,,women ,,in ,,white ,,raiment1 ,,by ,,john ,,lemley1 ,,editor ,,of ,,the ,,zion',s ,,watchman1 ,,and ,,author ,,of 8,,the ,,christ ,,lifted ,,up10 8,,land ,,of ,,sacred ,,story10 8,,wonders ,,of ,,grace10 8,,personal ,,recollections10 ,,etc4 8,they shall walk with me in white2 for they shall be worthy1 444 and shall be clothed in white raiment40--,,rev4 iii3 #d1 #e4 ,,the ,,first ,,edition4 ,,albany1 ,,new ,,york1 #ahii4 ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahih1 by ,,john ,,lemley1 in the office of the ,librarian at ,washington4 ,,all ,,rights ,,reserved4 ,,charles ,,van ,,benthuysen ,,sons1 ,printers1 ,electrotypers and ,binders1 ,,albany1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,contents4 ,,introductory4 ,,women ,,owe ,,their ,,elevation ,,to ,,the ,,bible--,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,women ,,in ,,heathen ,,lands ,,contrasted ,,with ,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,women ,,in ,,bible ,,lands--,,god',s ,,thought ,,of ,,woman ,,in ,,the ,,creation--,,her ,,rights ,,under ,,the ,,hebrew ,,economy--,,christ',s ,,tenderness ,,towards ,,womanhood--,,blessing ,,others4 #g-ai ,,chapter ,i4 ,the ,paradise ,home in ,eden4 ,,man',s ,,first ,,home ,a ,,garden--,,eve ,,the ,,isha--,,the ,,scene ,,of ,,the ,,temptation--,,hiding ,,from ,,god--,,refusing ,,to ,,confess1 ,,judgment ,,is ,,pronounced--,,the ,,sad ,,results ,,of ,,sin--,,eve ,,believed ,,the ,,promise4 #ba-ce ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,womanhood in the ,patriarchal ,age4 ,,sarah ,,the ,,beautiful ,,princess--,,her ,,faith ,,tested--,,the ,,mistake ,,of ,,her ,,life--,,her ,,lovely ,,character--,,rebekah--,,an ,,oriental ,,wooing--,,eliezer',s ,,prayer--,,the ,,bride',s ,,answer--,,meeting ,,isaac--,a ,,mother',s ,,love ,,for ,,her ,,son--,,jacob',s ,,flight--,,rebekah1 ,,the ,,beautiful ,,shepherdess--,,seven ,,years' ,,service ,,for ,,her--,,laban',s ,,deception--,,leah1 ,,the ,,tender-,,eyed--,,human ,,favorites--,,divinely ,,honored--,,rachel',s ,,tomb ,,the ,,first ,,monument ,,to ,,human ,,love4 #cf-gj ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,womanhood ,during the ,egyptian ,bondage and in the ,desert of ,sinai4 ,,jochebed--,,her ,,remarkable ,,courage--,,thonoris--,,her ,,compassion--,,heroic ,,labors ,,seemingly ,,unrewarded--,,zipporah1 ,,the ,,midianite ,,shepherdess--,,glorifying ,,daily ,,labor--,,at ,a ,,wayside ,,inn--,,miriam--,,her ,,song ,,of ,,triumph ,,at ,,the ,,red ,,sea--,,her ,,affliction ,,at ,,hazeroth--,,an ,,eventful ,,life4 #ga-hi ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,womanhood ,during the ,conquest and the ,theocracy1 or ,rule of the ,judges4 ,,rahab--,,great ,,grace ,,for ,,great ,,sinners--,,the ,,fall ,,of ,,jericho--,,the ,,covenant ,,remembered--,,deborah--,,her ,,remarkable ,,courage--,,sisera',s ,,iron ,,chariots ,,broken--,,the ,,daughter ,,of ,,jephthah--,,her ,,loving ,,devotion ,,and ,,sacrifice--,,the ,,story ,,of ,,naomi--,,orpah',s ,,kiss--,,the ,,loving ,,ruth--,,gleaning ,,among ,,the ,,reapers--,,her ,,rich ,,reward--,,hannah--,,her ,,consecration--,,yearly ,,visits ,,to ,,shiloh--,,stitching ,,beautiful ,,thoughts ,,into ,,samuel',s ,,coat--,,her ,,beautiful ,,life4 #ij-aag ,,chapter ,v4 ,womanhood ,during the ,reign of the ,kings4 ,,abigail--,,churlish ,,nabal--,,chivalrous ,,appreciation--,,david',s ,,messengers--,,saul',s ,,daughters--,,his ,,treachery--,,michal',s ,,stratagem--,,rizpah--,,her ,,heroic ,,endurance ,,and ,,loving ,,fidelity--,,the ,,queen ,,of ,,sheba--,,her ,,visit ,,to ,,jerusalem--,,the ,,glory ,,and ,,wisdom ,,of ,,solomon--,,the ,,half ,,not ,,told--,,the ,,queen',s ,,royal ,,gifts4 #aah-acg ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,womanhood in the ,time of the ,prophets and ,during the ,captivity4 ,,the ,,wicked ,,jezebel--,,the ,,widow ,,of ,,sarepta--,,the ,,tishbite ,,at ,,the ,,city ,,gate--,,his ,,strange ,,request--,,the ,,widow',s ,,unfaltering ,,obedience--,,an ,,appeal ,,to ,,elisha--,a ,,pot ,,of ,,oil--,,the ,,widow',s ,,wonderful ,,faith--,,the ,,rich ,,woman ,,of ,,shunem--,,her ,,modest ,,life--,,barley ,,harvest--,a ,,ride ,,to ,,carmel ,,in ,,the ,,glare ,,of ,,the ,,sun--,,esther--,,her ,,beautiful ,,traits ,,of ,,character--,,crowned ,,as ,,queen--,,pleading ,,for ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,her ,,people--,,found ,,favor ,,with ,,the ,,king4 #ach-afa ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,womanhood in the ,time of the ,saviour's ,nativity4 ,,an ,,angel ,,by ,,the ,,altar ,,of ,,incense--,,his ,,message--,,an ,,israelitish ,,home--,,in ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,elijah--,,the ,,desert ,,teacher--,,the ,,annunciation--,,the ,,visit ,,of ,,mary ,,to ,,elizabeth--,,mary',s ,,magnificat--,,journey ,,to ,,bethlehem--,,the ,,nativity--,,home ,,life ,,in ,,nazareth--,,after ,,scenes ,,in ,,mary',s ,,life--,,her ,,residence ,,and ,,death ,,at ,,ephesus--,,the ,,prophetess ,,anna--,,her ,,waiting ,,for ,,redemption ,,in ,,jerusalem--,,the ,,lesson ,,of ,,her ,,pure ,,and ,,beautiful ,,life4 #afb-ahi ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,womanhood ,during our ,lord's ,galilean ,ministry4 ,,christ ,,and ,,womanhood--,,noontide ,,at ,,jacob',s ,,well--,,the ,,lord',s ,,wonderful ,,tact--,,fields ,,white ,,to ,,the ,,harvest--,,an ,,uninvited ,,guest ,,at ,,simon',s ,,feast--,,cold ,,hospitality--,a ,,concise ,,parable--,,forgiving ,,sin--,a ,,street ,,scene--,,humble ,,confession--,,most ,,gracious ,,words--,,coast ,,of ,,tyre ,,and ,,sidon--,,syro-,,ph,,nician ,,woman--,,strangely ,,tested--,,her ,,humility--,,went ,,away ,,blessed4 #aij-bbb ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,womanhood ,during ,our ,lord's ,judean ,ministry4 ,,the ,,sisters ,,of ,,bethany--,,their ,,characteristics--,,not ,,good1 ,,but ,,best ,,gifts--,,the ,,extravagance ,,of ,,love--,,salome',s ,,strange ,,request--,,her ,,fidelity--,,joanna--,,the ,,poor ,,widow',s ,,gift--,,how ,,estimated--,,the ,,saviour',s ,,words ,,of ,,peace4 #bbc-bdd ,,chapter ,x4 ,womanhood ,during the ,apostolic ,ministry4 ,,tabitha--,,glorified ,,her ,,needle--,,the ,,results ,,of ,,little ,,acts--,,lydia--,,her ,,humility--,,philip',s ,,four ,,daughters-- ,,ph,,be--,,priscilla--,,eunice--,,lois- -,,eudia--,,syntyche--,,hulda-- ,,the ,,hebrew ,,maid--,,tamar--,,mothers ,,of ,,great ,,men--,,the ,,author ,,of ,,the ,,bible ,,woman',s ,,best ,,friend4 #bde-bff ,,illustrations4 ,,page4 ,,the ,,accepted ,,offering #ca ,,jacob',s ,,struggle ,,at ,,the ,,jabbok #fg ,,the ,,israelites ,,in ,,bondage #gc ,,moses ,,rescued ,,from ,,the ,,nile #ge ,,miriam',s ,,song ,,of ,,triumph #hd ,,the ,,fall ,,of ,,jericho #ie ,,ruth1 ,,the ,,faithful ,,friend #ajh ,,the ,,beautiful ,,abigail ,,meeting ,,david #aba ,,solomon',s ,,merchant ,,ships #acj ,,the ,,queen ,,of ,,sheba #acc ,,hadassah ,,in ,,the ,,persian ,,court #aec ,,esther ,,pleading ,,for ,,her ,,people #aeg ,,the ,,angel',s ,,message #afd ,,the ,,ministry ,,at ,,ephesus #aha ,,anna1 ,,the ,,prophetess #ahe ,,christ ,,and ,,womanhood #aic ,,the ,,noontide ,,hour ,,at ,,jacob',s ,,well #aih ,,the ,,uninvited ,,guest #bjh ,,seeking ,,the ,,living ,,among ,,the ,,dead #bcg ,,the ,,city ,,by ,,the ,,anghista #bec ,,corinth1 ,,the ,,gate ,,of ,,the ,,peloponnesus #bfj ,,introductory4 ,it has long been in our mind to write this book1 in which we seek to set forth the beautiful lives of representative women of the ,bible4 ,there has been much written about prophets1 kings and priests1 about our ,lord and ,his ,apostles1 about scenes1 of different types of character1 customs and manners of ,oriental life1 but so far as we know1 nothing has been written about the womanhood of the ,bible4 ,we believe a study of these lovely ,princesses of ,god will be both profitable and instructive4 ,that we may have a suitable background for our pen pictures of these ,daughters in ,israel1 and also1 by way of contrast1 show what the ,bible has done for womanhood1 let us briefly take a glance into countries where the ,bible has been a sealed book1 for the position of women among the ,hebrews has always afforded a pleasing contrast with that of their heathen sisters4 ,the position of ,jewish women is just what we would expect among a people who were indebted for their laws to the ,creator4 ,it has always been ,satan's shrewdest trick to degrade motherhood1 and to cause her to be treated with contempt1 knowing that she it is who stands at the fountain head of the race1 and her hand always shapes the life and forms the civilization1 hence the universal oppression of womanhood in all heathen lands4 ,the effect of religion 7for all nations worship something7 upon the people affords overwhelming evidence of its origin4 ,in all heathen lands the people are exceedingly religious4 ,in ,india alone they worship #cfj1jjj1jjj gods1 but they know nothing about morality4 ,their religion offers no light in life and no hope in death4 ,the condition of women in ,india is indescribable4 ,if a man speaks of his wife he never says 8wife10 but 8family02 and if away1 he never speaks of going home1 but he is going to his house4 ,there is no home life1 as we look upon it1 in all that heathen land4 ,women are considered by the ,hindus as a thing that exists solely for their use4 ,she is given away like a lifeless thing to the man who is to be her husband1 but who does not consider her his equal4 ,he is commanded by his religion to 8enjoy her without attachment10 and never to love her or put his confidence in her4 ,some women are set apart religiously for the use of the men of all classes and castes4 ,they are consecrated and 8married0 to the idols in the temples1 and are brought up from their girlhood to live as prostitutes4 ,hindoo sacred law reaches its climax of cruelty and degradation in the rules it lays down for the control of a woman after her husband has died4 ,she may be young and beautiful1 she may belong to a wealthy and powerful family2 it matters not2 custom is as relentless as death in its weight of woe to crush her completely down4 ,one of the ,hindoo sacred books says3 8,it is unlawful for any man to take a jewelless woman10 whose eyes are like the weeping cavi-flower2 being deprived of her beloved husband1 she is like a body deprived of the spirit4 ,she may have only been a betrothed infant or a child of a few years4 ,it makes no difference4 ,the ,shasters teach that if a widow burns herself alive on the funeral pile of her husband1 even though he had killed a ,brahmin1 that most heinous of deeds1 she expiates the crime4 ,for long centuries widows have been a literal burnt offering for the redemption of husbands4 ,another law is laid down after the following fashion3 8,on the death of their attached husbands1 women must eat but once a day1 must eschew betel and a spread mattress1 must sleep on the ground1 and continue to practice rigid mortification4 ,women who have put off glittering jewels of gold must discharge with alacrity the duties of devotion1 and neglecting their persons1 must feed on herbs and roots1 so as barely to sustain life within the body4 ,let not a widow ever pronounce the name of another man40 ,there are1 in ,india1 twenty-three millions of widows1 of these fourteen thousand are baby widows under four years of age1 and sixty thousand girl widows between five and nine years of age4 ,nearly one-fourth of the whole number of widows are young4 ,besides1 there are many millions of deserted wives1 whose condition is as bad1 and in some cases worse1 than that of the widows4 ,the lives of many millions of these poor women are made so miserable that they prefer death to life1 and thousands commit suicide yearly4 ,and all these helpless women have never heard the message of salvation from ,god's ,holy ,word4 ,it so happens in these days of missionary work among the heathen that now and then the light of the ,gospel finds its way into these benighted hearts4 ,such was the case of a ,brahmin widow1 who had lived in the home of her uncle1 but1 for a fancied offence1 was beaten and turned into the street naked4 ,she was a woman of commanding manner and appearance1 such as few suffering widows possess4 ,she was tall1 elegant of bearing1 and attractive4 ,her story1 in short1 is this3 8,i was married when only five years of age4 ,i soon became a widow1 and then my father and mother took care of me1 though ,i was kept secure in their home4 ,my father and mother died1 and since ,i was fifteen years of age ,i have been with their relatives1 who let me work in the fields and earn an honorable living4 ,then my mother's own brother came along1 and persuaded me to come to his house4 ,i hoped for kindness1 but ,i have been their slave from that day40 ,when asked whether she had been led astray1 she replied1 8,i might have been1 and sat with jewels on my neck and arms1 with a frontlet on my brow1 and gems would have bedecked my ears had ,i yielded to the machinations of my uncle and the desires of his friends to betray me into a life of glittering slavery6 ,because ,i would not1 ,i am in rags1 and now turned homeless into the streets40 ,such is the suffering of women in ,india4 ,and the saddest of all is1 the only heaven they look for after this world1 is a place where they can be their husband's servants4 ,sad and terrible is their state6 ,the condition of womanhood in ,china is but little better4 ,in fact she is unwelcome at her birth4 ,if she is suffered to live1 she is subjected to inhuman foot-binding4 ,the feet are supposed to merit the poetical name of 8golden lilies40 ,but how sad it is to discover that such a result is produced by indescribable torture1 and that the part of the foot that is not seen is nothing but a mass of distorted or broken bones6 ,this binding process commences when the girl is about six years old4 ,there is a ,chinese proverb that says1 8,for every pair of bound feet has been shed a kong full of tears40 ,and yet1 the most important part of a ,chinese girl's dress is her tiny shoe of colored silk or satin1 most tastefully embroidered1 with bright painted heels just peeping beneath the neat pantalets4 ,missionary ladies tell us how they themselves have seen three strong women holding a little girl by force to compel her to submit to this awful torture4 ,it is not an uncommon thing for a mother to get up in the night and beat a poor child of seven or eight for keeping her awake by her stifled sobs from the terrible pain produced by the bandages4 ,through the weary summer days1 instead of romping and enjoying the fresh air and sports with brothers1 the poor little girl will lie1 restless with fever1 upon her little couch1 and when the cold nights of winter come1 she is afraid to wrap her limbs in any covering1 else they grow warm and the suffering becomes more intense4 ,at last the much desired smallness is obtained1 the feet are deformed for life and she is greatly admired by all her friends4 ,if she is not betrothed until she is ten or more years of age1 one of the first questions is1 8,what is the length of her feet80 ,three inches is the correct length of the fashionable shoe1 but some are only two4 ,but this has respect only to those girl-babies who are suffered to live4 ,the horrors of heathenism permits the new-born girl baby to be disposed of4 ,there is outside the city walls of ,fuchan1 ,china1 a structure of stone without doors1 but with two window-like openings4 ,this well-known and frequently visited building is the baby tower--not a day nursery for the care of the infants of the poor1 not an orphanage where the little waifs are clothed and fed and educated1 but a place where girl-babies can be thrown and left to die4 ,in larger cities1 such as ,pekin1 carts pass through the streets at an early hour of the day and gather up the babies abandoned to the streets by their inhuman parents4 ,women in the common walks of life are the slaves of their husbands4 ,the wife rises early in the morning1 does the housework for the day1 and prepares the morning meal for her husband1 who always eats it by himself while she serves4 ,having finished her own meal1 after her husband has eaten his1 she cleans up the dishes1 and then hastens to the fields to toil all day under a burning sun4 ,the husband1 meanwhile1 spends the day in sleeping1 or gambling1 or when opportunity occurs1 in thieving or marauding4 ,sometimes1 frequently indeed1 the women are carried off by other tribes while out in the fields1 and are only released at a price1 varying with the excellencies of the woman in question4 ,and yet1 if any one were to offer to relieve these women of their work1 their offer would be rejected1 for this life of toil is what they have been brought up to and trained in1 and they know of nothing better4 ,they especially like to be in the fields by themselves1 for then they are alone1 and are free from the hated presence of man 7curiously enough they are said to hate their men71 and surely no one would grudge them their liberty4 ,in dark ,africa1 where lives one-sixth of the heathen population of the globe1 human sacrifice is something awful4 ,and the saddest of all is1 the victims are mostly from the ranks of women4 ,of the languages and dialects1 five hundred have never been reduced to writing4 ,what scenes of horrors are locked up in oblivion among these wild tribes of that dark land4 ,almost daily1 the numerous wives of the rulers1 as they die1 are buried alive in their graves1 being compelled to hold the dead bodies of their husbands on their laps1 until they themselves are relieved by death4 ,the witch doctors annually slay thousands of innocent women4 ,among the ,masai1 a woman has a market value equal to five glass beads1 while a cow is worth ten of the same4 ,woman's life in the harem of the ,mohammedan is but little better4 ,the code of morals is a very loose one1 and the degradation of women beyond our pen to describe4 ,the women of the harems are divided into three classes3 ,the ,rhadines1 or legitimate wives4 ,the ,ikbals1 or favorites1 out of whose ranks the ,rhadines are chosen1 and ,ghienzdes or 8women who are pleasing to the eye of their lord10 and who have the chance to advance to the rank of ,ikbals4 ,if the wife of a ,turkoman asks his permission to go1 and he says1 8go10 without adding1 8come back10 they are divorced4 ,if he becomes dissatisfied with the most trifling acts of his wife1 and tears the veil from her face1 that constitutes a divorce4 ,in the streets1 if a husband meets one of his numerous wives1 he never recognizes her1 or ever introduces her to a male friend4 ,a ,mohammedan never inquires after the female portion of the household of his friend4 ,the system is full of cruelty and despotism4 ,in ,mohammedan countries women suffer from the low opinion held of them by men4 ,the prophet said3 8,i stood at the gates of hell1 and lo6 most of its inhabitants were women60 ,and yet1 strange to say1 while the religion of ,islam denies that woman has a soul1 it teaches a sensual paradise4 ,in fact1 in all nations where the ,bible is unknown1 woman is the slave of man's lust4 ,she is a drudge or a toy1 whose reign is as short-lived as her personal charms4 ,she may not be trusted out of sight of her guardians1 though the masculine members of the family are anything but choice in their associations4 ,indeed1 in some countries a woman can not visit even her own mother without being carried in a palanquin or guarded by slaves4 ,one of the strangest1 saddest sights we ever saw was at ,mersina1 in the ,levant4 ,passing a field one day there were six native women 7noble in form and of beautiful olive complexion7 hoeing what looked to be cucumbers1 while a step or two in their rear stood a negro1 a full-blooded ,nubian1 with a long stick1 like an ox-goad1 in his hand1 evidently their master4 ,in ,ceylon1 when it was proposed by a missionary to teach women to read1 one native said to another1 8,what do you think that man is talking about8 ,he wants to teach the women to read6 ,he'll be wanting to teach the cows next60 ,such is the disrespect in which women are held by heathen people4 ,five words describe the biography of women in all lands where the ,bible is not known3 ,unwelcomed at birth2 untaught in childhood2 uncherished in widowhood2 unprotected in old age2 unlamented when dead4 ,such1 in brief1 is the treatment of womanhood in lands where the ,bible is a sealed book1 and truly1 in comparison with their heathen sisters1 women living under the blessed teachings of ,christianity are 8clothed in white raiment40 ,but1 perhaps1 we ought not to think it so very strange that men who dishonor ,god1 and who want ,him blotted out of their thoughts1 should abuse ,god's best gift to man4 ,this much we know1 that ,god created man in ,his own image1 in the image of ,god created ,he him2 male and female created ,he them4 ,and ,god blessed them1 and ,god said unto them1 8,have dominion over every living thing that moveth upon the earth40 ,when the ,pharisees1 in their malignity1 framed the question1 8,is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause80--a problem beset with many difficulties1 our ,lord very promptly asked a counter question1 8,what did ,moses command you80 ,instead of entering into their vexed question1 ,he appeals at once to the law and the testimony1 and requires them to recite the provision made by ,moses for such cases2 not as settling the difficulties1 but as presenting the true status quaestionis1 which was not what the ,scribes taught or the ,pharisees practiced1 but what ,moses meant and ,god permitted4 ,they said1 8,moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement1 and to put her away40 ,quickly ,jesus replied1 8,for the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept40 ,the substance of our ,saviour's answer was1 ,moses gave you no positive command in the case2 he would not make a law directly opposite to the law of ,god2 but ,moses saw the wantonness and wickedness of your hearts1 that you would turn away your wives without any just and warrantable cause2 and to restrain your extravagancies of cruelty to your wives1 or disorderly turning of them off upon any occasion1 he made a law that none should put away his wife but upon a legal cognizance of the cause and giving her a bill of divorce4 8,from the beginning10 that is1 in the very act of creation1 ,god embodied the idea of equality4 ,capricious divorce is a violation of natural law4 ,what a beautiful picture ,solomon gives us of womanhood4 8,her price10 he says1 8is far above rubies4 ,the heart of her husband doth safely trust in her1 so that he shall have no need of spoil4 ,she will do him good and not evil all the days of her life4 ,she seeketh wool1 and flax1 and worketh willingly with her hands40 ,after the grace of ,god in the soul1 a good wife1 one planned on the ,divine model1 is the ,lord's best gift4 ,to the husband who has such a woman to stand at the head of his home1 nothing can measure her value4 ,his heart rests safely in her integrity4 ,he has no need to add to his wealth by spoils1 for she will do him good and not evil all the days of his life4 ,she is industrious4 ,she not only works into comfort the wool and flax that are at hand2 she seeks to add to her store from the outside world4 ,she does not ask to be kept in idleness4 ,she worketh willingly with her hands4 ,not content to be a consumer1 she becomes a producer4 ,not satisfied with home production1 she brings suitable comforts and luxuries from afar into her home4 ,she is careful in the use of her time4 ,she is not feebly self-indulgent4 ,she riseth while it is yet night to look after her domestic affairs4 ,she is a business woman1 knowing the laws that underlie the rise and fall of real estate4 ,she considereth a field1 and buyeth it4 ,then with her hands she planteth a vineyard4 ,she does not produce inferior goods1 neither is she cheated in a bargain4 ,she perceiveth that her merchandise is good4 ,she loves to share her husband's business burdens1 that he may share her society2 and they twain are one in service and one in recreation4 ,like our ,lord1 she delights not to be ministered unto1 but to minister4 ,she is benevolent4 ,being a recognized producer1 she has the luxury of giving of her own means to the poor4 ,she provides well for her household1 keeping her dependents in comfort1 and even in luxury4 ,as the ,revised ,version puts it1 8,she maketh herself carpets of tapestry40 ,her own clothing is of the best4 ,the husband of such a wife has the gentle manners that belong with such a home1 and he can but succeed in life4 ,he is known and honored among the best in the land4 ,as her business grows1 her products become finer and more expensive2 and as she puts them upon the market1 her profits increase4 ,this woman is clothed with strength and honor4 ,she has no anxiety about the future4 ,she knows that though her beauty may fade1 and her social charms become a thing of the past1 her strength and honor will become richer and more glorious as the years go by4 8,in her tongue is the law of kindness40 ,she is too busy with her own affairs to look after those of her neighbors4 ,in heathen countries it is a great disgrace for a woman's voice to be heard in the presence of men4 ,where women are held back from the real interests that concern them and for which they have so often proved themselves fully qualified1 what else could take up their active minds but the pettiness of gossip8 ,such are the beautiful tributes paid to women by ,solomon1 the wisest of men4 ,nor are the prophets behind in acknowledging the worth and quality of women4 ,eight hundred years before the ,christian era1 the prophet ,joel wrote1 8,and it shall come to pass in the last days1 saith ,god1 ,i will pour out of my ,spirit upon all flesh3 and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy1 and your young men shall see visions1 and your old men shall dream dreams3 and on my servants and on my handmaidens ,i will pour out in those days of my ,spirit2 and they shall prophesy40 ,in the ,christian dispensation1 the daughters as well as the sons were to be filled with the ,spirit of ,god1 and the ,spirit would use their lips in the declaration of ,his truth as certainly as the lips of men1 and ,paul defined prophecy to be speaking 8unto men to edification1 and exhortation1 and comfort40 ,it has been one of the devices of the evil one to padlock the lips of that half of the race who are most loyal to ,god and who have the most helpful knowledge of human nature4 ,aside from all these high social and spiritual relations of the ,hebrew women1 they had a legal status4 ,the rights of the ,jewish wife were carefully guarded4 ,her husband was not allowed to go to war for a year after they were married2 and though the eastern institution of polygamy was not utterly prohibited1 yet it was so restricted that it must not in any way invade the rights and privileges of the wife4 ,if a husband became jealous of his wife's fidelity1 the legal presumptions were all in her favor4 ,the husband was not allowed to inflict summary punishment2 but she was subjected to an ordeal which could by no possibility work injury to her1 unless through the guilt of her own conscience or the interposition of divine ,providence4 ,as a mother1 the ,jewish woman must be honored by her children4 ,as a daughter1 she had rights and an inheritance4 ,if the wife or daughter uttered rash and foolish vows1 the husband or father had a right to disannul them1 provided he did it from the day it came to his knowledge4 ,even the ,gentile woman taken captive by a young ,israelite warrior must have been surprised to receive treatment so strangely different from that received by captives in her own country1 or even among modern nations who profess to be civilized4 ,her captor could not offer her an insult2 she must be taken1 not to a prison1 but to his home1 where she must neither be abused nor outraged1 but treated with patient consideration2 and she could not be taken1 even as a wife1 until a full month had elapsed1 during which he might secure her affections or reconsider his determination4 ,and if after her marriage she was discontented and made herself disagreeable1 she could never again be held as a servant1 but must be allowed to go free4 ,widows1 who in heathen lands have been degraded and sometimes murdered or burned1 were to be treated with the utmost tenderness4 ,they shared in the tithes1 and were admitted to the public festivities4 ,they had a right to glean in the fields and gather up the forgotten sheaves1 to gather which the owner was not allowed to go back4 ,injustice against widows was treated with fearful punishment4 8,thou shalt not take the widow's raiment to pledge0 7,deut4 xxiv1 #ag71 was a benevolent law which can not be paralleled in any modern code4 ,the command to lend to an ,israelite in his poverty was imperative1 but no pledge of raiment could be exacted from a widow4 ,thus in a variety of ways was the ,lord pleased to manifest his kindness and compassion for the fatherless and the widow1 and in consequence womanhood was honored and honorable in the ,jewish nation1 beyond anything known in the heathen world4 ,from the vile and degrading orgies of heathenism the women of ,israel were exempt4 ,they feared the ,lord1 and at his hand received blessings and mercies without number4 ,thus it is seen that ,hebrew women had rare privileges4 ,they tower like desert palms above the women in pagan lands4 ,in her home she is honored and respected4 ,in ,india a woman eats her first and last meal with her husband on her wedding day4 ,in the ,hebrew home her children are like 8olive plants0 round her table4 ,in ,china they may kill their little daughters by the thousands4 ,she has legal rights in her ,hebrew home4 ,in all ,mohammedan lands a man has the same power over the life of his wife that he has over the life of his horse4 ,what makes this difference8 ,we answer1 ,it is ,god's thought of womanhood1 for there was nothing in the ,hebrew men to bring about such thoughtful consideration4 ,there were periods in the history of the ,hebrew nation when they departed from ,god1 and sank into the vices of the heathens around them4 ,it was during these periods that womanhood was degraded to that of their pagan sisters4 ,there were times when the ,hebrews had taken on heathen manners to such an extent as to regard it a disgrace for a rabbi to recognize his wife if he met her on the street4 ,it was commonly said that he was a fool who attempted the religious instruction of a woman1 and the words of the law had better be burned than given to a woman4 ,so it was not ,hebrew manhood that saved the daughters of ,israel from the suicidal injustice practiced among the heathens1 but the sure ,word of ,god4 ,under its wise provisions and recognized equality they became prophetesses1 leaders of armies1 and judges4 ,and they taught a pure morality1 trained their children according to principles of justice and righteousness1 and lived in expectation and hope of the coming of the ,messiah in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed4 ,and above all1 ,christ was the true ,friend of womanhood4 ,no teacher in any age of the world or in any land ever taught woman as ,he did1 when ,he came that glorious morning to ,jacob's well1 or in the house of ,simon the ,pharisee1 when the sin-stained woman of the street1 who had unobserved entered the banquet hall1 and taken up her position at the feet of ,jesus1 and there poured out the great sorrow of her heart in a paroxysm of humble and grateful love1 and bathed ,his feet with her tears1 and wiped them with the hair of her head1 anointing them also with ointment1 when ,he personally addressed her and said1 8,thy sins are forgiven40 ,how beautiful is all this1 and how grandly these women showed their gratitude and appreciation by following ,him and ministering unto 8,him of their substance40 ,they were last at the cross and first at the tomb1 and first to publish the ,saviour's resurrection4 ,from that day to this1 women owe their spiritual elevation and their opportunities of usefulness to the recognition ,christ gave them in ,his ministry4 ,in all places untouched by ,christian light they are not sure that they have souls4 ,where the light shines clearly they have equal rights with the men by whose side they are privileged to labor for ,god's glory4 ,this being so1 how ought they to love ,god1 and in every way possible1 spread the light of ,christianity through all the earth4 ,we would say to every woman who loves her ,lord1 the field is wide enough1 and opportunities present themselves in every passing hour1 therefore1 if you have a message which will help and bless some struggling soul heavenward1 tell it4 ,with these brief1 introductory words1 we come to our subject proper4 ,and should you1 dear woman1 whom we seek to glorify in the following pages1 be blessed and comforted in the unfolding of ,god's love towards womanhood1 and your own faith take a firmer hold upon the ,father's thought of you1 do not1 after reading this book1 put it away in your book-case1 but place it in the hands of some tempted1 discouraged1 struggling soul1 and thereby let others become sharers of the same helpful words1 and1 possibly1 in so doing1 you may not only save precious souls1 but add many stars to your own crown of life4 ,as ever1 respectfully1 ,,the ,,author4 ,,albany1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,women ,,in ,,white ,,raiment4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,the ,paradise ,home in ,eden4 ,,man',s ,,first ,,home ,a ,,garden--,,eve ,,the ,,isha--,,the ,,scene ,,of ,,the ,,temptation--,,hiding ,,from ,,god--,,refusing ,,to ,,confess1 ,,judgment ,,is ,,pronounced--,,the ,,sad ,,results ,,of ,,sin--,,eve ,,believed ,,the ,,promise4 ,perhaps there never lived a woman who has been 8talked about0 so much as this first woman in ,white ,raiment1 for who has not said1 ,if ,eve had not been beguiled into a violation of the one commandment by partaking of the fruit of the forbidden tree1 we would all be as happy and sinless as was she and her husband before that act of disobedience4 ,but we shall miss the great lesson ,eve's experience intended to convey if we fail to recognize that ,god put humanity on probation1 and the fact of the first temptation is the symbol of every temptation2 the fact of the first fall is the symbol of every transgression2 the great mistake that lay in the first sin is the symbol of every effect of sin4 ,after the ,lord ,god had formed man1 we read that ,he 8planted a garden eastward in ,eden2 and there ,he put the man40 ,what pen could describe the garden of the ,lord's planting8 ,there were splashing fountains4 ,there were woodbine1 and honeysuckles1 and morning-glories climbing over the wall1 and daisies1 and buttercups1 and strawberries in the grass4 ,there were paths with mountain mosses1 bordered with pearls and diamonds4 ,here and there cooling streams sparkled in the sunlight or made sweet music as they fell over ledges and rippled away under the overstretching shadows of palm trees or fig orchards1 and their threads of silver finally lost amid the fruitage of orange groves4 ,trees and shrubs of infinite variety added their beauty to the many picturesque scenes everywhere spread out4 ,in the midst of the overhanging foliage were all the bright birds of heaven1 and they stirred the air with infinite chirp and carol4 ,never since have such skies looked down through such leaves into such waters4 ,never has river wave had such curve and sheen and bank as adorned the ,pison1 the ,havilah1 the ,gihon and the ,hiddekel1 even the pebbles being bdellium and onyx stone4 ,what fruits1 with no curculio to sting the rind6 ,what flowers1 with no slug to gnaw the root6 ,what atmosphere1 with no frost to chill and with no heat to consume6 ,bright colors tangled in the grass4 ,perfume filled the air4 ,music thrilled the sky4 ,great scenes of gladness and love and joy spread out in every direction4 ,we know not how long1 perhaps ever since this man had been created in the 8image0 of his ,god1 he had wandered through this ,eden home1 had watched the brilliant pageantry of wings and scales and clouds1 and may have noticed that the robins fly the air in twos1 and that the fish swim the waters in twos1 and that the lions walk the fields in twos1 and as he saw the merry1 abounding life of his subject creatures1 every one perfectly fitted to its environment1 and each mated with another of the same instincts and methods of living1 he felt the isolation of his own self-involved being1 and1 possibly1 a shadow of loneliness may have crept into his face1 and ,god saw it4 ,and so ,he said1 8,it is not good that the man should be alone40 ,so 8,he caused a deep sleep to fall upon ,adam10 as if by allegory to teach all ages that the greatest of earthly blessings is sound sleep4 ,when he awoke1 a most beautiful being1 the crowning glory of creation1 stood beside him1 looking at him with heaven in her eyes1 her exquisite form draped with perfect feminine grace and strength4 ,as ,adam looked into the face of this immaculate daughter of ,god1 this ,woman in ,white ,raiment1 he said1 8,this is now bone of my bones1 and flesh of my flesh4 ,she shall be called ,woman0 7,hebrew ,isha71 because ,god had clothed in separate flesh the gentler and more conscientious part of ,adam's nature1 that it might share the work and bliss of ,paradise4 ,how long that first married pair lived in ,paradise we are not informed4 ,the story of their disastrous disobedience is given in as few words as possible4 ,eve may have sauntered out one beautiful morning and as she looked up at the fruit of the various trees of the garden must have recognized 8the tree of the knowledge of good and evil10 and doubtless she had heard ,adam say that this was the forbidden tree1 and possibly may have cautioned her1 8,for10 said he1 the ,lord had said1 8in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die40 ,as she looked up at the tree and saw the beautiful fruit hanging on the branches1 she may have admired its bright1 fresh color without any thought of evil in her heart4 ,it is the characteristic of woman to admire the beautiful4 ,indeed her finer feelings can better appreciate than man1 the blendings of color and shadings that combine to give expression to the beautiful4 ,but it was ,satan's moment4 ,we do not know how long he had been in hiding among the recesses of the garden waiting for just such an opportunity4 ,quickly he entered a serpent1 which1 it is declared1 8was more subtle than any beast of the field10 and came up to ,eve as she admired the tree and its fruit1 and in most questioning surprise said1 8,yea hath ,god said1 ,ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden80 ,the query is very cautiously made1 expressing great surprise3 ,yea1 truly1 can it be possible8 ,the query1 with its questioning surprise1 had in it now a yes1 and now a no1 according to the connection4 ,this is the first striking feature in the beginning of the temptation4 ,the temptation of ,christ1 in the wilderness1 was very similar to this4 ,satan twice challenged our ,lord on the point of his divine ,sonship3 8,if thou be the ,son of ,god40 ,as if he had said1 8,you claim to be the ,son of ,god1 ,i doubt it1 and challenge the claim4 ,if you are1 prove it by doing what ,i suggest40 ,this was also a blow at the confession of ,god ,himself1 8,this is ,my beloved ,son40 ,so here1 ,satan1 in the most cautious manner1 would excite doubt in the mind of ,eve4 ,then the expression also aims to awaken mistrust at the goodness and wisdom of ,god1 and so weaken the force of the temptation4 ,as if he had said1 8,what1 not eat of every tree of the garden8 ,i doubt it4 ,such a prohibition seems unreasonable40 ,here ,eve would assure the tempter that she was not mistaken in regard to the prohibition4 8,we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden4 ,but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden1 ,god hath said1 ,ye shall not eat of it1 neither shall ye touch it1 lest ye die40 ,notice the ,italic words are added by ,eve to the command of ,god concerning the tree4 ,no doubt1 as she stood there admiring the tree1 the monitor of her heart kept saying1 8,don't touch it1 don't touch it10 and1 in her guileless simplicity1 she adds the words to the prohibition4 ,and yet by this very addition does her first wavering disguise itself under the form of an overdoing obedience4 ,the first failure is her not observing the point of the temptation1 and allowing herself to be drawn into an argument with the tempter2 the second1 that she makes the prohibition stronger than it really is1 and thus lets it appear that to her1 too1 the prohibition seems too strict2 the third that she weakens the prohibition by reducing it to the lesser caution4 ,god had said1 8,thou shalt surely die40 ,she reduces it to 8lest ye die10 thus making the motive of obedience to be predominantly the fear of death4 ,her tempter1 who could quote ,scripture to our ,lord in his second temptation1 after he had failed in the first1 was quick to take up the woman's rendering of the prohibition1 and makes answer1 8,ye shall not surely die60 ,what an advance over the first suggestion1 8,yea1 hath ,god said40 ,no doubt he had noted her wavering1 and1 instead of turning promptly away from the author of her wavering1 saw her disposed to inform him of what ,god had said concerning this 8tree of the knowledge of good and evil10 and he promptly steps out from the area of cautious craft into that of a reckless denial of the truth of ,god's prohibition1 and a malicious suspicion of its object4 ,eve had not repeated the words of the prohibition1 and of the penalty1 in its double or intensive form1 but ,satan repeats it1 in blasphemous mockery1 as though he had heard it in some other way1 and stoutly denies the truth of the threatening1 that is1 the doubt becomes unbelief4 ,the way1 however1 is not prepared for the unbelief without first arousing a feeling of distrust in respect to ,god's love1 ,his righteousness1 and even ,his power4 ,so the tempter denies all evil consequences as arising from the forbidden enjoyment1 whilst1 on the contrary1 he promises the best and most glorious results from the same4 8,instead of your eyes closing in death10 he said1 8they shall be opened40 ,the tempter would have the woman believe that1 in eating of the fruit1 she would become wonderfully enlightened1 and1 at the same time1 raised to a divine glory--8shall be as gods1 knowing good and evil40 ,and so1 in like manner1 is every sin a false and senseless belief in the salutary effects of sin4 ,we tremble for ,eve at this point of her interview with her tempter4 ,it is an awful moment1 a moment in which her own happiness and that of her husband's and all the generations of earth are in the balances4 8,and when the woman saw40 ,she was now looking at the tree and its fruit from a far different standpoint from that in the morning4 ,she beheld it now with a look made false by the distorted application of ,god's prohibition by her tempter4 ,in fact1 she had become enchanted by the distorted construction put upon ,god's plain commandment4 ,the satanic promises seemed to have driven the threatening of that prohibition out of her thought4 ,now she beholds the tree with other eyes4 ,three times1 it is said1 how charming the tree appeared to her4 ,but where has ,adam been all this time8 ,doubtless he was busy with his duties1 for ,god had set him 8to dress and to keep0 the garden in which he had been placed4 ,he may have seen ,eve passing down one of the beautiful paths of the garden in her morning walk1 beguiled by the splash of the fountains1 the song of the birds1 and the beauty of the flowers at her feet4 ,he may have observed her stay longer than usual1 and so turned aside from his duties to see what had become of her1 and following down the path over which he had last seen her disappear among the trees and shrubbery of the garden1 soon came to the place where 8the tree of the knowledge of good and evil0 stood1 and then1 from the lips of his own pure1 sweet wife1 learned what had taken place4 ,possibly she was holding the very fruit of which she had said1 8neither shall ye touch it10 in her hands1 admiring its beauty and wondering how it tasted4 ,and1 while examining the fruit1 she told her husband what had passed between her and her tempter1 and as she finished her story she said1 8,i do not think there can be any harm in my just breaking the rind of it1 to see how it looks inside40 ,prompted by womanly curiosity1 she broke open the fruit1 and1 before she was really conscious1 she 8did eat60 8,why1 how nice60 she exclaimed1 at the same time handing the other half to her husband4 ,as a good gardener1 he would naturally share the curiosity of his wife to taste this fruit1 8and he did eat60 ,the next statement we have1 8,and the eyes of them both were opened40 ,but how were they opened8 ,each of them had two good eyes before eating the fruit2 in fact1 ,eve had been admiring the fruit as it hung among the branches of the tree1 and as she had turned it over in her hands4 ,before they tasted they saw with their natural eyes4 ,now they see with a higher knowledge of sense--there is added a con-sense--a conscience or self-consciousness4 ,in the relation between the antecedent here and what followed there evidently lies a terrible irony4 ,the promise of the tempter becomes half fulfilled1 though1 indeed1 in a sadly different sense from what they had supposed4 ,they had attained1 in consequence1 to a moral insight4 ,self-consciousness was awakened with their knowledge of right and wrong1 good and evil4 ,it belongs to the very beginning of moral cognition and development4 ,how strange it all is4 ,eden full of trees1 fruits of every kind1 luscious and satisfying1 but1 excited by false and wicked statements in respect to the prohibition of the fruit of one tree1 she straightway desires to taste for herself1 and that curiosity blasted her and blasted all nations4 ,and thousands in every generation1 inspired by unhealthful inquisitiveness1 have tried to look through the keyhole of ,god's mysteries--mysteries that were barred and bolted from all human inspection--and they have wrenched their whole moral nature out of joint by trying to pluck fruit from branches beyond their reach4 ,we may also learn that fruits which are sweet to the taste may afterward produce great agony4 ,forbidden fruit for ,eve was so pleasant she invited her husband also to take of it2 but her banishment from paradise and years of sorrow and wretchedness and woe paid for that luxury4 ,sometimes people plead for just one indulgence in sin4 ,there can be no harm to go to this or that forbidden place just once4 ,doubtless that one ,edenic transgression did not seem to be much1 but it struck a blow which to this day makes the earth stagger4 ,to find out the consequences of that one sin you would have to compel the world to throw open all its prison doors and display the crime1 throw open all its hospitals and display the disease1 throw open all the insane asylums and show the wretchedness1 open all the sepulchres and show the dead1 open all the doors of the lost world and show the damned4 ,that one ,edenic transgression stretched chords of misery across the heart of the world and struck them with dolorous wailing1 and it has seated the plagues upon the air and the shipwrecks upon the tempest1 and fastened1 like a leech1 famine to the heart of the sick and dying nations4 ,beautiful at the start1 horrible at the last4 ,oh1 how many have experienced it6 ,beware of entertaining temptations to first sins6 ,turn away and flee for thy life to the sure and only ,refuge--,christ ,jesus4 ,in the cool of the day1 as the evening hours drew on1 ,adam and ,eve 8heard the voice of the ,lord ,god walking in the garden40 ,they were used to hearing that voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day4 ,eden had become a dear spot to the heart of their ,father1 and doubtless ,he often came down to converse with them4 ,so now ,he seeks companionship with the majestic human masterpieces of ,his creation4 ,and why should he not8 ,but1 passing strange6 instead of running to ,him out of their ,eden home1 as doubtless they had been wont to do1 8,adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the ,lord ,god amongst the trees of the garden40 ,this act1 no doubt1 was prompted by self-consciousness and the shame and guilt which it brought4 ,so we clearly see that sin separates from ,god4 ,they had pronounced judgment upon their transgression by their very conduct4 ,instead of meeting ,god as they had been doing1 a feeling of distrust and servile fear entered their hearts1 and a sense of the loss of their spiritual purity1 together with the false notion that they can hide themselves from ,god4 ,and so it has come to pass that ever since the first transgression men have been hiding from ,god1 running away from his presence4 8,and the ,lord ,god called unto ,adam1 and said unto him1 ,where art thou80 ,the ,lord is the first to break the silence2 the first to seek erring humanity4 ,not for ,his own sake does ,god direct this inquiry1 for ,he knew where ,adam was1 but that ,adam might take courage and open his mouth in confession--it was an invitation to tell the whole sad story4 ,but1 instead1 he multiplies the difficulties by his answer1 8,i was afraid1 because ,i was naked40 ,that is to say1 ,adam1 instead of confessing the sin1 sought to hide behind its consequences1 and his disobedience behind his feeling of shame4 ,his answer to the interrogation is far from the real cause of the change that had come over his conduct1 which was sin1 and made his consciousness of nakedness to be the reason4 ,to still make ,adam see the true reason for his hiding1 ,god farther asked1 8,hast thou eaten of the tree whereof ,i commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat80 ,observe this question is so framed as to contain in it the eating and the tree from which he ate1 and could have been answered with1 8,yes60 ,how easy ,god made it for ,adam to confess4 ,but1 alas6 ,how far from it4 ,he answered1 8,the woman whom thou gavest unto me1 she gave me of the tree and ,i did eat40 ,how deep the root of sin had taken hold upon ,adam's heart4 ,what does he say in this answer8 ,why this1 he acknowledged the guilt1 but indirectly charges ,god as the author of the