and iron2 from ,syria1 purple and silk2 from ,greece1 some of the finest horses of the world and some of the most brilliant chariots2 and from all the ,earth1 that which could best please the eye1 charm the ear and gratify the taste4 ,there were temples aflame with red sandstone1 entered by gateways that were guarded by pillars bewildering with hieroglyphics1 wound with brazen serpents and adorned with winged creatures--their eyes1 beaks and pinions glittering with precious stones4 ,there were marble columns blooming into white flower buds2 there were stone pillars1 at the top bursting into the shape of the lotus when in full bloom4 ,along the avenues--lined with sphinx1 fane and obelisk--there were princes who came in gorgeously upholstered palanquin1 carried by servants in scarlet1 or else were drawn by vehicles1 the snow-white horses1 golden-bitted and six abreast1 dashing at full run4 ,there were fountains from stone-wreathed vases climbing the ladders of the light4 ,you would hear a bolt shove1 and a door of brass would open like a flash of the sun4 ,the surrounding gardens were saturated with odors that mounted the terrace1 dripped from the arbors and burned their incense in the ,egyptian noon4 ,on the floors of mosaic the glories of ,pharaoh were spelled out in letters of porphyry1 beryl and flame4 ,there were ornaments twisted from the wood of the tamarisk1 embossed with silver breaking into foam4 ,there were footstools made out of a single precious stone4 ,there were beds fashioned out of a crouched lion in bronze4 ,there were chairs spotted with the sleek hide of the leopard4 ,there were sofas footed with the claws of wild beasts1 and armed with the beaks of birds4 ,as you stand on the level beach of the sea on a ,summer day1 and look each way1 there are miles of breakers1 white with the ocean foam1 dashing shoreward2 so it seemed as if the sea of the world's pomp and wealth in the ,egyptian capital for miles and miles flung itself up into white breakers of marble temple1 mausoleum and obelisk4 ,this was the place where ,joseph1 the shepherd boy1 was called to stand next to ,pharaoh in honor4 ,what a contrast between this scene and his humble starting--between this scene and the pit into which his brothers threw him6 ,yet ,joseph was not forgetful of his early home2 he was not ashamed of where he came from4 ,the bishop of ,mentz1 descended from a wheelwright1 covered his house with spokes1 hammers and wheels2 and the king of ,sicily1 in honor of his father1 who was a potter1 refused to drink out of any thing but an earthen vessel4 ,so ,joseph was not ashamed of his early surroundings1 or of his old-time father1 or of his brothers4 ,when the latter came up from the famine-stricken land to get corn from the ,egyptian king's corn crib1 ,joseph1 instead of chiding them for the way they had maltreated and abused him1 sent them back with wagons1 which ,king ,pharaoh furnished1 laden with corn2 and old ,jacob1 the father1 was brought back in the very same wagons1 that ,joseph1 the son1 might see him and give him a comfortable home all the rest of his days4 ,well1 ,i hear the wagons1 the king's wagons1 rumbling down in front of the palace4 ,on the outside of the palace1 to see the wagons depart1 stands ,pharaoh in royal robes2 and beside him stands ,prime ,minister ,joseph1 with a chain of gold around his neck1 and on his hand a ring given by ,pharaoh to him1 so that any time he wanted to stamp the royal seal upon a document he could do so conveniently4 ,wagon after wagon rolls on down from the palace1 laden with corn1 meat1 changes of raiment and every thing that could aid a famine-stricken people4 ,i see aged ,jacob1 one day1 seated in the front of his house4 ,he is probably thinking of his absent boys 7for sons1 however old they get1 are never to a father any more than boys72 and while he is seated there1 he sees dust arising1 and he hears wagons rumbling1 and he wonders what is coming now1 for the whole land had been smitten with the famine1 and was in silence4 ,but after a while the wagons have come near enough1 and he sees his sons on the wagons1 and before they come quite up1 they shout3 8,joseph is yet alive60 ,the old man faints dead away4 ,i do not wonder at it4 ,the boys now tell the story how that the boy1 the long-absent ,joseph1 has got to be the first man in the ,egyptian palace4 ,while they unload the wagons1 the wan and wasted creatures in the neighborhood come up and ask for a handful of corn1 and they are satisfied4 ,one day the wagons are brought up1 for ,jacob1 the old father1 is about to go to see ,joseph in the ,egyptian palace4 ,you know1 it is not a very easy thing to transplant an old tree2 and ,jacob has hard work to get away from the place where he has lived so long4 ,he finally bids good-by to the old place1 and leaves his blessing with the neighbors2 and then his sons steady him1 while he1 still determined to help himself1 gets into the wagon--stiff1 old and decrepit4 ,yonder they go--,jacob and his sons1 his sons' wives and their children1 eighty-two in all--followed by herds and flocks1 which the herdsmen drive along4 ,they are going out from famine to luxuriance2 they are going from a plain country home to the finest palace under the sun4 ,joseph1 the prime minister1 gets into his chariot and is driven down to meet the old man4 ,joseph's charioteer holds up the horses on the one side2 the dust-covered wagons of the emigrants stop on the other4 ,joseph1 instead of waiting for his father to come1 leaps out of the chariot and jumps into the emigrants' wagon1 throws his arms around the old man1 and weeps aloud for past memories and present joy4 ,the father1 ,jacob1 can hardly think it is his boy4 ,why1 the smooth brow of childhood has now become a wrinkled brow--wrinkled with the cares of state--and the garb of the shepherd boy has become a robe royally bedizened6 ,but as the old man finally realizes that it is actually ,joseph1 ,i see the thin lip quiver against the toothless gum1 as he cries out3 8,now let me die1 since ,i have seen thy face2 behold1 ,joseph is yet alive60 ,,lazarus4 ,we stand in one of the finest private houses of the olden time4 ,every room is luxurious4 ,the floor--made of stones1 gypsum1 coal and chalk1 pounded together--is hard and beautiful4 ,from the roof1 surrounded by a balustrade1 you take in all the beauty of the landscape4 ,the porch is cool and refreshing1 where sit the people who have come in to look at the building1 and are waiting for the usher4 ,in this place you hear the crystal plash of the fountains4 ,the windows1 reaching to the floor and adorned1 are quiet places to lounge in2 and we sit here1 listening to the stamp of the horses in the princely stables4 ,venison and partridge1 delicate morsels of fatted calf1 and honey1 figs1 dates1 pomegranates and fish that only two hours ago glided in the lake1 and bowls of fine sherbet from ,egypt--these make up the feast1 accompanied with riddles and jests that evoke roaring laughter1 with occasional outbursts of music1 in which harps thrum and cymbals clap and shepherd's pipe whistles4 ,what a place to sit in6 ,the lord of the place1 in dress that changes with every whim1 lies on a lounge1 stupid from stuffed digestion4 ,his linen is so fine1 ,i wonder who washed it and who ironed it4 ,his jewels are the brightest1 his purple the rarest4 ,let him lie perfectly quiet a moment1 until we take his photograph4 ,here we have it3 8,a certain rich man1 which was clothed in purple and fine linen1 and fared sumptuously every day40 ,how accurate the picture6 ,you can see every pleat in the linen and every wrinkle in the shirt4 ,what more could that man have8 ,my lord1 be happy6 ,after a while he leans over the balustrade1 and says to a friend in shining apparel3 8,look at that fellow--lying at my gate6 ,i wonder why the porter allows him to lie there4 ,how disgusting6 ,but our dogs will be let out of the kennel very soon1 and will clear him out40 ,yes1 they bound toward him4 8,take hold of him60 cries the rich man from the balustrade4 ,the dogs go at the beggar with terrible bark2 then take lower growling2 then stop to yawn2 and at the coaxing tone of the poor wretch1 they frisk about him1 and put their soft1 healing tongues to his ulcers1 driving off the flies and relieving the insufferable itch and sting of wounds which could not afford salve or bandage4 ,lazarus has friends at last4 ,they will for a while keep off the insults of the street1 and will defend their patient4 ,that man is far from friendless who has a good dog to stand by him4 ,dogs are often not so mean as are their masters4 ,they will not be allowed to enter into ,heaven1 but may they not be allowed to lie down at the gate8 ,john says of the door of ,heaven3 8,without are dogs40 ,but what is the matter with that beggar8 ,he lies over1 now1 with his face exposed to the sun4 ,lazarus1 get up6 ,he responds not4 ,poor fellow1 he is dead6 ,two men appointed by the town come to carry him out to the fields4 ,they dig a hole1 drop him in and cover him up4 ,people say3 8,one more nuisance got rid of40 ,aha6 ,that is not ,lazarus whom they buried2 they buried only his sores4 ,yonder goes ,lazarus--an angel on his right hand1 an angel on his left1 carrying him up the steep of ,heaven--talking1 praising1 rejoicing4 ,good old ,abraham stands at the gate1 and throws his arms around the new comer4 ,now ,lazarus has his own fine house1 and his own robes1 and his own banquet1 and his own chariot2 and that poor and sickly carcass of his1 that the overseers of the town dumped in the potter's field1 will come up at the call of the archangel--straight1 pure and healthy--corruption having become incorruption4 ,now1 we will go back a minute to the fine ,oriental house that we spoke of4 ,the lord of the place has been receiving visitors today1 as the doorkeeper introduced them4 ,after a while there is a visitor who waits not for the porter to open the gate1 nor for the doorkeeper to introduce him4 ,who is it coming8 ,stop him there at the door6 ,how dare he come in unheralded8 ,he walks into the room1 and the lord cries out1 with terror-stricken face3 8,this is ,death6 ,away with him60 ,there is a hard thump on the floor4 ,is it a pitcher that has fallen8 ,an ottoman upset8 ,no4 ,dives has fallen4 ,dives is dead4 ,the excitement in town is great4 ,the grooms rush from the barns to see4 ,all the great folk of the neighborhood1 who used to sit at his dinners1 come in4 ,the grocer from whom he got his spices1 the butcher from whom he got his meats and the clothier from whom he got his garments come to find out all about it4 ,the day of burial has arrived4 ,dives is carried down out of his splendid room1 and through the porch into the street4 ,the undertaker will make a big job of it1 for there is plenty to pay4 ,there will be high eulogies of him pronounced1 although the ,bible represents him as chiefly distinguished for his enormous appetite and his fine shirt4 ,the long procession moves on1 amid the accustomed weeping and howling of ,oriental obsequies4 ,the sepulcher is reached4 ,six persons1 carrying the body1 go carefully down the steps leading to the door of the dead4 ,the weight of the body on those ahead is heavy1 and they hold back4 ,the relics are left in the sepulcher1 and the people return4 ,but ,dives is not buried there4 ,that which they buried is only the shell in which he lived4 ,dives is down yonder in a deeper grave4 ,he who had all the wine he could drink asks for a plainer beverage4 ,he wants water4 ,he does not ask for a cupful1 nor even for a teaspoonful1 but 8just one drop10 and he can not get it4 ,he looks up and sees ,lazarus1 the very man whom he set his dogs on1 and wants him to put his finger into water and let him lick it off4 ,once ,lazarus wanted just the crumbs from ,dives' feast2 now ,dives wants just a drop from ,lazarus' banquet4 ,poor as poor can be6 ,he has eaten his last quail's wing4 ,he has broken the rind of his last pomegranate4 ,dives the lord has become ,dives the pauper4 ,the dogs of remorse and despair come not with healing tongue to lick1 but with relentless muzzle to tear4 ,now ,dives sits at the gate in everlasting beggary1 while ,lazarus1 amid the festivities of ,heaven1 fares sumptuously every day4 ,you see that this parable takes in the distant future1 and speaks as though the resurrection were passed and the body of ,lazarus had already joined his spirit1 and so ,i treat it4 ,well1 you see a man may be beggared for this life1 but be a prince in eternity4 ,a cluster of old rags was the entire property of ,lazarus4 ,his bare feet and his ulcered legs were an invitation to the brutes2 his food the broken victuals that were pitched out by the house-keeper--half-chewed crusts1 rinds1 peelings1 bones and gristle--about the last creature out of which to make a prince--yet for eighteen hundred years he has been one of the millionaires of ,heaven4 ,no more waiting for crumbs4 ,he sits at the same table with the kings of eternity1 himself one of them4 ,what were the forty years of his poverty compared with the long ages of his royalty8 ,let all the ,christian poor be comforted4 ,your good days will be after a while4 ,stand it a little longer1 and you will be all right4 ,god has a place for you among the principalities4 ,do not be afraid of the dogs of distress1 for they will not bite2 they will help to heal4 ,your poverty may sometimes have led you to doubt whether you will have a decent funeral4 ,you shall have grander obsequies than many a man who is carried out by a procession of governors and senators4 ,the pall-bearers will be the angels that carried ,lazarus into ,abraham's bosom4 ,the surveyors have been busy4 ,your eternal possessions have been already laid out by ,god's surveyors1 and the stake that bounds the property on this side is driven into the top of your grave1 and all beyond is yours4 ,you can afford to wear poor clothes now1 when for you in the upper wardrobes is folded up the royal purple4 ,you can afford to have coarse food here1 when your bread is to be made from the finest wheat of the eternal harvests4 ,cheer up6 ,weeping may endure for a night1 but joy cometh in the morning4 ,see1 also1 that a man may have every comfort and luxury here1 and yet come to a wretched future4 ,it is no sin to be rich4 ,it is a sin not to be rich1 if we can be rich honestly4 ,i wish ,i had five hundred thousand dollars--,i suppose ,i might as well make it a million4 ,i see so much suffering and trial every day that ,i say1 again and again1 ,i wish ,i had the money to relieve it4 ,but alas for the man who has nothing but money6 ,dives' house had a front door and a back door1 and they both opened into eternity4 ,sixty seconds after ,dives was gone1 of what use were his horses8 ,he could not ride them4 ,of what use were his rich viands8 ,he could not open his clenched teeth to eat them4 ,of what use were his fine linen shirts1 when he could not wear them8 ,the poorest man who stood along the road1 watching the funeral procession of ,dives1 owned more of this world than did the dead gormandizer4 ,the future world was all the darker because of the brightness of this4 ,that wife of a drunken husband1 if she does wrong and loses her soul1 will not find it so intolerable in hell as others1 for she has been in hell ever since she was married1 and is partially used to it4 ,but this rich man1 ,dives1 had every thing once--now nothing4 ,he once had the best wine2 now he can not get water4 ,he had1 like other affluent persons of the ,east1 slaves to fan him when he was hot2 now he is being consumed4 ,he can afford no covering so good as the old patches that once fluttered about ,lazarus as he went walking in the wind4 ,who among my hearers will take ,dives' fine house1 costly plate1 dazzling equipage and kennel of blooded dogs1 if his eternity must be thrown in with it8 ,,noah4 ,noah did the best and the worst thing for the world4 ,he built an ark against the deluge of water1 but he also introduced a deluge against which the human race has ever since been trying to build an ark--the deluge of drunkenness4 ,in the opening chapters of the ,bible we can hear his staggering steps4 ,shem and ,japhet tried to cover up the disgrace1 but there is ,noah--drunk on wine at a time in the history of the world when1 to say the least1 there was no lack of water4 ,inebriation1 having flooded the world1 has never receded4 ,abigail1 the fair and heroic wife who saved the flocks of ,nabal1 her husband1 from confiscation by invaders1 goes home at night and finds him so intoxicated she can not tell him the story of his narrow escape4 ,uriah came to see ,david1 and ,david got him drunk1 and paved the way for the despoliation of his household4 ,even the church bishops needed to be charged to be sober and not given to too much wine2 and so familiar were the people of ,bible times with the staggering and falling motions of the inebriate1 that ,isaiah1 when he comes to describe the final dislocation of worlds1 says3 8,the ,earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard40 ,,othniel4 ,the city of ,debir was the ,boston of antiquity--a great place for brains and books4 ,caleb wanted it1 and he offered his daughter ,achsah as a prize to any one who would besiege or storm and capture that city4 ,it was a strange thing for ,caleb to do2 and yet the man who could take the city would have1 at any rate1 two elements of manhood--bravery and patriotism4 ,besides1 ,i do not think that ,caleb was as foolish in offering his daughter to the conqueror of ,debir as thousands in this day who seek alliances for their children with those who have large means1 without any reference to moral or mental acquirements4 ,of the two evils1 ,i would rather measure happiness by the length of the sword than by the length of the pocket-book4 ,in one case there is sure to be one good element of character2 in the other1 there may be none at all4 ,with ,caleb's daughter as a prize to fight for1 ,general ,othniel rode into the battle4 ,the gates of ,debir were thundered into the dust1 and the city of books lay at the feet of the conquerors4 ,the work done1 ,othniel comes back to claim his bride4 ,having conquered the city1 it is no great job for him to conquer the girl's heart2 for1 however faint-hearted a woman herself may be1 she always loves courage in a man4 ,i never saw an exception to that4 ,the wedding festivity having gone by1 ,othniel and ,achsah are about to go to their new home4 ,however loudly the cymbals may clash and the laughter ring1 the parents are always sad when a fondly cherished daughter goes away to stay2 and ,achsah1 the daughter of ,caleb1 knows that now is the time to ask almost any thing she wants of her father4 ,it seems that ,caleb1 the good old man1 had given as a wedding present to his daughter a piece of land that was mountainous1 and1 sloping southward toward the deserts of ,arabia1 it was swept by some very hot winds4 ,it was called 8a south land40 ,but ,achsah wants an addition of property2 she desires a piece of land that is well watered and fertile4 ,now1 it is no wonder that ,caleb1 standing amid the bridal party1 his eyes so full of tears because his daughter was going away that he could hardly see her at all1 gives her more than she asks4 ,she said to him3 8,thou hast given me a south land2 give me also springs of water40 ,and he gave her the upper springs and the nether springs4 ,that passage occurs in the fifteenth chapter of the ,book of ,joshua1 nineteenth verse1 but ,i never saw it till a little while ago2 and as ,i came upon it ,i said3 8,if ,god will give me grace1 ,i shall preach a sermon on that before long40 ,the fact is that1 as ,caleb1 the father1 gave ,achsah1 the daughter1 a south land1 so ,god gives to us ,his world4 ,i am very thankful that ,he has given it to us4 ,but ,i am like ,achsah in the fact that ,i am not satisfied with the portion4 ,trees1 flowers1 grasses and blue skies are very well in their places2 but he who has naught except this world for a portion has no portion at all4 ,it is a mountainous land1 sloping off toward the desert of sorrow1 swept by fiery siroccos4 ,it is 8a south land0--a poor portion for any man who tries to put trust in it4 ,,paul4 ,the ,damascus of ,bible times still stands1 with a population of #ace1jjj people4 ,it was a gay city of white and glistering architecture1 its minarets and crescents and domes playing with the light of the morning sun2 embowered in groves of olive1 citron1 orange and pomegranate2 a famous river plunging its brightness into the scene--a city by the ancients styled 8a pearl surrounded by emeralds40 ,a group of horsemen are advancing upon that city4 ,let the ,christians of the place hide1 for that cavalcade coming over the hills is made up of persecutors4 ,their leader is small of stature and unattractive in some respects1 as leaders sometimes are insignificant in person--witness the ,duke of ,wellington and ,dr4 ,archibald ,alexander4 ,but there is something very intent in the eye of the man at the head of this troop1 and the horse he rides is lathered with the foam of a long and a quick travel of #ace miles4 ,he cries 8,go 'long0 to his steed1 for those ,christians must be captured and must be silenced1 and that religion of the cross must be annihilated4 ,suddenly the horses shy off1 and plunge until their riders are precipitated4 ,freed from their riders1 the horses bound snorting away4 ,you know that dumb animals1 at the sight of an eclipse or an earthquake1 or any thing like a supernatural appearance1 sometimes become very uncontrollable4 ,a new sun had been kindled in the heavens1 putting out the glare of the ordinary sun4 ,christ1 with the glories of ,heaven wrapped about ,him1 looked out from a cloud and the splendor was insufferable1 and no wonder the horses sprang and the equestrians dropped4 ,dust-covered and bruised1 ,saul attempts to get up1 shading his eyes with his hand from the severe luster of the heavens1 but unsuccessfully1 for he is struck stone blind as he cries out3 8,who art ,thou1 ,lord80 ,jesus answered him3 8,i am the ,one you have been chasing4 ,he that whips and scourges those ,damascine ,christians whips and scourges ,me4 ,it is not their back that is bleeding2 it is ,mine4 ,it is not their heart that is breaking2 it is ,mine4 ,i am ,jesus1 whom thou persecutest40 ,from that wild1 exciting and overwhelming scene there rises up the greatest preacher of all ages--,paul2 in whose behalf prisons were rocked down1 before whom soldiers turned pale1 into whose hand ,mediterranean sea captains put control of their shipwrecking craft1 and whose epistles are the advance courier of the ,resurrection ,day4 ,i learn1 first1 from this scene that a worldly fall may precede a spiritual uplifting4 ,a man does not get much sympathy by falling off a horse4 ,people say he ought not to have got into the saddle if he could not ride4 ,those of us who were brought up in the country remember well how the workmen laughed when1 on our way back from the brook1 we suddenly lost our ride4 ,at the close of the great ,civil ,war1 when the army passed in review at ,washington1 if a general had toppled from the stirrups it would have been a national merriment4 ,here is ,paul on horseback--a proud man1 riding on with government documents in his pocket1 a graduate of a most famous school in which the celebrated ,dr4 ,gamaliel had been a professor1 perhaps having already attained two of the three titles of the school3 ,rab1 the first2 ,rabbi1 the second2 and was on his way to ,rabbak1 the third and highest title4 ,i know from ,paul's temperament that his horse was ahead of the other horses4 ,but without time to think of what posture he should take1 or without any consideration for his dignity1 he is tumbled into the dust4 ,and yet that was the best ride ,paul ever took4 ,out of that violent fall he arose into the apostleship4 ,so it has been in all the ages1 and so it is now4 ,you will never be worth any thing for ,god and the ,church until you lose fifty thousand dollars1 or have your reputation upset1 or in some way1 somehow1 are thrown and humiliated4 ,you must go down before you go up4 ,joseph finds his path to the ,egyptian court through the pit into which his brothers threw him4 ,daniel would never have walked amid the bronze lions that adorned the ,babylonish throne if he had not first walked amid the real lions of the cave4 ,paul marshals all the generations of ,christendom by falling flat on his face on the road to ,damascus4 ,men who have been always prosperous may be efficient servants of the world1 but will be of no advantage to ,christ4 ,you may ride majestically seated on your charger1 rein in hand1 foot in stirrup1 but you will never be worth any thing spiritually until you fall off4 ,they who graduate from the ,school of ,christ with the highest honors have on their diploma the seal of a lion's muddy paw1 or the plash of an angry wave1 or the drop of a stray tear1 or the brown scorch of a persecuting fire4 ,in nine hundred and ninety-nine cases out of the thousand there is no moral or spiritual elevation until there has been a thorough worldly upsetting4 ,again1 ,i learn from the subject that the religion of ,christ is not a pusillanimous thing4 ,people of this day try to make us believe that ,christianity is something for men of small caliber1 for women with no capacity to reason1 for children in the infant class1 under six years of age1 but not for stalwart men4 ,look at this man who is mentioned in the ninth chapter of the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,do you not think that the religion that could capture such a man as that must have some power in it8 ,paul was a logician2 he was a metaphysician2 he was an all-conquering orator2 he was a poet of the highest type4 ,he had a nature that could swamp the leading men of his own day1 and1 hurled against the ,sanhedrim1 he made it tremble4 ,paul learned all he could get in the school of his immediate vicinity2 then he went to a higher school1 and there mastered the ,greek and the ,hebrew1 and also perfected himself in belles-lettres1 until in after years he astonished the ,cretans1 the ,corinthians and the ,athenians by quotations from their own authors4 ,i have never found any thing in ,carlyle or ,goethe or ,herbert ,spencer that could compare in strength or in beauty with ,paul's ,epistles4 ,i do not think there is any thing in the writings of ,sir ,william ,hamilton that shows such mental discipline as you find in ,paul's argument about justification and the resurrection4 ,i have not found any thing in ,milton finer in the way of imagination than ,i can find in ,paul's illustrations drawn from the amphitheater4 ,there was nothing in ,robert ,emmet pleading for his life1 or in ,edmund ,burke arraigning ,warren ,hastings in ,westminster ,hall1 that compared with the scene in the court room when1 before robed officials1 ,paul bowed and began his speech1 saying3 8,i think myself happy1 ,king ,agrippa1 because ,i shall answer for myself this day40 ,i repeat the assertion that a religion that can capture such a man as that must have some power in it4 ,it is time people stopped talking as though all the brains of the world were opposed to ,christianity4 ,where ,paul leads we can afford to follow4 ,i am glad to know that ,christ has in the different ages of the world had in ,his discipleship a ,mozart and a ,handel in music2 a ,raphael and a ,reynolds in painting2 an ,angelo and a ,canova in sculpture2 a ,rush and a ,harvey in medicine2 a ,grotius and a ,washington in statesmanship2 a ,blackstone1 a ,marshall and a ,kent in law4 ,the time will come when the religion of ,christ will conquer all the observatories and universities1 and then1 through her telescope ,philosophy will behold the morning star of ,jesus1 and in her laboratory see that 8all things work together for good10 and with her geological hammer discover the 8,rock of ,ages40 ,instead of cowering and shivering when the skeptic stands before you and talks of religion as though it were a pusillanimous thing1 take your ,new ,testament from your pocket and show him the picture of the intellectual giant of all the ages1 prostrated on the road to ,damascus1 while his horse is flying wildly away4 ,then ask the skeptic what it was that frightened the one and threw the other4 ,oh1 no6 ,it is no weak ,gospel4 ,it is a most glorious ,gospel4 ,it is an all-conquering ,gospel4 ,it is an omnipotent ,gospel4 ,it is the power of ,god and the wisdom of ,god unto salvation4 ,jesus and ,paul were boys at the same time in different villages1 and ,paul's antipathy to ,christ was increasing4 ,he hated every thing about ,christ4 ,he was going down then with writs in his pockets to have ,christ's disciples arrested4 ,he was not going as a sheriff goes--to arrest a man against whom he has no spite--but ,paul was going down to arrest those people because he was glad to arrest them4 ,the ,bible says3 8,he breathed out slaughter40 ,he wanted them captured1 and he also wanted them butchered4 ,it was particularly outrageous that ,saul should have gone to ,damascus on that errand4 ,jesus ,christ had been dead only three years1 and the story of ,his kindness1 generosity and love filled all the air4 ,it was not an old story1 as it is now4 ,it was a new story4 ,jesus had only three ,summers ago been in these very places1 and ,saul every day in ,jerusalem must have met people who knew ,christ1 people with good eyesight whom ,jesus had cured of blindness1 people who were dead and had been resurrected by the ,savior1 and people who could tell ,paul all the particulars of the crucifixion--just how ,jesus looked to the last hour--just how the heavens grew black in the face at the torture4 ,he heard that recited every day by people who were acquainted with all the circumstances1 and yet in the fresh memory of that scene he goes out to persecute ,christ's disciples1 impatient at the time it takes to feed the horses at the inn1 not pulling at the snaffle1 but riding with loose rein--faster and faster4 ,truly1 ,paul was the chief of sinners4 ,no outbreak of modesty when he said that4 ,he was a murderer4 ,he stood by when ,stephen died1 and helped in the execution of that good man4 ,when the rabble wanted to be unimpeded in their work of destroying ,stephen1 and wanted to take off their coats but did not dare to lay them down lest they be stolen1 ,paul said3 8,i will take care of the coats40 ,so they put their coats down at the feet of ,paul1 and he watched them1 and he watched the horrid mangling of glorious ,stephen4 ,is it not a wonder that when ,paul fell from the horse he did not break his neck--that his foot did not catch somewhere in the trappings of the saddle1 and he was not dragged and kicked to death8 ,he deserved to die--miserably1 wretchedly and for ever--notwithstanding all his metaphysics1 eloquence and logic4 ,it seems to me as if ,i can see ,paul today1 rising up from the highway to ,damascus1 brushing off the dust from his cloak and wiping the sweat of excitement from his brow1 as he turns to us and all the ages1 saying3 8,this is a faithful saying1 and worthy of all acceptation1 that ,christ ,jesus came into the world to save sinners1 of whom ,i am chief40 ,if it had been a mere optical illusion on the road to ,damascus1 was not ,paul just the man to find it out8 ,if it had been a sham and pretense1 would he not have pricked the bubble8 ,he was a man of facts and arguments1 of the most gigantic intellectual nature1 and not a man of hallucinations2 and when ,i see him fall from the saddle1 blinded and overwhelmed1 ,i say there must have been something in it4 ,i have been reading this morning1 in my ,new ,testament1 of a ,mediterranean voyage in an ,alexandrian ship4 ,it was in the month of ,november4 ,on board that vessel were two distinguished passengers--one1 ,josephus1 the historian1 as we have strong reasons to believe2 the other1 a convict1 one ,paul by name1 who was going to prison for upsetting things--or1 as they termed it1 8turning the world upside down40 ,this convict had gained the confidence of the captain4 ,indeed1 ,i think that ,paul knew almost as much about the sea as did the captain4 ,he had been shipwrecked three times already1 and had dwelt much of his life amid capstans1 yardarms1 cables and storms1 and he knew what he was talking about4 ,seeing the equinoctial storm was coming1 and perhaps noticing something unseaworthy in the vessel1 he advised the captain to stay in the harbor4 ,but ,i heard the captain and the first mate talking together4 ,they say1 in effect3 8,we can not afford to take the advice of this landsman1 and he a minister4 ,he may be able to preach very well1 but ,i do not believe he knows a marlinespike from a luff tackle4 ,all aboard6 ,cast off6 ,shift the helm for headway4 ,who fears the ,mediterranean80 ,they had gone only a little way out when a whirlwind1 called ,euroclydon1 made the torn sail its turban1 shook the mast as you would brandish a spear1 and tossed the hulk into the heavens4 ,overboard with the cargo6 ,it is all washed with salt water and worthless now1 and there are no marine insurance companies4 ,all hands1 ahoy1 and out with the anchors6 ,great consternation comes on crew and passengers4 ,the sea monsters snort in the foam1 and the billows clap their hands in glee of destruction4 ,in the lull of the storm ,i hear a chain clank4 ,it is the chain of the great apostle as he walks the deck or holds fast to the rigging amid the lurching of the ship4 ,the spray drips from his long beard as ,paul cries out to the crew1 in tones of confidence3 8,now1 ,i exhort you to be of good cheer1 for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you1 but of the ship4 ,for there stood by me this night the angel of ,god--whose ,i am and whom ,i serve--saying3 #8,fear not1 ,paul4 ,thou must be brought before ,csar2 and lo1 ,god hath given thee all them that sail with thee4'0 ,fourteen days have passed1 and there is no abatement of the storm4 ,it is midnight4 ,standing on the lookout1 the man peers into the darkness1 and1 by a flash of lightning1 sees the long white line of breakers1 and knows they must be coming near to some country1 and fears that in a few moments the vessel will be shivered on the rocks4 ,the ship flies like chaff in the tornado4 ,they drop the sounding line1 and by the light of the lantern they see it is twenty fathoms4 ,speeding along a little farther1 they drop the line again1 and by the light of the lantern they see it is fifteen fathoms4 ,two hundred and seventy-six souls within a few feet of awful shipwreck6 ,the managers of the vessel1 pretending they want to look over the side of the ship and undergird it1 get into the small boat1 expecting in it to escape2 but ,paul sees through the sham1 and he tells them that if they go off in the boat it will be the death of them4 ,the vessel strikes6 ,the planks spring6 ,the timbers crack6 ,the vessel parts in the thundering surge6 ,oh1 what struggling for life6 ,here they leap from plank to plank4 ,there they go under as if they would never rise1 but1 catching hold of a timber1 they come floating and panting on it to the beach4 ,here strong swimmers spread their arms through the waves until their chins plow the sand1 and they rise up1 and ring out their wet locks on the beach4 ,when the roll of the ship is called1 two hundred and seventy-six people answer to their names4 ,paul was the most illustrious merely human being the world has ever known4 ,he walked the streets of ,athens and preached from yonder pile of rocks1 ,mars ,hill4 ,though more classic associations are connected with ,athens than with any other city under the sun--because here ,socrates1 ,plato1 ,aristotle1 ,demosthenes1 ,pericles1 ,herodotus1 ,pythagoras1 ,xenophon and ,praxiteles wrote1 chiseled1 taught1 thundered or sung--yet1 in my mind1 all those men and their teachings were eclipsed by ,paul and the ,gospel he preached there and in the near-by city of ,corinth4 ,standing yesterday on the old fortress at ,corinth1 the ,acro-,corinthus1 out from the ruin at its base arose in my imagination the old city--just as ,paul saw it4 ,i have been told that1 for splendor1 the world beholds no such wonder today as that ancient ,corinth1 standing on an isthmus washed by two seas--the one sea bringing the commerce of ,europe1 the other sea bringing the commerce of ,asia4 ,from her wharves1 in the construction of which entire kingdoms had been absorbed1 war galleys with three banks of oars pushed out and confounded the navy yards of all the world4 ,huge handed machinery1 such as modern invention can not equal1 lifted ships from the sea on one side and transported them on trucks across the isthmus and sat them down in the sea on the other side4 ,the revenue officers of the city went down through the olive groves that lined the beach to collect a tariff from all nations4 ,the youth of all peoples sported in her isthmian games and the beauty of all lands sat in her theaters1 walked her porticos and threw itself upon the altar of her stupendous dissipations4 ,column1 statue and temple bewildered the beholder4 ,there were white marble fountains into which1 from apertures at the side1 there gushed waters everywhere known for health-giving qualities4 ,around these basins1 twisted into wreaths of stone1 there were all the beauties of sculpture and architecture2 while standing1 as if to guard the costly display1 was a statue of ,hercules of burnished ,corinthian brass4 ,vases of terra cotta adorned the cemeteries of the dead--vases so costly that ,julius ,csar was not satisfied till he had captured them for ,rome4 ,armed officials paced up and down to see that no statue was defaced1 pedestal overthrown or bas-relief touched4 ,from the edge of the city the hill held its magnificent burden of columns and towers and temples 7one thousand slaves waiting at one shrine71 and a citadel so thoroughly impregnable that ,gibraltar is a heap of sand compared with it4 ,amid all that strength and magnificence ,corinth stood and defied the world4 ,oh1 it was not to rustics who had never seen any thing grand that ,paul preached in ,corinth4 ,they had heard the best music that had come from the best instruments in all the world2 they had heard songs floating from morning porticos and melting in evening groves2 they had passed their whole lives among pictures and sculpture and architecture and ,corinthian brass1 which had been molded and shaped until there was no chariot wheel in which it had not sped1 and no tower in which it had not glittered1 and no gateway that it had not helped to adorn4 ,ah1 it was a bold act for ,paul to stand there amid all that and say3 8,all this is nothing4 ,these sounds that come from the ,temple of ,neptune are not music1 compared with the harmonies of which ,i speak4 ,these waters rushing in the basin of ,pyrene are not pure4 ,these statues of ,bacchus and ,mercury are not exquisite4 ,your citadel of ,acro-,corinthus is not strong1 compared with that which ,i offer to the poorest slave who puts down his burden at that brazen gate4 ,you ,corinthians think this is a splendid city2 you think you have heard all sweet sounds and seen all beautiful sights4 ,but1 ,i tell you1 eye hath not seen nor ear heard1 neither have entered into the heart of man1 the things which ,god hath prepared for them that love ,him40 ,following up ,paul's line of thought1 we may say the ,bible1 now1 is the scaffolding to the rising ,temple1 but when the building is done there will be no further use for the scaffolding4 ,,pharaoh4 ,one of the most intensely interesting things ,i saw in ,egypt was ,pharaoh of olden times--the very ,pharaoh who oppressed the ,israelites4 ,the inscription on his sarcophagus and the writing on his mummy bandages prove beyond controversy that he was the ,pharaoh of ,bible times4 ,all the ,egyptologists and the explorations agree that it is the old scoundrel himself4 ,visible are the very teeth with which he gnashed against the ,israelitish brick makers4 ,there are the sockets of the merciless eyes with which he looked upon the over-burdened people of ,god4 ,there is the hair that floated in the breeze off the ,red ,sea4 ,there are the very lips with which he commanded the children of ,israel to make bricks without straw4 ,thousands of years afterward1 when the wrappings of the mummy were unrolled1 old ,pharaoh lifted up his arm as if in imploration2 but his skinny bones can not again clutch his shattered scepter4 ,he is a dead lion4 ,,pontius ,,pilate4 ,at about seven o'clock in the morning1 up the marble stairs of a palace and across the floors of richest mosaic and under ceilings dyed with all the splendors of color and between snowbanks of white and glistening sculpture1 passes a poor1 pale and sick young man of thirty-three years1 already condemned to death1 on his way to be condemned again4 ,jesus of ,nazareth is ,his name4 ,coming out to meet him on this tesselated pavement is an unscrupulous1 compromising1 time-serving and cowardly man1 with a few traces of sympathy and fair dealing left in his composition--,governor ,pontius ,pilate4 ,did ever such opposites meet8 ,luxury and pain1 selfishness and generosity1 arrogance and humility1 sin and holiness1 midnight and midnoon4 ,the bloated-lipped governor takes the cushioned seat1 but the prisoner stands1 his wrists manacled4 ,in a semicircle around the prisoner are the ,sanhedrists1 with eyes flashing and fists brandished1 prosecuting this case in the name of their religion4 ,the most bitter persecutions have been religious persecutions1 and when ,satan takes hold of a good man he makes up by intensity for brevity of occupation4 ,if you have never seen an ecclesiastical court trying a man1 then you have no idea of the foaming infernalism of those old religious ,sanhedrists4 ,governor ,pilate cross-questions the prisoner1 and he finds right away that he is innocent2 so he wants to let him go4 ,his caution is also increased by some one who comes to the governor and whispers in his ear4 ,the governor puts his hand behind his ear1 so as to catch the words almost inaudible4 ,these whispered words are a message from ,claudia ,procula1 his wife1 who has had a dream about the innocence of this prisoner and about the danger of executing him1 and she awakens from this morning dream in time to send the message to her husband1 who was at that hour on the judicial bench4 ,and what with the protest of his wife1 the voice of his own conscience and the entire failure of the ,sanhedrists to make out their case ,governor ,pilate resolves to discharge the prisoner from custody4 ,but the intimation of such a thing brings upon the governor an equinoctial storm of indignation4 ,they will report him to the emperor at ,rome4 ,they will have him recalled4 ,they will send him up home1 and he will be hanged for treason1 for the emperor has already a suspicion in regard to ,pilate1 and that suspicion does not cease until ,pilate is banished and commits suicide4 ,so ,governor ,pontius ,pilate compromises the matter1 and proposes that ,christ be whipped instead of assassinated4 ,so the prisoner is fastened to a low pillar1 and on his bent and bared back come the thongs of leather1 with pieces of lead and bone intertwisted1 so that every stroke shall be the more awful4 ,christ lifts ,himself from the scourging with flushed cheek and torn and quivering and mangled flesh1 presenting a spectacle of suffering in which ,rubens1 the painter1 found the theme for his greatest masterpiece4 ,but the ,sanhedrists are not yet satisfied4 ,they have had some of the prisoner's nerves lacerated2 but they want them all lacerated4 ,they have had some of his blood2 now they want all of it1 down to the last corpuscle4 ,so ,governor ,pontius ,pilate1 after all this merciful hesitation1 surrenders to the demoniacal cry3 8,crucify him6 ,crucify him60 ,but the governor sends for something4 ,he sends a slave out to get something4 ,although the constables are in haste to take the prisoner to execution1 and the mob outside are impatient to glare upon their victim1 a pause is necessitated4 ,yonder it comes--a wash basin4 ,some pure1 bright water is poured into it1 and then ,governor ,pilate puts his white and delicate hands into the water and rubs them together1 and then lifts them dripping1 for the towel fastened at the slave's girdle1 while he practically says3 8,i wash my hands of this whole homicidal transaction4 ,i wash my hands of this entire responsibility4 ,you will have to bear it40 ,behold in this that ceremony amounts to nothing1 if there are not contained in it correspondences of heart and life4 ,it is a good thing to wash the hands4 ,god created three-fourths of the world water1 and in that act commanded cleanliness2 and when the ancients did not take the hint1 ,he plunged the whole world under water1 and kept it there for some time4 ,hand washing was a religious ceremony among the ,jews4 ,the ,jewish ,mishna gave particular directions how that the hands must be thrust three times up to the wrist in water1 and the palm of the hand must then be rubbed with the closed fist of the other4 ,all that was well enough for a symbol1 but here is a man in the case under consideration who proposes to wash away the guilt of a sin which he does not quit and of which he does not make any repentance4 ,pilate's wash basin was a dead failure4 ,ceremonies1 however beautiful and appropriate1 may be no more than this hypocritical ablution4 ,in infancy we may be sprinkled from the baptismal font1 and in manhood we may wade into deep immersion1 and yet never come to moral purification4 ,we may kneel without prayer and bow without reverence1 and sing without any acceptance4 ,all your creeds1 liturgies1 sacraments1 genuflections and religious convocations amount to nothing unless your heart-life go into them4 ,when that bronzed slave took from the presence of ,pilate that wash basin he carried away none of ,pilate's cruelty1 wickedness or guilt4 ,nothing against creeds2 we all have them--either written or implied4 ,nothing against ceremonies2 they are of infinite importance4 ,nothing against sacraments2 they are divinely commanded4 ,nothing against rosary1 if there be as many heartfelt prayers as beads counted4 ,nothing against incense floating up from censer amid ,gothic arches1 if the prayers be as genuine as the ceremony is sweet4 ,nothing against ,epiphany1 ,lent1 ,ash ,wednesday1 ,easter1 ,good ,friday1 ,whitsuntide or ,palm ,sunday1 if these symbols have behind them genuine repentance1 holy reminiscence and ,christian consecration4 ,but ceremony is only the sheath to the sword2 it is only the shell to the kernel2 it is only the lamp to the flame2 it is only the body to the spirit4 ,the outward must be symbolical of the inward4 ,wash the hands1 by all means2 but1 more than all1 wash the heart4 ,behold1 also1 as you see ,governor ,pontius ,pilate thrust his hands into his wash basin1 the power of conscience4 ,he had an idea there was blood on his hands--the blood of an innocent person1 whom he might have acquitted if he only had the courage4 ,poor ,pilate6 ,his conscience was after him1 and he knew the stain would never be washed from the right hand or the left hand2 that1 until the day of his death1 though he might wash in all the lavers of the ,roman ,empire1 there would be still eight fingers and two thumbs red at the tips4 ,alas for this ,governor ,pontius ,pilate6 ,that night1 after the court had adjourned and the ,sanhedrists had gone home and nothing was heard outside the room but the step of the sentinel1 ,i see ,pontius ,pilate arise from his tapestried and sleepless couch and go to the laver and begin to wash his hands1 crying3 8,out6 ,out1 crimson spot6 ,tellest thou to me and to ,god and to the night my crime8 ,is there no alkali to remove these dreadful stains8 ,is there no chemistry to dissolve this carnage8 ,must ,i to the day of my death carry the blood of this innocent man on my heart and hand8 ,out1 thou crimson spot60 ,against the disappointing and insufficient laver of ,pilate's vice1 cowardice and sin ,i place the brazen sea of a ,savior's pardoning mercy6 ,,queen ,,of ,,sheba4 ,what is that long procession approaching ,jerusalem8 ,i think1 from the pomp of it1 there must be royalty in the train4 ,i smell the breath of the spices which are brought as presents1 and ,i hear the shout of the drivers1 and ,i see the dust-covered caravan1 showing that they come from far away4 ,cry the news up to the palace3 8,the ,queen of ,sheba advances40 ,let all the people come out to see4 ,let the mighty men of the land come out on the palace corridors4 ,let ,king ,solomon come down the stairs of the palace before the ,queen has alighted4 ,shake out the cinnamon and the saffron1 the calamus and the frankincense1 and pass it into the treasure house4 ,take up the diamonds until they glitter in the sun6 ,the ,queen of ,sheba alights4 ,she enters the palace4 ,she washes at the bath4 ,she sits down at the banquet4 ,the cup bearers bow4 ,the meat smokes4 ,the music trembles in the dash of the waters from the modern sea4 ,then she rises from the banquet1 walks through the conservatories1 gazes on the architectural marvels1 and asks ,solomon many strange questions4 ,thus she learns about the religion of the ,hebrews1 and then and there she becomes a servant of ,jehovah4 ,the ,queen of ,sheba is overwhelmed4 ,she begins to think that all the spices that she brought1 and all the precious woods which are intended to be turned into harps and psalteries and into railings for the causeway between the ,temple and the palace and the #a1hjj1jjj in money--she begins to think that all these presents amount to nothing in such a