calamity4 ,eve is referred to as 8the woman0 who is the author of his sin1 and1 since she was given to him by the hand of the ,lord1 therefore it is the ,lord's fault1 for if ,he had not given her to ,adam1 he would not have partaken of the forbidden tree6 ,how passing strange is all this4 ,and yet that is just what men are doing after six thousand years of experience with sin4 ,instead of breaking away from it1 they say1 ,god put it before them1 and they could not resist the temptation to sin4 ,the loss of love that comes out in this interposing of the wife is1 moreover1 particularly observable in this1 that he grudges to call her ,eve 7,isha--married7 or my wife4 ,failing to return unto ,god by way of confession1 the ,lord next deals with ,adam in judgment4 8,cursed is the ground for thy sake 444 thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee40 ,the very soil he had been sent to cultivate1 and to carry forward in a normal unfolding1 to imperishable life and spiritual glory1 is now cursed for his sake1 and therewith changed to that of hostility to him4 ,referring to the curse upon mankind1 in consequence of the fall1 ,hugh ,mac,millan has called attention to the remarkable fact that weeds1 the curse of the cultivator1 accompany civilization4 8,there is one peculiarity about weeds which is very remarkable10 says this writer1 8namely1 that they only appear on ground which either by cultivation or for some other purpose1 has been disturbed by man4 ,they are never found truly wild1 in woods or hills1 or uncultivated wastes far away from human dwellings4 ,they never grow on virgin soil1 where human beings have never been4 ,no weeds exist in those parts of the earth that are uninhabited1 or where man is only a passing visitant40 ,and what is true of mother earth is in a sense true of the human heart4 ,the youthful mind no sooner awakes to thought and reason1 than it gives evidence of abundance of weeds4 ,in surprise the mother asks where the little one has learned disobedience and questions how so young a mind can assert such strong opposition to wholesome discipline4 ,and now1 lest a worse calamity should fall on ,adam and his wife1 by stretching forth their hands 8and take also of the tree of life1 and eat1 and live forever10 ,god 8drove out the man0 from ,eden1 and placed 8cherubims1 and a flaming sword which turned every way1 to keep the way of the tree of life40 ,the act of driving ,adam and ,eve out of ,eden has always been looked upon as a harsh measure4 ,if1 however1 we stop to reflect what awful consequences would have followed the rash act of eating of the tree of life1 we shall see that it was an act of mercy4 ,for1 after placing himself under the law of sin1 what endless sorrow would have come upon the race1 if men could not be removed by death4 ,think of such human monsters as history has time and again produced4 ,men and women degraded by thousands of years in sin would indeed be dangerous characters4 ,so ,god cut off this possibility by guarding the tree of life4 ,but there came a great change over all life4 ,beasts that before were harmless and full of play put forth claw and sting and tooth and tusk4 ,birds whet their beak for prey1 clouds troop in the sky1 sharp thorns shoot up through the soft grass1 blastings are on the leaves4 ,all the chords of that great harmony are snapped4 ,upon the brightest home this world ever saw our first parents turned their back and led forth on a path of sorrow the broken-hearted myriads of a ruined race4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,accepted ,,offering4 ,when ,eve looked into the face of her first-born1 she remembered the words of the ,lord1 in ,his judgment upon ,satan1 8,i will put enmity between thee and the woman1 and between thy seed and her seed2 it shalt bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel10 and1 misunderstanding the meaning of the promise1 she called him ,cain1 meaning1 8,i have gotten a man from the ,lord10 mistaking him for the ,redeemer4 ,but how bitter must have been her disappointment as she saw the child grow up1 saw his characteristics manifest themselves in acts of hatefulness and revenge4 ,however1 but little is said of ,cain and his younger brother ,abel1 until they bring their offerings to the ,lord4 ,we read that ,abel was a 8keeper of sheep10 and ,cain was a 8tiller of the ground40 ,while it is not stated1 we must believe these brothers knew what was1 and what was not1 an acceptable offering to the ,lord1 that ,cain could easily have exchanged his fruits of the soil for a lamb of ,abel's flock4 ,evidently ,cain was lacking in that fine moral insight which would lead him to have respect as to the nature of the sacrifice necessary to atone for sin4 ,there must be the shed blood of the victim1 for1 8without shedding of blood10 there is no remission4 ,either ,cain did not regard himself a sinner1 or1 if he did1 he thought one sacrifice as good as another1 and so he brings 8of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the ,lord40 ,god could not accept this act of disobedience4 ,because his offering was rejected1 and seeing ,abel's offering accepted1 ,cain rose up and slew his brother4 ,he failed to shed the blood of a lamb for his sin1 but was quick to shed the blood of his brother1 and thereby add to his sin4 ,but what a crushing blow was this to the hopes of the mother heart who had supposed that her first-born was the promised 8seed40 ,how she must have broken down under her sorrow1 as she saw the blood dripping from ,cain's fingers1 and that1 too1 the blood of his own brother4 ,and sadder still as she looked upon the face of death for the first time4 ,however she might have understood the lying words of her tempter1 8,ye shall not surely die10 she now sees in the lifeless body of her second child1 the awful reality of death4 ,and when the first grave was made1 how she must have daily wept over the precious mound1 not only over this her first experience in bitter bereavement1 but also over the circumstances under which it was brought about1 and as she plants the flowers on the tomb1 she fancies she hears the blood of the innocent victim continually crying unto heaven to be avenged4 ,oh1 the bitter1 bitter fruits of disobedience1 who can know to what misery they bring us8 ,and then also observe ,cain's conduct in this awful crime4 ,god's arraignment of this fratricide was analogous to that of ,adam and ,eve4 ,but ,cain evades every acknowledgment of it4 ,he not only tells a barefaced falsehood1 but in a most impudent manner asks1 8,am ,i my brother's keeper80 ,what a fearful advance on the timid explanations of ,adam's transgression as he spoke to the ,lord out of his hiding place4 ,how men should tremble at the very thought of sin4 ,but the sorrowing ,eve took heart once more in the birth of ,seth1 8for10 said she1 8,god hath appointed another seed instead of ,abel40 ,so hope in the heart1 like the perpetual altar fires in the sacrifices of the temple1 seemed to sing a sweet song of comfort1 and every child born seemed to outweigh the bitter disappointments in the realization of the promised ,redeemer4 ,with this hope in the heart of ,eve1 and this beautiful language upon her lips1 the ,scripture account closes4 ,how long she lived after the birth of ,seth we are not informed1 but of this we are assured1 she believed ,god in ,his promise of the ,messiah4 ,that she misunderstood when that promise was to be realized1 is quite evident1 but there is every reason to believe she died in the faith of its ultimate realization1 for she judged ,god to be righteous in the promise4 ,what is the lesson the loss of ,paradise has for us8 ,plainly this3 ,the perverted use of things good in themselves4 ,eve saw that the tree was pleasant to the eyes4 ,from that day to this there have been women who would throw their health1 their home happiness1 their chance of training their children for ,god1 their life1 their honor1 their hope of heaven1 into a cauldron out of which might be brought something pleasant to the eyes4 ,eyes are good1 useful and necessary1 but we need to make a covenant with them not to see more than is good for our souls4 ,after she saw1 she 8desired40 ,this would seem to imply that the real source of all sin is in the spirit of our own desires4 ,the last of the ,ten ,commandments strikes down to the very tap-root of all evil1 8,thou shalt not covet40 ,all sin commences with the kindling of desire4 ,the apostle ,james gives us the pedigree1 8,every man is tempted when he is turned away of his own lust and enticed2 then1 when lust and desire hath conceived1 it bringeth forth sin1 and sin1 when it is finished1 bringeth forth death40 ,the secret of victory1 therefore1 is not to allow the mind and heart to dwell for a moment upon any forbidden thing4 ,the whole modern life is terribly fitted to stimulate unholy desire4 ,the little child is taught from infancy to covet the vain and glittering attractions of the world--dress1 equipage1 pleasure1 praise1 fashion1 display and a thousand worldly allurements4 ,the city bill boards are covered with nude harlots4 ,there are no less than #bjj1jjj houses for these social outcasts in our fair land4 ,these open gateways to immorality1 where the virtue of the nation is ground out1 are not only guarded by police force1 but young girls by the #ajj1jjj a year are stolen from country homes by the paid agents1 and sold into these open dens of vice and crime1 where these poor girls die in a short time1 the average length of this life of sin being only five years4 ,and still the people have not a word to say for the suppression of these crime-breeding dens of vice1 but legalize and protect them by law to the ruin of our homes4 ,these are the things that are eating out the spiritual life of the nation1 and for that reason many do not want to retain the thought of ,god in their hearts4 ,hence the responsibilities of life are pressing upon us4 ,as you have seen the child trundling its little hoop by touching it on both sides alternately to keep it from either extreme1 so ,god teaches us both with warning and with promise1 as our spiritual condition requires4 ,sometimes it is warning we need1 and ,he shouts in our ear the solemn admonition1 as a mother would cry to her babe in wild alarm if in danger of falling over the precipice4 ,but1 again1 when we are in danger of being too much depressed1 ,he speaks to us with notes of encouragement and promise1 and tells us there is no real danger of our failing utterly1 and that ,he will never suffer us to be tempted above what we are able4 ,and so we hear ,him saying on one hand1 8,let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall20 but immediately after adding on the other side1 8,god is faithful1 who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able1 but will1 with the temptation1 make a way of escape that ye may be able to bear it40 8,fear not6 ,when temptations try thee ,trust the ,saviour's loving care2 ,no temptation will come nigh thee ,more than thou has strength to bear4 8,fail not6 ,in the hour of testing1 ,christ is pledged to bring thee through ,in ,his arms securely resting ,there thou shalt thy strength renew40 ,we are also impressed with the influence woman has for good or evil4 ,what we need as a nation is consecrated womanhood4 ,when at last we come to calculate the forces that decide the destiny of nations1 it will be found that the mightiest and grandest influence came from home1 where the wife cheered up despondency and fatigue and sorrow by her own sympathy1 and the mother trained her child for heaven1 starting the little feet on the path to the celestial city1 and the sisters1 by their gentleness1 refined the manners of the brother1 and the daughters were diligent in their kindness to the aged1 throwing wreaths of blessing on the road that led father and mother down the steep of years4 ,god bless our homes4 ,and may the home on earth be the vestibule of our home in heaven4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,womanhood in the ,patriarchal ,age4 ,,sarah ,,the ,,beautiful ,,princess--,,her ,,faith ,,tested--,,the ,,mistake ,,of ,,her ,,life--,,her ,,lovely ,,character--,,rebekah--,,an ,,oriental ,,wooing--,,eliezer',s ,,prayer--,,the ,,bride',s ,,answer--,,meeting ,,isaac--,a ,,mother',s ,,love ,,for ,,her ,,son--,,jacob',s ,,flight--,,rebekah1 ,,the ,,beautiful ,,shepherdess--,,seven ,,years' ,,service ,,for ,,her--,,laban',s ,,deception--,,leah1 ,,the ,,tender-,,eyed--,,human ,,favorites--,,divinely ,,honored--,,rachel',s ,,tomb ,,the ,,first ,,monument ,,to ,,human ,,love4 ,from the prominence given to ,eve in connection with the temptation and the overwhelming disasters which followed the loss of the ,eden home in ,paradise1 we are surprised the ,sacred historian passes over a period of about two thousand years without giving us any record of women4 ,the names of good men are mentioned4 ,enoch walked before ,god for over three hundred years1 and the walk was such a perfect one1 and it pleased ,god so well1 that ,he translated ,enoch4 ,noah also 8found grace in the eyes of the ,lord10 and he was 8a just man and perfect in his generations10 and 8walked with ,god10 doubtless as ,enoch had done4 ,no doubt there were others who lived clean1 pure lives4 ,of this number was ,lamech1 the father of ,noah1 for he was comforted in the birth of his son1 saying1 he 8shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands1 because of the ground which the ,lord hath cursed40 ,surely such men must have had good mothers to train them1 and good wives for companions4 ,but nothing is said about these women that walked in ,white ,raiment in that dark and sinful age1 when 8all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth10 until ,sarah1 the fair wife of ,abraham1 is reached4 ,we find this beautiful princess willing to leave her home and her people in the land of ,ur of the ,chaldees and journey for more than a thousand miles to the land of ,canaan4 ,however1 this journey was not a continuous one1 for a long stop was made at ,haran1 in ,mesopotamia1 perhaps half way between ,ur and ,palestine4 ,of her birth and parentage we have no certain account in ,scripture4 ,in ,gen4 xx1 #ab1 ,abraham speaks of her as 8his sister1 the daughter of the same father1 but not the daughter of the same mother40 ,the ,hebrew tradition is that ,sarai is the same as ,iscah1 the daughter of ,haran4 ,this tradition is not improbable in itself1 and certainly supplies the account of the descent of the mother of the chosen race4 ,the change of her name from ,sarai to ,sarah was made on the establishment of the covenant of circumcision between ,abraham and ,god1 and signifies 8princess10 for she was to be the royal ancestress of 8all families of the earth40 ,the beautiful fidelity of this noble woman is shown in her willingness to accompany her husband in all the wanderings of his life4 ,her home in ,mesopotamia was gladly and willingly exchanged for a tent1 and that tent was often taken down and set up during the nomadic life which formed the basis of the patriarchal age4 ,god intended to set forth in ,abraham not only the thought that here man has no continuing city1 but also the life of faith4 ,and this faith of ,abraham is distinguished from the faith of the pious ancestors in this1 that he obtained and held the promises of salvation1 not only for himself1 but for his family2 and from the ,mosaic system1 by the fact that it expressly held the promised blessing in the seed of ,abraham1 as a blessing for all people4 ,but this faith had not only to be developed1 but also tested4 ,it is beautiful to read that ,abraham believed ,god1 but his faith when he went down into ,egypt was far from that when he went 8into the land of ,moriah0 to offer up ,isaac4 ,nothing is plainer in the ,bible than that a man's faith is not a matter of indifference4 ,he can not be disobedient to ,god's calls1 and yet go to heaven when he dies4 ,this is not an arbitrary decision4 ,there is and must be an adequate ground for it4 ,the rejection of ,god's dealings with us is as clear a proof of moral depravity1 as inability to see the light of the sun at noon is a proof of blindness4 ,now let us look at a few of these testings or trials of faith that came into the life of this woman in ,white ,raiment1 this princess in ,israel4 ,she was asked to give up her native land4 ,how dear the fatherland is to the heart1 only those who have passed through the experience can realize4 ,this was not all4 ,she was asked to give up her kindred4 ,to move away from all the associations of childhood and youth1 requires a brave heart4 ,but she was also asked to give up her home1 and what is dearer to a woman's heart than her home8 ,we have no doubt ,sarah's home by the beautiful streams that flow down from the high table-lands of ,armenia into the rich valleys of ,mesopotamia1 was a lovely one1 and to exchange it for tent-life was a brave sacrifice4 ,her love to ,god must have been deep and constant4 ,after a long1 weary journey through the desert sands1 the land of promise is finally reached1 only to find it afflicted with a famine4 ,how often ,sarah must have longed for one look out over the fig orchards1 the olive yards and waving grain fields ripening in the summer's sun of her native ,mesopotamia1 as she looked out over the barren hills1 burned-up fields1 and dried-up water courses of ,palestine4 ,night after night1 ,abraham's tent is pitched1 only to be taken down in the morning1 in quest of pasturage for their herds and flocks1 until the wilderness in the southern extremity of ,canaan is reached4 ,how all this must have tested their faith4 ,had they not mistaken the call of ,god8 ,is it possible that this parched land is the land of promise8 ,how disappointments and failures test our faith1 and the heart of poor ,sarah must have been sorely tried4 ,but there was yet another test1 and a humiliating one at that1 and it seems to look as if their united faith was wavering4 ,she was a beautiful woman1 and they were now upon the very borders of ,egypt1 and there was no other alternative but to perish with famine or to go down into the land of the ,pharaohs4 ,both ,abraham and ,sarah seemed to realize the hazard they were running1 for1 possibly1 the bloom and beauty of ,sarah's face might cost ,abraham's life4 ,so they agreed between them that ,sarah should say that she was his sister1 lest he should be killed4 ,the declaration was not false4 ,she was his half-sister1 but it was not the whole truth1 and it would seem1 from their present conduct1 that their faith1 tested by the famine1 was now wavering1 for1 why not appeal their cause to ,god1 instead of taking it into their own hands8 ,the reason for resorting to this deception was1 if she was regarded as his wife1 an ,egyptian could only obtain her1 when he had first murdered her husband4 ,but if she was his sister1 then there was a hope that she might be won from her brother by loving attentions and costly gifts1 or1 if her beauty came to the notice of ,pharaoh she would be taken to his harem by arbitrary methods4 ,they had not reasoned in vain4 ,the princes of the land saw her1 8and commended her before ,pharaoh10 and 8,sarah was taken into ,pharaoh's house40 ,it is hard for us to understand what a trial of her faith this harem life must have been to the pure-minded ,sarah4 ,how often her mind must have gone out over the stretches of desert wastes to her own land abounding with streams and fertility4 ,and to be conscious that the charms of her person were the centre of attraction in the court of ,egypt4 ,but all this time ,god's eye was a witness to all that was passing4 ,when we get to the end of self1 ,he always comes to our rescue--our extremity is ,his opportunity4 ,in her resided the religious disposition in the highest measure1 and just at a time when the nations appeared about to sink into heathenism1 hence her faith must be saved to the race1 so 8the ,lord plagued ,pharaoh with great plagues10 that is to say1 ,god administered 8blow on blow10 and these were of such a nature as to guard ,sarah from injury4 ,at length the ruler of the land1 whose heart does not seem to be hardened like the later kings1 concludes that his punishment is for the sake of ,sarah1 and restores her to ,abraham4 ,after ,abraham had separated from ,lot1 the ,lord again appeared unto him1 at which time ,abraham complained for the want of an heir4 ,so the ,lord leads ,abraham out of his tent1 under the heavens as seen by night1 and in that land of blue skies1 the night heavens are beautiful indeed4 ,god had promised at first one natural heir1 but now the countless stars which he sees1 should both represent the innumerable seed which should spring from this one heir1 and at the same time be a warrant for his faith4 ,at this point the human element again seeks to aid in bringing about the realization of the divine promise4 ,the childless state of ,abraham's house was its great sorrow1 and the more so1 since it was in perpetual opposition to the calling1 destination1 and faith of ,abraham1 and was a constant trial of his faith4 ,sarah herself1 doubtless1 came gradually more and more1 on account of her barrenness1 to appear as a hindrance to the fulfillment of the divine promise1 and as ,abraham had already fixed his eye upon his head servant1 ,eliezer of ,damascus1 so now ,sarah fixes her eye upon her head maid1 ,hagar the ,egyptian4 ,it must be this maid not only had mental gifts which qualified her for the prominent place she occupied in the household1 but also inward participation in the faith of her mistress4 ,so ,hagar is substituted1 for1 in the substitution1 ,sarah hopes to carry forward the divine purpose of the family4 ,in this she certainly practiced an act of heroic self-denial1 but still1 in her womanly excitement1 anticipated her destiny as ,eve had done1 and carried even ,abraham away with her alluring hope4 ,though she greatly erred in this effort to assist ,god in bringing in the realization of the promise1 and thereby revealed a lack of faith in the divine appointments1 yet we have here a beautiful exhibition of her heroic self-denial even in her error4 ,perhaps1 viewed from the human standpoint1 we should here bring into our narrative also1 the fact1 that they had been already ten years in ,canaan1 and ,sarah was now seventy-five years of age1 waiting in vain for the heir1 through whom the great blessing was to come to all the families of the earth4 ,however1 in all this1 ,sarah1 the noble generous hearted1 had not counted upon the conduct ,hagar would assume in her new relation4 ,as an ,egyptian1 ,hagar seemed to have regarded herself as second wife1 instead of recognizing her subordination to her mistress4 ,this subordination seems to have been assumed by ,abraham1 and hence the apparent indifference probably was the source of ,sarah's sense of injury1 when she exclaimed1 8,my wrong be upon thee40 ,she felt that ,abraham ought to have redressed her wrong--ought to have seen and rebuked the insolence of the maid4 ,beyond a doubt1 looking at the pride and insolence of ,hagar1 from ,sarah's standpoint1 it was very trying4 ,the ,hebrews regarded barrenness as a great evil and a divine punishment1 while fruitfulness was held as a great good and a divine blessing4 ,the unfruitful ,hannah received the like treatment with ,sarah1 from the second wife of ,elkanah4 ,it is still thus1 to-day1 in eastern lands4 ,with almost the tenderness of ,elkanah to the sorrowing ,hannah1 ,abraham says1 8,behold the maid is in thy hand40 ,he regards ,hagar still as the servant1 and the one who fulfills the part of ,sarah4 ,but now the overbent bow flies back with violence4 ,this is the back stroke of her own eager1 overstrained course4 ,sarah now turns and deals harshly with ,hagar4 ,how precisely1 we are not told4 ,doubtless1 through the harsh thrusting her back into the mere position and service of a slave4 ,but ,hagar1 it appears1 would not submit to such treatment4 ,she1 perhaps1 believed that she had grown above such a position1 and fled from the presence of ,sarah4 ,what need was there for ,sarah to learn the lesson of the patience of faith4 ,god had promised her great honors and blessings4 ,there was in her nature much that needed toning up by the grace of patience1 and ,god would take his own best time in developing her life4 ,her haste to anticipate the blessing promised1 not only delayed its realization1 but brought sorrow to her own heart1 and untold trouble to her posterity1 for ,ishmael's hand has been 8against every man1 and every man's hand against him40 ,the ,ishmaelites1 it is said1 8dwelt from ,havilah unto ,shur10 and it is certain that they stretched in very early times across the desert to the ,persian ,gulf1 peopled the north and west of the ,arabian peninsula1 and eventually formed the chief element of the ,arab nation1 which has proved to be a living fountain of humanity whose streams for thousands of years have poured themselves far and wide4 ,its tribes are found in all the borders of ,asia1 in the ,east ,indies1 in all ,northern ,africa1 along the whole ,indian ,ocean down to ,molucca1 they are spread along the coast to ,mozambique1 and their caravans cross ,india to ,china4 ,these wandering hordes of the desert have always and still lead a robber life4 ,they justify themselves in it1 upon the ground of the hard treatment of ,ishmael1 their father1 who1 driven out of his paternal inheritance1 received the desert for his possession1 with the permission to take whatever he could find4 ,mohammed is in the line of ,ishmael1 and the followers of ,islam1 in their pride and delusion1 claim that the rights of primogeniture belong to ,ishmael instead of ,isaac1 and assert their right to lands and goods1 so far as it pleases them4 ,vengeance for blood rules in them1 and the innocent have often fallen victims to their horrible massacres4 ,so that the disaster which overtook the race in this premature anticipation of divine ,providence is second only to the disaster that overtook ,eve in the temptation and the loss of ,paradise4 ,could ,sarah have foreseen all the sad consequences of her unseemly haste to pluck the unripened promise ,god meant to give her1 she certainly would have cultivated the patience of faith4 ,but the years passed on--fifteen of them nearly--since the child ,ishmael had been in the home of the patriarch1 and the visit of the angels under the ,oaks in the plain of ,mamre4 ,during this time ,god had once more renewed his promise to ,abraham1 and also the rite of circumcision had been established1 and1 doubtless1 the symbolical purification of ,abraham and his house1 opened the way for the friendly appearance of ,jehovah in the persons of the angels1 or men1 as the patriarch at first thought them to be1 as he looked up1 while seated in his tent door through the heat of the noontide hours4 ,when he saw the angels1 8he ran to meet them10 and1 it seems1 instantly recognized among the three the one whom he addressed as the ,lord1 and who afterwards was clearly distinguished from the two accompanying angels4 8,if now10 ,abraham asks1 8,i have found favor in ,thy sight1 pass not away40 ,this cordial invitation1 while it has in it the marked hospitality of ,orientals1 to the inner consciousness of ,abraham it had a deeper meaning1 the covenant relation between himself and ,jehovah1 that is1 he hopes this relation is still continued4 ,his humble and pressing invitation1 his zealous preparations1 his modest description of the meal1 his standing by to serve those who were eating1 are picturesque traits of the life of faith as it here reveals itself1 in an exemplary hospitality4 ,this is the custom still in ,eastern lands1 and is referred to by our ,lord in that passage where ,he speaks of ,his second coming1 and shall find ,his people watching1 for ,he will 8make them to sit down to meat1 and will come forth and serve them0 7,luke xii1 #cg71 and seems to be one of the countless instances where1 in the web of the ,holy ,scriptures1 the golden threads of the ,old ,testament are interwoven with those of the ,new1 and form1 as it were1 one whole4 ,and the fact that this beautiful custom of hospitality is still observed among the ,bedouins1 as we can speak from personal knowledge1 is remarkable1 and impresses us with the thought that the covenant blessings1 like some sweet1 heavenly fruitage1 refuses to be lost out of the lives of that ancient people4 ,the meal having been served in this beautiful ,oriental manner1 the ,lord asks1 8,where is ,sarah80 ,abraham made answer1 8,behold1 in the tent40 ,then the ,angel of the ,lord1 not only renews the promise1 but that it should be fully realized in the birth of ,isaac within a year4 ,sarah1 behind the tent door1 hears this unqualified assurance1 but1 viewing it from nature's standpoint1 rendered doubly improbable from her life-long barrenness1 8laughed within herself40 ,we can not regard this as a laugh of unbelief1 or the scoff of doubt1 as some do1 but as a laugh falling short in her conception of ,god4 ,the thing which was impossible according to the established laws of nature1 her faith had not yet grasped as being possible with ,god4 ,but the ,lord1 nevertheless1 observed ,sarah's laugh1 and this divine hearing on the part of the ,angel of the ,lord1 startled her1 and had its part in the strengthening of her faith4 ,it prepared the way for the question1 8,is anything too hard for the ,lord80 ,to her own mind one thing1 namely1 that she should be a mother at ninety years of age1 seemed too hard4 ,and so the question had to do with this very thought1 and must be settled on the side of her faith4 ,and she grandly and heroically asserted her belief that nothing1 not even the seeming insurmountable obstacle which nature interposed1 was too great for ,god to overcome1 and her faith was strengthened1 for we read1 8through faith ,sarah received strength to conceive seed1 and was delivered of a child when she was past age1 because she judged ,him faithful who had promised0 7,heb4 xi1 #aa74 ,the trial of her patience of faith was a long struggle4 ,it took twenty-five years to bring her up to the point where her faith could grasp the truth that nothing was too hard for the ,lord to perform4 ,but this blessed woman at length stood in right relation to ,god1 for1 without faith1 be it observed1 it is impossible to please ,god1 or to receive anything at ,his hands4 ,in due time ,isaac was born4 ,it was the great event in ,sarah's life4 ,as the mother looked down into the face of the son of her bosom she breaks forth in an exultant song of thankfulness1 not unlike that of ,mary1 the blessed virgin4 ,the little song of ,sarah1 it has beautifully been said1 is the first cradle hymn4 ,our ,lord reveals the profoundest source of this joy1 when1 in addressing the ,pharisees1 who held ,abraham to be their father1 said1 8,your father ,abraham rejoiced to see my day40 ,sarah1 in the birth of ,isaac1 is the ancestress of ,christ4 ,spiritually viewed1 the birthday of ,isaac becomes the door or entrance of the day of ,christ1 and the day of ,christ the background of the birthday of ,isaac4 ,another beautiful incident in connection with the childhood of ,isaac is1 that ,sarah1 his mother1 even at her advanced age and exalted station in life1 did not deem it a burden to nurse him4 ,calvin has well said1 8,whom ,god counts worthy of the honor of being a mother ,he at the same time makes a nurse2 and those who feel themselves burdened through the nursing of their children1 rend1 as far as in them lies1 the sacred bond of nature1 unless weakness1 or some infirmities1 form their excuse40 ,but along with the growing child is the mocking ,ishmael4 ,he was fourteen years of age at the birth of ,isaac1 and therefore in the first years of ,isaac1 appears as a playful lad1 and true to his nature1 doubtless developed a characteristic trait of jealousy which would not escape the ever watchful eye of ,sarah1 as she observed his dancing and leaping1 and now and then making hateful faces at the mother's darling1 mocking his childish fears and appeals to the mother for protection4 ,this seems to have been endured by ,sarah until the great feast day1 held to celebrate the weaning of ,isaac4 ,seeing special attention paid to ,isaac by all the invited guests1 his jealousy suddenly developed into envy1 and this1 in turn1 found expression in mockery4 ,sarah could endure these mockings no longer1 for to her sensitive nature1 ,ishmael's mocking the child of promise was but the outward expression of his unbelief in the faith of his parents1 and therefore the word and purpose of ,god4 ,his conduct revealed his unbelief1 and hence was unworthy and incapable of sharing in the blessing1 which then1 as now1 was secured only by faith1 and which had already cost her so much4 ,hence she said to ,abraham1 8,cast out this bondwoman and her son40 ,the treatment may seem harsh1 but there could be no peace or happiness in that household until the mocking ,ishmael was out of it4 ,this mother1 whose spiritual faith had been quickened in a marvelous manner1 was clear-sighted enough to see that the purposes of ,god in reference to ,isaac could only become actual through this separation4 ,the fact that the prompt1 sharp determination that 8the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir0 with ,isaac1 8was very grievous in ,abraham's sight10 shows that his prejudice in favor of the rights of the natural first-born needed correction4 ,and ,god confirmed the judgment of ,sarah4 ,for the exclusion of ,ishmael was requisite not only to the prosperity of ,isaac and the line of the promise1 but to the welfare of ,ishmael himself4 ,and the man of faith1 who should later offer up ,isaac1 must now be able to offer up ,ishmael also4 ,after the sending away of ,hagar and her son ,ishmael1 there is but one incident recorded in the life of ,abraham1 namely the treaty or covenant of peace with ,abimelech1 ,king of ,gerar1 though probably several years passed away between the departure of ,hagar and the last great test or trial of ,abraham in the offering up of ,isaac on ,mt4 ,moriah4 ,the son of promise had grown to be a lad of sixteen or seventeen years of age1 when the voice of the ,lord called unto ,abraham1 saying1 8,take now thy son1 thine only son ,isaac1 whom thou lovest1 and get thee into the land of ,moriah2 and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which ,i will tell thee of40 ,it would seem that this message came to ,abraham while asleep--in a dream as we would say--and therefore all the more trying as such a revelation1 under such circumstances might well be questioned4 ,upon waking out of his sleep he might reasonably question the import of such a dream1 especially since ,isaac was his only child1 and the son of promise4 ,but it appears that ,abraham did not stop to explain away this command1 and we must believe that he did not even inform ,sarah of this heart-crushing revelation1 for neither she nor ,isaac knew at the time the special object of the journey4 ,promptly ,abraham made the necessary preparations1 and set out on the three days' journey4 ,his obedience is absolute4 ,there is not even a question raised as to his correctly understanding the duty required of him4 ,to suppose that ,abraham did not have the bleeding heart of a father in this great trial1 would be to destroy the force of this testing of his faith4 ,and the fact that he had three days' time in which he could change his purpose1 made the conflict within him all the harder4 ,the lad and the mother could easily see from the wood1 and the fire1 and the knife1 that he went not merely to worship1 but to sacrifice4 ,the testing was still more heart-breaking when1 at the end of the journey1 at the foot of ,moriah1 while ,abraham is in the act of laying the wood upon the obedient ,isaac1 the heir of promise said1 8,my father1 behold the fire and the wood1 but where is the lamb for a burnt offering80 ,how the bleeding heart of the father must have been touched afresh as he looked upon ,isaac as 8the lamb10 yet1 as if the hour for the fuller revelation had not yet come1 made answer1 8,my son1 ,god will provide ,himself a lamb40 ,and so the two1 the father and the son1 slowly climb the rugged sides of ,moriah to its very summit1 and ,abraham built an altar1 as he so often had done before1 for1 wherever ,abraham had a tent1 ,god had an altar1 and in the building of this altar we may well believe the loving1 obedient ,isaac assisted4 ,then the wood was laid upon it4 ,all was ready for 8the lamb60 ,but ,god had not yet provided the victim4 ,what passed between father and son the ,sacred record has not revealed4 ,however1 we must believe it was the ,gethsemane struggle with ,isaac1 and that in the end he said to ,abraham1 as ,christ1 under similar circumstances1 said to ,his heavenly ,father1 8,thy will be done40 ,and1 perhaps1 this loving self-surrender of ,isaac made it all the harder for the father's heart4 ,but1 somehow1 we can not understand it1 only in the light of complete self-surrender to the will of ,god1 he 8bound ,isaac his son1 and laid him on the altar upon the wood10 and1 nerving himself for the last great act1 he 8stretched forth his hand1 and took the knife to slay his son40 ,but ,god1 during this scene on ,mount ,moriah1 was an interested spectator4 ,he saw that the obedience of faith--the complete self-surrender of ,abraham's will--was perfect4 8,and the angel of the ,lord called unto him out of heaven1 and said1 #8,lay not thine hand upon the lad1 neither do thou anything unto him1 for now ,i know that thou fearest ,god1 seeing thou hast not withheld thy son1 thine only son1 from me4'0 ,it is worthy of observation that1 while the command to offer up ,isaac came in a dream1 and therefore open to misgiving1 the command to stay his hand is spoken by the angel of ,jehovah out of heaven4 ,abraham was perfect in his faith1 and how far it reached into the great love for ,god and self-surrender to ,his will1 we shall never know4 ,paul1 speaking of this wonderful victory over self1 said that ,abraham accounted that ,god was able to raise up ,isaac1 8even from the dead2 from whence also he received him in a figure40 ,though all his hope1 humanly speaking1 perished out of his heart when he took up the sacrificial knife on ,moriah1 yet his faith overleaped human limitations into the infinite ability of ,god to raise up ,isaac out of the ashes upon his altar4 ,such faith was possible for ,abraham1 for ,god asks no impossibilities at the hands of men1 and what was possible for this man of faith is possible for any of us1 if we are willing to pay the price4 ,let no one think1 however1 that such fruits of righteousness drop into the lap of the faithless4 ,but through this severe testing1 ,sarah nowhere appears on the scene4 ,it may be1 infinite love would spare the mother's heart4 ,it may be1 also1 the last great trial of her faith took place in the tent1 stretched under the oaks1 in the plain of ,mamre4 ,there is a ,jewish tradition that when ,sarah fully learned the nature of the journey to ,moriah1 and the scene which there took place1 the shock of it killed her1 and ,abraham found her dead on his return home4 ,this may do as a tradition1 but not as the finale of ,god's dealing with ,his people4 ,the potter1 as he fashions the vessel upon the wheel1 does not seek to break it4 ,so ,god does not test us beyond our capacity to endure4 ,then1 also1 if ,isaac was born when ,sarah was ninety years of age1 and she died at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven1 and the scene on ,moriah took place when ,isaac was a lad of sixteen or seventeen1 she lived for twenty years after that event1 to be a comfort and a blessing in her home4 ,at length this princess in ,israel1 tested and tried1 and found true1 died at ,hebron at the good age of one hundred and twenty-seven years1 and ,abraham wept over her1 and well he might1 for she had shared his trials and was a good and faithful wife1 and she was a mother1 even more than a wife4 ,abraham purchased the cave of ,machpelah of ,ephron1 the ,hittite1 and tenderly laid the remains of this lovely woman to rest in one of the chambers of the cave4 ,it is the first burial mentioned in the ,sacred records4 ,and the tomb remains unto this day1 hallowed in the eyes of ,jews1 ,christians and ,mohammedans alike1 and was visited by the writer4 ,the lesson which ,god would teach us in the life of this woman in ,white ,raiment is that testings are necessary to the development of faith1 and that these testings come to us in the most ordinary events of our daily lives4 ,all ,christians surely know by experience that events which seemed all darkness at first have ultimately brought them nearer to the light4 ,the much-dreaded cloud has proved to be only a veil under which ,god hides ,his mighty power4 ,his gracious query1 8,is anything too hard for the ,lord80 has comforted us1 and has turned what we thought to be a curse into a blessing4 ,o1 can we not trust ,him in the darkness as well as in the light1 knowing that ,he can bring calm out of storm1 and that he often chooses the darkness and the cloud as a special medium by which to reveal himself8 ,could we climb to heaven by some other way1 and escape the shadows and the storms of life1 how much should we miss of the blessed manifestations of ,god's revelations of ,his power4 ,god speaks to listening ears and waiting hearts as truly to-day as ,he did before the tent door under the oaks in the plain of ,mamre4 ,he may speak to us through his providence1 through the voice of a friend1 through a book or a sermon2 but perhaps ,he does so most frequently in the little details of everyday life1 in which we can not fail to see ,his dealings with us if our hearts are turned expectantly toward him4 ,only let us be admonished by ,sarah's sad mistake4 ,that she made it1 proves that she was human4 ,but let us be afraid of sin4 ,the door once open1 none of us can tell into what endless labyrinths of sorrow it will lead us4 ,god wants a tried people1 not only for their own sake but that they may be a blessing to others4 ,and now we come to a most beautiful scene in ,sacred ,history4 ,while1 as a whole1 the ,bible gives the drama of human sin and divine redemption1 yet it pauses in its wonderful revelations to let us look into the homes of the people who lived ages ago4 ,it somehow touches human life on all its sides4 ,other books which are held sacred by eastern nations1 give woman only contemptuous mention4 ,this one recognizes the dignity and beauty of her life and work4 ,it tells in seven verses the story of ,enoch1 who walked with ,god three hundred and sixty-five years and who was holy enough to escape death1 while it gives sixty-six verses to the wooing and wedding of ,rebekah and ,isaac4 ,in the pictures which the ,sacred ,record opens to us of the domestic life of the patriarchal age1 perhaps this is the most perfectly characteristic and beautiful idyl of a marriage1 and how it was brought about4 ,in its sweetness and sacred simplicity1 it is a marvelous contrast to the wedding of our modern fashionable life4 ,and surely1 since ,god's ,book gives so much time and space to the domestic life of women1 the daughters of modern ,christianity ought to regard themselves and their affairs of the utmost importance4 ,for the sake of ,him who gave them such prominence and recognition1 they ought to love ,him4 ,abraham1 the friend of ,god1 understood fully that it would never do to have the heir of promise fall into the hands of a heathen wife4 ,he could not bear the thought of taking one of the corrupt ,canaanites into his family1 with the chance of her leading ,isaac into the abominable worship of her gods4 ,parents often frustrate the grace of ,god and mar ,his plans irreparably by being careless of the worldly associations and affinities of their children4 ,sarah1 the beautiful and beloved1 had been tenderly laid away in the cave of ,machpelah1 and ,isaac is now forty years of age4 ,forty years1 however1 in those good old times1 is yet young1 when the thread of mortal life ran out to a hundred and seventy-five or eighty years4 ,as ,abraham has nearly reached that far period1 his sun of life is dipping downwards toward the evening horizon4 ,he has but one care remaining--to settle his son ,isaac in life before he is gathered to his fathers4 ,the scene where ,abraham discusses the subject with his head servant sheds a peculiar light on the domestic and family relations of those days4 ,calling ,eliezer1 his most trusty servant1 he discloses to him his purpose1 and makes him take an oath that he will faithfully carry out his wishes4 ,but ,abraham's steward saw the difficulties of such a proxy wooing1 and expressed a fear that the young woman would object to so hazardous a journey to share the home of a man whom she had never seen and of whom she had possibly never before heard4 ,so1 to make matters sure1 he asks if it would not be better to take ,isaac with him8 ,to this request the patriarch replied1 8,beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again40 ,abraham saw that there was too much risk in allowing ,isaac to go back to the old home4 ,he might have to be scourged out of it as was ,jacob1 the next in the line1 a few years later4 ,he must do right and trust ,god4 ,so he told his steward1 8,the ,lord1 before whom ,i walk1 will send his angel before thee and prosper thy way1 and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred and of my father's house40 ,then1 as he saw the ever-present contingency with which human free agency may frustrate even ,divine ,providence1 he added1 8,and if the woman will not be willing to follow thee1 then thou shalt be clear from this thine oath2 only bring not my son thither again40 ,the picture of the preparations made for this embassy denotes a princely station and great wealth4 8,and the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master1 and departed2 for all the goods of his master were in his hand2 and he arose and went to ,mesopotamia1 unto the city of ,nahor40 ,now comes a quaint and beautiful picture of the manners of those pastoral days4 ,he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water1 at the time of the evening when the women go out to draw water4 ,with the kneeling camels around the well1 the aged ,eliezer uncovers his head in the evening twilight1 and with closed eyes and face raised towards heaven1 he talks to ,god in this simple and yet eloquent way1 8,o1 ,lord ,god of my master ,abraham1 ,i pray thee1 send me good speed this day1 and show kindness unto my master ,abraham4 ,behold6 ,i stand here by the well of water2 and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water3 ,and let it come to pass that the damsel to whom ,i shall say1 ,let down thy pitcher1 ,i pray thee1 that ,i may drink2 and she shall say1 ,drink and ,i will give thy camels drink also3 let that same be she that ,thou hast appointed for ,thy servant ,isaac2 and thereby shall ,i know that ,thou hast shewed kindness unto my master40 ,it is to be observed that this aged servant talked to ,god with all the simplicity and directness of a child with its mother4 ,he told the ,lord where he stood1 and it was in the most likely place about an ,oriental city at evening time1 for all the damsels come out to the well at that hour of the day to draw water4 ,he did not doubt that there was a bride for ,isaac in the town2 and he wanted to find the right one immediately4 ,the care of ,abraham's affairs pressed him1 and he wanted to get through the matter with as little waste of time and sentiment as possible4 ,that he might not make any mistake in his delicate mission1 he tells the ,lord of a little test he thought of using4 ,he needed a sign from ,god to select the bride from among the women who should come to the well4 ,he used his own judgment as far as it went2 but it stopped short of a decision4 ,he specified that the chosen one should be industrious1 hospitable1 deft1 courteous4 ,she should be qualified to stand at the head of a princely establishment4 ,his prayer was speedily granted1 for thus the story goes on1 8,and it came to pass1 before he had done speaking1 that1 behold ,rebekah came out1 who was born to ,bethuel1 son of ,milcah1 the wife of ,nahor1 ,abraham's brother40 ,it is noticeable1 how strong is the sensibility to womanly beauty in this narrative4 ,this young ,rebekah is thus announced3 8,and the damsel was very fair to look upon1 and a virgin1 and she went down to the well1 and filled her pitcher1 and came up40 ,drawn by the bright eyes1 and fair face1 the old servant hastens to apply the test1 doubtless hoping that this lovely creature is the appointed one for his young master4 8,and the servant ran to meet her1 and said1 ,let me1 ,i pray thee1 drink a little water of thy pitcher4 ,and she said1 ,drink1 my ,lord2 and she hastened1 and let down her pitcher upon her hand1 and gave him drink40 ,she gave with a will1 with a grace and readiness that outflowed the request1 and then it is added3 8,and when she had done giving him drink1 she said1 ,i will draw water for thy camels also1 until they have done drinking4 ,and she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough1 and ran again unto the well to draw water1 and drew for all his camels40 ,let us fancy ten camels1 all on their knees1 in a row1 at the trough1 with their long necks1 and patient1 care-worn faces1 while the pretty young damsel1 with cheerful alacrity1 is dashing down the water from her pitcher1 filling and emptying in quick succession1 apparently making nothing of the toil2 the gray-haired old servant1 looking on in devout recognition of the answer to his prayer1 for the story says3 8,and the man1 wondering at her1 held his peace1 to wit 7know7 whether the ,lord had made his journey prosperous or not40 ,there was wise penetration into life and the essentials of wedded happiness in this prayer of the old servant4 ,what he asked for his young master was not beauty1 or talent1 but a ready and unfailing outflow of sympathy and kindness4 ,he asked not merely for a gentle nature1 a kind heart1 but he asked for a heart so rich in kindness that it should run even beyond what was asked1 and be ready to anticipate the request with new devices of helpfulness2 the lively1 lighthearted kindness that could not be content with waiting on the thirsty old man1 but with cheerful alacrity took upon herself the care of all the