palace2 and she is almost ashamed that she has brought them1 and she says within herself3 8,i heard a great deal about this place and about this wonderful religion of the ,hebrews1 but ,i find it far beyond my highest anticipations4 ,i must add more than #ej per cent to what has been related4 ,it exceeds every thing that could have been expected4 ,the half was not told me40 ,what a beautiful thing it is when social position and wealth surrender themselves to ,god6 ,when religion comes to a neighborhood1 the first to receive it are the women4 ,some men say it is because they are weak minded4 ,i say it is because they have quicker perception of what is right1 more ardent affection and capacity for sublimer emotion4 ,after the women have received the ,gospel1 then all the distressed and the poor of both sexes--those who have no friend except ,jesus4 ,last of all come the greatly prospered4 ,alas1 that it is so6 ,do you know where ,sheba was8 ,some say it was in ,abyssinia2 others say it was in the southern part of ,arabia ,felix4 ,in either case it was a great way off from ,jerusalem4 ,to get from there to ,jerusalem the ,queen of ,sheba had to cross a country infested with bandits and go across blistering deserts4 ,why did not the ,queen of ,sheba stay at home and send a committee to inquire about this new religion1 and have the delegates report in regard to that religion and wealth of ,king ,solomon8 ,she wanted to see for herself and hear for herself4 ,she could not do this by work of committee4 ,she felt that she had a soul worth ten thousand kingdoms like ,sheba1 and she wanted a robe richer than any woven by ,oriental shuttles1 and she wanted a crown set with the jewels of eternity4 ,bring out the camels4 ,put on the spices4 ,gather up the jewels of the throne and put them on the caravan4 ,start now--no time is to be lost4 ,goad on the camels4 ,when ,i see that caravan--dust-covered1 weary and exhausted--trudging on across the desert and among the banditti until it reaches ,jerusalem1 ,i say3 8,there is an earnest seeker after truth40 ,,salome4 ,this is the anniversary of ,herod's birthday4 ,the palace is lighted4 ,the highways leading thereto are all ablaze with the pomp of invited guests4 ,lords1 captains1 merchant princes1 and all the mighty men of the land are coming to mingle in the festivities4 ,the table is spread with all the luxuries that royal purveyors can gather4 ,the guests1 white robed and anointed and perfumed1 come and sit at the table4 ,music6 ,the jests evoke roars of laughter4 ,riddles are propounded4 ,repartee is indulged4 ,toasts are drank4 ,the brain is befogged4 ,the wit rolls on into uproar and blasphemy4 ,they are not satisfied yet4 ,turn on more light4 ,pour out more wine4 ,music6 ,sound all the trumpets4 ,clear the floor for a dance4 ,bring in ,salome1 the beautiful and accomplished princess4 ,the door opens1 and in bounds the dancer4 ,the lords are enchanted4 ,stand back and make room for the brilliant gyrations4 ,these men never saw such 8poetry of motion40 ,their souls whirl in the reel and bound with the bounding feet4 ,herod forgets crown and throne and every thing but the fascinations of ,salome4 ,all the magnificence of his realm is as nothing compared with the splendor that whirls on tiptoe before him4 ,his body sways from side to side1 corresponding with the motions of the enchantress4 ,his soul is filled with the pulsations of the feet and bewitched with the taking postures and attitudes more and more amazing4 ,after a while ,herod sits in enchanted silence1 looking at the flashing1 leaping1 bouncing beauty1 and as the dance closes and the tinkling cymbals cease to clap and the thunders of applause that shook the palace begin to abate1 the enchanted monarch swears to the princely performer3 8,whatsoever thou shalt ask of me ,i will give it thee1 to the half of my kingdom40 ,now1 there was in the prison at that time a minister of the ,gospel by the name of ,john the ,baptist1 and he had been making a great deal of trouble by preaching some very plain sermons4 ,he had denounced the sins of the king and brought down upon him the wrath of the women of the royal household4 ,at the instigation of her mother1 ,salome takes advantage of the extravagant promise of the king1 and says3 8,bring me the head of ,john the ,baptist on a dinner plate40 ,hark to the sound of feet outside the door and the clatter of swords6 ,the executioners are returning from their awful errand4 ,open the door4 ,they enter and present the platter to ,salome4 ,what is on this platter8 ,a new glass of wine to continue the uproarious merriment8 ,no4 ,something redder and far more costly--the ghastly1 bleeding head of ,john the ,baptist4 ,the death glare is still in the eyes2 the locks are all dabbled with gore2 the features are still distressed with the last agony4 ,salome1 this enchantress who had whirled so gracefully in the dance1 bends over the awful burden without a shudder4 ,she gloats over the blood1 and with as much indifference as a waiting maid might take a tray of empty glassware out of the room after an entertainment ,salome carries the dissevered head of ,john the ,baptist1 while all the banqueters shout with laughter4 ,they regarded it as a capital joke that in so easy and quick a way they have got rid of an earnest and outspoken minister of the true ,gospel4 ,well1 there is no harm in a birthday festival4 ,all the kings from ,pharaoh's time had celebrated such occasions1 and why not ,herod8 ,no harm in kindling the lights4 ,no harm in spreading the banquet4 ,no harm in arousing music4 ,but from the riot and wassail that closed the scene of that day every pure nature revolts4 ,,saul4 ,the ,amalekites thought they had conquered ,god1 and that ,he would not carry into execution ,his threats against them4 ,they had murdered the ,israelites in battle and out of battle1 and had left no outrage untried4 ,for four hundred years this had been going on1 and they said3 8,god either dare not punish us1 or ,he has forgotten to do so40 ,let us see4 ,samuel1 ,god's prophet1 tells ,saul to go down and slay all the ,amalekites1 not leaving one of them alive2 also to destroy all the beasts in their possession--sheep1 ox1 camel and ass4 ,hark6 ,i hear the tread of two hundred and ten thousand men1 with monstrous ,saul at their head1 ablaze with armor1 his shield dangling at his side1 holding in his hand a spear1 at the waving of which the great host marched or halted4 ,the sound of their feet1 shaking the ,earth1 seems like the tread of the great ,god1 as1 marching in vengeance1 ,he tramples nations into the dust4 ,i see smoke curling against the sky4 ,now there is a thick cloud of it1 and now ,i see the whole city rising in a chariot of smoke1 behind steeds of fire4 ,saul has set the city ablaze4 ,the ,amalekites and ,israelites meet2 the trumpets of battle blow peal on peal1 and there is a death hush4 ,then there is a signal waved2 swords cut and hack2 javelins ring on shields2 arms fall from trunks and heads roll into the dust4 ,gash after gash1 the frenzied yell1 the gurgling of throttled throats1 the cry of pain1 the laugh of revenge1 the curse hissed between clenched teeth--an army's death groan4 ,stacks of dead on all sides1 with eyes unshut and mouths yet grinning vengeance4 ,huzza for the ,israelites6 ,two hundred and ten thousand men wave their plumes and clap their shields1 for the ,lord ,god has given them the victory4 ,yet the victorious warriors of ,israel are conquered by sheep and oxen4 ,god1 through ,his prophet1 ,samuel1 told ,saul to slay all the ,amalekites1 and to slay all the beasts in their possession2 but ,saul1 thinking that he knows more than ,god1 spares ,agag1 the ,amalekitish king1 and five droves of sheep and a herd of oxen that he can not bear to kill4 ,saul drives the sheep and oxen down toward home4 ,he has no idea that ,samuel1 the prophet1 will discover that he has saved these sheep and oxen for himself4 ,but ,samuel comes and asks ,saul the news from the battle4 ,saul puts on a solemn face--for there is no one who can look more solemn than your genuine hypocrite--and he says3 8,i have fulfilled the commandment of the ,lord40 ,samuel listens1 and he hears the drove of sheep a little way off4 ,saul had no idea the prophet's ear would be so acute4 ,samuel says to ,saul3 8,if you have done as ,god told you1 and have slain all the ,amalekites and all the beasts in their possession1 what meaneth the bleating of the sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the oxen1 that ,i hear80 ,ah6 ,one would have thought that blushes would have consumed the cheeks of ,saul4 ,no1 no6 ,he says the army--not himself1 of course1 but the army--saved the sheep and oxen for sacrifice2 and then they thought it would be too bad1 anyhow1 to kill ,agag1 the ,amalekitish king4 ,samuel takes the sword1 and he slashes ,king ,agag to pieces2 and then he takes the skirt of his coat1 in true ,oriental style1 and rends it in twain--as much as to say3 8,you1 ,saul1 just like that1 shall be torn away from your empire1 and torn away from your throne40 ,in other words1 let all the nations of ,earth hear the story that ,saul1 by disobeying ,god1 won a flock of sheep but lost a kingdom4 ,a hypocrite is one who pretends to be what he is not1 or to do what he does not4 ,saul was only a type of a class4 ,when the fox prays1 look to your chickens4 ,do not be hypocritical in any thing2 you are never safe if you are4 ,at the most inopportune moment1 the sheep will bleat and the oxen will bellow4 ,,solomon4 ,what is that building out yonder1 glittering in the sunshine8 ,have you not heard8 ,it is the ,house of the ,forest of ,lebanon4 ,king ,solomon has just taken to it his bride1 the princess of ,egypt4 ,you see the pillars of the portico and a great tower1 adorned with a thousand shields of gold1 hung on the outside of the tower4 ,five hundred of the shields of gold were manufactured at ,solomon's order1 and five hundred were captured by ,david1 his father1 in battle4 ,see how they blaze in the noonday sun6 ,solomon goes up to the ivory stairs of his throne between twelve lions in statuary1 and sits down on the back of the golden bull1 the head of the bronze beast turned toward the people4 ,the family and attendants of the king are so many that the caterers of the place have to provide every day one hundred sheep and thirteen oxen1 besides the birds and the venison4 ,i hear the stamping and pawing of four thousand horses in the royal stables4 ,they were important officials who had charge of the work of gathering the straw and the barley for all these horses4 ,king ,solomon was an early riser1 tradition says1 and used to take a ride out at daybreak2 and when in his white apparel1 behind the swiftest horses of all the kingdom and followed by mounted archers in purple1 as the cavalcade dashed through the streets of ,jerusalem ,i suppose it was something worth getting up at five o'clock in the morning to look at4 ,solomon was not like some of the kings of the present day--crowned imbecility4 ,all the splendor of his palace and retinue was eclipsed by his intellectual powers4 ,why1 he seemed to know every thing4 ,he was the first great naturalist the world ever saw4 ,peacocks from ,india strutted the basaltic walks1 and apes chattered in the trees and deer stalked the parks1 and there were aquariums with foreign fish and aviaries with foreign birds2 and tradition says these birds were so well tamed that ,solomon might walk clear across the city under the shadow of their wings as they hovered and flitted about him4 ,king ,solomon had a great reputation for the conundrums and riddles that he made and guessed4 ,he and ,king ,hiram1 his neighbor1 used to sit by the hour and ask riddles1 each one paying in money if he could not answer or guess the riddle4 ,the ,solomonic navy visited all the world1 and the sailors1 of course1 talked about the wealth of their king1 and about the riddles and enigmas that he made and solved4 ,solomon had at his command gold to the value of #fhj1jjj1jjj1 and he had silver to the value of #a1jbi1jjj1cgg4 ,the ,queen of ,sheba made him a nice little present of #gbj1jjj1 and ,king ,hiram made him a present of the same amount4 ,if ,solomon had lost the value of a whole realm out of his pocket1 it would hardly have been worth his while to stoop down and pick it up4 ,he wrote one thousand and five songs4 ,he wrote three thousand proverbs4 ,he wrote about almost every thing4 ,the ,bible says distinctly he wrote about plants1 from the cedar of ,lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall1 and about birds and beasts and fishes4 ,no doubt he put off his royal robes1 and put on the hunter's trappings1 and went out with his arrows to bring down the rarest specimens of birds2 and then with his fishing apparatus he went down to the streams to bring up the denizens of the deep1 and plunged into the forest and found the rarest specimens of flowers4 ,he then came back to his study and wrote books about zoology1 the science of animals2 about ichthyology1 the science of fishes2 about ornithology1 the science of birds2 about botany1 the science of plants4 ,did any other city ever behold so wonderful a man8 ,his fame spread abroad1 and ,queen ,balkis1 away to the south1 heard of it4 ,she sent messengers with a few riddles that she would like to have ,solomon solve and a few puzzles which she would like to have him find out4 ,she sent to ,king ,solomon1 among other things1 a diamond with a hole so small that a needle would not penetrate it1 asking him to thread that diamond4 ,solomon took a worm and put it at the opening in the diamond1 and the worm crawled through1 leaving the thread in the diamond4 ,this queen also sent a goblet to ,solomon1 asking him to fill it with water that did not pour from the sky1 and that did not rush out from the earth4 ,immediately the wise man put a slave on the back of a swift horse and galloped him around and around the park until the horse was nigh exhausted1 and from the perspiration of the horse the goblet was filled4 ,she also sent ,king ,solomon five hundred boys in girls' dress and five hundred girls in boys' dress1 wondering if he would be acute enough to find out the deception4 ,immediately ,solomon1 when he saw them wash their faces1 knew from the way they applied the water it was all a cheat4 ,queen ,balkis was so pleased with the acuteness of ,solomon that she said3 8,i will just go and see him40 ,yonder it comes--the cavalcade--horses and dromedaries1 chariots and charioteers1 jingling harness and clattering hoofs1 and blazing shields1 and flying ensigns1 and clapping cymbals4 ,the place is saturated with perfumes4 ,she brings cinnamon1 saffron1 calamus1 frankincense and all manner of sweet spices4 ,as the retinue sweeps through the gate the armed guards inhale the aroma4 8,halt60 cry the charioteers1 as the wheels grind the gravel in front of the pillared portico of the king4 ,queen ,balkis alights in an atmosphere bewitching with perfume4 ,as the dromedaries are driven up to the king's storehouses and the bundles of camphor are unloaded1 and the cinnamon sacks and the boxes of spices are opened1 the purveyors of the palace discovered1 so the ,bible relates3 8,of spices1 great abundance2 neither was there any such spices as the ,queen of ,sheba gave to ,king ,solomon40 ,well1 my friends1 you know that all theologians agree in making ,solomon a type of ,christ and making the ,queen of ,sheba a type of every truth seeker1 and ,i take the responsibility of saying that all the spikenard1 cassia and frankincense which the ,queen of ,sheba brought to ,king ,solomon are mightily suggestive of the sweet spice of our holy religion4 ,,the ,,gentile ,,mother4 ,it was a ,sabbath afternoon in the ,belleville parsonage4 ,i had been trying for two years to preach1 but to me the ,christian life had been nothing but a struggle4 ,i sat down at the table1 took up my ,bible1 and asked for divine illumination2 and it poured like sunlight upon my soul through the story of the ,syro-,phenician woman4 ,this woman was a mother1 and she had an afflicted daughter4 ,the child had a virulent1 exasperating and convulsive disease1 called the possession of the devil4 ,the mother was just like other mothers2 she had no peace as long as her child was sick4 ,she was a ,gentile1 and the ,jews had such a perfect contempt for the ,gentiles that they called them dogs4 ,nevertheless1 she comes to ,christ1 and asks ,him to help her in her family troubles4 ,christ makes no answer4 ,the people become afraid there is going to be a 8scene0 enacted1 and they try to get the woman out of ,christ's presence2 but ,he forbids her expulsion4 ,then she falls down and repeats her request4 ,christ1 to rally her earnestness1 and to make ,his mercy finally more conspicuous1 addresses her1 saying3 8,it is not meet to take the children's bread that is1 the salvation appointed for the ,jews and cast it to dogs0--the ,gentiles4 ,christ did not mean to characterize that woman as a dog4 ,that would have been most unlike ,him1 who from the cross said3 8,behold thy mother40 ,his whole life was so gentle and so loving1 ,he could not have given it out as ,his opinion that that was what she ought to be called2 but ,he was only employing the ordinary parlance of the ,jews in regard to the ,gentiles4 ,yet that mother was not to be put off1 pleading as she was for the life of her daughter4 ,she was not to be rebuffed2 she was not to be discouraged4 ,she says3 8,yea1 ,lord1 ,i acknowledge ,i am a ,gentile dog2 but ,i remember that even the dogs have some privileges1 and when the door is open they slink in and crawl under the table4 ,when the bread or the meat sifts through the cracks of the table or falls off the edge of it1 they pick it up1 and the master of the house is not angry with them4 ,i do not ask for a big loaf2 ,i do not ask even for a big slice2 ,i only ask for that which drops down through the chinks of the table--the dogs' portion4 ,i ask only the crumbs40 ,christ felt the wit and the earnestness and the stratagem and the faith of that woman4 ,he turns upon her and says3 8,you have conquered ,me4 ,your daughter is well now4 ,go home1 mother2 but before you get there she will come down1 skipping out to meet you40 ,there ,i see the mother going4 ,she feels full twenty years younger now4 ,she is getting on in life1 but she goes with a half run4 ,amid an outburst of hysterical laughter and tears they meet4 ,the mother breaks down every time she tries to tell it4 ,the daughter is before her1 with cheeks as rosy as before she fell in the first fit4 ,the doctors of the village prophesy that the cure will not last1 because it was not according to their prescription4 ,but ,i read in the oldest medical journal in the world3 8,the daughter was made whole from that very hour40 ,this story shows you ,jesus with ,his back turned4 ,that woman came to ,him and said3 8,lord1 spare the life of my child2 it will not cost ,you any thing40 ,jesus turned ,his back4 ,he threw positive discouragement on her petition4 ,jesus stood with ,his face to blind ,bartimeus1 to the foaming demoniac1 to the limping paralytic1 to the sea when ,he hushed it1 and to the grave when ,he broke it2 but now ,he turns ,his back4 ,i asked an artist if he ever saw a representation of ,jesus ,christ with ,his back turned4 ,he said no4 ,and it is a fact that you may go through all the picture galleries of ,london1 ,dresden1 ,rome1 ,florence and ,naples1 and you will find ,christ with full face and profile1 but never with ,his back turned4 ,yet here1 in this passage1 ,he turned away from the woman4 ,,zacch,,us4 ,zacchus was a politician and a tax gatherer4 ,he had an honest calling1 but the opportunity for 8stealings0 was so large that the temptation was too much for him4 ,the ,bible says that ,zacchus was 8a sinner0--that is1 in the public sense4 ,how many fine men have been ruined by official position6 ,it is an awful thing for any man to seek office under government unless his principles of integrity are deeply fixed4 ,many a man1 upright in an insignificant position1 has made shipwreck in a great one4 ,so far as ,i can tell1 in the city of ,jericho this ,zacchus belonged to what might be called the 8ring40 ,they had things their own way1 successfully avoiding exposure--if by no other way1 perhaps by hiring somebody to break in and steal the vouchers4 ,notwithstanding his bad reputation1 there were some streaks of good about ,zacchus--as there are about almost every man4 ,gold is found in quartz1 and sometimes in a very small percentage4 ,jesus was coming to town4 ,the people all turned out to see ,him4 ,here ,he comes--the ,lord of ,glory--on foot1 dust-covered and road-weary1 limping along the way1 carrying the griefs and woes of the world4 ,christ looks to be sixty years of age1 when ,he is only about thirty4 ,zacchus was a short man1 and could not see over the people's heads while standing on the ground2 so he got up into a sycamore tree that swung its arm clear over the road4 ,jesus advanced amid the wild excitement of the surging crowd4 ,the most honorable and popular men of the city are looking on1 and are trying to gain ,his attention4 ,but ,jesus1 instead of regarding them1 looks up at the little man in the tree1 and says3 8,zacchus1 come down4 ,i am going home with you40 ,all regretted to see such choice of company4 ,zacchus had mounted the sycamore tree out of mere curiosity4 ,he wanted to see how this stranger looked--the color of his eyes1 the length of his hair1 the contour of his features1 the height of his stature4 ,i see ,christ entering the front door of the house of ,zacchus4 ,the ,king of ,heaven and ,earth sits down2 and as ,he looks around on the place and the family1 ,he pronounces the benediction3 8,this day is salvation come to this house40 ,,nearer1 ,,my ,,god1 ,,to ,,thee4 ,nearer1 my ,god1 to ,thee-- ,nearer to ,thee6 ,e'en though a cross it be ,that raiseth me1 ,still all my song shall be3 ,nearer1 my ,god1 to ,thee-- ,nearer to ,thee6 ,though1 like a wanderer1 ,the sun gone down1 ,darkness be over me1 ,my rest a stone1 ,yet in my dreams ,i'd be ,nearer1 my ,god1 to ,thee ,nearer to ,thee6 ,there let the way appear ,steps unto ,heaven2 ,all that ,thou sendest me ,in mercy given6 ,angels to beckon me ,nearer1 my ,god1 to ,thee-- ,nearer to ,thee6 ,then1 with my waking thoughts ,bright with ,thy praise1 ,out of my stony griefs ,bethel ,i'll raise2 ,so1 by my woes1 to be ,nearer1 my ,god1 to ,thee-- ,nearer to ,thee6 ,or if1 on joyful wing ,cleaving the sky-- ,sun1 ,moon and stars forgot-- ,upward ,i fly1 ,still all my song shall be3 ,nearer1 my ,god1 to ,thee-- ,nearer to ,thee6 ,,bible ,,characters ,,discussed ,,and ,,analyzed ,,by ,,the ,,scholarly ,,divine1 ,,joseph ,,parker1 ,d4 ,d4 ,,abijah4 ,we forget ,abijah's character in his eloquence4 ,he carries a spell with him4 ,judging from his speech1 one would suppose him faultless--entirely noble in every aspiration and impulse and sublimely religious and unselfish4 ,the whole ,abijah is not here4 ,this is but the ideal ,abijah4 ,who ever shows himself wholly upon any one occasion8 ,who does not sometimes go forth in his best clothing8 ,we must read the account of ,abijah which is given in the ,book of ,kings before we can correctly estimate the ,abijah who talks in the ,book of ,chronicles4 ,it is1 perhaps1 encouraging that while men are upon the ,earth they should not be so dazzlingly good as to blind their fellow men4 ,yet it is pitiful to observe how men can be religious for the occasion4 ,nearly all men are religious at a funeral2 but few men are religious at a wedding4 ,abijah has a great cause to serve1 and he addresses himself to it not only with the skill of a rhetorician but with the piety of a mind that never tenanted a worldly thought4 ,god knows the whole character--how bright we are in points1 how dark in many places2 how lofty1 how low4 ,knowing all1 ,he judges correctly1 and ,his mercy is ,his delight4 ,neither ,god nor man is to be judged by one aspect1 or one attribute1 or one quality4 ,we must comprehend1 so far as we may be able1 the whole circuit of character and purpose before we can come to a large and true conclusion4 ,but as we have to do with the ideal ,abijah1 let us hear what he has to say in his ideal capacity4 ,we will forget his faults while we listen to the music of his religious eloquence4 ,abijah comes before us like a man who has a good cause to plead4 ,he fixes his feet upon a mountain as upon a natural throne1 and from its summit he addresses a king and a nation1 and he addresses his auditors in the sacred name of 8the ,lord ,god of ,israel40 ,he will not begin the argument at a superficial point1 or take it as starting from yesterday's new raw history--history hardly settled into form4 ,he will go back1 and with great sweep of historical reference he will establish his claim to be heard4 ,in ,,ii4 ,chronicles1 thirteenth chapter and fifth verse1 ,abijah asks3 8,ought ye not to know that the ,lord ,god of ,israel gave the kingdom over ,israel to ,david for ever1 even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt80 ,the binding covenant--the covenant that even pagans would not break4 ,if you have eaten salt with a man you can never speak evil of him with an honest heart4 ,you must forget your criticism in the remembrance of the salt4 ,you are at liberty to decline intercourse and fellowship and confidence2 you are perfectly at liberty to say3 8,i will have nothing to do with thee in any association whatsoever40 ,but you can not be both friend and enemy4 ,you can not eat salt with a man and smite him in the face1 or wound him in the heel1 or hurt him in any way1 at any time1 in any line or point4 ,that was pagan morality4 ,we are fallen a long way behind it in many cases1 for what ,christian is there who could not eat all the salt a man has1 and then go out and speak about him with bitterness1 plunder him1 frustrate his plans1 anticipate him in some business venture1 and laugh at him over his misplaced confidence8 ,abijah recognized the perpetuity of the covenant4 ,the kingdom was given to ,david for ever--if not in words1 yet in spirit2 if chapter and verse can not be quoted1 yet the whole spirit of the divine communion with ,david meant eternity of election and honor4 ,it is right to hold up the ideal covenant2 it is right that even men who themselves have broken covenants should insist that covenants are right4 ,we must never forget the ideal4 ,our prayers must express our better selves4 ,a dying thief may pray4 ,again and again we have to fall back upon the holy doctrine that a man is not to be judged in his character by the prayers which he offers1 inasmuch as his prayers represent what he would be if he could4 ,abijah1 having to deal with a perpetual covenant1 charges ,jeroboam with breaking it3 8,yet ,jeroboam1 the son of ,nebat1 the servant of ,solomon1 the son of ,david1 is risen up1 and hath rebelled against his ,lord40 ,all rebellion is wrong1 unless it arises from a sense of injustice1 untruthfulness or dishonesty4 ,no man has a right to dissent from the national ,church unless his dissent be founded upon conscience1 a right conception of the nature of the ,kingdom of ,christ upon the ,earth1 which leads him to say to certain men3 8,stand off40 ,no part of the empire has a right to arise against the central authority1 of which itself constitutes a part1 merely for the sake of expressing political prejudice or selfish design4 ,every rebellion must be put down that can not justify itself by the very spirit and genius of justice4 ,separation becomes schism when it but expresses a whim1 an aversion1 of a superficial or technical kind2 and every rebellion is wickedness1 is born of the spirit of the pit1 that can not justify itself by appeals to justice1 nobleness1 liberty and ,god4 ,yet our rebellions have made our history4 ,we should have been in slavery but for rebellion4 ,the rebels are the heretics that have created orthodoxy4 ,we owe nothing to the indifferent1 the languid1 the selfish1 the calculating1 the let-alone people who simply want to eat and drink and sleep and die4 ,that they were ever born is either an affront to nature or is the supreme mystery of human life4 ,abijah1 therefore1 is perfectly right when he insists upon mere rebellion being put down2 but when rebellion expresses the spirit of justice and the spirit of progress--the new revelation1 the new day--all the ,abijahs that ever addressed the world can only keep back the issue for a measurable period4 ,the accusation of ,abijah was that ,jeroboam had 8gathered unto him vain men1 the children of ,belial40 ,for 8vain men0 read 8sons of worthlessness0--empty fellows1 who will join any mob that pays best2 men who will cheer any speaker for a half-crown an hour1 and put out anybody on any plea on any side for extra remuneration4 ,where do these men come from8 ,whose language do they speak8 ,whose image and superscription do they bear8 ,they are in every country2 they worship in the sanctuary of mischief and bow down at the altar of selfishness4 ,they know not what they do4 ,they will make a cross for a day's wages4 ,evil company follows evil men4 ,worthless fellows are soon dissatisfied with the company of righteousness2 the intercourse becomes monotonous and suffocating4 ,a bad man could not live in ,heaven4 ,it is not in the power of mercy to save men from hell1 for they carry hell with them2 they are perdition4 ,who can wonder if desecration followed in the steps of worthlessness8 ,abijah asks3 8,have ye not cast out the priests of the ,lord1 the sons of ,aaron and the ,levites1 and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands1 so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams1 the same may be a priest of them that are no gods80 ,let them bring the offering1 and then they may become priests and do what they please at altars that have no foundations1 the incense of which is a cloud that ,heaven will not absorb4 ,william ,rufus declared that church bread was sweet bread4 ,how many men have eaten church bread who ought to have died of hunger6 ,what responsibility attaches to some people in this matter6 ,church bread ought never to be given away--ought never to be dishonored with the name of a 8living40 ,no man should be in the ,church who could not make five times the money out of it that he ever made in it4 ,it should be felt that if he put forth all his power--both his hands1 his whole mind and strength--he could be the greatest man in the commonwealth4 ,jeroboam would admit any one to the altar2 he would make room if there was none2 he would cast out a priest of the ,lord to make room for a priest of ,belial4 ,this is the accusation which ,abijah brings against ,jeroboam and his company of rebels4 ,now ,abijah turns to state his own case4 ,he tells us what he and his people are3 8,but as for us1 the ,lord is our ,god1 and we have not forsaken ,him2 and the priests1 which minister unto the ,lord1 are the sons of ,aaron1 and the ,levites wait upon their business4 ,and they burn unto the ,lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense2 the shew-bread also set they in order upon the pure table2 and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof1 to burn every evening2 for we keep the charge of the ,lord our ,god2 but ye have forsaken ,him40 ,what a character ,abijah gives himself6 ,let us remember that we are dealing with an ideal man1 and not with the real personality4 ,take this1 however1 as an ideal representation1 and how perfect it is in every line6 8,the ,lord is our ,god40 ,we have a sound and vital theology2 we have a clear upward look1 and no cloud conceals the face divine2 no idols have we--no images of wood1 no pillars1 no groves1 no high places where idolatry may be performed as an entertainment4 ,the man reasons well4 ,he insists upon having corner stones in any edifice or argument he puts up4 ,when he accuses1 he goes back to the covenant of salt2 when he claims a right position1 he claims that it is a theological one4 ,he holds the right ,god4 ,losing the right theology1 we lose all the detail with it4 ,when the conception of ,god is wrong1 no other conception can be right4 ,it is only bold because it is true to say that if a man has not the right desire after the right ,god he can not keep correct weights and scales4 ,the custom house1 the inland revenue1 the excise--call it what you please--may to some extent keep him up to the right mark1 but in his soul he takes in every customer that comes near him2 if he does not1 he loses sleep4 ,this applies to the so-called heathen as well as to the ,christian4 ,it is not necessary that a man should have a clear and perfect revelation of ,god1 but that in his heart he feels that he is a creature1 not a creator2 a subject1 not a sovereign2 that he is under responsibility1 and not above it4 ,in that proportion only can he deal righteously and nobly with his fellow men4 8,and the priests1 which minister unto the ,lord1 are the sons of ,aaron1 and the ,levites wait upon their business40 ,here is apostolic succession before the time of the invention of the term4 ,here is an excellent pedigree1 a most complete genealogy4 ,our priests are in the ,aaronic line1 and the ,levites know their business and keep to it2 every thing is in order in our ,church4 ,that is beautiful1 and that is right4 ,we need not shrink from adding1 that is necessary4 ,we must have nothing to do with men who are not in the ,aaronic and apostolic succession2 they must not occupy our pulpits1 nor be allowed to make pulpits of their own2 no man must sell them wood or stone with which to construct a pulpit2 they must be forbidden by the genius of law from ever preaching or attempting to preach4 ,when we let go the doctrine of apostolic succession we let go a vital treasure and blessing4 ,we may differ as to our definition of 8apostolic succession10 but surely there can be no difference among frank and enlightened hearts and minds as to what apostolic succession is4 ,no man is in the apostolic succession who is not in the apostolic spirit1 and no man is out of the apostolic succession who is animated by the spirit of the apostles4 ,that is not a spirit which is conferred by the tips of any fingers2 that is the gift of ,god4 ,do you see your calling1 brethren8 ,god has chosen you4 ,what a ,church is ,god's6 ,not a ,church of wax-works1 all made at one factory1 and all charged for in one invoice2 but living men1 characterized by innumerable individualities--some broad as the firmament1 others beautiful and tender as little flowers that can only grow in the fullest sun-warmth2 some military in argument and in discipline1 others persuasive in pathos1 sympathy and tenderness4 ,there is no monotony in ,god4 ,one star differeth from another in glory2 no two blades of grass are microscopically identical4 ,there is a common likeness in the worlds and in the sub-economies of ,nature1 but the more penetrating our vision is made by mechanical and scientific aids the more wondrous in difference are discovered to be the very things which are supposed to be identical4 ,we must never allow the apostolic succession to be handed about without its being accompanied by the apostolic spirit4 ,every man is in the apostolic succession who believes in the apostles1 who follows them as they followed ,christ1 and who would know nothing among men but ,jesus ,christ and ,him crucified4 8,and they burn unto the ,lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense2 the shew-bread also set they in order upon the pure table2 and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof1 to burn every evening40 ,at that time piety was mechanical4 ,it could not be otherwise4 ,god never forces history4 ,the days come1 each with its own burden and its own blessing1 its own dawn and its own apocalypse4 ,we can not have today what is due tomorrow4 ,god's seasons move in measured revolution1 and come to us in orderly and timely procession2 and no man can hasten them by lighting his camp fire1 or striking his matches1 or kindling his little inflammable powder4 ,we can not imitate the ,sun4 ,some have tried to mimic the stars2 but where is the image of the ,sun that the ,sun has not obliterated by one mid-day look8 ,the time came when all these ordinances were set aside4 ,there was to be no more burning2 there was to be no morning sacrifice and evening sacrifice and sweet incense1 or shew-bread and candlestick of gold and lamps thereof for evening burning4 8,ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched1 and that burned with fire1 nor unto blackness1 and darkness1 and tempest1 and the sound of a trumpet1 and the voice of words2 which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more2 but ye are come unto ,mount ,sion1 and unto the city of the living ,god1 the heavenly ,jerusalem1 and to an innumerable company of angels1 to the general assembly and church of the first-born1 which are written in ,heaven1 and to ,god the ,judge of all1 and to the spirits of just men made perfect1 and to ,jesus the ,mediator of the new covenant1 and to the blood of sprinkling1 that speaketh better things than that of ,abel40 ,so we may misuse history by going back and making that necessary which has already been abrogated4 ,we may thus ill-treat the day of rest1 by measuring it and weighing it in ,jewish scales4 ,we may cast a cloud over the day of jubilee that comes every week1 by measuring its beginning and its ending by ,jewish arithmetic2 we may make the whole week sabbatic by ,christian consecration4 ,there will always be ordinances1 because while man is in the body he needs external helps1 collateral assistances and auxiliaries4 ,he is not always equally awake2 he is not always equally spiritual4 ,he needs the communion of saints1 the coming together in holy fellowship1 all the associations of a sacred time and a sacred place1 and through the active yet subtle ministry of these he comes to feel that he is in touch with ,god4 8,here in the body pent0 we need such aids as can penetrate our prison and minister to the liberty of the soul4 ,now ,abijah says1 as a kind of climax3 8,and1 behold1 ,god himself is with us for our captain1 and ,his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you4 ,o children of ,israel1 fight ye not against the ,lord ,god of your fathers2 for ye shall not prosper40 ,how steadfastly ,abijah abides by the altar6 ,he can not be tempted one step from the throne of ,god4 ,his appeal is sublime because it is religious4 ,it is historically religious4 8,the ,lord ,god of your fathers40 ,it would seem to be a solemn thing to cut off oneself from all the currents of history--to bury our fathers over again in a deeper grave2 yea1 to bury them at night-time1 so that when the morning came we could not tell where they were interred4 ,abijah will have a historic line4 ,he maintains the doctrine of philosophic and personal heredity and organic unity4 ,he will insist upon it that the men of his day represented the men of dead generations1 and were to do what they would have done had they then lived4 ,not only was it historically religious1 but it was religion accentuated by motives1 such as act most powerfully upon human conduct--8for ye shall not prosper40 ,that appeal they could understand4 ,the double appeal constitutes ,god's address to men4 ,he is bound to point out consequences1 though ,he would not have life built upon them4 ,there is no other way of getting at certain people than by telling them that if they believe not they shall be damned4 ,they are so curiously and fearfully made that only hell can excite their attention4 ,the preacher does not declare this doctrine of fire1 or mere penalty1 for the sake of revealing ,god and acting upon human thought and conduct4 ,he knows it is an appeal more or less tinctured with possible selfishness4 ,he can not but despise the man who asks for ,heaven simply because he has smelt the fire of hell4 ,but the ,christian preacher will begin where he can4 ,he has to do with all classes and conditions of men4 ,all men do not occupy the highest point of thought--do not approach the ,kingdom of ,heaven from the noblest considerations--and he is the wise pastor1 he has the great shepherd heart1 who receives men by night1 by day1 through the gate of fear1 through the portals of love2 who keeps the door ajar for men1 not knowing when they may come home4 ,he is but a poor preacher1 and he knows it1 who bids people come to ,god that they may get to ,heaven2 but he is aware that some people can only understand through the medium of such terms1 if ever2 and he really hopes for them that by experience they may eventually rise to a nobler level1 and desire ,god for ,god's own sake4 ,he only is in the ,spirit of ,christ who would pray as much1 give as much1 suffer as much1 if he knew he had to die this night1 and be blotted out for ever1 as he would do and give if he knew he were this night going into everlasting glory4 ,to be good in order to buy ,heaven is not to be good4 ,to be religious in order to escape hell is not to be religious4 ,yet we must always so judge human nature as to provide for people who can only act through fear1 and through love and hope of reward4 ,their education will be continued and completed1 and some day they will look back upon their infantile beginning and pity themselves4 ,the great thing1 however1 is to begin4 ,if we are afraid of hell1 let us ask great questions4 ,if we are in hope of ,heaven1 let us begin to do great services4 ,hell and ,heaven have nothing to do with it in reality1 but they have to do a great deal with it initially1 instrumentally and educationally4 ,what was the upshot of the war8 ,who needs to inquire8 ,when ,omnipotence goes forth to war1 what can be the issue of the battle8 ,god takes out ,his glittering sword1 and ,his hand lays heavy in judgment2 can grasshoppers stand before ,him8 ,oppose a wooden fence to a boundless conflagration1 and you may act almost rationally--most rationally--as compared with those who set a grasshopper to oppose the march of ,god4 ,the writer in the ,book of ,kings takes a much worse view of ,abijah's character than we find in the ,book of ,chronicles4 ,from the first ,book of ,kings we learn that ,abijah endeavored to recover the kingdom of the ,ten ,tribes1 and made war on ,jeroboam4 ,no details are given1 but we are also informed that he walked in all the sins of ,rehoboam--idolatry and its attendant immoralities--and that his heart 8was not perfect before ,god1 as the heart of ,david1 his father40 ,in the second ,book of ,chronicles ,abijah's war upon ,jeroboam is more minutely described1 and he makes a speech to the men of ,israel1 reproaching them for breaking their allegiance to the house of ,david1 for worshiping the golden calves1 and substituting unauthorized priests for the sons of ,aaron and the ,levites4 ,he was successful in the battle against ,jeroboam1 and took the cities of ,bethel1 ,jeshanah and ,ephraim1 with their dependent villages4 ,nothing is said by the writer in ,chronicles of the sins of ,abijah1 but we are told that after his victory he 8waxed mighty1 and married fourteen wives0--whence we may well infer that he was elated with prosperity1 and like ,solomon1 his grandfather1 fell during the last two years of his life into wickedness1 as described in ,kings4 ,both records inform us that he reigned only for the period of three years4 ,,ahab4 ,god is the time-keeper4 ,he says3 8,now40 ,we wonder we can not go just when it is convenient to ourselves4 ,we think we see the exact juncture when it would be right to go1 but if we went just then a serpent would bite us on the road4 ,we want to go to ,heaven1 but ,god says3 8,not yet40 ,we want to begin the battle1 but ,god says3 8,wait40 ,in the eighteenth chapter of the first ,book of ,kings we read3 8,and it came to pass1 after many days1 that the word of the ,lord came to ,elijah in the third year1 saying3 #8,go1 show thyself unto ,ahab2 and ,i will send rain upon the ,earth4' ,and ,elijah went to show himself unto ,ahab4 ,and there was a sore famine in ,samaria40 ,think of waiting 8many days0 and doing nothing6 ,but what if waiting be the best working8 ,what if we can best do every thing by simply doing nothing8 ,there is a time to stand still and see the salvation of ,god4 ,mark another thing in these verses4 ,the ,lord said 8,go10 and ,elijah went4 ,not ,elijah 8objected10 ,elijah 8reasoned10 or ,elijah 8pointed out the difficulties10 but simply ,elijah 8went40 ,that is the true ideal of life4 ,always be ready4 ,contrast with this the case of ,jonah4 ,elijah had no fear of ,ahab4 ,he who fears ,god can not fear man4 ,if you go up to your duties in your own strength1 you will find them difficult2 if you come down upon them from high communion with ,god1 you will find them easy4 ,the governor of the house of ,ahab was called ,obadiah4 ,the word ,obadiah means 8servant of ,jehovah10 and it would seem to have been a true description of the man1 for we read that 8,obadiah feared or reverenced the ,lord greatly40 ,it is possible for a man to be very bad in one direction and very tolerant in another4 ,it was so in the case of ,ahab4 ,he was the worst of the kings of ,israel1 yet he kept a governor over his house who feared the ,lord greatly4 ,the ,lord causes the most wicked men to pay ,his religion the homage which is due to its excellence4 ,a bad king employs a good governor4 ,he who himself disobeys ,jehovah yet engages a servant who fears the ,lord greatly4 ,the thief likes an honest man for steward4 ,the blasphemer likes a godly teacher for his child4 ,the great speculator prefers an unspeculative man for book-keeper4 ,it is thus that virtue has many unconscious votaries4 ,he who is the slave of idolatry becomes an easy prey to the power of cruel tempters4 ,we do not know that ,ahab was a cruel man1 but we do know that ,jezebel was a cruel woman1 and ,ahab was greatly influenced by his passionate and sanguinary wife4 ,ahab's provocation of the ,lord may have been in the direction of idolatry alone2 but to be wrong in your conception of worship is to expose yourself to every possible attack of the enemy4 ,to pray in the wrong direction is to be weak in every other4 ,ahab was a speculative idolater2 ,jezebel was a practical persecutor4 ,ahab showed that speculative error is consistent with social toleration4 ,you must distinguish between ,ahab and ,elijah in this matter4 ,it was ,jezebel who slew the prophets of the ,lord1 and ,ahab knew that his servant1 ,obadiah1 had hidden fifty of these prophets in a cave2 and yet ,ahab kept ,obadiah in his service4 ,but redeeming points do not restore the whole character4 8,one swallow does not make a ,summer40 ,in the same character may be met great faith and great doubt4 ,obadiah risked his life to save fifty of the prophets of the ,lord1 yet dare not risk it1 without first receiving an oath1 for the greatest prophet of all6 ,this mixture we find in every human character4 8,how abject1 how august1 is man60 ,in ,ahab1 ,obadiah1 ,elijah and ,jezebel we see a fourfold type of human society4 ,there is the speculator1 the godly servant1 the far-seeing prophet and the cruel persecutor4 ,society has got no farther than this today4 ,the ,ahabs of the age are leading us away into speculation that ends in idolatry and in infinite provocation of the ,lord2 the ,obadiahs of the age are still praying1 and serving ,god1 and saving even the worst households from the wrath of ,heaven2 the ,elijahs of the age are still hurling their divine thunders through the corrupt and stagnant air1 and piercing with lightning shafts the gloomy and threatening future2 and the ,jezebels of the age are still narrow1 bitter1 indignant1 vengeful and sanguinary4 ,o wondrous combination6 ,so checked1 so controlled1 by invisible but benignant power6 ,speculative error has its counterpart in actual cruelty1 and patient worship has its counterpart in daring service4 ,we sometimes hear that ,ahab was a covetous man4 ,are we quite sure that the charge is just and that it can be substantiated8 ,this charge is based on the affair of ,naboth's vineyard4 ,how could ,ahab be covetous8 ,he proposed terms1 saying3 8,give me thy vineyard1 that ,i may have it for a garden of herbs1 because it is near unto my house1 and ,i will give thee a better vineyard than it2 or1 if it seems good to thee1 ,i will give thee the worth of it in money40 ,the terms do not1 upon the face of them1 appear to be unreasonable or inapplicable4 ,surely this is not mere covetousness1 if covetousness at all4 ,the vineyard was close to the palace1 and that fact was assigned as a reason for wishing to open negotiations concerning its transfer4 ,but do we not sometimes too narrowly interpret the word covetousness8 ,it is generally1 at least1 limited to money4 ,when a man is fond of money1 wishes to add to it1 and is not scrupulous as to the means by which he seeks to enhance his fortune1 we describe him as covetous4 ,the term is perfectly applicable in such a case4 ,but the term 8covetous0 may apply to a much larger set of circumstances1 and describe quite another set of impulses and desires4 ,we may even be covetous of personal appearance2 we may be covetous of popular fame1 such as is enjoyed by other men2 we may be covetous in every direction which implies the gratification of our own wishes2 and yet1 with regard to the mere matter of money1 we may be almost liberal4 ,this is an astounding state of affairs4 ,a man may be liberal with money1 and yet covetous in many other directions4 ,sometimes1 when covetousness takes this other turn1 we describe it by the narrower word1 8envy40 ,we