ten camels4 ,this was a gift beyond that of beauty1 yet when it came in the person of a maiden exceedingly fair to look upon1 no marvel that the old man wondered joyously at his success4 ,instantly1 as the camels had done drinking1 he produced from his treasury golden earrings and bracelets with which he adorned the maiden4 ,we can easily imagine the maidenly delight with which she ran to exhibit the gifts of jewelry that thus unexpectedly descended upon her4 ,nor does ,eliezer fail to offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for divine guidance4 ,in this he set a worthy example to all who seek direction from ,god4 ,he said1 8,i1 being in the way1 the ,lord led me40 ,a free translation would be1 8,i used my own judgment as far as it would go1 which was a long distance from a safe conclusion1 and the ,lord led me the rest of the way40 ,bethuel1 when he saw the gifts and heard the words of ,rebekah1 hastened to the well and said to ,eliezer1 8,come in1 thou blessed of the ,lord2 wherefore standest thou without8 for ,i have prepared the house1 and room for the camels4 ,and the man came into the house3 and he ungirded the camels1 and gave straw and provender for the camels1 and water to wash his feet1 and the men's feet that were with him4 ,and there was set meat before him to eat3 but he said1 ,i will not eat1 till ,i have told my errand4 ,and he said1 ,speak on40 ,he then related the purport of his journey1 of the prayer that he had uttered at the well1 and of its fulfillment in a generous-minded and beautiful young maiden1 and thus he ends his story3 8,and now1 if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master1 tell me3 and if not1 tell me2 that ,i may turn to the right hand or to the left40 ,bethuel answered1 8,behold1 ,rebekah is before thee2 take her1 and go1 and let her be thy master's son's wife1 as the ,lord hath spoken40 8,and it came to pass1 that when ,abraham's servant heard their words1 he worshipped the ,lord1 bowing himself to the earth40 ,and now comes a scene most captivating to female curiosity4 8,the servant brought forth jewels of silver1 and jewels of gold1 and raiment1 and gave them to ,rebekah2 he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things40 ,the scene of examining jewelry and garments and rich stuffs in the family party would have made no mean subject for a painter4 ,no wonder such a suitor sending such gifts found welcome entertainment4 ,so the story goes on3 8,and they did eat and drink1 he and the men that were with him1 and tarried all night2 and they rose up in the morning and he said1 ,send me away unto my master4 ,and her brother and her mother said1 ,let the damsel abide with us a few days1 at the least ten1 and after that she shall go40 8,and he said unto them1 ,hinder me not1 seeing the ,lord hath prospered my way2 send me away1 that ,i may go to my master4 ,and they said1 ,we will call the damsel and inquire at her mouth4 ,and they called ,rebekah1 and said unto her1 ,wilt thou go with this man8 ,and she said1 ,i will go40 ,her prompt reply to this important question was an index to her character4 ,the ,divine approval of her ready obedience gave her a grand prophetic ,messianic promise that thousands of millions should be gathered into ,his ,kingdom from the conquest 8of those which hate them40 ,this extra ,hebrew prophecy was a flash of ,god's light on the fact that our ,lord should be the ,saviour1 not only of the ,jews1 but of the entire world4 ,thus far this wooing seems to have been conceived and conducted in that simple religious spirit recognized in the words of the old prayer1 8,grant that all our work may be begun1 continued and ended in thee40 ,the ,father of nations has been a never-failing presence in every turn4 8,and ,rebekah arose1 and her damsels1 and they rode upon the camels1 and followed the man2 and the servant took ,rebekah1 and went his way40 ,it was a long way from the city of ,nahor1 in ,mesopotamia to ,hebron in the southern borders of ,palestine1 and between the ,euphrates and the land of promise stretched leagues of hot desert sands1 through which the camels slowly and patiently toiled day after day with their precious burden4 ,but at length ,damascus with its refreshing streams1 and ,mt4 ,hermon with its dome lifted among the clouds1 were passed1 and1 towards evening of the last day1 just as they reached the head of the valley of ,eschol1 from the summit of which opens a magnificent view through the whole length of the valley1 8,rebekah lifted up her eyes1 and when she saw ,isaac she lighted off the camel4 ,for she had said unto the servant1 ,what man is this that walketh in the field to meet us8 ,and the servant had said1 ,it is my master2 therefore she took a veil and covered herself40 ,doubtless for days ,isaac had walked the mile and a half from his mother's tent to where the valley of ,eschol forms a junction with the plain of ,mamre1 from whence he could look up the narrow valley and view the approaching caravan at a considerable distance4 ,the expectant bridegroom1 brought up with the strictest notions of filial submission1 waits to receive his wife dutifully from his father's hand1 and yet1 we fancy1 day after day he goes out to meet her1 and now the long-expected caravan1 with ,eliezer1 his father's most trusted servant1 at its head1 is approaching at eventide1 and he quickens his step to meet his bride4 ,from what we have already seen of ,rebekah1 she is lively1 lighthearted1 kind1 possessed of an alert readiness1 prompt to see and do what is to be done at the moment4 ,no dreamer is she1 but a wideawake young woman who knows her own mind exactly1 and has the fit word and fit action ready for each short turn in life4 ,she was quick1 cheerful and energetic in hospitality4 ,she was prompt and unhesitating in her resolve2 and yet1 at the moment of meeting1 she knew the value and propriety of the veil4 ,she covered herself that she might not unsought be won4 8,and ,isaac brought her into his mother ,sarah's tent40 ,tent life in the days of ,abraham1 in our estimation1 must have been not only desirable1 but grand and glorious4 ,living1 as they did1 so closely in contact with nature1 as ,god made it1 fresh1 pure air1 babbling brooks1 rippling streams1 and blue skies1 theirs was a happy life4 ,they were not confined in crowded cities1 surrounded by dismal walls1 but on the hillsides1 the open valleys and the unbounded plains4 ,their tent was pitched in a clump of oaks1 near a living stream1 and overlooked the plain of ,mamre--a beautiful picture of freedom1 ease and comfort4 ,to such a place he took ,rebekah1 and she became his wife2 and he loved her2 and ,isaac was comforted after his mother's death4 ,so ends this most charming story of domestic life in the patriarchal age4 ,for beauty1 simplicity and directness it has no equal4 ,we also see1 in the closing words1 one of those delicate and tender natures that find repose first in the love of a mother1 and when that stay is withdrawn1 lean upon a beloved wife4 ,so ideally pure1 and sweet1 and tenderly religious has been the whole inception and carrying on and termination of this wedding1 that ,isaac and ,rebekah have been remembered in the wedding ritual of ,christian churches as models of a holy marriage according to the divine will4 ,though for nineteen years ,rebekah was childless1 yet retained she her husband's love4 ,this may have been a trial to ,isaac1 since the line of the blessing was to pass through him4 ,that he thought much about it is evident1 for1 at length1 he 8entreated the ,lord for his wife10 and his intercession was based upon a divine foundation in ,jehovah's promise4 ,and1 possibly1 even ,isaac had to be educated up to this point1 namely1 that the seed of promise must be sought from ,god1 so that it should be regarded1 not as the fruit of nature1 but as the gift of divine grace4 ,in due time ,esau and ,jacob were born1 and they were twins1 but with natures and characteristics marked more for their contrasts than similarity4 ,beyond the bare statement1 8,and the boys grew10 nothing is said of their childhood and youth--the formative periods of their lives4 ,when they had grown to manhood's estate1 we are informed that 8,esau was a cunning hunter1 a man of the field2 and ,jacob was a plain man1 dwelling in tents40 ,the free and easy life in the chase developed in ,esau a robust appearance1 and for that reason1 and also 8because he did eat of his venison10 ,isaac loved ,esau4 ,jacob is represented to us as of a more delicate make-up and naturally appealed more to the mother heart4 8,rebekah loved ,jacob40 ,from merely a parental standpoint1 both were wrong4 ,even though the characteristics of these boys were wide apart1 the parents should have been united in their love1 and impartially discharged their duties1 and let ,god1 in his own good time1 make ,his selection4 ,but here1 as in the lives of ,abraham and ,sarah1 ,isaac and ,rebekah delayed the blessing ,god designed they should have1 and brought sorrow into their own lives4 ,it is evident that the ardent ,rebekah1 by her animated1 energetic declarations1 formed a very significant complement to ,isaac1 confiding more in the divine declarations as to her boys than ,isaac did1 and therefore better able to appreciate the deeper nature of ,jacob4 ,but when ,isaac shows his preference for ,esau to be the heir1 the courageous woman forgets her vocation1 and with artifice counsels ,jacob to steal the blessing from ,isaac--a transgression for which she had to atone in not seeing her favorite son after she sent him away1 out of reach of his brother's anger4 ,she had only ,esau left1 and he must have made her feel that it was her partiality that had robbed him of what he prized most highly4 ,his heathen wives had been a 8grief of mind0 to her4 ,she said1 in her diplomatic effort to get ,jacob off to a place of safety1 8,i am weary of my life because of the daughters of ,heth4 ,if ,jacob take a wife from the daughters of ,heth1 such as these which are the daughters of the land1 what good shall my life do me80 ,probably ,esau did not mend matters by adding to his family the ,ishmaeltish woman4 ,rebekah's habit of managing affairs may be more common than we think4 ,it is the fault of energetic souls4 ,she loved ,jacob with the passionate1 tropical strength of her fervid heart4 ,she would not trust ,god to give him what she believed he ought to receive4 ,it is very hard for such as she to wait patiently for the ,lord when ,his delays are developing faith4 ,however1 viewed from a human standpoint1 her faith in the divine purposes was much more clear-sighted than that of ,isaac4 ,consenting to be laid on the altar as a sacrifice to ,god1 ,isaac had the stamp of submission early and deeply impressed on his soul4 ,hence1 in the spiritual aspect of his character1 he was the man of patience1 of acquiescence1 of susceptibility1 of obedience4 ,rebekah1 on the other hand1 was energetic1 intensely active1 self-confident1 a most excellent manager1 even tricky1 but nevertheless capable and efficient4 ,she had the faults which usually go with such traits of character4 ,taking things into her own hands1 she even meddled with ,providence4 ,but was she not provoked to this act by ,isaac himself8 ,isaac's willful act does not consist alone in his arbitrary determination to present ,esau with the blessing of the theocratic birthright1 although ,rebekah received that divine sentence respecting her children before their birth1 and which1 no doubt1 she had mentioned to him1 but the manner in which he intends to bless ,esau4 ,he arranges to bless him in unbecoming secrecy1 without the knowledge of ,rebekah and ,jacob4 ,the preparation of the venison1 in its main point of view1 is an excuse to gain time and place for the secret act4 ,in this point of view1 the act of ,rebekah appears in a different light4 ,his well-calculated prudence was skillfully caught in the net of ,rebekah's shrewdness4 ,a want of divine confidence may be recognized through all his actions4 ,rebekah1 however1 has so far the advantage of him that she in her deception has the divine assurance that ,jacob was the heir1 while ,isaac has only his human reason without any inward spiritual certainty4 ,rebekah's error consists in thinking that she must direct divine ,providence by means of human deception4 ,the divine promise would have been fulfilled without her assistance4 ,of course1 when compared with ,isaac's fatal error1 she was right4 ,though she deceived him greatly1 misled her favorite son1 and alienated ,esau from her1 there was yet something saving in her action according to her intentions4 ,for to ,esau the most comprehensive blessing might have become only a curse4 ,he was not fitted for it4 ,viewed from ,rebekah's point of view1 the lesson for us is1 we are not to do evil1 that good may come4 ,the sinful element in her act was the wrong application of her assurance of faith1 for which she suffered1 perhaps1 many long years of melancholy solitude4 ,had this noble woman in ,white ,raiment not erred she would not have been human4 ,as a whole1 she has a beautiful character--beautiful in its generous helpfulness1 in its prudence1 in its magnanimity1 and in her theocratic zeal of faith4 ,here ,rebekah obviously disappears from the stage of life4 ,it has been conjectured that she died during ,jacob's sojourn in ,padan-aram1 whither she had sent him to escape the tragic consequences of her hasty conduct1 for she is not mentioned when ,jacob returned to his father1 nor do we hear of her burial till it is incidentally mentioned by ,jacob on his deathbed4 ,she was buried in the cave of ,machpelah1 by the side of ,sarah4 ,after ,jacob had obtained the theocratic birthright he fled from his father's home in ,beer-sheba to ,padan-aram1 or the city of ,haran1 in ,mesopotamia4 ,haran was situated about four hundred and fifty miles north-east from ,beer-sheba4 ,if the young man walked thirty miles a day1 for he performed this long journey over the mountains and through the desert on foot1 it took him fifteen days4 ,no doubt1 as he drew near the well1 before the city1 he was footsore1 dust-covered1 homesick1 and greatly depressed in mind1 for the occasion of his sudden departure and the anger of his brother ,esau were still fresh in memory4 ,but what a quaint1 picturesque scene of ,oriental life is presented to our view4 ,it is yet early evening4 ,the shepherds1 with their flocks1 are moving from various points over the plain to one common centre4 ,three of the shepherds had already arrived1 and ,jacob salutes them1 and asks1 8,my brethren1 whence be ye80 ,and they answered1 8,of ,haran40 ,then he inquired1 8,know ye ,laban80 ,they made reply1 8,we know him10 then1 pointing to a shepherdess slowly leading her flock over the plain towards the well1 said1 8,behold ,rachel1 his daughter1 cometh with the sheep40 ,while he was yet talking with the shepherds1 ,rachel drew near 8with her father's sheep40 ,jacob saw his opportunity1 for the great stone over the mouth of the well had not been removed1 and1 though it was the work of three men to remove the stone1 he hastens to perform this task for the beautiful shepherdess alone1 and does for her what his mother had done for ,eliezer's camels1 watered her flock4 ,clearly1 it was love at first sight4 ,rachel must have deeply impressed him4 ,and what could have been her thoughts as she stood by her flock and saw this youth pour bucketfull after bucketfull into the stone troughs for her sheep8 ,it was certainly an impressive introduction4 ,the sheep watered1 and before he made himself known1 he stepped up to the bewitching shepherdess1 and kissed her4 ,this story of ,rachel1 the pretty shepherdess of the plains of ,mesopotamia1 who took with a glance the heart of the loving1 homesick ,jacob1 and held it to the end of her days1 has always had a peculiar interest1 for there is that in it which appeals to some of the deepest feelings of the human heart4 ,the beauty of ,rachel1 the deep love with which she was loved by ,jacob from their first meeting by the well of ,haran1 when he showed to her the simple courtesies of the desert life1 and kissed her and told her he was ,rebekah's son2 the long servitude with which he patiently served for her1 in which the seven years 8seemed to him but a few days1 for the love he had to her20 their marriage at last1 after the cruel disappointment through the fraud which substituted the elder sister in the place of the younger2 and the death of ,rachel 8in the way to ,ephrath1 which is ,bethlehem10 when she had given birth to ,benjamin1 and had become still more endeared to her husband2 his deep grief and ever-living regrets for her loss--these things make up a touching tale of personal and domestic history which has kept alive the memory of ,rachel through all the long centuries down to the present time4 ,her untimely death has been likened to a 8bunch of violets pulled up by the roots1 with the soil clinging to them--their exquisite perfume reminding one of the leafy nook in which they grew40 ,what a mystery is love6 ,we can not define it4 ,it can only be unlocked by the key of experience4 ,love is not a product of the reason4 ,it is the free play of the spiritual sensibilities in the possession of its object4 ,and if human love is inexplicable1 divine love is an ocean too deep for the plummet of man1 and by far too broad to be bounded by the thought of the loftiest intelligence in the universe4 ,chaste human love is a beautiful thing1 by which conjugal love is afterwards more and more strengthened and confirmed4 ,and1 in this scene at the well1 we have emphasized the fact that virtuous maidens do not need to attend large1 exciting assemblies or popular resorts1 to get husbands4 ,if they are true to themselves1 they can safely trust ,god1 who is able to give them pious1 honorable and upright husbands4 ,as soon as ,rachel learned that ,jacob was her father's nephew1 and that he was ,rebekah's son1 8she ran and told her father40 ,when ,laban heard ,rachel's story1 he hastened to meet ,jacob1 and brought him to his house4 ,after a short stay as the guest of the family1 it seemed best to ,laban that wages should be given to ,jacob for his services1 but instead of wages he desires ,rachel1 and1 instead of service for an indefinite time1 he promises a service of seven years4 ,jacob's service1 it is thought by some writers1 represents the price which was usually paid for the wife4 ,doubtless1 ,rachel was worth to ,jacob the years of service he paid1 but doubtless then1 as now1 prices varied according to age and beauty1 and in some ,eastern countries the prices are higher than in others4 ,the custom still exists4 ,a man without means serves from three to seven years for his bride4 ,to ,jacob1 these years of service seemed but a few days4 ,his love for ,rachel made his long service a delight to him4 ,he was cheerful and joyful in hope4 ,at the end of the years of service ,laban made a great nuptial feast4 ,these ,oriental weddings last seven days4 ,doubtless ,laban arranged this feast1 the better to facilitate ,jacob's deception by the coming and going of guests1 and the general bustle and noise characteristic of such occasions4 ,the deception was also possible through the custom1 namely1 the bride was led veiled to the bridegroom and the bridal chamber4 ,laban probably believed1 as to the base deception1 that he would be excused1 because he had already in view the concession of the second daughter1 so ,leah1 the elder daughter1 was substituted4 ,the motive for this is not stated4 ,perhaps ,laban recognized a skillful and useful shepherd in ,jacob4 ,he may also have acted from regard to his own interest1 especially since he knew that ,jacob possessed a great inheritance at home4 ,the substitution of ,leah for ,rachel is the first retribution ,jacob experienced for the deceitful practices of his former days4 ,he had1 through fraud and cunning1 secured the place and blessing of ,esau--he1 the younger1 in place of the elder4 ,now1 by the same deceit1 the elder is put upon him in the place of the younger4 ,god has somehow so arranged the affairs of men1 that what a man sows1 that shall he also reap4 ,sin is often punished with sin4 ,when ,laban was asked for an explanation of his conduct1 he replied that it was not the custom in his country to give the younger into marriage before the first-born1 a bit of information he should have given ,jacob when he first made suit for ,rachel4 ,his excuse does not justify in the least his deception1 but there was1 however1 a sting for ,jacob in his reply1 namely1 in the emphasis of the right of the first-born4 ,there was1 therefore1 nothing left for ,jacob but to give another seven years' service for ,rachel4 ,so1 at the end of the marriage week or feast of ,leah1 the second wedding followed1 and the years of service were rendered afterwards4 ,we do not know why ,rachel was affectionately loved1 while ,leah held but an indifferent place in ,jacob's heart4 ,but then there is no accounting for1 or explaining1 love4 ,leah1 it is said1 was 8tender-eyed10 that is to say1 weak-eyed4 ,this1 however1 does not necessarily mean she was sore-eyed or blear-eyed1 but simply they were not full1 clear1 and sparkling1 not in keeping with the ,oriental idea of beauty1 though otherwise she might have been comely4 ,but to an ,oriental1 black eyes1 clear1 lustrous1 full of life and fire1 especially1 when in addition to all these1 the eye is expressive1 are considered the principal part of female beauty4 ,rachel was the fortunate possessor of all these charming qualities of ,eastern beauty1 and so must have charmed1 captivated1 and held ,jacob in spite of all other obstacles4 ,that ,leah tried to win his affections is evident from what she says in connection with the birth of ,reuben1 her first born4 8,now therefore10 she says1 8my husband will love me40 ,no doubt1 during the seven years that ,jacob was in the home of ,laban1 her love for him became deep and strong1 which had1 no doubt1 induced her to consent to ,laban's deception4 ,so1 after the birth of the first son1 she hoped to win1 through her child1 ,jacob's love in the strictest sense4 ,after the birth of the second1 she hoped to be put on a footing of equality with ,rachel1 and to be delivered from her disregard4 ,after the third one1 she hoped at least for a constant affection4 ,at the birth of the fourth1 she looked entirely away from her surroundings to ,jehovah by calling him ,judah--praised be ,jehovah4 ,if ,rachel obtained ,jacob's affections because of her beauty and loveliness1 and he refused to bestow upon ,leah that affectionate consideration for which she was grieving her life away1 it may be a comfort to those who suffer as ,leah did1 to know that ,god does not look for beauty from man's standpoint1 and that the sweet graces of mind and heart go farther than personal charms1 for ,he certainly conferred more honor upon her than ,he did upon ,rachel4 ,he gave her more children than to ,rachel4 ,she was also1 through her posterity1 the mother of ,moses1 ,david1 ,john the ,baptist1 and the greatest honor of all1 was the mother of our precious ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,leah was not an idolator1 so far as we know1 while the beautiful ,rachel was tainted with this abomination1 and it seems to have clung to her posterity1 for it was the tribe of ,ephraim that led ,israel in the sin of idol worship4 ,so that while ,leah may not have been as beautiful as her fair sister1 she was more loyal to ,god1 and doubtless was1 on that account1 so greatly honored of ,him4 ,but the fair1 clear-eyed1 beautiful ,rachel1 like the lovely ,sarah and sprightly ,rebekah1 was barren and childless1 and because of this became very much dejected1 and exclaimed1 8,give me children or else ,i die60 ,from this expression we are to understand1 she would die from dejection4 ,doubtless this dejection led to the substitution of her maid ,bilhah4 ,her jealous love for ,jacob is overbalanced by her envy of her sister4 ,the favored ,rachel desired children as her own1 at any cost1 lest she should stand beside her sister childless4 ,the ambition to be among the progenitors of the ,messiah made ,hebrew women eager to have children4 ,rachel was not willing to leave the founding of the people of ,god to her sister only1 but wished also to become an ancestress1 as well as ,leah1 but in very deed1 not until ,joseph's birth1 her very own1 could she say1 8,now ,god has taken away my reproach40 ,at length1 after a service of twenty years or more1 ,god called ,jacob to return to his own people4 ,laban had been a hard master1 not only to ,jacob1 but to his own daughters4 8,are we not counted of him strangers80 said they in their conference with ,jacob concerning the return4 ,he had sold them as strangers1 more as slaves1 for the service of their husband4 ,hence they had nothing more to hope for from him1 for this very price1 that is1 the blessing resulting from ,jacob's service1 he had entirely consumed4 ,the daughters had received no share of it4 ,hence it is evident that they speak with an inward alienation from their father1 and are quite willing to go with ,jacob to the land of promise4 ,the time set for the departure was the feast of sheep-shearing4 ,either ,laban had not invited ,jacob to this feast1 or ,jacob took the opportunity of leaving1 in order to visit his own flocks4 ,as the sheep-shearing lasted several days1 the opportunity was very favorable for his flight4 8,but ,rachel had stolen the images10 the ,penates or household gods1 which were honored as guardians1 and as oracles4 ,from this incident we may infer that she was not altogether free from the superstitions and idolatry which prevailed in the land whence ,abraham had been called1 and which still1 to some degree1 infected even those families among whom the true ,god was known4 ,it is thought she was actuated to steal them with the superstitious idea that her father1 being prevented from consulting them as oracles1 would not be able to pursue ,jacob4 ,this act1 however1 as also the well-planned and ready dexterity and presence of mind with which she concealed her theft1 and prompt denial to her father1 reveals a cunning which is far more befitting the daughter of ,laban than the wife of the prudent patriarch4 ,jacob continued his journey without interruption until the fords of the ,jabbok were reached4 ,while at ,mahanaim he sent messengers to ,esau1 with a view of bringing about a reconciliation with his grieved brother4 ,when he reached the ,jabbok the messengers returned and brought the alarming intelligence that ,esau was coming to meet him1 and four hundred men were with him4 ,this greatly distressed ,jacob1 and led him to divide his family and his flocks1 and to send them in bands before him4 ,once more1 in a critical time1 when he expected an attack from ,esau1 his discriminate regard for ,rachel is again shown by placing ,leah and her children in the place of danger1 in advance of ,rachel and her child4 ,illustration3 ,,jacob',s ,,struggle ,,at ,,the ,,jabbok4 ,having thus disposed of his family and his flocks1 ,jacob remains behind to pray4 ,it was the great struggle of his life4 ,and the burden of that midnight cry was1 8,deliver me1 ,i pray ,thee1 from the hand of my brother1 from the hand of ,esau2 for ,i fear him1 lest he will come and smite me1 and the mother with the children40 ,at length the angel of the ,lord said1 8,let me go1 for the day breaketh60 ,but ,jacob1 as if his life hung on the issue1 which it doubtless did1 replied1 8,i will not let ,thee go1 except ,thou bless me60 ,god heard his prayer and delivered him out of the hands of his brother1 ,esau4 ,as ,jacob passed over the ,jabbok 8the sun rose upon him10 and he set forward on his journey a changed man4 ,in due time ,jacob reached the ,jordan at ,succoth1 thence to ,shechem1 and then to ,bethel4 ,at each of these places he halted4 ,it seems that for a considerable time after the return to ,palestine1 the images1 or household ,penates1 which ,rachel had stolen from her father1 remained in the family1 perhaps connived at by ,jacob1 till1 on being reminded by the ,lord of the vow which he had made at ,bethel when he fled from the face of ,esau1 and being bidden of ,him to erect an altar to the ,god who appeared to him there1 ,jacob felt the glaring impiety of thus solemnly appearing before ,god with the taint of idolatry cleaving to his beloved ,rachel1 said1 8,put away the strange gods from among you40 ,after thus casting out the polluting things from his house1 ,jacob1 at ,bethel1 amidst its sacred associations1 received from ,god an emphatic promise and blessing4 ,after his spirit had been purified and strengthened by communion with ,god1 by the assurance of the divine love and favor1 by the consciousness of evil put away and duties performed1 it was1 as he journeyed away from ,bethel1 that the chastening blow fell and ,rachel died4 ,doubtless the blessings that came as a result of the cleansing and purging from idolatry at ,bethel had their effect in bringing ,rachel to a higher sense of her relation to that ,jehovah in whom her husband1 with all his faults of character1 so firmly believed4 ,five miles south of ,jerusalem1 and a mile and a half from ,bethlehem1 in the way to ,hebron1 is a beautiful chapel1 sacred to the memory of ,rachel4 ,this is the place where beautiful ,rachel surrendered her own life for the life of her second son1 whom she named ,ben-oni 7son of my pain74 ,the wish she had uttered at ,joseph's birth1 that ,god would give her another son1 now1 after a long period1 perhaps sixteen or seventeen years1 is at last realized4 ,rachel held ,jacob's love to the last1 and even down to his old age he mourned her loss4 ,the stone pillar which he set up at her grave is the first recorded instance of the setting up of a sepulchral monument2 caves having been up to this time spoken of as the usual places of burial4 ,the tomb of ,rachel is one of the shrines which ,mohammedans1 ,jews and ,christians unite in honoring1 and concerning which their traditions are identical4 ,at the time of our visit1 it happened to be the time of new moon1 when the chapel was open and all lighted up with olive oil lamps1 and the chapel and crypt filled with weeping women4 ,the lamentations were real and sincere1 and1 had we remained very long1 we should have wept out of very sympathy for the grief-stricken mourners of this princess of ,israel4 ,the thought that here this lovely woman in ,white ,raiment sacrificed her own life for another was in itself depressing4 ,this first mortuary monument1 sacred to the memory of a great love and a great sorrow1 has come down to us through more than three thousand years4 ,one may see it 8but a little to come to ,ephrath40 8,tell me1 ye winged winds1 ,that round my pathway roar1 ,do ye not know some spot ,where mortals weep no more8 ,some lone and pleasant dell1 ,some valley in the west1 ,where1 free from toil and pain1 ,the weary soul may rest8 ,the loud wind dwindled to a whisper low1 ,and sighed for pity as it answered1 #8,no6'0 ,leah probably lived for some years after ,jacob reached ,hebron4 ,whether she ever found grace in his sight is not stated4 ,however1 in ,jacob's differences with ,laban both ,leah and ,rachel appeared to be attached to him with equal fidelity1 while later1 in the critical moment1 when he expected an attack from ,esau1 his discriminate regard for the several members of his family was again shown by his placing ,rachel and her child hindermost1 in the least exposed situation1 ,leah and her children next1 and the two hand-maids1 with their children1 in front4 ,of her death nothing is said4 ,from the expression1 8,there ,i buried ,leah10 7,gen4 xlix1 #ca71 we are led to believe that she died at ,hebron before ,jacob went down into ,egypt4 ,she was buried in the family sepulchre1 8in the field of ,machpelah1 which is before ,mamre40 ,since ,hebron is only twenty-five miles from ,rachel's tomb1 near ,bethlehem1 it is quite strange that ,jacob did not bury his beloved ,rachel in the family sepulchre1 along with ,abraham and ,sarah1 ,isaac and ,rebekah1 and ,leah1 and where he was himself finally buried4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,womanhood ,during the ,egyptian ,bondage and in the ,desert of ,sinai4 ,,jochebed--,,her ,,remarkable ,,courage--,,thonoris--,,her ,,compassion--,,heroic ,,labors ,,seemingly ,,unrewarded--,,zipporah1 ,,the ,,midianite ,,shepherdess--,,glorifying ,,daily ,,labor--,,at ,a ,,wayside ,,inn--,,miriam--,,her ,,song ,,of ,,triumph ,,at ,,the ,,red ,,sea--,,her ,,affliction ,,at ,,hazeroth--,,an ,,eventful ,,life4 ,the history of the human race runs on from the tomb of ,rachel for over four hundred years without bringing to our notice any woman in ,white ,raiment until ,jochebed1 the mother of ,moses1 is reached4 ,in the meantime1 the dreams of ,joseph are told1 his wandering in the fields of ,shechem1 and the finding of his brethren in ,dothan1 the heartless transaction with the ,midianites1 who1 in turn1 sold ,joseph into ,egypt1 his prison life followed by his elevation next to the throne and a seven years' famine1 when ,jacob and his sons1 as ,abraham had done before them1 went down into ,egypt1 the years of favor in the house of ,pharaoh1 and the bondage1 bitter and hard1 all are told4 ,but1 in spite of all1 the suffering ,israelites1 because blessed of ,god1 prospered and 8increased abundantly1 and multiplied1 and waxed exceedingly mighty2 and the land was filled with them40 ,the reigning ,pharaoh became alarmed at this state of affairs1 and1 to repress the ,israelites1 8made their lives bitter with hard bondage1 in mortar1 and in brick1 and in all manner of service in the field40 ,but1 as a stream in a spring freshet bursts through every obstruction1 so the ,israelites overleaped every barrier thrown in their way by the ,egyptian taskmasters4 ,at length a decree was issued that every son born to the ,israelites should be cast into the ,nile4 ,but there was at least one woman in the house of bondage who feared the ,lord more than she feared ,pharaoh4 ,her name was ,jochebed1 which means1 whose glory is ,jehovah4 ,if ever a name had attached with it the characteristic of the person bearing it1 it was ,jochebed1 the wife of ,amram1 and daughter of ,levi4 ,that the glory of this woman in ,white ,raiment was ,jehovah1 is evident from the fact the hard circumstances in which she was placed by the command of ,pharaoh could not make her lose faith in ,god4 ,others might obey the unwarranted and heartless1 as well as wicked decree1 she would not1 for she believed it was better to obey ,god rather than man1 and to this belief her faith was anchored1 and held steady amid the awful wail of bereaved motherhood as it ascended into the ear of ,god from the fields of ,goshen4 ,jochebed was already the mother of ,miriam and ,aaron1 and1 since ,aaron was three years older than ,moses1 the decree that all ,hebrew male children should be cast into the ,nile could not have been in force at ,aaron's birth1 or at least had not reached its dangerous climax4 ,as a member of the house of ,levi1 ,jochebed shows the daring and energetic boldness for which her tribe had become distinguished1 and indicated the qualities needful for the future priesthood4 ,that the child was so fair1 she recognized in it as a good omen4 ,josephus traces this intuition of faith1 which harmonized with the maternal feeling of complacency and desire to preserve his life1 to a special revelation4 ,the means of preservation chosen by ,jochebed is especially attributed to her genius and courage4 ,it was all the more daring1 since in the use of it she seemed to have1 from the outset1 the daughter of ,pharaoh in mind4 ,prompted by an heroic faith1 this poor ,hebrew slave woman1 in the house of a cruel and heartless bondage1 dared to disobey the royal decree1 trusting in ,god to carry her through the perilous enterprise of saving the life of her well-favored child4 ,the chrism of hot tears which fell on the babe's forehead1 set him apart to the tremendous task of leading up to nationhood a race of degraded slaves whose hands were horny with unpaid toil1 whose faces had grown scowling and knotted under the overseer's lash4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,israelites ,,in ,,bondage4 ,jochebed held the boy hard against her heart when she found she could no longer hide him1 and said1 more to herself and ,god than to any human helper1 8,my baby shall not die40 ,the resolution once formed in the mother's heart1 the next task was to carry it into effect4 ,then came the gathering of the papyrus leaves1 the getting of the bitumen1 the building of the little ark1 and the finding of the best place for it among the flags of the ,nile4 ,at length the little craft1 with many a scalding tear mingled with the bitumen1 was found waterworthy4 ,then1 with many a prayer and heartache1 and no small faith in the righteousness of her act1 the dear child of promise1 with many a passionate kiss1 such as mothers only can give1 was laid asleep in as soft a nest as the loving hands of mother could devise4 ,then the little craft1 baby and all1 was carried to the great river of ,egypt1 8and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink40 ,quickly the mother walked away1 though her heart was crushed and bleeding1 for how could she look upon her child if any disaster should overtake his small boat on the bosom of the mighty ,nile8 ,but her faith in ,god was sure4 ,her good sense had done its best4 ,her courage made her equal to facing the anger of the king2 and she would leave the care of her little darling to the ,god of her fathers4 ,but the mother-love could not wholly abandon the little craft to its fate1 without at least knowing how it fared with the child4 ,so1 back a little from the river1 where the tall flags formed a gracious shade over the little brother1 and her body concealed in the rank grass1 the large1 bright eyes of ,miriam were fixed on the babe's hiding-place1 and the swift feet of the sister were ready to run to tell the mother whatever might happen4 ,pretty soon the watchful eyes of ,miriam saw a royal retinue issue from the palace gate1 and as it drew near the river's brink she discerned that it was ,thonoris1 the daughter of ,pharaoh1 and her maidens1 come down to the ,nile to bathe in the open stream1 as was the custom of ancient ,egyptians4 ,as the princess and her maidens walked along the river's side1 she saw the little ark among the flags1 and sent one of the maids to fetch it4 ,and when she saw the child she had compassion on it1 and said1 8,this is one of the ,hebrew's children40 ,but the eyes of ,miriam1 the faithful sister1 closely watched the scene1 and when the little ark was safely drawn to shore by the maids of ,thonoris1 she ran up to the ,egyptian princess and said1 8,shall ,i go and call to thee a nurse of the ,hebrew women1 that she may nurse the child for thee8 ,and ,pharaoh's daughter said to her1 ,go4 ,and the maid went and called the child's mother40 ,illustration3 ,,moses ,,rescued ,,from ,,the ,,nile4 ,the compassion of the princess towards the beautiful child led her to adopt him2 and when she did so1 making him1 therefore1 prospectively an ,egyptian1 she did not need1 we may well believe1 to educate him secretly4 ,the taking of the child into the royal household1 doubtless rendered the cruel edict less severe1 if not wholly inoperative4 ,all this reads like a fairy tale1 but there is no end of the wonders wrought by our ,god on behalf of those who trust ,his love and power4 8,and the child grew40 ,of course it would under the watchful care of such a nurse4 ,one can easily see how during those years in which ,jochebed was nursing her boy as the adopted son of the ,egyptian princess1 she made the most of her opportunity4 ,in a tongue not understood in the palace she taught the child of ,him who should redeem the race4 ,she held him loyal to the ,god of ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob4 ,her instruction had been careful1 thorough1 and direct from her father1 ,levi1 the son of ,jacob2 and she was true to her faith from her very heart's core4 ,so that1 with the very life of his mother1 the growing boy had drank in the ,hebrew spirit4 ,at first it must have been a surprise to the young heir to the ,egyptian throne when his ,hebrew nurse unfolded to him the secret of his descent4 ,that while legally and formally he was the son of the ,princess ,thonoris1 inwardly he was the son of another mother1 and belonged to another race1 not of the dominant1 but of the servile1 race2 not a worldly1 but a spiritual prince4 ,probably he had the usual struggle with self4 ,it was no easy matter to lay aside the flattering prospect of one day sitting on the throne of ,egypt1 to forever renounce the glory and glitter of an earthly court1 and to identify himself with the slave people whose lives were made bitter in all manner of service4 ,surely1 ,jochebed must not only have been a loving mother1 but a wise spiritual teacher to thus gain the surrender of all that was dear to her child of the earthly life1 that he might gain the heavenly4 ,he must have been completely regenerated when he refused to be called the son of ,pharaoh's daughter1 but chose to suffer affliction with the people of ,god4 ,only a personal knowledge of the ,redeemer could have brought him to esteem the reproach of ,christ greater riches than the treasures of ,egypt4 ,no better compliment could have been paid ,jochebed than the fact that in that corrupt1 magnificent1 heathen court she was able to do her work so well4 ,her son's flawless choice of the ,divine will made him the greatest man1 the ,son of ,god excepted1 ever veiled in human flesh4 ,that was the best possible sign and seal of her capability and faithfulness4 ,when her child had passed beyond the years of childhood1 and1 as a nurse1 could no longer retain him1 8she brought him unto ,pharaoh's daughter10 and ,thonoris1 with almost infinite care1 completed the boy's education by instructing him in all the wisdom of ,egypt2 hence ,moses was prepared both negatively and positively for his life work4 ,positively by his great-hearted mother1 ,jochebed2 negatively by the ,egyptian princess ,thonoris1 thereby1 by her own hand1 brought up the deliverer and avenger of the oppressed ,israelites4 ,at this point ,jochebed is lost to view4 ,she drops out of history1 and nothing more is known of her4 ,hers emphatically was a work of faith1 for in all probability she died while ,moses was under discipline in the land of ,midian4 ,her people1 for whom she had wrought so heroically1 were still serving 8with rigor0 in building for ,pharaoh the 8treasure cities ,pithom and ,raamses40 ,the son from whom she had hoped so much as the crown prince of the land was in exile in the back side of the desert2 yet her faith held steady as she said with her parting breath1 8,god will deliver ,his people4 ,he saved ,moses from the wrath of ,pharaoh and from the reptiles of the ,nile2 ,he will yet bring him back to lead ,israel out of this cruel bondage40 ,how many a mother has gone down to her grave in sorrow without realizing the fruit of her toil1 perhaps broken-hearted1 as ,jochebed may have done1 when she saw her son hastening into the desert to escape the vengeance which would surely have overtaken him for smiting the ,egyptian4 ,doubtless she never again saw his face1 and may have wondered to what purpose was all her labor4 ,it is difficult to conceive of a grander purpose in motherhood than that of sending out into the world young men spiritually1 morally and physically healthy1 with correct principles and holy purposes2 and it is one of the saddest spectacles in life when these preparations are cast aside by ungrateful or wayward acts4 ,all human help is vain1 her sorrow and her anguish are too deep to be reached by sympathy4 ,god alone is her refuge4 ,she is often at the throne of grace with strong cries and tears1 and with a faith that will not shrink4 ,doubtless such were the last days of the brave1 the courageous1 the heroic ,jochebed1 as she saw the form of her beloved ,moses disappear in the desert of ,midian4 ,but ,god honored her faith as no woman's faith had ever been honored in the life and works of ,moses1 the great law-giver1 and leader of ,israel's hosts out of the land of bondage4 8,faithful1 ,o ,lord1 ,thy mercies are1 ,a rock that can not move3 ,a thousand promises declare ,thy constancy of love40 ,but though ,moses had fled from the face of ,pharaoh because1 in his effort to defend a ,hebrew who was being smitten by an ,egyptian1 slew the oppressor1 he had not gone into the land of ,midian so far but ,his eye followed the young refugee4 ,away in the south-eastern part of ,arabia1 toward the close of what we may well believe to have been a long day's travel through the burning sand of that arid country1 the young refugee sat down under the grateful shade of a cluster of palm trees that flourished by the side of a well4 ,as he sat there resting1 possibly quite homesick1 the daughters of ,jethro1 a ,midianite sheik and priest1 came with their father's flock to the well to water them4 ,the fact that it took seven of these daughters to lead the flock to the well1 shows that the ,midianite was wealthy4 ,these maidens lowered their buckets into the well and then drew them up brimming full of water1 and poured it out into the stone troughs4 ,they did this again and again1 while ,moses was a silent observer4 ,it does not appear that he in any way interrupted the work4 ,but scarcely had the panting nostrils of the flocks begun to cool a little in the brimming troughs than some rough ,bedouin shepherds came with their flocks and drove the maidens and their flock from the well4 ,this was too much for ,moses4 ,his face began to color up1 and his eyes flash with indignation1 and all the gallantry of his nature was aroused4 ,he naturally had a quick temper1 as he demonstrated in the case of the ,egyptian oppressing an ,israelite1 and as he showed afterward when he broke all the ,ten ,commandments at once by shattering the two granite slabs on which the law was written4 ,hence the harsh treatment of the girls sets him on fire4 ,the injustice of these ,bedouin shepherds was more than he could bear1 and he came to the rescue of the maidens of the ,midianite sheik4 ,driving the shepherds away1 he told the daughters of ,jethro to gather their flock once more and bring them again to the watering troughs4 ,here the beautiful character of ,moses comes out1 and shows that the careful training of his faithful mother had not been in vain4 ,though brought up as a prince in the court of ,egypt1 he takes hold of the water buckets and draws water from the well1 and waters the immense flock which had taken seven maidens to drive to the well6 ,what a sight it must have been to these daughters of the priest of ,midian as they stood by and saw this brave1 unselfish act4 ,what wonder that ,zipporah fell in love with such a young man8 ,hard as the task must have been1 it was quickly finished and the flock early sheltered in the fold4 ,so much so that ,jethro asked of his daughters1 8,how is it that ye are come so soon to-day80 ,they answered1 8,an ,egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds1 and also drew water enough for us1 and watered the flock40 ,jethro further inquired1 8,where is he8 ,why is it that ye have left the man80 ,we confess it was a somewhat ungrateful act on the part of these girls not to invite the young man to their father's home1 but it only shows that they were so modest as to be too bashful to make such an advance4 ,so ,moses was invited to the home of the ,midianite sheik1 and in due time ,zipporah was given to him in marriage1 and she became the mother of his two sons1 ,gershom and ,eliezer4 ,the ,bible does not record much of ,zipporah's life1 but1 evidently from the fact that she was a shepherdess1 she was industrious1 notwithstanding the great wealth and influence of her father4 ,what was the use of ,zipporah's bemeaning herself with work when she might have reclined on the hillside near her father's tent1 and plucked buttercups1 and dreamed out romances1 and sighed idly to the winds1 and wept over imaginary songs to the brooks4 ,but no4 ,she knew that work was honorable1 and that every girl ought to have something to do1 and so she led her father's flock to the fields1 to the watering troughs1 and to the safe shelter of the fold4 ,in how many households are there young women without practical and useful employments8 ,many of them are waiting for fortunate and prosperous matrimonial alliance1 but some lounger like themselves will come along1 and after counting the large number of father ,jethro's sheep and camels will make proposal that will be accepted2 and neither of them having done anything more practical than to chew chocolate caramels1 the two nothings will start on the road of life together1 every step more and more a failure4 ,not so with the daughter of the ,midianite sheik4 ,moses found her at the well drawing water4 ,and ,zipporah soon learned that ,moses could also draw water4 ,ye daughters of idleness1 imitate ,zipporah4 ,do something helpful4 ,the reason that so many men now condemn themselves to unaffianced and solitary life is because they can not support the modern young woman--a thousand of them not worth one ,zipporah4 ,there needs to be a radical revolution among most of the prosperous homes of ,america1 by which the elegant do-nothings may be transformed into practical do-somethings4 ,let useless women go to work and gather the flocks4 ,the stranger at the well may prove to be as good a man as was ,moses to ,zipporah4 ,still further1 watch this spectacle of genuine courage4 ,no wonder when ,moses scattered the rude shepherds he won ,zipporah's heart4 ,sense of justice fired his courage2 and the world wants more of the spirit that will dare almost anything to see others righted4 ,there are many wells where outrages are practiced1 the wrong herd getting the first water4 ,those who have the previous right come in last1 if they come it at all4 ,thank ,god we have here and there a strong man to set things right6 ,this child of the desert1 full of industry and energy1 very naturally had a quick temper1 and1 for once at least1 it came out in her life4 ,moses was on his way to ,egypt1 as the deliverer of ,israel4 ,zipporah and sons set off to accompany him1 and went part of the way4 ,while stopping for the night at a wayside inn the ,lord suddenly withstood ,moses4 ,it appears1 for some reason1 possibly because ,zipporah opposed it1 their sons1 ,gershom and ,eliezer1 had not been circumcised4 ,and1 since the neglect of this rite would cut them off from ,god's covenanted people1 the ,lord suddenly afflicted ,moses so that his life must have been despaired of by the wife and mother4 ,in her distress1 to save the life of her husband1 she herself performs this rite4 ,the expression1 8took a sharp stone10 means a sharp stone-knife 7more sacred than a metallic knife1 on account of the tradition74 ,under the trying ordeal1 and notwithstanding the life of her husband was still in the balance between life and death1 she was unable to conceal her ill-humor1 and charged him with being 8a bloody husband40 ,which may mean that the rite of his people was distasteful to her1 and doubly so since she had to perform it with her own hand to save the life of ,moses4 ,it appears1 probably on account of the performance of this rite upon their two sons1 she had to return to her father's house1 as the children would not be in a condition to continue the journey into ,egypt1 and ,moses had to perform the remainder of the way alone4 ,the only other incident recorded in ,zipporah's life is the bringing of herself and her two sons to ,moses by her father1 when the host of ,israel had reached the ,peninsula of ,sinai1 after they had departed out of the land of ,egypt4 ,it has been suggested that ,zipporah was the ,cushite 7,a4 ,v4 ,ethiopian7 wife who furnished ,miriam and ,aaron with the pretext for their attack on ,moses4 7,num4 xii1 #a74 ,the death of ,zipporah is not mentioned1 but undoubtedly it occurred before ,moses took the ,cushite to be his wife4 ,it has also been thought that ,jethro and his house1 before his acquaintance with ,moses1 was not a worshipper of the true ,god4 ,traces of this appear in the delay which ,moses had suffered to take place in respect to the circumcision of his sons4 ,but the fact that ,zipporah started from her home in ,midian to accompany her husband upon his mission in ,egypt1 and of her joining him when he had reached the wilderness1 upon his return1 shows that she was in sympathy with his work1 and1 doubtless1 if up to the time the ,lord suddenly withstood ,moses at the wayside inn1 she was not fully in accord with him in her faith1 that this incident fully established her in the true faith4 ,there is a legend which1 if not true1 is characteristic of the priest of ,midian4 ,this ,midrash tale relates that ,jethro was a counselor of ,pharaoh1 who tried to dissuade him from slaughtering the ,israelitish children1 and consequently1 on account of his clemency1 was forced to flee into ,midian1 but was rewarded by becoming the father-in-law of ,moses4 ,the wife of so excellent and remarkable a man as ,moses1 and one who possessed so many womanly qualities as did this shepherdess whom ,moses found by the well in ,arabia1 in the faithful discharge of her duties1 deserves a place in the galaxy of ,women in ,white ,raiment4 ,the hospitality1 freehearted and unsought which ,jethro at once extended to the unknown1 homeless wanderer1 on the relation of his daughters that he had watered their flock1 is a picture of ,eastern manners no less true than lovely1 and gives us a fine view of the quaint habits and honest simplicity of the ,oriental people4 ,we now pass to the daughter of ,jochebed1 namely1 ,miriam4 ,she first came to our notice when the little ark of ,moses was placed among the flags of the ,nile4 ,her mother set her to watch the little craft as it floated on the bosom of the great river4 ,when the princess ,thonoris1 ,pharaoh's daughter1 discovered the child and sent her maid to rescue him from his perilous surroundings1 ,miriam1 then probably a young girl1 appeared before the ,egyptian princess1 and asked if she should call a nurse for the child4 ,in reply to this question1 ,thonoris said to her she might find for her a nurse4 ,and ,miriam hastened to the home of her parents1 8and called the child's mother40 ,this act shows that ,miriam was not only quick-witted1 but had the courage to carry her convictions into effect4 ,though very human1 as fully demonstrated in after years1 she was faithful to her mother when she watched the boat woven of river plants and made water-tight with asphaltum1 carrying its one passenger4 ,and was she not very courageous and did she not put all the ages of time and of a coming eternity under obligation when she defended her helpless brother from the perils of the ,nile8 ,she it was that brought that wonderful babe and its mother together1 so that he was reared to be the deliverer of his nation4 ,what a garland for faithful sisterhood6 ,what part ,miriam took in the care of her illustrious brother while in the arms of his mother-nurse1 we are not told1 but we may well believe her sisterly love was strong and unwavering during the years while the precious charge was in the care of the mother4 ,but there was a long period of eighty years between the infancy of ,moses and his return from the desert of ,midian1 so that the clear-eyed and sprightly girl had grown away from the buoyancy of youth during the years of his exile1 and must have been nearly1 if not quite1 a hundred years old1 when ,god's chosen people were led out of the iron furnace of bondage1 a fact we must not lose sight of in the brief narrative of this noble woman in ,white ,raiment4 ,her age may1 in part at least1 account for the high position given her4 8,the sister of ,aaron10 is her biblical distinction which she never lost4 ,in ,numbers xii1 #a1 she is placed before ,aaron1 and in ,micah vi1 #d1 reckoned as one of the three deliverers of ,god's chosen people1 8,i sent before thee ,moses and ,aaron and ,miriam40 ,hence it is quite evident that she had no small part in the redemption of the house of ,israel from the land of oppression4 ,whether or not the prejudices of that day gave her full honor1 the ,lord admitted her to the triumvirate of deliverance1 the three children of the brave1 faithful ,jochebed4 ,she was also the first person in her father's house1 and the first woman in the history of ,god's people to whom the prophetic gifts are directly ascribed4 8,miriam the prophetess10 is her acknowledged title in ,exodus xv1 #bj4 ,she stood1 as the leader of ,hebrew women1 appropriately by the side of the future conductor of the religious service4 ,illustration3 ,,miriam',s ,,song ,,of ,,triumph4 ,in the song of triumph which the children of ,israel sang after their passage of the ,red ,sea1 ,miriam1 with cymbal in hand1 led the women in their part of the glad song of deliverance4 ,it does not appear how far the ,hebrew women joined in the song1 that is1 the part led by ,moses1 but in the antiphony1 ,miriam repeats the opening words1 in the form of a command to the women1 saying1 8,sing ye to ,jehovah1 for he hath triumphed gloriously2 the horse and his rider hath ,he thrown into the sea40 8,sound the loud timbrel o'er ,egypt's dark sea6 ,jehovah has triumphed1 ,his people are free6 ,sing1 for the pride of the tyrant is broken2 ,his chariots1 his horsemen1 all splendid and brave2 ,how vain was their boasting6 the ,lord hath but spoken1 ,and chariots and horsemen are sunk in the wave4 8,sound the loud timbrel o'er ,egypt's dark sea6 ,jehovah has triumphed1 ,his people are free6 ,praise to the ,conqueror1 praise to the ,lord6 ,his word was our arrow1 ,his breath was our sword4 ,who shall return to tell ,egypt the story ,of those she sent forth in the hour of her pride8 ,for the ,lord hath looked out from ,his pillar of glory1 ,and all her brave thousands are dashed in the tide4 ,sound the loud timbrel o'er ,egypt's dark sea6 ,jehovah has triumphed1 ,his people are free60 ,miriam must have been exempt from the infirmities of age to a remarkable degree1 to be able at her advanced years to lead the host of ,hebrew women and maidens in the music and songs of triumph and general rejoicings over the mighty deliverance out of the hand of ,pharaoh on the farther shores of the ,red ,sea4 ,the victory1 however1 was such a marked one1 and the deliverance so great as to cause old age1 for the time being1 to be swallowed up in the youth of praise and thanksgiving4 ,taking up their line of march from the shores of the ,red ,sea1 we do not learn anything farther concerning ,miriam until ,hazeroth is reached4 ,here she seems to have been the instigator of an insurrection against ,moses4 ,in some respects it must have been grievous to him1 all the more so1 from the fact that ,aaron had also suffered himself to be carried away by his sister's fanaticism4 ,by virtue of their office as prophet and prophetess1 in the minds of the people1 they held almost equal rank with ,moses4 ,the occasion of this insurrection was a marriage which ,miriam regarded as objectionable1 though1 notwithstanding1 she had the example of ,joseph1 who married an ,egyptian woman1 before her1 and which marriage did not prove to be antitheocratic4 ,moses had married a ,cushite4 ,it is true the prohibition to marry with the daughters of other than their own people had special reasons of religious self-preservation1 and for that reason the ,high ,priest was allowed to marry only a ,hebrew virgin1 but that was a limitation belonging to his symbolic position4 ,the prophetic class1 on the other hand1 had the task of illustrating the greatest possible letting down of legal restraint4 ,the union of ,moses with this ,cushite may have symbolized the future calling of the ,gentile nations1 a sort of first fruit1 as ,rahab and ,ruth later on proved to be1 and it offers a remarkable parallel that the next greatest man of the law1 ,elijah1 lived for a considerable time as the table companion of a heathen widow of ,zarephath4 ,it is manifest that ,moses endured in silence the domestic obliquity which his sister drew down upon him1 patiently committing his justification to ,god1 until her would-be pious zeal assumed a more alarming aspect4 ,since ,aaron had made common cause with ,miriam1 ,aaron1 who wore the breast-plate1 ,urim and ,thummim1 and ,miriam1 who1 as a prophetess1 had already led the chorus of the women of ,israel1 must have held high places in the minds of the people2 hence1 when they raised the question1 8,hath the ,lord indeed spoken only by ,moses8 hath he not spoken also by us80 there is no telling where this sedition of ,miriam and ,aaron might have ended1 had not the ,lord ,himself taken it promptly in hand4 ,but the ,lord heard that complaint1 which implied that the prophetic gift was exercised by them also1 that they were prophets1 vested with authority1 and if they even suffered ,moses1 since his objectionable marriage1 to remain in the prophetic college1 they could at least outvote him4 ,so ,moses1 ,aaron and ,miriam were suddenly cited to the tabernacle of the congregation4 ,when the three presented themselves at the place appointed1 the ,lord came down in a cloud at the door of the tabernacle1 and 8called ,aaron and ,miriam0 apart from ,moses1 and there1 at the door of the tabernacle1 administered a stern rebuke to both of them4 ,they had lived with ,moses so long1 and yet knew so little of his exalted position4 ,as a brother he stood too near to them1 and they themselves1 with their self-consciousness1 stood too much in their own light4 8,and the cloud departed from off the tabernacle40 ,as ,aaron saw the cloud lifting up and moving off1 he must have been inwardly crushed at this punishment4 ,the fires on his altar went out1 the pillar of smoke no longer mounted up as a token of grace1 the divine presence was withdrawn1 and it was as if an interdict of ,jehovah lay on the services of the ,sanctuary4 ,but this was not all4 8,miriam became leprous1 white as snow40 ,there seems to be a singular connection between the punishment of ,aaron as the representative of the ,church1 and ,miriam1 who had thought herself and ,aaron above ,moses1 snow-white in righteousness1 while she looked down on him as unclean4 ,she would dominate the ,church1 for she dominated ,aaron1 and now1 as a leper1 she must be excluded from the ,church4 ,when ,aaron looked upon his afflicted sister1 though ,high ,priest1 the ,lord having withdrawn the symbol of his favor from the altar of sacrifice1 was as helpless as ,miriam1 and he now implores ,moses1 as his superior1 to intercede4 ,here only the spiritual high priesthood of a divine compassion can deliver the helpless ,high ,priest himself and his unfortunate associate in the prophetic office4 ,in his appeal1 ,aaron almost speaks as if ,moses could heal the leprosy4 ,moses1 however1 understood it as an indirect request to intercede for ,miriam4 8,and ,moses cried unto the ,lord1 saying3 ,heal her now1 ,o ,god1 ,i beseech thee40 ,the ,lord granted the request1 accompanied with a sharp reproof1 8,if her father had but spit in her face1 should she not be unclean seven days80 ,the figurative expression compares her1 who desired to be the prophetic regent of the nation1 to a dependent maiden in whose face her father had spit on account of unseemly behavior4 ,such a one must conceal herself seven days on account of her shame4 ,the same treatment was dictated for ,miriam1 and she was 8shut out from the camp seven days40 ,the silent grief of the nation must have been profound1 for the people remained encamped at ,hazeroth during the seclusion of ,miriam1 and not until she was pronounced clean1 and the prescribed sacrifices required on her reception back again1 were made1 did the ,lord's host depart from their encampment4 ,all these are proofs of the high place she held in the affections of the people4 ,this sad stroke1 and its most gracious removal1 is the last public event of ,miriam's life4 ,she died toward the close of the wilderness wanderings at ,kadesh1 and was buried there4 ,according to ,jewish tradition1 the burial took place with great pomp on a mountain in the edge of the wilderness of ,zin1 and the mourning of the whole camp of ,israel lasted for thirty days1 ,jerome tells us that her tomb was shown near ,petra4 ,according to ,josephus she was the wife of ,hur and the grandmother of ,bezaleel1 the inspired artisan of the ,tabernacle4 ,according to the ,targum1 the miraculous supply of water at ,rephidim was given in her honor4 ,it failed when she died at ,kadesh1 and was restored only at the second stroke of ,moses' rod1 and later1 by the digging of the princes with their staves of office1 while the people sang a hymn of praise and faith4 ,these traditions are of but little value except to show in what high esteem she was held4 ,a long1 beautiful1 eventful1 inspired life--one of patient waiting1 intense activity1 deep enthusiasm and triumphant faith--transformed the brave little slave girl into the mighty princess and leader of the ,lord's hosts4 ,but for the one assumption of unwarranted authority at ,hazeroth1 her record would have come down to us untarnished4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,womanhood ,during the ,conquest and the ,theocracy1 or ,rule of the ,judges4 ,,rahab--,,great ,,grace ,,for ,,great ,,sinners--,,the ,,fall ,,of ,,jericho--,,the ,,covenant ,,remembered--,,deborah--,,her ,,remarkable ,,courage--,,sisera',s ,,iron ,,chariots ,,broken--,,the ,,daughter ,,of ,,jephthah--,,her ,,loving ,,devotion ,,and ,,sacrifice--,,the ,,story ,,of ,,naomi--,,orpah',s ,,kiss--,,the ,,loving ,,ruth--,,gleaning ,,among ,,the ,,reapers--,,her ,,rich ,,reward--,,hannah--,,her ,,consecration--,,yearly ,,visits ,,to ,,shiloh--,,stitching ,,beautiful ,,thoughts ,,into ,,samuel',s ,,coat--,,her ,,beautiful ,,life4 ,after the death of ,miriam at ,kadesh1 on the borders of ,zin1 and the death of ,aaron on ,mount ,hor1 and of ,moses on lofty ,pisgah1 ,joshua 8sent out of ,shittem two men to spy secretly1 saying1 ,go1 view the land1 even ,jericho4 ,and they went1 and came into an harlot's house1 named ,rahab1 and lodged there40 ,the occupation of this woman has called out much comment1 and many attempts have been made to clear her character of the stains of vice by affirming that she was only an inn-keeper1 and not a harlot4 ,no doubt there is much truth in this statement1 for we can not entertain the thought that two pure-minded young men sent out by a leader like ,joshua would pass by an inn and purposely seek an house of ill repute4 ,it is also possible that to a woman of the age in which she lived1 such a calling may have implied a far less deviation from the standard of morality than it does with us1 with nearly two thousand years of ,christian teaching4 ,we must not forget that ,rahab was a heathen2 and the heathen knew very little of the simplest principles of truth and purity4 ,in the first chapter of ,paul's ,epistle to the ,romans he gives a life picture of pagan morals4 ,even among the polished ,greeks1 loyalty to their religion made personal purity impossible4 ,the ,canaanites were so vile that1 in the emphatic language of ,scripture1 the land vomited them out4 ,the glimpse we catch of ,lot's neighbors may show in what a cesspool of vice ,rahab was brought up4 ,but even if we judge this woman by our modern standards1 and admit that she was all that is implied in the opprobrious term1 the fact that she is listed among ,god's elect women shows the wondrous power of divine grace4 ,god can save a great sinner just as easy as a small one4 ,notwithstanding she carried the double disability1 that of being a heathen and a great sinner1 her story is told in full4 ,she has honorable mention by the ,apostle ,james as an illustration of the works that show strong faith2 and by the spirit of inspiration in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews1 giving her a place among the mighty heroes and heroines who wrought marvels through confidence in ,god4 ,at the time when the ,israelites were encamped in ,shittem1 ready to cross the ,jordan and enter the land of promise1 ,jericho was the strongest fortified city in ,canaan1 and1 as the key to ,western ,palestine1 commanded the two mountain passes which led into the land that was to be possessed4 ,it was to be taken2 but how8 ,joshua sent two of his most trusted men to spy out the land1 remembering1 no doubt with much trepidation1 the failure of forty years before1 which made them go back and die in the desert4 ,the life of the spies1 the success of the enterprise1 and the courage their report would give the ,israelites1 all turned on the faith and skill of ,rahab4 ,she saved to ,god's people the battle they had lost forty years before4 ,no wonder that ,hebrew writers have thrown the glamor of romance over her story4 ,her house was situated on the wall1 probably near the city gate1 so as to be convenient for persons coming in and going out of ,jericho4 ,she seems not only to have kept an inn for wayfaring men1 but also to have been engaged in the manufacture of linen and the art of dyeing1 for which the ,phnicians were early famous1 since we find the flat roof of her house covered with stalks of flax1 put there to dry1 and a stock of scarlet or crimson line in her house1 a circumstance which1 coupled with the mention of ,babylonish garments as among the spoils of ,jericho1 indicates the existence of a trade in such articles between ,phnicia and ,mesopotamia4 ,it also appears she had a father and mother1 brothers and sisters1 who1 if they were not living in the same house with her1 were dwelling in ,jericho4 ,traders coming from ,mesopotamia1 or ,egypt to ,phnicia1 would frequently pass through ,jericho1 situated as it was near the fords of the ,jordan1 and1 according to the customs of the times1 these travelers would seek a public inn4 ,these men1 coming and going1 would naturally enough carry the news of current events with them4 ,rahab therefore had opportunity to be well informed with regard to the events of the ,exodus4 ,as we learn from her own story1 she had heard of the passage through the ,red ,sea1 of the utter destruction of ,sihon and ,og1 and of the irresistible progress of the ,israelitish host4 ,the effect upon her mind had been what one would not have expected in a person of her way of life4 ,it led her to a firm faith in ,jehovah as the true ,god1 and to the conviction that ,he purposed to give ,canaan to the ,israelites4 ,she may have thought long and deeply on these strange events1 and1 possibly1 her better nature may have loathed the vices of her people1 in which she herself had become involved1 and longed for the pure worship of the wonder-working ,god of whom she had heard4 ,when1 therefore1 the two spies sent out by ,joshua1 who must have been men of moral character and worthy of so important a commission1 came to ,jericho1 no doubt they were divinely directed to her house1 who alone1 of the whole population1 was friendly to their cause4 ,her heart1 at all events1 was prepared to receive the message with which they intrusted her1 and she gave them the information they sought4 ,and such faith had she in the purposes of ,god to give the land to the hosts of ,joshua that she made a covenant with these representatives of his army1 to save her and her family when the city fell into their hands4 ,the coming of these spies1 it seems1 was quickly known1 and the king of ,jericho1 having received information of it while at supper1 according to ,josephus1 sent that very evening to require her to deliver them up4 ,it is very likely that1 her house being a public one1 some one who resorted there may have seen and recognized the spies1 and at once reported the matter to the authorities4 ,but not without awakening ,rahab's suspicions1 and she was courageous enough to hide them under the flax on the roof1 and throw the officers off their suspicion1 while she let the ,hebrews down over the wall and hurried them away to the mountains1 to stay till the hunt was given up and the guards had come back from the fords of the ,jordan1 thus allowing them to escape across the river to their camp4 ,for her kindness to them she had asked that when the city should be taken1 her life and the lives of all that belonged to her should be spared1 and it was agreed that she should hang out her scarlet line at the window from which the spies had escaped4 ,the event proved the wisdom of her precautions4 ,the pursuers returned to ,jericho after a fruitless search1 and the spies reached the encampment of ,israel in safety4 ,the news they brought of the terror of the king and citizens of ,jericho doubtless inspired the ,israelitish host with fresh courage1 and1 within three days of their return1 the passage of the ,jordan was effected4 ,no one could have been more interested than ,rahab during those eventful days4 ,perhaps1 from the window of her dwelling on the city wall1 she saw the waters of the ,jordan piled on each other1 and stretching back over the plain as far as the eye could see--a sight she had never seen1 and equal to the dividing of the ,red ,sea4 ,toward evening she saw the advance guards of ,joshua's host1 and then the white-robed priests bearing the ark1 followed by the army and people1 and encamping at ,gilgal1 within two miles of ,jericho1 and in full view of the city4 ,after having carefully reviewed her household to assure herself that her father and mother1 brothers and sisters1 were all there--for this was the covenant she had made with the spies--she probably seated herself at the window from which hung the scarlet cord1 to watch the strange procession that marched around the city seven days4 ,each morning it came filing up from ,gilgal in solemn silence1 except as the white-robed priests blew their trumpet-blasts4 ,no one can tell what risk ,rahab took1 or what indignities she suffered in convincing her relatives that they must be in the covenanted place when the city fell4 ,on her part it was a beautiful faith4 ,perhaps she recounted to them the ten awful plagues that fell on the ,egyptians1 the deliverance of ,his people from the house of bondage1 the disaster to ,pharaoh and his army at the ,red ,sea1 the opening of streams in the desert1 the nightly dewfall of food1 the lofty column of cloud that shaded and led by day1 and the pillar of fire that kept them safe from night enemies1 human and bestial4 ,all this she told to the assembled household as the ground of her faith1 with which she would inspire them4 ,no doubt this woman of ,jericho1 sick at heart on account of her own past life1 and the wickedness of her city1 thirsted for a fuller knowledge of the true and holy ,god whose name she hardly dared to take on her sin-polluted lips1 and yet1 strange as it may seem1 she had the strength and honesty to succeed in the preaching of righteousness to her friends4 ,day after day she watched the strange procession marching around the closely shut and guarded city4 ,joshua and the soldiers were at its head2 then came the priests with their trumpets1 and after them the ,ark of the ,covenant1 hid from view with coverings1 and carried reverently on men's shoulders1 while soldiers guarded it from real dangers4 ,jericho breathed a little more freely when it saw that the strange desert people marched around the city day after day without striking a blow2 but ,rahab's faith held steady1 and the scarlet cord swung from her window4 ,that cord may have meant to her the blood of the ,redeemer cleansing from sin4 ,no doubt1 like ,moses1 she knew the meaning of the 8reproach of ,christ40 ,the seventh day she was found early at her window1 with a sense of completeness in her obedience and faith4 ,again the ,hebrews filed forth from their camp and marched around the city2 but this time they kept on till they had gone around the wall six times4 ,the seventh round1 the voice of the old captain at the head of the host rang along the line--8,shout6 for ,jehovah hath given you the city40 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,fall ,,of ,,jericho4 ,before ,rahab fully realized the meaning of this strange command1 her ears were filled with the crash of falling walls4 ,in the dust and din1 the cries1 the shrieks1 the terror1 but little could be distinctly remembered1 only that the desert soldiers who were taking the town were leading her and her kindred forth to a place of safety4 ,the narrator adds1 8and she dwelleth in ,israel unto this day10 meaning1 the family of which she was reckoned the head1 continued to dwell among the ,lord's people4 ,may not the three hundred and forty-five 8children of ,jericho10 mentioned in ,ezra ii1 #cd1 and 8the men of ,jericho0 who assisted ,nehemiah in rebuilding the walls of ,jerusalem1 have been the descendants of her kindred8 ,as regards ,rahab herself1 we learn from ,matt1 i1 #e1 that she became the wife of ,salmon the son of ,naasson1 and the mother of ,boaz1 the grandfather of ,jesse4 ,it has been conjectured that ,salmon may have been one of the spies whose life she saved1 and that gratitude for so great a benefit led to their marriage4 ,but1 however this may be1 it is certain that ,rahab became the mother of the line from which sprang ,david1 and eventually ,christ4 ,distasteful as it may be to goody-good people1 the fact remains that ,rahab believed ,god1 and when ,he delivered her out of her heathen surroundings1 she entered upon a pure life4 ,whom ,god pardons1 ,he justifies4 ,whom he justifies1 ,he brings to that relation with ,himself that would have been held if the sin had never been committed4 ,he does not doom man or woman to life-long penance for sins that have been washed away by the blood of the ,lamb4 ,it is not accidental that ,matthew traces the ,saviour's genealogy through four women1 namely ,thamar1 ,rachab1 ,ruth1 and ,bathsheba1 who were not of the ,israelitish stock1 three of whom were of doubtful morals1 and one1 ,rachab1 who carried a double disability4 ,christ came to save humanity1 and that ,he might be an all-sufficient ,saviour1 ,he abased ,himself--took us at our worst--that no human soul1 however sunk in sin1 might despair4 ,and ,rahab the harlot was transformed into ,rahab the saint1 cleansed and purified1 and clothed in ,white ,raiment4 ,from the thrilling incidents just related1 the history of ,god's chosen people runs on for a hundred years or more before ,deborah comes to view on the stage of life4 ,in the meantime ,joshua had led the ,israelitish hosts to victory1 had subdued the several kings1 and divided the land among the tribes4 ,then came years of rest and prosperity1 and1 strange to say1 a turning away from the ,author of all their blessings4 ,these departures from their national faith brought down upon them the judgments of ,god4 ,the ,israelites were now ruled by judges1 and at the time ,deborah comes to our notice1 ,barak seems to have been the executive head of the nation4 ,deborah was probably a woman of the tribe of ,ephraim4 ,her tent was spread under the palm-tree between ,ramah and ,bethel in ,mount ,ephraim1 and she was a prophetess1 in whom was combined both poetry and prophecy4 ,deborah stands before us in strong contrast with the customs and prejudices of her time4 ,god's people were being oppressed by the ,canaanites4 ,in the midst of this great national crisis she was called to stand at the head both of statesmanship and the terrible exigencies of war4 ,sisera1 the general of ,jabin's army1 with nine hundred iron war chariots1 and a multitude had assembled in the western extremity of the great plain of ,jezreel1 near the brook ,kishon that flows along the northern base of ,mount ,carmel4 ,barak1 the executive head1 was either so timid or apprehensive that the campaign would fail1 and thus fasten the tyrant's chain yet more strongly1 that the people looked to ,deborah for judgment4 ,she tried to arouse ,barak's courage4 ,she even appealed to the prejudices that were strong in those times1 namely1 that the victory would be given to a woman if he refused to go4 ,but in vain4 ,he would not move without her4 ,she knew1 far better than he1 that the battle was not theirs1 but ,god's4 ,the ,lord alone could give victory4 ,faith was easier to her than to ,barak1 for she had the spiritual insight that knows the utter nothingness of human help4 ,for twenty years ,god's people had been oppressed by their enemies4 ,at last they had repented of the sins that made necessary their captivity1 and the ,lord had inspired ,deborah to rally them to resist their oppressors4 ,perhaps ,barak hesitated1 because1 viewed from a human standpoint1 he may have felt the utter inadequacy of the ,hebrew army to cope with the ,syrians and their nine hundred iron war chariots4 ,but just there lies the secret of all success4 ,only when we are weak1 are we strong4 ,this is the victory1 even our faith4 ,we have not that faith till we get to the end of our own resources and trusts4 ,but while ,deborah put ,barak at the head of the army1 she bravely stood by him with her counsels1 her prayers1 her faith1 and her wholesome reproof1 for ,deborah was a practical and sensible woman4 ,her name signifies 8the bee10 and she was well provided with the sting as well as the honey1 and knew how to stir up ,barak by wholesome severity as well as encourage him by holy inspiration4 ,he is a very foolish man who refuses to be helped by the shrewd intuitive wisdom of a true woman1 for while her head may not be so large1 its quality is generally of the best2 and her conclusions1 though not reasoned out so elaborately1 generally reach the right end by intuitions which are seldom wrong4 ,woman's place is to counsel1 to encourage1 to pray1 to believe1 and pre-eminently to help4 ,this was what ,deborah did4 ,barak1 however1 was not always weak4 ,as soon as he had recovered himself from the surprise of the unexpected call to lead the little army of ten thousand against the myriads of ,sisera1 he consented on condition that the courageous ,deborah go with him4 ,by this timidity he lost not a little of the honor that he might have won1 and his sharp and penetrating leader plainly told him that the victory should not be wholly to his credit1 for ,god should deliver ,sisera into the hands of a woman2 and so there were really two women in this struggle for liberty1 and ,barak was sandwiched in between them4 ,with ,deborah in front1 and ,jael in the rear1 and ,barak in the midst1 even poor1 weak ,barak became one of the heroes of faith who shine in the constellation of eternal stars1 upon which the ,holy ,spirit has turned the telescope of the eleventh chapter of ,hebrews4 ,how the inspiring faith of ,deborah must have nerved ,barak for heroic action4 ,her message to him is all alive with the very spirit and innermost essence of the faith that counts the things that are not as though they were4 8,up10 she cries1 as she rouses him by a trumpet call from his timorous inactivity2 8for this is the day10 she adds1 as she shakes him out of his procrastination1 8in which the ,lord hath delivered ,sisera into thine hand40 ,she goes on to say1 as she reckons upon the victory as already won1 8,is not the ,lord gone out before thee80 ,she concludes1 as she commits the whole matter into ,jehovah's hands1 and bids him simply follow on and take the victory that is already given4 ,is it possible for faith to speak in plainer terms1 or language to express with stronger emphasis the imperative mood or the present tense of that victorious faith1 for which nothing is impossible8 ,again1 we have here the lesson of mutual service4 ,this victory was not all won by any single individual1 but ,god linked together as ,he loves always to do1 many co-operating instruments and agents in the accomplishment of ,his will4 ,there was ,deborah representing the spirit of faith and of prophecy4 ,there was ,barak representing obedience and executive energy4 ,there were the people that willingly offered themselves2 the volunteers of faith4 ,there were the yet nobler hosts of ,zebulun1 and ,naphtali1 that jeoparded their lives unto the death1 the martyrs who are the crowning glory of every great enterprise4 ,and there was ,jael1 the poor heathen woman away out on the frontiers of ,israel1 who gave the finishing touch1 and struck the last blow through the temples of the proud ,sisera1 while high above all were the forces of nature1 and the unseen armies of ,god's providence2 for the stars in their courses fought against ,sisera1 and the flood of the ,kishon rolled down in mountain torrents and swept the astonished foe away4 ,sisera's iron chariots were broken and scattered2 but his will and prowess would soon have another army in the field1 more terrible than the first4 ,to answer fully the faith that took hold of ,god's strength1 the ,canaanitish general must die4 ,but not by the hand of ,barak4 ,his wavering faith had forfeited that honor4 ,that last act which should bring victory to the army of ,israel would be performed through the courage of a woman4 ,the woman who was to complete the deliverance was the wife of an ,arab sheik1 of a family descended from ,jethro1 ,moses' father-in-law4 ,the tribe of ,jael and of her husband1 ,heber1 was encamped under the 8,oak of the ,wanderers40 ,these ,arabs were on good terms with both ,hebrews and ,syrians2 but ,jael must have had the spiritual sense to see that the ,lord had taken in hand the freeing of ,israel1 and she must use the opportunity to further ,his plans4 ,so when ,sisera left his unmanageable chariot and escaped from the battle on foot1 he came to her tent worn out with the fatigue of the fight and flight1 and she gave him the hospitality for which he begged2 but while he was in the deep sleep of exhaustion1 she drove a tent pin into his temple4 ,his death made impossible the rallying of the host against ,god's people4 ,better far that one man should die1 than that thousands of both ,hebrews and ,syrians should fall on the battlefields of prolonged warfare4 ,jael has honorable mention in ,deborah's superb song of triumph4 ,stanley says of that pan of victory3 8,in the song of ,deborah we have the only prophetic utterance that breaks the silence between ,moses and ,samuel4 ,hers is the one voice of inspiration 7in the full sense of the word7 that breaks out in the ,book of ,judges40 ,jael is the only woman mentioned in the ,bible who ever took a human life4 ,we confess that the exploit seems unwomanly1 but we must not forget there is no sex in right or wrong-doing1 though it may be long before we can rid ourselves of the habit of requiring a higher morality in a woman than in a man4 ,in this heroic effort on the part of ,deborah to throw off the yoke of a cruel oppressor1 we see the curse of neutrality1 and the pitiful spectacle1 which seems always to be present1 of the unfaithful1 ignoble and indifferent ones who quietly looked on while all this was happening1 and not only missed their reward1 but justly received the curse of ,god's displeasure and judgment4 ,and so1 in the ,song of ,deborah1 we hear of ,reuben's enthusiastic purposes1 but does nothing4 ,we see her fiery scorn for those who strayed among the bleatings of the sheepfolds1 rather than the trumpet of the battle4 ,we see her sarcasm strike the selfish men of ,gilead who abode beyond ,jordan2 the careless ,danites who remained in their ships1 and men of ,asher who1 secure in their naval defences1 stayed away up yonder on the seashore1 and took refuge in their ports and inland rivers1 while1 above all the echoes of her denunciations1 rings out the last awful curse against the inhabitants of ,meroz1 a little obscure city that probably had taken refuge in its insignificance1 because its inhabitants had refused to come up to the help of the ,lord against the mighty4 ,finally1 this scene is a pattern page from ,god's book of remembrance4 ,some day we shall read the other pages and find our names recorded either with the inhabitants of ,meroz and ,reuben1 or with the victors of faith who stood with ,deborah1 and ,barak1 and ,jehovah1 in the battles of the ,lord4 ,oh1 shall we shine now like stars in the night1 and then like the sun in the kingdom of our ,father8 ,passing on in our narrative from the brave deeds of ,deborah1 we next come to one of the most heroic daughters in ,israel1 and her great act of utter abnegation to save a father's vow is so beautiful that1 like the good ,samaritan in our ,lord's touching parable1 uttered in answer to the question1 ,who is my neighbor8 the name is lost in the fragrance of the deed4 ,she is simply ,jephthah's daughter4 ,it was during that stormy period in the history of ,israel1 when again and again they had fallen into the idolatrous practices of their heathen neighbors around them4 ,these unlawful acts had often called down the judgments of ,god upon them4 ,in the time of ,jephthah1 the ,israelites were smarting under the oppression of an ,ammonitish king4 ,the unsettled character of the age was such that the elders of the people sought in vain for a suitable leader1 who could command the confidence of his countrymen4 ,there was one man1 however1 a native of ,gilead1 who was a brave and successful leader4 ,this was none other than ,jephthah1 but1 because he had been born a child of misfortune1 his brethren disowned him1 and had cast him out4 ,in most persons such treatment develops a spirit of misanthropy and bitterness which often find expression in revenge4 ,but ,jephthah seemed to have possessed a much sweeter disposition than his brethren4 ,his faith seems to have been anchored to ,god1 and1 as is usually the case1 when all else forsook him then the ,lord took him up1 and1 trusting in ,jehovah1 he lived to have a glorious revenge upon his unkind people by bringing them a blessing instead of the curse that they had given him4 ,we have a little touch of his character in the name he gave his new home4 ,he called it the land of ,tob4 ,tob means 8good10 and this is but a little straw to tell how the wind blew in ,jephthah's life4 ,and so the day came when ,jephthah's brothers were glad to send for him to be their deliverer1 and ,jephthah had the high honor of returning good for evil1 and saving the people that once despised him4 ,he consented to become their leader on the condition1 which was solemnly ratified before the ,lord in ,mizpah1 that in the event of his success against the ,ammonitish king he should still remain as their acknowledged head4 ,this is the way that ,god loves to vindicate us1 to make us a blessing to those that hated us and wronged us4 ,his promise is1 8,i will make them to come and worship before thy feet1 and to know that ,i have loved thee40 ,when ,jephthah responded to their appeal1 and came for their help1 we see in his very words and acts the spirit of godliness and a lofty faith4 ,we are told explicitly that all his words to his own people were 8before the ,lord40 ,he spoke as in ,jehovah's presence4 ,he also went against his adversaries in the name of ,jehovah ,god4 ,the battle was not his1 but the ,lord's1 and such faith never can be confounded4 ,it was not long before ,jephthah returned in triumph from the slaughter of his enemies4 ,his country was delivered1 his claims vindicated1 and his enemies were destroyed4 ,but now we come to the great trial in ,jephthah's life1 which shows not only the loftiest faith1 but the sublimest faithfulness4 ,in the hour of peril he had vowed a vow unto ,jehovah1 pledging that when he returned in victory the first object that he met should be dedicated to the ,lord1 an offering to ,him4 ,as he came back amid the acclamations of universal triumph1 the first who met him when he approached his home was his beautiful daughter1 and as he realized all that his vow had meant1 he was overwhelmed for a moment with the deepest emotion4 ,but not for an instant did he hesitate in his firm and high purpose1 nor once did that dear child shrink back from the sacrifice imposed upon her1 but stood nobly with her father1 demanding that he should fulfill his vow to the utmost4 ,the scene is very graphically described3 ,when 8,jephthah came to ,mizpah unto his house1 behold1 his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances2 and she was his only child2 beside her he had neither son nor daughter4 ,and it came to pass1 when he saw her1 that he rent his clothes and said1 ,alas1 my daughter6 thou hast brought me very low1 and thou art one of them that trouble me1 for ,i have opened my mouth unto the ,lord1 and ,i can not go back40 ,this noble child of faith certainly was equal to her father's trial1 and lovingly replied1 8,my father1 if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the ,lord1 do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth40 ,there has been much discussion as to the real meaning of ,jephthah's vow1 and the real fate of his lovely1 obedient daughter4 ,that the daughter of ,jephthah was really offered up to ,god in sacrifice1 slain by the hand of her father and then burned1 is a horrible conclusion1 and contrary to all we know of his life1 upon which we have dwelt at some length in order to bring out its characteristics4 ,with such a sweet trust and confidence in ,god as is manifest in his every act1 we can not believe that either ,jephthah meant to make a human sacrifice1 or that his daughter so understood it4 ,there are several passages and constructions which can leave no doubt in the mind of the candid reader that such was not the literal intention1 and that this fair child of faith and obedience was not to be slain upon the altar like the children of ,ammon before their god of fire1 but that her fresh life was given in all its purity as a living sacrifice of separation and life of service to ,jehovah4 ,in the eighteenth chapter of ,deuteronomy we find the most solemn warnings given to ,israel against imitating in the least degree the cruel and wicked rites of the ,ammonites1 especially in offering human sacrifices4 ,now these ,ammonites were the very people against whom ,jephthah had gone forth to war1 and as godly follower of ,jehovah he must have been familiar with the commandments of the book of ,deuteronomy4 ,for him1 therefore1 to directly disobey these solemn injunctions would have been to prove false to all his character and all the meaning of his victory in the name of ,jehovah4 ,again1 in the twelfth chapter of ,exodus1 it is clearly taught that the first-born of ,israel were all to be recognized as the ,lord's1 and liable1 therefore1 to death1 like the ,egyptian first-born4 ,but1 instead of their lives being literally required1 they were redeemed by the blood of a lamb1 and the ,paschal lamb was offered instead of the life of the ,hebrew1 and that life was still regarded as wholly the ,lord's1 given to ,him in living consecration1 of which the whole tribe of ,levi was regarded as the type1 and therefore it was separated unto the service of the ,lord as a substitute for the lives of the first-born4 ,in all this was clearly taught the lesson that what ,god required from ,his people was not a dead body1 but a 8living sacrifice40 ,it is much harder to live for ,god than to die for ,god4 ,it takes much less spiritual and moral power to leap into the conflict and fling a life away in the excitement of the battle than it does to live through fifty years of misunderstanding1 pain and temptation4 ,it would have been easier for ,jephthah's daughter to have lain down amid the flowers of spring1 the chants and songs of a religious ceremonial1 the tears and songs of the people who loved her1 and know that her name would be forever enshrined1 than to go out from the bright circle of human society and all the charms of youth and beauty and domestic and social delight1 and live as a recluse for ,god alone1 giving up the dearest hope of every ,hebrew woman1 not only to be a mother1 but to be the mother of the promised ,christ2 giving up also1 along with her father1 the fond desire of a son to share his honor and his sceptre1 to prolong his name4 ,all this it meant4 ,this was the sacrifice she made4 ,and so we read that she did not go aside to bewail her approaching death1 but she went aside for two months to bewail her 8virginity10 the loneliness of her own life1 then gladly gave her life a living sacrifice to ,god4 ,there are several other considerations that might be added if necessary to establish this construction of the passage4 ,it is enough to briefly refer to the fact that the phrase in the eleventh chapter of ,judges1 verse thirty-nine1 is in the future tense1 and refers to her future virginity and not her past1 and also that the translation of the fortieth verse in one of our versions1 is that the daughters of ,israel went yearly 8to talk0 with the daughter of ,jephthah four times in a year4 ,it is not necessary to pursue the argument further4 ,enough for our present purpose that we catch the inspired lesson4 ,that lesson is supreme1 unqualified1 unquestioning fidelity to ,god4 ,how tender and beautiful the lesson which this passage gives to the young as well as the old6 ,just as ,isaac stands out in the older story in a light as glorious as ,abraham in yonder sacrifice on ,mount ,moriah1 so ,jephthah's daughter's sacrifice must not be forgotten in the honor we pay her father4 ,sweet child of single-hearted consecration6 ,god help her sisters and her followers to be as true4 ,oh1 beloved1 do not wait until desire shall fail and age chill the pulses of ardent youth1 and the world fall away from you itself4 ,but when the flowers are blooming1 and the cup is brimming1 and the heart beats high with earthly love and joy and hope1 then it is so sweet1 it is so wise1 it is so rare1 to pour all at ,his blessed feet1 as ,mary poured her ointment on ,his head1 and some day to receive it back amid the bloom and peals of yonder land1 where they that have forsaken friends and treasures1 fond affections and brightest prospects for ,his dear sake1 shall receive a hundredfold1 and shall have the still richer joy of knowing that they have learned ,his spirit and understood ,his love4 ,following the story of ,jephthah's daughter and her heroic self-sacrifice1 we next come to the touching scenes and incidents related in the life of ,ruth and her mother-in-law1 ,naomi4 ,this is1 confessedly1 one of the sweetest idyls ever written4 ,as a singular example of virtue and piety in a rude age and among an idolatrous people2 as one of the first fruits of the ,gentile harvest gathered into the ,church2 as the heroine of a story of exquisite beauty and simplicity2 as illustrating in her history the workings of ,divine ,providence1 and the truth of the saying1 8the eyes of the ,lord are over the righteous20 for the many interesting revelations of ancient domestic and social customs which are associated with her story1 ,ruth has always held a foremost place among the ,women in ,white ,raiment4 ,the story begins at ,bethlehem1 so dear to the ,christian heart4 ,a famine had occurred1 and even the fertile plains of ,bethlehem ,ephratah 7the fruitful7 failed to give sufficient food to its inhabitants4 ,on this account ,elimelech1 an ,ephrathite1 left his home with his wife and two sons and went to sojourn in the land of ,moab1 the hilly region south-east of the ,dead ,sea1 where the descendants of ,lot dwelt4 ,here ,elimelech died1 and ,naomi1 his wife1 was left a widow with her two sons1 ,mahlon and ,chilin4 ,the young men1 when grown1 took them wives of the women of ,moab4 ,probably this was another severe trial to ,naomi1 for she had doubtless warned them that it was contrary to ,god's law that they should marry daughters of the heathen4 ,other strokes came quickly upon her1 for her two sons died also4 ,naomi1 notwithstanding her nationality1 had won the respect and warmest attachment of her sons' wives2 and now1 when death had desolated their homes and laid in the dust the strong men to whom they had clung1 they only drew the closer to each other4 ,at the end of ten years1 and having heard that there was plenty again in ,judah1 ,naomi resolved to return to ,bethlehem4 ,orpah and ,ruth also purposed to accompany her4 ,we can imagine the sad farewell visit to the graves of the beloved dead1 and then together set out on foot for the land which the ,lord had blessed4 ,after they had gone on their way for some distance1 ,naomi1 with heartfelt acknowledgment of their fidelity to her1 endeavored to persuade them to return to their own kindred4 ,but they both declared that they would cleave to her4 ,and so they trudged on until probably the borders of ,moab were reached1 when ,naomi once more urged them to return to their people4 ,orpah this time yielded to ,naomi's urgent