say we envy the personal appearance of some2 we envy the greatness and the public standing of others4 ,but under all this envy is covetousness4 ,envy is in a sense but a symptom2 covetousness is the vital and devouring disease4 ,under this interpretation of the term1 therefore1 it is not unfit or unjust to describe ,ahab as a covetous man4 ,look at his dissatisfaction with circumstances4 ,he wishes to have 8a garden of herbs40 ,that is all4 ,he is king of ,israel in ,samaria2 but there is one little thing of which he has not yet possessed himself1 and until he gets that in his hand he can not rest well4 ,there is a dream that troubles him2 there is a nightmare which makes him afraid to lie down to sleep4 ,look at what he has4 ,who can measure it8 ,who can run through the enumeration of his possessions8 ,who can take an exhaustive inventory of all the riches of the king of ,israel8 ,but there is one little corner that is not his1 and he wants it1 and until he can get it all the rest goes for nothing4 ,the great ,alexander could not rest in his palace at ,babylon because he could not get ivy to grow in his garden4 ,what was ,babylon1 or all ,assyria1 in view of the fact that this childish king could not cause ivy to grow in the palace gardens8 ,ahab lived in circumstances2 he lived in the very narrowest kind of circumstances4 ,as a little man1 he lived in little things1 and because those things were not all to his mind it was impossible for him to be restful or noble or really good4 ,once let the mind become dissatisfied with some trifling circumstance1 and that fly spoils the whole pot of ointment4 ,once get the notion that the house is too small1 and then morning1 noon and night you never see a picture that is in it1 or acknowledge the comfort of one corner in all the little habitation4 ,the one thing that is present in the mind throughout all the weary hours is that the house is too small4 ,once get the idea that the business is undignified1 and you go to it late in the morning and leave it early in the afternoon1 neglecting it between times2 you are also ashamed to speak of it1 and will not throw your whole heart and soul during business hours into its execution4 ,once get the notion that the neighborhood is unfashionable1 and it goes for nothing that the rooms are large and airy1 that the garden is one of the best you ever had1 that there is ample scope for a rich library1 that all the neighbors are men of peculiar intelligence and goodness4 ,all go for nothing1 because the tempter has said3 8,this neighborhood is not a fashionable quarter of the town1 and when people come to know that you are living here they will lose confidence in you and respect for you40 ,if we live in circumstances1 we shall be the sport of events2 we shall be without dignity1 without calmness1 without reality and solidity of character4 ,let us1 therefore1 betake ourselves into inner thoughts1 into spirituality of life1 into the soul's true character1 into the very sanctuary of ,god4 ,there we shall have truth and light and peace2 there the stormy wind can not disturb us1 and the great darkness is but an outside circumstance1 for within there is the shining of the light of ,god4 ,then notice in ,ahab a childish servility to circumstances4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,prophet ,,amos4 ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,despair ,,of ,,judas4 ,from a ,photograph of the ,character in the ,passion ,play4 8,ahab came into his house heavy and displeased ''' and he laid him down upon his bed1 and turned away his face1 and would eat no bread40 ,yet he was the king of ,israel in ,samaria6 ,he actually had subjects under him4 ,he was in reality a man who could give law1 whose very look was a commandment1 and the uplifting of his hand could move an army4 ,now we see him surely at his least4 ,so we do1 but not at his worst4 ,all this must have an explanation4 ,we can not imagine that the man is so simply childish and foolish as this incident alone would describe him4 ,behind all this childishness there is an explanation4 ,what is it8 ,we find it in the twenty-fifth verse3 8,but there was none like unto ,ahab1 which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the ,lord1 whom ,jezebel1 his wife1 stirred up40 ,that explains the whole mystery4 ,the man had sold himself to the devil4 ,and men are doing that self-same thing every day4 ,if it were a transaction in the market place--if the auctioneer were visibly interested in this affair1 if he could call out in audible tones 8,so much is the price1 and the man is about to take it10 people would shrink from the villainous transaction4 ,but this is an affair which does not take place in the open market or in the open daylight4 ,it is not conducted in words4 ,if the men involved in such transactions could speak the words1 the very speech of the words might break the spell and destroy the horrible infatuation4 ,but the compact is made in darkness1 in silence1 in out-of-the-way places4 ,it is an understanding unwritten1 rather than an agreement in detail signed in the presence of witnesses4 ,it is a mystery which the heart alone can understand1 which even the preacher can not explain in terms1 but he can only throw himself upon his own consciousness1 and throw others upon their consciousness1 and call for a united testimony to the fact that it is possible to sell one's very soul to evil4 ,now we understand ,king ,ahab better4 ,we thought him but little1 frivolous of mind1 childish and petty1 without a man's worthy ambition2 but now we see that all this was only symptomatic1 an outward sign1 pointing1 when rightly followed1 to an inward and mortal corruption4 ,now1 let us look at the case of ,naboth and the position which he occupied in this matter4 ,naboth possessed the vineyard which ,ahab is said to have coveted4 ,naboth said3 8,the ,lord forbid40 ,he made a religious question of it4 ,why did he invoke the ,eternal ,name and stand back1 as if an offense had been offered to his faith8 ,the terms were commercial2 the terms were not unreasonable2 the approach was courteous1 and the ground given for the approach was not an unnatural ground4 ,why did ,naboth stand back as if his religion had been shocked8 ,the answer is in the ,book of ,numbers1 thirty-sixth chapter and seventh verse3 8,so shall not the inheritance of the children of ,israel remove from tribe to tribe2 for every one of the children of ,israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers40 ,so ,naboth stood upon the law4 ,in ,ezekiel we read3 8,moreover1 the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by oppression1 to thrust them out of their possession2 but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession1 that ,my people be not scattered every man from his possession40 ,so ,naboth was not answering haughtily or resentfully4 ,he was answering both solemnly and religiously4 ,when money was offered for his fathers' inheritance1 he spurned the offer4 ,there are some things1 blessed be ,god1 we can not pay for4 ,when ,ahab said 8,i will give thee for it a better vineyard than it0 he knew not of what he was speaking4 ,there can be no better vineyard than the vineyard of the fathers2 there can be no vineyard equal to the vineyard that is sown with history1 planted with associations1 solemnized and endeared by a thousand precious memories4 ,there ought to be some things which we can not barter4 ,surely there ought to be some things which we should never try to sell4 ,verily1 when we hear propositions made to us that money shall be given in exchange for certain things1 our whole soul should rise in horror and indignation1 and repel the approach of a barter which itself expresses an infinite1 because a most spiritual1 injustice4 ,so ,naboth's position was strong1 and he had the courage to answer the king in these terms4 ,kings must submit to law4 ,kings ought to be the subjects of their own people4 ,ahab was taught that there was a man in ,samaria who valued the inheritance which had been handed down to him4 ,have we no inheritance handed down to us--no book of revelation1 no day of rest1 no flag of liberty1 no password of common trust8 ,do we inherit nothing8 ,did we make the age as it is1 and is civilization a creature of our own fashioning8 ,and are we not bound to hand on to others what was handed to us intact and unpolluted8 ,let us live in a sacred past1 and regard ourselves as trustees of many possessions1 and only trustees1 and as bound to vindicate our trust and have an ample acquittal at the last4 ,so ,ahab lay down upon his bed1 turned away his face1 and would eat no bread4 ,but there is a way of accomplishing mean desires4 ,there is a way of obtaining what we want4 ,take heart6 ,there is a way of possessing oneself of almost whatever one desires4 ,there is always some ,merlin who will bring every ,uther-,pendragon what he longs to have2 there is always some ,lady ,macbeth who will show the thane how to become king4 ,there is always a way to be bad4 ,the gate of hell stands wide open2 or1 if apparently half closed1 a touch will make it fly back1 and the road is broad that leads to destruction4 ,jezebel said she would find the garden or vineyard for her husband4 ,she taunted him4 8,dost thou now govern the kingdom of ,israel8 ,arise and eat bread1 and let thine heart be merry4 ,i will give thee the vineyard of ,naboth1 the ,jezreelite40 ,jezebel threw into the word 8govern0 a subtle and significant emphasis4 ,how will she proceed8 ,she will be ceremoniously religious2 she will proclaim a fast4 ,o thou sweet1 white1 pure religion1 thou hast been forced into strange uses6 8,proclaim a fast20 lengthen your faces2 mimic solemnity2 promise your hunger an early satisfaction1 but look as if you were fasting4 ,it is a sure sign of mischief when certain men become serious4 ,the moment they appear to be religious the devil is just adding the last touch to the building which he has been putting up within their souls4 ,when they talk long words--when they speak about responsibility1 obligation1 duty1 conscience1 compulsion of conviction--they are walking over tesselated pavement into the very jaws of hell4 ,they do not mean their words2 they do but use them4 8,the heart is deceitful above all things1 and desperately wicked40 ,first of all1 then1 be ceremoniously religious1 ,jezebel2 then trample down truth4 8,set two men1 sons of ,belial1 before him1 to bear witness against him1 saying3 #8,thou didst blaspheme ,god and the king4'0 ,falsehood is always ready4 ,a great black lie is always willing to be loosed and to be set going in the minds of men to pervert them and mislead them4 ,it is always open to the bad heart to speak the untrue word4 ,nor is the untrue word always frankly and broadly spoken4 ,if so1 it could be answered in some cases4 ,the false word is hardly spoken at all2 it is uttered in a whisper4 ,falsehood is made to use signs and gestures2 even silence is made to bear witness to falsehood4 ,truly1 again we may say3 8,the heart is deceitful above all things1 and desperately wicked40 ,tell a lie big enough about any man1 and it will be difficult1 if not impossible1 to do away with the consequences of the false accusation4 ,people will always be found to say3 8,there must be something in it2 it may not be just as rumor has it1 but surely a statement of that kind never could have been invented4 ,allowing a good deal for exaggeration1 there must be something in it40 ,nor is it always possible to get even righteous men to purge their minds of that damnable sophism4 ,men who ought to stand up and say 8,there is nothing in it0 hang down their heads1 and with a coward's gesture let the lie pass on4 ,this is how men insult the ,son of ,god1 and crucify the ,man of truth4 ,they will not be thorough1 bold and fearless1 and make the enemy ashamed of himself for either having invented or repeated a falsehood4 ,nor may the man escape because he says he heard the lie4 ,tell him he may have heard it1 but he is yet responsible for repeating it4 ,he may have no control over the hearing1 but the moment he repeats it he adopts it1 and renders himself amenable to the ,eternal ,righteousness4 ,make the very law an instrument of injustice6 ,first charge this man with blasphemy and treason1 and then take him out and stone him1 that he may die6 ,do not give him time to speak2 do not ask for his defense2 do not give him an opportunity of interrogating the witnesses4 ,but who would cross-examine two 8sons of ,belial80 ,better almost to die than to taint the hands and eyes with the touch and look of such children of blackness6 8,then they carried him ,naboth forth out of the city1 and stoned him with stones1 that he died40 ,it is all over6 ,jezebel did this4 ,jezebel--a woman1 a king's wife--did this4 ,high position goes for nothing when the heart is wrong4 ,great influence means great mischief when the soul is not in harmony with the spirit of righteousness4 ,is ,naboth quite dead8 ,yes1 he is dead4 ,take the vineyard--take possession of it instantly4 ,now grow herbs1 and grow them plentifully4 ,the vineyard is now at liberty--take it4 8,ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of ,naboth1 the ,jezreelite1 to take possession of it40 ,but who is that looms in the distance8 ,is it ,naboth8 ,no4 ,how comes this man to be here just now--aye1 just now8 ,how the end is marked off into points1 and how does providence reveal itself at unexpected times and in ways unforeseen6 ,who is this8 ,he looks stern4 ,he has an eye of fire4 ,his lips are shut as if they could never be opened4 ,he does but look4 ,who is he8 8,elijah1 the ,tishbite40 ,he has a message3 8,thus saith the ,lord3 #8,hast thou killed1 and also taken possession8' ''' ,thus saith the ,lord3 #8,in the place where dogs licked the blood of ,naboth shall dogs lick thy blood1 even thine4'0 ,a sad walk6 ,ahab went down to take possession of a vineyard1 and a death warrant was read to him6 ,after all1 it is safe to live in this universe2 there is law in it1 there is a genius of righteousness1 there is a ,force that moves on toward noble issues4 8,and ,ahab said to ,elijah3 #8,hast thou found me1 ,o mine enemy8' ,and he answered3 #8,i have found thee2 because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the ,lord4'0 ,ahab went out to take possession of a garden of herbs1 and there he stands face to face with righteousness--face to face with honor--face to face with judgment4 ,now take the vineyard4 ,he can not6 ,an hour since the ,sun shone upon it1 and now it is black as if it were part of the midnight which has gathered in judgment4 ,there is a success which is failure4 ,we can not take some prizes4 ,elijah will not allow us4 ,when we see him we would that a way might open under our feet that we might flee and escape the judgment of his silent look4 ,in the ,septuagint version the twentieth chapter of the first ,book of ,kings immediately precedes the twenty-second4 ,the three years without war is a period which is reckoned from the peace which was so rashly made by ,ahab with ,ben-hadad4 ,it is clear that ,ben-hadad has recovered his independence1 and is probably in a position of superiority4 ,it is certain that he has not restored ,ramoth-gilead1 as he had promised to do1 and his reconstructed army now seems to him to be sufficient to encounter successfully the united hosts of ,israel and ,judah4 ,in the forty-second verse of the same chapter we have seen how ,ahab was rebuked for allowing the enemy to escape4 ,it has been supposed that this conduct on the part of ,ahab may have been due partly to compassion and partly to weakness4 ,the judgment of the ,lord was1 however1 expressed in the severest terms3 8,because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom ,i appointed to utter destruction1 therefore thy life shall go for his life1 and thy people for his people40 ,in the third verse we see these words signally fulfilled4 ,the king of ,israel seems to have a good cause when he said to his servants3 8,know ye that ,ramoth1 in ,gilead1 is ours1 and we be still1 and take it not out of the hand of the king of ,syria80 ,on this occasion ,ahab entered into an alliance with ,jehoshaphat1 king of ,judah1 for the purpose of taking back the city which belonged to ,israel4 ,jehoshaphat made a deferential as well as a friendly reply1 but insisted upon the fulfillment of a religious condition4 ,jehoshaphat would make inquiry at the word of the ,lord4 ,thereupon four hundred prophets were gathered together1 and with one consent they advised that the attack should be made upon ,ramoth-gilead4 ,surely this was enough to satisfy the judgment and the conscience of the most religious man1 yet ,jehoshaphat was not content with the unanimous reply which four hundred prophets had returned4 8,there is a spirit in man1 and the inspiration of the ,almighty giveth them understanding40 ,all external unanimity goes for nothing when the conscience itself dissents from the judgment which has been pronounced4 ,there is a verifying faculty which operates upon its own responsibility1 and which can not be overpowered by the clamor of multitudes who eagerly rush down paths that are forbidden4 ,even when imagination assents to the voice of the majority1 and when ambition is delighted with the verdict of the prophets1 there yet remains the terrible but gracious authority of conscience4 ,through all the clamor that authority makes its way1 and calmly distinguishes between right and wrong1 and solemnly insists that right shall be done at all hazards and in view of all consequences4 ,a vital lesson rises here to all who are anxious to know the right way under difficult circumstances4 ,it is not enough to have great numbers of authorities on our side2 so long as the conscience remains unsatisfied all other authorities are 8trifles light as air40 ,jehoshaphat was uneasy1 therefore1 notwithstanding the prophets had said3 8,go up2 for the ,lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king40 ,he inquired3 8,is there not here a prophet of the ,lord besides1 that we might inquire of him80 ,the word which ,jehoshaphat used was the great word1 ,jehovah4 ,it was not enough for him to use a religious or sacred term4 ,he must have the prophecy identified with the awful name1 ,jehovah2 then it would come with final authority4 ,the king of ,israel knew that there was another man whose very name signified 8,who is like ,jehovah80 ,ahab frankly admitted that he hated ,micaiah because he never prophesied good concerning him1 but always evil4 ,observe the madness of ,ahab's policy1 and note how often it is the policy which we ourselves are tempted to pursue4 ,we suppose that if we do not consult the ,bible we may take license to do what seems good in our own eyes1 and we imagine that by ignoring the ,bible we have divested it of authority4 ,we flatter ourselves that if we do not listen to an exposition of the divine word we shall be judged according to the light we have1 forgetting the solemn law that it is not according to the light we have that we are to be judged1 but according to the light we might have if we put ourselves in right relations to the opportunities created for us by divine providence4 ,we know that if we go to hear a certain preacher he will insist upon 8righteousness1 temperance and judgment to come20 and1 supposing that we already know every thing that he will say1 we turn away from him and listen to men who do not profoundly treat vital subjects1 or press home upon the conscience the terrible judgments of ,god4 ,what is this but closing our eyes to light1 and supposing that darkness is safety8 ,what is this ostrich policy but one that ought to be condemned by our sense as well as shrunk from by our piety8 ,our duty under all critical circumstances is to go to the truth-teller1 and to get at the reality of things at all costs4 ,where the truth-teller disturbs our peace and disappoints our ambition1 we ought surely to learn that it is precisely at that point that we have to become self-rectifying4 ,the truth-teller is only powerful in proportion as he tells the truth4 ,officially1 he is nothing2 his power is simply the measure of his righteousness4 ,but do not men love to be flattered1 even in courses of evil8 ,is it not pleasant to go to forbidden war amid the huzzas of thoughtless and irresponsible multitudes8 ,jehoshaphat1 however1 was a just man1 and as such he protested against the sin of the king of ,israel1 saying3 8,let not the king say so40 ,jehoshaphat being so bent upon a complete judgment of the case1 ,micaiah was sent for4 ,the king of ,israel wished to overawe the despised prophet by the pomp and circumstance under which he was introduced to the royal presence4 8,the king of ,israel and ,jehoshaphat1 the king of ,judah1 sat each on his throne1 having put on their robes1 in a void place in the entrance of the gate of ,samaria10 and1 to increase the impressiveness of the occasion1 all the prophets prophesied before the kings4 ,a singular addition was made to the surroundings of the occasion which was intended to impress the imagination and stagger the courage of the despised ,micaiah4 ,a man bearing the name of ,zedekiah 78righteousness of ,jehovah07 made him horns of iron4 ,the use of symbolical acts is quite common in biblical history4 ,we have already seen ,abijah engaged in acts of this kind4 ,he 8caught the new garment that was on him and rent it in twelve pieces1 and said to ,jeroboam3 #8,take thee ten pieces4'0 ,the enthusiasm of ,zedekiah inflamed all the other prophets to the highest point of excitement1 and they shouted as with one voice3 8,go up to ,ramoth-gilead1 and prosper2 for the ,lord shall deliver it into the king's hand40 ,in this instance the prophets1 overborne by the enthusiasm of ,zedekiah1 actually ventured to use the name of ,jehovah1 which had not been used in the first instance4 ,the excitement had passed the point of worship and had become more nearly resembling the frantic cry that was heard on ,mount ,carmel3 8,o ,baal1 hear us40 ,is it possible that there can be found any solitary man who dare oppose such unanimous testimony and complete enthusiasm8 ,the messenger who was sent to call ,micaiah was evidently a man of considerate feeling and who wished the prophet well4 ,seeing that the words of the prophets had all declared good unto the king with one mouth1 the messenger wished that ,micaiah should for once agree with the other prophets1 and please the king by leaving undisturbed their emphatic and unanimous counsel4 ,thus the voice of persuasion was brought to bear on ,micaiah1 and that voice is always the most difficult to resist4 ,the temptation thus addressed to ,micaiah was thus double in force4 ,on the one hand1 there were the pomp and the terror of the king who had sold himself to do evil1 and who would shrink from the infliction of no cruelty that would express his unreasoning and unlimited anger2 on the other hand1 there was the good will of the messenger1 who wished ,micaiah to escape all danger and penalty1 and for once to take the popular side4 ,micaiah's reply is simply sublime3 8,as the ,lord liveth1 what the ,lord saith unto me1 that will ,i speak40 ,the humility of this answer is as conspicuous as its firmness4 ,its profound religiousness saves it from the charge of being defiant4 ,micaiah recognizes himself merely in the position of a servant or medium1 who has nothing of his own to say2 who is not called upon to invent an answer or to play the clever man in the presence of the kings4 ,he was simply as a trumpet through which ,god could blow ,his own blast1 or a pillar on which ,god would inscribe his own message1 or a voice which ,god would use for the declaration of ,his own will4 ,it is unjust to attribute obstinacy or any form of self-will or self-worship to ,micaiah4 ,if he had consulted his natural inclination alone1 he would have sought favor with the king1 and the logical effect of his subsequent position would have been that ,ahab would have endeavored for ever to silence him by constituting him the prince and leader of the four hundred prophets4 ,micaiah said1 in effect1 what was said centuries afterward3 8,we have this treasure in earthen vessels40 ,micaiah lived in ,god1 for ,god1 and had nothing of his own to calculate or consider4 ,until preachers realize this same spiritual independence1 they will be attempting to accommodate themselves to the spirit of the times1 and even the strongest of them may be betrayed into connivances and compromises fatal to personal integrity and to the claims of truth4 ,now came the critical moment4 ,now it was to be seen whether ,micaiah was to be promoted to honor1 or thrust away in contempt and wrath4 ,it is easy to read of the recurrence of such moments1 but difficult to realize them in their agony4 ,yet these are the moments which make history in its sublimest lines4 ,it is not too much to say that there have been points of time at which if certain men had given way the whole economy of the world have been wrecked4 ,the king addressed himself to the prophet1 saying3 8,shall we go against ,ramoth-gilead to battle1 or shall we forbear80 ,the answer of ,micaiah must have been a surprise to all who heard it1 for he said3 8,go1 and prosper2 for the ,lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king40 ,this is an answer which can not be understood in print4 ,it was evident1 however1 that ,ahab was in no doubt as to its meaning1 for the tone of the prophet was a tone of almost contemptuous irony4 ,if ,king ,ahab had taken ,micaiah's literal answer1 he would have gone forth to the battle comforting himself with the thought that he was carrying out the will of ,heaven2 but he knew in his own soul that ,micaiah was not uttering that which expressed the reality of the case4 ,with anger the king said unto him3 8,how many times shall ,i adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the ,lord80 ,then ,micaiah replied in symbolic language1 the full meaning of which was vividly clear to the mind of ,ahab2 for1 turning to ,jehoshaphat1 he said3 8,did ,i not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me1 but evil80 ,thereupon ,micaiah charged the whole band of prophets with being under the inspiration of a lying spirit1 and thus he put a stigma upon their judgment and extracted from it every particle of dignity and authority4 ,but this was not to be borne1 for ,zedekiah went near and smote ,micaiah on the cheek and taunted him as being the only prophet in ,israel4 ,micaiah had to bear the sarcasm conveyed in the inquiry3 8,which way went the ,spirit of the ,lord from me to speak unto thee80 ,micaiah1 like a true prophet1 leaves his judgment to the decision of time4 ,he will not stoop to argue1 or to exchange words either of anger or of controversy2 he simply says that ,zedekiah will one day see the meaning of the whole prophecy1 and until that day controversy would be useless4 ,micaiah had to pay for his intrepidity4 ,he was carried unto ,amon1 the governor of the city1 and to ,joash1 the king's son1 and was to be put in prison and fed with the bread of affliction and with the water of affliction until ,ahab returned in peace4 ,micaiah thus disappears from history4 ,of his fate we know nothing2 but there can be no difficulty in forecasting it a cruel death4 ,micaiah knew well the meaning of the king's message4 ,it may be difficult for the commentator to explain the expression1 8bread of affliction and water of affliction10 but ,micaiah knew the full meaning of the terms1 and yet1 while their cruel sound was in his ears1 he looked at the king and said3 8,if thou return at all in peace1 the ,lord hath not spoken by me40 ,micaiah also made his appeal to the people1 and thus committed himself to the verdict of history1 saying3 8,hearken1 ,o people1 every one of you40 ,see whether it is not a moment to be proud of when ,micaiah turns away in the custody of his persecutors1 having delivered his soul with a fearlessness that did not cower or blanche1 even at the sight of death in its most ghastly form4 ,surely1 it is due to history to recognize the fact that there have been men who have not counted their lives dear unto themselves when they were called upon to testify for truth and goodness4 ,the martyrs must never be forgotten4 ,illustration3 ,,joseph ,,interpreting ,,pharaoh',s ,,dream4 ,genesis1 xli4 ,illustration3 ,st4 ,paul4 ,from the ,painting by ,raphael4 ,dark will be the day in the history of any nation when the men who shed their blood that truth might be told and honor might be vindicated are no longer held in remembrance4 ,in vain do we bring forth from our hidden treasure the coins of ancient times1 the robes worn in high antiquity by kings and priests1 the rusty armor of warriors1 if there is no longer in our heart the most tender recollection of the men who wandered about clad in sheep-skins and goat-skins--being destitute1 afflicted and tormented--that they might save the torch of truth from extinction and the standard of honor from overthrow4 ,away the kings have gone1 and instead of relying upon the word of the ,lord1 or taking refuge in the sanctuary of great principles1 they invent little tricks for the surprise and dismay of the enemy4 ,the king of ,israel disguised himself1 and ,jehoshaphat made himself as the king of ,israel2 but all their inventions came to nothing4 ,a certain man drew a bow at a venture1 and smote the king of ,israel between the joints of the harness4 ,the poor king was fatally struck4 ,he 8was stayed up his chariot against the ,syrians1 and died at even2 and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot4''' ,and one washed the chariot in the pool of ,samaria2 and the dogs licked up his blood2 and they washed his armor2 according unto the word of the ,lord which ,he spake40 ,so will perish all the enemies of the ,lord4 ,differences of merely accidental detail there will ever be1 but no honor can mark the death of those who have gone contrary to the will of ,heaven1 and taken counsel of their own imagination4 ,how long shall the lessons of history be wasted upon us8 ,how long will men delude themselves with the mad infatuation that they can fight against ,god and prosper8 ,horsemen and chariots are nothing2 gold and silver are valueless2 all the resources of civilization are but an elaborate display of cobwebs4 ,nothing can stand in the final conflict but truth1 right and purity4 ,these are the eternal bulwarks1 and unto these are assured complete and unchangeable victory4 ,if ,god be for us1 who can be against us8 ,and if ,god be against us1 it will matter not what kings are for us2 they shall be blown away by the wind as if contemptuously1 and cast out as refuse which is of no value4 ,my soul1 be thou faithful to the voice of history1 nor tell lies to thyself1 nor operate merely through imagination1 ambition or selfish calculation2 for the end of this course is death--not heroic death1 not death over which coming men and women will weep1 but death that shall be associated with dishonor1 a thing to be forgotten1 an event never to be named without bitterness and shame4 ,the first and second ,book of ,kings constitute a section of ,jewish history1 and originally formed only one book in the sacred writings4 ,it was customary with the ,jews to name the sacred books from the word or words with which they commenced2 and1 while this practice may have given rise to the designation1 8,kings10 it is right to observe that the title is well fitted to indicate the character of these historic compositions4 ,the annals given in these sacred registers are necessarily brief2 but they extend from the close of ,david's reign till the commonwealth was dissolved1 a period of #dbg years4 ,succinct as is the history contained in these books1 there are some peculiarities in them which should not be overlooked1 and from which not a little may be learned4 ,there is not here a simple biography of the various kings that occupied the thrones of ,judah and ,israel1 nor is there a mere detail of national movements and events1 nor even a tabular register of ecclesiastical affairs4 ,the throne1 the state and the church are all exhibited in their mutual relations and bearings upon each other4 ,kings and people are held up to view as existing and acting under the immediate government of ,god2 and hence the character of the ruler is always tested by the mode in which he adheres to the laws of the ,most ,high and develops the moral excellences of the people4 ,the notice of his accession to royal office is generally accompanied with an estimate of his conduct1 and the standard to which he is likened or with which he is contrasted is either the character of ,david1 of his own father or of ,jeroboam1 the son of ,nebat1 8who made ,israel to sin40 ,all the political events which are recorded have been brought forward chiefly to exhibit the influence of religion on national prosperity1 and in this way to show how the divine ,king of ,israel observed the conduct of his subjects1 and rewarded their fidelity or avenged their wickedness with expressions of righteous indignation4 ,and the affairs of the ,church are all portrayed with the evident design of giving prominence to the same important truth4 ,idolatry in ,israel was treason against their ,king2 religious defection was open revolt1 and every act of overt wickedness was an act of rebellion4 ,hence there is a constant comparing or contrasting of religious state and feeling with those of former times1 and especially are the oracles of truth continually elevated as the perfect standard to which the thoughts and actions of all should be conformed4 ,the ,mosaic promises and warnings are strikingly verified in the ,books of ,kings4 ,for this object they were written1 and to the manifestation of this the author has made his whole narrative conduce4 ,much variety of opinion exists with reference to the author of these records and the period of their composition4 ,jewish tradition ascribes the authorship of the treatise to ,jeremiah1 the prophet--a supposition which is greatly strengthened by the similarity of style and idiom which is traceable between the language of the ,books of ,kings and that of ,jeremiah4 ,,ahaziah4 ,ahaziah was the son of ,ahab and ,jezebel4 ,he was badly born4 ,some allowance must be made for this fact in estimating his character4 ,again and again we have had occasion1 and shall indeed often have1 to remark upon the disadvantages of children born of wicked parents4 ,it is not for us to lay down any final doctrine of responsibility2 we must leave that in the hands of a just and gracious ,god4 ,a terrible spectacle1 however1 it is to see a man whose father sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the ,lord1 who bound himself as for a price to show rebellion on the very floor of ,heaven4 ,ahaziah was a prince of evil--a man who said he would defile the sanctuary and commit his supreme sin within the shadow of the altar1 and whose mother laid the plans for the murder of ,naboth1 and who all but personally superintended their execution4 ,what can we expect from such a child of darkness8 ,who can gather grapes of thorns1 or figs of thistles8 ,was he responsible for his own actions8 ,society is often hard on such men--not unreasonably or unnaturally4 ,yet society is often very gracious to such men1 saying with an instinctive piety and sense of justice3 8,after all1 such men are not to be personally blamed for their antecedents2 they may indeed be open to some measure of suspicion1 but even they must have their opportunity in life40 ,let us consider the case of ,ahaziah and see how matters stand for our own instruction4 ,to understand the matter thoroughly1 we must go to the twenty-second chapter of the first ,book of ,kings3 8,then said ,ahaziah1 the son of ,ahab1 unto ,jehoshaphat3 #8,let my servants go with thy servants in the ships4' ,but ,jehoshaphat would not40 ,jehoshaphat was right when he acted upon his instinct4 ,by-and-by he came to act upon a basis of calculation1 and then a compact was entered into4 ,but who dare set aside the voice of instinct--the very first voice that rises in the soul to make judgment and to give direction8 ,jehoshaphat1 on hearing the proposal of the son of ,ahab1 said3 8,no4 ,i have known thy father too well4 ,i am too familiarly acquainted with thy family history4 ,thou shalt not send thy servants with mine40 ,it would be well for us if we could sometimes act more promptly upon our instincts4 ,it would have been well for ,jehoshaphat if he had acted upon his instinct4 ,ahaziah fell through the lattice1 and in his helplessness he became religious4 ,man must have some ,god4 ,even ,atheism is a kind of religion4 ,when a man recoils openly from what may be termed the public faith of his country1 he seeks to apologize for his recoil1 and to make up for his church absence by creating high obligations of another class4 ,he plays the patriot2 he plays the disciplinarian2 he will be a ,spartan in personal training and drill--in some way he will try to make up for or defend the recoil of his soul from the old altar of his country4 ,it is in their helplessness that we really know what men are4 ,do not listen to the frivolous and irresponsible chatter of men who1 being in robust health1 really know nothing about the aching1 the sorrow1 the pain1 the need and the agony of this awful human life4 ,what does our helplessness suggest8 ,instantly we go out of ourselves to seek friendship1 assistance and sympathy4 8,oh1 would some gentle hand but touch my weariness60 ,thus cries the helpless one4 ,all that1 being fairly and duly interpreted1 has a religious signification4 ,the cry for friendship is but a subdued cry for ,god4 ,sometimes men will invent ,gods of their own4 ,this is what was done1 practically1 by ,ahaziah4 ,men will go out after novel deities4 ,this is what is being done every day--not under that name1 but the mere name makes no difference in the purpose of the spirit4 ,say new enjoyments1 new entertainments1 new programs1 new customs--these1 being interpreted as to the heart of them1 mean new altars1 new helpers1 new gods4 ,it is said of ,shakespeare that he first exhausted worlds1 and then invented new4 ,that was right4 ,it was but of the liberty of a poet to do so4 ,but it is no part of the liberty of the soul4 ,necessity forbids it1 because the true ,god cannot be exhausted4 ,he is like ,his own nature1 so far as we know it in the great creation2 ,he is all things in one1 gleaming and dazzling as noon-tide1 soft and gentle as the balmy wind1 strong as the great mountains and rocks1 beauteous as the tiny fragrant flowers1 musical as the birds that make the air melodious1 awful as the gathered thunder which hovers above the ,earth as if in threatening4 ,who can exhaust nature8 ,who can exhaust nature's ,god8 ,still1 the imagination of man is evil continually4 ,he will invent new ways of enjoying himself4 ,he will degrade religion into a mere form of interrogation4 ,this is what ,ahaziah did in this instance3 8,go1 inquire of ,baal-zebub1 the god of ,ekron1 whether ,i shall recover of this disease40 ,all that we sometimes want of ,god is that ,he should be the great fortune teller4 ,how true it is that ,ahaziah represents us all in making his religion into a mere form of question asking--in other words1 into a form of selfishness6 ,the messengers have now come4 ,they have taken their speech from their king1 and they are on the road to consult ,baal-zebub1 the god of ,ekron4 ,but who is this who meets them1 and who asks3 8,is it not because there is not a ,god in ,israel that ye go to inquire of ,baal-zebub1 the god of ,ekron80 ,the men had said nothing about their errand4 ,who is it that reads the heart night and day1 to whom the darkness and the light are both alike1 and from the fire of whose eye nothing is hid8 ,how do we get the impression that when we have perfected our lie it is in some sense public property8 ,we are sure the man whom we meet knows it4 ,he looks as if he did4 ,elijah is an abrupt speaker4 ,the 8hairy man0 and 8girt with a girdle of leather0 did not study the scanning of his sentences4 ,he struck with a battering ram2 his interrogations were spears that quivered in the heart2 his looks were judgments4 ,what an effect he produced upon these men6 ,why did they not go past him and say3 8,keep thy speeches to thyself1 thou hairy man1 nor interfere with the king's messengers08 ,we can not do that4 ,we know that some men are not to be turned away so4 ,we may attempt to deceive1 evade or disappoint them1 but they have a magnetic and most marvelous influence upon us4 ,though they do not speak in the imperative mood1 they speak with imperative force4 ,the men turned back like whipped children to tell the king what they had heard1 and ,ahaziah was surprised at their early return4 ,he can not sleep4 ,he asks that the book of the chronicles may be brought1 that he may look up events and see where the loop slipped1 where the wrong entry was made1 or where the minutes were not carried out in detail4 ,all this means that ,elijah lives in some form or other and will meet us and confront us and have it out with us4 ,look at the conflict between ,ahaziah and ,elijah1 the ,tishbite4 ,ahaziah is the king and ,elijah is only the prophet1 and the king ought to have every thing his own way ex-officio4 ,now we shall see what metal ,elijah is made of4 ,he handled kings as if they were little children4 ,he took them up and set them down behind him and said3 8,wait there until ,i return1 and stir at your peril40 ,the prophet should always be the uppermost man4 ,kings are nothing compared to teachers and seers--men who hold the judgments of ,god on commission4 ,the great men of the nation are the prophets1 the teachers1 the educators of thought1 the inspirers of noble sacrificial enthusiasm4 ,see how ,elijah tramps among the kings4 ,he has no favor to ask4 ,if he were driven to ask for one morsel of bread1 he would be ,elijah no more4 ,ahaziah sends to ,elijah and says3 8,come down40 ,these words sound very commanding and imperative4 ,elijah answered3 8,if ,i be a man of ,god1 then let fire come down from ,heaven and consume thee and thy fifty4 ,and there came down fire from ,heaven and consumed him and his fifty40 ,look at the conflict and its parties4 ,on the one hand1 petulance2 on the other1 dignity4 ,on the one side1 anger--fretful1 fuming1 petty2 on the other1 judgment--calm1 sublime1 comprehensive1 final4 ,ekron was one of the royal cities of the ,philistines4 ,its situation is pointed out with considerable minuteness in ,scripture4 ,it is described as lying on the northern border of ,philistia and of the territory allotted to ,judah4 ,it stood on the plain between ,bethshemesh and ,jabneel4 ,jerome locates it on the east of the road leading from ,azotus 7,ashdod7 to ,jamnia 7,jabneel74 ,from these notices we have no difficulty in identifying it with the modern village of ,akir4 ,akir stands on the southern slope of a low and bleak ridge or swell which separates the ,plain of ,philistia from ,sharon4 ,it contains about fifty mud houses1 and has not a vestige of antiquity except two large and deep wells and some stone water troughs4 ,ekron means 8wasteness40 ,the houses are built on the accumulated rubbish of past ages1 and1 like their predecessors1 if left desolate for a few years they would crumble to dust4 ,the most interesting event in its history was the sending of the ark to ,bethshemesh4 ,a new cart was made and two milch kine yoked to it1 and then left to choose their own path2 8and they took the straight way to the way of ,bethshemesh10 the position of which can be seen in a gorge of the distant mountains eastward4 ,the deity worshiped at ,ekron was called ,baal-zebub1 and we may conclude from the story of ,ahaziah that this oracle had a great reputation1 even among the degenerate ,israelites4 ,ekron was a large village in the days of ,jerome1 and also in the age of the crusades4 ,,asa4 ,asa was a good king of ,judah4 ,he 8did that which was good and right in the eyes of the ,lord1 his ,god40 ,not only 8good and right10 because these might be variable terms4 ,there are persons who set themselves to the presumptuous and impious task of settling for themselves what is 8right0 and what is 8good40 ,in the case of ,asa1 he did not invent a righteousness1 nor did he invent a goodness which he could adapt to his own tempers1 ambitions and conveniences4 ,he was right and good and 8did that which was good and right in the eyes of the ,lord1 his ,god40 ,while the land had peace1 ,asa set to work and built walls1 towers and fences1 and did all that he could for the good of his country4 ,zerah1 an ,ethiopian warrior1 did not understand silence4 ,he mistook quietness for languor4 ,he made the vulgar mistake of supposing that quietness was indifference4 ,he did not know that repose is the very highest expression of power4 ,zerah brought against ,asa1 king of ,judah1 no fewer than a million soldiers--to us a large number1 but to the ,orientals quite a common array4 ,zerah's host was the largest collected army of which we read in ,scripture1 but it does not exceed the known numbers of other ,oriental armies in ancient times4 ,darius ,codomannus brought into the field at ,arbela a force of #a1jdj1jjj4 ,xerxes crossed into ,greece with certainly above a million combatants4 ,artaxerxes ,mnemon collected #a1bfj1jjj men to meet the attack of the younger ,cyrus4 ,what was to be done8 ,asa did not shrink from war1 though he never courted it4 ,he must meet the foe in battle4 ,before doing so he must pray4 8,lord1 it is nothing with ,thee to help1 whether with many or with them that have no power4 ,help us1 ,o ,lord1 our ,god1 for we rest on ,thee2 and in ,thy name we go against this multitude4 ,o ,lord1 thou art our ,god2 let not man prevail against ,thee40 ,having risen from their knees1 they launched themselves against the ,ethiopians1 and were mighty as men who answer straw with steel4 ,they fought in ,god's name and for ,god's cause1 and the thousand thousand of the ,ethiopians were as nothing before the precise and terrific stroke of men who had studied war in the school of ,god4 ,the defeat of ,zerah is one of the most remarkable events in the history of the ,jews4 ,on no other occasion did they meet in the field and overcome the forces of either of the two great monarchies between which they were placed4 ,it was seldom that they ventured to resist1 unless behind walls4 ,shishak1 ,sennacherib1 ,esarhaddon1 ,nebuchadnezzar1 ,alexander and ,ptolemy ,i4 were either unopposed or only opposed in this way4 ,on the other occasion on which they took the field--which was under ,josiah against ,necho--their boldness issued in a most disastrous defeat4 ,asa1 then1 began upon a good foundation2 he established himself upon a great principle4 ,that is what all1 young people especially1 should take to heart right seriously4 ,do not make an accident of your lives--a thing without center1 purpose1 certitude or holiness4 ,be right in your great foundation lines1 and you will build up a superstructure strong1 after the nature and quality of the foundation upon which you build4 ,do not snatch at life4 ,do not take out an odd motto here and there and say3 8,this will do for the occasion40 ,life should be deeply laid in its bases1 strongly cemented together in its principles1 noble in its convictions2 then it can be charitable in its concessions and recognitions4 8,and ,asa took courage1 and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of ,judah and ,benjamin1 and out of the cities which he had taken from ,mount ,ephraim1 and renewed the altar of the ,lord40 ,let us not trifle with the occasion by suggesting that we have no idolatries to uproot1 no heathen groves to examine1 to purify or to destroy4 ,that would indeed be making light of history and ignoring the broadest and saddest facts of our present circumstances4 ,the world is full of little gods1 man-made idols1 groves planted by human hands1 oppositions and antagonisms to the tried ,theism of the universe4 ,we are apt to think that the idols are a long way off--far beyond seas2 or that they existed long centuries ago and spoke languages now obsolete or forgotten4 ,nothing of the kind4 ,they live here2 they build today4 ,our gods are a million strong4 ,we do not call them gods1 but we worship them none the less4 ,luck1 ,accident1 ,fortune1 ,fashion1 ,popularity1 ,self-,indulgence--these are the base progeny of idols that did once represent some ideal thought and even some transcendental religion4 ,idolatry has retrograded2 polytheism has gone quickly backward4 ,asa said1 in effect3 8,we must be right about our gods before we can be right with one another40 ,that is true teaching4 ,with a wrong theology we never can have a thoroughly sound and healthy economic system4 ,this was the corner-stone upon which ,asa built his great and gracious policy4 ,what was the effect of it upon other people8 ,we find that the effect then was what it must always be3 8,they fell to him out of ,israel in abundance when they saw that the ,lord1 his ,god1 was with him40 ,such is the influence of a great leadership4 ,if ,asa had been halting1 the people would have halted1 too4 ,asa was positive2 and positiveness1 sustained by such beneficence1 begets courage in other people4 8,they fell to him out of ,israel in abundance0--that is1 they came over to him and were on his side4 ,they ranked themselves with ,asa2 they looked for his banner and called it theirs1 8when they saw that the ,lord1 his ,god1 was with him40 ,nations perish for want of great leaders4 ,social reforms are dependent to a large extent upon the