request1 and giving her a kiss of farewell1 returned to her people4 ,ruth1 however1 still clave to ,naomi1 with self-sacrificing love4 ,pointing to the form of ,orpah1 ,naomi entreated ,ruth to follow her sister's example4 ,this was the crisis in ,ruth's life1 on which her future destiny was to turn4 ,but the clinging nature of ,ruth refused to be separated from the warm heart of ,naomi1 and no one can fail to be moved by the pathos of her reply1 8,entreat me not to leave thee1 or to return from following after thee2 for whither thou goest ,i will go2 and where thou lodgest1 ,i will lodge2 thy people shall be my people1 and thy ,god1 my ,god2 where thou diest1 ,i will die1 and there will ,i be buried3 the ,lord do so to me1 and more also1 if aught but death part thee and me40 ,this tender loyalty and undying love must have touched the strong1 brave heart of ,naomi1 for ,ruth's noble plea covered every possible condition in life through which they might be called to pass1 and refused to be separated even in death4 ,illustration3 ,,ruth ,,the ,,faithful ,,friend4 ,the decision was so firmly1 so solemnly stated that there was nothing more to be said1 and ,naomi1 doubtless glad in her loneliness to retain the treasure of such a true and loving heart1 made no further effort to alter her purpose1 and so the two journeyed on together towards ,bethlehem4 ,there were two things in conflict1 one with the other1 at this stage in the experience of these women4 #a4 ,ruth had learned to know and to love the true ,god1 and we must believe she loved him with the intensity of her nature4 ,the opportunity was offered1 and she determined to forsake her heathen idols1 and to unite herself with the people of ,jehovah1 and to rest within the shadow of the wings of the ,god of ,israel1 regardless of trials or poverty that might await her in the future4 #b4 ,on the other hand1 ,naomi was brave to take ,ruth with her1 for she knew the law that excluded the ,moabite1 and it is marvelous that ,ruth was received into the ,hebrew nation1 for her people were specially interdicted1 and doubtless this was the reason why ,naomi sought and urged ,orpah and ,ruth to turn back4 ,at length1 after days of travel1 the two lone women1 weary and footsore1 arrived at ,bethlehem1 and all the city was moved about the event1 and as they looked into the face of the elder woman and saw the deep lines of sorrow1 they said1 8,is not this ,naomi80 ,yes1 it was ,naomi 7which means delightsome71 in her youth1 before her life became blasted with sorrow and want4 ,in her destitution her name seems to her to be a mockery1 and she exclaims1 8,call me ,mara60 that is1 bitterness4 ,she went out with her husband and sons full of hope1 now she has returned with only the bitter recollection of three graves in the land of ,moab1 and herself in abject poverty4 ,no one seemed to have helped ,naomi in her sorrow and distress4 ,but ,ruth1 true to her declaration1 clung to ,naomi1 and bravely took it upon herself to provide for both4 ,it was the time of the barley harvest1 and the brave girl went out into the fields to glean after the reapers1 a privilege that the law of ,moses allowed to the poor of the land4 8,her hap0 was to enter the field of ,boaz4 ,it was a 8hap0 so far as ,ruth was concerned1 but back of it was the ordering of ,him who is the husband of the widow and the ,father of the fatherless4 ,boaz came into the field1 and after the good manners of those times1 exchanged pious and kindly salutations with his reapers4 ,now ,boaz was a near kinsman of ,ruth's deceased husband1 and a man of wealth and consideration1 but of course knew nothing about this ,moabitess4 ,however1 having learned that she was the companion of ,naomi1 he generously permitted her to glean among the sheaves1 and instructed his reapers to let drop a handful now and then on purpose for her4 ,and so this loving heart gleaned through the hot hours of the day until evening1 and then she beat the barley from the straw1 and the result proved she had 8about an ephah0 7over a bushel7 of barley4 ,with the result of her day's labor under her arm1 she hastened home1 and when ,naomi saw it1 she asked1 8,where hast thou gleaned to-day80 ,ruth replied that the name of the man in whose field she had gleaned was ,boaz4 ,naomi loved her beautiful1 widowed daughter-in-law2 and she was eager for her to have a happy home1 claiming in ,israel the inheritance of the departed1 and so she told ,ruth of the relation in which ,boaz stood to her1 and instructed her to claim at the hands of ,boaz that he should perform the part of her husband's near kinsman1 by purchasing the inheritance of ,elimelech1 and taking her to be his wife4 ,but there was a nearer kinsman than ,boaz1 and it was necessary that he should have the option of redeeming the inheritance for himself4 ,he1 however1 declined1 fearing to mar his own inheritance4 ,upon which1 with all due solemnity1 ,boaz took ,ruth to be his wife1 amidst the blessings and congratulations of their neighbors4 ,the most sweetly primitive and poetic touch of all this story is the blessing of the women upon ,naomi1 when the babe that had been given ,ruth after her marriage to ,boaz was laid in the mother-in-law's bosom3 8,blessed be the ,lord1 which had not left thee this day without a kinsman1 that his name may be famous in ,israel4 ,and he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life1 and a nourisher of thine old age2 for thy daughter-in-law1 which loveth thee1 which is better to thee than seven sons1 hath borne him40 ,ruth1 by birth1 was a heathen4 ,as such1 she was excluded from ,god's covenanted people4 ,but1 in her case1 love was mightier than law4 ,in the fullness of time it was shown to be the fulfillment of law4 ,though her people were specially interdicted1 she was admitted to the first rank and led by ,providence into the line of the world's nobility4 ,her life shows how ,god values beautiful1 loving character even more than great deeds4 ,as her name indicates1 she was a 8faithful friend40 ,it was what she was1 rather than what she did1 that brought her the high honor of being the mother of ,obed1 and the ancestress1 not only of ,david and ,solomon1 the greatest ,jewish kings1 but of ,christ ,himself4 ,to a believing people like the ,hebrews1 who lived for the future1 that was the climax of ,divine approval4 ,what amazing results have been accomplished by women of faith4 ,it will be well for us to study and emulate the sweet1 obedient faith of this beautiful ,moabitess4 ,we must remember that it is not the quantity1 but quality1 of our service that pleases most our heavenly ,father2 not what we do1 but what we are4 ,we may never do great things1 but1 through grace1 we can all be faithful4 ,we may pass from the stage of action1 but the splendid deeds wrought in faith will remain1 shedding their influence across the bosom of a sinful world1 like so many beacon lights guiding a guilty race back to a ,father's love1 and the world's final redemption4 ,we now come to ,hannah1 the last woman in ,white ,raiment under the ,theocracy4 ,the mother of the great and good ,samuel will ever stand in history as among the purest of women4 ,it often happens that the mother is lost sight of in the fame of her son4 ,this is quite true in the life of ,samuel4 ,he stands out the great ,reformer of his time1 lifting his people out of the ,dark ,ages of the ,old ,testament and leading them into the ,golden ,age of ,david's kingdom and ,israel's pre-eminence among the nations4 ,but while ,samuel ranks with ,joseph1 and ,joshua1 and ,daniel1 in the blamelessness of his life1 let us not forget that back of that great life was a woman's broken heart1 a woman's tears1 a woman's life made bitter by disappointment and humiliation1 made so by a polygamous system whose fruit must ever be jealousy and sorrow--ever a sign of a low condition of social morality4 ,poor1 heart-broken ,hannah was one of the two wives of ,elkanah1 an ,ephrathite4 ,however1 the record does not show that she was unloved by her husband4 ,indeed1 it appears that he tried to comfort her1 gallantly asking her if he were not more to her than ten sons4 ,but her sorrow that she had no children made her countenance sad1 and took away her appetite for food4 ,at length1 however1 out of her crushed heart came the believing prayer that brought her victory and consolation4 ,it was the fixed habit of ,elkanah to go with his family 8yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the ,lord of ,hosts in ,shiloh40 ,on one of these yearly visits1 ,hannah poured out her prayer in great sobs and tears4 ,she was very definite in her petition4 ,she asked for a son1 not that she might know the joy of motherhood1 but that ,god might be glorified4 ,she promised that she would 8give him unto the ,lord all the days of his life40 ,and so earnest was she in pressing her suit1 that ,eli the priest thought her drunk1 and reproved her for her conduct4 ,but she bravely told him her story4 ,she said she was a 8woman of a sorrowful spirit40 ,she had drunk neither wine nor strong drink1 but had poured out her soul before the ,lord4 ,the spirit of prophecy came upon the good old man1 and though he knew nothing of the nature of her prayer1 he promised its fulfillment4 8,go in peace3 and the ,god of ,israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of ,him40 ,hannah believed1 and she 8went her way1 and did eat1 and her countenance was no more sad40 ,after her beautiful boy was born1 and began to show his charming baby ways1 she trembled under his dainty caresses1 and the kisses of his pure1 sweet mouth1 for she remembered her vow2 but she was true and faithful4 ,it is a brave1 strong1 submissive mother who can give up without a murmur the child that ,god takes to ,himself2 but to know that he is alive somewhere1 and at that very hour may be grieving for lack of the love and care that only a mother can give1 ,o how that ordeal must rend the heart6 ,just that was the test of ,hannah's loyalty4 ,in just that severe balance of obedience and trust was she weighed1 and she was not found wanting4 ,when her child was old enough to be left without a mother's watchful care she took him to the ,tabernacle and gave him to ,eli1 to be brought up as a child of the sanctuary4 8,i have lent him to the ,lord10 she said1 8and as long as he lives he shall be lent unto the ,lord40 ,not for a few days or weeks did she give him up1 but she gave him wholly and with a sacrifice that only a mother could understand1 she consented that the little feet for whose pattering she had longed should be heard no more in her cottage1 that the prattle for whose music her lonely heart had waited a lifetime should sound no more in her ears1 but that she should live on till the end alone1 glad to know that he was all the ,lord's1 and was giving back to ,god the blessing which he had brought to her4 ,this is love and this is the difference between the love of earth and the love of heaven4 ,earthly love loves for the pleasure it can find in loving4 ,heavenly love loves for the blessing it can give to the loved one4 ,hannah knew that her sacrifice was best for ,samuel1 and that in giving him to ,god she was getting more for him than a mother's selfish fondness could ever have bestowed4 ,and yet there was still the sweet thought behind it all that he was hers4 ,she was not losing him but lending him1 and ,god counted her sacrifice a real service1 and some day would restore the loan with infinite and eternal additions4 ,when ,hannah had triumphed over her own heart1 and her boy was safely under the care and instruction of ,eli1 to be used to the utmost in the ,lord's service1 she sung her song of thanksgiving for the birth of her son4 ,her hymn is in the highest order of prophetic poetry4 ,its resemblance to that of the ,virgin ,mary has been noticed by ,bible students1 and is specially remarkable as containing the first designation of the ,messiah under that name4 ,though written in the days of scant literary attainment1 the song of ,hannah is an exquisite piece of composition4 ,it is full of keen insight and superb power4 ,besides what was written by ,moses1 men wrote but little poetry in that early time4 ,the hymns of ,miriam1 ,deborah and ,hannah have rare beauty4 ,it was the daughters rather than the sons who prophesied in song4 ,but while the child ,samuel1 8girded with a linen ephod10 8ministered before the ,lord10 in the ,tabernacle1 in ,shiloh1 the loving mother heart1 in her home1 was stitching her beautiful thoughts year after year into the little coat which she annually brought to him1 8when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice40 ,and we may well believe that ,hannah's loyalty and good sense made plain1 serviceable garments1 so that the mind of the young ,samuel was not diverted from his ,tabernacle duties to gay and bright colors in his tunics1 and so his young heart was kept from the blight of pride4 ,this was the lad's high privilege4 ,he was always a holy child4 ,he never knew the defiling breath of wickedness4 ,this may be the privilege of your child1 ,christian mother4 ,god help you to protect your innocent babe from the foul breath of sin's contamination and always to shelter that trusting life under the protecting wings of ,god4 ,this may be your privilege1 happy ,christian child1 who perchance may read these lines to-day4 ,oh1 let ,god have your earliest years and may you never know the mystery of iniquity and the memories of sin and shame which1 though they may be forgiven1 yet come back to defile and distress the heart4 ,but ,samuel was not holy and good by natural birth or disposition4 ,it was not because that he was good anyhow by temperament4 ,the keynote of his life was1 8,speak1 ,lord1 for ,thy servant heareth40 ,at first even he made some mistakes and misunderstood the voice that spake to him so gently in his little chamber4 ,three times it called to him in vain1 and he thought it was the old priest's message1 but even when he understood not he still responded and sprang to his feet1 ready instantly to obey4 ,the very peculiarities of ,samuel's call lingered in his later life in his messages to ,saul1 8,behold1 to obey is better than sacrifice1 and to hearken than the fat of rams40 ,all his blessings had come to him by hearkening and obeying1 and all ,saul's calamities had come to him because he willfully took his own way and refused to listen to ,god4 ,from ,hannah's consecration of her child we may learn two excellent lessons1 embodying the greatest principles that underlie the human side of the redemption of the race3 ,first1 the mother's power2 and second1 the child's ability to know ,god4 ,she had so thoroughly lent ,samuel to the ,lord that he held true to ,god in the degeneracy of ,eli's judgeship and the slackness of the priesthood1 as illustrated in the family of ,eli4 ,the social condition of the age was a shocking exhibition of low sensuality1 licentiousness and cupidity that would disgrace even the grossest heathenism4 ,eli himself1 while a just and holy man in his own private character1 was weak and inefficient as a judge and a priest1 and utterly failed to restrain his ungodly family or exercise any just administration of public affairs4 ,the whole nation was1 therefore1 in a most pitiable condition1 at the mercy of its foreign oppressors and so enfeebled that a few years later we find there was not a sword in ,israel1 and they had even to go to the grindstones of the ,philistines in order to grind their plough coulters for the ordinary operations of husbandry4 ,it was at such a time as this that ,god called ,samuel to be at once the pattern and deliverer of his country4 ,in the very outset1 the ,lord had some very unpleasant work for ,samuel to do1 which must have tested his obedience4 ,while yet quite young he had a hard1 sad message to deliver to his old friend and instructor1 and it was no easy task to go to ,eli and tell him all that ,god had spoken against his house4 ,it was the hard test which often came again in his later ministry as the messenger of ,god to sinful man4 ,again and again did he have to go to those he loved and say to them the thing which nearly broke his heart4 ,when this child of promise finally passed from under the watchful care of the devoted ,hannah1 we are told1 8the ,lord was with ,samuel10 and he 8let none of his words fall to the ground1 and all ,israel knew that ,samuel was established to be a prophet of the ,lord40 ,the life of ,samuel marks a transition period in the history of ,israel from the time of the ,judges to the kingdom of ,saul and ,david4 ,his was an epoch life like ,abraham's1 ,joshua's and ,john the ,baptist's4 ,he also enjoyed the distinguished honor of being the founder of the school of the prophets and the first in that glorious succession of holy men who spake as they were moved by the ,holy ,ghost1 and who formed the only unbroken line of truth and righteousness in the history of ,god's ancient people4 ,from the days of ,samuel the prophets formed a distinct class1 and had a regular school of training1 corresponding somewhat to our theological seminaries and training institutes1 and ,samuel had the pre-eminence of being the founder of these prophetic schools4 ,later in his life he went about the country as a pastor and overseer1 visiting the towns and villages1 holding conventions1 from place to place and instructing the people in the law of ,god and the schools of the prophets in the principles of the kingdom4 ,but1 above all his public ministries and even his national influence1 ,samuel was himself a beautiful and spotless character4 ,in an age of almost universal corruption he lived a life of blameless piety1 and at a later period1 when bidding farewell to the nation as their judge1 he could truly call upon them to witness to his uprightness and integrity4 8,behold10 he said1 8,i am old and gray-headed1 and ,i have walked before you from my childhood unto this day4 ,behold1 here ,i am2 witness against me before the ,lord and before ,his anointed4 ,whose ox have ,i taken8 or whose ass have ,i taken8 or whom have ,i defrauded8 whom have ,i oppressed8 or of whose hand have ,i received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith8 and ,i will restore it to you40 ,and they said1 8,thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us1 neither hast thou taken aught of any man's hand40 ,samuel stands forth as one of the blameless lives of sacred history2 human no doubt in his infirmities1 but no fault has been recorded against him1 and his personal character is the most eloquent testimony of all his history4 ,we have been permitted to trace this beautiful life to its source4 ,some characters1 like ,elijah's suddenly burst upon our vision and we only know them in the public and closing chapters of their history4 ,some1 however1 are like a beautiful river that you can trace to its crystal fountain and follow all through its winding channel until1 like our own ,hudson1 it pours its volume into the sea4 ,thus we have been permitted to stand by ,samuel's cradle and even to know something of his prophetic future before his very birth4 ,we enter into the joys and sorrows and the believing prayers of ,hannah1 the devoted mother1 who was the real fountain1 not only of his natural life1 but also of his piety and holy power4 ,and we walk side by side with him through his childhood and his youth until1 at last1 we meet him in the busy activities of his manhood and follow him until he lays down his ministry and passes to his honored rest4 ,what a touching story is the life of ,hannah of motherly consecration of herself and her ,samuel4 ,if all who wear the crown of motherhood were as noble1 as loyal1 as self-giving and trustful as ,hannah was1 and brought up their children to know and obey the voice of the ,lord1 what a world this would be4 ,o that our land were filled with ,hannahs1 then would we have more ,samuels4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,womanhood ,during the ,reign of the ,kings4 ,,abigail--,,churlish ,,nabal--,,chivalrous ,,appreciation--,,david',s ,,messengers--,,saul',s ,,daughters--,,his ,,treachery--,,michal',s ,,stratagem--,,rizpah--,,her ,,heroic ,,endurance ,,and ,,loving ,,fidelity--,,the ,,queen ,,of ,,sheba--,,her ,,visit ,,to ,,jerusalem--,,the ,,glory ,,and ,,wisdom ,,of ,,solomon--,,the ,,half ,,not ,,told--,,the ,,queen',s ,,royal ,,gifts4 ,passing out from under the ,theocracy1 or rule of the ,judges1 the first woman in ,white ,raiment that appears on the page of the ,sacred ,record is ,abigail4 ,she was the wife of ,nabal1 a wealthy owner of goats and sheep in ,carmel1 not the ,mount ,carmel of ,central ,palestine1 between the maritime plain of ,sharon on the south1 and the great inland expanse known as the plain of ,esdraelon on the north1 but a town in the mountainous country of ,judah1 to the west of the lower end of the ,dead ,sea4 ,she was a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance--a fit combination4 ,her character had written its legend on her face4 ,the two things do not always go together4 ,there are many beautiful women wholly destitute of good understanding1 just as birds of rarest plumage are commonly deficient in the power of song4 ,but a good understanding1 which is moral rather than intellectual1 casts a glow of beauty over the plainest features4 ,but ,abigail's husband was a churl4 ,the great establishment over which she presided would be called1 in our modern times1 a sheep ranch1 and1 under the management of such a man as ,nabal1 the servants doubtless often echoed the ill-temper of their master1 and her wits would be often sharpened to the utmost to keep all within the limits of safety and comfort4 ,evidently1 at her birth1 ,abigail had been a welcomed child in a happy home1 amid plenty and even luxury1 such as the times in that rude age of the world could give4 ,her parents named her 8,source of joy40 ,she had grown up in a glad1 breezy confidence that made her equal to any emergency4 ,since ,god has floods of glory for the gloomiest souls1 why will not parents keep their children in the clear1 warm sunshine of joyful love8 ,many drudge early and late to provide culture and comfort2 but they withhold a better1 richer gift4 ,they becloud hopelessly the dear young lives with their own disappointments1 and foredoom them to despondency4 ,this sprightly1 happy1 beautiful ,abigail at length married the selfish1 churlish ,nabal4 ,when we look over society to-day1 it is remarkable how many ,abigails get married to ,nabals4 ,god-fearing women1 tender and gentle in their sensibilities1 high-minded and noble in their ideals1 become tied in an indissoluble union with men for whom they can have no true affinity1 even if they have not an unconquerable repugnance4 ,in ,abigail's case this relationship was1 in all probability1 not of her choosing1 but the product of the ,oriental custom which compelled a girl to take her father's choice in the matter of marriage4 ,as a mere child she may have come into ,nabal's home1 and become bound to him by an apparently inevitable fate4 ,in other ways which involve equally little personal choice1 compelled by the pressure of inexorable circumstances1 misled by the deceitful tongue of flattery1 her instinctive hesitancy overcome by the urgency of friends1 a woman may still find herself in ,abigail's pitiful plight4 ,to such a one there is but one advice--you must stay where you are4 ,the dissimilarity in taste and temperament does not constitute a sufficient reason for leaving your husband to drift4 ,you must believe that ,god has permitted you to enter on this awful heritage1 partly because this fiery ordeal was required by your character1 and partly that you might act as a counteractive influence4 ,it may be that some day your opportunity will come1 as it came to ,abigail4 ,in the meantime do not allow your purer nature to be bespotted or besmeared4 ,you can always keep the soul clean and pure4 ,bide your time2 and1 amid the weltering waste of inky water1 be like a pure fountain rising from the ocean depths4 ,but if any young girl of good sense and earnest aspirations1 who reads these lines1 secretly knows that1 if she had the chance1 she would wed a carriage and pair1 a good position1 or broad acres1 irrespective of character1 let her remember that to enter the marriage bond with a man1 deliberately and advisedly1 for such a purpose1 is a profanation of the ,divine ideal1 and can end only in one way4 ,she will not raise him to her level1 but she will sink to his4 ,there came a time when ,nabal had an opportunity to show kindness1 to pay back1 in part at least1 his appreciation for the protection ,david and his men had given ,nabal's shepherds from ,bedouin and other desert robbers4 ,it was sheep-shearing time1 a season of gladness and of feasting4 ,david and his men were shut up in the wilderness of ,engedi1 driven thither by the persecutions of ,saul4 ,doubtless they were in need of food1 and ,david thought that the owner of three thousand sheep1 and a thousand goats1 in the very midst of the sheep-shearing festivities1 could send him a token of remembrance in his hunger and need4 ,so ,david sent ten of his young men with salutations of peace and prosperity1 and a request for any favor he felt disposed to give4 ,but ,nabal answered the young men saying1 8,who is ,david8 and who is the son of ,jesse8 there be many servants nowadays that break away every man from his master4 ,shall ,i then take my bread1 and my water1 and my flesh that ,i have killed for my shearers1 and give it unto men1 whom ,i know not whence they be80 ,the young men returned to ,david with the message of ,nabal1 and1 naturally enough1 ,david felt insulted and outraged4 ,taking a band of four hundred men1 he resolved to impress upon ,nabal who the 8son of ,jesse0 was1 and to make him pay dearly for his foolhardy conduct4 ,but1 in the meantime1 one of ,nabal's servants told ,abigail how ,david's young men had been treated4 ,evidently this thoughtful and prudent servant knew the excellency of his mistress1 and could trust her to act wisely in the emergency which was upon them4 ,so he told her all4 ,told how ,david and his men had been 8a wall0 unto the shepherds 8both by night and by day10 and for all this kindness ,nabal1 his master1 had 8railed0 upon ,david's messengers4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,beautiful ,,abigail ,,meeting ,,david4 ,abigail immediately grasped the situation and at once despatched a small procession of provision-bearers along the way ,david would come4 ,in this she did not even take ,nabal into her counsel1 and she prepared to pay bountifully for the conduct of her foolhardy husband4 ,the band had scarcely started when she followed after1 and1 as she expected1 met the avenging warriors by the covert of the mountain1 and the interview was as creditable to her woman's wit as to her grace of heart4 ,the lowly obeisance of the beautiful woman at the young soldier's feet2 the frank confession of the wrong that had been done2 the expression of thankfulness that so far he had been kept from blood-guiltiness and from avenging his own wrongs2 the depreciation of the generous present she brought as only fit for his servants2 the chivalrous appreciation of his desire to fight only the battles of the ,lord and to keep an unblemished name2 the sure anticipation of the time when his fortunes would be secured and his enemies silenced2 the suggestion that in those coming days he would be glad to have no shadow on the sunlit hills of his life1 no haunting memory--all this was as beautiful and wise and womanly as it could be1 and brought ,david back to his better self4 ,frank and noble as he always was1 he did not hesitate to acknowledge his deep indebtedness to this lovely woman1 and to see in her intercession the gracious arrest of ,god4 8,and ,david said to ,abigail1 ,blessed be the ,lord1 the ,god of ,israel1 which sent thee this day to meet me2 and blessed be thy wisdom1 and blessed be thou1 which has kept me this day from blood-guiltiness1 and from avenging myself with my own hand40 ,what a revelation this is of the ministries with which ,god seeks to avert us from our evil ways6 ,they are sometimes very subtle and slender1 very small and still2 sometimes a gentle woman's hand laid on our wrist1 the mother reminding us of her maternity1 the wife of early vows1 the child with its pitiful1 beseeching look2 sometimes a thought1 holy1 pleading1 remonstrating4 ,ah1 many a time we have been saved from actions which would have caused lasting regret4 ,and above all these voices and influences there has been the gracious arresting influence of the ,holy ,spirit1 striving with passion and selfishness1 calling us to a nobler1 better life4 ,blessed ,spirit1 come down more often by the covert of the hill1 and stay us in our mad career1 and let us not press past thee to take our own wild way1 and we shall have reason for ceaseless gratitude4 ,only ten days after ,abigail's womanly intercession ,nabal died by the judgments of ,god4 ,when ,david heard of ,nabal's death1 he was very grateful indeed that he had been restrained by the prudent words of ,abigail1 and sent messengers to her at ,carmel1 asking her hand in marriage4 ,and this is the touching reply she sent back to ,david1 8,behold1 let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord40 8,and ,abigail hasted1 and arose1 and rode upon an ass1 with five damsels of hers that went after her2 and she went after the messengers of ,david1 and became his wife40 ,after her marriage1 she accompanied ,david in all his fortunes2 and no doubt her shrewd business sense was of great service to her husband4 ,the words she told ,david while he was sinking under discouragement from ,nabal's ingratitude1 that he would be 8bound in the bundle of life with the ,lord his ,god10 became prophetic of her own after life4 ,she proved that-- 8,they who get the best are those ,who leave the choice to ,him40 ,we next come to ,michal4 ,as ,abigail had saved the life of ,nabal1 so ,michal had saved the life of ,david4 ,she was the younger of the two daughters of ,saul1 the first king in ,israel4 ,david had been very successful in the slaughter of the ,philistines1 and on his return the women came out singing songs of welcome1 in which they chanted1 8,saul hath slain thousands1 and ,david ten thousands40 ,saul was highly displeased with this popular welcome to ,david and said1 8,what can he have more but the kingdom80 ,but1 with a view of exposing the life of ,david1 ,saul promised his elder daughter1 ,merab1 in marriage1 if he would fight his battles4 ,however1 in this ,saul had missed his calculations1 for the ,philistines were not able to take the life of ,david4 ,so1 no doubt1 in order that he might have one more opportunity of exposing ,david to the dangers of war1 he gave ,merab to ,adriel1 the ,mehoathite1 to wife4 ,it was a treachery such as ,saul frequently practiced upon ,david4 ,so he offered ,michal1 the second daughter1 in marriage1 fixing the price for her hand at no less than the slaughter of a hundred ,philistines4 ,david1 by a brilliant feat1 doubled the tale of his victims1 and ,michal became his wife4 ,michal was not averse to the good luck of ,david1 for she had so appreciated him that she had fallen violently in love with the young hero4 ,it was not long1 however1 before the strength of her affections was put to the proof4 ,after one of ,saul's attacks of frenzy1 in which ,david had barely escaped being transfixed by the king's spear1 ,michal learned that the house was being watched by ,saul's soldiers1 and that it was intended on the next morning to attack her husband as he left his door4 ,michal seemed to have known too well the vacillating and ferocious disposition of her father when in these demoniacal moods1 so1 like a true soldier's wife1 she met stratagem by stratagem4 ,she first provided for ,david's safety by lowering him out of the window by means of a rope4 ,to gain time for him to reach the residence of ,samuel at ,ramah1 she dressed up the bed as if still occupied by him1 by placing a teraphim in it1 its head enveloped1 like that of a sleeper1 in the usual net used for protection from gnats--a sore pest in ,palestine4 ,it happened as ,michal feared4 ,her father sent officers to take ,david4 ,michal made answer that her husband was ill and could not be disturbed4 ,at last ,saul would not be longer put off1 and ordered his messengers to force their way into ,david's apartment1 when they discovered the deception which had been played so successfully1 ,saul's rage knew no bounds1 and his fury was such that ,michal was obliged to resort to another deception by pretending that ,david attempted to kill her4 ,when ,michal let ,david down by a rope through a window on that memorable night in which she saved his life1 it was the last time she saw her husband for many years4 ,when the rupture between ,saul and ,david became open1 ,saul gave ,michal in marriage to ,phaltiel1 of ,gallim1 a village not far from the royal residence at ,gibeah4 ,after the death of ,saul1 ,michal and her new husband moved with the royal family to the east of ,jordan4 ,it was at least fourteen years since she had watched ,david's disappearance down the rope into the darkness of the night and had imperilled her own life to save his4 ,during all these years1 it would seem1 his love for his absent wife had undergone no change1 for he was eager to reclaim her when the first opportunity presented itself4 ,that opportunity came when ,abner revolted from ,ishbosheth4 ,important as it was to him to make an alliance with the court of ,ishbosheth1 established at ,mahanaim1 and much as he respected ,abner1 he would not listen for a moment to any overtures till his wife was restored4 ,and ,david sent messengers to ,ishbosheth saying1 8,deliver me my wife ,michal40 ,there seemed to be no alternative1 and ,michal was taken from ,phaltiel4 ,that she had equally won the love of ,phaltiel is manifest from the sad scene when she was taken from him1 and now under the joint escort of ,david's messengers and ,abner's twenty men1 en route from ,mahanaim to ,hebron1 he followed behind1 bewailing the wife thus torn from him1 and would not turn back until commanded to do so by ,abner4 ,but when ,michal was received into the royal home1 then at ,hebron1 she was not the affectionate companion of ,david's youth4 ,and1 doubtless1 he was no longer to her what he was before she had bestowed her love upon another4 ,they were no longer what they had been to each other4 ,the alienation was probably mutual4 ,on her side must have been the recollection of the long contest which had taken place in the interval between her father and ,david2 the strong feeling in the palace at ,hebron against the house of ,saul1 where every word she heard must have contained some distasteful allusion1 and where at every turn she must have encountered men like ,abiather the priest1 or ,ismaiah the ,gibeonite1 who had lost the whole or the greater part of their relatives in some sudden burst of her father's fury4 ,and more than all1 perhaps1 the inevitable difference between the husband of her recollections and the matured and occupied warrior who now received her4 ,the whole must have come upon her as a strong contrast to the affectionate ,phaltiel1 whose tears had followed her along the road over ,olivet until commanded to return home4 ,it also seems she did not enter into ,david's religious sympathies4 ,when he brought the ,ark of ,jehovah into ,jerusalem1 after the seat of government was transferred from ,hebron to that city1 ,michal watched the procession approach from the window of the royal palace1 and when she saw ,david in the triumphal march1 8she despised him in her heart40 ,it would have been well if her contempt had rested there2 but it was not in her nature to conceal it1 and when the last burnt offering had been made1 and the king entered his house to bless his family1 he was received by his wife not with the congratulations which he had a right to expect and which would have been so grateful to him1 but with a bitter taunt which showed how incapable she was of appreciating either her husband's devotions1 or the importance of the service in which he had been engaged4 ,david's answer showed that they were as wide apart religiously as he and her father had been politically4 ,he said1 8,it was before the ,lord1 which chose me before thy father1 and before all his house1 to appoint me ruler over the people40 ,this reproof gathered up all the differences between them which made sympathy no longer possible4 ,we must think of ,michal what she was to ,david in her youth1 and what she might have been had she not been given to another1 perhaps against her own will4 ,thus ,david lost her womanly affection1 which he so much needed1 and ,michal lost his brave1 heroic but devout spirit1 which would greatly have helped her to a correct knowledge of ,god1 for1 from the fact that she had a teraphim in her house1 would indicate she was not wholly free from idolatry1 and this doubtless accounts for her lack of sympathy with ,david in his religious nature1 for his devotions to ,god were unquestioned4 ,her surroundings from childhood were bad every way1 and her want of religious sympathy was not so much the want of faith as the lack of opportunity to know ,god4 ,we give her a place here for what she was in her youth1 in saving the life of ,david1 and what she would have been could she have grown up under the religious influences of ,david4 ,upon the death of ,saul1 the first king in ,israel1 ,rizpah1 a secondary wife1 and mother of his two sons ,armoni and ,mephibosheth1 appears on the stage of action4 ,after ,saul was defeated and met with death on ,mount ,gilboa and the ,philistines occupied the country west of the ,jordan1 the seat of government was transferred from ,gibeah to ,mahanaim for greater protection1 and ,rizpah accompanied the inmates of the royal household to their new residence4 ,ishbosheth1 the youngest of ,saul's four legitimate sons1 and his rightful heir to the throne1 had been proclaimed king in place of his father4 ,abner1 ,saul's uncle1 however1 had command of the army1 and had much to do in administering the affairs of the kingdom2 and1 because of this relation1 and for reasons not stated1 he seemed to have had frequent consultations with ,rizpah1 and this excited ,ishbosheth's jealousy4 ,among those primitive people1 to take the widow of a deceased king was to aspire to the throne4 ,ishbosheth accused ,abner of that ambitious design1 and the captain1 in his resentment1 replied1 8,am ,i a dog's head1 which against ,judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of ,saul thy father1 to his brethren1 and to his friends1 and have not delivered thee into the hands of ,david1 that thou chargest me to-day with a fault concerning this woman80 ,abner was so wroth that he left ,ishbosheth and went over to ,david--a piece of spite which led first to ,abner's death through ,joab's treachery1 and ultimately to the murder of ,ishbosheth himself4 ,we hear nothing more of ,rizpah till the three years' famine made it necessary to settle an old score against the house of ,saul for that king's wicked dealings with the ,gibeonites4 ,according to the crude1 rough justice of the times1 they demanded the death of seven of ,saul's descendants4 ,the two sons of ,rizpah and five of ,saul's grandsons were handed over to them for crucifixion4 ,here ,rizpah's love1 and endurance is brought to our notice4 ,the seven crosses to which her two sons and her five relatives were fastened1 were planted in the rock on the top of the sacred hill of ,gibeah4 ,the victims were sacrificed at the beginning of barley harvest--the sacred and festal time of the ,passover--and in the full blaze of the summer sun they hung till the fall of the periodical rain in ,october4 ,during the whole of that time ,rizpah remained at the foot of the crosses on which the bodies of her sons were exposed4 ,she had no tent to shelter her all those months from the scorching sun which beats on that open spot all day1 or from the drenching dews of night1 but she spread on the rock summit the thick mourning garment of black sackcloth1 which1 as a widow1 she wore1 and1 crouching there1 she kept off bird and beast till their bodies could have honorable burial4 ,at length the heroic actions of ,rizpah were brought to the notice of ,david1 who1 with his usual kindness1 had the bodies of ,saul and his friend ,jonathan brought from ,jabesh-,gilead1 and the bodies taken from the crosses and sepulchred in the family tomb of ,kish4 ,rizpah1 by birth was a ,hivite1 and probably had not the sustaining grace which ,god alone can give4 ,she had trained her sons for the splendors of a court4 ,they were cut off in their prime1 and her desolate heart had only its pride to sustain her during her superhuman anguish and endurance4 ,her loving1 passionate nature was a bright light in a rude1 dark age4 ,with such a beautiful example before us1 we need never say the circumstances of our life forbid the possibilities of living for ,god4 ,the blacker the cloud the brighter may be the rainbow4 ,the harder our situation the more can our life become a protest against it4 ,the lighthouse needs the midnight darkness and the storm-beaten shore to bring out its value and its purpose1 and there is no situation so trying and difficult but ,god can sustain us in it1 and when we have learned our lesson enable us to triumph over it4 ,rizpah's loving fidelity has placed her in the front ranks of ,bible women whose holy ministries have made them famous4 ,she may very justly be characterized as the ,mater ,dolorosa of the old dispensation4 ,her fidelity to the memory of departed loved ones has no equal in the history of the world4 ,and all this without the sustaining grace of ,god1 for it must be remembered poor ,rizpah was but a heathen woman1 in a rude1 dark age of the world4 ,how glad we should be1 that in a world where there is so much to sadden and depress1 we have a ,saviour to go to who knows all about our sorrow1 and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities1 and have blessed communion with ,him in whom is the one true source and fountain of all true gladness and abiding joy6 ,in a world where so much is ever seeking to unhallow our spirits1 to render them common1 how high the privilege of entering into the secret of ,his pavilion1 and there1 by consecration and prayer1 receive strength for days to come4 ,such was not ,rizpah's privilege1 hence her devotion is all the more remarkable4 ,the history runs on4 ,david had established his throne1 and the visit of the ,queen of ,sheba marks the climax of the greatness of that kingdom1 and the glory and wisdom of ,solomon4 ,it is a remarkable proof of the new spirit that had come upon the nation4 ,hitherto the people of ,israel had been wholly agricultural4 ,the great peculiarity of their country was its isolation1 situated in the very midst of the nations of the earth1 yet it was curiously shut in and shut out4 ,a seaboard without a single navigable river1 with a vast desert on the south1 a lofty mountain range on the north1 and that strange descent of the ,jordan valley in the east going down more than a thousand feet below the level of the sea4 ,but ,solomon changed all that4 ,his enterprise did not exhaust itself in building the ,temple and palace of ,jerusalem4 ,he actually crossed the great desert to the south and at the head of the gulf that runs up to the east of the ,arabian peninsula he made a harbor and himself superintended the building of a fleet of ships1 and sent them to traffic in the east1 and brought home the sandalwood and many of the treasures of the ,indies1 with which he enriched the palace and the garden4 ,illustration3 ,,solomon',s ,,merchant ,,ships4 ,thus his merchants went away to strange lands1 carrying with them wherever they went the tidings of their great king1 of the ,temple that he had built to ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,israel2 of the palace splendors2 of his throne of state in the cedar ,judgment ,hall1 a throne of ivory with golden lions on each step1 and a footstool of gold4 ,now of the countries that they visited one was famous for its gold and frankincense and precious stones4 ,it was the land of ,sheba to the south4 ,thither came the captains and crews of ,solomon's ships1 and the queen heard of the strangers who had come to trade with them in their vessels from afar1 men of a strange language4 ,she sent for them to the court to hear from their own lips the wonderful things they had to tell of their great king1 and of their ,god1 and of ,jerusalem4 ,the mere pageantry of the visit to ,jerusalem has hidden from us the true queenliness and spirit of this woman4 ,it was no idle curiosity that prompted a journey involving so much risk and difficulty4 ,her very throne itself was imperilled by her departure and long absence4 ,it is a proof of how firmly she was set in the affections of her people that she could venture to leave the land2 a proof of her courage that she should dare set out on such a journey4 ,hearing of the wisdom of ,solomon1 hearing of the great things he had done for his people1 hearing above all that he had brought such prosperity to the land that every man could sit safely under his own vine and fig-tree1 she formed her purpose to go4 ,if she could learn to do so much for her own people it were worth everything4 ,when the merchants had gone we can see her turn to her statesmen1 every inch a queen1 and full already of her lofty purpose1 address them thus1 8,if ,i could but secure such well-being for this nation of mine1 ,i should count it cheaply earned if ,i went to the ends of the earth to get it40 ,it is also worthy of observation that this queen of the south was not content with hearing about ,solomon4 ,she did not listen to the tale these merchants told1 and straightway forgot it all1 as if it were of no further concern4 ,she made up her mind1 there and then1 that if such a one lived she would go to him and ask such questions as he1 and only he1 could answer1 that would give her peace and be a blessing to her people4 ,so important was this matter that she did not send an ambassador to the king4 ,to her they were so real and sacred she must go herself1 and go she did4 ,oh1 the misery of it is that such hosts among us are content with hearing about these blessings of ,god4 ,alas1 there are thousands of people who think all this is only to be preached about1 never to be sought after2 only to be heard about1 never really found4 ,she had a long way to go4 ,we read1 she came from the uttermost parts of the earth4 ,distances were immense in those days4 ,it was a journey for camels1 by no means a comfortable method of traveling4 ,soldiers must guard her1 for there were many robbers2 servants must go to wait upon her1 for her state must be in keeping with the greatness of the foreign court4 ,she must take with her a load of the most splendid gifts4 ,then there were long stretches of hot1 wind-swept deserts to be crossed1 in which many had perished in the sand storms4 ,but she was not daunted1 she was not to be turned aside4 ,she had made up her mind1 and bravely faced all the dangers4 ,and then1 also1 we must not overlook the fact she had no invitation4 ,she did not know how he might receive her4 ,these great kings were jealous of strangers4 ,upon some pretence that she came to spy out the land1 he might have her seized as a prisoner1 and held her and her servants to be ransomed at some enormous cost of money4 ,such things were common enough2 and1 if he received her1 was it not likely that he would look with contempt upon her8 ,even civilized people like the ,greeks were accustomed to regard those as barbarians whose language and ways were foreign to themselves4 ,but this brave woman will risk it all1 and with a splendid courage1 the courage of a woman1 she comes4 ,so the ,queen of ,sheba came to see ,king ,solomon1 and the scene of her coming was one of the utmost splendor4 ,it was a tribute indeed to the far-reaching fame of ,israel1 which king and people alike may well have sought to turn to the fullest account4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,queen ,,of ,,sheba4 ,at the city gate ,solomon came forth to meet the queen in all his glory1 with flashing crown of pure gold1 and royal robes of costliest magnificence4 ,about him are the great officers of state in their gorgeous apparel1 the old wise counselors1 the chief captains of his army4 ,everywhere are the vast crowds of citizens1 thronging every house roof and city wall1 and clustering on every point of vantage4 ,the music of his singing men and singing women fills the air with glad welcome4 ,and now1 seated at his side1 in the chariot of cedar with its tapestried curtains1 and drawn by the horses of ,egypt all richly caparisoned1 they go on their way4 ,solomon points out to her the ,temple which he was seven years in building1 and which ,josephus likened to a 8mountain of snow1 covered with plates of gold1 whose brightness made those that looked upon it turn away their eyes40 ,he told her there were used 8talents0 of gold1 of silver1 and of brass in its construction valued at the enormous sum of #cd1cii1aaj1jjj4 ,the worth of the jewels placed at figures equally as high4 ,the vessels of gold1 according to ,josephus1 were valued at #adj1jjj talents1 which reduced to money1 was equal to #b1hba1dha1jae4 ,the vessels of silver were still more valuable1 being set down at #c1bca1gbj1jjj4 ,priests' vestments1 and robes of singers1 at #aj1jej1jjj4 ,he told her ten thousand men hewed cedars1 seventy thousand bore burdens1 and eighty thousand hewed stones1 and it required three thousand three hundred overseers4 ,surely it was the wonder of the world4 ,then he pointed out to her the ,judgment ,hall1 the house of the forest of ,lebanon1 and many other stately edifices4 ,and now they reach the palace1 with its luxurious gardens filled with treasures from all lands4 ,and1 seated at the great banquet which the king had spread in her honor1 she sees his wealth1 the vastness of his possessions1 the hosts of his servants1 the cupbearers at his side1 the banqueting hall1 itself a marvel of splendor1 the 8ascent by which he went up unto the house of the ,lord40 ,as she saw all this1 we read1 8there was no more spirit in her40 ,she was overwhelmed by the sight of such boundless wealth and the vision of such glory4 ,the ,queen of the ,south communed with ,solomon1 we are told1 of all that was in her heart4 ,simply and earnestly she told of her longings for her people and of the difficulties that beset her4 ,she communed with him of the mystery of life1 how to reach the highest and best4 ,she asked him of many a matter that perplexed her4 ,graciously the king listened1 and wisely he answered her4 ,we can easily imagine the words which showed his skill in answering her questions4 ,there may have been and doubtless was the keen wit1 the brilliant saying1 the flashes of wisdom1 the glow of poetry1 the genius like that which settled the dispute between the two mothers4 ,never did she dream of wisdom like that1 and she exclaimed1 8,behold1 the half was not told me60 ,what she saw and heard excited her wonder to such a degree that it seemed to her directly imparted by the ,god of ,solomon1 whom he adored1 and for whom she became filled with reverence4 ,the light of heaven seemed to break on her soul when she exclaimed1 8,blessed be the ,lord thy ,god1 which delighted in thee1 to set thee on the throne of ,israel40 ,she gladly acknowledged the truth of all that she had heard4 8,it was a true report that ,i heard in my own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom40 ,it was not mere learning1 the answering of hard questions1 the solution of metaphysical problems1 but his works1 appointments1 the sitting of his servants1 and the attendance of his ministers1 the civil officers who sat at the royal table1 convinced the queen of his great wisdom1 in which she recognized the working of a peculiar power and grace imparted by ,god4 ,it was also a practical or life-wisdom1 such as ,solomon himself describes1 8a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her1 length of days is in her right hand1 and in her left hand riches and honor40 ,such wisdom1 which rests upon the foundation of the knowledge and love of ,god1 8is more precious than rubies1 and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her40 ,but the queen was not content with the words of praise and thanks4 ,she makes proof of her gratitude by means of great and royal gifts4 8,she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold1 and of spices very great store1 and precious stones40 ,the presents which she made consisted of those articles in which her land most abounded1 and for which it was most famous4 ,the spices were principally the celebrated ,arabian balm1 which was largely exported1 and the shrub of which is said to have been introduced into ,palestine by the ,queen of ,sheba4 ,how high the significance which has always been attached to this visit of the ,queen of ,sheba to ,solomon is shown by the fact that the remembrance of it has been preserved outside of ,palestine for thousands of years1 and that two ancient peoples1 the ,arabians and ,abyssinians1 regard her as the mother of their line of kings4 ,and when the ,lord1 from out the treasure of the ,old ,testament history1 chooses this narrative1 and presents it for the shaming of the ,pharisees and ,scribes1 this presupposes that it was known to and specially esteemed by all other nations4 ,sheba was reckoned to be the richest1 most highly favored and glorious land in the ancient world1 and therefore was given the unique name of 8,the ,happy40 ,now when the queen came with a splendid retinue to visit this distant land1 and from no political design1 but merely to see and hear the famous king2 and when she1 the sovereign of the most fortunate country in the world1 declared that what she had seen and heard exceeded all her expectations2 this surely was the greatest homage ,solomon could have obtained4 ,the visit of the ,queen of ,sheba marks1 therefore1 the splendor and climax of the ,old ,testament ,kingdom1 and marks an essential moment in the history of the covenant as well as of ,solomon1 and when our ,lord said1 8,the ,queen of the ,south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it2 for she came from the uttermost part of the earth to hear the wisdom of ,solomon1 and behold a greater than ,solomon is here10 ,he recognized the prophetical and typical meaning of our narrative4 ,it is said in the prophetical descriptions of the peaceful ,kingdom of ,messiah1 8,the ,kings of ,sheba and ,seba 7,meroe7 shall offer gifts2 yea1 all kings shall fall down before him2 all nations shall serve him40 ,the ,queen of ,sheba1 who came from afar1 is a type of the kings who1 with their people1 shall come from afar to the everlasting ,prince of ,peace1 the ,king of kings1 and shall do ,him homage4 ,her visit is an historical prophecy of the true and eternal ,kingdom of peace4 ,the ,queen of ,sheba had everything that pertains to temporal prosperity1 high rank1 honor and wealth4 ,but all these satisfied not her soul4 ,she spared no expense or hardships1 in order to satisfy the longing of her heart for the ,word of ,life4 ,she said not1 8,i am rich1 and have an abundance1 and need nothing10 but she felt she still needed the highest and the best4 ,how superior is this heathen woman to so many in ,christian lands1 who hunger and thirst after all possible things1 but never after a knowledge of truth and wisdom1 after the ,word of ,life4 ,and then we do not need to journey on camels through burning deserts to ,jerusalem to find ,him who is greater than ,solomon1 for ,he has promised1 8,i am with you forever1 until the end of the world10 and can be found by 8whosoever0 will seek after ,him4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,womanhood in the ,time of the ,prophets and ,during the ,captivity4 ,,the ,,wicked ,,jezebel--,,the ,,widow ,,of ,,sarepta--,,the ,,tishbite ,,at ,,the ,,city ,,gate--,,his ,,strange ,,request--,,the ,,widow',s ,,unfaltering ,,obedience--,,an ,,appeal ,,to ,,elisha--,a ,,pot ,,of ,,oil--,,the ,,widow',s ,,wonderful ,,faith--,,the ,,rich ,,woman ,,of ,,shunem--,,her ,,modest ,,life--,,barley ,,harvest--,a ,,ride ,,to ,,carmel ,,in ,,the ,,glare ,,of ,,the ,,sun--,,esther--,,her ,,beautiful ,,traits ,,of ,,character--,,crowned ,,as ,,queen--,,pleading ,,for ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,her ,,people--,,found ,,favor ,,with ,,the ,,king4 ,the glory of the united kingdom of ,israel1 described in the last chapter1 in a few years departed as a dream of the night4 ,it was rent in twain1 and ,ahab1 the wicked king1 was on the throne of the northern kingdom1 with the seat of government in ,samaria4 ,he had married ,jezebel1 the daughter of ,ethbaal1 ,king of ,sidon1 and she had introduced into the kingdom of ,israel the heathen abominations of the ,sidonians4 ,she had even torn down ,god's altars1 and persecuted his prophets to the death4 ,and it seems that too many of the ,israelites raised little or no protests against these wicked acts of ,jezebel4 ,indeed1 one of the reasons why the kingdom1 after the death of ,solomon1 was wrenched from ,rehoboam1 his son1 was the people worshipped ,ashtoreth1 the goddess of the ,sidonians4 ,so grievous had these abominations of the ,sidonians become1 that ,god was about to visit the nation with judgment4 ,but1 as ,he always sends warnings1 and gives a season to repent1 so he sent ,elijah1 the ,tishbite1 from the hill country of ,gilead down to ,ahab in ,samaria1 with this message1 8,as the ,lord ,god of ,israel liveth1 before whom ,i stand1 there shall not be dew nor rain these years1 but according to my word40 ,and ,james tells us1 8it rained not upon the earth for the space of three years and six months40 ,during these years of famine1 the ,lord directed ,elijah to a widow in ,sarepta1 after the waters of the brook of ,cherith had dried up4 ,sarepta 7or ,zarephath7 was a city of ,phnicia4 ,but the distress of the famine in ,israel was felt even here1 for ,israel was the great grain field for ,phnicia4 ,and this explains why ,elijah1 when he came to the city gate of ,sarepta1 found a poor woman1 a widow1 gathering a few sticks1 that she might bake the last morsel of bread and share it with her child1 after which there was nothing more to hope for4 ,the famine was doing its awful work among the cities of the coast4 ,the hills back of ,sarepta were scorched1 and the beautiful valleys on either side of the city were cracked in great fissures4 ,in her distress this widow1 in her person had wasted to a skeleton1 faltering1 trembling1 as she staggered out to gather a few sticks to bake her last cake for self and child1 and then to die4 ,her cheeks were sunken1 her eyes hollow1 and her nerves seem never to have known what rest meant4 ,as she walked she staggered2 when she stood she reeled4 ,she was leaning against her gate1 the sticks in her arms when the ,tishbite saluted her with the request1 8,fetch me1 ,i pray thee1 a drink of water40 ,in a moment she was going toward her water pot4 8,bring me1 ,i pray thee1 a morsel of bread in thy hand10 the prophet called after her while on the way to get the water4 8,bread60 ,distressed and sorely tried1 the poor woman breaks down1 and discloses the sad condition of her home in the ever-memorable words1 8,as the ,lord thy ,god liveth1 ,i have not a cake1 but a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse1 and behold1 ,i am gathering two sticks that ,i may go and dress it for me and my son1 that we may eat it and die40 ,she may or she may not have been an ,israelite4 ,she may have been one of the seven thousand who had not bowed unto ,baal1 and possibly knew who it was who addressed her4 ,at all events she must have heard of this 8lighted fire-brand1 fallen out of the clouds1 and hurled by the hand of ,jehovah0 at the wicked ,ahab4 ,she may even have heard that in the midst of the drought ,ahab had divided the country between himself and ,obadiah1 to seek if possible1 amidst its former fountains and brooks a little 8grass to save his horses and mules alive10 though it did not matter to this hardened wretch of a king if his subjects died by the thousands4 ,so this demand of ,elijah must have been a real trial to her faith4 ,nor did her distressed condition change the demand of the ,tishbite4 8,do as thou hast said10 he commanded1 8but bake me a little cake first60 ,what1 serve this stranger from ,gilead before her starving child8 ,surely how could she1 with her mother heart1 obey such an order8 ,but1 noble woman1 staggering under the request1 she placed the gathered sticks on the fire1 went to the barrel and took out the last handful of meal1 and poured the last drop of oil from the cruse1 and baked for ,god's prophet the cake1 and served him first6 ,was there ever such unselfish self-surrender8 ,but for her poverty and her appearance1 she might have passed for an angel who had strayed away from heaven1 got caught in the famine and could not find her way back4 ,if ,god had not been behind this exorbitant demand of the prophet it had been simply heartless4 ,but1 along with the demand were the words1 8for the ,lord ,god of ,israel hath said it40 ,if ,god said it1 that was the end of all questionings1 this angel in human form1 reduced in her poverty1 staggered off to meet the demand4 ,there may have been no small stir in heaven when it became known that she had gone to bake her last cake for the man of ,god1 and then to die without tasting it herself4 ,if the jasper walls had that moment let down around her1 and all the glorified had gathered about that oven1 she would have felt perfectly at home without a change of raiment4 ,but that 8last cake0 was never baked4 ,as the trembling widow stood by the heated oven1 in sublime obedience to ,god's requirement1 even as ,abraham once stood by his altar fires on ,moriah1 with the bound ,isaac upon it1 there came the gracious 8,fear not60 ,she had gone to a point in her faith where ,god always breaks down4 ,he saw it all1 and out of divine compassion ,he answered1 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 ,and the record goes on to say that she1 and the prophet1 and her house1 had enough through the years of the famine4 ,there was so much meal and oil that even the widow's poor and starving relations came to partake thereof4 ,that is the way ,god blesses--it always overflows upon others4 ,how this incident at ,sarepta glorifies ,god1 whom the ,scripture teaches us to know in ,his unapproachable greatness and in ,his affable mercy and condescension6 ,as we sat by the little brook in ,sarepta1 amid the noontide glow of an ,oriental sun1 and read afresh this charming story1 and then raised our eyes to look on the little chapel which the crusaders had erected on the reputed site of the widow's home1 the thought of such a ,god flooded us with ,his precious nearness1 for1 in our human needs1 we love to feel ,his comforting presence in our hearts4 ,the ,jehovah1 the ,almighty ,god1 the maker of worlds1 the ruler of systems beyond human vision1 whose perfect will is done in heaven by angels1 who holdeth the dew of heaven1 the rain in the clouds1 the waters of the oceans in ,his hands1 who gives and withholds the needed bread and water1 ,he is our ,father1 and exercises a father's care1 so that the individual is not forgotten of ,him4 ,he holds not only the whole1 but the single parts2 ,he looks not only into the palace of kings1 but into the cottages of poverty4 ,the need and misery of a poor widow are not too insignificant for ,him2 ,he observes her sighs and tears1 and her silent1 desolate cottage is for ,him a place worthy of the revelation of ,his glory and goodness4 ,matchless widow of ,sarepta6 ,as long as the name of ,elijah lives1 with its imperishable renown1 so long shall thine be found side by side with it in the unfading annals of the church of ,god6 ,but our story runs on4 ,the wicked ,ahab had died1 and ,jehoram1 his son1 reigned in his stead4 ,the great hero1 prophet of the kingdom of the ten tribes1 had also passed over the ,jordan1 and somewhere among the valleys1 overshadowed by the lofty dome of ,nebo1 the 8chariot of fire and horses of fire0 came down and translated the first and greatest of the prophets4 ,his mantle1 however1 fell upon ,elisha1 the son of ,shaphat4 ,elisha had scarcely returned from the land of ,moab1 whither he had gone to relieve the armies of ,jehoshaphat1 king of ,judah1 out of the horrors of a water famine1 when there met him a certain widow of the wives of the sons of the prophets1 and cried unto him in her distress4 ,of what particular prophet she was the widow the record does not state1 nor is her name given4 ,josephus and the rabbis will have it that she was the widow of ,obadiah1 who1 they think1 had exhausted his fortune in the provision for the persecuted prophets in the time of the drought1 in the reign of ,ahab1 when1 faithful to ,god1 amidst the splendors of ,ahab's corrupt court1 he hid such of the prophets as escaped out of the hands of ,jezebel1 the wicked queen1 hid them in caves1 feeding them on bread and water through the sore distress of the three years' famine1 and so had fallen into debt1 basing their claim upon the woman's statement that her husband 8feared the ,lord10 which is also stated in respect to ,obadiah4 ,but whether she was the widow of ,obadiah or not1 she was greatly in need1 and1 in her distress1 appealed to ,elisha1 who was the acknowledged head of the prophetic school4 ,but what a calamity had come into her widowhood6 ,her husband had not only been taken from her by death1 but now1 after bravely struggling to provide for her family1 the creditors had come to take her two sons to be bondsmen4 ,if that will not touch a mother's heart we do not know what will4 ,and so she hastens away to relieve her burdened heart in the ears of the sympathizing prophet4 ,he listened to her story1 and then asked1 8,what hast thou in the house80 ,what a question to ask a mother whose sons were about to be sold into slavery for debts6 ,what could she have of value she would not gladly dispose of to save her children8 ,she answered1 8,thine handmaid hath not anything in the house60 ,not anything8 ,oh yes1 there is 8a pot of oil40 ,she was in a more deplorable condition than the widow of ,sarepta1 for she1 aside from the cruse of oil1 had a 8handful of meal40 ,but this one was entirely destitute1 even of the oil so essential in the preparation of food--she had only a little pot for anointing purposes4 ,but even this was enough for ,god and faith to work on4 8,go10 said ,elisha1 8borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors1 even empty vessels2 borrow not a few40 ,comforted in her heart1 she went home and told her anxious sons what the prophet had said4 8,it is vessels you want1 is it mother80 8,yes10 she answered1 the prophet said1 8borrow not a few60 ,so all that morning1 and far into the afternoon1 the widow's sons were calling on their neighbors for empty vessels1 crocks1 great waterpots1 casks1 firkins1 in short1 anything that would hold oil4 ,as the boys were going empty-handed down the streets and returning loaded with vessels1 the people began to wonder what that poor widow of the prophet should want of so many vessels1 especially as it was known that she had nothing in her house4 ,but the boys kept at their work until every neighbor was borrowed empty1 and her house looked more like a depot for freight1 than a poor woman's cottage4 ,all the rooms were filled1 the open court was filled1 and all the approaches were filled4 ,the widow's sons1 if their industry in borrowing and carrying home vessels would save them from being sold into slavery1 they certainly would escape out of the hands of their mother's creditor1 for was there ever such a sight of empty vessels6 ,and not until there were no more to be borrowed did they cease from their work4 ,and now the supreme moment came4 ,the prophet had told her1 after the vessels were all in1 she should shut the door upon herself and upon her sons4 ,only her boys should be witnesses to the mighty deliverances of ,god4 ,the locking of the door had no other object than to keep aloof every interruption from without4 ,the action in question was not an ordinary1 simply external1 operation1 but an act which was to be performed by the command of the man of ,god1 and with the heart directed towards ,god1 that is1 in faith1 so that it was to be completed1 not in the noise and distraction of everyday life1 but in quietness and solitude4 ,and we may also well believe she first asked ,god's blessing upon her undertaking1 so far carried on in faith1 for though her house was full of vessels1 they were all as yet empty4 ,the prayer ended1 she took down her ointment jar--and ,oh1 it was such a very little pot6 ,holding it in her hand1 she told her oldest son to bring one of the smallest jars1 for how could the little vessel in her hand fill even the smallest of the borrowed utensils8 ,as she tipped the little pot1 the golden stream began to flow1 and it kept on flowing until the vessel was filled to the brim1 to the utter astonishment of herself and sons4 ,this one filled1 another was quickly brought4 ,and as the oil flowed1 the poor woman's faith grew1 and the sweat was now rolling down the faces of her sons as they brought up the empty vessels1 and removed the full ones4 ,her face fairly shone as she filled the last vessel1 and in her excitement cried out1 8,bring me yet a vessel60 8,why1 mother10 both the sons speaking at once1 8there is not a vessel more60 ,so when the last was filled to the brim1 8the oil stayed40 ,as she looked over the sea of vessels all filled to the brim with golden oil1 out of the gladness of her heart she hastened to tell ,elisha what had happened at her house4 ,she had oil in her vessels and thanksgiving in her heart1 and she must tell it out1 and who was better prepared to share her joy than the prophet who had listened to the story of her distress4 ,and he said1 8,go1 sell the oil1 and pay thy debt40 ,the religion that comes from heaven looks well after its creditors4 ,the debt was paid1 her sons were spared to her1 and a surplus was left for them to live upon4 ,what a beautiful lesson of faith6 ,we suppose if any of her neighbors had known that all these empty borrowed vessels were for the purpose of experimenting with a little pot of anointing oil1 it would have created a sensation4 ,some1 doubtless1 would have said1 the creditor1 in threatening to take her sons1 has driven that poor widow out of her mind4 ,why1 such a thing as filling these pots1 and firkins1 and great casks of ten and fifteen gallon capacity1 with a little pot of oil has never been heard of in ,israel1 and we can't understand who could have put such an absurd idea into the poor woman's head4 ,indeed1 there was good reason for shutting the world out1 for1 if they had seen her take down the little pot of oil and attempted to pour into the vessels1 they would have laughed her to scorn4 ,but then1 we ,christian people should know that the things which are impossible with men1 are perfectly possible with ,god4 ,yea1 ,he loves to multiply the impossibilities of men1 that no flesh may glory in ,his presence4 ,then also the number of vessels borrowed speak well for the faith of this woman4 ,our ,lord tells us1 over and over1 according to our faith shall it be done unto us4 ,if her faith had been small1 and she had been content with a few vessels1 the oil would have ceased to flow when the last vessel was filled4 ,if our heavenly ,father is ever pleased with the action of ,his earthly children1 it must be over the audacious faith of a poor woman who1 in her poverty and distress1 borrows of her neighbors empty vessels for ,him to fill out of ,his gracious benevolence4 ,but not all women1 in the time of the prophets1 were widows and poor1 but even the rich needed the consolations ,god only can give in times of trouble4 ,and so our story runs on from the widow of ,sarepta and the widow who1 in her extremity1 appealed to ,elisha1 to the rich woman of ,shunem4 ,over against ,jezreel1 under the base of ,jebel ,duhy 7the so-called 8,little ,hermon07 amid luxuriant gardens of lemon1 orange and fig trees1 which cast their refreshing shades over the hot and sultry bridle-path1 is the village of ,sulem1 in which we recognize the ancient ,shunem1 rendered so dear to every lover of the ,bible by the beautiful1 sweet story of the rich ,shunammite woman who prepared a prophet's chamber in her house1 where ,elisha often found a shelter from the oppressive heat of the noontide sun as he passed that way4 ,the little city1 in the division of the land1 under ,joshua1 was allotted to the tribe of ,issachar1 and is three miles north of ,jezreel1 five miles from ,mount ,gilboa1 about four miles from ,nain1 where our ,lord raised the widow's son1 and is in full view of the sacred spot on ,mount ,carmel4 ,in the southern section of the village1 at the base of the hill ,moreh1 flows out a transparent stream of sparkling water1 which renders the fields green and beautiful1 said to be the finest in the world4 ,amid these enchanting and picturesque scenes lived the ,shunammite4 ,the ,bible gives her no name4 ,she needs none4 ,she is simply 8a great woman40 ,standing in her doorway1 in three directions1 she could look out over the fields of grain1 and see the slow movements of the heavily loaded camels drudge up from the seaport of ,acre1 or down through the great plain of ,esdraelon from the mountains of ,naphtali or the hill country of ,gilead1 beyond the ,jordan4 ,if ,elisha came from ,carmel1 he would approach ,shunem by the ,acre road4 ,accompanied by ,gehazi1 one of the sons of the prophets1 she could see them trudging along the dusty camel path at a great distance1 and she said to her husband1 8,behold now1 ,i perceive that this is an holy man of ,god40 ,so much for the personal appearance of ,elisha4 ,he carried a good face1 which commended itself even to this discerning woman4 ,prompted by the manly bearing of the prophet1 he had scarcely reached the gate when she stood before him1 and pointing to her home1 8she constrained him to eat bread40 ,it appears that ,elisha passed frequently through ,shunem4 ,no doubt ,carmel1 which lay in the middle of the northern part of the kingdom1 was the place where the faithful worshippers of ,jehovah1 who lived in the north1 came together from time to time1 and were strengthened in their faith1 and instructed by the prophet4 ,this would call ,elisha to pass up from ,carmel to ,shunem and the north4 8,and so it was1 that as oft as he passed by1 he turned in thither to eat bread40 ,happy household6 ,most gracious hospitality6 ,that sweet home1 amid the olive groves of ,shunem1 ever afterwards became the resting place of the good ,elisha4 ,the pious1 but keen-sighted woman1 who at the first recognized in ,elisha 8an holy man of ,god10 was not deceived or disappointed when she became more fully acquainted with him in his frequent stops4 ,indeed1 she must have been very favorably impressed with his bearing1 for she proposed to enlarge her hospitality4 ,she said to her husband1 8,let us make a little chamber1 ,i pray thee1 on the wall10 that is1 upon the flat roof of the house1 with walls which would be a protection against storms1 8and let us set for him there a bed1 and a table1 and a stool and a candlestick40 ,beautiful and thoughtful provision4 ,in such a room ,elisha would be protected from every interruption1 such as it was hardly possible to avoid entirely in the house1 and there he might pass his time in quietness4 ,elisha wished to make some return to his hostess1 who had received and entertained him so liberally and so often1 but he did not know what would be acceptable to her a woman of wealth4 ,in order to learn this1 he does not address himself directly to her1 but directs his servant to ask the necessary questions1 that she may express herself with less embarrassment and less reserve4 ,he asks1 8,what is to be done for thee8 ,wouldest thou be spoken for to the king1 or to the captain of the host80 ,this question presupposes that ,elisha at that time stood in favor and respect at court4 ,the king1 in this instance may have referred to ,jehu1 whom ,elisha caused to be anointed4 ,the commander of the army is named in connection with the king as the most powerful and most influential man at court4 ,this excellent woman sent a most beautiful reply to the prophet4 8,and she answered1 ,i dwell among my own people40 ,she asks no recompense for the good she had done4 ,she wishes to have nothing to do with the court of the king1 and the great ones of the world4 ,she had no favors to ask1 and desired no political honors4 ,hers was a contented life4 ,perhaps1 in this reply1 she wished to show1 at the same time1 that she had not entertained the prophet for the sake of any return1 but for his own sake1 and for the sake of ,god4 ,she had received him in the name of a prophet1 and not for the sake of a reward1 or any temporal gain4 ,she loved ,god1 and therefore loved ,his servant1 and she showed him kindness1 because this was the law ,god had written upon her heart4 ,although she lacked that which was essential to the honor and happiness of an ,israelitish wife1 namely1 a son1 yet she was contented1 and no word of complaint passed her lips--a sign of great humility and modesty4 ,but the noble-hearted ,elisha could not endure the thought of receiving all these favors without making some return1 and he felt all the more bound to do something for her4 ,to be barren1 in those days1 was regarded as a disgrace1 so the prophet summoned her into his presence4 ,but out of modesty and respect she only came to the door4 ,elisha announced to her that her home is to be blessed in the birth of a son4 ,there were the disabilities of nature1 and the woman regarded the announcement as improbable of realization1 and1 in true ,oriental language1 replied1 8,nay1 my lord1 thou man of ,god1 do not lie unto thine handmaid10 that is1 do not deceive me1 by exciting vain hopes in me4 ,the ,lord1 however1 according to ,his grace and truth1 remembers even the desires which we cherish in silence1 as no doubt this woman had done1 but did not express1 and ,he often gives to those who yield to ,his holy will without murmurs or complaints just that which they no longer dared to hope for4 ,it makes a great difference whether we doubt of the divine promises from unbelief1 or from humility or want of confidence in ourselves1 because we consider the promises too great and glorious1 and ourselves unworthy of them4 ,but ,god remembered this noble woman of ,shunem1 who had shown such kindness to ,his servant1 and1 according to the promise1 a son was born into the great woman's home4 ,a ray of sunshine had indeed broken through the parted clouds and entered that home--sunshine such as had never been there before1 and such as outshone all her estates4 ,below the village1 stretching away towards the south and east1 were the wheatfields1 and the child1 as children sometimes will1 slipped out from under the mothers watchful care1 into the field where the reapers were at work4 ,absorbed in the work of the reapers1 neither the father nor the son realized the intense heat pouring down out of a clear sky upon the field at the hottest season of the year4 ,presently1 this child of promise1 which had gladdened the hearts of his parents and brought such joy and sunshine to their home1 came up to his father and said1 8,my head1 my head40 ,it was scarcely barley harvest when we crossed this plain with the glare of the sun out of a clear sky shining in our face1 and with blood heated and thirsty withal1 and the danger of a sun-stroke1 we thought of the words of the child1 and ever since they have had a new meaning4 ,at once the father directed a lad to carry the child 8to his mother10 and when the lad had brought him 8he sat on her knees till noon1 and then died40 ,all the mother's hope turned to ashes1 and her joy into grief1 made all the more bitter because it was her only child4 ,as she sat in her house with the dead child folded to her bosom1 her soul cried out3 8,what is life80 ,though passing fair1 it is but as ,a flower just opened in the sun1 ,and wilted1 withered1 ere the day is done2 ,a vapor swiftly floating in the sky1 ,that vanished as it caught our eye2 ,a fragrant perfume borne upon the gale1 ,that's gone before we could its sweets inhale4 ,a bright pinioned warbler but just flitting by ,is lost1 while we gaze in the depths of the sky2 ,a bud just bursting when the cruel frost ,steals all its beauty and its fragrance is lost4 ,strains of sweet music floating on the air1 ,soon turned to moans and wailings of despair2 ,a glowing smile while flashing o'er the face1 ,suddenly to glistening tears give place4 ,the grief-smitten mother carried the body of her precious child into the upper chamber and tenderly laid it on the 8bed of the man of ,god1 and shut the door upon it40 ,doubtless1 for the present1 she intended to keep the death of the child from the husband and father4 ,evidently she cherished the secret hope that the prophet1 who had promised her a son in the name of ,jehovah1 and had not deceived her1 could help to restore him4 ,at all events she acted promptly4 ,she called her husband to send a young man out of the field to make ready with all haste to go to ,mount ,carmel1 and when ready she said to the servant1 8,drive1 and go forward2 slack not thy riding for me1 except ,i bid thee40 ,elisha1 from his outlook on mount ,carmel1 saw a cloud of dust in the plain of ,esdraelon1 and he called the attention of ,gehazi to the flying figures at the head of it4 ,on swept the riders over the plain4 ,elisha once more put his hand up to shade his eyes from the glare of the sun1 and said1 8,behold1 it is the ,shunammite2 run now10 and ask1 8,is it well with thee8 is it well with thy husband8 is it well with the child80 ,by sending his servant to meet her1 ,elisha showed how highly he esteemed this woman4 ,however1 to the salutation of ,gehazi1 she returned only the short1 indefinite answer1 8,it is well10 in order1 doubtless1 not to be detained by further explanations4 ,she would at once hasten to the prophet himself4 ,when she came near him1 overcome by grief1 which she had repressed until then1 she threw herself at his feet1 in the manner of ,orientals1 and sobbed out her great sorrow1 at the same time imploring his assistance4 ,gehazi could not understand it4 ,he thought her conduct in clasping his master's feet an offence against his dignity1 and 8came near to thrust her away40 ,but ,elisha said1 8,let her alone40 ,give the poor grief-stricken woman a chance to compose herself and to tell her trouble4 ,presently1 the stricken mother called the prophet's attention to his own promise1 meaning to say thereby1 ,i did not complain of my childlessness1 and did not demand a son2 now1 however1 ,i am grief-smitten1 for it is better never to have a child than to have one and lose it4 ,the grief and the lamentation of the woman moved the compassionate heart of the prophet so much that he desired to bring her relief as soon as possible4 ,he therefore said to ,gehazi1 8,gird up thy loins1 and take my staff in thine hand and go thy way2 if thou meet any man1 salute him not40 ,this shows that he was to go as quickly as possible4 ,he was even to refrain from saluting any one4 ,it is well known that salutations are far more ceremonious in the ,orient than with us1 and inferiors always remain standing until persons of higher rank pass by1 and thus annoying delay was often occasioned4 ,this command to hasten would draw off the attention of the mother from her excessive grief1 and1 possibly1 ,elisha may have hoped that life had not yet entirely left the child1 and that utter decease might yet be prevented by swift interference4 ,but the importunity of the woman1 that ,elisha himself should come1 proceeded from the conviction that the child was already completely dead1 and that now not ,gehazi1 but only the prophet himself1 who had promised her the son1 could help4 ,to this deep confidence he promptly responded4 ,gehazi carried out his commission by hastening on to ,shunem1 and placing the prophet's staff upon the face of the child1 and1 by means of the divine power1 of which the staff was the symbol1 he was to execute a prophetical act in awakening the child out of the death-sleep4 ,before ,elisha1 with the sorrowing mother1 arrived at ,shunem1 ,gehazi had discharged his commission1 although in vain1 and was on his way back again1 when he met the prophet1 and said1 8,the child is not awaked40 ,though he had the external symbol of the prophet's power1 yet it lacked the spirit of ,jehovah1 which was the special gift of ,god1 and which even ,elisha might not delegate1 according to his own will and pleasure1 to his servant4 ,the want of success of ,gehazi's commission spurred on the prophet all the more to do what he could in order to restore the child to life4 ,having reached the house of sorrow1 and the little chamber where the loving hands of the mother had laid the body of her child1 ,elisha shut the door1 and 8prayed unto the ,lord40 ,in that awful hour of a mother's heart-crushing suspense1 ,god heard ,his servant's cry1 and gave back the precious child to life again4 ,the closing scene is very beautiful indeed4 ,the mother having been called1 when she reached the chamber1 ,elisha said1 8,take up thy son60 ,we are not told whether the mother heart first leaped to embrace the child1 or1 out of modest gratitude1 she first fell at the prophet's feet in a flood of grateful thanksgiving4 ,the bread of kindness she had been casting upon the waters1 in honoring ,god's servant1 now all returned to her4 ,she certainly was reaping with tears of joy1 and1 had she lived in this gospel age1 she could have heard the ,lord of life saying1 8,inasmuch as ye did it to one of these ,my servants1 ye did it unto ,me40 ,marvels of marvels1 that prophets' homes do not dot our land in this day of gospel light4 ,as ,elisha broke asunder ,death's cold hands and said1 8,arise10 ,give the child back to his mother-- ,so ,thy power doth still suffice4 ,immortal woman of ,shunem6 ,home-builder for the prophets of the ,lord2 the saints in glory salute thee to-day1 and the saints on earth are thrilled with thy worthy example4 ,there is scarcely a story in the ,old ,testament which is more beautiful than the one related of this 8great woman0 in ,white ,raiment1 who built a prophet's chamber in her own house at ,shunem1 where the servant of the ,lord might turn in out of the glare of the noontide sun and find rest4 ,from the incidents connected with the beautiful life of the rich woman of ,shunem1 to the time of ,queen ,esther1 there is a period of about four hundred years1 and they are years of turbulance on the part of the people and admonitions on the part of ,god1 until finally ,he suffered them to be led away into captivity4 ,the scene of our next woman in ,white ,raiment is in the reign of ,ahasuerus1 son of ,xerxes1 who lived ,b4 ,c4 #dfb4 ,after several severe conflicts he was settled in peaceable possession of the ,persian ,empire1 and1 in honor of his victory1 appointed a feast in the city of ,shushan1 which continued for one hundred and eighty days1 after which he gave a great feast to all the princes and people who were in ,shushan for seven days4 ,illustration3 ,,hadassah ,,in ,,the ,,persian ,,court4 ,queen ,vashti1 at the same time1 made a like feast1 in her apartment for the women4 ,on the seventh day of the feast1 ,ahasuerus commanded the seven chamberlains to bring ,queen ,vashti before him1 with the crown royal on her head1 that he might show to the princes and people her beauty4 ,this she refused1 for the act would be contrary to the usage of ,persia1 very indecent and unbecoming a lady1 as well as the dignity of her station4 ,whereupon the king was incensed1 and fearing the influence among the people of the realm in encouraging women to disobey their husbands1 called a council of seven1 to determine what should be done4 ,the council advised putting away the queen1 and she was removed from her high position as queen1 and a collection of virgins was ordered throughout the realm for the selection of a successor4 ,there lived at this time in ,shushan a ,jew named ,mordecai1 a descendant of ,babylonish captives and who was a porter at the royal palace4 ,mordecai1 not having children1 brought up ,hadassah1 his uncle's daughter4 ,her life opened like a cactus flower on the thorny stem of the captivity1 but nevertheless is an exquisite jewel with a royally superb setting1 and gleams and sparkles in ,hebrew history4 ,her mother named her ,hadassah1 for the myrtle tree1 which was not only beautiful1 with its glossy1 dark-green leaves and luxuriant clusters of white bloom1 but was useful for perfumery and spice4 ,it was the emblem of justice1 and bearing it may have added strength to her character4 ,her ,persian name was ,esther1 for the planet ,venus4 ,orientals held the myrtle sacred to the goddess of ,love4 ,esther1 being fair and beautiful1 was made choice of among other maidens in this collection of virgins which had been ordered1 and was carried to the king's palace and there committed to the care of ,hegai1 and was assigned to the best apartments4 ,this captive young woman was discreet4 ,those who have great beauty do not always have discretion4 ,depending upon the power of their personal charms1 they neglect to cultivate the mind and soul4 ,physical beauty1 like fruit1 begins to decline as soon as it reaches its best4 ,mental and spiritual beauty grow with the years as long as the hygienic laws of grace are obeyed4 ,but she was not only discreet1 but also amiable4 ,amiability costs only self-control and unselfish love1 and it is the best possible investment4 ,genuine amiability is ,god's gift to those who trust ,him to cleanse them from all that is contrary to love4 ,then also this ,hebrew maiden must have known severe discipline4 ,she showed its effect in the gentle deportment that won the favor of the officers that guarded the king's harem4 ,she submitted her taste in dress and ornament to the one who had the responsibility of preparing her for the royal presence1 and in the docility with which she heeded the advice of ,mordecai4 ,these graces of mind and heart commended her to the king's favor and she was advanced to higher honor1 and subsequently1 when ,queen ,vashti was deposed1 ,esther was crowned in her stead4 ,thus she was raised at once to the highest place that the world could give a woman at that day--as the queen and favorite of the mightiest monarch of his time4 ,this event was celebrated by a great feast which the king made to all his princes1 called ,esther's feast1 and which was attended with high honor1 and by the presentation of gifts1 8according to the state of the king40 ,about this time ,haman1 the chief minister or vizier of ,king ,ahasuerus1 was promoted1 so that his seat was 8above all the princes40 ,the ,targum and ,josephus interpret the description of ,haman1 the ,agagite1 as signifying that he was of ,amalekitish descent1 the sworn enemies of the ,israelites in their march through the desert1 and the sparing of whom cost ,saul1 the first king of ,israel1 his crown4 ,this ,haman was the king's favorite1 and all the under officers and servants were required to pay reverence unto him4 ,but there was one man who would not bow4 ,this was ,mordecai1 the porter at the royal palace4 ,he would not salute ,haman1 the idolatrous descendent of the old enemies of his people4 ,this greatly displeased ,haman1 but he scorned to lay hands on ,mordecai1 and knowing him to be a ,jew1 resolved to destroy him and his people4 ,he took council and determined by lot on the day for the accomplishment of his purpose4 ,to do this successfully he must deceive the king and entrap him to do a wicked act4 ,so he said to ,ahasuerus1 8,there is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom2 and their laws are diverse from all people2 neither keep they the king's laws2 therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them4 ,if it please the king1 let it be written that they be destroyed2 and ,i will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business1 to bring it into the king's treasuries40 ,and so this hateful ,amalekite1 by offering to pay into the king's treasury more than #aj1jjj1jjj1 obtained the royal decree to put all the ,israelites in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of ,ahasuerus1 extending from ,india to ,ethiopia1 to death4 ,when ,mordecai heard of the decree1 he and the ,hebrews made great lamentation1 and he made ,queen ,esther acquainted with the plot to destroy her people1 and entreated her to go in unto the king and make supplication for their rescue4 ,at first she excused herself1 but being led to understand that she1 too1 was included in the decree1 she put her life on the hazard for the safety of her countrymen4 ,it was no light matter for the beautiful young queen to risk her life to save her people4 ,surrounded as she was by the luxury and elegance of that magnificent ,persian court1 keenly alive to the charm of all lovely things1 it meant much for her to go down to the grave in the brilliant morning of her youth4 ,but when ,mordecai turned to her for help1 he reminded her that she had come to the kingdom for such a time as that4 ,his faith asserted that ,god would deliver ,his people2 and1 if she failed to do her part1 she and her father's house would perish4 ,she said she would make the attempt4 8,if ,i perish1 ,i perish10 was her wail of submission4 ,however1 in her great undertaking1 she displayed a humble dependence upon the ,god of ,israel2 she also showed great prudence and wisdom4 ,she asked her people to fast and pray three days2 and all her maidens--who were selected1 no doubt1 on account of their sympathy with her faith--would also fast and pray4 ,when the books are opened it may appear that the ,hebrews were led1 through the deliverance that she wrought for them1 to the penitence that made it possible for ,god to take them back to the fatherland4 ,illustration3 ,,esther ,,pleading ,,for ,,her ,,people4 ,at the end of the fast she put on her royal apparel and went unto the king while he was seated upon his throne4 ,the first gleam of hope lighted up her distressed heart when ,ahasuerus held out his golden sceptre4 ,it has been said that men's hearts are reached through their stomachs4 ,whether this was true of ,ahasuerus1 or whether ,esther knew of this avenue or not1 she certainly showed great tact when she desired to make a banquet for the king and his favorite prince1 ,haman1 which the beautiful queen would prepare1 where he could then hear her request4 ,it would have been a most natural thing to do1 after ,esther had risked her life by going uncalled into the presence of the king1 and when she found him graciously disposed to partake of her feast1 to throw herself at once upon his mercy1 and beg for her life and the lives of her people4 ,but no4 ,she must have great power over him to get him to undertake the difficult task of setting aside one of his own decrees4 ,probably her faith in ,god was not yet strong enough for her to make a sure move4 ,she saw that she was not yet sure of her ground1 nor firm in her faith2 so1 when he made the great offer even of dividing his kingdom with her1 she simply asked that he and ,haman should honor her with their presence at another banquet4 ,doubtless1 as she sat at the second banquet with the perfect self-control that they have who rely only on ,god1 having used every device to fortify her position in the good graces of the capricious despot1 her keen ,hebrew insight weighed every light expression from his lips1 although she knew a sword of doom hung over her jewel-crowned head1 and yet she was calm and self-contained1 as if she had no thought but to please him4 ,thus she led the king on until her power over him was at its height1 and when he again offered her half the kingdom1 she asked only for her life and the lives of her people4 ,it must be that1 although ,haman was present at this banquet1 he did not hear the request of ,queen ,esther1 for he went forth from the feast 8that day joyful and with a glad heart40 ,but when he saw ,mordecai1 in the king's gate1 and that he still refused to bow to him1 8he was full of indignation40 ,so when he reached his own residence1 he called his friends1 and took counsel with them1 and they advised him to cause a gallows to be built1 eighty feet high1 and to ask the next morning to have the king order ,mordecai to be hanged thereon4 ,but matters had taken a different turn at the palace4 ,the king could not sleep that night4 ,to pass the long1 wakeful hours1 he called for the reading of the records of the kingdom4 ,as they were reading before the king1 it was found written in the chronicles of the conspiracy of ,bigthan and ,terish1 and that ,mordecai had discovered the plot1 and that nothing had been done for him as a reward4 ,in the meantime the morning drew on1 and ,haman had entered the court of the palace to confer with the king about the hanging of ,mordecai4 ,we can well believe the mind of ,ahasuerus was in a bad frame to talk about hanging the man who had saved his life by discovering the plot of the king's chamberlains4 ,but the king did not know what dark deeds were in the heart of ,haman as he ordered him to be called4 ,when ,haman came into the presence of ,ahasuerus1 the king asked what should be done with the man whom he wanted to honor4 ,the king's favorite1 who had just shared two private banquets with the king1 was so inflated with himself that he did not think there was another man in the ,persian empire in whom ,ahasuerus would be so delighted to honor as himself1 so he advised that the royal apparel be brought forth and the king's horse and his crown1 and given to one of the noble princes to array the man whom the king delighted to honor1 and take him through the city on horseback with a proclamation1 8,this is the man whom the king delighteth to honor40 ,the command was given to ,haman to thus honor ,mordecai1 which he did1 with not very good grace1 for1 when he had finished his task1 he 8hasted to his house mourning1 and having his head covered10 and related his mortification to his wife and friends4 ,after all1 for the moment at least1 it must have seemed to ,haman and his friends as a strange act on the part of the king1 for while they were yet talking over the humiliation1 the king's chamberlains came1 requesting ,haman to hasten and come to the banquet ,esther had prepared4 ,it must have seemed to ,haman that ,esther had really gone into the banqueting business1 so frequently had he been honored of late4 ,when the king and ,haman sat down to the banquet the king again asked ,esther what was her petition4 ,whereupon she humbly prayed the king that her life might be given her and her people1 for a design was laid for the destruction of her and her kindred4 ,at which the king asked with much anger who it was that durst do this thing4 ,she told him that ,haman1 then present1 was the author of the wicked plot1 and she laid the whole scheme open to the king4 ,who can tell how much her own chance of salvation depended on her courage1 self-control and tact8 ,a look1 even the droop of an eye-lid1 might have betrayed her into the hands of the most cringing and unscrupulous of royal favorites1 and sent her and her whole race to their death4 ,but ,god held her steady in nerve and growing in faith1 as ,he does all who put their whole trust in ,him4 ,the king rose up with much wrath from the banquet and walked out into the garden4 ,haman saw his opportunity4 ,quickly he stood up to plead for his life4 ,perceiving that there was evil determined against him by the king1 he prostrated himself before the queen upon the couch on which she was sitting to supplicate for his life2 in which position the king found him on his return4 ,the motive for ,haman's unhappy attitude before the queen was misunderstood by the king1 and he spoke in great passion1 8,what1 will he force the queen before me in the house60 ,at which words the servants present immediately covered ,haman's face1 as was the usage to condemned persons1 and the chamberlain1 who had called ,haman to the banquet1 acquainted the king with the gallows he saw in his house there prepared for ,mordecai1 who had saved the king's life4 ,the king ordered ,haman should be forthwith hanged thereon1 which was accordingly done4 ,a feast was then consecrated in commemoration of the deliverance of the ,jews1 