spirit of the leadership which has adopted them4 ,the ,church is always looking around for some bolder man1 some more heroic and dauntless spirit1 who will utter the new truth1 if any truth can be new--say1 rather1 the next truth2 for truth has always a next self1 a larger and immediately impending self1 and the hero1 who is also martyr1 must reveal that next phase of truth and die on ,golgotha for his pains4 ,can we not1 in some small sense1 be leaders in our little circles--in our business relations1 in our family life1 in our institutional existence8 ,many people can follow a tune who can not begin one4 ,that is the philosophy we would unfold and enforce4 ,regard all leaders with prayerful hopefulness in so far as they want to do good and to be good4 ,sympathize with them2 say to ,asa1 even the king3 8,what thou hast done thou hast well done2 in ,god's name we bless thee for the purification of the land and for the encouragement of all noble things40 ,asa showed the limits of human forbearance and human philosophy4 ,he broke down in the very act of doing that which was right because he went too far4 ,he made a covenant1 and the people made it along with him4 ,solemn renewals of the original covenant which ,god made with their fathers in the wilderness occur from time to time in the history of the ,jews1 following upon intervals of apostacy4 ,this renewal in the reign of ,asa is the first on record4 ,the next falls three hundred years later1 in the reign of ,josiah4 ,there is a third in the time of ,nehemiah4 ,on such occasions the people bound themselves by a solemn oath to observe all the directions of the ,law1 and called down ,god's curse upon them if they forsook it4 8,and they entered into a covenant to seek the ,lord ,god of their fathers with all their heart and all their soul2 that whosoever would not seek the ,lord ,god of ,israel should be put to death1 whether small or great1 whether man or woman40 ,that is the danger4 ,you can not make men religious by killing them1 by threatening them1 by inflicting upon them any degree of penalty4 ,do not force a child to church4 ,lead it2 lure it2 make the church so bright and homelike and beautiful that the child will eagerly long for the time to come when the door will be opened4 ,asa was impartial4 ,there was a touch of real grandeur about the man4 ,he would not even allow his mother to keep an idol4 ,the queen had an idol of her own 8in a grove40 8,and also concerning ,maachah1 the mother of ,asa1 the king1 he removed her from being queen1 because she had made an idol in a grove2 and ,asa cut down her idol1 and stamped it and burnt it at the brook ,kidron40 ,thus ruthlessly ,asa disestablished that little royal church4 ,see how burningly in earnest the man was1 and what a man will do when his earnestness is fervent6 ,he knows nothing about fathers1 mothers1 partialities or concessions4 ,he says3 8,light is the foe of darkness1 and you can not have any little dark corner of your own4 ,this light must find you out1 chase away every shadow and purify every secret place in human life and thought40 ,some have supposed that ,maachah1 the mother of ,abijah1 and ,maachah1 the 8mother0 of ,asa1 were different persons1 the former being the daughter of ,absalom1 the latter the daughter of ,uriel of ,gibeah4 ,there are really no grounds for this4 ,maachah1 the mother of ,abijah1 enjoyed the rank of queen mother not only during his short reign of three years1 but also during that of her grandson1 ,asa1 until deposed by him on account of her idolatry4 ,the original word for 8idol0 appears to signify a 8horrible abomination0 of some monstrous kind2 and instead of 8in a grove0 we should read 8for an asherah10 the wooden emblem of the ,canaanitish deity4 ,there seems little doubt that some obscene emblem is meant1 of the kind so often connected with worship of the productive powers of nature in ancient religions--substituted1 as a still greater abomination1 for the ordinary asherah4 ,clearly1 the act of ,maachah was one of so flagrant a kind that ,asa took the unusual step1 on which the historian here lays great stress1 of degrading her in her old age from her high dignity1 besides hewing down her idol and burning it publicly under the walls of ,jerusalem4 8,now10 said ,asa1 in effect1 8what is good for the public is good for the individual2 what is good for the subject is good for the queen40 ,,athaliah4 ,athaliah was a king's daughter and a king's wife4 ,she had a son whose name was ,ahaziah1 but1 as he was an invalid1 he did not occupy the throne longer than about twelve months4 ,as soon as his mother saw that he was dead a fierce and most murderous passion seized her heart4 ,she then resolved to be queen herself4 ,in order to carry out this nefarious purpose1 she slew all the seed royal1 so that1 there being no successor to the throne1 she ascended it and reigned as queen4 ,it is very wonderful that some of the most cruel and startling things in the world have been done by women4 ,one called ,laodice poisoned her six sons one by one1 that she might be empress of ,constantinople4 ,another1 ironically named ,irene1 took the eyes out of her own boy1 that he might be incapable of empire1 and that she might reign alone4 ,these things were done in the ancient time4 ,is any of the cruelty of heart left still8 ,the accident may be changed--what about the passion and purpose of the heart8 ,let every one answer the question individually4 ,athaliah made her heap of corpses and laughed in her mad heart1 saying that now she was queen4 ,but always some ,fleance escapes the murderer's clutch4 ,in that heap of corpses there was an infant boy1 hardly twelve months old2 he was spared4 ,the sword had not taken his little life1 but the queen knew not that the child ,joash had escaped4 ,he was taken and with his nurse was hidden in the ,temple1 and there he was trained by the good priest1 ,jehoiada1 for some six years4 ,all the while the queen was reigning and doing evil4 ,the little boy was saved by his aunt1 ,jehosheba1 and when six years had passed and the boy was seven years of age1 being twelve months old when he was snatched from impending ruin1 ,jehoiada called the rulers together and all the chief and mighty men of ,israel4 ,he then revealed the secret to them4 ,having disposed these dignitaries in military order and with military precision around the person of the young king1 ,jehoiada brought the crown and put it upon his head1 and he gave him the testimony or ,book of ,leviticus2 and1 having gone through all this ceremonial process1 the young king stood upright by the pillar of inauguration in the ,temple1 and all that great throng then clapped their hands and shouted3 8,god save the king60 ,louder the shout rang till the queen heard it in her own house1 which was not far off4 8,the nearer the church1 the farther from ,god10 has been wittily said4 ,athaliah hastened to the sacred place to know the reason of this hilarious tumult1 and when the case was made clear to her she shrieked and cried3 8,treason6 ,treason60 ,but her voice found no echo in the hearts of men4 ,not a soul fluttered--not a heart started up in the royal defense4 ,the woman--the evil daughter of an evil mother--was taken out by the way along which the horses came into the king's house1 and the sword which she had thrust into the throats of others drank her own blood4 ,in an event of this kind there must be some great lessons for all time4 ,these are not merely momentary ebullitions of wrath or malice4 ,they have history in them2 they are red with the common blood of the whole race4 ,very few men stand out in ancient history with so fair and honorable a fame as good ,jehoshaphat4 ,it is like a tonic1 intellectual and spiritual1 to read his vivid history4 ,he was a grand king--long-headed1 good-hearted1 honest and healthy in purpose of doing wondrous things for his kingdom and for the chosen of ,god4 ,but is there not a weak point in every man8 ,does not the strongest man stoop8 ,does not great ,homer sometimes nod8 ,jehoshaphat had this weakness1 that he hankered after some kind of connection with the wicked house of ,ahab4 ,he had a son1 whose name was ,jehoram 7or ,joram71 and he wanted his son married4 ,he must look around for royal blood4 ,explain it as we may--no man has explained it fully yet--,jehoshaphat wanted to be connected with the evil house of ,ahab4 ,to that house he looked for a wife for his son1 ,jehoram4 ,his son married ,athaliah1 and she brought into the kingdom all the idolatry of ,ahab and the fierce blood-thirstiness of ,jezebel4 ,that was the root of the mischief4 ,some roots lie a long time before they begin to germinate4 ,there may be roots in our lives which will take ten years or forty years to develop1 but the root will bring forth according to its kind4 ,let us take care what roots we plant in our lives--what connections we form4 ,jehoram1 the son of good ,jehoshaphat1 walked in the evil ways of the kings of ,israel1 and he wrought that which was evil in the sight of the ,lord4 ,mark the reason given by the inspired historian3 8,he had the daughter of ,ahab to wife40 ,what secrets were indicated by that one reason6 ,what a whole volume of tragedy is wrapped up in that brief sentence6 ,the responsibility seems to a large extent transferred from ,jehoram and placed upon his wife1 who was a more subtle thinker1 a more desperate character1 with a larger brain and a firmer will1 with more accent and force of personality4 ,jehoram played the evil trick1 repeated the foul habit1 went in the wrong direction1 bowed down to forbidden altars1 for--8he had the daughter of ,ahab to wife40 ,she lured him2 the seduction was hers2 she won the conquest4 ,when he would have bowed the knee to the ,god of ,heaven1 she laughed at him and mocked him into ,baal worship4 ,he fell as a victim into her industrious and cruel hands4 8,be not unequally yoked together40 ,do not look upon marriage lightly2 do not suppose that it is a game for the passing day1 a flash and gone1 a hilarious excitement1 a wine-bibbing1 a passing around of kind salutations1 then dying away like a trembling echo4 ,beware what connections you form1 and do not suppose that the laws of ,god can be set aside with impunity4 ,get out of your heads the infinite mistake that you can do as you like and escape the operation of divine law4 ,deliver yourselves from the cruel delusion that you can sow tares and reap wheat4 ,be not deceived4 ,god is not mocked1 for whatever a man sows that shall he also reap4 ,our family life explains our public attitude and influence4 ,what we are at home we are really abroad4 ,wives1 do not destroy your husbands4 ,when they would do good1 help them4 ,when they propose to give to the cause of charity1 suggest that the donation be doubled1 not divided4 ,when they would help in any good and noble work1 give them sympathy1 prayer and blessing4 ,we never knew a man yet of any enduring public power that was not made by his wife1 and we never knew a public man yet that fully appreciated the value of that ministry4 ,it is secret2 it is at home2 it does not show4 ,it is chalked on a black-board1 and not gilded on a high ceiling2 it is silent1 but vital4 ,we have seen a man go down in his church life1 and we have wondered why4 ,it was his wife--the daughter of ,ahab--who was degrading him1 narrowing him and dwarfing him in his thinking and sympathy4 ,we have seen a man go up in his public influence1 and we have found that it was his wife who was encouraging him1 helping him1 telling him that he was on the right way1 and wishing him good luck in the name of the ,lord4 ,see to it that your home is right4 ,have a beautiful home--morally and religiously2 a sacred house1 a sanctuary where joy is the singing angel4 ,and then1 when you come abroad into the market-place1 into the pulpit1 into parliament1 into trade and commerce or into any of the social relations of life1 you will bring with you all the inspiration which comes from a home that blooms like a garden or glows like a ,summer sun4 ,do not suppose that the divine purpose can be set aside by ,athaliahs1 ,irenes1 ,laodices or any false1 furious or desperate characters of any kind4 ,the ,lord promised ,david that he should always have a candle in ,jerusalem4 ,the light was very low sometimes--it was reduced to a spark in young ,joash2 but it was ,god's candle1 and ,athaliah's wild breath could not blow out that light4 ,the word of the ,lord abideth for ever4 ,observe a very strong peculiarity in human nature1 as shown in the conduct of ,athaliah4 ,she went into the ,temple and saw the young ,joash with a crown upon his head1 and she shrieked out3 8,treason6 ,treason60 ,poor innocent ,athaliah6 ,who would not pity so gentle a dove1 with a breast of feathers and a cruel dart rankling in it8 ,sweet woman--gentle and loving creature--injured queen6 ,her hands were perfectly clean2 she was the victim of a cruel stratagem4 ,she was outwitted by heads longer than hers4 ,she1 poor unsuspecting soul1 had been brought into this condition1 and all she could do was to cry in injured helplessness3 8,treason6 ,treason60 ,how moral we become under some circumstances6 ,how very righteous we may stand up to be under certain provocations6 ,who could but pity poor ,athaliah1 who had nursed her grandchildren with a wolf's care8 ,we do this very self-same thing very often in our own lives4 ,where is the man who does not suppose that he has a right to do wrong8 ,but let other people do wrong1 and then hear him6 ,given a religious sect of any name whatsoever1 that has the domination of any neighborhood1 and the probability is that that religious sect will use its supremacy somewhat mischievously in certain circumstances4 ,it will not let anybody who opposes its tenets have an acre of ground in that neighborhood1 nor will it allow any sect that opposes its principles to build a church there4 ,no6 ,it takes a righteous view of the circumstances2 it will not trifle with its responsibilities2 it can allow no encroachment4 ,it is charged with the spirit of stewardship1 and must be faithful to its sacred obligations4 ,so it cants and whines1 whatever its name be4 ,if it be the name we bear religiously1 so much the worse4 ,we speak of no particular sect1 but of any sect that may be placed in such peculiar circumstances as to claim the domination and supremacy in any neighborhood4 ,now1 let any member of that sect leave that particular locality and go to live under a wholly different set of circumstances1 and apply for a furlong of ground1 or for a house that he may occupy as tenant4 ,then let it be found that his religious convictions are a bar to his enjoyment of local properties and liberties4 ,he will cry out3 8,persecution6 ,persecution60 ,how well it befits his lips6 ,the very man who in one district persecuted to the death those who opposed him removes to another locality1 where a screw is applied to his own joints1 and he raises the cry of persecution4 ,it is ,athaliah's old trick1 and will have ,athaliah's poor reward4 ,see how the cry of the wicked is unheeded4 ,athaliah was a woman1 and by so much had a claim upon the sympathy of the strong4 ,yet no man's heart went out to her in loyal reverence4 ,jehoash 7or ,joash1 as the name was shortened7 was trained in the ,temple1 under the good ,jehoiada4 ,he was blessed in his aunt--for it was his aunt who took him1 the daughter of ,ahab1 but not by the mother of ,athaliah--and ,joash did good all the days of ,jehoiada1 the priest4 ,see the influence of a noble life4 ,see how religion may help royalty1 and how that which is morally true lifts up patriotism to a higher level4 ,no country is sound at heart--through and through good and likely to endure--that draws not the inspiration of its patriotism from the loftiness and purity of its religion4 ,all these tragedies are making the ,earth reek with abomination today4 ,athaliah lives in a vigorous progeny4 ,,balaam4 ,balaam comes into the narrative most suddenly--but he will never go out of it again4 ,other men have come into the ,bible story quite as suddenly1 but they have only remained for a time4 ,balaam will never disappear2 we shall read of him when we come to the ,book of the ,revelation of ,john the ,divine4 ,there are some historical presences that you can never get rid of4 ,it is useless to quibble and question4 ,the same mystery occurs in our own life4 ,some persons1 having been once seen1 are seen for ever4 ,you can not get away from the image or the influence1 or forget the magical touch of hand or mind or ear2 they turn up in the last chapter of your life ,bible4 ,you can not tell whence they come4 ,their origin is as great a mystery as is the origin of ,melchisedek2 they come into your lifelines as quickly and abruptly as came ,elijah1 the ,tishbite2 and they take up their residence with you--subtly coloring every thought1 secretly and mightily turning speech into new accents and unsuspected expressions full of significance and revealing that significance in ever-surprising ways and tones4 ,why sit down and look at the story of ,balaam as though it were something that occurred once for all8 ,it occurs every day4 ,god teaches by surprise4 ,he sets the stranger in our life1 and while we are wondering ,he turns our wonder into a mystery more sublime4 ,who would have a life four-square1 in the sense of limitation1 visible boundary1 tangible beginning and ending8 ,who would not rather be in the world as if he had been in some other world1 and as if he were moving on to some larger world8 ,we lose power when we lose mystery4 ,let us not chaffer about words4 ,if the spirit of mystery is in a man1 the spirit of worship is in him2 and if the spirit of worship is in him1 it may detail itself into beliefs1 actions and services which are accounted right1 and whose rightness will be proved by their beneficence4 ,balaam comes as suddenly as ,melchisedek1 as unexpectedly as ,elijah2 but we shall find him at the very last an instructive historical character4 ,he is called ,balaam1 the son of ,beor1 and he is domiciled at ,pethor1 on the ,river ,euphrates4 ,at that time the king of ,moab was called ,balak1 and when ,balak saw how ,israel had destroyed the ,amorites he said3 8,fighting is out of the question4 ,if we have to come to battle1 we may as well surrender before we begin2 the numbers are overwhelming4 ,now shall this company lick up all that are round about us1 as the ox licketh up the grass of the field40 ,you can hear the lick and the crunch1 and be present at the destruction4 ,it was a day of fear and much sorrow in ,moab4 ,what1 then1 was to be done8 ,herein came the wisdom of ,balak4 ,he also lives to the end of life's chapter1 for to the end of that chapter we shall find the touch of superstition in the human mind4 ,balak would have recourse to supernatural help4 ,he had heard of ,balaam1 the soothsayer of ,pethor--a man of divination1 a person who had power to bless and to curse--the ,simon ,magus of his day4 ,so he took advantage of his superstition1 and thought to sow the air with curses which would work where his little sword could not reach4 ,that is not a mean thought4 ,call it perversion or superstition--you do not touch the inner and vital mystery of the case4 ,the great agonies of life are not to be explained by calling them perversions1 or labeling them superstitions1 or denouncing them as nightmares or dreams2 they are there4 ,man must obey voices which are not always articulate and reportable as to words and tones4 ,it may be more superstitious to deny the supernatural than to affirm it4 ,never forget the cant that is talked against cant4 ,do not believe that they are the heavenly1 pure and brilliant souls who have no church1 no religion1 no altar2 who live under the dome of their own hats and walk on the marble of their own boots4 ,whose prophets1 pray1 are they8 ,they must be accounted for1 as well as the ,melchisedeks1 the ,balaams and ,elijahs of old time4 ,what is their history8 ,where have they made their mark8 ,what marvels of beneficence have they performed8 ,or do they only live in the very doubtful region of sneering at other people's piety8 ,balak's was a great thought4 ,we do not adopt its form1 but we should perhaps do unwisely to reject its spirit and intent4 ,balak said3 8,numbers are against us4 ,if it is to be a mere contention of army against army1 ,moab will be destroyed at once4 ,the thing to be done--if it can be done--is to enlist the service and the action of the supernatural40 ,quite right4 ,we say so now4 ,if that can be done1 any other thing that can be done is contemptible in comparison4 ,so ,balak sent for ,balaam1 who made answer that he would not come4 ,by-and-by ,balak sent other princes more honorable still1 with offers of promotion and honor and abundant wages4 ,balaam said he would ask ,god4 ,he asked ,god1 and angered ,him by so doing4 ,some second prayers are worse than superstitions4 ,so ,god said3 8,if the men come to call thee1 rise up1 and go with them2 yet the word which ,i shall say unto thee1 that shalt thou do40 ,but ,god's anger was kindled against ,balaam4 8,and ,god's anger was kindled because he went2 and the angel of the ,lord stood in the way for an adversary against him4 ,now1 he was riding upon his ass1 and his two servants were with him4 ,and the ass saw the angel of the ,lord standing in the way1 and his sword drawn in his hand2 and the ass turned aside out of the way1 and went into the field2 and ,balaam smote the ass1 to turn her into the way4 ,but the angel of the ,lord stood in a path of the vineyards1 a wall being on this side and a wall on that side40 ,when ,balak heard of ,balaam's arrival he was glad4 ,gold went for nothing1 now the soothsayer had come4 ,riches were as water poured forth4 ,in those days the supernatural went for something in the market-place4 ,it is the cheapest of all things now4 ,ideas are without value2 religious thoughts are mere breath4 ,but ,balaam remembered that he was only to speak what ,god told him2 so he began to play the priest4 ,he would have altars put up4 ,he took up his parable1 and said3 8,balak1 the king of ,moab1 hath brought me from ,aram1 out of the mountains of the east1 saying3 #8,come1 curse me ,jacob1' and #8,come1 defy ,israel4'0 ,balaam would have altars put up and sacrifices rendered4 ,but the answer was3 8,no4 ,israel can not be cursed40 ,so ,balak took him to another point of view1 where perhaps1 the multitude looked greater or did not look so great4 8,and he took up his parable1 and said3 #8,rise up1 ,balak1 and hear2 hearken unto me1 thou son of ,zippor4'0 ,and again the people were to rise like a lion1 and lift up themselves as a young lion2 and the people were not to lie down until they had eaten of the prey and drunk of the blood of the slain4 8,well1 then10 said ,balak1 8if that be the case1 this thou must do for me3 ,neutralize thyself2 be nothing2 act as if thou hadst not come at all4 ,neither curse them at all1 nor bless them at all40 ,but ,balaam said3 8,no4 ,you can not treat ,god's messengers in that way4 ,as a matter of fact1 they are here2 you have to account for them being here1 and to reckon with them while they are here40 ,we can not quiet things by ignoring them4 ,simply by writing 8,unknowable0 across the heavens we really do not exclude supernatural or immeasurable forces4 ,the ribbon is too narrow to shut out the whole ,heaven4 ,it is but a little strip1 and looks contemptible against the infinite arch4 ,we do not exclude ,god by denying ,him1 nor by saying that we do not know ,him1 or that ,he can not be known4 ,we can not neutralize ,god1 so as to make ,him neither the one thing nor the other4 ,so ,balaam was the greatest mystery that ,balak had to deal with4 ,it is just the same with the ,bible--,god's supernatural ,book4 ,it will not lie where we want it to lie4 ,it has a way of getting up through the dust that gathers upon it and shaking itself1 and making its pages felt4 ,it will open at the wrong place4 ,would it open at some catalogue of names it might be tolerated1 but it opens at hot places1 where white thrones are and severe judgments1 and where scales are tried and measuring wands tested4 ,it will speak to the soul about the wrong doing that never came to any thing1 and the wicked thought that would have burned the heavens and scattered dishonor upon the throne of ,god4 ,balak said1 in effect3 8,would to ,heaven ,i could get rid of this man40 ,he took ,balaam to another point of view1 and ,balaam 8set his face toward the wilderness1 and took up his parable40 ,he sang a sweet and noble song3 8,how goodly are thy tents1 ,o ,jacob6 ,and thy tabernacles1 ,o ,israel6 ,as the valleys are they spread forth1 as gardens by the river's side1 as the trees of lign aloes which the ,lord hath planted1 and as cedar trees beside the waters4 ,he shall pour the water out of his buckets1 and his seed shall be in many waters1 and his king shall be higher than ,agag1 and his kingdom shall be exalted4 ,god brought him forth out of ,egypt2 he hath1 as it were1 the strength of an unicorn2 he shall eat up the nations his enemies1 and shall break their bones and pierce them through with his arrows4 ,he couched1 he lay down as a lion1 and as a great lion2 who shall stir him up8 ,blessed is he that blesseth thee1 and cursed is he that curseth thee40 ,balak made a bad bargain that day4 ,he added unto his troubles1 instead of diminishing them4 ,balak would gladly have parted with ,balaam1 but he could not get rid of him2 and ,balak was wroth4 ,it became a king to become angry4 ,and ,balak's anger was kindled against ,balaam1 and he smote his hands together and said unto ,balaam3 8,i called thee to curse mine enemies1 and1 behold1 thou hast altogether blessed them these three times4 ,therefore1 now flee thou to thy place4 ,i thought to promote thee unto great honor1 but lo1 the ,lord hath kept thee back from honor40 ,balaam then made a great speech to ,balak4 ,he said3 8,is this not precisely what ,i said to the king's messengers8 ,did ,i not say3 #8,if ,balak would give me his house full of silver and gold1 ,i can not go beyond the commandment of the ,lord1 to do either good or bad of mine own mind2 but what the ,lord saith1 that will ,i speak'8 ,now1 ,i will tell that which ,i see40 ,and then came the parable of the man whose eyes are open3 ,and he took up his parable1 and said3 8,balaam1 the son of ,beor1 hath said1 and the man whose eyes are open hath said1 he hath said which heard the words of ,god1 and knew the knowledge of the ,most ,high1 which saw the vision of the ,almighty1 falling into a trance1 but having his eyes open2 ,i shall see him1 but not now2 ,i shall behold him1 but not nigh2 there shall come a ,star out of ,jacob1 and a ,scepter shall rise out of ,israel1 and shall smite the corners of ,moab1 and destroy all the children of ,sheth4 ,and ,edom shall be a possession1 ,seir also shall be a possession for his enemies2 and ,israel shall do valiantly4 ,out of ,jacob shall come he that shall have dominion1 and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city40 ,then the parable is continued1 ,balaam looking ,balak full in the face2 and last of all 8,balaam rose up1 and went and returned to his place1 and ,balak also went his way40 ,you can not carve your ,god into any shape that will please your fancy4 ,you can not send for any true faith and bribe it to speak your blessings or your cursings4 ,balaam was a man of noble sentiments4 ,look at some of his words3 8,let me die the death of the righteous1 and let my last end be like his40 ,and again3 8,god is not a man1 that he should lie2 neither the son of man1 that he should repent40 ,and again3 8,i shall see him1 but not now2 ,i shall behold him1 but not nigh40 ,then take the grand words which he spoke to ,balak1 as reported in the prophecies of ,micah4 ,never did man preach a nobler sermon than this3 8,he hath showed thee1 ,o man1 what is good2 and what doth the ,lord require of thee1 but to do justly1 and to love mercy1 and to walk humbly with thy ,god40 ,who can amend that speech8 ,who can refine that gold8 ,who dares touch that lily with his mean paint8 ,who taught ,balaam that great speech8 ,we sometimes say we find1 scattered up and down in ancient literature1 morals as beautiful as any we find in the ,bible4 ,possibly so4 ,who wrote them8 ,whence did they come8 ,is ,god the ,god of one corner of the creation8 ,is ,god a parochial ,deity8 ,is there not a spirit in man--universal man--and does not the ,spirit of the ,most ,high give him understanding8 ,wherever there is a line of beauty1 ,god wrote it2 wherever there is a sentiment which is charged with the spirit of beneficence1 that may be claimed as a good gift of ,god4 ,apostle ,paul never uttered a nobler sentiment than is uttered by ,balaam1 as reported in the prophecies of ,micah4 ,this is the ,sermon upon the ,mount in anticipation4 ,that is the vicious ,church1 built on the wrong foundation1 aiming at the wrong ,heaven1 which does not recognize in every literature and in every nation all that is good1 noble1 wise1 prophetic4 ,balaam's convictions and wishes disagreed sometimes4 ,therein he was most human4 ,he knew he ought not to go to ,balak1 and yet he wished to go4 ,he would ask the second time2 he would doubt his own convictions1 or he would adjust them according to the shape and temper of circumstances4 ,wherever he came from1 he claims herein to be quite a near neighbor of ours4 ,doubt may exist as to the exact relation of ,pethor to the river upon which it was built1 but there can be no doubt whatever of the blood relationship between ,balaam and our own age4 ,speaking impulsively from the center of his convictions1 he said3 8,no4 ,nothing shall tempt me to go4 ,you speak of gold and silver4 ,were ,balak to give me his house full of gold and silver1 ,i would not go4 ,i am the ,lord's servant1 and the ,lord's work alone will ,i do40 ,then the thought occurred to him--a second message coming1 borne by more honorable princes3 8,perhaps ,i might go and obtain this wealth and honor1 and still do my duty40 ,he is on the downward road now4 ,a man who thinks to do forbidden things and spend the bounty for the advantage of the ,church is lost2 there is no power in him that can overcome the gravitation that sucks him downward4 ,he says3 8,i will bring back all ,balak's gold and silver1 and add a transept to the church or another course of marble to the altar40 ,he will never return4 ,god will not have ,his house so patched and bungled2 nor does ,he want ,balak's gold for the finishing of ,his sanctuary4 ,a nobler spirit was ,abram1 who said no to the king of ,sodom1 8lest thou shouldest say3 #8,i have made ,abram rich4'0 ,the whole story of ,balaam is intensely ,oriental and primeval4 ,the first deputation is dismissed in obedience to a divine warning2 but1 so far as we know1 8the wages of unrighteousness10 which ,balaam loved1 are carefully retained4 ,a second embassy of nobler messengers1 carrying richer gifts1 succeeds4 ,he does not at once dismiss them1 as ,god had required1 but presses for permission to go with them1 which at last is granted4 ,balaam would earn the fame and honor apparently within his grasp1 yet he knows that when the prophetic afflatus comes on him he can only utter what it prompts4 ,with a feigned religiousness1 he protests that if ,balak were to give him his house full of silver and gold he could not go beyond the word of ,jehovah1 his ,god1 to do less or more2 but he also bids them wait overnight to see if he may not1 after all1 be allowed to go with them4 ,if his ignoble wish to be allowed to curse an unoffending nation be gratified1 he has the wealth he craves2 if it be refused1 he can appeal to his words as proof of his being only the mouth-piece of ,god4 ,that ,balaam should have been allowed to go with ,balak's messengers was only the permission given every man to act as a free agent1 and in no way altered the divine command1 that he should bless1 and not curse4 ,yet he goes as if at liberty to do either1 and lets ,balak deceive himself by false hopes1 when the will of ,god has been already decisively made known4 ,balaam's was a maneuvering life--very truthful1 and yet very false2 very godly1 and yet very worldly--a most composite and self-contradictory life1 and still a most human life4 ,balaam never breaks away from the brotherhood of the race in any of his inconsistencies4 ,when he is very good1 there are men living today who are just as good as ,balaam was2 when he is very bad1 it would not be difficult to confront him with men who are quite his equals in wrong doing4 ,when he is both good and bad almost at the same moment1 he does not separate himself from the common experience of the race4 ,he was always arranging1 adjusting1 endeavoring to meet one thing by another1 and to set off one thing over against another4 ,it was a kind of gamester life--full of subtle calculation1 touched with a sort of wonder which becomes almost religious1 and steeped in a superstition which reduces many of the actions of life to a state of moral mystery wholly beyond ordinary comprehension4 ,,elah4 ,there was once a king in ,israel named ,elah4 ,he reigned over ,israel1 in ,tirzah1 two years4 ,he had a servant called ,zimri1 who was a captain of his chariots4 ,zimri was a born traitor4 ,treachery was in his very blood4 ,in the case of ,elah1 ,zimri had a marked advantage1 for ,elah was a drunken fool4 ,he was in the habit of visiting the house of another of his servants1 a steward called ,arza4 ,there he had what drink he asked for1 and he asked for a great deal--so much that he was often drunk in his servant's house4 ,on one of these occasions ,zimri went in and killed him1 and reigned in his stead4 ,these are the facts with which we have to deal4 ,are they very ancient1 or are they happening about us every day8 ,is ,elah dead8 ,is ,zimri clean gone for ever8 ,and is the house of the servant ,arza closed1 so that the master can drink no more with the steward8 ,elah lives in every man who has great chances or opportunities in life1 but allows them to slip away from him through one leak in the character4 ,elah was a king and was the son of a king1 so his openings in life were wide and splendid2 but he loved strong drink1 and thus through that leak in his character all that might have made him a man oozed away1 and left him a king in nothing but the barren name4 ,strong drink will ruin any man4 ,it is the supreme curse of ,england4 ,i will say nothing now of the old1 but to the young ,i may speak a word4 ,i care not1 young man1 how many and how brilliant in life your chances are1 if you drink wine in the morning1 as many young men in ,london do1 you are as good as damned already4 ,you think not1 but that only shows the infinite deceitfulness of the enemy4 ,he tells you3 8,nothing of the kind4 ,this is parson's twaddle4 ,take your wine when you want it1 and let it alone when you do not care for it40 ,there is suppressed mockery in that high challenge4 ,there is no soundness of health in it4 ,every drink but leaves you weaker4 ,every emptied glass is another link added to the strong chain thrown upon your limbs4 ,zimri still lives in all persons who take advantage of the weaknesses of others4 ,zimri knew that ,elah was a drunkard1 and he further knew through ,elah's habit of drunkenness alone could he be reached4 ,on every other side of his character ,elah may have been a strong man--acute1 shrewd and far-sighted--but when in drink he was1 of course1 weak and foolish4 ,zimri played his game accordingly4 ,he said3 8,elah goes to ,arza's house after sundown4 ,in half an hour after going1 he will begin to fall under the effects of wine2 then the worst wine will be brought out1 and he will go mad under its poison and become drowsy4 ,i must get ,arza out of the way4 ,the fool will go on any errand ,i name1 on promise of another horse2 that is it40 ,the ,bible says3 8,and ,zimri went in and smote him and killed him40 ,he took advantage of his master's weakness1 and his progeny is numerous on the ,earth4 ,some people trade on the weaknesses of others4 ,they study them4 ,they adapt themselves to them4 ,they watch for striking time1 and seldom miss the mark4 ,how else could the net be always ready for the bird8 ,how else could the pit be always prepared for the unsuspecting and bewildered traveler8 ,there is an infernal science in these things--a devil's black art6 ,and does not ,arza still live in those who find the means whereby men may conceal their evil habits and indulge their unholy desires8 ,they seem to say3 8,in my house you may do what you please4 ,i shall not look at you4 ,come when you please2 go when you like2 ,i am nobody1 if you like to call me so40 ,tirzah1 whose name means pleasantness and which was ,elah's capital1 was an ancient royal city of the ,canaanites1 captured by ,joshua4 ,after its conquest it is not again mentioned in history till the time of ,jeroboam1 who appears to have chosen it as his principal residence4 ,the geographical position of ,tirzah has not been given by any ancient geographer4 ,zimri reigned only seven days in ,tirzah4 ,omri1 captain of the host1 was made king over ,israel in the camp4 ,he besieged ,tirzah and took it4 ,zimri1 seeing that the city was taken1 went into the king's palace1 set it on fire and perished in it4 ,the last mention of ,tirzah in ,scripture history is in connection with ,menahem1 who went from ,tirzah to ,samaria1 8and smote ,shallum1 and reigned in his stead40 ,solomon made the comparison3 8,thou art beautiful1 ,o my love1 as ,tirzah40 ,,elijah4 ,elijah means 8,jehovah is my ,god40 ,there is often much in a name4 ,it is a history1 sometimes--the summing up of generations2 it is sometimes an inspiration1 recalling memories that stir the soul to high daring4 ,there are two places called ,tishbi--one in ,gilead and the other in ,galilee4 ,elijah belonged to the former4 ,sometimes character is mysteriously and very deeply affected by country4 ,gilead was a wild and mountainous district1 bordering on ,arabia1 and consequently half ,arab in its customs4 ,there was a wonderful similarity between the man and the region2 stern1 bleak1 grand1 majestic and awful were they both4 ,john the ,baptist seemed to bring the wilderness with him when he came into the city4 ,children born in luxury are apt to be themselves luxurious4 ,children born in slavery will hardly ever be free1 though slavery has been abolished4 ,to the end of life we carry the color which first impressed itself on our vision4 ,all revelations seem to us to be sudden4 ,look at the suddenness of the appearance of ,ahijah to ,jeroboam1 and look at the instance before us3 8,elijah1 the ,tishbite1 said unto ,ahab40 ,the total apostasy of the ,ten ,tribes 7,israel7 was now almost accomplished1 and yet a faithful prophet of the ,lord stands up in the degenerate land and declares that ,jehovah is his ,god1 and in sacred solitariness protests against the abominations of ,israel and her king4 ,no mild man would have been equal to the occasion4 ,god adapts ,his ministry to circumstances4 ,he sends a nurse to the sick room and a soldier to the battle field4 ,the son of consolation and the son of thunder can not change places4 ,you are right when you say that the dew and the light and the soft breeze are ,god's2 but you may not1 therefore1 suppose that the thunder and the hurricane and the flood belong to a meaner lord4 ,imagine the two men standing face to face--,ahab1 the dissolute king1 and ,elijah1 the faithful prophet4 ,probably there is no finer picture in ancient history4 ,terrible indeed is the national crisis when king and prophet come into collision4 ,there is not a combat between two men4 ,mark that very closely4 ,it is ,right against ,wrong1 ,faithfulness against ,treachery1 ,purity against ,corruption4 ,look at them--,ahab and ,elijah--as they face one another6 ,consider the boldness of the prophet4 ,religion is never to be ashamed of its own testimony4 ,as we look at the scene1 not wanting in the elements of the highest tragedy1 we see the value of one noble witness in the midst of public corruption and decay1 and the grandeur as well as necessity of a distinct personal profession of godliness4 ,it is not enough to be godly2 we must avow it in open conduct and articulate confession4 ,let us now observe how ,elijah proceeds to deal with ,ahab4 8,there shall not be dew nor rain these years1 but according to my word40 ,here is physical punishment for moral transgression4 ,so it is2 and that is just what a parent does when he uses the rod upon his child for falsehood4 ,you can only punish people according to their nature4 ,the garroter can submit to any number of censures and lectures1 but he dreads the cat-o'-nine-tails4 ,physical punishment for moral transgression is the law of society4 ,so the liar is thrown out of his situation2 the ill-tempered child is whipped2 the dishonorable man is expelled from social confidence4 ,with regard to the particular punishment denounced against ,ahab1 it is to be remembered that drought is one of the punishments threatened by the law if ,israel forsook ,jehovah and turned after other gods4 ,this1 then1 was the brief communication which the prophet addressed to the king4 ,god's threatenings are terrible in their conciseness4 ,he leaves no room in a multitude of works for ambiguity and verbal wriggling4 ,the soul that sinneth shall die4 8,the wages of sin is death40 8,there is no peace1 saith the ,lord1 unto the wicked40 ,and as ,he can be concise in threatening1 so ,he can be concise in promise3 8,i will give you rest40 8,i will give you living water40 8,he that believeth shall be saved40 8,ask1 and it shall be given you40 ,thus great things can be said in few words3 8,god is light40 8,god is love40 8,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be saved40 8,ye must be born again40 ,at the bidding of the word of the ,lord1 ,elijah turned eastward and hid himself by the brook ,cherith1 a place nowhere else mentioned in the ,bible1 and 8no place like it has as yet been discovered in ,palestine40 ,it was a torrent-course facing the ,jordan1 8but whether it was one of those which seam ,mount ,ephraim or of those on the opposite side of ,jordan1 in the prophet's own country1 is uncertain40 ,but what is the meaning of the extraordinary expression3 8,i have commanded the ravens to feed thee08 ,by omitting the points1 which are generally allowed to have no authority1 the ,hebrew letters may signify ,arabians4 ,then the passage would read3 8,i have commanded the ,arabians to feed thee40 ,or1 if we retain the present pointing1 the word may be translated 8merchants10 according to 8,the ,speaker's ,commentary40 ,but it is better to allow the word 8ravens0 to stand4 ,it implies a miracle2 but the whole ,bible is a miracle1 and so is our own daily life1 could we but see the inner movement and look beyond all symbols to the spiritual reality4 ,but ,elijah's brook dried up4 ,prophets may be overtaken by the operation of their own prophecies4 ,the great laws are impartial1 yet wonderful is the scope within which exceptions may be established4 ,this incident gives an instance in point4 8,arise1 get thee to ,zarephath1 which belongeth to ,zidon1 and dwell there4 ,behold1 ,i have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee40 ,this place is called ,sarepta in the ,new ,testament4 ,it lay upon the great public road which connected the two towns4 ,a little village called ,sarafend now occupies the situation4 ,but how did it come about that ,elijah was sent to a place so near the city of ,jezebel's father8 ,it has been suggested that it would be the last place that he would be suspected of having chosen as a retreat4 ,when ,elijah came to the gate of the city the widow woman was there gathering sticks1 and he asked her for a little water in a vessel1 that he might drink4 ,and as she was going to fetch it1 he asked her to bring also a morsel of bread in her hand4 ,but she had no bread--not so much as a cake--only a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse4 ,she was just going to dress this little food for herself and her son1 8that we may eat it and die40 ,but ,elijah claimed it in the name of the ,lord1 and gave to her in return the gracious promise3 8,the barrel of meal shall not waste1 neither shall the cruse of oil fail1 until the day that the ,lord sendeth rain upon the ,earth40 ,we may here admire and imitate one of the finest instances of ancient faith4 ,the woman was asked for all she had1 and she gave it4 ,but mark1 she was put in possession of a promise4 ,this is ,god's law4 ,he gives the promise first1 and then asks for the faith of man4 ,it was so in the ease of ,abraham4 ,it is so with ourselves today4 8,and the barrel of meal wasted not1 neither did the cruse of oil fail40 ,this is the continual miracle of nature2 this is the security of life4 ,we are puzzled by it1 but what of that8 ,are possibilities to be determined by our weakness or by ,god's strength8 ,we could have increased the flour had we sown the seed1 reaped the grain and called in the aid of the miller4 ,now let us venture on the supposition that ,almighty ,god is able to do just a little more than we can do1 and the whole difficulty is gone4 ,the air wastes not1 nor the light1 nor the force of nature2 what if ,god can touch points which happen to lie beyond the range of our short fingers8 ,we must allow something for ,deity4 ,and now sorrow fell upon the poor woman's house4 ,her only child died1 and her heart was lacerated even to torment and agony4 ,but the ,lord was merciful4 ,elijah took the dead child away into a loft--the upper chamber1 which was often the best part of an ,eastern house--and cried unto the ,lord1 and stretched himself upon the child three times1 and cried again and again unto the ,lord1 and the child's life returned4 ,then the glad mother hailed ,elijah as a man1 and one in whose mouth was the word of the ,lord4 ,elijah had put himself beyond the reach of ,ahab--not because he feared him or distrusted the power of ,god in critical circumstances--but because ,god's providence or government is a great scheme with innumerable sides1 and requires time for its full disclosure and accomplishment4 ,we are not to hasten the march of ,god4 ,to every thing there is a season4 ,everywhere we see this idea of time observed and honored4 ,though there is famine in the land1 we can not urge the seasons forward4 ,the child1 too1 must have years of growth1 though his father be disabled and there be none to earn the household bread but himself4 ,so in the case before us4 ,ahab must be wearied out with searching for ,elijah4 ,he must be made to see how fruitless may be the efforts even of a king4 ,and at last1 when success does come1 it must come not from his side at all4 ,we have said that ,ahab was a speculative idolater rather than a cruel persecutor4 ,jezebel acted the part of cruelty2 ,ahab acted the part of unbeliever and spiritual rebel generally4 ,a proof of the probable correctness of this view is found in the incident before us1 for when ,ahab met ,elijah he did not show a spirit of cruelty4 ,he said unto the prophet3 8,art thou he that troubleth ,israel80 ,he did not threaten ,elijah with the sword2 he did not demand his immediate surrender and arrest4 ,he seems rather to have looked upon ,elijah with wonder--perhaps not unmixed with admiration of a figure so independent and audacious4 ,the tone of the king's mind may be inferred from the kind of challenge which he accepted4 ,it exactly suited his speculative genius4 ,elijah proposed a trial between himself and the idolatrous prophets1 #hej in number--proposing that the god who answered by fire should be ,god4 ,the idea instantly commended itself to ,ahab as excellent4 ,he liked the high and practical speculation4 ,he was fond of intellectual combat1 and he warmed at the notion of a holy fray4 ,the man who could accept a notion of this kind was not cruel1 wild or fond of human blood4 ,ahab was even wickedly religious2 the more altars and groves the better--yea1 altar upon altar1 until the pile reached to ,heaven2 and grove after grove1 until the line met itself again and formed a cordon around the world4 ,if he had started from a right center1 ,ahab had been the foremost evangelist in the ancient ,church4 ,let us now look at the controversy itself4 ,this plan was proposed by the prophet of the ,lord1 and not by the servants of ,baal4 ,truth addresses a perpetual challenge to all false religions and all wicked and incompetent workers4 ,its challenges have heightened and broadened in tone from the first ages until now4 ,moses challenged the necromancers of ,egypt2 ,elijah challenged the priests of ,baal2 ,christ challenges the world4 ,at first the challenge was more strictly physical2 but now it is intensely spiritual4 ,what religion produces the highest and finest type of character8 ,that is the challenging question4 ,that sane men should prefer a display of physical power or skill to a spiritual contest is an illustration of the infancy and rudeness of their minds1 and not a proof of the best form of competition4 ,where1 in ,christian or in pagan lands1 have we the finest men1 the purest character1 the most sensitive honor8 ,where are schools1 hospitals1 asylums and charities of every kind most abundant8 ,that ,christian countries are disgraced by some of the foulest crimes possible in human life1 may but show that their very foulness and atrocity never could have been so vividly seen and so cruelly felt but for the enlightenment and culture furnished by ,christianity4 ,in any other countries they would have been matters of course2 