called the feast of ,purim4 ,this story of ,esther1 which has in it the real romance of life1 has also a consummate blending of works and faith4 ,preparing a banquet of every luxury that could please a dangerous tyrant1 and at the same time fasting and praying in heart-humbling agony for ,divine deliverance4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,womanhood in the ,time of the ,saviour's ,nativity4 ,,an ,,angel ,,by ,,the ,,altar ,,of ,,incense--,,his ,,message--,,an ,,israelitish ,,home--,,in ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,elijah--,,the ,,desert ,,teacher--,,the ,,annunciation--,,the ,,visit ,,of ,,mary ,,to ,,elizabeth--,,mary',s ,,magnificat--,,journey ,,to ,,bethlehem--,,the ,,nativity--,,home ,,life ,,in ,,nazareth--,,after ,,scenes ,,in ,,mary',s ,,life--,,her ,,residence ,,and ,,death ,,at ,,ephesus--,,the ,,prophetess ,,anna--,,her ,,waiting ,,for ,,redemption ,,in ,,jerusalem--,,the ,,lesson ,,of ,,her ,,pure ,,and ,,beautiful ,,life4 ,isaiah1 looking adown the ages to the coming of ,christ's ,kingdom1 likened it to waters breaking out in the wilderness and streams in the desert4 ,for centuries there was no voice of prophet in ,israel or revelation from ,god to ,his chosen people1 when suddenly the long silence was broken4 ,it was in the days of ,herod the ,great1 when sin and misery had reached their climax1 and when the yearning for ,messiah's appearance was more intensely felt than ever4 ,the ,temple1 so often the scene of the manifestation of the glory of ,god1 became again the centre1 whence the first rays of light secretly break through the darkness4 ,one of the priests1 named ,zacharias1 while performing his duty in the service of the sanctuary1 burning incense before the ,lord1 had a vision1 in which he was assured that his prayer was heard1 and great distinction conferred upon him in a twofold answer3 ,first1 the ,messiah shall indeed appear in his days2 and1 secondly1 that he shall himself be the father of the forerunner1 who is to prepare ,his way--an honor he could not have ventured to anticipate4 ,what human tongue could have foretold it to him1 or how could he have ventured to hearken to the voice of his own heart1 without direct revelation8 ,zacharias sought first the ,kingdom of ,god1 and ,his righteousness1 and all other things were added to him4 ,in the service of the sanctuary the burning of incense before the ,lord was considered exceedingly important and honorable4 ,the people were accustomed to unite in the outer court in silent supplication1 while the priest in the sanctuary offered the incense1 which was ever regarded as the symbol of acceptable prayer4 ,remaining longer in the sanctuary than was strictly necessary1 the people1 who were waiting in the outer court of the ,temple1 feared that some misfortune1 or sign of the divine displeasure1 had befallen him1 for they 8marveled that he tarried so long40 ,and when he finally appeared 8he could not speak40 ,while standing before the altar1 awaiting the signal to sift the precious incense1 a heavenly messenger appeared unto him4 ,when ,zacharias saw the angel he was troubled1 and fear fell upon him4 ,the heavenly messenger quickly answered1 8,fear not1 ,zacharias1 for thy prayer is heard2 and thy wife ,elizabeth shall bear thee a son1 and thou shalt call his name ,john40 ,both ,zacharias and ,elizabeth were of the priestly race1 and he himself was a priest of the course of ,abia1 and she was of the daughters of ,aaron4 ,both1 too1 were devout persons1 walking in the commandments of ,god1 and waiting for the fulfillment of ,his promise to ,israel4 ,but in the midst of the glorious revelations the angel had made1 strange to say1 ,zacharias had asked for some sign or confirmation of the glad tidings4 ,the angel answered1 8,i am ,gabriel0 7the ,might of ,god7 8and1 behold1 thou shalt be dumb40 ,as faith is to be the chief condition of the new covenant1 it was needful that the first manifestation of unbelief should be emphatically punished1 but the wound inflicted becomes a healing medicine to the soul4 ,the aged priest was constrained to much silent reflection1 and1 according to the counsel of ,god1 the secret was still kept for a time4 ,there is here a remarkable coincidence between ,zacharias and ,abraham on the one side1 and ,elizabeth and ,sarah on the other2 not only in the fact of their lack of an heir during so many years1 but also in the frame of mind in which they at length received the heavenly message4 ,in these parallel histories1 the man of the olden times is strong in the faith1 the woman weak2 while under the new covenant it is the man whose faith falters4 ,on the very threshold of the new dispensation woman1 in the person of ,elizabeth1 takes her place in the foreground by the heroism of a living faith4 ,it is also quite in keeping with ,divine wisdom that in this case unbelief in view of the rising sun of the gospel salvation is much more severely punished than under the old dispensation4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,angel',s ,,message4 ,the sight of ,zacharias struck dumb awakened among the people an expectation of some great and heavenly event2 soon will 8the things0 done in the priest's house be 8noised abroad throughout all the hill country of ,judea10 and the voice of 8him that crieth0 shall soon resound over hill and valley4 ,the sacred duties performed1 retirement was next in order4 ,as a priest1 in the 8course of ,abia10 the twenty-four courses in the services of the temple relieved each other weekly1 each course ministering during a whole week4 ,so ,zacharias and ,elizabeth leave ,jerusalem for their home among the picturesque hills of ,judea1 south-west of ,bethlehem4 ,how beautiful are the pictures of these ,israelitish homes into which the ,bible bids us so often to look4 ,the familiar vine and fig-tree2 the flower-planted courts2 the waterpots filled for quenching thirst2 the basin and towel and servant to bathe the heated1 often dust-covered1 feet2 the domestic scene morning and evening in the grinding of the food in the familiar hand-mill1 the work always performed by the women2 the delightful views from the housetops in the cool of the evening2 the maidens busy in filling the waterpots2 the halting of visitors in the outer court1 waiting for some damsel to open the door2 the thousand little touches of real life which are always so charming to the observer4 ,in addition to these outward signs1 the good manners and propriety1 the atmosphere of true courtesy2 the youth rising up before the hoary head2 the child learning at his mother's knee1 or inquiring of father or elder2 a joyousness1 such as a mind at peace with ,god only can exert1 are all manifest in these ,bible pictures which ages can not dim4 ,yet most striking are the proofs that in every household children were desired1 and gladly welcomed4 ,notwithstanding a barren wife in an ,israelitish home was often a cause for divorce1 ,zacharias was pre-eminently a man of hope4 ,as a pious husband and lover1 he had faithfully and tenderly clung to his beloved ,elizabeth through the long years of youth and middle age1 and even after hope had died out of their longing hearts4 ,both had learned 8the patience of unanswered prayer0--a lesson not easily mastered by the bravest of us4 ,but now the hope was to be realized1 the 8reproach among men0 was to be taken away4 ,in that home among the hills of ,judea was to be a child in the arms of its mother4 ,the name of the child1 and he a son1 was to be ,john 7,jehovah shows grace74 ,many homes would rejoice in his birth1 and he would be ,god's man1 eating nothing to inflame carnal passions1 and filled with the ,holy ,spirit1 he would become prophet and reformer4 ,the grossly literal hope of the people for ,elijah's appearance in the flesh would be spiritually fulfilled1 for ,elizabeth's son was to have the spirit and the power of the ,tishbite2 and thus gifted of the ,almighty1 was to be the forerunner of the ,christ4 ,all that was spoken of the ,messiah's messenger by ,isaiah1 as 8the voice of one crying in the wilderness1 ,prepare ye the way of the ,lord1 make ,his paths straight10 and by ,malachi1 8,behold1 ,i will send my messenger1 and he shall prepare the way before me10 were fulfilled in this son of many prayers4 ,in due time he was born1 and on the eighth day1 in conformity with the law of ,moses1 was brought to the priest for circumcision1 and1 as the performance of this rite was the accustomed time for naming a child1 the friends of the family proposed to call him ,zacharias after the name of his father4 ,the mother1 however1 required that he should be called ,john--a decision which ,zacharias1 still speechless1 confirmed by writing on a tablet1 8his name is ,john40 ,the judgment on his want of faith was then withdrawn1 and the first use which he made of his recovered speech1 was to praise ,jehovah for his faithfulness and mercy1 a proof that the cure had taken place in his soul also4 ,a single verse contains all that we know of ,elizabeth's child of promise for the space of thirty years--the whole period which elapsed between his birth and the commencement of his public ministry4 ,the record is1 8,the child grew and waxed strong in the spirit1 and was in the desert till the day of his showing unto ,israel40 ,but we must not forget that through his childhood and youth he was under the care of a wise1 loving mother4 ,elizabeth's unfaltering faith and prudent counsel1 we must believe1 exerted a lasting influence over this child of the desert4 ,the child thus supernaturally born1 was surely a sign that ,god was again visiting ,his people4 ,his providence1 so long hidden1 seemed once more about to manifest itself in the person of ,elizabeth's son1 who1 doubtless must be commissioned to perform some important part in the history of the chosen people4 ,could it be the ,messiah8 ,could it be ,elijah8 ,was the era of their old prophets about to be restored8 ,with such grave thoughts were the minds of the people occupied1 as they mused on the events which had been passing under their eyes1 and said one to another1 8,what manner of child shall this be80 ,so when ,john passed out from under the wise training of ,elizabeth1 his reputation for extraordinary sanctity1 and the generally prevailing expectation that some great one was about to appear1 were sufficient to attract to him a great multitude from 8every quarter40 ,brief and startling was his first exhortation to them1 8,repent ye1 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand40 ,his preaching of repentance1 however1 meant more than a mere legal ablution or expiation1 it meant a change of heart and life4 ,while such was his solemn admonition to the multitude at large1 he adopted towards the leading sects of the ,jews a severer tone1 denouncing ,pharisees and ,sadducees alike as 8a generation of vipers10 and warning them of the folly of trusting to external privileges as descendants of ,abraham4 ,he plainly told them1 8the axe was laid to the root of the tree10 that formal righteousness would be no longer tolerated4 ,such alarming declarations produced their effect1 and many of every class pressed forward to confess their sins and to accept ,john's ministry4 ,this son of ,elizabeth is one of the most striking characters in the ,bible4 ,destined from before his birth to be a prophet1 his life was worthy of his high office4 ,pure1 unsullied1 earnest1 fearless1 humble1 he much resembled his great predecessor1 ,elijah4 ,like him1 he was an ascetic1 and like him1 he had his time of fearless outspeaking and of reproval of kings1 and hypocrites2 and like him1 also1 a time of depression1 as when he sent to ,christ to ask1 8,art thou ,he that should come1 or shall we look for another80 ,a noble example of the fearless manner in which he proclaimed the truth is illustrated in the denunciation of the unlawful marriage of ,herod ,antipas1 the ,tetrarch4 ,he had married a daughter of ,aretas1 ,king of ,petra1 but seeing ,herodias1 the wife of his half brother1 ,philip1 he became infatuated with her1 divorced his own wife and married ,herodias1 who abandoned ,philip to marry him4 ,herodias was a grand-daughter of ,herod the ,great4 ,this unprincipled woman wrought the ruin of ,herod ,antipas4 ,aretas1 angry at the treatment of his daughter1 made war upon ,herod4 ,john reproved ,herod for all this1 and he evidently had not minced words4 ,neither had he spoken in such low whispers that he might seem to others to disapprove the crime1 but still escape the notice of the king4 ,he thundered out his denunciations in a way to make even the royal couple alarmed1 and caused them to shut ,john up in prison1 lest his growing popularity should undermine the security of ,herod's throne4 ,and then ,herodias secured the execution of ,john1 which angered the ,jews1 for they counted ,john as a prophet and held the subsequent defeat of ,herod by ,aretas as a judgment upon him for this wicked deed4 ,such1 in brief was the son of the most highly and signally honored ,woman in ,white ,raiment in sacred history1 ,mary1 the mother of ,jesus1 only excepted4 ,the strong faith of the pious ,elizabeth1 as developed in her noble son1 has been a blessing to the whole race of man4 ,the clear shining faith to grasp the promises of ,god are most beautifully exemplified in the pure1 self-sacrificing1 and devoted life of ,elizabeth4 ,closely related to the events in the life of ,elizabeth1 as just narrated1 is the birth of our blessed ,lord4 ,there is no person in sacred or in profane literature around whom so many legends have been grouped as around the ,virgin ,mary1 and there are few whose authentic history is more concise4 ,doubtless the very simplicity of the sacred narrative has been one cause of the abundance of the legendary matter of which she forms the central figure4 ,according to the genealogy given by ,luke1 which is that of ,mary1 her father's name was ,heli4 ,she was1 like ,joseph1 her husband1 of the tribe of ,judah1 and of the house and lineage of ,david4 ,we are informed that at the time of the angel's visitation she was betrothed to ,joseph and was therefore regarded by the ,jewish law and custom as his wife1 though he had not yet a husband's rights over her4 ,the angel ,gabriel1 who had appeared to ,zacharias in the ,temple1 appeared to her and announced that she was to be the mother of the long-expected ,messiah2 that in ,him the prophecies relative to ,david's throne and kingdom should be accomplished2 and that his name was to be called ,jesus4 ,he further informed her1 perhaps as a sign by which she might convince herself that his prediction with regard to herself would come true1 that her relative ,elizabeth was about to be blessed in the birth of a child4 ,it appears that ,mary at once set off to visit ,elizabeth in her home in the hill country of ,judea4 ,when she had reached her destination1 and immediately on her entrance into the house1 she was saluted by ,elizabeth as the mother of our ,lord1 and had evidence of the truth of the angel's saying with regard to her cousin ,elizabeth1 ,mary then embodied her feelings of exultation and thankfulness in the hymn known under the name of the ,magnificat4 ,the hymn is founded on ,hannah's song of thankfulness 7#a ,sam4 ii1 #a-aj71 and exhibits an intimate knowledge of the ,psalms1 prophetical writings and books of ,moses1 from which sources almost every expression in it is drawn4 ,in approaching this exquisite bit of ,hebrew poetry uttered by ,mary we may profitably consider1 first1 its beauty of expression2 and second1 its nobility and grandeur of sentiment4 ,the hymn consists of four stanzas of four lines each1 and its literary character is best brought out by a translation which so arranges it4 ,the first stanza reads3 ,my soul doth magnify the ,lord1 ,and my spirit hath rejoiced in ,god my ,saviour1 ,because ,he hath looked upon the humility of ,his bondmaiden2 ,for behold1 from henceforth all generations shall pronounce me blessed4 ,in this stanza three points of parallelism appear in the first two lines4 ,in the first occurs the word 8soul10 and in the second the word 8spirit10 which we understand to be but different designations of the same elements of our natures4 ,whatever difference in the use of these terms in other places it is evident that here according to the ordinary requirements of ,hebrew poetry1 the two words are chosen because of their similarity in meaning4 ,the other synonymous terms are the words 8magnify0 and 8rejoice20 8the ,lord0 and 8,god my ,saviour40 ,thus is introduced the so-called ,magnificat4 ,the characteristic of ,hebrew poetry is not that it is arranged in rhyme and measured feet1 but in the grander rhythm belonging to parallelisms of thought4 ,such a rhythm has far more freedom and force than that which consists of mere similarity of measure and sound4 ,hence it is that the poetry of the ,bible is so readily translated into other languages1 and loses so little of its force in the process2 whereas poetry which depends upon the peculiarities of any given language is incapable of translation4 ,the essential thing in ,hebrew poetry is sublimity of thought and diction1 accompanied by a substantial repetition of the sentiment in terms that are nearly synonymous4 ,the thoughts are thus held before the mind till it can fully see their grandeur and beauty1 and receive those shades of impression which come from repeated efforts at statement4 ,in the second couplet of the above stanza ,mary gives the reason for her rejoicing4 ,she was of humble origin1 and1 before her neighbors and friends1 was to be humbled still further4 ,but1 as is so often the case1 what was ,mary's extremity was ,god's opportunity1 and ,he was to glorify ,himself by making the weak things of the earth confound the mighty4 ,as ,he brought ,moses from the wilderness and ,david from the sheepfold1 so was ,he to bring ,mary from the seclusion of ,nazareth and the humiliation in the stable at ,bethlehem to a position of honor attained by no other woman1 and all generations were henceforth to call her blessed4 ,the second stanza reads3 ,for the ,mighty ,one hath done great things for me2 ,and ,holy is ,his name4 ,and ,his mercy is unto generations and generations ,of them that fear ,him4 ,here the great things spoken of as done to ,mary 7in the first line7 correspond1 or rather constitute1 the mercy 7of the third line7 which flows forth from the gospel from age to age2 and the holiness of ,his name mentioned in the second is that characteristic of ,god which evokes the fear mentioned in the fourth line4 ,the third stanza may be literally rendered as follows3 ,he hath exercised the strength which is in ,his arm2 ,he hath scattered abroad those who were proud by reason of the thoughts of their hearts2 ,he hath cast princes down from their thrones1 and exalted the lowly1 ,the hungry hath ,he filled with good things1 and the rich hath ,he sent empty away4 ,in this1 as all through the hymn1 we have the flavor of ,hebraistic forms of speech4 ,in their poetical conceptions they did not think of ,god as an abstract being1 but as having a mighty arm with which ,he swayed the nations and dashed their foolish plans in pieces1 as one might break a potter's vessel with a rod of iron4 ,how little do men know the flimsiness of the schemes which they organize against the ,lord and ,his anointed6 ,the third and fourth lines of this stanza contain a double parallelism and a twofold antithesis4 ,he casts down the kings and lifts up the lowly people2 ,he fills to fullness the hungry1 and sends the rich away empty4 ,in the fourth stanza we read3 ,he hath taken hold to help with ,israel ,his servant1 ,in order that ,he might call to mind the mercy characteristic of ,his nature 7,according as ,he hath spoken unto our fathers7 ,to ,abraham and his seed for ever4 ,what a glorious conception this is of ,israel1 the hero of ,god1 and who was not a servant1 but a son1 for that is the true meaning of the word rendered 8servant40 ,the word is also one of endearment4 ,and so we are reminded1 in the second line1 of ,his tender mercy4 ,the only mercy of which ,he could have spoken to our fathers was ,his own1 expressing itself in the whole scheme of salvation as revealed in the ,bible4 ,it was a peculiar plan of mercy revealed to ,abraham and his spiritual descendants4 ,such1 in brief1 are the noble conceptions and the lofty figures of speech of this exquisite hymn of ,mary4 ,and we ask involuntarily1 ,whence comes it that so humble a maiden should thus in the beauty of her diction and the sublimity of her conceptions have rivaled1 if not eclipsed1 all the poets both of ancient and modern times8 ,it might seem a short answer to this question to say that ,mary was inspired4 ,but such an answer does not satisfy the reasoning mind4 ,god in ,his wisdom does not ordinarily see fit to disregard the secondary causes which ,he has created4 ,we are led to look1 therefore1 to the character and condition of ,mary herself as a partial explanation of the character of this piece of literature4 ,and1 upon examining the hymn1 we find that it is largely composed of sentences from the ,old ,testament1 embodying the ,messianic expectations of the ,jewish people4 ,it sounds like an echo1 not only of ,david's and ,hannah's1 but also of ,miriam's1 and of ,deborah's harps2 yet independently reproduced in the mind of a woman1 who had laid up and kept in her heart what she had read in ,holy ,scripture4 ,out from the large body of sacred literature which was the rare heritage of her people1 she had extracted that which was best and noblest and most appropriate4 ,we do not1 however1 deny the direct inspiration of this hymn2 but we would emphasize the broader conceptions of ,providence1 how the ,holy ,spirit can use a mind well stored with the deep things of ,god1 as evidently was the mind of ,mary1 for1 from beginning to end1 this hymn assumes a sympathizing acquaintance with the history of the ,jewish people1 and of all the noble conceptions of the ,deity with which the history of that people has made the world familiar4 ,the unity of ,god is assumed without question4 ,it is the ,lord ,jehovah that her soul magnifies4 ,it is the only true ,god her ,saviour in which her spirit rejoices4 ,nor is it a ,god of mere power1 but a ,god of love and tenderness1 whom she adores4 ,it is one who has regard not for men alone and the great ones of the earth1 but for the humble woman who occupies the most contracted sphere that falls to the lot of any4 ,and in this the power of the ,god she adores appears pre-eminent1 for he is able to make great things out of small4 ,it was ,he who took ,israel as a little vine and made him a great nation4 ,it was ,he that multiplied the widow's cruse of oil and handful of meal till she had a superabundance4 ,it was ,he who lifted ,rahab out of her wicked and heathen surroundings and placed her in the line of royal women in whom all the families of earth were to be blessed4 ,it is ,he that notes the sparrow's fall1 that numbers the hairs of our heads1 that hears the prayers we offer in secret when the door is shut1 and that rewards us openly4 ,it is ,he that can exalt the humblest life and make it gleam with the sunshine of ,his own glory4 8,not many mighty1 not many noble1 are called 444 but 444 ,god hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty 444 yea1 and things which are not1 to bring to nought the things that are40 ,only such a ,god could lift on high so humble a maiden1 and turn upon her the gaze of all the nations of the earth4 ,but the ,god of ,israel well might do it1 for ,he is the ,mighty ,one1 and able to do great things1 and ,his mercy is upon them that fear ,him from generation to generation4 ,in ,israel's deliverance from ,egypt and in all their subsequent history1 ,he had shown the strength of ,his arm4 ,the wrecks of the nations that opposed ,him strew the whole pathway of history4 ,and as ,he raised ,joseph from prison and exalted ,daniel from the lion's den1 so should ,he ever lift up the meek1 and help ,his servant ,israel1 and remember ,his promises to ,abraham and ,his seed forever4 ,only one who is familiar with such a history could write such a hymn4 ,surely it is a great thing to be educated into such thoughts as these4 ,to breathe in such sentiments in the very atmosphere of one's home and in the social circles in which one daily moves is the highest of earthly privileges4 ,it is only in such a hymn as this of ,mary that we get a proper conception of the grandeur and nobleness of the thoughts underlying ,hebrew history4 ,in her ,magnificat1 ,mary breathed the thoughts of those that surrounded her4 ,from the days of pious ,hannah down to those of ,elizabeth1 the women of ,israel had been moved by such longings and animated by such hopes as have never been possible to any other people4 ,they had the promise made in ,eden that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent who led the world astray4 ,and now to her1 to this humble virgin of ,israel1 had the fulfillment of this promise come1 and truly blessed was she among women4 ,for here was the performance of those things which had been told her from the ,lord4 ,the great crisis of the world's history had arrived1 and she was the chosen channel through which the hope of the nations was come4 ,o1 blessed ,woman in ,white ,raiment1 may thy hymn of praise1 divinely inspired1 be often upon our lips1 and the sweetness of its precious truths continually in our hearts6 ,the words of the angel in respect to ,elizabeth having been confirmed by this personal visit of ,mary to her home in the hill country of ,judea1 she returned to ,nazareth4 ,soon after this the decree of ,augustus1 the ,roman emperor1 that all the world should be taxed1 was promulgated1 and ,joseph and ,mary traveled to ,bethlehem to have their names enrolled in the registers of their tribe4 ,it would seem that the ,israelites still clung to their genealogies and tribal relations1 and1 though the undertaking was a severe strain upon ,mary1 and notwithstanding1 according to the ,roman custom1 her name could have been enrolled without her personal presence1 this woman1 who was to be the most blessed of women1 greatly preferred to accompany her husband on this journey of over seventy miles1 much of the way up and down steep1 rocky hills4 ,traveling in the ,east1 under its most favorable conditions1 is a slow1 tiresome affair1 especially for women4 ,but ,mary drudged along the mountain path1 in company with her husband1 all the way from ,nazareth to ,bethlehem4 ,her love for the city of ,david seems to have overcome all difficulties4 ,possibly a contemplative mind like hers may have perceived that this decree of ,csar ,augustus was but an instrument1 in the hand of ,providence1 to fulfill ancient prophecy with respect to the birthplace of the ,messiah1 for ,micah had declared that out of ,bethlehem ,ephratah1 though little among the thousands of ,judah1 8yet out of thee shall ,he come forth unto ,me that is to be ruler in ,israel2 whose goings forth have been from of old1 from everlasting40 ,so1 while it would seem that an arbitrary decree decided where ,christ is to be born1 ,god had manifested ,his wisdom in the choice of the time1 place and circumstances1 and was faithful in the fulfillment of the word of prophecy1 ever carrying out ,his plans through the free acts of men4 ,in this instance the great ,roman ,csar1 even without his knowledge1 became an official agent in the kingdom of ,god4 ,so it came to pass1 in the fullness of time1 and in the beloved city of ,david1 ,bethlehem ,ephratah1 ,mary brought forth the ,saviour of the world1 and humbly laid ,him in a manger4 ,here1 amid these humble surroundings1 in the stall of an inn1 among the beasts1 was the advent of the ,son of ,god1 the ,saviour of the world4 ,and1 behold1 the ,life which was to lift 8empires off their hinges0 and turn the 8stream of centuries out of its course0--a life which was to revolutionize the world and transform humanity--had begun4 ,the place where the inn stood is now occupied by an enormous pile of buildings1 known as the 8,church of the ,nativity40 ,down in the crypt of this church1 reached by fifteen stone steps1 and in the eastern wall of it1 is a silver star1 around which are the words3 8,hic de ,virgine ,maria ,jesus ,christus natus est0--8,here ,jesus ,christ was born of the ,virgin ,mary40 ,one can not with indifference behold such a spot as this4 ,to us it was a sacred and hallowed place1 and we felt subdued and reverent while beholding the place where began the greatest life earth has ever contained4 ,to the ,christian1 ,bethlehem stands first among the holiest places on the face of the globe1 and we were hushed into reverence by its sacred associations and charmed by its natural beauty4 ,the 8inn10 the scene of the nativity1 stood on the crest of a hill that rapidly falls away to a valley seven hundred feet below4 ,at its base is the 8well0 for the waters of which ,david so greatly longed4 ,on the opposite side is a hill still more precipitous than the one on which ,bethlehem stands4 ,the little valley between the hills gradually opens out eastward1 where once stood the wheatfields of ,boaz1 in which ,ruth gleaned after the reapers4 ,just beyond this1 scarcely a mile from the 8city of ,david10 is the field where the shepherds were 8keeping watch over their flock by night1 when lo1 the angel of the ,lord came upon them10 with this glad proclamation1 8,behold1 ,i bring you good tidings of great joy1 which shall be to all people40 ,then suddenly night was turned into day by the radiant brightness of a multitude of the heavenly host1 filling earth and sky with their song3 8,glory to ,god in the highest1 ,peace on earth1 good-will to men40 ,the visit of the shepherds to the inn1 the circumcision and presentation in the ,temple1 the visit and adoration of the wise men who saw ,his star in far off ,persia1 the cruel massacre of the children of ,bethlehem by ,herod1 and the flight into ,egypt1 are rather scenes in the life of ,christ than that of his mother1 and are fully described in 8,,the ,,christ ,,lifted ,,up40 ,however1 in passing1 it may be well to pause long enough to observe how the presentation in the ,temple brings the limited circumstances of ,joseph and ,mary to our notice4 ,the custom of ceremonial purification by a ,jewish mother in the sanctuary with a sacrifice is fully stated in ,lev4 xii4 ,two offerings were required1 a burnt and a sin offering4 ,when ,mary presented herself with her babe in the court of the women1 in the ,temple1 the proper offering was a lamb for a burnt offering1 and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin offering2 but with that beautiful tenderness which is so marked a characteristic of the ,mosaic law1 those who were too poor for so comparatively costly an offering were allowed to bring instead two turtle-doves or two young pigeons4 ,mary1 instead of the lamb and dove1 brought the offering of the poor--two doves4 ,with this offering in her hand1 she presented herself to the priest4 ,one incident more occurs in the presentation in the ,temple4 ,at the moment when ,mary had completed her consecration1 an old man came tottering through the throng4 ,it was the aged ,simeon1 8just and devout1 waiting for the consolation of ,israel40 ,taking from ,mary's arms her precious infant1 and1 as with face aglow and eyes kindled with heavenly fire1 in speaking his holy rapture1 one passage is specially directed to her1 8,yea1 a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also40 ,this 8sword10 we must believe1 entered her heart as later she saw her ,son on the cross4 ,in the return from ,egypt after the death of ,herod the ,great1 it appears to have been the intention of ,joseph to have settled at ,bethlehem at this time1 as his home at ,nazareth had now been broken up for a year or more1 intending there to rear the infant ,king1 at his own royal city1 until the time should come when he would sit upon ,david's throne and restore the fallen kingdom to its ancient splendor4 ,but 8when he heard that ,archelaus did reign in ,judea10 he turned aside into ,nazareth1 as well he might1 if he knew the life and character of the new prince1 thinking1 no doubt1 the child's life would be safer in the tetrarchy of ,antipas than in that of ,archelaus4 ,henceforward1 until the beginning of our ,lord's ministry1 so far as is known1 ,mary lived in ,nazareth1 in a humble sphere of life1 the wife of ,joseph the carpenter1 pondering over the sayings of the angels1 of the shepherds1 of ,simeon1 and those of her ,son1 as the latter 8increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with ,god and man40 ,two circumstances alone1 so far as we know1 broke in on the otherwise even flow of her life4 ,one of these was the loss of ,jesus out of the company of the homeward journey1 when he remained behind at ,jerusalem upon the occasion of ,his first visit to the ,temple4 ,his mother is the first to speak4 8,son10 she said1 8why hast thou thus dealt with us80 ,his reply gave the keynote of ,his life1 8,wist ye not that ,i must be about my ,fathers business80 ,the other was the death of ,joseph4 ,the exact date of this last event we can not determine4 ,but it was probably not long after the other4 ,from this time on ,mary is withdrawn almost wholly from sight4 ,four times only is the veil removed1 which is thrown over her1 and surely not without reason4 #a4 ,the first is at the marriage of ,cana4 ,it is thought from the interest ,mary took in it that the bride or bridegroom1 were friends1 if not relatives of the family4 8,and ,jesus was called1 and ,his disciples40 ,the disciples were invited out of respect for their ,lord4 ,this unexpected addition to the company may have been the cause of ,mary's evident embarrassment1 and she appeals to her ,son by saying1 8,they have no wine40 ,it is impossible to know all that was in her heart4 ,possibly from the ,jordan had come wonderful news concerning her ,son which had inspired her with the hope that now at least1 after so long waiting1 the time of ,his manifestation was at hand4 ,what if ,he should use the present opportunity to show ,his power6 ,might she not at least mention it to ,him8 ,but1 mark ,his answer1 8,woman1 what have ,i to do with thee80 ,while ,his reply1 in the original1 does not have in it the severity it has in the plain ,english1 yet ,he would have her understand that in ,his divine character ,he could not acknowledge her1 nor be influenced by her suggestions4 ,henceforth there must be room between her and ,him for ,his ,father4 ,and so ,he told her with all the tenderness that words and looks could convey that the matter she hinted at was a matter between ,him and ,his ,father4 ,mary quickly acceded to this4 ,by woman's enlightened intuition she perceived ,his meaning1 and so she said to the servants1 8,whatsoever ,he saith unto you do it40 ,in confident expectation1 she believed ,he would supply the need4 ,her beautiful faith in ,him was unshaken4 #b4 ,the second time ,mary comes to view is in the attempt which she and others made to speak with ,jesus in the midst of ,his conflict with the ,scribes and ,pharisees at ,capernaum1 when they sought to destroy ,his good name and influence by applying that most horrible and loathsome epithet1 8,he had ,beelzebub40 ,we can hardly realize what satanic forces were massed against ,jesus at that time4 ,and ,mary1 who probably1 with some friends1 stood on the outside of the crowd1 became alarmed1 and would rescue ,him from the malice of ,his enemies4 ,so she sent a message1 which probably was handed on from one person to another1 begging ,him to allow ,his friends to speak to ,him4 ,again ,he refuses to admit any privilege on account of their relationship4 8,who is my mother1 and who are my brethren80 ,he loved ,his mother1 but infinite wisdom saw best that she must in no way influence ,his divine work1 which ,he could not share with another and be the ,saviour of the world4 ,he must tread the winepress of men's malice alone4 #c4 ,the third time ,mary comes to our notice is at the foot of the cross4 ,she was standing there with ,mary ,magdalene1 ,salome1 and other women1 having no doubt followed her ,son as she was able throughout that terrible morning of our ,lord's several trials4 ,it was now three o'clock in the afternoon1 and ,he was about to expire4 ,standing near the company of the women was ,john1 and1 with almost ,his last words1 ,christ commended ,his mother to the care of this disciple4 ,and from that hour1 ,john assures us1 he took her to his home4 ,if1 by 8that hour10 ,john means immediately after the words were spoken1 ,mary was not present at the last scene of all4 ,the sword had sufficiently pierced her soul1 and she was spared the hearing of the last loud cries and the sight of the bowed head4 ,however we might have understood ,his relation to ,mary1 while the great scheme of human redemption was being wrought out1 ,he now turns in beautiful and touching tenderness to her1 who tenderly loved ,him1 even when she could not fully understand ,his work4 #d4 ,the fourth and last time ,mary is brought to our view is in the company of the one hundred and twenty believers1 assembled at ,jerusalem1 waiting for the descent of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this is the last view we have of her4 ,the ,word of ,god leaves her engaged in prayer in the 8upper room10 with the women1 and with ,his brethren4 ,from this point forward we know nothing of her4 ,it is very probable the rest of her life was spent in the home of ,john1 cherished with the tenderness which her sensitive soul would have specially needed1 and which she undoubtedly found in him who had borne the distinction of 8that disciple whom ,jesus loved40 ,when the disciples 8were scattered abroad0 after the martyrdom of ,stephen1 and the apostles assumed the charge of important centres1 we read of ,john being minister of the church at ,ephesus4 ,no doubt ,mary removed with ,john to ,ephesus1 where1 tradition says1 she died1 and where she was buried4 ,probably she died before ,john was banished to ,patmos4 ,while at ,ephesus1 we visited her sepulchre4 ,it is on the north side of ,mt4 ,prion1 half way up the mountain side4 ,the tomb is cut out of the solid rock1 and in full view of the church1 which doubtless she loved so well4 ,we have already dwelt at considerable length upon the beautiful character of ,mary in connection with her song of rejoicing in the house of ,elizabeth and known as the ,magnificat4 ,so far as ,mary is portrayed to us in the ,scripture1 she is1 as we should have expected1 the most tender1 the most faithful1 humble1 patient and loving of women1 but a woman still1 and how she herself regarded her relation to her divine ,son is best expressed in her own words3 8,my soul doth magnify the ,lord1 ,and my spirit hath rejoiced in ,god my ,saviour40 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,ministry ,,at ,,ephesus4 ,no doubt she was a comfort in the home of ,john4 ,the dark shadows of the cross were dissipated when she saw ,jesus alive after ,his resurrection1 and communed with ,him1 and1 doubtless1 saw ,him ascend to heaven in a cloud1 and had heard the angels assure ,his disciples1 as they had seen ,him depart1 in like manner ,he would come again4 ,she was comforted in the wonderful scene at ,pentecost1 when three thousand acknowledged ,jesus as their ,saviour as well as her ,saviour4 ,she lived to see the ,gospel spread through ,judea and ,samaria1 and the great centres in ,asia ,minor4 ,she had nobly done her work at ,jerusalem and at ,ephesus--had told1 as none could tell it1 the sweet story of the infant ,jesus and her glorified ,saviour4 ,on account of her presence there was a strange interest about the services of the great church at ,ephesus1 because the mother of ,jesus was among the worshippers4 ,even the life and ministry of the beloved ,john was made richer because of her helpful presence4 ,but now she is growing old4 ,her earthly mission is drawing to a close4 ,she can not stay longer to bless the people who had learned to love her4 ,indeed1 her affections had already stolen away and preceded her upward4 ,the glad day has come for her to go4 ,her weary feet will soon stand within thy gates1 ,o ,jerusalem4 ,the low murmur of voices and the subdued sobbing of loved ones around her she heeds not1 as a strange light breaks upon her1 and she hears celestial symphonies from the glory shore4 ,white-winged messengers--jasper walls--pearly gates--golden streets--life's river--and she is with ,him in the land where swords can never enter stricken hearts6 ,we can not close this chapter without making mention of ,anna the ,prophetess4 ,it would seem that at the coming of the ,saviour into the world1 earth and sky clapped their hands for joy1 and the mountains and hills broke forth into singing4 ,not only did ,zacharias prophesy1 saying 8,blessed be the ,lord the ,god of ,israel20 and ,mary sing her hymn of praise1 in which she exclaimed1 8,my soul doth magnify the ,lord20 and the angels who sang1 8,glory to ,god in the highest20 and the aged ,simeon1 who1 coming into the ,temple1 and taking the child in his arms1 burst forth in doxology1 8,lord1 now lettest ,thou ,thy servant depart in peace1 according to ,thy word1 for mine eyes have seen ,thy salvation10 but also ,anna the ,prophetess4 ,scarcely had the sweet strains of the aged ,simeon ceased1 when the prophetess1 coming into the court of the women1 in the ,temple1 and seeing ,mary presenting herself with her babe1 caught the meaning of the scene and added her voice of praise1 8and spake of ,him to all them that looked for redemption in ,jerusalem40 ,it was very fitting that women should have such a prominent part in these human and angelic songs over the nativity of ,him who1 in after years1 proved women's best friend4 ,who alone1 of all earth's great teachers1 wept with and over woman's broken heart2 who alone pitied woman taken in sin2 who alone stood up in defence of woman against cruel criticism2 who alone placed in contrast a poor penitent woman over against a well-washed1 and we had almost said1 8white-washed10 ,pharisee2 who1 on the way to the cross1 had words of comfort for womanhood1 in the ever-memorable exclamation1 8,daughters of ,jerusalem1 weep not for ,me60 ,and why should not these daughters weep for one who had elevated them to their true position8 ,surely1 they might well weep1 for they had never had such a friend4 ,anna was a daughter of ,phanuel1 of the tribe of ,asher1 and of very great age--eighty-four years4 ,her age is specially mentioned1 to show that1 though she had passed but few years in the married state1 she had reached this advanced age as a widow2 a fact redounding to her honor in a moral sense1 and ranking her among the comparatively small number of 8widows indeed10 whom ,paul especially commends4 ,it is somewhat remarkable that the name of ,anna's father should be mentioned1 and not that of her husband4 ,perhaps her father survived her husband1 and may also have been known as one who waited for the consolation of ,israel4 ,the pious words ,anna uttered in the presence of ,mary and her child in the court of the women can not be the only reason of her being called a prophetess4 ,such an appellation must have been caused by some earlier and frequent utterances1 dictated by the ,spirit of prophecy1 by reason of which she ranked among the list of holy women who1 both in earlier and later times1 were chosen instruments of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,if the spirit of prophecy had departed from ,israel since the time of ,malachi1 according to the opinion of the ,jews1 the return of this ,spirit might be looked upon as one of the tokens of ,messiah's advent4 ,in ,simeon and ,anna we see incarnate types of the expectation of salvation under the ,old ,testament1 as in the child ,jesus the salvation itself is manifested4 ,at the extreme limits of life1 they stand in striking contrast to the infant ,saviour1 exemplifying the ,old ,covenant decaying and waxing old before the ,new1 which is to grow and remain4 ,old age grows youthful1 both in ,simeon and ,anna1 at the sight of the ,saviour2 while the youthful ,mary grows inwardly older and riper1 as ,simeon lifts up before her eyes the veil hanging upon the future4 ,joseph and ,mary marveled at the revelations1 not because they learned from ,simeon's prophecy anything they had not heard before1 but they were struck and charmed by the new aspect under which this salvation was presented4 ,there is something very beautiful in this aged ,anna1 the prophetess1 who 8departed not from the ,temple1 but served ,god with fastings and prayers night and day40 ,and the reason given for this consecrated devotion is1 she 8looked for redemption in ,jerusalem40 ,this aged saint1 into whose obscure but loyal keeping the spirit of true religion has always retired in times of a degenerate and formal faith1 under the ,divine ,spirit1 refused to depart from the courts of the sanctuary day nor night4 ,many a long and weary year she had waited for redemption in ,jerusalem1 and had watched with eager eyes the long procession of fathers and mothers as they presented1 according to custom1 their first-born at the altar steps4 ,but the ,child for whose coming she had waited with such spiritual patience had not come4 ,at length the supreme day of her life had dawned1 and with an unusual expectancy she goes early to her accustomed vigil4 ,as the humble ,joseph and ,mary draw near1 unheralded of men and with no sign of lineage or worth beyond the rank and file of common people1 the clear vision of the aged prophetess discovers the ,king1 and with a joy that blossomed into song1 she unites with the devout ,simeon1 who like herself1 was also 8waiting for the consolation of ,israel10 the praises that redemption had at last come to ,jerusalem4 ,there was providential coincidence in her coming in just at 8that instant10 when ,simeon was prophesying and when the babe was in the ,temple1 for a divine propriety1 so to speak1 seemed to require that the new-born ,saviour should first receive the homage of the elect of ,israel4 ,illustration3 ,,anna1 ,,the ,,prophetess4 ,with this temple scene1 the aged ,anna comes into and goes out of history1 but in its light certain great facts are made luminous forever1 namely1 that ,jesus the ,christ comes into our common humanity along no royal road1 but through the great common gateway of common people4 ,jesus touches life at its majority points1 meeting our needs and our weakened nature with a brotherhood that loves us and lifts us up4 ,christ's first welcome into the world was not through ,herod1 nor the famous ,council of the ,seventy1 nor through the wise ,scribes1 or great ,pharisees1 but through the trembling arms of an aged man and woman4 ,to pause upon the romantic fitness of this temple scene were easy1 when the heart of the old and the new1 the beginning and the end of life throb together1 but rather we turn to the mission of ,christ to old age as embodied in this incident of ,simeon and ,anna4 ,age is to a well-spent life what the fruit is to the vine1 the garnered and best part of it4 ,that ripeness of experience1 of mind1 of judgment1 which comes alone from long and patient drudging on until the mile-posts are many1 that calm which comes at the sunset--these are the crowns that come to the soul as it stands on the delectable mountains with the ,celestial ,city in full view4 ,youth is clear-visioned and hopeful1 early life is busied with palpable ambitions1 and later on is occupied with the harvesting of ventures and the fruitage of success4 ,but age has nothing but a memory and a hunger1 therefore it was a fitness and a providence that ,simeon and ,anna should reach out their trembling hands in initial welcome to the ,son of ,god4 ,again1 ,anna stands as the type of the spiritually-minded1 to whom in old age are vouchsafed the revelations of ,god4 ,her attitude was very significant4 ,she 8departed not from the ,temple10 that is1 she was watchful4 ,she served ,god 8with fastings and prayers10 peculiarly expressive of ,old ,testament piety1 with its minute attention to precept and ceremony4 ,that to this woman it was permitted1 under the ,spirit's guidance1 that morning to come into the court of the women at the 8instant10 indicates a perpetual spiritual condition1 rather than a sudden impulse or illumination--the habit of one who walked and talked with ,god 8night and day40 ,these reveal the spiritual qualities of the prophetess of ,jehovah1 where an obedient will and loving heart are linked to far-sighted spiritual vision in the discernment of the providence and truth of ,god4 ,to such elect souls revelations are always coming1 because of spiritual affinities and the unerring insights of love4 ,therefore it was no accident1 this coming into the courts of the ,temple at the 8instant10 but in accord with a world-wide and unbroken law of spiritual discernment1 for spiritual truths are spiritually discerned4 ,she that desires this spiritual sense must do as ,anna did1 wait upon ,god in prayer4 ,she 8served ,god40 ,she was spiritually-minded4 ,an intense desire always precedes possession4 ,our ,lord said1 8,blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness1 for they shall be filled40 ,do we hunger after righteousness1 with a hunger that joins a great longing with a strong will8 ,then shall we possess it1 for these powers of the mind and heart wait with sure benediction upon the prayers of earnest souls4 ,this desire lies at the threshold of spiritual-mindedness4 ,it is synonymous with love4 ,do ,i love ,god8 ,is my eye single and my heart pure8 ,if so1 ,i shall see ,him4 ,if not in the court of the women1 as ,anna did1 in the inner courts of an unending eternity4 ,the other factor that enters into this spiritual life is abiding4 ,anna 8departed not from the ,temple40 ,she waited patiently4 ,go back to that night in ,shiloh1 ere the lamps of ,god had gone out1 and note how ,samuel the child became ,samuel the prophet by waiting on ,god in a listening attitude and prompt obedience4 ,follow ,paul from the vision on ,anti-,lebanon to the prisons of ,nero1 and the roadway of his ,christian life is literally paved with waiting and prompt obedience1 and both the seer and the apostle give us the rule of spiritual expansion1 and set the step for all the regiments of the