but in ,christian lands their abomination is seen by the help of ,christian light4 ,the appeal or challenge was forced upon the prophets of ,baal2 it was not spontaneously accepted by them4 ,this should be made very clear1 as it is a point apt to be overlooked4 ,perhaps the common impression is that ,elijah challenged the prophets directly1 standing face to face with them1 without any medium of communication4 ,nothing of the kind4 ,elijah first challenged ,king ,ahab1 who snatched eagerly at the sensational chance1 little knowing what he was snatching at4 ,having spoken first to the king1 ,elijah spoke next to the people1 and demanded why they hesitated between two opinions1 insisting that they should make a choice between ,jehovah and ,baal4 ,then ,elijah made his grand appeal to the people of ,israel1 and they answered and said3 8,it is well spoken40 ,having secured the approval of the king and the people1 ,elijah called upon the prophets to proceed to trial4 ,today ,christianity appeals not to a few sectarian prophets1 nor to a few bewildered speculators1 nor to a few scientists who are wild with boy-like joy because they have found a bird's nest1 though they have never seen the bird that built it2 but ,christianity makes its appeal to the great and broad heart of human nature1 to the common sufferings of the race1 to the indestructible sentiments of mankind4 ,in ,elijah's day the people said3 8,it is well spoken40 ,of ,christ it is said3 8,the common people heard him gladly40 ,every assault upon truth must bring mockery and death upon the assailants4 ,elijah mocked the prophets on ,carmel and slew them at ,kishon4 ,elijah was a prophet of truth1 but of sternness and terror4 ,he lived in a tempestuous atmosphere4 ,lightning seemed to play around his temples1 and his voice was as thunder4 ,van de ,velde gives a vivid delineation of the precise locality of the ,carmel contest4 ,he was1 it is believed1 the first traveler who identified the site of the 8,burning40 ,the rock shoots up in an almost perpendicular wall1 more than two hundred feet in height on the side of the vale of ,esdrelon4 ,this wall made the burning visible over the whole plain and from all the surrounding heights1 so that even those left behind and who had not ascended ,carmel would still have been able to witness1 at no great distance1 the fire from ,heaven that descended on the altar4 ,here the place must have been1 for it is the only point of all ,carmel where ,elijah could have been so close to the brook ,kishon as to take thither the priests of ,baal and slay them1 return again to the mountain and pray for rain1 all in the short space of the same afternoon4 ,down #bej feet beneath the altar plateau is a vaulted and very abundant fountain4 ,while all other fountains were dried up1 one can well understand that there might have been found here that superabundance of water which ,elijah poured so profusely over the altar4 ,,elisha4 ,when ,elijah supposed that his work was done he was ordered by ,jehovah to go up and return on his way to the wilderness of ,damascus2 and he who supposed that his ministry was concluded had yet to anoint ,hazael to be king over ,syria and ,jehu1 the son of ,nimshi1 to be king over ,israel4 ,but the anointing of these kings was a comparatively insignificant circumstance4 ,the great point of the commission is contained in this sentence3 8,and ,elisha1 the son of ,shaphat of ,abel-mehola1 shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room40 ,probably it had not occurred to ,elijah that he could have a successor4 ,a very subtle indication is thus given of his approaching end4 ,the ,lord1 instead of telling ,elijah that he had many a year left to spend in holy service1 gave him to understand that even he1 mighty prophet though he was1 could be dispensed with1 and a man of almost unknown name would be qualified by divine inspiration to take his room4 ,we can not imagine ,elijah's feelings under these circumstances4 ,if a great demonstration of regard had been made1 on the part of the ,lord ,god of ,israel1 because ,elijah was weary1 the prophet might have supposed himself to be of vital consequence to the divine economy2 but to be told that ,elisha1 a man who was plowing the twelfth plow in the field while his eleven servants were plowing beside him1 would succeed to the high dignity was really to inflict in the most gracious way a very solemn humiliation upon a man who had become so self-conscious as practically to ignore the resources of the living ,god4 ,elisha was a man in what we should now term comfortable circumstances4 ,as he was plowing in his field of ,abel-mehola 78the meadow dance07 ,elijah drew near and threw over the plowman his prophetic sheep-skin mantle1 and passed on in silence1 leaving ,elisha himself to interpret the graphic symbol4 ,elisha instantly comprehended the purpose1 and1 running after ,elijah1 he begged to be allowed to kiss his father and mother1 after which he promised to follow the senior prophet4 ,it is noteworthy that at this time ,elisha must have been quite a young man--an inference which may be fairly drawn from the fact that sixty years after this event he was still in the exercise of his prophetic office4 ,it is a noticeable circumstance1 which repeats itself even in our own day1 that ,elisha was in many respects the exact counterpart of ,elijah4 ,by choosing all kinds of character and capacity to represent the divine kingdom1 ,god shows ,his infinite wisdom in a way which even the dullest understanding can hardly fail to appreciate4 ,he is not dependent upon one particular aspect of genius1 or one particular aspect of eloquence2 but ,he calls whom ,he will to the prophetic office and the ministerial function1 and it should be our part to accept ,his vocations1 however much we may be surprised at the course which they take and at the social consequences which they involve4 ,at the time in which ,elijah and ,elisha exercised their functions religion and morals had gone down to the lowest possible point in ,israel4 ,the very schools of the prophets had themselves felt the corrupting influence of the times4 ,ahab was able to gather four hundred false prophets at a time1 the remarkable circumstance being that they were not prophets of ,baal1 but false prophets of the ,lord himself4 ,it can hardly be a matter of surprise1 therefore1 that a man of burning spirit1 arising under such circumstances1 should begin his ministry with displays of power which can hardly escape the charge of being stern or even violent4 ,the second chapter of the second ,book of ,kings introduces us to the beginning of ,elisha's ministry4 ,he had just seen ,elijah ascend1 and he felt that he was left alone to carry on the great work which had been so wondrously conducted by a master hand4 ,in the twelfth verse we see how ,elisha estimated the character and service of ,elijah4 ,he exclaims3 8,my father6 ,my father60 ,he thus indicates the most serious loss which can befall human life4 ,this is not altogether a cry of reverence1 but it is also a cry of orphanhood4 ,in their brief intercourse1 one with the other1 ,elijah had naturally taken the paternal place1 and ,elisha1 as a very young man1 had felt the comforting influence exercised upon him by the mighty prophet4 ,this is a cry of young sensibility4 ,the almost child feels himself to be quite alone4 ,he who an hour ago supposed that1 after all1 he might be able to continue the work of ,elijah now felt how terrible was the void that was created by ,elijah's absence4 ,we do not know the bulk and value of some ministries until they are removed from us4 ,we become quite familiar with them1 and attach no particular significance to their exercise2 we come to think we have some right in them1 and that by some means or other they will be present with us always4 ,when1 however1 the great removal does take place and we look around for the familiar face and expect to be touched by the familiar hand1 but find our expectations disappointed1 the natural cry is3 8,my father6 ,my father60 ,these words1 too1 may fairly be construed as suggesting an aspect of ,elijah's character which is generally overlooked4 ,probably it has hardly occurred to us to regard ,elijah as a man of special tenderness4 ,we think of him as a great comet1 or as a flash of lightning1 or as a mighty whirlwind1 or under any figure that suggests grandeur1 majesty and force2 but we have never associated with ,elijah the notion of graciousness1 tenderness1 love and that easy familiarity which constitutes the very soul of friendship4 ,now1 however1 by the ascription of his name we do seem to know somewhat of the genial intercourse which passed between father and son--the senior prophet and the young apostle of ,god2 and it is delightful to infer that such intercourse had been conducted on the one side paternally and on the other side filially4 ,we do not know altogether what men are when we only see them in public life4 ,the great parliamentary orator may be the simplest of all men when he is in the domestic circle4 ,the great commander of armies1 whose courage never quails1 may have the heart of a woman when he stands in the presence of suffering childhood4 ,it is important for all who attempt to delineate the characters of public men to remember that they see only one aspect of those characters1 and are not qualified to pronounce upon the whole man4 ,the next expression of ,elisha is3 8,the chariot of ,israel1 and the horsemen thereof40 ,this is an apparently incoherent exclamation4 ,when properly understood1 however1 it conveys a further tribute to the ministry which was exercised by the ascending prophet4 ,the real meaning is3 8,my father--so much better than all chariots and horses2 in thy absence the chariot of ,israel and the horsemen thereof are useless4 ,they were used by thee1 and under thy conduct could be turned to good account2 but1 now that thou art gone1 they do but mock our loneliness and make us feel still more bitterly our helpless condition40 ,a greater question than 8,where is ,elijah80 now occurred to the desolate young man4 ,instantly he seizes the reality of the occasion1 and by exclaiming 8,where is the ,lord ,god of ,elijah80 he shows that he is not called to a merely official position1 but that he is elected to represent the divine majesty upon ,earth4 ,the young man thus begins well4 ,there is nothing frivolous in his inquiry or in his interpretation of events4 ,the very depth of his feeling gives us an index to the capacity of his mind4 ,rely upon it1 that he who can feel as ,elisha did must have a mind equal in its proportions to the fine emotions which enlarge and ennoble his heart4 ,had the young man deported himself in a way which suggested self-sufficiency1 his prophetic office would have been destroyed well-nigh before it was created4 ,it is when we stand back in humility and in almost despair1 and cry out in our desolateness 8,where is the ,lord ,god of ,elijah80 that we begin our work in the right spirit1 and only then4 ,in this whole ministry of righteousness and redemption there is no place for self-sufficiency4 ,apostle ,paul said3 8,our sufficiency is of ,god40 ,the great inquiry 8,who is sufficient for these things80 keeps down human ambition and vanity1 and prepares the heart for the utterance of prevailing prayer4 ,the question which was thus propounded by ,elisha is full of suggestion to ourselves4 ,when we come to read the ,bible we should not inquire so much where inspiration is1 but where is wisdom which can be applied to our own circumstances and be made unto us as the very staff of life4 ,we need not exclaim1 in considering the ,christian ministry of our own day3 8,where are the miracles of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ and ,his apostles80 ,our inquiry should be3 8,where are the healed men1 the comforted hearts1 the forgiven souls1 the rejoicing spirits80 ,who care to inquire into the mechanism of the organ when he can hear its music and be bowed down by its most solemn appeals8 8,and when the sons of the prophets which were to view at ,jericho saw him1 they said3 #8,the spirit of ,elijah doth rest on ,elisha4' ,and they came to meet him1 and bowed themselves to the ground before him40 ,there was no mistaking that spirit4 ,who can mistake the presence and influence of fire8 ,better that our spirit should be discovered than that our credentials should be examined4 ,of what avail is it that a man can produce a whole portfolio of testimonials1 if nobody has discovered in him the presence and effect of the divine ,spirit8 ,this tribute is also to the credit of the sons of the prophets1 for their judgment was vital1 and was not accidental4 ,there are men who will only regard providence as operating in one way1 or as operating in one form4 ,these sons of the prophets did not belong to such an inferior class of judges4 ,it is remarkable1 too1 that the organic unity of the prophetic office is hereby recognized4 ,the sons of the prophets do not treat ,elisha as a novelty1 a new sensation1 or as representing a new point of departure4 ,they unite the old with the new2 though the man has changed1 the spirit remains the same4 ,this is what must be always regarded in reading ,christian history and in watching the course of the ,christian ministry4 ,old ministers depart1 but when new men come they come with the old spirit and with the old truth1 or if they come with any other spirit or any other doctrine1 they should1 in the degree of the change1 be suspected of being other than genuine successors of the prophets4 ,elisha begins his ministry by doing good--that is to say1 by healing the water that was diseased4 ,this appeal to the prophet to do something for the city of ,jericho was itself a tribute to the genuineness of the prophetic office as exercised by him4 ,it is always beautiful to notice how great power is associated with the doing of good4 ,what is it to be a prophet of any age1 if the age is not practically benefited by the exercise of the office8 ,the age does not want ornamental prophets1 nominal prophets1 official prophets4 ,the age is crying out for men who can give it bread1 who can heal its water1 who can mitigate its sorrows1 who can destroy its oppressions4 ,by this sign must all prophets live or die4 ,it would have been a poor thing on the part of ,elisha to have shown the mantle of his predecessor if he could not also show his power4 ,we are only in the apostolic succession as we are in the apostolic spirit4 ,we may have all the relics which the apostles left behind--the cloak that was left at ,troas1 the parchment1 the staff and the vessels out of which they ate and drank--we may even have the scrolls which they used in reading the ,holy ,scriptures2 but all these things will constitute only a burden if we have not1 along with all other possessions1 the mighty and eternal ,spirit of the living ,god1 without whose energy even the apostles themselves were but common men4 ,elisha1 having cured the water1 went up from the depressed plain of ,jericho to the top of the highland of ,jordan1 to the height of three thousand feet1 that he might come unto ,beth-el--which1 alas1 became the chief stronghold of the calf worship4 ,the popular sentiment was debased to the lowest possible point2 even the little children were tainted with the awful disease of contempt for the greatest names and the greatest thoughts in all ,israel4 8,and he went up from thence to ,beth-el2 and as he was going up by the way1 there came forth little children out of the city1 and mocked him1 and said unto him3 #8,go up1 thou bald head6 ,go up1 thou bald head6' ,and he turned back1 and looked on them1 and cursed them in the name of the ,lord4 ,and there came forth two she bears out of the wood1 and tare forty and two children of them4 ,and he went from thence to ,mount ,carmel1 and from thence he returned to ,samaria40 ,this miracle has occasioned no little difficulty to those who read it only in the letter4 ,it is not a narrow incident which can be regarded as a mere anecdote and treated1 as it were1 within the limits of its own four corners4 ,we must understand the spirit of the age in which the incident occurred4 ,we must realize that the whole air was full of idolatry and blasphemy4 ,we must also remember that the very ,church of ,israel itself was deceitful above all things and desperately wicked1 with hardly one spot of health on all the altar from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot4 ,we must keep steadily before our minds the fact that the places which are mentioned in this incident had become as ,sodom and ,gomorrah--not1 perhaps1 in the physical and carnal sense1 but in the still worse sense of spiritual alienation and spiritual contempt for every thing associated with the name of the living ,god4 ,when ,elisha1 therefore1 wrought this deed of violence--this miracle of destruction--his action must be regarded typically and as strictly in keeping with the necessities of the occasion4 ,only this kind of miracle could have been understood by the people among whom it was worked and who had an opportunity of feeling its effects1 either directly or incidentally4 ,how often it happens that the first miracle is one which is marked peculiarly by a destructive energy6 ,this would seem to be the miracle which our own first zealous impulses would work1 had they the power to express themselves in such a form4 ,when the soul is alive with the purity of ,god1 when the heart glows and burns with love1 when the whole being is in vital sympathy with the purposes of the cross of ,christ1 the first and all but uncontrollable impulse is to destroy evil--not to reason with it1 or make truce with it1 or give it further treatment of any kind1 but instantly and violently to crush it out of existence4 ,this impulse will be trained unto other uses in the ,school of ,christ4 ,we see1 in the opening of the sixth chapter of the second ,book of ,kings1 some of the simple and happy relations which existed between the elder and the younger prophets4 ,is it not possible to revive some of these relations8 ,look at the case3 8,and the sons of the prophets said unto ,elisha3 #8,behold1 now1 the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us4'0 ,put into modern language1 the statement amounts to this3 8,our college is getting too small1 and we want more room4 ,let us1 therefore1 consider this practical question1 and see what can be done40 ,elisha did not live with the young men4 ,that1 perhaps1 was rather a happy than an unhappy circumstance--though a very beautiful picture could be drawn concerning domestic collegiate life4 ,a college or a school with the teachers and the students all living together must1 one would surely say1 be a little ,heaven on ,earth4 ,what can be1 ideally1 more perfect than the old prophet surrounded by all the younger prophets1 eating and living together1 having a common room1 a common hostelry--a common home8 ,what can be1 imaginatively1 more taking1 pathetic and satisfactory8 ,without pronouncing a judgment upon that inquiry1 it is enough to be so far just to the text to say that ,elisha did not adopt that system of collegiate life4 ,he went around from place to place2 he visited the schools of the prophets in the various localities1 and when he came to this place the young men said3 8,we have not room enough2 we must consider our circumstances1 and endeavor to enlarge our accommodation40 ,what did they propose8 ,it is well now and again to hear what young men have to suggest4 ,it is useful to listen to young politicians in national crises1 that we may hear how they would treat the patient4 ,it is most desirable that young voices should mingle with old voices in the common council4 ,now it is the turn of the young men to speak4 ,what will they propose to ,elisha8 ,the answer is given in the second verse3 8,let us go1 we pray thee1 unto ,jordan1 and take thence every man a beam1 and let us make a place there where we may dwell40 ,the city was not situated exactly upon the ,jordan1 but upon a stream a little way from it1 which flowed into that great river2 and now the young men proposed to get a little nearer to the main stream1 for the district of it was called ,the ,valley of ,palms4 ,palestine was notably destitute of trees1 but in this particular locality timber was to be got4 ,so the young men made the proposition to ,elisha4 ,what does the proposition amount to8 ,it amounts to something which in this day might horrify a good many of the successors of ,elisha4 ,the young men said3 8,let us go and cut down our timber1 and enlarge our college with our own hands40 ,did they propose that the question should be 8reported upon0--that it should be brought first under the attention of the general committee1 then be referred to a sub-committee being bound to make a report to the general committee1 and the general committee being unable to attend1 or to constitute a quorum1 and so go on to forget the whole business8 ,the young men said3 8,we want room2 let us make it4 ,we want a larger college2 let us build it40 ,why not adopt the same principle today8 ,there is nothing so easy as to send around an appeal for a contribution and never get any reply to it4 ,we1 wanting to be missionaries1 should go by the next boat2 wanting to preach the ,gospel to the heathen1 we should ask3 8,when does the ship start80 ,being unable to pay the fare1 we should work our passage4 ,if people should ask us what we are doing1 and whether we have lost our senses1 we should say3 8,yes2 if we be beside ourselves1 it is unto ,god40 ,then an impression might be made upon those who look on4 ,they would say3 8,surely1 these men are in earnest2 be they right or be they wrong1 be they fanatical or sober-minded1 their earnestness burns in them like a fire1 and such men can neither be put back nor be kept down40 ,however1 without wishing to modernize the details of this incident1 which1 owing to our civilization1 would be impossible1 it is enough to remember that1 in the early days of collegiate and school life1 the scholars were prepared to do something toward helping themselves4 ,they did not send for builders from ,jerusalem1 or even from the city of ,jericho2 they undertook the work at their own impulse and at their own charges4 ,there is a line of beauty even in the proposition of the young men4 ,they desired ,elisha's permission4 ,they said1 in effect3 8,father1 may we go80 ,they were enthusiastic1 but they were under discipline2 they had fire enough1 but they responded to the touch of the master4 ,and one said to ,elisha3 8,be content1 ,i pray thee1 and go with thy servants40 ,they were stronger when the elder man was with them4 ,sometimes the eye is the best master4 ,it often happens that the man who is standing in the harvest field1 resting upon his rake1 a picture of dignity and ease1 is doing more than if he were sweltering himself by cutting down corn with his own sickle4 ,his eye is doing the work1 and his presence is exerting an immeasurable and happy influence upon the whole field4 ,elisha was not asked to go and fell the timber1 but to be with the young men while they did the hard work2 and1 becoming young again himself1 as old men do become young when associated with young life1 he replied3 8,i will go4 ,the work is a common work4 ,it belongs to me as well as to you2 it belongs to all ,israel1 in so far as all ,israel is true to the living ,god4 ,come1 let us go in one band2 union is strength40 ,now1 they went--the old and the young together4 ,why would they not go alone8 ,perhaps they were all reminded of what happened when once they did go alone4 ,elisha ordered that food should be prepared1 and when the seething pot was on1 one of the young men went out and gathered something and threw it into the pot1 and nearly poisoned the whole college4 ,small wonder if one of them1 remembering this1 said3 8,no more going out alone1 if you please4 ,we once took the case into our own hands1 and ,i remember how many of us fell sick1 and how we cried to ,elisha3 #8,master1 there is death in the pot6' ,and he kindly took up a handful of meal1 sprinkled it into the vessel and restored its healthfulness4 ,the pot was relieved of all the disease which it had contained1 and the meal most happily proceeded40 ,we should remember our blunders1 and learn from them4 ,we are always safer in the company of the old and wise than when we are in our own society4 ,happy is the man who takes counsel with his elder neighbors1 and who can sometimes renounce himself and say unto wise men3 8,such and such are my circumstances2 now1 what would you advise me to do80 ,elisha and the young men have now gone down to the ,jordan4 ,elisha felled no tree but he did his own particular kind of work4 ,the ,syrian king could not rest4 ,in his heart he hated or feared the king and the hosts of ,israel4 ,there was chronic war between ,israel and ,syria4 ,the king of ,syria said3 8,i will fix my camp in such and such a place40 ,of this the sacred record says3 8,and the man of ,god sent unto the king of ,israel1 saying3 #8,beware that thou pass not such a place1 for thither the ,syrians are come down4'0 ,there is a ministry of warning4 ,men may not go themselves to battle1 and yet they may be controlling the fortunes of war4 ,we need statesmen1 spiritual interpreters1 religious teachers1 men of thought and men of prayer2 and they may be doing more practical work than is being done by those who are engaged in the physical work of leading armies and commanding military hosts4 ,this is what ,elisha did4 ,he felled no tree2 he wielded no sword4 ,yet1 alike in the building of the college and in the direction of the war1 his was the supreme mind4 ,the prophet saved the king4 ,this must always be the case4 ,the great man of the nation is the man who can think most profoundly and most comprehensively4 ,the architect is a greater man than the builder4 ,the prophet is a greater man than the king4 ,he reads more2 he sees farther2 he grasps a larger field4 ,he is master of metaphysical principles1 which alone endure4 ,they wear the clothes of the present time2 they adopt the form of the passing generation1 but they go on from age to age--themselves always the same1 their adaptations being addressed to the immediate and pressing necessities of the people4 ,we have been told that 8,justice is not an intermittent apparition40 ,that is perfectly true in one sense2 but justice is often a deferred creditor1 and sometimes that may be done tomorrow which can not be justly done today4 ,the prophet sees all this4 ,he looks ahead2 he has a larger horizon than is accessible to the vision of other men4 ,so let it stand1 an eternal lesson1 that the greatest men in any nation are the men who can think most1 pray best1 feel most deeply and penetrate the metaphysics and the inmost reality of politics and of civilization4 ,spiritual power is not only useful in one direction2 it is alarming in another4 ,when the king of ,syria felt himself baffled1 all his plans thrown into uncontrollable bewilderment1 his heart was sorely troubled4 ,it is the ,immeasurable that frightens men4 ,it is the ,unknown ,quantity that troubles all their calculations and causes them to feel that after they have completed their arithmetic their conclusion is a lie4 ,what was in the air8 ,whose was this ghostly presence that was upsetting ,ben-hadad's well laid schemes8 ,what was it1 or who1 that always went before him1 and that made his proposals abortive and turned all his policies into mocking nothings8 ,had there been any man who was visible and measurable1 that man could have been dealt with4 ,there is always a quantity equal to any quantity that is known4 ,what is wanting in one way can be made up in another--as1 for example1 what is wanting in number may be made up in quality4 ,as one great leader said in ancient history1 when his soldiers were saying they were too few for the battle3 8,how many do you count me for80 ,that touched the fire of the army1 and inspired the soldiers with confidence4 ,now1 the matter was revealed to the king1 and he took means to remove the spectral influence4 ,he made this arrangement3 8,go and spy where he is1 that ,i may send and fetch him40 ,when he knew that ,elisha was in ,dothan the king sent 8thither horses and chariots and a great host40 ,what unconscious tributes bad men pay to good influences6 ,men do not know wholly what they are doing4 ,why1 this was but a poor prophet1 wearing a hairy robe that had descended to him2 he was no king2 he had no sword or horse2 he was but a man of prayer4 ,how did ,ben-hadad propose to capture him8 ,the king sent 8horses and chariots and a great host0 to take a man whose sword was the word of ,god1 whose helmet was the defense of the ,most ,high1 whose breastplate was ,righteousness6 ,here are three arms of the ,syrian service--footmen1 horsemen and chariots2 and remember that these were all employed to bring one poor man to the king's presence4 ,well might ,elisha have said1 before ,antigonus uttered it3 8,how many do you count me for80 ,elisha might have taunted the king of ,syria1 saying3 8,why all this ado8 ,would not one soldier have been enough to take one prophet8 ,he might have come on foot2 a horse was not necessary1 and certainly not a sword4 ,one soldier might surely have arrested me40 ,but bad men unconsciously pay tribute to good men4 ,they say1 in effect3 8,elisha is only one1 but a stubborn one2 only one tree1 but his roots seem to have spread themselves through the ,earth1 and to have taken hold of the entire scheme of things2 he is only one1 yet1 what is strange1 he is many in one40 ,and this1 indeed1 was the interpretation given by ,elisha1 for he said3 8,they that be with us are more than they that be with them40 ,who can tell how many angels are round about the praying man8 ,how is it that when the arresting hand is laid upon some men it becomes softened1 the muscles relax and have no more pith in them1 and the men come back to say3 8,never man spake like this man2 arrest him we can not08 ,this is a tribute paid to the ,christian religion4 ,men have passed parliamentary statutes against it1 but the religion of the cross has outlived the statutes--has seen them grow into yellow letters1 has observed them being canceled or otherwise passing into obsoleteness4 ,we are now brought to a very striking point in the incident4 ,the servant of ,elisha came back1 saying3 8,alas1 my master1 how shall we do8 ,i have been up early1 and behold1 a host compasses the city--both with horses and chariots40 ,then ,elisha said3 8,lord1 open his eyes2 let this young man see4 ,at present he can only look upon appearances1 which are not realities4 ,the universe is within the universe4 ,the ,bible is within the ,bible4 ,the man is within the man4 ,this servant of mine sees only the outer circle--the rim or rind of things4 ,lord1 show him the reality2 let him see1 and then he will be at peace40 ,there is a view of sight2 there is a view of faith4 ,the worldly man goes by what his bodily eyes notice or discern2 the spiritually minded man walks by faith1 not by sight4 ,the telescope does not create the stars2 the telescope only reveals them1 or enables the eye to see them4 ,if1 then1 a telescope can do this1 shall we deny to that spiritual power within us called ,faith the power which we ascribe to a mechanical instrument which our own hands have fashioned8 ,look upon a given object--say1 you take a piece of glass two inches square2 look upon it and ask3 8,is there any thing on that glass80 ,looking with the naked eye1 the sharpest man would say3 8,that glass is perfectly free from blot1 stain1 flaw or inscription of any kind whatsoever40 ,now1 put that same two-inch square of glass under a microscope1 and look through the microscope4 ,what is upon it8 ,the ,lord's ,prayer1 upon a speck not discernible by the naked eye4 ,if1 then1 we ascribe such wonderful powers to a glass which we ourselves have determined as to its size and its relation to other glasses1 shall we deny to a certain spiritual faculty the power of seeing that which can not be discriminated by unaided reason8 ,by all the pressure of analogy1 by all the reasoning of inference1 we insist that1 if such wonderful things can be done mechanically1 things at least equally wonderful can be done by forces that are spiritual4 ,the ,sun does not make the landscape2 the ,sun only shows it4 ,a man may stand upon a high hill on a dull-gray day and say3 8,i can imagine what this would be when the ,sun was shining40 ,but no man can imagine light4 ,it stands as a sacred mystery in our life that the ,sun never comes within the lines of imagination4 ,the ,sun light is a continual surprise1 even to the eyes that have most reverently and lovingly studied it4 ,when the ,sun looks upon the landscape there are new colors1 new distances1 new forms2 a whole work is wrought upon the landscape which can only be described by the word 8wizardry40 ,so it is with the ,bible1 the great work of the living ,god4 ,look at it with the natural vision1 and you may discover in it particular beauties4 ,you may say3 8,the poetry is noble2 the ,english is pure2 and the moral sentiment of the book is not without a certain elevation40 ,but the ,bible wants no such reluctant or impoverished compliments4 ,let the soul be touched by the ,spirit that wrote the book2 let the eyes be anointed by the living ,god2 and then the ,bible is like a landscape shone upon by the noonday's cloudless ,sun4 ,elisha took his own way with the ,syrian army1 and here occurs a point worthy of special note4 ,when the ,lord smote the people with blindness1 according to the word of ,elisha1 the latter said unto them3 8,this is not the way1 neither is this the city2 follow me1 and ,i will bring you to the man whom ye seek40 ,but he led them to ,samaria4 ,what6 ,then did the man of ,god resort to a false strategy8 ,this is a very serious case1 indeed1 and has occasioned much difficulty4 ,nor need we wonder1 for in 8,the ,speaker's ,commentary0 we find such words as these3 8,untruth has been held by all moralists to be justifiable toward a public enemy4 ,where we have a right to kill1 much more have we a right to deceive by stratagem40 ,when words like these occur in a ,christian commentary1 no wonder that infidelity should seize upon the annotation as a prize1 or use it as a weapon4 ,no such comment can we adopt in perusing this portion of sacred ,scripture4 ,it can not be justifiable to treat a public enemy by untruth or deception4 ,we have no right to kill1 and therefore we have no right to deceive by stratagem4 ,this is not the way to recommend the word of the living ,god4 ,the incident must be taken in its totality4 ,the reader must not arrest the progress of the narrative by stopping here or there to ask a question4 ,he must see the incident in its completeness1 and1 seeing it1 he will have reason further to glorify ,god for the pure morality of the book and the noble spirit of the record4 ,elisha might well so far follow his illustrious predecessor as to use the weapon of irony or taunting in dealing with the ,lord's enemies4 ,elijah said to the prophets of ,baal3 8,cry aloud2 for he is a god40 ,as well might we stop there1 and say3 8,by ,elijah's own testimony deity was ascribed to ,baal40 ,we forget the irony of the tone2 we forget that ,elijah was mocking the debased prophets4 ,so ,elisha might say3 8,this is not the way1 neither is this the city2 follow me1 and ,i will bring you to the man whom ye seek40 ,there was a taunt in the tone2 there was sarcasm in the emphasis4 ,nor is the verse to be read in its unity4 ,it is to be read as part and parcel of a whole narrative4 ,now1 what became of all this so-called deception and stratagem8 ,when the people were come into ,samaria1 ,elisha said3 8,lord1 open the eyes of these men1 that they may see40 ,he prayed1 first1 that their sight might be taken away4 ,that seemed to be cruel4 ,now he prays that their sight may be given to them again4 8,and1 behold1 they were in the midst of ,samaria4 ,and the king of ,israel said unto ,elisha1 when he saw them3 #8,my father6'0 ,as if he had become a convert4 ,the son of ,ahab and ,jezebel said to ,elisha3 8,my father60 ,a reluctant and hypocritical compliment1 for ,jehoram could be neither reverent or true4 ,but1 said he1 observing the prize that was before him3 8,shall ,i smite them8 ,shall ,i smite them80 ,this was a ,hebraism equal to3 8,smiting1 shall ,i smite80 ,so ,jehoram said3 8,shall ,i1 smiting1 smite them80 ,elisha answered3 8,no40 ,now1 let us hear what this man can say who has been judged guilty of untruth and of stratagem4 ,elisha said to ,jehoram3 8,thou shalt not smite them4 ,wouldst thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive without thy sword and without thy bow80 ,this is the same as saying3 8,if you yourself have won the victory1 then you can smite2 but you did not take these men1 and therefore you shall not smite them4 ,what you have taken by your own sword and spear may be your lawful prize in war2 but here is a capture with which you have had nothing to do40 ,what1 then1 is to be done8 ,hear ,elisha3 8,set bread and water before them1 that they may eat and drink and go to their master40 ,and so great provision was prepared1 8and when they had eaten and drunk1 he sent them away1 and they went to their master40 ,we might even excuse a strategic act in order to secure such a conclusion4 ,elisha was supposed to be about a hundred years of age when he died4 ,we have seen that he was a domestic rather than a public prophet4 ,he was unlike his great predecessor and father4 ,the awful ,elijah dwelt alone4 ,he came upon society now and then--came down like a flood from the threatening clouds2 shot out like a fire1 and burned the men whom he approached4 ,elisha was exactly the contrary4 ,he worked his miracles in the house4 ,he often called upon people2 he was quiet1 serene1 most sympathetic and tender-hearted4 ,now and then he could stand bolt upright and send away proud men from his door with a disdain that they could never forget2 but in the usual process of his life he was a mother-man in ,israel4 ,he went into people's houses and asked how they were4 ,he consented to increase their oil and their flour1 and to bless their family life with prophetic benedictions4 ,,gehazi4 ,the name ,gehazi means 8valley of vision10 and is appropriate enough if we think of what ,gehazi saw as to the nature of wickedness when the prophet opened his eyes4 ,let us note what points there are in this case which illustrate human life as we now know it4 ,in this way we shall test the moral accuracy of the story--and that is all we are now principally concerned about4 ,gehazi was 8the servant of ,elisha1 the man of ,god40 ,surely1 then1 he would be a good man8 ,can a good man have a bad servant8 ,can the man of prayer1 whose life is a continual breathing unto ,god of supreme desires after holiness1 have a man in his company1 looking on and watching him1 and studying his character1 who denies his very altar and blasphemes against his ,god8 ,is it possible to live in a ,christian house and yet not be a ,christian8 ,can we come so near as that1 and yet be at an infinite distance from all that is pure and beautiful and true8 ,if so1 then we must look at appearances more carefully than we have been wont to do1 for they may have been deceiving us all the time4 ,surely1 every good man's children must be good1 for they have had great spiritual advantages4 ,they have1 indeed1 had some hereditary benefits denied to many others4 ,their house has been a home1 their home has been a church1 and surely they must show by their whole spirit and tone of life that they are as their father as to all spiritual aspiration and positive excellence4 ,is it not so8 ,if facts contradict that theory1 then we must look at the theory again more carefully1 or we must examine the facts more closely1 because the whole science of ,cause and ,effect would seem to be upset by such contradictions4 ,there is a metaphysical question here1 as well as a question of fact4 ,a good tree must bring forth good fruit2 good men must have good children2 good masters must have good servants4 ,association in life must go for something4 ,so we would say--emphatically1 because we think reasonably4 ,but facts are against such a fancy4 ,what is possible in this human life8 ,it is possible that a man may spend his days in building a church1 and yet denying ,god4 ,does not the very touch of the stones help him to pray8 ,no4 ,he touches them roughly2 he lays them mechanically1 and he desecrates each of them with an oath4 ,is it possible that a man can be a builder of churches and yet be a destroyer of ,christian doctrine and teaching generally8 ,yes4 ,let us come closer still1 for the question is intensely interesting and may touch many4 ,it is possible for a man to print the ,bible and yet not believe a word of it4 ,on first hearing this shocking statement we revolt from it4 ,we say it is possible for a man to handle type that is meant to represent the greatest revelation ever made to the human mind without feeling that the very handling of the type is itself a kind of religious exercise4 ,yet men can debauch themselves in the act of printing the ,bible2 can use profane language while putting the ,lord's ,prayer in type2 can set up the whole ,gospel of ,john without knowing that they are putting into visible representation the highest metaphysics1 the finest spiritual thinking1 the most tender religious instruction4 ,let us come even closer4 ,a man can preach the ,gospel and be a servant of the devil4 ,who1 then1 can be saved8 ,it is well to ask the question4 ,it is a burning inquiry2 it is a spear-like interrogation4 ,we would put it away from us if we dare4 ,now1 let this stand as our first lesson in the study of this remarkable incident1 that ,gehazi was the servant of ,elisha1 the man of ,god1 and was at the same time the servant of the devil4 ,he was receiving wages from both masters4 ,he was a living contradiction2 and in being such he was most broadly human4 ,he was not a monster2 he was not a natural curiosity2 he is not to be accounted for by quietly saying that he was an eccentric person4 ,he represents the human heart1 and by so much he brings against ourselves an infinite impeachment4 ,it is in vain that we shake our skirts as if throwing off this man and all association with him and responsibility for him2 this can not be done4 ,he anticipated ourselves2 we repeat his wickedness4 ,the iniquity is not in the accident1 in the mere circumstances1 or in the particular form2 the iniquity is in the heart--yea1 in the very heart itself4 ,marvel not that ,christ said3 8,ye must be born again40 ,gehazi did not understand the spirit of his master4 ,he did not know what his master was doing4 ,how is it that men can be so far separated from one another8 ,how is it that a man can not be understood in his own house1 but be thought fanciful1 fanatical1 eccentric and phenomenally peculiar8 ,how is it that a man may be living among men1 and yet not be of them2 may be in the world and yet above the world2 may be speaking the very language of the time1 and yet charging it with the meaning of eternity8 ,see here the differences that still exist1 and must ever exist1 as between one man and another3 ,elisha--living the great spiritual life1 the grand prayer-life and faith-life4 ,gehazi--grubbing in the ,earth and seeking his contentment in the dust4 ,these contrasts exist through all time1 and are full of instruction4 ,blessed is he who observes the wise man1 and copies him2 who looks upon the fool1 and turns away from him1 if not with hatred yet with a desire not to know his spirit4 ,gehazi had a method in his reasoning4 ,said he1 in effect3 8,to spare a stranger1 a man who may never be seen again2 to spare a beneficiary1 a man who has taken away benefits in the right hand and in the left2 to spare a wealthy visitor1 a man who could have given much without feeling he had given any thing2 to spare a willing giver1 a man who actually offered to give something and who was surprised1 if not offended1 because his gift was declined6 ,there is no reason in my master's policy40 ,it never occurred to ,gehazi that a man could have bread to eat that the world knew not of4 ,it never occurs to some men that others can live by faith1 and can work miracles of faith by the grace of ,god4 ,are there not minds that never had a noble thought8 ,it is almost impossible to conceive of the existence of such minds1 but there they are4 ,they never went beyond their own limited location2 they never knew what suffering was on the other side of the wall of their own dwelling place4 ,they were never eyes to the blind1 or ears to the deaf1 or feet to the lame2 they never surprised themselves by some noble thought of generosity4 ,how1 then1 can they understand the prophets of the times8 ,yet how noble a thing it is to have among us men who love the upper life1 and who look upon the whole world from the very sanctuary of ,god1 and who say3 8,a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth1 but a man's life consists of his faith1 love and charity40 ,we can not tell how much the prophets are doing to refine their age1 to give a new view to all human duty1 to inspire those who otherwise would fail for the lack of courage4 ,we can not tell where the answers to prayer fall1 or how those answers are given1 but we feel that there is at work in society a mystic influence1 a strange1 ghostly1 spectral action1 which keeps things together1 and now and again puts ,sabbath day right in the midst of the vulgar time4 ,there are facts of a high and special kind1 as well as what we commonly call facts1 which are often but appearances and dramatic illusions4 ,what about the secret ministry1 the unnamable spiritual action1 the holy1 elevating and restraining influence8 ,what is that hand which will write upon palace walls words of judgment and keep the world from plunging into darkness infinite8 ,surely1 ,god is in this place1 and ,i knew it not4 ,this--wherever it be1 garden or wilderness--is none other than the house of ,god and the gate of ,heaven4 ,gehazi prostituted an inventive and energetic mind4 ,he had his plan3 8,my master hath sent me1 saying3 #8,behold1 even now there be come to me from ,mount ,ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets4 ,give them1 ,i pray thee1 a talent of silver and two changes of garments40 ,the case was admirably stated4 ,it was stated1 too1 with just that urgency which increases the likelihood of that which is declared4 ,elisha spent his time among the sons of the prophets4 ,they all looked to him as a father1 as he had once looked to ,elijah4 ,he was the young man's friend--the young minister's asylum4 ,they all knew the gracious1 gentle1 ,christ-like ,elisha--the ante-type of the ,messiah2 and what was more likely than that two of them1 in the course of their journeying1 should have called on ,elisha unexpectedly8 ,it was a free and gracious life that the old ministers lived4 ,they seemed to have rights in one another4 ,if any one of them had a loaf1 that loaf belonged to the whole fraternity4 ,if one of them1 better off than another1 had a house or part of a house1 any of the sons of the prophets passing by could go and lodge there4 ,it was a gracious masonry--a true brotherhood4 ,gehazi was no model man in a moral sense4 ,his invention was a lie2 his cleverness was but an aspect of depravity2 his very genius but made him memorable for wickedness4 ,but ,gehazi was successful4 ,he took the two talents of silver in the two bags1 with the two changes of garments4 ,he brought them to the tower1 and bestowed them in the house4 ,then he sat down--a successful man6 ,now all is well2 lust is satisfied1 wealth is laid up4 ,now the fitness of things has been consulted1 and harmony has been established between debtor and creditor1 and ,justice nods because ,justice has been appeased4 ,were the test to end with the twenty-fourth verse of the fifth chapter of the second ,book of ,kings1 we should describe ,gehazi as a man who had set an example to all coming after him who wished to turn life into a success4 ,who had been wronged8 ,naaman pursues his journey all the more happy for thinking he has done something in return for the great benefit which has been conferred on him4 ,he is certainly more pleased than otherwise4 ,the man of ,god has at last been turned1 he thinks1 into directions indicated by common sense4 ,all this has come about in the way of business2 for nothing that is not customary has been done4 ,gehazi is satisfied1 and ,elisha knows nothing about it4 ,the servant should have something1 even if the master would take nothing4 ,it is the trick of our own day4 ,the servant is always at the door with his rheumatic hand1 ready to take any thing that may be put into it4 ,we leave nothing with the master2 it would be an insult to him4 ,so far the case looks simple1 natural and complete2 and we have said ,elisha knows nothing about it4 ,why will men trifle with prophets8 ,why will men play with fire8 ,when will men know that what is done in secret will be published on the house tops8 ,when will men know that there can be nothing confidential that is wicked8 ,observe ,gehazi going in to his master as usual1 and look at his face2 not a sign upon it of any thing having been done that is wrong4 ,look at his hands--large1 white1 innocent-looking hands that never doubled their fingers on things that did not belong to them4 ,look at ,elisha4 ,fixing his eyes calmly upon ,gehazi1 he asks3 8,whence comest thou1 ,gehazi80 8,thy servant went no whither40 ,gehazi meant it to be understood that he had been on the premises all the time2 always within call2 the lifting up of a finger would have brought him4 ,then came the speech of judgment1 delivered in a low tone1 but every word was heard--the beginning of the word and the end of the word--and the last word was like a sting of righteousness4 8,went not mine heart with thee80 ,oh1 that heart6 ,the good man knows when wickedness has been done4 ,christ knows when ,he enters into the congregation whether there is a man in it with a withered hand4 8,went not mine heart with thee80 ,was ,i not present at the interview8 ,did ,i not hear every syllable that was said on the one side and on the other8 ,did ,i not look at thee when thou didst tell the black1 flat and daring lie8 ,then came the infliction of the judgment3 8,the leprosy1 therefore1 of ,naaman shall cleave unto thee1 and unto thy seed for ever40 ,thou1 ,gehazi1 hast touched the silver1 not knowing that it was contagious and held the leprosy2 thou didst bring in the two changes of garments1 not knowing that the germs of the disease were folded up with the cloth4 ,put on the coat2 it will scorch thee4 8,he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow40 ,a splendid conception is this silent departure4 ,not a word was said1 not a protest uttered4 ,the judgment was felt to be just4 8,cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness40 8,these shall go away into everlasting punishment40 ,oh1 the hush--the solemn silence6 ,the judgment seemed to begin with the sound of trumpets and the rending of things that apparently could not be shaken2 at the end there is simply a going away1 a silent motion1 a conviction that the sentence is right4 ,see ,gehazi as he goes out of ,elisha's presence1 and regard him as a specimen of those who1 having been judged1 on the last day will depart4 ,men should consider the price which they really pay for their success4 ,the grateful ,syrian would gladly have pressed upon ,elisha gifts of high value1 but the holy man resolutely refused to take any thing1 lest the glory redounding unto ,god from this great act should in any degree be obscured4 ,but his servant1 ,gehazi1 was less scrupulous1 and hastened with a lie in his mouth to ask1 in his master's name1 for a portion of that which ,elisha had refused4 ,the illustrious ,syrian no sooner saw the man running after his chariot than he alighted to meet him1 and being glad to relieve himself in some degree under the sense of overwhelming obligation1 he sent him back with more than he ventured to ask4 ,nothing more is known of ,naaman4 ,we afterward find ,gehazi recounting to ,king ,joram the great deeds of ,elisha1 and in the providence of ,god it so happened that when he was relating the restoration to life of the ,shunnammite's son1 the very woman with her son appeared before the king to claim her house and lands1 which had been usurped while she had been absent abroad during the recent famine4 ,struck by the coincidence1 the king immediately granted her application4 ,as lepers were compelled to live apart outside the towns1 and were not allowed to come too near to uninfected persons1 some difficulty has arisen with respect to ,gehazi's interview with the king4 ,several answers occur4 ,the interview may have taken place outside the town1 in a garden or garden house1 and the king may have kept ,gehazi at a distance1 with the usual precautions which custom dictated4 ,some even suppose that the incident is misplaced1 and actually occurred before ,gehazi was smitten with leprosy4 ,others hasten to the opposite conclusion1 and allege the probability that the leper had then repented of his crime1 and had been restored to health by his master4 ,,hezekiah4 ,so far in our ,bible studies we have had many weary wanderings among bad men4 ,the fear was that1 to some extent1 familiarity with them might blunt our own moral sensibility4 ,man after man has passed before us out of whose very countenance the image of ,god had faded4 ,how pleasant it is1 and how spiritually exhilarating1 to come upon a case in which we read of a different pattern of man6 ,of ,hezekiah it is recorded in the eighteenth chapter of the second ,book of ,kings3 8,and he did that which was right in the sight of the ,lord1 according to all that ,david1 his father1 did40 ,after a long journey underground we seem to have come suddenly upon a sweet garden1 and the sight of it is as ,heaven4 ,the charm is always in the contrast4 ,if things are not quite so good as we supposed them to be1 they are all the better by reason of circumstances through which we have passed1 which have made us ill at ease and have impoverished or disheartened us2 then very little of the other kind goes a long way4 ,a man comes up out of the underground railway and says1 when he emerges into the light3 8,how fresh the air is here6 ,what a healthy locality6 ,how well to live in this neighborhood60 ,why does he speak so kindly of his surroundings8 ,not because of those surroundings intrinsically1 but because of the contrast which they present to the circumstances through which he has just passed4 ,hezekiah was no perfect man4 ,we shall see how noble he was1 and how rich in many high qualities1 yet how now and again we see the crutch of the cripple under the purple of the king4 ,it is well for us that he was occasionally and temporarily weak1 or he would have been like a star which we can not touch1 and at which we can not light our own torch4 ,even ,hezekiah was a man like ourselves in many particulars1 and therefore what was good and sound in him is all the more attractive and is all the more possible to us4 ,who can mistake an honest man8 ,if all men were upright1 where would be the peculiarity of any individual man's integrity8 ,but1 given a corrupt state of society1 when the honest man appears we say3 8,the wind has changed4 ,it blows balmily and healthfully4 ,it comes from a fine origin1 and brings with it many a blessing40 ,who can mistake the atmosphere of the sea8 ,how it blows away all the city dullness6 ,how it quickens the blood6 ,how it throws off increasing years1 and makes the voyager feel almost young again6 ,it is so with honesty1 nobleness1 charity and goodness of character when the surrounding air is charged with some kind of poison or pestilence4 ,so it is that we come upon ,hezekiah4 ,perhaps it is well for him that we approach his case after such an experience4 ,he thus gets advantages that otherwise might not have been accorded to him4 ,he looks the higher for the dwarfs that are round about him1 the whiter because of the black population amid which he stands--at once a contrast and a rebuke4 ,but from ,hezekiah's point of view the case was different4 ,behind him were traditions of the most corrupt sort4 ,he was as a speckled bird in the line of his own family4 ,it is hard to be good amid so much that is really bad4 ,all attempts at goodness are accounted examples of affectation1 conceit1 vanity and pharisaism2 and under such circumstances sometimes a man's foes may be the people of his own household4 ,they wish he was more pliable1 less sabbatarian1 less devoted to his ,bible1 less constant in his attendance at church4 ,he might go once a day1 and give himself one end of the rope not tethered to the altar2 but he will not4 ,has that man an easy time of it8 ,no hard word may be spoken to him--certainly no bitter word--and yet all the while he may be made to feel that perhaps1 after all1 he may be affecting somewhat of piety and purity1 and that those who are looking on may be better critics of him than he is of himself4 ,at all events1 there come to him periods of trial1 and sometimes he says within himself3 8,shall ,i today be as constant as ,i have been1 or may ,i not break away now8 ,have ,i not built up a character1 and may ,i not retire upon my moral competence1 and live henceforth the life of a latitudinarian8 ,after a long spell of many years1 surely ,i might intermit just a little40 ,who shall say that the temptation is not subtle and strong8 ,some men have to force their way to church through innumerable and unnamable difficulties4 ,this ought to be reckoned4 ,some credit must be due to men who are thus constant to their sense of public duty and religious obligation4 ,men are not always at church with the entire consent of those who are round about them4 ,what1 then1 must be done8 ,one of two things4 ,either yield to the temptation or resist it4 ,you can not trifle with it4 ,you can not compromise1 and then recur to firmness1 and again connive1 and again balance1 consider and hesitate4 ,virtue is not an intermittent grace4 ,we must stand1 or we must fall4 ,hezekiah had a wicked father4 ,how will that wickedness come out in the son8 ,not1 perhaps1 as wickedness1 but as infirmity1 weakness1 and want of constancy in some directions1 though there may be no want of firmness in others4 ,can a man wholly escape the bad blood inherited of his father8 ,we must not forget that ,hezekiah's mother's name was ,abi1 the daughter of ,zachariah4 ,how she came to marry a wicked husband must remain a mystery4 ,but the mother will come up in the son4 ,she was the daughter of ,zachariah1 and ,zachariah was a prophet1 or seer--a man with double sight--one of those strange men who can see beyond the merely visible and palpable1 and can read things that lie behind4 ,zachariah came up again in his daughter1 and the mother came up again in the son1 and so there was a mysterious play of inheritance1 transfer1 transition1 reappearance1 somewhat of resurrection--a great tragic mystery of transformation and representation4 ,we speak about a man as if he were self-contained--just standing upon so much ground1 without relation behind or before1 on the right hand or on the left4 ,but no man is thus insularly placed2 no man is an absolute solitary4 ,every man has in him the blood of the past and the life of the future4 ,can a son of a good mother be altogether bad8 ,most surely not4 ,you must have mistaken the case if you thought so4 ,your very thinking so may constitute an element of hopefulness in your case4 ,take comfort from that suggestion4 ,so long as you can think of yourself seriously and of the past and of your advantages1 and can compare what you are with what you might have been1 there is hope of you4 ,but can there be in all history such an irony as this1 that a man should have had a praying mother and himself be a prayerless man8 ,no6 ,it can not be4 ,somewhere--at some time and in some way--the better nature will assert itself1 and out of a good seed surely there will come a good harvest4 ,but the lesson does not lie upon one side only4 ,here is encouragement to the praying fathers and to praying mothers4 ,zachariah1 read on2 read between the lines of things2 interpret events symbolically2 read the apocalyptic sense of what is happening--and out of all this mental elevation and spiritual conduct there will come results in your daughter or your son4 ,abi1 pray on4 ,be just to your father's memory1 and say3 8,he was a holy man4 ,i must prove it by being a holy woman4 ,he can not live upon a written character2 he must live in my life4 ,i will prove that such a child must have had a good father40 ,so the vital lessons fall--on the right hand1 on the left1 and around about us4 ,shame be to us if1 amid this shower of monition and encouragement and stimulus1 we be deaf and dumb and blind1 unfeeling1 unresponsive4 ,hezekiah will now go to work and prove himself to be an energetic reformer4 8,he removed the high places1 and brake the images1 and cut down the groves1 and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that ,moses had made2 for unto those days the children of ,israel did burn incense to it2 and he called it ,nehustan40 ,he must have been a strong man4 ,he had no colleague1 no ally2 no one to say to him3 8,be brave1 be true40 ,he went straight against the hardest wall that ever was built by the stubbornness and perversity of man4 ,it is not easy to begin life by a destructive process of reformation4 ,who would not rather plant a tree than throw down a wall8 ,who would not rather plant flowers and enjoy their beauty and fragrance than give himself the severe toil and the incessant trouble of destroying corrupt and evil institutions8 ,whoever attempts this kind of destructive work1 or even a constructive work which involves preliminary destructiveness1 will have a hard time of it4 ,criticism will be very sharp1 and selfishness will be developed in an extraordinary degree4 ,if a man be more than politician--if he be a real born statesman1 looking at whole empires at once and not at mere parishes1 and if in his thought and purpose he should base his whole policy upon fundamental right--he will not have an easy life of it1 even in a ,christian country4 ,in proportion as he bases his whole policy on righteousness1 temperance and judgment to come1 he will be pelted with hard names and struck at with unfriendly hands4 ,this holds good in all departments of life1 in all great reformations1 in all assaults made upon ignorance1 selfishness1 tyranny and wrong of every name4 ,the children of ,israel always seemed to live a foolish life4 ,they were the veriest children--so1 at least1 we would say but for fear of branding sweet children with an evil stigma4 ,they were infantile1 weak1 treacherous to themselves1 uncertain at every point--and so1 having kept the brazen serpent1 they burned incense to it4 ,they liked a visible ,god4 ,when the calf appealed to their religious feelings they danced around it as if at last they had found a deity4 ,but who can worship a spirit--invisible1 impalpable1 far away1 near at hand1 without a name1 without a shape which we can verify and say3 8,it comes to thus much1 and this is the weight and this is the value of it80 ,it requires a mind of some mental strength to stand up1 take hold of the brazen serpent and call it 8,nehushtan0--a contemptuous term1 meaning a piece of brass2 dead brass1 useless and worthless brass1 a relic but not a ,god4 ,let us give credit to the men who have been bold--religiously intrepid--in the midst of circumstances of a most discouraging and overbearing kind4 ,they are the men to whom we owe our present privileges4 ,we have the ,bible in our mother tongue because they were valiant4 ,not a church would have been built today in which men could assemble with a sense of freedom--sweet1 joyous liberty--but for the ,hezekiahs and others who went forth and1 at great cost and great peril1 destroyed things evil and black1 by the power of ,god's almightiness--overthrew them1 and set up a better kingdom4 ,what was the root of ,hezekiah's character8 ,at present we have seen phenomena of a gracious kind2 we like what we have seen of this man4 8,he trusted in the ,lord ,god of ,israel2 so that after him was none like him among all the kings of ,judah nor any that were before him4 ,for he clave to the ,lord1 and departed not from following ,him1 but kept ,his commandments1 which the ,lord commanded ,moses40 ,at length a man arose who said3 8,i will do ,god's will1 ,god helping me4 ,i will not only read the commandments1 but ,i will incarnate them4 ,i will not only speak religious words1 but live a religious life40 ,tender and yet emphatic are the words3 8,he trusted10 8he clave10 8he kept40 ,he 8trusted0--that is to say1 he had no other trust4 ,his religion was not a convenience1 one thing among many things1 an occasional exercise in piety2 but it was a perpetual confidence1 the one trust1 the all-centralizing and all-ruling fact4 ,then he 8clave0--he kept close to4 ,he would not allow any thing to come between his hand and the ,god he seized4 ,the hand could do nothing except cleave to ,god and what was possible through that cleaving2 and much is possible of a helpful and beneficent kind4 ,he 8kept the commandments0--counted them one by one2 examined himself in them2 took himself daily to task about the whole ten4 ,we live an off-hand life4 ,religion is now as easy as a wave of the hand1 a salutation across a thoroughfare2 it is something that can be taken up1 laid down1 forgotten and resumed4 ,what wonder if the ,rab-shakehs of the age come and taunt us1 mock our piety and blow back our prayers before they get to the skies8 ,we want more trust1 more cleaving piety1 more keeping of the commandments1 living in them and having no other life that is not consonant with them4 ,now came1 as we have often seen1 the inevitable temptation4 ,we pass instantly to the visit of ,rab-shakeh4 ,this ,rab-shakeh was an eloquent man4 ,he had the gift of mockery2 he could gibe well4 ,he was not without a certain logical qualification4 ,he made a long and offensive speech to the people under ,hezekiah's rule1 and he thought he had them at both ends of the argument4 ,having mocked their piety1 laughed it down1 challenged it1 spat upon it1 he said3 8,perhaps you will say3 #8,we trust in the ,lord1 our ,god1' but you forget that this very man1 ,hezekiah1 has thrown down ,his altars1 has taken away ,his groves1 has rooted up the house of your ,god by the foundations40 ,rab-shakeh did not understand the destructive reformation wrought out by ,hezekiah4 ,he heard of the groves being cut down and the holy places being removed1 and he said3 8,this is so much to our advantage4 ,the king of ,assyria shall hear of this1 and we shall make good commerce of it40 ,rab-shakeh did not distinguish between idolatry and piety--between a reform essential to health and a mere accident in history4 ,that which was good in ,hezekiah seemed to be wickedness to ,rab-shakeh4 ,rab-shakeh assaulted the people1 trampled on them1 leaped over their bodies1 mocked their refuges and their trust1 and thrust his fist into the face of ,egypt and said3 8,come away from ,hezekiah4 ,trust him not2 he is blind2 he is incapable4 ,leave him1 and ,i will tell you what the king of ,assyria will do for you40 ,and he held this out to them3 8,i will come and take you away to a land like your own land--a land of corn and wine1 a land of bread and vineyards1 a land of olive oil and of honey--that ye may live1 and not die2 and hearken not unto ,hezekiah1 when he persuadeth you1 saying3 #8,the ,lord will deliver us4'0 ,it is but an empty saying3 8,come1 and ,i will give you a great ,canaan60 ,sometimes it does seem as if the enemy had the best of it4 ,every thing lies so handily to him4 ,he says3 8,i will get you through this difficulty4 ,i know a lie that would deceive a king4 ,i can instruct you in a policy that would blind a judge4 ,i could get the money for you2 you need have no difficulty about that4 ,why1 ,i say1 in confidence1 ,i can let you have it now60 ,what can the preacher do in the presence of such a ,rab-shakeh8 ,or1 he may not offer temptation in that direction1 but in another4 ,he may say3 8,all these arguments ,i could answer1 if ,i cared to do so4 ,who wrote the ,bible8 ,who has seen the original manuscripts8 ,who has ever seen ,god8 ,it is utterly impossible to know the infinite4 ,come1 and ,i will make you rich at once in real1 solid1 practical things4 ,i can give you work instantly1 and wages immediately the work is begun4 ,i can give you something in advance4 ,leave the preacher1 the altar1 the ,bible and the church4 ,come and work in the open streets1 and be doing something that you can handle and about which there is no manner of doubt40 ,people begin then to wonder4 ,they should adopt the policy which was imposed on the children of ,hezekiah3 8,but the people held their peace1 and answered him not a word1 for the king's commandment was3 #8,answer him not4'0 ,nothing is to be got out of wordy controversy4 ,live the ,christian life2 grow in grace and in the knowledge of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,while the controversialist is contemning you1 taunting you and smiting you1 show to him that you are growing broader1 more massive in character1 more tender in disposition1 more benevolent in every aspiration and desire and purpose1 and thus by well-doing 8,put to silence the ignorance of foolish men40 ,defend your ,christianity by the eloquence of your life4 ,the servants of ,hezekiah said to him3 8,what ,rab-shakeh has said may come to pass4 ,let us go to ,isaiah and tell him all40 ,hezekiah himself thought that perhaps there might be something in it1 after all4 ,there he and his servants fell into a state of incertitude4 8,so the servants of ,king ,hezekiah came to ,isaiah40 ,they came to the right man4 ,standing up like a king1 he said3 8,thus shall ye say to your master3 ,thus saith the ,lord3 #8,be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard1 with which the servants of the king of ,assyria have blasphemed ,me4 ,behold1 ,i will send a blast upon him1 and he shall hear a rumor1 and shall return to his own land2 and ,i will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land4'0 ,he would make no violent attack on the men4 ,he would summon no legion of angels to overwhelm this great ,oriental potentate4 ,he would simply 8send a blast40 ,he would change the wind2 he would scatter something upon it and bid it blow across the brain of the king of ,assyria1 and the king would not know his right hand from his left1 nor the morning from the night2 he would be calling everybody by the wrong name1 and be asking for things that he did not wish to possess1 and be1 generally1 thrown into a state of unbalanced and wandering mind4 8,i will send a whisperer to him4 ,he shall simply go to the ear of the king of ,assyria and say something1 and the king will take fright and fly away in a panic4 ,o ,hezekiah1 continue thy prayer1 repeat thy morning sacrifice and thine evening oblation2 and1 as for the king of ,assyria1 ,i will send a blast and a rumor4 ,i will answer ,rab-shakeh40 ,let the contempt of the enemy be answered by the contempt of ,heaven4 ,rab-shakeh1 having found that the king of ,assyria was warring against ,libnah1 returned2 and when he heard that ,tirhakah1 king of ,ethiopia1 was come up to war1 he once more addressed ,hezekiah in terms of exultation and contempt4 ,rab-shakeh was pretendedly anxious that ,hezekiah should not be deceived by the ,lord1 his ,god1 and then he taunts him with many a history in which ,assyria had been conqueror over opposing nations4 ,he completes his taunt by asking3 8,where is the king of ,hamath1 and the king of ,arpad1 and the king of the city of ,sepharvaim1 of ,hena1 and ,ivah80 ,this message came to ,hezekiah in the form of a letter1 or letters1 and he instantly 8went up into the house of the ,lord1 and spread it before the ,lord40 ,there is no need to regard this as in any sense involving a heathenish custom4 ,the meaning simply is that ,hezekiah consulted the ,lord on the whole matter1 and declined to take any thing into his own counsel or power4 ,he acknowledges the dignity of ,god by the expression3 8,o ,lord ,god of ,israel1 which dwellest between the cherubims40 ,then he pointed to the letter which more immediately concerned himself1 thus showing his consciousness that the majesty of the ,lord did not separate ,him from taking an interest in earthly things4 ,we are not to stop at the point of majesty1 but are to reason that1 because ,god is so majestic and august1 ,he will pay attention to the prayers and desires of the beings whom ,he has created in ,his own image and likeness4 ,the divine majesty is not a rebuke to human approach1 but is an encouragement to human prayer4 ,when ,hezekiah says 8,thou art the ,god10 the emphasis is to be laid on the pronoun4 ,thou art the true ,god1 and ,thou alone4 ,when he desires ,god to bow down ,his ear1 and hear1 the reference is not so much to listen to ,hezekiah's prayer as to the words of ,sennacherib4 ,the meaning of the whole petition may be3 8,interpose immediately and energetically between me and mine enemy4 ,let ,thine ears hear1 let ,thine eyes see1 and let ,thine arm be extended40 ,hezekiah acknowledges that the kings of ,assyria had destroyed the nations and their lands1 and had cast the gods of the nations into the fire4 ,by so much he gives the ,assyrians credit for having spoken the truth1 and for having thus founded their project against ,israel upon the success which they had already attained4 ,hezekiah acknowledges1 indeed1 that the gods of the nations were no gods4 ,at the same time he feels that to the minds of the ,assyrians they may have been as real deities1 and their overthrow may have encouraged the ,assyrians to believe that ,jehovah was like unto them4 ,thus the prayer of ,hezekiah was argued and ordered in logical and historical form1 and was intended to excite1 as it were1 the very jealousy of the ,lord ,god of ,israel4 ,we now turn to the reply which was made to ,hezekiah through the lips of ,isaiah1 the son of ,amos4 ,the reply was manifestly given in a contemptuous tone3 8,the virgin the daughter of ,zion hath despised thee1 and laughed thee to scorn2 the daughter of ,jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee40 ,this is a poetic personification of place1 ,zion being regarded as mother of the people dwelling there4 ,while the term 8virgin0 may denote the inviolable security of the citadel of ,jehovah1 it may also intimate that a woman--even a solitary woman--was enough1 when under the inspiration and protection of ,god1 to repel the assault of the most boastful and audacious king4 ,the expression1 8hath shaken her head at thee10 has been literally rendered3 8,hath nodded behind thee40 ,it signifies an act of security--as1 for example1 in the ,twenty-second ,psalm3 8,all they that see me laugh me to scorn2 they shoot out the lip1 they shake the head1 saying3 #8,he trusted on the ,lord that ,he would deliver him4 ,let ,him deliver him1 seeing ,he delighted him4'0 ,the people of ,jerusalem are represented by this expression as nodding their heads in contempt at the retiring envoys of ,sennacherib4 ,the answer of ,isaiah to ,hezekiah was a religious revelation to the king of ,assyria4 ,the twenty-second verse puts into interrogative form a reproach against the ignorance of the king3 8,whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed8 ,and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high80 ,the meaning evidently is that the king did not know the real nature of the ,god of ,israel and ,judah1 and that he was making an infinite mistake in confounding that nature with what he had already seen of the idols of the nations4 ,humiliation is promised to the king of ,assyria4 ,a hook is to be thrust into his nose1 a bridle is to be put on his lips1 and he is to be turned back by the way which he came4 ,while the king of ,assyria is humiliated1 the remnant that escaped of the house of ,judah is promised again to take root downward and bear fruit upward--literally1 shall add root to root1 shall take firmer root than ever1 as a tree often does after a storm2 the ravaged land was to be newly stocked by the remnant that was to be saved out of ,jerusalem4 ,all these statements are supported by the declaration3 8,the zeal of the ,lord of ,hosts shall do this40 ,thus the promise is not made in any human name or guaranteed by the conquests of human history4 ,it is immediately connected with the very purpose and power of the ,most ,high4 ,nor is this the only instance in which divine strength is promised on behalf of ,judah and of ,israel4 ,we read3 8,for ,i will defend this city1 to save it1 for mine own sake1 and for my servant ,david's sake40 ,we must always be careful to notice that the race is not to the swift1 nor the battle to the strong1 and that no occasion is ever given for man to glory in man1 but that everywhere from the beginning of religious history1 as given in the ,bible1 it is ,god who is ,king1 ,ruler and ,protector1 and to ,him all the glory of deliverance and conquest undividedly belongs4 ,and that night 8the angel of the ,lord went out and smote in the camp of the ,assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand2 and when they arose early in the morning1 behold1 they were all dead corpses40 ,again and again we say3 8,it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living ,god40 ,let ,rab-shakeh talk--let him deliver his burning messages--and when he has ceased his mockery it is not necessary for us to answer4 ,god will defend ,his own cause4 ,here we stand4 ,we think all history is on the ,christian side4 ,but let us not forget that the finest argument in favor of ,christianity is a ,christian life4 ,,jabez4 ,the ninth verse of the fourth chapter of the first ,book of ,chronicles contains a reference to ,jabez4 ,the whole history is brief3 8,and ,jabez was more honorable than his brethren2 and his mother called his name ,jabez1 saying3 #8,because ,i bear him with sorrow4' ,and ,jabez called on the ,god of ,israel1 saying3 #8,oh1 that ,thou wouldst bless me indeed1 and enlarge my coast1 and that ,thine hand might be with me1 and that ,thou wouldst keep me from evil1 that it may not grieve me6' ,and ,god granted him that which he requested40 ,nothing more is known of this ,jabez or of his brethren4 8,the ,speaker's ,commentary0 regards the fact as remarkable that ,jabez should be introduced without description or patronymic1 as if a well-known personage1 and supposes that he was known to those for whom the ,book of ,chronicles was written1 either by tradition or by writings which have perished4 ,the word ,jabez signifies sorrowful4 ,jabez was distinguished in some way above his brethren4 ,by this distinction we are not to infer the exercise of an undue partiality in the spirit of his parents4 ,account for it as we may1 some men appear to be born with what may be called a larger religiousness of nature than other men4 ,it is easy for them to pray2 it is a delight to them to peruse all sacred writings2 it is a positive pain to them to be deprived of religious privileges4 ,we must leave this mystery as insoluble4 ,it is a very pleasant mystery to those who are gifted with religious intuition2 but1 on the other hand1 it is a most appalling mystery to those who seem to be what we can not better describe than by calling them natural ,atheists4 ,the name which ,jabez bore was a memorial of his mother's sorrow--not a prophecy of his own4 ,yet ,jabez was animated by that inexplicable superstition which discovers in names and circumstances omens and predictions which the imagination can never treat with disregard4 ,jabez might intellectually know that his name did but represent what his mother had endured1 yet a subtle feeling took possession of him1 as if he himself would in some way be involved in the same sorrow4 ,nor was this an irrational conclusion4 ,as a matter of fact1 some men are born to more sorrow than others--as certainly as by constitution some men are more religious than others4 ,here1 again1 is a dark and painful mystery4 ,we see the operation of this mystery even in the same family1 where one of the children may be full of sunlight1 hope and music1 and another may be doomed to walk in darkness throughout a lifetime--unable to discern between ,summer and ,winter1 loaded with trouble and oppressed with undefinable apprehensions4 ,jabez is known to history as pre-eminently a man of prayer4 ,although it has been considered that the prayer of ,jabez was uttered in view of some imminent battle or other dreaded experience1 yet by common consent ,jabez has been regarded by ,christian students as a typical man of prayer4 ,judging the case within the narrow limits of the history given in verses nine and ten1 it would seem as if ,jabez started life in an act of prayer4 ,the image is at once graphic and beautiful4 ,think of a young man standing at the door of his house1 looking abroad at the unknown and unmeasured world1 listening to the conflicting voices which troubled his native air1 and then turning his eyes to ,heaven and asking divine direction before he would take a single step from the threshold of his home4 ,nothing of the nature of mere romance attaches itself to this picture4 ,this1 indeed1 is what every young man ought to do before going out to battle or labor4 ,it would appear1 from instances which have come under our view1 that ,god condescends to receive from men promises of religious life on certain providential conditions4 ,we can not understand this now1 but it is perfectly clear1 from such instances as ,jacob and ,jabez1 that ,god was willing to respond to propositions of obedience founded upon the realization of specified blessings4 ,the prayer of ,jabez must be judged to be good1 for the sufficient reason that it was answered--8and ,god granted him that which he requested40 ,is the conduct of life1 then1 open to regulation upon such high and sacred lines8 ,may a young man come before the ,almighty1 speak out all his heart and receive promises of continual guidance and defense from the ,living ,one8 ,if we could realize the certainty of this holy commerce as between ,earth and ,heaven1 our whole life would be lifted to a noble level1 our spirit would be released from the dominion of fear1 and instead of laboring in toilsome prayer1 we should be filled with the spirit of triumphant thankfulness and praise4 ,what privileges are open to the young6 ,it lies within their power to give a whole life-time to ,god4 ,those who have advanced considerably in life can now but give a fraction of their days1 but the young soul can give ,god the brightness of the morning1 the glory of noonday and the tranquility of evening4 ,let the young think of this1 and give themselves diligently to the study of such instances as that of ,jabez1 knowing that if they remember their ,creator in the days of their youth increasing age will mean increasing joy4 ,,jehoram4 ,jehoram undertakes an expedition against ,king ,mesha1 but in doing so he pays a tribute to the power of the king of ,moab by allying with himself ,jehoshaphat1 king of ,judah1 and also the king of ,edom4 ,a remarkable character is given of ,jehoram4 ,he was not an imitator of the evil of his father as to its precise form1 but he had his own method of serving the devil4 ,we should have thought that ,ahab and ,jezebel had exhausted all the arts of wickedness1 but it turns out that ,jehoram had found a way of his own of living an evil life4 ,warned by the untimely fate of his brother1 which had fallen upon him expressly on account of his ,baal worship1 ,jehoram began his reign by an ostentatious abolition of the ,phenician state religion1 which his father had introduced4 ,jehoram went back to the olden times1 and re-established the worship of the calf1 after the pattern which ,jeroboam1 its founder1 had patronized4 ,his doing so1 however1 he found to be quite compatible with a secret allowance that the people should practice their own form of worship4 ,there is room in wickedness for the exercise of genius of a certain limited kind4 ,the limitation is imposed by wickedness itself--for1 after all1 wickedness is made up of but few elements4 ,many persons suppose that if they do not sin according to the prevailing fashion they are not sinning at all4 ,they imagine that by varying the form of the evil they have mitigated the evil itself4 ,a good deal of virtue is supposed to consist in reprobating certain forms of vice4 ,a man may be no drunkard1 according to the usual acceptation of the term1 and yet he may be in a continual state of intoxication4 ,it is possible to shudder at what is usually known as persecution1 and yet all the while to be beheading enemies and burning martyrs4 ,jehoram made a kind of trick of wickedness4 ,he knew how to give a twist to old forms1 or a turn to old ways1 so as to escape part of their vulgarity and yet to retain all their iniquity4 ,a most alarming thought it is to the really spiritual mind that men may become adepts in wickedness--experts in evil doing--and may be able so to manage their corrupt designs as to deceive many observers by a mere change of surface or appearance4 ,we do not amend the idolatry by altering the shape of the altar4 ,we do not destroy the mischievous power of unbelief by throwing our skepticism into metaphysical phrases1 and thus making verbal mysteries where we might have spiritual illumination4 ,we are deceived by things simply because we ourselves live a superficial life and read only the history of appearances4 ,what is the cure for all this manipulation of evil1 this changing of complexion and of form1 and this consequent imagining that the age is improving because certain phenomena which used to be so patent are no longer discernible on the face of things8 ,we come back to the sublime doctrine of regeneration1 as the answer to the great inquiry3 8,what is the cure for this heart disease80 8,marvel not that ,i said unto thee3 #8,ye must be born again4'0 ,we may change either the language or the manners of wickedness1 or the times and seasons for doing wicked things1 and we may decorate our wickedness with many beautiful colors1 but so long as the heart itself is unchanged decoration is useless--yea1 worse than useless2 for it is a vain attempt to make that look true which is false--an endeavor even to deceive ,omniscience itself4 8,and ,mesha1 king of ,moab1 was a sheepmaster1 and rendered unto the king of ,israel an hundred thousand lambs and an hundred thousand rams1 with the wool4 ,but it came to pass1 when ,ahab was dead1 that the king of ,moab rebelled against the king of ,israel40 ,enduring masteries are not of a physical kind4 ,ahab held ,mesha simply by a strong arm1 and the consequence was that1 as soon as ,ahab was dead1 ,mesha refused to render the tribute4 ,this historical circumstance1 limited so far as the mere letter is concerned1 is full of significance to the ,christian ,church and to all ,christian countries4 ,let us not call ourselves masters of positions or of men1 simply because we happen to have the stronger arm4 ,the dominion which is acquired by mere strength and held by superior force is an illusion wherever it is found4 ,the men whom we may so hold may be hypocrites enough to assume an acquiescent attitude1 or even to display a complacent demeanor2 they may even go so far as to appear to be grateful for the rule which they can not set aside4 ,but all such appearances are of necessity without reason1 and therefore without continuance4 ,they are always to be suspected4 ,this would be so in the case of the ,christian faith1 had we the power of imposing even its nominal belief upon any nation4 ,suppose we say that any man not professing the ,christian faith shall certainly be fined1 imprisoned or otherwise punished4 ,it is easy to see that such a threat might in many instances bring about an appearance of acquiescence4 ,but it must be1 by the very necessity of the case1 appearance only4 ,faith is a question of the individual judgment and of the individual heart1 and can not be controlled in any degree by external authority4 ,suppose we create a law making it penal to open places of business on the ,sabbath day4 ,looking upon all commercial houses whose business was suspended for a particular time1 we might say3 8,see how unanimously and happily the ,sabbath day is observed in this country60 ,but such would be an altogether superficial and mistaken judgment4 ,the ,sabbath day can not be kept by law4 ,if the ,sabbath is not kept by the reason1 and is not hailed with thankful delight by the very heart1 it can never be kept at all4 ,all shops may be closed1 all places of amusement may suspend their entertainments1 all toys may be put away from the nursery1 all out-door enjoyments and avocations may be withdrawn for the time1 but the people who have retired in apparent acceptance of these conditions1 but not in heartfelt acquiescence with them1 are breaking the ,sabbath every moment they breathe4 ,here is a great law for the house1 the church and the nation4 ,the head of the family who rules by mere dread or tyranny is not training an obedient household1 but he is preparing an outburst of sedition1 which sooner or later must transpire1 and when it occurs his ruin is certain4 ,the same law applies in the matter of capital and labor4 ,the man who only works that he may receive his wages never truly serves or makes his labor into a delight4 ,the man who can threaten the laborer by withdrawment of pecuniary recognition never elicits from that laborer a response to duty1 though he may insist on a formal compliance with law4 ,what a blessed mastery is that of ,jesus ,christ in this respect4 ,for ,christ reasons with men1 and addresses the very highest form and quality of mind2 ,he sets before men the alternative courses of life1 and beseeches them to accept the straight and narrow way leading to repentance4 ,certainly he threatens1 ,he denounces1 ,he declares an awful issue for the wicked man1 but it is not mere threatening or mere denunciation2 it is the solemn disclosure of a sequence which even ,almighty ,god could not suspend and yet retain the integrity of ,his throne and the security of the universe4 ,we must never accuse ,jesus ,christ of what is termed 8threatening40 ,his denunciations are revelations1 and not the expressions of merely angry feelings4 ,the way of the approach having been settled1 the kings proceeded to fetch a compass of seven days' journey around by the south end of the ,dead ,sea4 ,they little knew the difficulty that would arise in their way4 ,we do not read that they made any religious inquiry at the outset of their journey1 and therefore no responsibility could be charged upon ,god for the misadventure which occurred4 ,the three kings seem to have consulted only with themselves1 and to have resolved in their own counsel and strength upon their expedition against ,mesha4 ,what was the misadventure which occurred8 ,it is related3 8,and there was no water for the host and for the cattle that followed them40 ,even kings are dependent upon nature4 ,think of three kings1 who supposed themselves at least to be very mighty1 and all their people1 stopped in their career simply for want of water6 ,a very pitiable and yet very instructive picture is this of three kings and their armies standing still merely for want of water4 ,the so-called little things of life are often turned into not only things that are great1 but into things that are vital4 ,blessed indeed would be the man who sees even in natural arrangements and daily providences a call to him to lift up his head toward the heavens and ask great questions about being and duty and destiny4 ,so we have the usual religious appeal3 8,is there not here a prophet of the ,lord1 that we may inquire of the ,lord by him80 ,elisha now assumes a new attitude1 and one certainly not destitute of spiritual grandeur4 ,turning to the king of ,israel1 he said3 8#8,what have ,i to do with thee8 ,get thee to the prophets of thy father1 and to the prophets of thy mother4' ,and the king of ,israel said unto him3 #8,nay2 for the ,lord hath called these three kings together1 to deliver them into the hand of ,moab4'0 ,observe that this address was made to the very king of ,israel4 ,it simply means that the ,god of ,israel had nothing to do with the king of ,israel1 and yet ,israel was understood to be a theocracy4 ,the form was theocratic1 but not the power4 ,think of a man bearing the name of ,god1 and yet being godless6 ,a temple deserted of its deity is surely a melancholy sight1 but what shall be said of the man from whose heart the ,spirit of the living ,god has utterly departed8 ,elisha seems to have inherited the taunting spirit of his great predecessor3 8,get thee to the prophets of thy father1 and to the prophets of thy mother40 ,who can say with how bitter a taunt the word 8mother0 was pronounced in this connection8 ,the evil that men do goes on for many a day--not only to the end of their life-time1 but it lives after them4 ,this is a taunt that is founded on reason4 ,if men have been serving a god for seven years past1 surely it can not be unreasonable to refer them to that god in the time of their extremity4 ,what is faith if it can not be tested8 ,what is the value of an altar if you can not go to it and find lying upon it direct answers to your prayer8 ,is there any thing meaner in all the history of cowardice than that a man should ignore the living ,god all his life1 and then whiningly repent upon his death-bed8 ,why does he not go to the trusts to which he has committed himself1 and say he will die in them as he has lived in them8 ,surely1 the cowardice of men should teach those who observe it something regarding the nature and uses of religious faith4 ,the appeal of ,elisha was perfectly fair4 ,if the gods of ,jehoram were worth any thing1 they could find water for him in the time of his necessity4 ,let them do it4 ,if they will do it1 then they will establish their claim to be regarded with reverence1 and indeed be honored and worshiped4 ,we must insist upon making the same appeal in our own day4 ,men must be made to feel their irreligion4 ,jehoram did feel his in this instance1 for he protested against the decision of ,elisha4 ,throughout the course of ,scripture men are referred to their gods1 and are made to test the value of their religion4 ,possibly many a ,jehoram may be acting under influences which he himself can not explain--so much that he becomes a puzzle to his own mind1 wondering how it is that he takes one road when he has decided upon another1 and that he mistakes substances for shadows and shadows for substances1 so that his whole life is turned into a mocking bewilderment4 ,the answer is given in ,scripture3 8,i also will choose their delusions1 and will bring their fears upon them2 because when ,i called1 none did answer2 when ,i spake1 they did not hear2 but they did evil before ,mine eyes1 and chose that in which ,i delighted not40 ,now we come to a better phase of this history--namely1 to the saving element--which appears and reappears in the course of our changeful life4 ,elisha was not to be placated by the king of ,israel4 ,in his eyes a vile person was contemned4 ,the king of ,israel was but a poor1 frail thing in the presence of a man who lived with ,god and was commissioned to denounce the judgments of ,heaven against evil4 ,but the world is not made up of ,jehorams4 ,blessed be ,god1 there are men of another type1 whose very presence saves society from judicial ruin4 8,and ,elisha said3 #8,as the ,lord of ,hosts liveth1 before whom ,i stand1 surely1 were it not that ,i regard the presence of ,jehoshaphat1 the king of ,judah1 ,i would not look toward thee1 nor see thee4'0 ,now we know that the spirit of ,elijah rested upon ,elisha4 ,we seem to hear the very tones of the old master in the new disciple4 ,is it not always so in life--that it is one man who saves many2 that the ten righteous men save the city1 and that ,paul saves all those who sail with him in the midst of the tempestuous sea8 ,your house is saved because of your little child4 ,your whole estate is protected from ruin because your wife is a praying woman4 ,your life would be cut off tomorrow in shame and disgrace were it not that you have entered upon an inheritance of prayers laid up for you by those who went before4 ,life thus becomes very sacred and very tender1 and we know not to whom we are under the deepest obligations4 ,enough to know that1 somewhere1 there is a presence that saves us1 there is an influence that guards our life1 and that we owe absolutely nothing in the way of security or honor to bad kings or bad men of any name4 ,the remainder of the chapter is occupied with a prophecy of ,elisha and by a statement of the overthrow of the king of ,moab4 ,nothing now could save ,mesha4 ,a strong delusion was sent upon him to believe a lie4 ,when water came down by way of ,edom1 and the whole country was filled with it1 the ,moabites rose up early in the morning1 and as the ,sun shone on the water the ,moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood4 ,it looked so like blood that they declared it to be blood2 and1 believing that the kings were slain who had come up against them1 the ,moabites advanced to the spoil4 ,alas1 they advanced to their ruin4 ,the king of ,moab saw that the battle was too sore for him4 ,in his despair he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords1 to break through even unto the king of ,edom1 but through the iron wall he could not force his way4 ,in his madness he took his eldest son1 who should have reigned in his stead1 and flung him for a burnt offering upon the wall4 ,but the ,lord will not be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousand rivers of oil1 nor will ,he accept the first-born for a man's transgression or the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul4 ,,jehoram1 ,,king ,,of ,,judah4 ,verses sixteen to twenty-nine1 inclusive1 of the eighth chapter of the second ,book of ,kings should be compared with the twenty-first chapter of the second ,book of ,chronicles4 ,the name ,joram is an obvious contraction of ,jehoram4 ,joram and ,jehoram were practically interchangeable terms4 ,the king of ,israel is called ,joram1 and the king of ,judah ,jehoram4 ,in another place ,joram is the name of the king of ,judah4 ,in two other places both kings are called ,jehoram4 ,jehoram 8walked in the way of the kings of ,israel1 as did the house of ,ahab0--in other words1 as the house of ,ahab acted4 ,jehoram1 as son-in-law of ,ahab and ,jezebel1 gave his patronage to the worship of the ,tyrian ,baal4 ,jehoram had examples enough before him of the fate which had befallen idolatrous worship1 and yet1 turning his eye backward upon all the ruins which had been created by divine anger1 he pursued his evil way as if the ,lord had approved the house of ,ahab and its idolatry rather than manifested ,his judgments upon them4 ,rational men may well ask themselves how it is that history is lost on some minds4 ,they look backward and see that from the beginning sin has always been followed by punishment1 and punishment has in many cases been carried as far as death itself4 ,yet in view of all the suffering1 and in full sight of the innumerable graves dug by the hand of justice1 they continue the same policy without one particle of alteration4 ,one would have supposed that1 looking at the history of the kings of ,israel1 ,jehoram would have said3 8,i see now exactly what to avoid2 and to see what to avoid is to begin to see what to cultivate and establish4 ,it is perfectly evident that the worship of ,baal is doomed1 or that wherever it is set up divine anger instantly and severely attests the displeasure of ,god4 ,it must be my care1 therefore1 to destroy every trace of idolatry1 and build up faith in the true ,god40 ,this would have been called reflective and philosophical on the part of the king1 and indeed any thing that stood opposed to this course of reasoning would seem to be marked by incredible fatuity4 ,the contrary1 however1 is the exact fact4 ,with all the evidences of divine displeasure around him ,jehoram continued in the worship of ,baal1 or in some other form of idolatry which might appeal to the popular imagination or gratify the desires of his own corrupt fancy4 ,it is easy for moralists to condemn this neglect of history1 and to point out to those who1 having neglected it1 come into suffering and loss1 that they ought to have been wise before the event2 but the very same thing is done even by the moralists who criticize the course of ,jehoram and his predecessors4 ,this is the sin of every age1 and it should be looked at clearly and acknowledged frankly1 because until we do bring ourselves into vital relation to it our reasoning will be founded on false bases and will hasten itself to false conclusions4 ,all history is teaching us that the wages of sin is death2 that the way of transgressors is hard2 that1 though hand join in hand1 the wicked shall not go unpunished2 that the face of the ,lord is as a flint against evil doers4 ,yet1 with this plainest of all lessons written on the very face of history1 men are doing today as their predecessors did centuries ago1 and will probably continue to repeat the folly and the wickedness until the end of time4 ,surely1 this is as curious a puzzle as any that occurs in all the annals of human history4 ,it would seem1 indeed1 to be more than a puzzle2 to be1 in fact1 indicative of a suicidal disposition on the part of the actor4 ,it would not be tolerated in any other department of life4 ,if a man had known that a hundred of his ancestors were killed by drinking a certain liquid1 and he thus knowingly put that liquid to his lips1 the iniquity of his suicide would be aggravated by the knowledge of what had occurred in the records of his family4 ,how many murders1 then1 may he be said to accomplish who murders himself as to his moral nature and spiritual cultivation8 ,he does not do it in ignorance4 ,all history is surrounding him with its evidence1 and is doing its utmost to secure his attention1 and he himself is not unwilling to acknowledge that the testimony of history is uniform and absolute4 ,yet some immeasurable force within him drives him with infinite fury to the repetition of every sin and the defiance of every judgment4 ,what was the reason of all this patronage and support of idolatry8 ,jehoram had an excellent father1 and if any thing was to be expected from the operation of the law of hereditary dispositions1 it would be that ,jehoram would be of the same quality as ,jehoshaphat4 ,some curious and energetic influence must have been at work to throw back all hereditary quality and convert the man into a totally different nature4 ,what was that influence8 ,an expression in the eighteenth verse explains its nature and its scope3 8,for the daughter of ,ahab was his wife40 ,wherever we find the name of ,ahab we also find the presence of evil4 ,ahab lived again in his daughter1 though ,jehoshaphat did not repeat himself in his son4 8,the evil that men do lives after them40 ,jehoram was under home influence2 and is not home influence most potent of all8 ,it is a daily influence2 it begins with the early morning and continues all the day through4 ,it does not assume aggressive attitudes or excite suspicion by tumult and defiance of temper4 ,it is noisy or quiet1 persistent or reluctant1 energetic or languid1 according to the peculiar circumstances of the family history4 ,at this moment a word too energetically spoken might defeat its own object2 at another moment a languid reference might be more than a vehement appeal2 and on still other occasions anger1 fury and clamor may bring to a point a long process of suggestion and education4 ,this is the mystery of home life4 ,the plotter waits for opportunities1 creates them1 puts them in the way of his victim1 measures distances1 regulates the methods of approaches4 ,he studies his prey1 watches him with an evil eye1 remembers all his words1 weighs them1 calculates all their unspoken meanings1 and at the right moment interposes his own influence4 ,wicked men in this respect are often models to good men4 ,the enemy of souls never rests4 8,your adversary the devil1 as a roaring lion1 walketh about1 seeking whom he may devour40 ,nor is he always a lion4 ,sometimes he is as a serpent1 and sometimes even as an angel of light4 ,but his evil policy never hesitates4 ,when he blesses1 it is that he may curse2 when he leads his victim into the light1 it is that he may have the greater influence over him to persuade him into the darkness4 ,is it of no consequence with whom we live our daily life8 ,is the married relation one that expresses mere taste or momentary pleasure8 ,are not the companionships of life its true sources of tuition and inspiration8 ,a man who is in happy fellowship at home may over-get some of the worst hereditary infirmities and disabilities1 and may be encouraged into attainments of correct self-discipline and virtue which under other circumstances would be simply impossible4 ,the conversion of the world1 it would seem1 must begin at home4 ,we must have happier married relations1 fuller domestic confidence1 riper household trust and sympathy4 ,out of all this daily education1 under happy influences1 there may come a kind of character rich in its own quality and beneficent in its influence on society4 ,jehoram had provoked the ,lord1 yet so pitiful is the ,god of ,heaven that ,he spared ,judah for the sake of ,david1 ,his servant1 as ,he promised to give ,david always a light4 ,but ,jehoram was1 nevertheless1 severely punished for his wickedness4 ,in his days ,edom revolted from under the hand of ,judah1 and made a king over themselves4 ,libnah also revolted at the same time4 ,thus the peace of the kingdom was broken up1 and ,jehoram was made indirectly to suffer for the sin of idolatry4 ,how quietly the twenty-third verse reads6 ,it says3 8,and the rest of the acts of ,joram1 and all that he did1 are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of ,judah80 ,it would seem as if the bad king had simply fallen asleep like a tired child4 ,but in the second ,book of ,chronicles we read that ,jehoram died of sore diseases1 and that 8the people made no burning for him0--that is1 the usual honors of a sovereign were withheld in this particular case4 ,jehoram died in contempt and neglect4 ,he departed without being desired2 in other words1 he departed without regret--died unregretted4 ,he was not refused burial in the city of ,david1 but his body was not laid in the sepulchers of the kings4 ,thus1 sooner or later1 wickedness finds out a man1 and brands him with dishonor4 ,if1 under other conditions1 wickedness is carried to the grave amid great pomp and circumstance1 it is only that the dishonor may be found in some other quarter--in the hatred of good men and in the bitter recriminations of those who have been wronged4 ,set it down as a sure doctrine that1 whenever a bad man is buried1 dishonor attaches to his whole name1 and contempt withers every flower that may be planted over his grave4 ,the words 8but not in the sepulchers of the kings0 may receive a larger interpretation than the technical one which belongs to this immediate circumstance4 ,men are buried in the sepulchers of the kings when their lives are full of beneficence1 when their names are the symbols of noble charity1 large-minded justice1 heroic fortitude1 tender sympathy for others4 ,their burying place is not a merely topographical point4 ,their relation to the hearts that knew them1 their place in the memory of those who lived with them1 the tears which are shed over the recollection of their good deeds1 the void which has been created by their removal--all these constitute the royalty of their interment4 ,the end of ,jehoram1 king of ,judah--who would choose it8 ,,jehoshaphat4 ,in succeeding to the throne of ,judah ,jehoshaphat simply followed the course of a law1 but in strengthening himself against ,israel he indicated a personal policy4 ,how definitely the statement reads6 8,and ,jehoshaphat1 his son1 reigned in his stead1 and strengthened himself against ,israel40 ,there is no doubt or hesitation in the mind of ,jehoshaphat as to the course which ought to be pursued4 ,he did not simply think that he would strengthen himself against ,israel2 he had not a merely momentary vision of a possible fortification against the enemy2 but he carried out his purpose1 and thus challenged northern ,israel4 ,on the other hand1 how peaceful is the declaration that is here made6 ,there is not an aggressive tone in all the statement4 ,innocent ,jehoshaphat simply 8strengthened himself against ,israel0--that is to say1 he put himself into a highly defensive position1 so that if the enemy should pour down from the north ,jehoshaphat would be secured against his assaults4 ,every thing1 therefore1 depends on the point of view which we take of this policy4 ,but the thing which history has made clear is that a man often lays down a policy before awaiting the issue of events which would determine its scope and tone4 ,all this was done by ,jehoshaphat before he connected himself by marriage with the northern dynasty4 ,a marriage may upset a policy2 a domestic event may alter the course of a king's thinking1 and may readjust the lines of a nation's relation to other kingdoms4 ,the wise man holds himself open to the suggestion and inspiration of events4 ,no man is as wise today as he will be tomorrow--provided1 he pay attention to the literature of providence which is being daily written before his eyes4 ,our dogmatics1 whether in theology or in state policy1 should be modified by the recollection that we do not now know all things1 and that further light may show what we do know in a totally different aspect4 ,our policy1 like our bread1 should in a sense be from day to day4 ,when men are omniscient they may lay down a theological program from which departure would be blasphemy2 but until they are omniscient they had better write with modesty and subscribe even their best constructed creeds with reservations which will leave room for providence4 8,and the ,lord was with ,jehoshaphat1 because he walked in the first ways of his father1 ,david1 and sought not unto ,baalim40 ,the ,lord was not with ,jehoshaphat because he strengthened himself against ,israel1 nor because he had placed forces in all the fenced cities of ,judah1 and set garrisons in the land of ,judah and within the streets of ,ephraim4 ,not one of these little triumphs is referred to as affording ,god a basis for the complaisant treatment of the new king4 ,as ever1 the ,lord's relation to ,jehoshaphat was determined by ,jehoshaphat's own moral condition4 ,a very beautiful expression is this3 8,he walked in the first ways of his father1 ,david40 ,that is to say1 in the former or earlier ways of ,david1 as contrasted with ,david's later conduct4 ,some have found here a tacit allusion to ,david's greatest sin1 which he committed when he was advanced in life4 ,a somewhat mournful thing it is that a man's first ways should be better than his last4 ,the other relation would seem to be the one which reason would approve and ,god would specially honor--namely1 that a man's old age should be the ripest and best part of his conduct--rich with wisdom1 strong with experience1 and chastened by many a pensive recollection4 ,sad when you have to go back to a man's youth to find his virtues or his most conspicuous excellences2 but most beautiful when a man's earlier mistakes are lost in the richness and wisdom of his later conduct4 ,jehoshaphat's conduct in this matter is the more notable because of the constant observation of mankind that it is easier to follow the evil than to imitate the good4 ,when imitation enters into a man's life he is apt to copy that which is inferior1 and to leave without reproduction that which is lofty and disciplinary4 ,in this instance ,jehoshaphat sets an example to the world4 ,his conduct1 too1 is represented negatively as well as positively--8and sought not unto ,baalim40 ,the word 8,baalim0 is in the plural number1 and the literal reading might be3 8,jehoshaphat sought not the ,baals40 ,the ,baals were different local aspects or phases of the ,sun god4 ,it is to be specially noted that the term ,baal includes an aspect even of ,jehovah--that is to say1 ,israel had degenerated so far as to suppose that in worshiping ,baal they were worshiping at least one phase of the true ,god4 ,it is often difficult to abandon a popular custom4 ,more people might be in favor of ,jehoshaphat strengthening himself against ,israel than in returning to the first ways of ,david and abandoning the altar of the ,baals4 ,history and religion are always considered in their separate distribution4 ,there are politicians who would vote for a war who would on no account surrender a superstition4 ,on the other hand1 there are men who pride themselves on being free of the influence of superstition1 yet who would enter willingly into the most sanguinary wars for the extension of empire or the glory of some particular throne4 ,in ,jehoshaphat we seem to come into contact with a complete character--in other words1 a man who in every point was equally strong1 a man of foresight1 a man of reverence1 a man of an honest heart1 a man who felt that idolatry and true worship could not co-exist in the same breast4 8,but sought to the ,lord ,god of his father1 and walked in ,his commandments1 and not after the doings of ,israel40 ,we must be prepared for singularity if we are genuinely prepared to be good4 ,let a man settle it with himself in prayerful solitude whether he means to walk with ,god or to identify himself with the spirit and customs of his age4 ,jehoshaphat laid down a clear program for himself1 and he followed it out with patient and faithful industry4 8,the ,lord ,god of his father0 was not a mere term in a crowd2 it was the object of daily search and quest4 ,jehoshaphat inquired for ,him1 and operated constantly upon the doctrine3 8,ask1 and it shall be given you2 knock1 and it shall be opened unto you40 ,nor was ,jehoshaphat's religion merely speculative--that is to say1 an intellectual quest after an intellectual ,god4 ,whatever was speculative in the mind and service of ,jehoshaphat was sustained and ennobled by a solid moral element4 ,he read the ,decalogue2 he studied the ,word of ,god2 he would take no action--personal1 regal or social--that was not first examined and approved in the light of the divine statutes4 ,all this might have been comparatively easy if ,jehoshaphat had started at an independent point2 but at such a point no man can start1 for he must take up the age as he finds it1 and must first disembarrass himself from all the stipulations and claims of custom1 usage and popular superstition4 ,jehoshaphat sought not after the doings of ,israel4 ,he set himself up in this respect against the kingdom4 ,he was not afraid of peculiarity2 in a word1 ,jehoshaphat's religion was characteristic2 it had lines1 points and colors of its own1 about which there could be no reasonable mistake4 ,what is our religion8 ,do we intellectually assent to the existence and sovereignty of one ,god1 and then degenerate into self-worship8 ,do we admit that there must be an ultimate morality1 a philosophy of conduct founded on eternal metaphysics2 and then do we measure our own behavior by the canon of custom8 ,these are questions that search the heart1 and no man can answer them for his brother4 ,what became of all this noble conduct arising out of this high religious conception8 ,we shall see in the following verse3 8,therefore the ,lord established the kingdom in his hand2 and all ,judah brought to ,jehoshaphat presents1 and he had riches and honor in abundance40 ,whatever was doubtful about the ascent of ,jehoshaphat to the throne was removed1 and the king was enabled to realize his power4 ,when he closed his hand on the royal scepter he found that he was not grasping a shadow but a reality4 ,there are times when men become fully conscious of their influence and of their proper social position2 happy are they if in this consciousness they detect a prevailing religious element1 which constrains them to acknowledge that honor and wealth1 power and dignity are the gifts of ,god4 ,is not this an anticipation of the ,savior's great doctrine3 8,seek ye first the kingdom of ,god1 and ,his righteousness1 and all these things shall be added unto you08 ,jehoshaphat did not seek riches and honor4 ,but he sought to the ,lord ,god of his father and walked in the divine commandments1 and as a result he enjoyed all that kings delight in as indicating strength1 renown and influence4 8,and his heart was lifted up in the ways of the ,lord2 moreover1 he took away the high places and the groves out of ,judah40 ,the expression 8his heart was lifted up0 is an awkward one4 ,the lifting up of the heart signifies increase of pride1 a sensation of vanity1 a desire to gratify personal ambition1 and to make an idol of his will4 ,in this instance the marginal reading is to be preferred--8was encouraged20 or otherwise1 8his courage rose high40 ,it has also been rendered3 8,jehoshaphat grew bold0--that is to say1 he was not a timid reformer or a timid worshiper1 nor a trimmer or time server in any sense4 ,he was a heroic worshiper of the living ,god4 ,when he saw that reform was necessary he went forward with a steady step and an energetic hand4 ,we should call ,jehoshaphat a man of conviction and a man who had the courage of his convictions4 ,altogether1 this is the outline of a noble personage--a born king1 a man who has a right to the purple and the scepter4 ,when such men ascend thrones nations should be glad and rejoice with a great joy1 for their character is grander than their office and their spirit is the best guarantee of the elevation and utility of their regal policy4 ,becoming conscious of his power1 knowing that his kingdom was established from on high1 ,jehoshaphat not only did not seek the ,baals himself1 but he took away the high places and groves out of ,judah4 ,jehoshaphat was not content with a merely personal religion4 ,he could not convert the hearts of his people1 but he could destroy all the symbols of unholy worship4 ,men are only required to do that which lies in their power4 ,a proprietor may not be able to make people sober1 but he can forbid the introduction of temptations to drunkenness4 ,a parent may not be able to subdue the spirit of pride1 but he can in many instances limit the means of gratifying it4 ,there are reforms which are open to us all--in personal custom1 in social habit1 and it may be even in imperial ways4 ,let each ,jehoshaphat seize his opportunity and magnify it4 ,all this would have been comparatively in vain but for another step which ,jehoshaphat took4 ,in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes--that is to say1 he sent his princes--and he sent ,levites1 all of whose names are given2 and he sent also two priests1 ,elishama and ,jehoram1 and their business was purely educational4 8,and they taught in ,judah1 and had the book of the law of the ,lord with them1 and went about throughout all the cities of ,judah1 and taught the people40 ,this was a mixed commission--partly civil1 partly ecclesiastical4 ,the men here mentioned are otherwise unknown4 ,we identify them as educational reformers1 or reformers who operated through the medium of education4 ,they were not warriors1 destroyers1 revolutionists1 but men who addressed the mind and understanding and conscience1 and caused men to know that the true law was from above and not from beneath4 ,the book which the commission had in hand was the ,pentateuch1 or the law of ,moses4 ,this was known to be the law which alone could touch all the vital necessities of the commonwealth4 ,again and again we are constrained to admit that there is a law beyond man1 above man1 in a sense apart from man4 ,men are not driven within themselves to find a law1 an instinct1 or a reason4 ,they have a written statute1 an authoritative declaration1 a book which ,christian teachers do not hesitate to describe as a revelation1 and to that they call the attention of men4 ,if the teacher were teaching out of his own consciousness he would be but an equal1 often exposing himself to the destructive criticism of his more advanced and penetrating scholars2 but the teacher takes his stand on a book--on the ,book1 the ,bible--a revelation which he believes to be divine and final4 ,say what we will1 the effect of ,bible teaching must be judged by its fruits4 ,where are the nations that are most distinguished for wide and varied intelligence1 for large and exhaustive sympathy1 for missionary enterprise1 for philanthropic institutions and for all the elements which give grace and beauty to social existence8 ,the question should admit of definite reply4 ,the facts are before men2 let them judge fearlessly and honestly1 and we need have no apprehension concerning their verdict4 ,wherever the word of the ,lord has had free course superstition has been chased away1 human slavery has been abolished1 every instance of intolerance1 injustice1 unkindness has felt the influence of holy thought4 ,in all these matters discussion should be limited strictly to facts4 ,thus kings can help nations1 not by forcing education1 not by attempting to rule opinion1 not by setting up standards of orthodoxy to fall short of which is to incur penalty2 but by spreading education1 by extending light1 by cultivating a spirit of inquiry1 and by a generous multiplication of all the instrumentalities needed for the destruction of ignorance4 ,what may come of this we are not supposed at this moment to know4 ,meanwhile1 let us be thankful that we are face to face with a man who has conviction1 courage1 independence1 high patriotism and generous impulse1 and let us hope that his end may be as beautiful as his beginning was promising4 ,,jehu4 ,while ,jehoram was lying ill of his wounds ,elisha had called one of the children of the prophets and sent him on a special mission to ,ramoth-gilead4 ,it has been conjectured that this messenger was the ,jonah who is mentioned in the twenty-fifth verse of the fourteenth chapter of the second ,book of ,kings4 ,jehu was left in supreme command of the forces at ,jehoram's departure4 ,nothing is known of ,jehu's origin4 ,from the first1 however1 it is evident that he was called to special functions4 ,he was one of the men who had been foreseen by ,elijah1 the prophet1 under the divine inspiration4 ,elijah was ordered to return unto the wilderness of ,damascus1 and in the course of his progress he was to anoint ,jehu1 the son of ,nimshi1 to be king over ,israel4 ,whether any communication had been made to ,jehu we know not4 ,yet it is not improbable that this had been done1 as we may infer from the way in which he made answer to the appeal when it was addressed to him by the messenger of ,elisha4 ,all the circumstances of the communication are full of dramatic color and impressiveness4 ,the young man was to take a vial of oil and pour it on ,jehu's head1 and say3 8,thus saith the ,lord3 #8,i have anointed thee king over ,israel4'0 ,instantly he was to open the door and flee from the presence of the new monarch4 ,a tremendous charge was delivered to ,jehu by the young man3 8,and thou shalt smite the house of ,ahab1 thy master1 that ,i may avenge the blood of ,my servants1 the prophets1 and the blood of all the servants of the ,lord1 at the hand of ,jezebel4 ,for the whole house of ,ahab shall perish2 ''' and ,i will make the house of ,ahab like the house of ,jeroboam1 the son of ,nebat1 and like the house of ,baasha1 the son of ,ahijah2 and the dogs shall eat ,jezebel in the portion of ,jezreel1 and there shall be none to bury her40 ,having delivered this message1 the young man then 8opened the door and fled10 as if pursued by fire4 ,we know not whether to pity ,jehu under the delivery of this charge4 ,the ,lord must have many servants in ,his household1 and some of them are entrusted with hard work4 ,if we could choose our places in the divine economy1 who would not elect to be a minister of sympathy1 consolation and tenderness to broken hearts8 ,who would be willing to go forth to fight the battle and endure the trial and hardship of military service8 ,above all1 who would be willing to accept the ministry of shedding blood and cleansing the world of evil by putting to death all evil doers8 ,we must recognize the diversity of function in the ,christian ,church1 and in every department of human life4 ,few men could do what ,jehu did1 but where the special qualification is given the special service is also demanded4 ,it is pitiful criticism that stands back and shudders at the career of ,jehu2 it is wanting in large-mindedness and in completeness of view4 ,the ,lord's work is many-sided1 and all kinds of men as to intellectual energy and moral daring1 and even as to physical capability1 are required to complete the ministry of ,god4 ,today one man is gifted with the power of intercession1 another with the talent of controversy1 another with the genius of exposition1 another with the supreme gift of consolation2 one minister must tarry at home and work close to the fireside at which he was brought up2 in another is the spirit of travel and adventure1 and he must brave all the dangers of enterprise and hasten to the ends of the ,earth1 that he may tell others what he knows of the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,we must recognize this diversity1 and the unity that it constitutes2 otherwise we shall take but a partial view of the many-sided ministry which ,jesus ,christ came to establish1 and to which ,he has promised ,his continual inspiration4 ,illustration3 ,,solomon ,illustration3 ,,the ,,judgment ,,of ,,solomon4 ,i ,kings1 iii4 ,when ,jehu came forth he was taunted by the servants of his ,lord2 they called the young man 8mad40 ,from their manner1 ,jehu began to wonder whether the whole affair had not been planned by themselves with a view to befooling him by the excitement of his ambition4 ,he said to them1 in effect3 8,ye know the man1 and his communication in this matter is one of your own arranging4 ,ye think to make a fool of me1 and through the intoxication of my vanity to lead me to my ruin40 ,but they denied the impeachment1 and their tone so changed that ,jehu reposed confidence in them1 and told them what the man had said4 ,instantly1 on hearing the message1 they hasted1 took every man his garment or coat1 and put it under ,jehu on the top of the stairs1 which they constituted a kind of temporary throne1 and then amid loud blasts of the trumpet they cried3 8,jehu is king60 ,thus ,jehu was suddenly called to royalty and all its responsibilities4 ,men should be prepared for the sudden calls of providence4 8,what ,i say unto you ,i say unto all3 ,watch40 ,one is struck by the obedience of ,jehu to the heavenly call4 ,there was no hesitation4 ,men but show themselves to be yet under bondage when they hesitate regarding the calls which ,god addresses to them4 ,jehu was determined to make complete work of his mission4 ,not one was to escape or go forth out of the city to tell what he was about to do to those who were in ,jezreel4 ,springing into his chariot and calling for a detachment of cavalry1 ,jehu set out on his journey of sixty or seventy miles4 ,you can see him almost flying down from ,ramoth1 which was about three thousand feet above the sea level4 ,swiftly he crosses the ,jordan1 and then1 turning to the north1 he fled over the spurs of ,ephraim2 then he darted up the ,valley of ,trembling1 made famous in the day of ,gideon1 and finally he came to the ,plain of ,esdraelon1 where was ,jezreel4 ,jehoram was unaware of the approach of ,jehu4 ,one messenger after another was sent out to make inquiry1 but the messengers were ordered behind1 and ,jehu came forward until he and the king met at the vineyard of ,naboth4 ,the king asked what news was being brought--news of peace or of war4 ,the question was answered with another question3 8,what peace can there be so long as the idolatrous whoredoms of thy mother1 ,jezebel1 and her witchcrafts are so many80 ,jehu thus referred to fundamental wrongs4 ,instead of trifling with details he went straight to the fountainhead1 and by the delivery of a profoundly religious message he excited the alarm of those who heard him4 ,jehoram was weak and feeble and sought to flee1 but ,jehu drew a bow with his full strength and smote between his arms1 and the arrow went out at the king's heart1 and he sank down in his chariot4 ,then ,jehu ordered his captain1 or squire1 to take up ,jehoram and cast him into the portion of the field of ,naboth1 the ,jezreelite1 that the word of the ,lord might be fulfilled4 ,and when ,ahaziah1 the king of ,judah1 saw this he sought to flee1 but ,jehu followed him1 saying3 8,smite him also in the chariot40 ,after a hot pursuit ,ahaziah was struck at the declivity of ,gur1 where his chariot was forced to slacken its speed4 ,then came the most tragical of all the acts4 ,no sooner was ,jehu come to ,jezreel than ,jezebel1 now old and withered1 heard of it1 and her blood tingled at the news4 ,she was not one who was easily deterred4 ,according to the custom of ,oriental ladies1 ,jezebel painted her eyebrows and lashes with a pigment composed of antimony and zinc4 ,the intention of the dark border was to throw the eye into relief and make it look larger4 ,she adorned her head with a tire1 or a headdress1 and after donning her royal dress she looked out at a window1 designing to impress ,jehu4 ,as ,jehu looked up to the window he exclaimed3 8,who is on my side80 ,he ordered the two or three eunuchs who looked out to throw down the painted woman4 ,jehu knew that the cruel queen was intensely hated by the palace officials4 ,the two or three eunuchs who had been accustomed to crouch before her in servile dread now saw that ,jehu was in the ascendant1 and in obedience to the demand of the regicide they threw her out of the window4 ,such has ever been the policy of sycophants--the rats of court--who only linger there with a view of seeing how much they can appropriate or destroy4 ,no sooner was ,jezebel thrown down than some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses1 and she was trodden under foot4 ,here1 again1 we see the end of wickedness4 ,for a time there is escape1 but in the long run there is ruin4 ,look at ,jezebel1 and learn the fate of the wicked4 ,no such fate1 in a merely physical sense1 may await the iniquitous now2 but all those intermediate punishments simply point to the last great penalty3 8,the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment40 ,one can pity ,jezebel as her flesh was eaten by the dogs and her carcass was made as dung on the face of the field in the portion of ,jezreel1 and we almost shudder with horror as we think that she was to be so torn to pieces that none should be able to say3 8,this is ,queen ,jezebel40 ,but all this is wasted sentiment1 unless we reason from it toward spiritual conclusions4 ,we are so much the victims of our senses that we can pity with great compassion those who are smitten with bodily disease1 or are torn limb from limb in consequence of some wicked deed2 but it seems impossible for us to rise to the conception of the terrible penalty which is to fall upon the soul for violating ,god's commandments and defying ,god's power4 ,instead of being appeased by the fate of ,jezebel1 ,jehu sends out a decree that the whole family of ,ahab shall be massacred--that the kinsmen of ,ahaziah and the ,baal worshipers shall be extirpated from the face of the ,earth4 ,he takes a new point of departure when he challenges the sons of ,ahab1 saying3 8,look even out the best and meetest of your master's sons1 and set him on his father's throne1 and fight for your master's house40 ,all this was a declaration of warlike intention on the part of ,jehu4 ,but ,jehu's character as a soldier was too well known to permit the rulers of ,jezreel and the elders to entertain the thought of encountering him in open battle4 ,so they made this answer3 8,we are thy servants1 and will do all that thou shalt bid us2 we will not make any king4 ,do thou that which is good in thine eyes40 ,then ,jehu set up a test of their obedience4 ,he did impose on them hard work4 ,he said3 8,if ye be mine1 and if ye will hearken unto my voice1 take ye the heads of the men your master's sons1 and come to me to ,jezreel by tomorrow this time40 ,the word was enough4 ,the heads of seventy men were put into baskets and sent to ,jehu at ,jezreel4 ,jehu pronounced the men who had beheaded the sons of ,ahab guiltless in respect of their deaths1 because what they did had been done judicially1 under royal command4 ,some think that ,jehu wished to make them guilty of the massacre of the princes1 while he had slain but one king4 ,on the whole1 however1 it is better to consider that ,jehu exculpates the men who had only executed his command4 ,the slaughter of the priests is one of the most dramatic incidents in all this portion of biblical history4 ,jehu proceeded by way of strategy4 ,it is impossible to justify the spirit of the policy of ,jehu in this matter4 ,he said he would serve ,baal 8much40 ,it has been thought that he was thinking of his intended holocaust of human victims2 but1 whatever his thoughts1 it is impossible to deny that the impression he produced was that ,jehu was about to become a worshiper of ,baal4 ,this reading is imported into the narrative in these words3 8,but ,jehu did it in subtilty1 to the intent that he might destroy the worshipers of ,baal40 ,now a solemn assembly for ,baal was proclaimed4 ,from all ,israel the devotees of ,baal came1 so that there was not left a man that came not4 ,the house of ,baal was full from one end to the other4 ,and they were all clothed with appropriate vestments4 ,jehu was careful that not one worshiper of ,jehovah should be in the assembly1 but those of ,baal only4 ,when the worshipers went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings ,jehu stationed fourscore men without1 and said3 8,if any of the men whom ,i have brought into your hands escape1 he that letteth him go1 his life shall be for the life of him40 ,then came the moment of massacre4 8,and they smote them with the edge of the sword2 and the guard and the captains cast them out1 and went to the city of the house of ,baal40 ,jehu's guards1 having completed their bloody work in the court of the temple1 hastened up the steps into the sanctuary itself1 which1 like the ,temple of ,solomon1 was made after the pattern of a fortress4 ,the images of ,baal were brought forth out of the house of ,baal and burned4 ,the image of ,baal was broken down1 and his house was broken down1 and the whole scene was utterly dishonored and desecrated4 8,thus ,jehu destroyed ,baal out of ,israel40 ,but the way was wrong4 ,perhaps1 for the period within which the destruction took place1 it was the only ministry that was possible4 ,the incident1 however1 must stand in historical isolation1 being utterly useless as a lesson or guide for our imitation4 ,we are called upon to destroy ,baal out of ,israel1 but not with sword or staff or implement of war4 8,the weapons of our warfare are not carnal1 but are mighty1 through ,god1 to the pulling down of strongholds of ,satan40 ,jehu did his rough-and-ready work--a work1 as we have said1 adapted to the barbaric conditions under which he reigned4 ,but there must be no ,jehu in the ,christian ,church1 except in point of energy1 decision1 obedience and single-mindedness of purpose4 ,a ,christian persecution is a contradiction in terms4 ,when ,christians see evil1 they are not to assail it with weapons of war2 they are to preach against it1 to argue against it1 to pray about it1 to bring all possible moral force to bear upon it1 but in no case is physical persecution to accompany the propagation of ,christianity4 ,not only so4 ,any destruction that is accomplished by physical means is a merely temporary destruction4 ,there is in reality nothing in it4 ,when progress of a ,christian kind is reported it must not be tainted by the presence of physical severity4 ,we can not silence evil speakers by merely closing their mouths4 ,so long as we can hold those mouths there may indeed be silence1 but not until the spirit has been changed--not until the very heart has been converted and born again--can the evil-doer be silenced and his mouth be dispossessed of wicked speech and filled with words of honesty and pureness4 ,jehu himself was not a good man4 8,from the sins of ,jeroboam1 the son of ,nebat1 who made ,israel to sin1 ,jehu departed not from after them40 ,for reasons of state policy1 ,jehu maintained the worship of ,bethel and ,dan4 8,but ,jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the ,lord ,god of ,israel with all his heart2 for he departed not from the sins of ,jeroboam1 which made ,israel to sin40 ,jehu had done homage to ,jehovah by extirpating the foreign ,baal worship1 but he patronized and actively supported the irregular mode of worshiping ,jehovah established by ,jeroboam as the state religion of the northern kingdom4 ,he attempted to serve ,god and ,mammon4 ,religion was to him but a political instrument4 ,jehu did the particular kind of work which had been assigned to him--a work of destruction and blood4 ,perhaps he alone of all the people of his time could have accomplished this task4 ,but ,jehu must stand in history as a warning rather than as an example4 ,,job4 ,sometimes ,i have most clearly seen the whole tragedy of ,job in a waking dream1 the whole passing before me in twilight shadows1 losing itself in thick darkness1 reappearing in light like the dawn--always changing1 always solemn1 always instructive2 a thing that surely happened1 because a thing now happening in all the substance of its eternal meaning4 ,is it a pillar grand in height1 and finished all over with the dainty care of an artist whose life has been spent in learning and applying the art of color8 ,how stately6 ,how ,heaven seeking because ,heaven worthy6 ,while ,i admire1 ,i wonder religiously4 ,i see the hosts of darkness gathering around the erstwhile flashing capital1 and resting over it like midnight sevenfold in blackness2 then the lightning gleams from the center of the gloom1 then the fire-bolt flies forth and smites the coronal once so glorious1 and dashes it in hot dust to the ,earth1 and the tall stalk--so upright1 so delicate1 so like a well-trained life--reels1 totters and falls in an infinite crash6 ,is it true8 ,every word of it4 ,true now--may be true in thee and me1 ,o man1 so assured of stability and immovableness4 ,there is danger in high places4 ,is there a ,spirit which hates all noble-mindedness and seeks to level the spiritual pile with mean things8 ,evil ,spirit6 ,the very ,devil--hating all goodness because hating ,god6 ,but stop4 ,after all1 who smote the pillar8 ,whose lightning was used to overthrow the fair masonry8 ,o ,god of gods1 the devil's ,creator and ,master1 without whom ,satan could not be1 nor hell1 nor trees forbidden1 nor blast of death--,o ,mystery of ,being--what can our souls say in their groaning8 ,and how1 through anguish so intolerable1 can they pray8 ,i am afraid to build1 because the higher the tower the more deadly the fall4 ,dost ,thou watch our rising towers and delight to rain ,thy fires on them1 lest our pride should abound and our damnation be aggravated by our vanity8 ,and ,god's own ,book it is that tells the good man's pains1 and that revels in swelling rhetoric over the rottenness and despair of the man who feared ,god and eschewed evil6 ,and what unguided hands--if hands unguided--set the tale of wrong and woe and sorrow next to the very ,psalter8 ,is not the irony immoral1 because cruel8 ,or is there meaning in all this8 ,is it ,life's story down to the very letter and jot of reality8 ,how better to come out of the valley than to the harping and song of musicians who have known the way of the ,almighty and tasted the counsels of ,heaven8 ,cheer thee1 ,o poor soul6 ,thou art today miserable as ,job1 but tomorrow thou mayest dance to the music of ,david4 ,tomorrow thou mayest have a harp of thine own4 ,a tree of the ,lord's right hand planting arises loftily and broadly in the warm air4 ,birds twitter and sing as they flit through its warp and woof of light and shade4 ,it is a tree whose leaves might heal the nations4 ,what sudden wind makes it writhe8 ,what ,spirit torments every branch and leaf8 ,what ,demon yells in triumph as the firm trunk splits and falls in twain8 ,was it grown for such a fate as this8 ,better if the seed had been crushed and thrown into the fire than that it should have been thus reared and perfected and then put to shame among the trees of the field4 ,who can give speech to this flood as it plunges from rock to rock in the black night time8 ,hush6 ,there is a man's voice in the infinite storm3 8,let the day perish in which ,i was born6 ,let it be darkness2 let that night be joyless1 let no song enter into it2 let them who curse the day stigmatize it who are ready to stir up the leviathan4 ,why died ,i not from the womb8 ,then had ,i lain down and been quiet2 ,i had slept2 ''' there the wicked cease from troubling1 and there the wearied mighty rest2 the prisoners sweetly repose together1 they hear not the voice of the exactor1 and the slave is free from his lord40 ,these are human words1 but are they not too strong1 too rhetorical1 to be true8 ,no6 ,for who can mechanize the rhetoric of woe8 8,why is life given to the miserable1 and to one who would be blithe to find a grave8 ,i have no quiet1 no repose1 for trouble on trouble came1 and my sighs gush out like waters long dammed back40 ,no doubt the rhetoric is lofty1 yet with a strange familiarity it touches with happy expressiveness all that is most vivid in our remembrance of woe4 8,i loathe my life4 ,i will give loose to my complaint4 ,i will speak in the bitterness of my soul4 ,to ,god ,i will say3 #8,condemn me not4 ,show me why ,thou contendest with me4 ,as the clay ,thou hast fashioned me1 and to dust ,thou causest me to return4 ,thou hast poured me as milk and compacted me as cheese4 ,as a fierce lion ,thou huntest me2 then ,thou turnest again and showest ,thyself marvelous4'0 ,job has found fit words for all mourning souls4 ,so they borrow of him when their own words fail like a stream which the ,sun has dried up4 ,what woe the poor little heart can feel6 ,herein is its greatness4 ,it is1 in its own way1 as the heart of ,god4 8,truly1 now1 ,he hath worn me out4 ,thou hast made all my household desolate1 and ,thou hast shriveled me up4 ,god giveth me up to the ungodly1 and flingeth me over into the hands of the wicked4 ,he seized me by the throat and shook me4 ,he breacheth me with breach on breach4 ,he rusheth on me like a man of war40 ,in what good man's sick chamber is not ,job welcome8 ,welcome because he can utter the whole gamut of human woe4 ,he can find words for the heart that is ill at ease1 and prayers for lips which have been chilled and silenced by unbelief4 ,his woe belongs to the whole world4 ,all other woe is as the dripping of an icicle compared with the rush of stormy waters4 ,in the case of ,job the internal is proved to be greater than the external4 ,when the trials came one after another like shocks of thunder1 8in all this ,job sinned not1 nor charged ,god foolishly40 ,but did he speak8 ,that is the point4 ,if he did not1 perhaps he was dazed4 ,he felt a tremendous blow on the forehead1 and he reeled1 and was not in a condition to bear witness about the matter4 ,if he said any thing1 let us know what he did say4 ,could he speak in that tremendous crisis8 ,yes1 he spoke4 ,his words are before us4 ,like a wise man1 he went back to first principles4 ,he said3 8,circumstances are nothing2 they are temporary arrangements4 ,the man is not what he has1 but what he is4 ,i do not hold my life in my hands1 saying #8,it weighs so much1' and count up to a high number40 ,job went back to first principles--back to elementary truths4 ,he said3 8,naked came ,i out of my mother's womb1 and naked shall ,i return thither that is1 as ,i began4 ,the ,lord gave1 and the ,lord hath taken away as ,he had a right to do2 ,i had nothing of my own4 ,blessed be the name of the ,lord40 ,could ,job look over the ages that have been healed and comforted by his example--stimulated to bear the ills of this life by the grateful memory of his invincible patience--surely1 even now1 in ,heaven1 he would be taking the reward of his long-continued and noble endurance of the divine visitation4 ,it may be so with you1 poor man or woman4 ,you do not get all the sweet now4 ,this shall be a memory to you in ,heaven1 long ages hence4 ,the wrestling you have now may minister to you high delight1 keen enjoyment and rapture pure and abiding4 ,who can tell when ,god's rewards end8 ,who will venture to say3 8,this is the measure of ,his benediction80 ,god is able to give and to do abundantly beyond all that we ask or think4 ,should any one inquire of you as to your compensation1 say3 8,it is given by instalments--today and tomorrow1 in death2 in the resurrection1 all through the ages of eternity4 ,ask me thousands of ages hence1 and ,i will reply to your question concerning compensation40 ,life is not limited by the cradle and the tomb1 and it is not between these two mean and near points that great questions are to be discussed or determined4 ,job has been read by countless readers4 ,his was1 of course1 a public trial--a tragedy that was wrought out for the benefit of multitudes in all generations4 ,nevertheless1 it is literally and pathetically true that every man1 even the most obscure1 has his readers--fewer in number1 it may be1 but equally earnest in attention4 ,think you that your children are not taking notice of you--seeing how you bear your temptations1 difficulties and anxieties8 ,think you not that your eldest boy is kept away from the table of the ,lord because you are as atheistic in sorrow as ever ,voltaire was8 ,do you know that your daughter hates the church because her pious father is only pious in the three ,summer months of the year8 ,he curls under the cold and biting wind as much as any ,atheist ever did4 ,therefore1 the girl says3 8,he is a sham and a hypocrite--my father in the flesh1 but no relative of mine in the spirit40 ,you have your readers4 ,the little ,bible of your life is read in your kitchen1 in your parlor1 in your shop and in your warehouse2 and if you do not bear your trials1 anxieties and difficulties with a ,christian chivalry and heroism1 what is there but mockery on ,earth and gloating in hell8 ,may ,god give us grace to bear chastisement nobly and serenely2 bless us with the peace which passeth understanding--with the quietness kindred to the calm of ,god2 help us when death is in the house1 when poverty is on the hearth-stone4 ,when there is a storm blinding the only poor little window we have1 let us say3 8,though ,he slay me1 yet will ,i trust in ,him4 ,if ,i perish ,i will pray1 and perish only here40 ,that is ,christianity--not some clever chatter and able controversy about metaphysical points2 but noble temper1 high behavior1 faultless constancy and an invincible fortitude in the hour of trial and in the agony of pain4 ,,micaiah4 ,micaiah was the son of ,imlah1 a prophet of ,samaria1 who1 in the last year of the reign of ,ahab1 king of ,israel1 predicted his defeat and death1 ,b4 ,c4 #hig4 ,this was three years after the great battle with ,ben-hadad1 king of ,syria1 in which the extraordinary number of #ajj1jjj ,syrian soldiers is said to have been slain1 without reckoning the #bg1jjj who1 it is asserted1 were killed by the falling of the wall at ,aphek4 ,ahab had proposed to ,jehoshaphat1 king of ,judah1 that they should jointly go up to battle against ,ramoth-gilead1 which ,ben-hadad was bound by treaty to restore to ,ahab4 ,jehoshaphat assented in cordial words to the proposal1 but he suggested that they should first 8inquire at the word of ,jehovah40 ,accordingly1 ,ahab assembled four hundred prophets1 while in an open space at the gate of the city of ,samaria he and ,jehoshaphat sat in royal robes to meet and consult them4 ,the prophets gave a unanimously favorable response4 ,among them was ,zedekiah1 the son of ,chenaanah4 ,he made horns of iron as a symbol1 and announced1 as from ,jehovah1 that with those horns ,ahab would push the ,syrians till he consumed them4 ,for some reason which is unexplained1 and can now only be conjectured1 ,king ,jehoshaphat was dissatisfied with the answer1 and asked if there was no other prophet of ,jehovah at ,samaria4 ,ahab replied that there was yet one--,micaiah1 the son of ,imlah2 but in words which obviously call to mind a passage in the 8,iliad0 7i4 #ajf71 he added3 8,i hate him1 for he does not prophesy good concerning me1 but evil40 ,nevertheless1 ,micaiah was sent for2 and after a vain attempt had been made to tamper with him1 he first expressed an ironical concurrence with the four hundred prophets1 and then boldly foretold the defeat of ,ahab's army and the death of ,ahab4 ,in contradiction of the false four hundred1 ,micaiah said he had seen ,jehovah sitting on ,his throne1 and all the host of ,heaven standing by ,him--on ,his right hand and on ,his left4 ,he said ,jehovah asked3 8,who shall persuade ,ahab to go up and fall at ,ramoth-gilead80 ,a ,spirit came forth and volunteered to do so4 ,on being asked 8,wherewithal80 the ,spirit answered that he would go forth and be a lying ,spirit in the mouth of all the prophets4 ,irritated by the account of this vision1 ,zedekiah struck ,micaiah on the cheek4 ,then ,ahab ordered that ,micaiah be taken to prison1 and be fed on bread and water till his return to ,samaria4 ,but ,ahab was killed1 and ,micaiah's fate is unknown4 ,this incident is found in both the first ,book of ,kings and in the second ,book of ,chronicles4 ,illustration3 ,the ,cross ,from the ,painting by ,gustave ,dore4 ,illustration3 ,,moses ,,in ,,the ,,bulrushes4--,exodus1 ii4 ,,moses4 ,moses loses nothing by diffuseness4 ,even in days that were made long by intolerable monotony--in which men lived centuries because of weariness--,moses did not shrink from a condensation unparalleled in human literature4 ,considered as embracing the history of one month only1 the third ,book of ,moses may claim to be the most remarkable book in the ,old ,testament4 ,containing twenty-seven chapters1 ranging its contents under sixteen different categories1 and requiring to be actively represented within the space of twenty-eight days--it may1 in its own degree1 claim an energy not inferior to the ,book of ,genesis4 ,the same fearlessness of treatment is distinctive of both books4 ,the reverent audacity which represented creation as the work of six days--whatever the measure of a day may be--did not shrink from focalizing into one month the whole discipline of life4 ,moses' words could hardly have been fewer if he had lived in our time of feverish haste and tumult4 ,to put up the ,heavens and the ,earth in one chapter was a miracle in authorship4 ,yet1 well pondered1 it was the only thing to be done4 ,any poet could have built them in endless stanzas1 and any philosopher could have begun the infinite story in a book too large for the world to hold4 ,moses chose the more excellent way1 creating creation with a swiftness that has dazed a literal criticism ever since--literal criticism that has but one season in its dreary year1 a year that knows nothing of snow-blossom or wedded light and song4 ,but this very haste was part of the man4 ,the ,moses of ,poetry required fifty-one days for the revolution of his 8,iliad02 the ,moses of ,revelation only took a week for the settlement of the ,heavens and the ,earth1 and in that week he found one whole day of rest for the ,creator4 ,this action was entirely characteristic of ,moses1 for he was the most wrathful man as well as the meekest--killing1 smiting1 destroying and burning with anger1 as well as praying like the father-priest of his people4 ,in a sense obvious enough he was the protoplastic ,christ--for was not he who described himself as 8meek and lowly in heart0 the scourger of trespassers1 and did he not burn the religious actors of his day8 ,moses and ,christ both did things with most startling rapidity4 ,in their very soul they were akin4 ,they were 8straitened0 until their work was 8accomplished40 ,the ,pentateuch and the ,gospels have action enough in them to fill innumerable volumes1 yet there is an infinite calm in both--the haste being in the temporary framework1 the calm being in the eternal purpose4 ,think of these twenty-seven chapters constituting the discipline of one month6 ,the reflections started by this circumstance culminate in a sense of pain1 for who can bear this grievous toil or endure this sting of accusation8 ,there is no respite4 ,egyptian burdens were for the body1 but these wilderness exactions tormented the soul1 and by so doing made ,egyptian memories bright4 ,the trial of muscle is nothing to the trial of patience4 ,men may sleep after labor1 but an unquiet conscience keeps the eyes wide open4 ,this discipline afflicted both the body and the soul1 and thus drained the entire strength of the people4 ,this conscious toil must have been accompanied by unconscious inspiration--a reciprocal action impossible in theory but well understood in spiritual experience4 ,we resume our burdens in the very act of dreading them4 ,we pray the next prayer in the very process of waiting for answers to a thousand prayers to which ,god has paid no known heed4 ,yesterday's sacrifice has nothing to do with this day's sin1 except to remind us that today must provide its own sacrifice4 ,this was so with the ,jews2 this is precisely so with ourselves4 ,yet we boast our liberty1 and suppose that in leaping one inch from the ,earth we have broken the tether of gravitation4 ,as put before us in this manual called ,leviticus1 the discipline of the month seems to be more than we could endure2 and this we say in ignorance of the fact that our own manual imposes a more severe discipline4 ,our pity for the ,jews arises out of the apparently ineradicable sophism that spiritual service is easier than bodily exercise4 ,a most deadly sophism is this1 and prevalent yet1 notwithstanding the rebuke and condemnation of universal history4 ,in no spiritual sense is ,leviticus an obsolete book4 ,moses is not dead4 ,the inventors of the alphabet have some rights even in 8,paradise ,lost10 and quite a large property in 8,euclid40 ,it is not grateful on our part to forget the primers through which we passed to the encyclopedias1 though their authors were but our intellectual nurses4 ,in no mere dream was ,moses present when ,christ communed with ,him concerning the ,exodus that was to be accomplished at ,jerusalem1 and in no dramatic sense did ,elijah watch the consummation of prophecy4 ,the wonder is that ,christians should be so willing to regard the ,pentateuch as obsolete4 ,this is practically a foregone conclusion--to such an extent1 certainly1 that the ,pentateuch is tolerated rather than studied for edification by the rank and file of ,christians4 ,without the ,pentateuch1 ,christ as revealed in the ,gospels would have been impossible2 and without ,christ the ,pentateuch would have been impossible4 ,i venture upon this proposition because ,i find no great-event in the ,pentateuch that is not for some purpose of argument or illustration used by ,christ or by ,his disciples and apostles in the interests of what is known as evangelical truth4 ,it lies within easy proof that ,christ is the text of the ,old ,testament and that the ,old ,testament is the text of ,christ4 ,what use is made in the ,new ,testament of the creation of the universe1 the faith of ,abraham1 the rain of manna1 the lifting up of the serpent and the tabernacle of witness6 ,the sublime apology of ,stephen epitomizes the ,old ,testament1 and the ,epistle to the ,hebrews could not have been written but for the ritual of ,exodus and ,leviticus4 ,in its purely moral tone the ,old ,testament is of kindred quality with the ,new4 ,take an instance from ,leviticus4 ,three forms of evil are recognized in one of its most ardent chapters--namely1 ,violence1 ,deceit and ,perjury4 ,this is a succession amounting to a development1 and1 unwittingly it may or may not be1 confirming that law of evolution which is as happily illustrated in morals as in physics4 ,men begin with acts of violence1 then go on to silent deceit and calculation1 and close with a profanation of the holiest terms4 ,the early sinners robbed gardens and killed brothers2 the later sinners 8agreed together0 to 8lie unto ,god40 ,it is something1 therefore1 to find in so ancient a book as ,leviticus recognition of an order which is true to philosophy and to history4 ,but the proof that ,moses and ,christ are identical in moral tone is to be found in the process which offenders were commanded to adopt4 ,by no sacerdotal jugglery was the foul blot to be removed2 by no sigh of selfishness could the inward corruption be permitted to evaporate2 by no investment of cheap tears could thieves compound for felony4 ,first1 there must be restoration2 second1 there must be an addition of a fifth part of the whole2 third1 the priest must be faced as the very representative of ,god and a trespass offering be laid on the altar4 ,after atonement forgiveness would come--a white angel from ,heaven--and dwell in the reclaimed and sanctified heart4 ,all the past would be driven away as a black cloud and all the present filled with a light above the brightness of the ,sun4 ,what is this but an outline or forecast of what ,christ said when ,he drove the hostile and vindictive man from the altar1 bidding him first be reconciled with his brother and at peace with society8 ,christianity is not a substitute for morality2 it is morality inspired1 glorified and crowned4 ,say that the ritual was sanitary rather than doctrinal or theological4 ,what then8 ,all divine things are first sanitary1 but not necessarily bounded by that term4 ,it will be found that the practice of genuine cleanness1 chemical as well as mechanical1 will be followed by a philosophy1 and that the morality of cleanness will be followed by a theology4 ,accustom a man to look out for bullocks and rams and lambs 8without blemish10 and he will find that he can not stop at that point4 ,he has begun an education which can only culminate in the prayer3 8,create in me a clean heart1 ,o ,god1 and renew a right spirit within me40 ,yet no word of that holy thought was named in the original instructions4 ,leviticus is the gospel of the ,pentateuch--glistening with purity1 turning law into music and spreading a banquet in the wilderness4 ,but its ritual is dead4 ,this is hard to believe--hard because religious vanity is fond of ritualism1 which makes no demand on the conscience4 ,yet ritualism had a divinely appointed function in the education of the awakening mind1 and was the only influence which could hold the attention of a people to whom freedom was a new experience4 ,spectacular religion is alphabetic religion2 therefore1 to revert to it is to ignore every characteristic and impulse of manhood and progress4 ,but they who say so be prepared to complete the philosophy which that contention initiates4 ,it is not enough to dismiss ritualism on the ground that it has been displaced by spiritual worship4 ,admit that such is the case1 and other and broader admissions are involved in the plea1 and can only be shirked at the expense of consistency4 ,it is generally admitted1 for example1 that the ,old ,testament law has been displaced by a ,new ,testament principle4 ,so ,ritualism and ,law1 in their ancient forms1 have passed away4 ,but let us be careful4 ,when we say ,ritualism and ,law1 we mean in reality the letter1 and it is evident that if any one letter can be displaced every other letter may be outlived and completed4 ,and what is 8the letter0 but a symbol of flesh--visibleness1 objectivity1 historic fact and bulk8 ,apostle ,paul went so far as to say that even ,christ was no longer known 8after the flesh0--yea1 though ,he had been known after the flesh1 that kind of knowledge was for ever done away1 and another knowledge had permanently taken its place4 ,the ,church has never adopted the whole meaning of that teaching4 ,willing enough to consign ,leviticus to the shades1 the ,church still clings to some sort of bodily ,christ--the figure of a man--a bulk to be at least imaginatively touched4 ,this is easily accounted for without suggesting superstition1 and yet it might be done away with without imperiling faith4 ,we are held in bondage by a mistaken conception of personality4 ,when we think of that term we think of ourselves4 ,but even admitting the necessity of this1 we may by a correct definition of personality acquire a higher conception of our own being4 ,instead of saying personality is this or that1 after the manner of a geometrical figure1 binding it to four points and otherwise limiting it1 say that personality is the unit of being1 and instantly every conception is enlarged and illuminated--the meaning being that personality is the starting point of conscious existence2 not the fullness1 but the outline2 not the maximum1 but the minimum2 the very smallest conception which the mind can lay hold of--the ,euclidic point1 to be carried on into ratios and dimensions which originate a new vocabulary4 ,we do not1 then1 define 8,god0 when we describe ,him as a 8,person10 but we merely begin to define ,him2 in other words1 we say that ,god can not be less than a ,person4 ,what more ,he is1 we must gradually and adoringly discover4 ,so far as ,christ is concerned1 there is one enlargement of ,his personality which no school of thinkers will dispute4 ,this is rhetorically expressed by ,m4 ,renan1 when he says of ,jesus3 8,a thousand times more living1 a thousand times more loved1 since ,thy death than during the days of ,thy pilgrimage here below1 ,thou wilt become to such a degree the ,corner-,stone of humanity that to tear ,thy name from this world would be to shake it to its foundations40 ,if ritualism has been displaced by spirituality1 and if law has been suspended by a principle--in other words1 if the local has made way for the universal--why shrink from the admission that limited ,personality has been exchanged for unlimited ,influence8 ,how would ,moses regard nineteenth century worship--say1 of a ,low ,church and ,evangelical type1 as the true evolution of ,leviticus8 ,where is the resemblance8 ,the eye that can see the similitude is surely looking through an adapted medium4 ,yet the mystery would be dissolved if the ,book of ,leviticus were not open to reference4 ,the man is the completion of the child1 but the child is no longer in existence4 ,the fruit is the fulfillment of the blossom1 but the blossom is no longer available for comparison and for contrast4 ,christianity is the consummation of ,leviticus1 but ,leviticus remains--unlike the child and the blossom--and offers a series of dissonances or dissimilarities of the most positive quality4 ,yet if ,moses were living now he would be unchurched if he refused to identify the meaning of ,leviticus in the service of the ,christian sanctuary--the ,papist nearest in gorgeousness1 the ,protestant claiming to be nearest in doctrine4 ,the ,nonconformist ,moses1 in the absence of inspiration1 would in this matter be the arch-heretic of the century4 ,,nebuchadnezzar4 ,the moral character of ,nebuchadnezzar is not such as entitles him to our approval4 ,besides the overweening pride which brought on him such terrible chastisement1 we note a violence and fury common enough in ,oriental monarchs of the weaker kind1 but from which the greatest of them have usually been free2 while at the same time we observe a cold and relentless cruelty that is particularly revolting4 ,the blinding of ,zedekiah may possibly be justified as an ordinary ,eastern practice1 though it is the earliest case of the kind on record2 but the refinement of cruelty by which he was made to witness his sons' execution before his eyes were put out was more worthy of a ,dionysius or a ,domitian than of a really great king4 ,again1 the detention of ,jehoiachin in prison thirty-six years for an offence committed at the age of eighteen is a severity surpassing ,oriental harshness4 ,against these grave faults we have nothing to set1 unless it be a feeble trait of magnanimity in the pardon of ,shadrach1 ,meshach and ,abednego--when he found that he was without power to punish them4 ,it has been thought remarkable that to a man of this character ,god should have vouchsafed a revelation of the future by means of visions4 ,but the circumstance1 however it may disturb our preconceived notions1 is not really at variance with the general laws of ,god's providence1 as revealed to us in ,scripture4 ,as with ,his natural gifts1 so with ,his supernatural gifts--they are not confined to the worthy4 ,even under ,christianity1 miraculous powers were sometimes possessed by those who made an ill use of them4 ,and ,god1 it is plain1 did not leave the old heathen world without some supernatural aid1 but made ,his presence felt from time to time in visions1 through prophets1 or even by a voice from ,heaven4 ,it is only necessary to refer to the histories of ,pharaoh1 ,abimelech1 ,job and ,balaam in order to establish the parity of ,nebuchadnezzar's visions with other facts recorded in the ,bible4 ,he was warned1 and the nations over which he ruled were warned through him1 ,god leaving not ,himself 8without witness0 even in those dark times4 ,abydenus1 a heathen writer who generally drew his inspiration from ,berosus1 ascribes to ,nebuchadnezzar a miraculous speech just before his death1 announcing to the ,babylonians the speedy coming of 8a ,persian mule10 who1 with the aid of the ,medes1 would enslave ,babylon4 ,,queen ,,of ,,sheba4 ,the ,queen of ,sheba is a model to all inquirers4 ,it was not enough for her to have heard of the fame of ,solomon and to have admired him at a distance as a unique genius4 ,her admiration excited her interest and suspicion1 and1 being a woman of penetrating mind1 she desired to put riddles and enigmas whereby she could test the proverbial wisdom of ,solomon4 ,when she arrived at his court she did not put flippant questions to ,king ,solomon4 ,she rather sought out the most difficult inquiries which she could possibly make4 ,it is recorded that ,solomon told the queen all her questions1 and there was nothing hid from ,solomon which he told her not4 ,she was astounded by what she heard and what she saw4 ,she declared that the half had not been told her4 ,the visit of the ,queen of ,sheba to ,solomon1 though not strictly commercial1 arose out of commercial intercourse4 ,the territory of ,sheba1 according to ,strabo1 reached so far north as to meet that of the ,nabathans1 although its proper seat was at the southernmost angle of ,arabia4 ,the very rich presents made by the queen show the extreme value of her commerce with the ,hebrew monarch4 ,this early interchange of hospitality derives a peculiar interest from the fact that in much later ages--those of the ,maccabees and downward--the intercourse of the ,jews with ,sheba became so intimate and their influence and power so great4 ,jewish circumcision took root there1 and princes held sway there who were called ,jewish4 ,the language of ,sheba is believed to have been very different from the literate ,arabic2 yet1 like the ,ethiopic1 it belonged to the great ,syro-,arabian family1 and was not alien to the ,hebrew in the same sense that the ,egyptian language was4 ,the great ease with which the pure monotheism of the ,maccabees spread itself in ,sheba gives plausibility to the opinion that even at the time of ,solomon the people of ,sheba had much religious superiority over the ,arabs and ,syrians in general4 ,if so1 it becomes clear how the curiosity of the southern queen would be worked on by seeing the riches of the distant monarch1 whose purer creed must have been carried everywhere with them by his sailors and servants4 ,,rehoboam4 8,so ,jeroboam and all ,israel came and spake to ,rehoboam1 saying3 #8,thy father made our yoke grievous4 ,now1 therefore1 ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father1 and his heavy yoke that he put upon us1 and we will serve thee4'0 ,a cause so stated must succeed4 ,there will be difficulty1 but the end is assured4 ,the reasonable always triumphs1 due time being given for the elucidation of its purposes and the manifestation of its real spirit4 ,violence can have but a short day2 the tempest cries itself to rest4 ,the speech of this man was a speech strong in reason4 8,ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father1 and his heavy yoke that he put upon us1 and we will serve thee40 ,they wanted ease for service--for loyalty4 ,where there is no ease how can there be homage1 thankfulness1 devotion or any of the high qualities of patriotism8 ,men who are not disquieted are prone to tell others to bear their burdens uncomplainingly4 ,we ought to hear what they have to say who feel the iron4 ,our inquiry should be3 8,how does it suit you8 ,what is the effect of the piercing iron on the soul8 ,how does manhood bear the heel of oppression80 ,the sufferers should sometimes be admitted to the witness-box4 ,there is a danger lest our personal comfortableness should disqualify us for judging the case of down-trodden men4 ,wherever there is weakness the ,christian ,church should be found4 ,wherever there is reasonableness the ,christian sanctuary should offer hospitality4 ,the ,christian sanctuary ceases to be the ,tabernacle of ,god among men when it shuts its door on the cries of reason1 the petitions of weakness1 the humble requests of those who ask for nothing exaggerated1 but simply ask to have their misery mitigated somewhat1 that their loyalty may be of a larger and better quality4 ,the names are ancient1 but the circumstances may be painfully modern4 ,it is the peculiarity of the ,bible that it is always getting in our way4 ,it has a word on every subject4 ,is there any thing more detestable than that a man who has his own way seven days a week1 whose footsteps are marked by prosperity1 whose very breathing is a commercial success1 should stand up and tell men who are bleeding at every pore to be quiet and contented1 and not create disturbance in the body politic8 ,if ,jeroboam had come with a petition conceived in another tone it ought to have been rejected4 ,it would have been irrational1 violent and contemptuous2 but the reasonableness of the request will insure its victory in the long run4 ,how easy it is to think of ,rehoboam as the foolish son of a wise father6 ,but are we not unjust to the son in so regarding him8 ,was ,solomon the wise man he is often made out to be8 ,the answer would be3 8,yes--,no40 ,there was no greater fool than ,solomon2 and he attained his supremacy in folly because there was no man so wise4 8,if the light that is in thee be darkness1 how great is that darkness60 8,how art thou fallen from ,heaven1 ,o ,lucifer1 son of the morning60 ,if he had not been son of the morning some shallow pit might have held him2 but1 being son of the morning and detaching himself from the gravitation of ,god1 the pit into which he falls is bottomless4 ,pliny says no man can be always wise4 ,that is true philosophically and experimentally2 for all men have vulnerable heels1 or are exposed to temptations to lightness of mind1 amounting in some instances almost to frivolity4 ,they are also the subjects of a most singular rebound1 which makes them appear the more frivolous because when we last saw them they were absorbed in the solemnity of prayer4 ,solomon was not wise in this matter of government4 ,the history shows that the people were appealing1 not against ,rehoboam1 who had yet had no opportunity of proving his quality as a king1 but against his father4 8,thy father made our yoke grievous40 ,we are prone to copy the defects of our ancestors and our idols rather than their excellences4 ,folly has often more charms for us than wisdom4 ,when ,diogenes discoursed of philosophy his auditors turned away from him1 but when he began to play frivolous music or to sing frivolous songs the crowds thronged about him1 and he said3 8,ye gods6 ,how much more popular is folly than wisdom60 ,even there he spoke as a philosopher4 ,rehoboam made a cautious reply1 and therein he began well4 ,he said to the petitioners3 8,come again unto me after three days40 ,this looked hopeful4 ,king ,rehoboam utilized the interval by taking counsel with 8the old men who had stood before ,solomon1 his father1 while he yet lived1 saying3 #8,what counsel give ye me to return answer to this people8' ,and they spake unto him1 saying3 #8,if thou be kind to this people and please them1 and speak good words to them1 they will be thy servants for ever4'0 ,rich is the king whose old men talk in such a strain4 ,they were patriots and philanthropists and philosophers2 they were ,christians before the time4 ,marvelous is the power of kindness4 ,they will do most in life who are most considerate4 ,they may be charged with sentimentalism by those who do not understand the power of human feeling1 but they will be given credit for philosophy by men who understand the genius of sympathy4 ,what a message would this have been to return to the complaining people6 ,if1 when the people returned after three days1 ,rehoboam had spoken so1 the welkin would have rung with the resonant cheers of a delighted and thankful people4 ,kindness is not weakness4 ,but ,rehoboam forsook the counsel which the old men gave him1 and took counsel with the young men who had been brought up with him and who stood before him4 ,he asked them the same question he had asked the old men4 ,their answer was3 8,say unto them3 #8,my little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins4 ,for1 whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you1 ,i will put more to your yoke4 ,my father chastised you with whips1 but ,i will chastise you with scorpions4'0 ,woe to the nation whose young men talked so6 ,a young oppressor is an infant devil4 ,young men talking so will ruin any occasion4 ,are there such things in history as retorts1 reprisals1 rebounds and consequences8 ,let it be known and laid down as the basic principle of all action--social1 ecclesiastical and imperial--that there is no right of tyranny4 ,it might be supposed that the king had taken a most patriotic course in consulting the young and the old4 ,he had done nothing of the kind4 ,he had omitted to consult ,him who had called his house to the royalty4 ,rehoboam should have consulted the ,king ,maker whose throne is on the circle of the ,earth1 whose scepter touches the horizon and whose will is the law of both monarchy and commonwealth4 ,the greater the man1 the nearer should he stand to ,god2 yea1 he should be within whisper-reach of the ,lord of lords1 asking ,him in every crisis of national history what ,israel ought to do--what the country ought to answer--what is the will of ,heaven4 ,rehoboam answered the people roughly1 and forsook the counsel of the old men4 8,so the king hearkened not unto the people40 ,the ,gospel never gives liberty to oppression4 ,employers may adopt this course if they please1 but they will find it end in ruin4 ,we must recognize the difference between employing cattle and employing men4 ,a parent may adopt this course of ,rehoboam1 if he so chooses1 but his children will chastise him and sting him with many a disappointment2 or1 if he does not live to see the wreck of their manhood1 they will execrate his unfragrant memory4 ,rehoboam will be punished2 have no fear of that4 8,with what measure ye mete1 it shall be measured to you again40 ,you can make your whips thongs of scorpions1 but on your own back shall the lacerating lash be laid2 you can play the fantastic trick before high ,heaven and make the angels weep1 but the bitterness shall be yours4 ,the triumphing of such a policy is short1 and the end is everlasting punishment4 ,,shishak4 ,shishak was a king of ,egypt contemporary with ,jeroboam1 to whom he gave an asylum when he fled from ,solomon4 ,this was indicative of his politic disposition to encourage the weakening of the neighboring kingdom1 the growth of which under ,david and ,solomon was probably regarded by the kings of ,egypt with some alarm4 ,after ,jeroboam had become king of ,israel1 and probably at his suggestion1 ,shishak invaded the kingdom of ,judah 7,b4 ,c4 #iga7 at the head of an immense army1 and after having taken the fortified places advanced against ,jerusalem4 ,satisfied with the submission of ,rehoboam and with the immense spoils of the ,temple1 the king of ,egypt withdrew without imposing any onerous conditions on the humbled grandson of ,david4 ,shishak has been identified as the first king of the twenty-second or ,diospolitan dynasty1 the ,sesonchis of profane history4 ,his name has been found on the ,egyptian monuments in the form of ,sheshonk4 ,he is said to have been of ,ethiopian origin1 and it is thought that1 with the aid of the military caste1 he dethroned the ,pharaoh who gave his daughter to ,solomon4 ,,solomon4 ,the first prominent scene in the reign of ,solomon is one which presents his character in its noblest aspect4 ,there were two holy places which divided the reverence of the people--the ark and its provisional tabernacle at ,jerusalem and the original ,tabernacle of the ,congregation1 which1 after many wanderings1 was then pitched at ,gibeon4 ,it was thought right that the new king should offer solemn sacrifices at both4 ,after those at ,gibeon there came that vision of the night which has in all ages borne its noble witness to the hearts of rulers4 ,not for riches1 long life or victory over enemies did the son of ,david--then1 at least1 true to his high calling1 feeling himself as 8a little child0 in comparison with the vastness of his work--offer his supplications1 but for a 8wise and understanding heart10 that he might judge the people4 ,the 8speech pleased the ,lord40 ,there came in answer the promise of a wisdom 8like which there had been none before--like which there should be none after40 ,so far all was well4 ,the prayer was a right and noble one4 ,yet there is also a contrast between it and the prayers of ,david which accounts for many other contrasts4 ,the desire of ,david's heart is not chiefly for wisdom1 but for holiness4 ,he is conscious of an oppressing evil1 and seeks to be delivered from it4 ,he repents and falls1 and repents again4 ,solomon asks only for wisdom4 ,he has a lofty ideal before him1 and seeks to accomplish it1 but he is as yet haunted by no deeper yearnings1 and speaks as one who has no need of repentance4 ,then began ,solomon's marvelous development as a builder and statesman4 ,he was not content to build the house of the ,lord alone4 ,this is a remarkable circumstance1 as illustrating the spirit which is created and sustained by all truly religious exercises4 ,it would have been ambition enough for any man religiously uninspired to have erected such an edifice as the ,temple4 ,most men are contented to do one thing1 and to rest their fame on its peculiar excellence4 ,having completed the house of the ,lord and his own house1 ,solomon began to build the cities which ,huram had restored to him1 and to cause the children of ,israel to dwell there4 ,a religion that ends only in ceremony building is little better than a superstition4 ,no man can be zealously affected in the interests of the ,church without having his whole philanthropic spirit enlarged and ennobled1 so that he may become a builder of cities as well as a builder of churches4 ,it must be remembered1 on the other hand1 that he who builds a synagogue really helps to build the town in which it is located4 ,a synagogue1 temple or church is not to be looked on in its singularity1 as if it were so many walls1 with so many doors and so many windows4 ,a church is a representative institution1 through which should flow rivers that will fertilize all the districts of the city--rivers of knowledge1 rivers of charity1 rivers of brotherhood1 rivers of co-operation--so that men should turn to the ,church1 assured that every rational and healthy expectation would be satisfied by its provisions4 ,having completed for the time being the measure of building on which his mind was set1 ,solomon went forth to war4 ,it would seem as if1 in ancient days1 kings could not be satisfied to dwell at peace4 ,even ,solomon1 whose very name signifies peace1 had in him the military spirit which was characteristic of his race and time2 it was in him1 indeed1 as the word of the living ,god4 ,solomon did not go forth to war for the sake of war2 he believed he was obeying a divinely implanted instinct1 or carrying out to the letter some divinely written law4 ,having passed through another military period1 ,king ,solomon began once more to build4 ,he built ,tadmor1 and all the store cities2 he built ,beth-horon the ,upper and ,beth-horon the ,lower1 and fenced cities with walls1 gates and bars4 ,a busy time it was in the reign of ,solomon4 ,but even all this building is not without its suggestion of a corresponding evil4 ,why were the cities fenced8 ,why the gates8 ,why the bars8 ,we have instances of the same kind in our own civilization--silent witnesses against the honesty of the society in which we live4 ,every bolt on the door is a moral accusation2 every time we turn the lock we mean that there is an enemy outside who may endeavor to violate the sanctity of the house4 ,we sometimes forget the moral suggestiveness even of our commonest institutions and plans of procedure4 ,every precaution that is taken for our preservation implies the presence of hostile elements in the society that is round about us4 ,solomon may be taken in this instance as representing the great doctrine that men should seek first the kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness1 and afterward attend to minor matters1 or even leave those minor matters to the adjustment of providence4 ,solomon is represented as first most anxious about the ,temple1 giving himself wholly to its erection1 occupying his thoughts night and day1 turning every thing to account in its relation to the ,temple4 ,having finished that marvelous structure1 he was prepared to descend to other levels and do the commoner work which lay to his hand4 ,many persons leave the temple half finished4 ,what wonder if they go out to the war and return wounded and disabled8 ,our religious purposes are broken off4 ,what wonder if our political ends pierce us and sting us by way of retribution8 8,but of the children of ,israel did ,solomon make no servants for his work2 but they were men of war1 and chief of his captains1 and captains of his chariots and horsemen40 ,the statesmanship of ,solomon is as distinctly proved by this arrangement as by any thing we have yet seen in his whole policy4 ,solomon knew that one man was not as good as another1 however much democratic philosophy may have endeavored to prove the contrary4 ,one man is a genius1 but another man is a slave--an imitator1 a hewer of wood2 very serviceable1 and in fact indispensable1 but not adorned with the very highest excellence and dignity of mind4 ,solomon made a distribution of classes1 saying in effect that some men can do the drudgery1 some men can dig and build1 some can pull down and take away and make ready for the exertions of others2 the higher class of men can think and direct1 for they are inspired with the genius of administration1 and are men of powerful mind1 of fertile resources in government and in war4 ,so ,solomon made the best use of the material at his disposal--not getting great men to do small work or setting small men to fail in great work4 ,adaptation is the secret of success4 ,for want of knowing this1 many men fail in life4 ,there are employers who are making themselves but little better than toilers1 when they might by an expenditure of money apparently distinctly not economical very greatly assist the progress and solidity of their fortunes4 ,a man may be industrious in a way which involves the absolute frittering and humiliation of his energies4 ,we are to be careful not only to be industrious1 but industrious about the right things and in the right proportion4 ,a man might slave himself to death cutting down wood or in throwing away stones1 but if some other man of inferior mental faculty could be employed to do that work the superior man should turn his attention to other and nobler pursuits1 and thus with smaller expenditure of strength he might be doing immeasurably greater good4 ,if the thinker is not to degrade himself to the level of a drudge1 neither is the drudge to attempt to force his way to positions for which he is not qualified4 ,nothing is mean that is not meanly done4 ,the ,canaanites might be as useful as the ,israelites in their own way4 ,with the eye of a statesman and with the inspiration of a genius1 ,solomon saw that he must distribute and classify men1 and set each man to do that for which he was best fitted4 ,even ,solomon could not do all the work alone4 8,and ,solomon brought up the daughter of ,pharaoh out of the city of ,david unto the house that he had built for her2 for he said3 #8,my wife shall not dwell in the house of ,david1 king of ,israel1 because the places are holy whereunto the ark of the ,lord hath come4'0 ,this may be taken as an instance of punctilious morality4 ,we are not able to understand all that was involved in the incident4 ,evidently we are in the presence of conscience working under some eccentric law or suggestion4 ,yet here is a conscience1 and by so much the action of ,solomon is to be respected4 ,he will not have any place or institution even ceremonially defiled4 ,he will go back to precedents2 he will consult the genius of history2 he will preserve the consistency of the royal policy4 ,solomon felt that the ark of the ,lord had sanctified every locality into which it had come1 and that a broad distinction must always be maintained between heathenism and ,judaism--between the idols of pagan lands and the ,spirit of the living ,god4 ,in these matters ,solomon's wisdom was displayed as certainly as in the greater concerns of ,state and ,church4 ,we are to remember that at the beginning ,solomon was endowed with the spirit of wisdom and of a sound mind4 ,the ,lord quickened his sagacity and gave him that marvelous insight which enabled him to penetrate into the interiors and cores which were hidden from the scrutiny of other men4 ,we are1 therefore1 to give ,solomon credit for being at once wise and conscientious2 we are to see in his action the working of a tender conscience4 ,even though he may be appeasing his conscience by some trick or ceremony1 yet he is showing us the working of the moral nature within the kingly breast4 ,yet there is a point to be noted here which is common to human experience4 ,why should ,solomon have married the daughter of ,pharaoh8 ,why should he1 in the first instance1 have placed himself in so vital a relation to heathenism8 ,are there not men who first plunge into great mistakes1 and then seek to rectify their position by zealous care about comparatively trifling details8 ,do not men make money by base means1 and then most zealously betake themselves to bookkeeping1 as if they would not spend money except in approved directions8 ,there is nothing more misleading than a conscience that does not rest on a basis of reason4 ,we are to beware of the creation of a false conscience1 or a partial conscience1 or a conscience that operates only in given directions1 but which makes up for sins of a larger kind by ostentatious devotion at the altar of detail and ceremony and petty ritual4 8,then ,solomon offered burnt offerings unto the ,lord on the altar of the ,lord1 which he had built before the porch1 even after a certain rate every day1 offering according to the commandment of ,moses--on the ,sabbaths1 and on the new moons1 and on the solemn feasts1 three times in the year1 even in the feast of unleavened bread1 and in the feast of weeks1 and in the feast of tabernacles40 ,solomon was great in burnt offerings4 ,do not men sometimes make up in burnt offerings what they lack in moral consistency8 ,is not an ostentatious religion the best proof of internal decay8 ,it ought not to be so4 ,the hand and the heart should be one2 the outward and the inward should correspond2 the action should be the incarnation of the thought4 ,we are not always to look on the ceremonial action of the ,church as indicative of its real spirituality4 ,solomon did not live to a very great age1 since he was not more than twenty years old when he ascended the throne4 ,whether ,solomon turned to the ,lord again with all his heart--a question widely discussed by the older commentators--can not be ascertained from the ,scriptures4 ,if the ,preacher 7,koheleth7 is traceable to ,solomon so far as the leading thoughts are concerned1 we should find in this fact an evidence of his conversion1 or at least a proof that at the close of his life ,solomon discovered the vanity of all earthly possessions and aims1 and even declared the fear of ,god to be the only abiding good with which a man can stand before the judgment of ,god4 ,the ,temple of ,solomon was1 according to our ideas of size1 a small building4 ,it was less than one hundred and twenty feet long1 and less than thirty-five feet broad2 in other words1 it was not so large as one of the ordinary parish churches of our own land4 ,much less did it approach to the size of the colossal buildings in ,babylon or ,egypt4 ,but in ,jewish eyes1 at the time that it was built1 it may have been 8great0--that is to say1 it may have exceeded the dimensions of any single separate building existing in ,palestine up to the time of its erection4 ,it may even have been larger than the buildings which the neighboring nations had erected to their respective gods4 ,ancient worship was mainly in the open air1 and the temples were viewed as shrines for the ,deity and for ,his priests--not as buildings in which worshipers were to congregate4 ,hence their comparatively small size4 8,and ,solomon slept with his fathers1 and he was buried in the city of ,david1 his father2 and ,rehoboam1 his son1 reigned in his stead40 ,this seems to be a lame and impotent conclusion4 ,yet it distinctly sets forth the common humanity of this most extraordinary and brilliant king4 ,literally1 the passage means that ,solomon lay down with his fathers4 ,he might hardly be recognized from the humblest of them4 ,the ,sun dies at evening with scarcely a reminder of the glory which shone from him at mid-day4 ,,baseless ,,pride4 7,this pride-humbling survey of man and his destiny was written by ,william ,knox1 a ,scotchman47 ,oh1 why should the spirit of mortal be proud8 ,like a swift fleeting meteor1 a fast flying cloud1 ,a flash of the lightning1 a break of the wave1 ,man passes from life to his rest in the grave4 ,the leaves of the oak and the willow shall fade1 ,be scattered around1 and together be laid2 ,and the young and the old and the low and the high ,shall molder to dust1 and together shall lie4 ,the infant a mother attended and loved1 ,the mother that infant's affection who proved1 ,the husband that mother and infant who blessed-- ,each and all are away to their dwellings of rest4 ,the maid on whose cheek1 on whose brow1 in whose eye1 ,shone beauty and pleasure--her triumphs are by2 ,and the memory of those who loved her and praised ,is alike from the minds of the living erased4 ,the hand of the king that the scepter has borne1 ,the brow of the priest that the miter has worn1 ,the eye of the sage and the heart of the brave ,are hidden and lost in the depths of the grave4 ,the peasant whose lot was to sow and to reap1 ,the herdsman who climbed with his goats up the steep1 ,the beggar who wandered in search of his bread1 ,have faded away like the grass that we tread4 ,the saint who enjoyed the communion of ,heaven1 ,the sinner who dared to remain unforgiven1 ,the wise and the foolish1 the guilty and just1 ,have quietly mingled their bones in the dust4 ,so the multitude goes--like the flower or the weed ,that withers away to let others succeed2 ,so the multitude comes--even those we behold-- ,to repeat every tale that has often been told4 ,for we are the same our fathers have been2 ,we see the same sights our fathers have seen2 ,we drink the same stream1 we view the same ,sun1 ,and run the same course our fathers have run4 ,the thoughts we are thinking our fathers would think2 ,from the death we are shrinking our fathers would shrink2 ,to the life we are clinging they also would cling-- ,but it speeds from us all like a bird on the wing4 ,they loved--but the story we can not unfold2 ,they scorned--but the heart of the haughty is cold2 ,they grieved--but no wail from their slumber will come2 ,they joyed--but the tongue of their gladness is dumb4 ,they died--aye1 they died--and we things that are now1 ,that walk on the turf that lies o'er their brow ,and make in their dwellings a transient abode1 ,meet the things that they met on their pilgrimage road4 ,yea1 hope and despondency1 pleasure and pain1 ,are mingled together in sunshine and rain2 ,and the smile and the tear1 the song and the dirge1 ,still follow each other1 like surge upon surge4 ',tis the wink of an eye--'tis the draught of a breath-- ,from the blossom of health to the paleness of death1 ,from the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud6 ,oh1 why should the spirit of mortal be proud8 ,,books ,,published ,,by ,,thos4 ,w4 ,,jackson ,,pub4 ,,co4 ,,chicago1 ,,ill4 ,all ,handsomely ,bound in the ,best ,american and ,english ,cloth1 ,uniform in ,style of ,binding--,together ,they ,make a ,handsome ,library--,separately1 ,they ,make ,handsome ,center-,table ,volumes4 ,,price1 ,,sent ,,post-,,paid1 #a4ej ,,each4 ,thirty-,one ,years on the ,plains and in the ,mountains2 or1 ,the ,last ,voice from the ,plains--,an authentic record of a life time of hunting1 trapping1 scouting and ,indian fighting in the ,far ,west4 ,copiously illustrated by ,h4 ,s4 ,de ,lay and by many reproductions from photographs4 ,by ,capt4 ,w4 ,f4 ,drannan1 who went on to ,the ,plains when fifteen years old4 ,rough ,life on the ,frontier4--,a ,true and ,graphic tale of the ,doing and ,daring of the ,men who pushed ,westward in the early days of our country's life2 told by a man who was one of them1 and shared their struggles1 hardships and final success4 ,copiously illustrated with #bc full page engravings from original drawings by ,h4 ,s4 ,de ,lay4 #ecj pages4 ,life in the ,mines2 or1 ,crime ,avenged4--,including thrilling adventures among miners and outlaws1 the mystery of the ,phantom ,horseman and the dark concoctions of ,one-,eyed ,riley4 ,by ,c4 ,h4 ,simpson1 author of 8,wild ,life in the ,far ,west10 8,a ,yankee's ,adventures in ,south ,africa10 etc4 ,copiously illustrated by ,h4 ,s4 ,de ,lay4 ,elegantly ,cloth ,bound ,books1 #a4ej per ,copy ,pearls from ,many ,seas4--,a collation of the best thoughts of #djj writers of wide repute4 ,selected and classified by ,rev4 ,j4 ,b4 ,mc,clure4 ,illustrated with #ej full-page engravings selected especially for this work from the great art galleries of the world4 ,a volume of rare value and interest to all lovers of good literature4 ,reading matter1 #ebh pages4 ,evils of the ,cities4--,by ,t4 ,de ,witt ,talmage1 ,d4 ,d4 ,the author1 in company with the proper detectives1 visited many of the most vile and wicked places in ,new ,york ,city and ,brooklyn1 ostensibly looking for a thief1 but in reality taking notes for a series of discourses1 published in this volume1 which contains a full and graphic description of what he saw and the lessons drawn therefrom4 ,the ,doctor has also extended his observations to the 8,summer ,resorts10 the 8,watering ,places10 the 8,races10 etc41 all of which are popularized from his standpoint in this volume4 ,reading matter1 #cig pages4 ,a ,yankee's ,adventures in ,south ,america4--7,in the diamond country47 ,by ,c4 ,h4 ,simpson4 ,giving the varied experiences1 adventures1 dangers and narrow escapes of a ,yankee seeking his fortune in this wild country1 who1 by undaunted courage1 perseverance1 suffering1 fighting and adventures of various sorts1 is requited at last by the ownership of the largest diamond taken out of the ,kimberly mines up to that time and with the heart and hand of the fairest daughter of a diamond king4 ,containing #cj full-page illustrations by ,h4 ,s4 ,de ,lay4 ,reading matter1 #bcd pages4 ,bible ,characters4--,a collection of ,sermons by the most renowned divines of their times on these subjects2 a beautiful and inspiring book that ought to find its place into every home where good and elevating literature is sought after4 ,dwight ,lyman ,moody1 ,dr4 ,talmage1 ,joseph ,parker1 etc42 illustrations from the famous paintings by ,gustave ,dore4 #dgg pages reading matter4 ,the ,first ,mortgage4--,a truthful1 instructive1 pleasing and poetical presentation of ,biblical ,stories1 ,history and ,gospel ,truth4 ,by ,e4 ,u4 ,cook4 ,fully and handsomely illustrated from the world-renowned artist1 ,gustave ,dore1 the whole forming an exceedingly interesting and entertaining ,poetical ,bible4 ,one of the most handsome volumes ever issued in ,chicago4 #bhh pages4 ,helen ,blair4--,a novel by ,nina ,miller ,elliott4 ,it is a well written and decidedly interesting story and holds the reader from the first page to the last4 ,when the ,heart ,is ,young4--,by ,nina ,miller ,elliott4 ,everyone who has read 8,helen ,blair0 will want to read 8,when the ,heart ,is ,young40 ,it is one of the best works of fiction brought out in recent years4 ,every ,woman's ,right4--,an exceptionally interesting story by ,nina ,miller ,elliott4 ,a story full of love and true to life1 and every woman will enjoy reading it4 ,peggy ,kip4--,nina ,miller ,elliott's latest book4 ,a novel that every one will read and remember with appreciation4