heavenly-minded4 ,an eminent divine has said1 8,every duty we omit obscures some truth we should have known10 and a greater than this divine has said1 8,he that doeth truth cometh to the light40 ,the secret of all soul degeneracy1 of a seared conscience and a blunted moral sense1 alas6 we all know too well1 is disobedience to the heavenly visions4 ,like ,eli1 our eyes are grown dim1 and like ,paul's fellow-travelers to ,damascus1 we hear a sound1 but no articulate voice of call4 8,to obey10 said the great and good ,samuel to the disobedient ,saul1 8is better than sacrifice40 ,it is because of disobedience to the clear visions of duty there is so much of moral 8near-sightedness0 in the modern ,christian life4 ,the options of spiritual life or death are always with us1 to see or not to see1 to know or not to know4 ,here is the power and the peril of the ,church our ,saviour purchased at the price of ,his own blood2 here is her strength and her weakness2 for the dominant danger in the ,church of our time1 with its wealth1 its average moralities and its social compromises1 is unspirituality1 when the lines of division between a refined worldliness and a perfunctory ,christianity are so vague that both seem so near alike to many professed followers of ,jesus as not to know where worldliness ends and the ,christian rule commences4 ,an unspiritual life is the real apostacy which clogs the chariot wheels of ,god and dims the eye to the ,king in ,his excellent glory4 ,do you wonder at the high honor heaven conferred upon this aged prophetess1 who 8departed not night nor day from the ,temple10 lest she should miss the opportunity of a lifetime1 of making her the first woman to witness for ,christ8 ,it was in perfect keeping with ,god's eternal plan of exalting the humble of this world who have loyal hearts4 ,rebekah1 with cheerful alacrity1 watered the ten camels of ,eliezer1 the servant of ,abraham1 when he called her to be the bride of ,isaac2 ,rachel was driving her father's sheep to the well in ,haran when she won the heart of ,jacob1 the heir of promise2 ,miriam watched the little craft among the rushes of the ,nile1 before she led the women in triumphal song at the ,red ,sea2 ,ruth gleaned in the fields of ,bethlehem to relieve her own and ,naomi's necessities1 when she attracted the attention of ,boaz2 ,esther lived a modest1 retired life in the house of ,mordecai1 the porter at the royal palace1 when she was called to be queen over the ,persians4 ,poverty and homely toil are no hindrance to holy zeal in ,christian service2 nor are they hindrance to high communion with the ,eternal4 ,these are truths attested by revelation and by history4 ,we are sometimes tempted to question humility as a stepping-stone to exaltation1 and to complain of our lot2 tempted to think ourselves hemmed in and circumscribed1 thus to lack all opportunity for large service or large vision1 or large attainments of any kind4 ,nothing is more common among those whose life is crowded with what is termed coarse and common toil1 who are loaded down with many cares1 and confined in what seem to them narrow bounds1 to count others vastly more highly favored than themselves1 and to regard themselves as out of range of all spiritual visions or special divine communications6 ,let her who is left to think such thoughts1 or to place such estimate on her lot in life1 remember that no eye of ,scribe or ,pharisee1 of priest or king1 saw or recognized the ,son of ,god that day when ,mary presented ,jesus in the ,temple4 ,such vision was reserved for the aged prophetess1 who was looking for redemption in ,jerusalem4 ,what is the lesson8 ,this1 that the waiting and the morally qualified are the chosen channels of divine communication2 that to such the revelations of ,god unfold wonderful visions4 ,heaven and earth meet where the truly devout are found watching 8night and day0 by the altars of prayer4 ,if doxologies of the soul are to be rendered in the ear of mortals1 they shall hear them whose hearts are open towards the throne of grace1 and whose longings are for 8redemption in ,jerusalem60 and who are 8waiting for the consolation of ,israel40 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,womanhood ,during our ,lord's ,galilean ,ministry4 ,,christ ,,and ,,womanhood--,,noontide ,,at ,,jacob',s ,,well--,,the ,,lord',s ,,wonderful ,,tact--,,fields ,,white ,,to ,,the ,,harvest--,,an ,,uninvited ,,guest ,,at ,,simon',s ,,feast--,,cold ,,hospitality--,a ,,concise ,,parable--,,forgiving ,,sin--,a ,,street ,,scene--,,humble ,,confession--,,most ,,gracious ,,words--,,coast ,,of ,,tyre ,,and ,,sidon--,,syro-,,ph,,nician ,,woman--,,strangely ,,tested--,,her ,,humility--,,went ,,away ,,blessed4 ,we now come to the beautiful ministries of womanhood during our ,lord's earthly mission4 ,no teacher had ever lived who sought to elevate women as did the ,saviour4 ,the most casual reader of our ,lord's acts of mercy as ,he moved among the people1 must have noticed how often ,he wrought some of ,his most wondrous works among women4 ,he talked with a woman of questionable character by the wayside1 ,he stretched out his hands over one whose very touch was considered unclean1 and tenderly said1 8,thy sins are forgiven60 ,he called another1 whose shrinking fear1 after she was healed1 caused her to sob out her confession1 8,daughter1 be of good comfort2 thy faith hath made thee whole40 ,what a sweet picture that is of the mothers who bring their little children to ,him that 8,he should touch them10 and their faith was rewarded not by a mere 8touch10 but ,he took the mothers' darlings in ,his arms and blessed them4 ,with a yearning of divine pity ,he brings back to life three persons that motherhood and sisterhood might be comforted4 ,surely womanhood must have been precious in ,his sight1 and there is a peculiar force in the word precious as of ,god's own choosing4 ,when ,he speaks of precious things1 or permits in ,his inspired servants such ardent language1 we may be assured there is a deep meaning in the expression1 and that whatever is spoken of1 is of great value1 costly and rare4 8,i know the thoughts that ,i think toward you10 says the dear ,lord1 8thoughts of peace and not of evil40 ,and they are so continuous6 8,how great is the sum of them8 ,if ,i should count them they are more in number than the sand60 ,we have walked the wide beach1 as it stretches on for miles and miles in one unbroken line of white sand4 ,could we count a single rod of it8 ,yet these thoughts of our ,lord outnumber the sand on the shore of the sea4 ,and how precious they are1 because begotten of pure love2 and royal with kindness2 and tender with compassion2 and fragrant with blessings2 exquisite with sweetness2 infinite1 incessant1 immeasurable4 ,in our love1 we mainly dwell upon the thought of what ,god is to us1 and so are apt to forget what we are to ,him4 8,he has chosen ,israel for ,his peculiar treasure40 8,the ,lord's portion is ,his people40 ,does ,he so esteem us8 ,does ,he hold us close to ,his heart1 and say1 ,i love thee 8since thou wast precious in ,my sight60 ,the mother thinks of her child1 the wife of her husband1 the lover of his beloved4 ,and how sweet are these thoughts of our dear ones4 ,unbidden they crowd upon the soul2 comforting1 tenderly cherished and precious are the thoughts of the absent for one another6 ,memories of form and feature1 look and smile1 word and deed1 affection and purpose1 are ever present4 ,does ,god1 the ,infinite1 thus think of us6 ,oh1 wondrous alchemy of grace that can turn such poor unworthy souls into gems so beautiful1 so priceless1 so dear to the ,infinite heart of ,god2 so highly esteemed that if even the least were lost1 it would be a loss to ,him4 ,then1 also1 the trial of our faith is 8much more precious than of gold that perisheth1 though it be tried with fire40 ,if we bear this in mind1 we shall better understand the ,saviour's acts as we read the story of ,his love for womanhood4 ,oh1 ye tired1 troubled ones1 put into ,god's crucible1 did you ever feel that you were forgotten1 overlooked1 too long or too severely tested8 ,god is watching with an eye that never slumbers4 ,the trial going on is precious to ,him4 ,he tempers the heat when too strong1 and adds fuel when too light4 ,he creates the smith to blow the coals2 and here1 be sure1 ,he makes no mistake4 ,you would not have chosen as ,he has2 and yet the process must go on1 for it is a precious one2 so much so that our ,beloved can not trust it to other hands than ,his own4 ,he will not let you be harmed4 8,many shall be purified and made white and tried40 ,are you not glad ,he has chosen you among these8 ,the trial is painful to you1 but precious to ,him1 and 8will be found unto praise and honor1 and glory10 walking with ,him in ,white ,raiment1 as those who 8are worthy40 ,through human personality is ,god best made known4 ,there is a revelation in nature2 the movements of planets1 the return of seasons1 the regularity and uniformity of natural laws1 reveal a fixed order in the universe2 the balanced relationship1 the correspondences and adaptations in nature reveal mind as the centre of activities2 wisdom speaks out in the organizations1 kingdoms and beneficent purposes of nature1 while beauty shines from the splendor of the world4 ,all this is very good1 but it is not conclusive4 ,it is written of the ,son of ,god1 that ,he endured the cross for the joy that was set before ,him4 ,he recognized the sore need of humanity1 and the ,father's plan to meet that need1 and gave ,himself a willing offering4 ,christ is the living manifestation of ,god's love4 ,to be 8able to save to the uttermost all who come unto ,god by ,him10 was the joy set before ,him for which ,he endured the cross and now ever liveth to make intercession for us4 ,surely ,his thoughts of us must have been most precious1 and1 in view of the great price ,he paid for our redemption1 let us never minify our lives however humble our lot3 8,a commonplace life10 we say and we sigh1 ,but why should we sigh as we say8 ,the commonplace sun in the commonplace sky ,makes up the commonplace day4 ,the moon and the stars are commonplace things1 ,and the flower that blooms1 and the bird that sings4 ,but dark were the world1 and sad our lot1 ,if the flowers should fail and the sun shine not-- ,and ,god1 who studies each separate soul1 ,out of the commonplace lives makes ,his beautiful whole4 ,if we partake of the ,divine nature1 we will want to share in ,his work of saving1 and thus enter into the joy of our ,lord4 ,to be able to touch life hopefully1 and to see it expand and grow day by day into the similitude of the ,all-perfect1 is to experience a joy not of earth4 ,womanhood has come into her kingdom in the sense of having reached a place of large opportunity1 in the use of her ,god-given power4 ,our ,saviour has honored woman by giving her a place in his heart and work1 and most loyally does she 8lay her hands to the distaff and with her hands hold the spindle0 in the making of the great fabric of human destiny4 ,illustration3 ,,christ ,,and ,,womanhood4 ,how womanhood1 in the days of the ,saviour's incarnation1 manifested her appreciation1 will be amplified in this and the next chapter1 and her loving ministry does credit to her head and heart1 for we read1 as ,he journeyed with his disciples from place to place1 8,certain women1 which had been healed of infirmities1 ,mary ,magdalene1 ,joanna1 ,susanna1 and many others1 ministered unto ,him of their substance40 ,how beautiful is all this4 ,women actually following ,jesus1 as disciples1 and out of their means ministering to ,his physical necessities4 ,heathenism has no place1 socially for women1 as we have shown in our introductory4 ,christ sought to bless and elevate womanhood4 ,the skill of our ,lord's wayside teaching is beautifully brought out in the scene at ,jacob's well4 ,in one of ,his tours through ,samaria our ,lord reached ,jacob's well1 in the neighborhood of ,sychar1 about noon1 and being weary1 sat down upon the stone seat in the little alcove erected over the well4 ,it offered a shelter from the glare of the noontide sun4 ,john1 in his gospel1 tells us that ,jesus1 8being wearied with ,his journey1 sat thus on the well40 ,the words in the original imply that ,he was quite tired out with ,his journey1 and doubtless overcome with the extreme heat4 ,in ,his exhaustion1 ,he seems to be quite anxious1 if possible1 to obtain a little rest1 while the disciples had left ,him1 to procure in the nearby city1 the necessary bread4 ,the disciples had scarcely departed1 when a lone woman1 with face veiled1 and on her head a great stone waterpot1 came to the well to draw water4 ,it was an unseasonable hour1 for morning and evening only would the well be thronged by women1 whose duty it is to carry the water for household use4 ,for some reason1 possibly because she was in no good repute1 this woman avoided the throng at the well in the morning or evening hours1 and availed herself of this unseasonable time to come for water4 ,the scene before us is pathetically picturesque4 ,the ,son of ,god resting in the refreshing shade of the little alcove1 and a woman of doubtful character coming in out of the noontide glare and heat of the sun to draw water4 ,we almost wonder if our ,lord1 in ,his exhausted and fevered condition1 had not been casting around in ,his mind how ,he might obtain a cup of refreshing water from the depth of the well4 ,and now is ,his opportunity4 ,with the nicest tact and politeness ,he asks1 8,give me to drink60 ,to ask for a drink of water in the ,east is a proffer of good-will4 ,under no circumstances would an ,oriental ask or receive water or bread of one with whom he was unwilling to be on good terms4 ,so when ,jesus said to the woman1 8,give me to drink10 it was as if ,he had said1 8,i wish you well2 ,i feel kindly towards you and yours40 ,we are somewhat surprised at the conduct of the woman after such kindly salutation4 ,instead of quickly offering ,him a drink1 she proceeds to ask1 8,how is it that thou being a ,jew askest drink of me1 which am a woman of ,samaria80 ,she would recognize the nationality of ,jesus by ,his dress4 ,the color of the fringes on the ,jewish garments was white1 while those of the ,samaritans were blue4 ,possibly ,his appearance and accent in ,his speech would also identify ,him4 ,however1 in explanation of her conduct1 she goes on to say1 8the ,jews have no dealings with ,samaritans40 ,so that while this non-intercourse between the two people was not absolute1 a request of such a nature might surprise a ,samaritan4 ,and yet we must confess she is more ready to conduct a religious discussion with the ,son of ,god ,himself than to offer cups of cold water4 ,but with what wonderful tact ,jesus drew the mind of this woman away from the religious differences between ,jews and ,samaritans4 ,he was not to be drawn off from the main point at issue4 ,he had asked for water1 for ,he was really thirsty4 ,she had come to the well for water1 for it supplied a need4 ,when she came to the well her aspirations reached no farther than a pitcher of water4 ,so1 with water for a text1 ,jesus proceeds to tell this ,samaritan that good as the well was1 and great as ,jacob was1 all who drank of that water would thirst again4 ,the best the world had to offer could never satisfy her thirst4 ,she could not help but see the truth of these words4 ,they were but the echo of her daily experience4 ,now the divine ,teacher proceeds to uncover another well to this woman4 8,whosoever10 ,jesus proceeded to say1 and the whosoever included all ,samaritans and the world as well1 8drinketh of the water that ,i shall give him1 shall never thirst2 for the ,holy ,spirit that ,i shall put in him shall be a well of water springing up into everlasting life--it shall satisfy his thirst and he shall be continually refreshed40 ,how deftly ,jesus turned this conversation into a spiritual channel6 ,it was done so easily that the woman was not conscious of the change4 ,she thought he was talking about literal water1 though the seriousness in his tones had awakened her utmost attention4 ,she knew what it was to thirst1 and the labor of coming to the well to carry away pitchers full on her head1 only to repeat the labor with each returning day4 ,he had awakened in her a desire1 though that desire was no higher than water1 and she said1 8,sir1 give me this water1 that ,i thirst not1 neither come hither to draw40 ,though the woman did not understand ,his words1 she was really1 in her mind1 struggling with the great problem of not thirsting any more1 and of doing away with the necessity of daily coming to ,jacob's well4 ,how the ,lord delights to lead inquiring minds to the higher things of life6 ,he saw1 doubtless1 by supernatural intuition1 the sinful blemishes in her life1 as well as the deeper aspirations of her soul which ,his words had awakened4 ,how shall ,he get at the plague-spot which corrupted the fountain of her life8 ,in a tender1 pathetic tone he said to the woman1 8,go1 call thy husband60 ,it was a painful request to make of this poor woman1 but ,he could not trifle4 ,he must be faithful4 ,the request had its desired effect4 ,it drew off the woman's attention from her desire for fountains of water1 to see the wretched condition of her life4 ,yet1 with a frankness that showed an honest soul1 she replied1 8,i have no husband60 ,ah6 that was the point this wisest of ,teachers was bringing her to4 ,he did not want to see her husband1 but ,he wanted her to see herself4 ,his words probed to the plague-spot in her soul4 ,she admitted her guilt1 but could not quite bring her will to give up her manner of life4 ,when ,jesus told her that she was living with the fifth man1 and he not her husband1 she perceived that ,he was a prophet1 and was ready with another batch of theological questions4 8,i know ,i am not what ,i ought to be10 she said in effect1 8but then there are some things ,i don't understand1 and now1 since you are a prophet1 perhaps you can inform me4 ,we ,samaritans claim that our way is right1 and you ,jews claim that your way is right4 ,both can't be right2 tell us what we are to do80 ,referring to her ,samaritan ancestors1 she continued1 8,our fathers worshipped in this mountain10 pointing to ,mt4 ,gerizim1 under the shadow of which they almost stood1 and which had a special sacredness as the mount of blessing4 ,it was also claimed by the ,samaritans that their worship was earlier1 and1 therefore1 older than that at ,jerusalem4 ,however1 it is not clear that she meant to urge this as one of the reasons in favor of ,mt4 ,gerizim1 on the summit of which the ,samaritan ,temple stood4 ,in the ,scriptures which the ,samaritans possessed 7the ,pentateuch7 the name of ,gerizim had been inserted in the place of the holy city of the ,jews4 ,on the other hand1 the claim of the ,jews was exclusive4 ,men must worship in ,jerusalem4 ,if the woman regarded the supremacy of ,gerizim or ,jerusalem an open question1 it showed her candor and a willingness to accept the revelation of the truth1 whatever it might be4 ,but see how our ,lord sweeps the idol of locality from this inquirer's mind1 8,believe me10 he said1 8the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain1 nor yet at ,jerusalem1 worship the ,father40 ,men have ever looked upon their places of worship as sacred4 ,islamism has its ,mecca1 the heathenism of ,india its ,baneras and ,ganges1 the idolaters of ,china their sacred mountains1 the apostates of modern times their holy shrines4 ,jesus abolishes local limitations1 and announces that what one worships is of more importance than where2 that ,god is a ,spirit1 and that true worship is unlimited by time1 place or form4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,noontide ,,hour ,,at ,,jacob',s ,,well4 ,such wonderful words had never fallen upon the ears or entered the heart of this woman4 ,no priest or scribe had ever uttered such sublime conceptions of our relations to ,god4 ,she had thought him a 8prophet10 but such utterances are almost divine4 ,she thinks of the ,messiah1 and answers1 8,i know that when ,messias cometh1 which is called ,christ2 when ,he is come1 ,he will tell us all things40 ,this was in accordance with the ,samaritan view of ,christ4 ,while showing a desire for a fuller knowledge she thinks of a higher authority of the expected ,messiah4 ,in this ,he did not rebuke her4 ,he lets her question1 yet is never turned from ,his purpose4 ,step by step ,his love lifted this inquiring mind1 until at last she was ready for such an avowal of ,his nature and office as ,he had never given to ,scribe or ,pharisee or disciple1 8,i that speak unto thee am ,he60 ,wonderful news6 ,filled with surprise and joy1 she 8left her waterpot0 on the well1 and ran into the city1 forgetting all about her own need1 as well as the request of the ,saviour for a drink of water4 ,her haste shows how absorbed she had become in the wonderful words from the lips of ,him who declared ,himself the long-expected ,son of ,god4 ,and ,he1 the blessed ,lord1 was so intent on saving a soul that ,he had forgotten all about ,his thirst and ,his weariness4 ,just as she had left the well1 the disciples came1 having made the necessary purchase of food1 and 8marveled that ,he talked with the woman10 yet were mysteriously restrained from asking ,him why ,he did so4 ,presently they spread their noonday meal1 but observing that ,jesus did not share with them their meal1 they urged ,him1 saying1 8,master1 eat40 ,but great was their surprise when ,he answered1 8,i have meat to eat that ye know not of40 ,they could not understand that the chance to help an inquiring soul was more to ,him than food or drink1 and said to one another1 8,hath any man brought ,him ought to eat80 ,he astonished ,his inquiring disciples yet more1 when knowing the thoughts uppermost in their minds1 said1 8,my meat is to do the will of ,him that sent ,me10 and to carry out the mission for which ,i am in the world4 ,in the meantime the flying feet of the woman had reached the city1 and she hastened from street to street delivering her message1 8,come1 see a ,man who told me all that ever ,i did4 ,is not this the ,christ80 ,the theological questions over which ,jews and ,samaritans contended1 whether ,jerusalem or ,gerizim was the place where 8men ought to worship10 had dropped entirely out of her mind4 ,but she proved an excellent evangelist1 for presently the people came flocking out of the city in the direction of ,jacob's well1 pouring out of every gate1 and led over the fruitful plain by the woman4 ,it must have been a grand sight1 and showed that ,jesus was not mistaken when1 looking into the face of the woman1 ,he saw a pearl of great beauty and worth beneath the rough exterior of this semi-heathenish1 yet quick-witted1 sprightly and susceptible ,samaritan4 ,as the ,saviour lifted up ,his eyes over the plain and saw the approaching multitude1 ,he was evidently well satisfied in withgoing ,his weariness and thirst while talking to this ,samaritan ,magdalene as she came with her water-pitcher to the well1 and not only was ,he satisfied with the results of ,his labors1 but ,he seems also to have been pleased1 for1 as the host filled the plain1 ,he called the attention of his disciples to the beautiful sight1 and exclaimed1 8,say not ye1 there are yet four months1 and then cometh harvest60 ,doubtless this was true in the physical world1 but spiritual conditions do not have to depend upon the slow processes of the natural world1 and the well-sown seed amid the glare of the noontide1 was already ripening unto the harvest4 ,behold the thronging people6 said our ,lord4 8,lift up your eyes1 and look on the fields2 for they are white already to the harvest40 8,laborers wanted60 ,the ripened grain ,waits to welcome the reaper's cry2 ,the ,lord of the harvest calls again2 ,who among us shall first reply1 8,who is wanted1 ,lord8 ,is it ,i80 ,the ,master calls1 but the servants wait2 ,fields gleam white 'neath a cloudless sky4 ,will none seize the sickle before too late1 ,ere the winter's winds come sweeping by8 ,who is delaying8 ,is it ,i8 ,as the people thronged the well to hear and see the ,man who had revealed the hidden life of the woman1 ,he must have taught this people with wise1 loving words1 for they forgot all about their prejudices and hate and begged ,him1 though of a race with whom the ,samaritans had no dealings1 to stay among them4 ,and ,he graciously complied with their request1 and it took ,him two whole days to harvest that whitened field4 ,and the record is1 8,many of the ,samaritans of that city believed on ,him for the saying of the woman40 ,but what a testimony is all this to that ,samaritan woman4 ,what1 if her previous life had not been of good repute8 ,what though she was a social outcast8 ,one thing she discovered that noonday1 as she came out to draw water from ,jacob's ancient well1 that the ,man who laid open her inner life in such modest words and patient forbearance1 was none other than the long-expected ,messiah1 and she was altogether too generous-minded to lock up the glad tidings in her heart1 but at once1 without commission or priestly authority1 witnessed for ,christ1 published the glad tidings of salvation through the streets of ,sychar1 and brought her whole city to a knowledge of her ,saviour4 ,and so this woman became the first gospel preacher in ,samaria4 ,that was before church councils had decided women may not speak for ,jesus4 ,jacob's well is no longer used1 and the grain fields1 which 8,stood dressed in living green0 before the ,saviour's eyes1 have long been trodden under foot of ,islam's hordes1 yet the living spring of water which our ,lord opened there to the poor1 sinful1 yet penitent woman1 is as deep and fresh as ever1 and has flowed on and out over the earth to remotest nations1 and will quench the thirst of souls to the end of time4 ,we see also in this beautiful scene at ,jacob's well that ,christ's intercourse with women was marked by freedom from ,oriental contempt of womanhood1 and a marvelous union of purity and frankness1 dignity and tenderness4 ,he approached this woman as a friend who wished her well1 and yet as her ,lord and ,saviour4 ,and1 to the good sense of womanhood be it said1 when the light of truth broke over her inquiring mind1 she believed6 ,and behold how she loved ,him6 ,forgetting her errand to the well1 yea1 even leaving her pitcher1 she hastened to publish the glad news4 ,surely the ,saviour 8must needs go through ,samaria10 on ,his way from ,judea to ,galilee1 and ,his resting in the little alcove of ,jacob's well1 for the moment sheltered from the glare of an ,oriental midday sun1 was more than a geographical 8must40 ,it was the necessity of love laid upon ,his heart to meet and to help that woman who came with an empty stone pitcher to the well at the same hour of the day1 but went away with a heart filled with 8living water 444 springing up into everlasting life40 ,some time after this1 on one of those days while ,jesus was teaching in lower ,galilee1 a ,pharisee1 by the very common name of ,simon1 invited our ,lord to a feast4 ,why he invited ,him is not stated4 ,possibly he may have been impressed with the character and teaching of ,christ1 and disposed1 in a social way1 and at his own table1 to give ,him a further hearing1 thinking1 perhaps1 by coming in personal contact with our ,lord1 aside from the throngs which attended upon ,his ministry1 he could the better satisfy himself as to the merits of this new ,teacher in ,israel1 and so invited ,jesus to dine with him4 ,our ,lord had not yet broken with the ,pharisees1 and was still anxious1 if possible1 to conciliate them1 if by any means ,he might win them1 and withal1 willing to show his good-will1 accepted the invitation4 ,however gracious the invitation may have been given1 it is quite clear that the hospitality was meant to be qualified4 ,these ,pharisees who loved the uppermost seats at feasts1 knew how to entertain4 ,but in this feast1 all the ordinary attentions which were usually paid to honored guests were strangely omitted4 ,there was no servant with basin of water and towel for the weary and dust-covered feet1 no anointing of the head1 no kiss of welcome upon the cheek1 nothing but a somewhat ungracious admission to a vacant place at the table1 and the most distant courtesies of ordinary intercourse1 so managed that this ,guest from among the common people might feel that he was receiving honors in the house of a rich and influential ,pharisee4 ,many a poor man's head has been turned by such feigned and mock courtesies4 ,it would have been a thousand times better to the head and heart of ,simon if he had never invited the ,lord1 than to assume in ,his presence what he was not at heart4 ,our ,lord must have keenly felt these omissions4 ,but1 since he had been invited1 ,he made the best of this empty show at hospitality1 only we may be quite sure ,he was clothed in ,his usual gentleness and modest dignity4 ,we may well believe our ,lord showed no signs of being piqued at the slights put upon ,him1 nor embarrassed in the presence of ,his host and the distinguished guests present4 ,while ,jesus cared little for show or etiquette1 yet it was but natural that ,he should have keenly felt these omissions so gracefully shown to the others at this feast4 ,but before us rises another scene4 8,behold1 a woman in the city1 which was a sinner1 when she knew that ,jesus sat at meat in the ,pharisee's house1 brought an alabaster box of ointment40 ,how thoughtful these women are6 ,this one was not satisfied with merely following the throng1 but she takes with her the most costly gift at her command4 ,what a contrast between her and ,simon1 who haughtily thought within himself that anything was good enough for this lowly ,prophet of ,nazareth4 ,when this woman1 whose character seemed to have been well known1 too well indeed for her own comfort1 reached ,simon's house1 she found the door thronged by a crowd of people who had doubtless followed ,jesus1 and now stood1 and looked1 and listened--for privacy seems a thing impossible in the free and easy life of ,orientals4 ,for a moment she lingered amidst the throng4 ,while there1 men1 as they passed in to the feast1 gathered their robes as they passed her1 lest by a passing touch she should defile them4 ,as she sees the scanty preparations1 the cold reception1 her woman's heart is made indignant4 8,would that ,i were worthy to ask ,him beneath my roof1 or would that ,i could bid ,him come and sit at meat with me2 all that ,i have were ,his to minister in any way to ,his comfort4 ,but ,i1 alas1 am so far down and ,he so holy--there is no chance for me40 ,so she thinks4 ,then lo1 that face is lifted1 the eyes meet hers4 ,he1 all pitiful1 reading her heart looks an invitation that she can not resist4 ,and then in the presence of the ,pharisees1 as they start with horror1 every man shrinking from this infamous intruder1 every face filled with scorn1 she hurries across to the side of the ,lord ,jesus and falls at ,his feet4 ,she pours forth her penitence in a flood of tears2 then1 startled that she should thus have bathed ,his feet1 she loosens her hair and wipes them with reverent hands1 and tenderly kissing ,his feet1 she draws from the folds of her dress a pot of unguent1 and pours its fragrance upon them4 ,who she was or how she had come to know ,jesus1 or when she had been moved by his preaching and converted by the grace of ,his words we do not know4 ,it is quite likely1 having been attracted like others to be one of ,his auditors somewhere1 she had heard ,his gracious words of love and pity1 and had gladly on her part accepted their healing influences4 ,but when the ,pharisee saw the marked attention of this woman of the street to his ,guest1 he commenced talking to himself in his heart1 8,this man1 if ,he were a prophet10 he muttered to himself1 8would know who and what manner of woman this is that is thus lavishing her love upon ,his feet1 for she is a sinner1 whose very touch is pollution40 ,no doubt ,simon was shocked beyond measure1 especially when he saw ,jesus allowed it1 and was glad at that moment that his cold caution at the commencement of the feast had prevented him from giving ,jesus too cordial a welcome4 8,i am glad now ,i did not compromise my honor or forfeit the good opinion of those of my set2 that ,i wasted none of my perfume upon ,his head2 that ,i gave ,him no kiss of welcome2 yea1 even that ,i did not bid a servant wash ,his feet4 ,such acts of hospitality would1 in a measure at least1 have committed me1 in the eyes of the people1 to ,him as a friend1 and would have exposed me to the criticisms of my brethren4 ,i fear ,i have already gone too far1 but will get out of it as quickly as possible1 and when ,i extend another invitation ,he'll know it4 ,in my opinion1 ,he is not only no prophet1 but is altogether too free with the common people to make ,him desirable among my fellow ,pharisees40 ,to be sure1 ,simon did not utter these thoughts aloud1 but his frigid demeanor1 and the contemptuous expression of countenance1 which he did not take the trouble to disguise1 showed all that was passing in his heart4 ,he little realized that ,jesus had read his thoughts as unerringly as if he had written them upon the walls of his dining-room1 and at once proceeded to lay open the heart of ,his host to himself in a manner he had never thought it possible1 and ,he did it by first relating a little parable1 and thus addressed the ,pharisee3 8,simon1 ,i have somewhat to say to thee60 8,master1 say on10 was the somewhat constrained reply4 8,there was a certain creditor who had two debtors4 ,the one owed five hundred pence1 and the other fifty2 and when they had nothing to pay he freely forgave both4 ,tell me1 then1 which of them will love him most80 ,the construction of this parable is marvelous for its conciseness1 naturalness and simplicity4 ,in its application ,jesus makes ,simon condemn himself for his uncharitable judgment4 ,he is compelled to admit the whole force of the great scheme of salvation by pardoning grace4 ,it doubtless never entered ,simon's poor1 proud1 but sinful heart that he1 too1 was a debtor and needed to be as freely forgiven as the woman whose touch he considered pollution1 and yet this is one of the lessons taught by the comparison here drawn between the abandoned woman and the proud ,pharisee4 ,it is pitiable to see the bitterness of the world towards a lost woman4 ,and yet why should not her companion in sin suffer as much as she8 ,but he never does4 ,let us be fair4 ,cast her out1 if you feel called on to be her judge1 but at least do the same by him4 ,the fact remains that this poor woman knew she was an outcast4 ,no one would forgive her4 ,never could she regain her social standing4 ,but ,simon8 ,ah6 ,simon was really quite a model man4 ,as the world judges worth1 she stood at one extreme and he at the other4 ,simon was eminently respectable4 ,as a ,pharisee he belonged to one of the first families2 he was recognized in ,church and ,state2 he had social position which introduced him to the refined and educated4 ,if he met a public speaker of eminence1 or a man of reputation1 he honored him by inviting him to dinner4 ,let us not too severely pass upon the conduct of ,simon4 ,he was undoubtedly a worthy man4 ,christ's reference to him in the parable implies that his outward life was not that of a hypocrite or a mere formalist4 ,but this parable makes him a bankrupt debtor4 ,he can no more pay his fifty pence than the woman her five hundred pence4 ,so both were sinners1 and both needed to be forgiven4 ,here there was no difference4 ,both had broken the law of ,god1 and both were in need of a ,saviour4 ,we see again that penitence breaks down the wall that separated from ,god4 ,this poor woman saw her dreadful sin and turned from it in an agony of repentance4 ,she sought the ,lord4 ,he was the only friend to whom she could turn in her need4 ,she was sure of ,his sympathy and help4 ,she desired forgiveness and found it4 ,she had been alienated from ,god1 but through her penitence had reached a comprehension of ,christ's character impossible to the self-satisfied ,pharisee4 ,she was far more at one with ,god1 as ,he was revealed in ,christ1 than was the dignified gentleman1 indignant at her presence in his house4 ,this woman felt a great need4 ,she was sin-burdened1 and needed a divine deliverer1 and the ,saviour proved to be an all-sufficient helper4 ,how was it with ,simon8 ,why1 he relied on himself4 ,he felt no need of ,christ's help4 ,he was self-satisfied--a very good man in his own opinion4 ,the woman had expressed her gratitude in many touching ways1 but ,simon had no sense of gratitude4 ,he had given no kiss of welcome1 had provided no water for the feet1 had failed to anoint the ,saviour's head4 ,beyond a doubt there are a great many excellent people to-day of ,simon's stamp4 ,they are quite courteous1 if their social position is not compromised thereby4 ,they will spread a feast1 and invite the ,lord to dinner4 ,and yet1 they feel no need of ,christ4 ,the whole show of hospitality is a cold1 heartless formality1 with no tenderness of emotion towards ,him4 ,they feel no longing to make sacrifices for ,his sake as expressive of their love4 ,and so1 while treating ,christ respectfully1 they do not treat ,him lovingly4 ,they think too well of themselves4 ,they need to recognize more fully their position of danger and their dependence upon ,christ4 ,there is also a wonderful picture in this narrative of ,christ's love for us4 ,how considerate ,his treatment of this penitent and broken-hearted woman6 ,he was not supercilious4 ,he had no feeling of pride that resented her touch4 ,it was not necessary that ,he avoid her in order to vindicate ,his own purity4 ,hitherto ,jesus had said nothing to the woman1 though it must have thrilled her soul when she heard what had been said to ,simon in the application of the parable4 ,she was first indirectly assured of the grace of ,god in respect to herself1 and of the principle on which her forgiveness was vouchsafed4 ,she knew that ,he was not ashamed of her1 and1 finally1 she heard ,him say in so many words1 8,her sins which are many are forgiven her40 ,having said so much to ,simon concerning her1 ,jesus now turned to the woman herself1 laid ,his hand tenderly upon the bowed head1 for ,he would not break the bruised reed1 nor quench the smoking flax1 ,he would not by bitterness drive her from ,him1 but as her ,defence and ,deliverer1 personally addressed her1 and said1 8,thy sins are forgiven60 ,there now remained not a doubt in her mind4 ,she had ,his word personally addressed to her1 and this was the ground of her assurance4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,uninvited ,,guest4 ,now see what followed4 8,they that sat at meat with ,him began to say1 within themselves1 ,who is this that forgiveth sins also80 ,simon and his friends were offended because there was no sympathy in their hearts for ,christ and ,his works of mercy4 ,they did not desire the salvation of this woman who had come in to their feast4 ,it did not once occur to them that ,christ could know the character of the woman and yet be willing to let her approach ,him that ,he might forgive her sin4 ,they saw only a man1 and said1 8,who is this that forgiveth sins also80 ,only ,god could do that4 ,but she saw a ,saviour before her1 and our ,lord fearing the cavil of the ,pharisees might distress the woman1 ,he said to her1 8,thy faith hath saved thee2 go in peace60 ,he would get her away from the doubting ,pharisees as quickly as possible4 ,it is worthy of observation that1 notwithstanding the beautiful exhibition this woman gave of her love and affection1 it was her 8faith10 not her love1 that saved her4 ,tradition identifies this woman as ,mary ,magdalene1 a native1 it is thought of ,magdol1 the modern ,mejdel1 a town on the west shore of the ,sea of ,galilee1 and south of the plain of ,gennesaret4 ,the present village lies close to the water's edge1 and1 ,tiberias excepted1 is the only place on the western coast of ,galilee which survives the wreck of time4 ,much is said by the ,talmudists of her wealth1 her extreme beauty1 her braided hair1 but all we know of her from ,scriptures is her enthusiasm of devotion and gratitude which1 henceforth1 attached her1 heart and soul1 to her ,saviour's service4 ,for we read1 8,and it came to pass afterward10 after this feast in the house of ,simon the ,pharisee1 that ,jesus 8went through0 the cities and villages of ,galilee 8preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of ,god10 and 8certain women1 which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities1 ,mary ,magdalene1 out of whom went seven devils1 and ,joanna the wife of ,chuza1 ,herod's steward1 and ,susanna1 and many others10 8ministered unto ,him of their substance40 ,thus we find this woman1 with others1 ministering to the temporal necessities of our ,lord4 ,in the last journey of ,christ to ,jerusalem1 ,mary ,magdalene accompanied the women who were in the company4 ,she was also among the women on the day of crucifixion who 8stood afar off1 beholding these things0 during the closing hours of the agony on the cross1 and remained till all was over1 waited till the body was taken down1 and wrapped in the linen cloth and placed in the sepulchre of ,joseph of ,arimathea4 ,thus1 this loving1 faithful woman1 true to her nature1 clung to her ,lord to the very last4 ,on the morning of the resurrection1 ,mary ,magdalene was among the women who found the tomb of our ,lord empty4 ,instantly she hastened to inform the disciples4 ,while she was gone1 the remaining women saw the angels1 who asked1 8,why seek ye the living among the dead80 ,and instructed them to tell his disciples4 ,so when ,mary returned to the sepulchre1 she was alone4 ,she was also ignorant of what the angels had said to the other women1 and the poor woman's heart could no longer retain her pent-up grief1 and stood at the open sepulchre weeping4 ,presently she saw a man1 and supposing him to be the gardener1 said1 8,sir1 if thou hast borne ,him hence1 tell me where thou hast laid ,him1 and ,i will take ,him away40 ,while she is speaking to the supposed gardener1 ,jesus addressed her by her given name1 8,mary60 ,behold1 it was her ,lord1 and she exclaims1 8,rabboni60 ,it was the strongest word of reverence which a woman of ,israel could use1 and1 in her joy1 would have fallen on ,his neck1 had ,he not restrained her4 ,but what honor the ,lord conferred upon her4 ,she was the first human messenger to the world of a risen ,saviour6 ,such was the beautiful pearl our ,lord saw in the woman who poured out her penitence in a flood of tears at ,his feet in the house of ,simon the ,pharisee4 ,while it was her faith that saved her1 surely it can truthfully be said of her1 8,she loved much40 ,it was after ,jesus had begun ,his new method of teaching by parables1 the keynote of which was1 8,take heed how ye hear10 and had1 at the close of a hard day's labor1 sailed over the ,sea of ,galilee1 and spent the night in the region of ,decapolis1 in the hope of getting away from the multitudes to obtain a little rest1 that1 on the following morning as he returned to ,capernaum1 the people1 from the hillsides were watching for ,his return1 and as soon as they recognized the sail of the little vessel1 and long before he reached land1 great throngs had lined the shore to welcome ,his return4 ,notwithstanding the prejudices of the ,scribes and ,pharisees had already been aroused against ,christ1 there was1 on the shore1 nervously moving among the people1 a very prominent citizen of ,capernaum1 by the name of ,jairus1 a ruler of the synagogue4 ,from the deep lines of anxiety visible on his face1 he was evidently in great mental distress4 ,and well he might be1 for his beautiful twelve year old daughter had been given up by the physicians and was dying4 ,as a last resort1 he hastened to find ,jesus1 who already had performed many cures in his city1 and so when he learned that our ,lord had passed over the ,sea of ,galilee1 he could do no better than wait ,his coming4 ,no sooner had the little vessel touched the landing than ,jairus pushed his way through the crowd1 and when he got near enough fell at ,jesus' feet1 and in great agony of heart besought ,him1 saying1 8,my little daughter lieth at the point of death2 ,i pray ,thee come and lay ,thy hands on her1 that she may be healed40 ,there was no calmness in this appeal4 ,on the other hand1 it was full of agitation and fear1 mingled with fancies that the ,lord must first lay ,his hands upon his dying child4 ,there is a striking similarity between this appeal of ,jairus1 and that of the nobleman who came to ,jesus in the early part of ,his ministry1 and cried out1 8,come down ere my child die40 ,then the ,lord told the nobleman to go his way1 his child should live1 but here ,his divine compassion went out to the distressed father4 ,doubtless ,jesus saw the weakness of his faith1 but ,he also saw his sincerity1 and so ,he 8went with him40 ,but the daughter of ,jairus was not the only sufferer in that city4 ,we read1 there was 8a certain woman which had an issue of blood twelve years1 and had suffered many things of many physicians1 and had spent all that she had1 and was nothing bettered1 but rather grew worse40 ,surely she was in a sorrowful condition1 had suffered many things1 besides the disease which was wasting her life away1 for medicine in that age was but imperfectly understood1 and diseases were often exorcised by charms1 and1 doubtless her 8many physicians0 practiced all sorts of charms and resorted to every kind of omen1 until her money was gone1 and she was not only poverty-stricken1 but daily growing worse under her affliction4 ,one almost wonders1 since ,jesus had now been for a year and a half a resident of ,capernaum1 that she had not sooner appealed to ,him for help4 ,perhaps his work had been in another part of the city1 or she may have been deterred from asking ,his help because of the nature of her malady1 or she may have thought within herself that she could do in the throng what she had not the courage to do openly1 for she said1 8,if ,i may but touch ,his garment1 ,i shall be whole40 ,and now was her opportunity1 for 8much people followed ,him1 and thronged ,him40 ,besides1 on this occasion1 ,jesus may have passed through the street on which she lived1 since ,he has such a way of passing by the door of helpless1 suffering humanity1 for ,he is 8touched with the feeling of our infirmities40 ,this woman at first does not impress us as having a very exalted idea of the ,saviour or faith in ,his ability to heal4 ,doubtless she shared the superstition of her people1 and imagined that ,christ healed by a sort of magic or magnetism1 for1 as she mingled in the throng1 she said to herself1 if ,i come 8in the press10 if ,i can only get near enough to 8touch the hem of ,his garment10 ,i will be healed4 ,these seem to be the thoughts passing through her mind as she ventured out on her errand of being healed4 ,it is important1 however1 though difficult1 to realize her situation1 for she had become impoverished1 diseased1 and almost helpless4 ,once she was possessed of health1 and some means at least1 and1 no doubt moved in respectable society4 ,her changed relations to her former surroundings made it all the harder to be publicly recognized1 and so she timidly permits herself to be absorbed by the multitude as they pressed their way through the crowded street that morning4 ,there may be another reason of which she was fully conscious1 namely1 according to the ,mosaic law1 such a sufferer was unclean1 and was required1 after the cure was wrought1 to bring an offering for purification4 ,orientals had a perfect abhorrence of such a person1 for her very touch would render them unclean4 ,perhaps could we know all the circumstances which shaped her actions1 the wonder would be1 that she came at all1 and that her courage was greater than her faith4 ,at length1 and as unobtrusively as possible1 she came up1 in the press of the people1 behind ,jesus1 and stretched out her trembling hand1 and in such a modest way touched the hem of ,his garment that no one saw it1 not even ,his disciples1 who were nearest the ,saviour4 ,since no one saw her act1 she thought no one needed to know it4 ,perhaps she was so careful that she even thought ,jesus was not conscious of it4 ,but to our ,lord there was a difference between the touch of faith and the touch of the crowd4 ,she was all too deeply conscious of her great need4 ,she was carried along with the multitude1 because she believed if she could get near enough to ,jesus to touch ,him1 she would receive that which all her physicians were unable to bestow1 namely1 restoration to health4 ,she was there for a blessing4 ,the crowd was there through idle curiosity4 ,they wanted nothing1 only to see4 ,they pushed through the thronged highway together1 and as they did so talked about the simplicity of the great ,man in their midst1 were interested in ,him because of ,his fame1 discussed ,his origin1 wondered at the growing opposition of the ,scribes and ,pharisees1 but hoped some good would come of ,him to the nation4 ,the woman believed she would personally receive new life from ,him4 ,in this she was not disappointed1 for 8straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up2 and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague40 ,to her there was an inward consciousness1 which could not be mistaken1 of the staunching of a wound through which her life1 for long years1 had been slowly and yet surely ebbing1 and she felt the rising tide of new existence and a return to wholeness4 ,but now the scene changes4 ,the great throng came to a halt4 ,what has happened8 one inquired of another4 ,see6 ,jesus has turned around 8in the press0 and is sharply looking into the faces of those nearest ,him1 and demanding1 8,who touched my clothes80 ,to the disciples this seemed a strange inquiry1 and they could not understand its meaning1 and replied1 8,thou seest the multitude thronging thee1 and sayest thou1 ,who touched me80 ,to appreciate the astonishment of the disciples one must see an ,oriental throng pushing its way through a narrow street of an ,eastern city4 ,there is no resisting its onward rush4 ,like some mighty river which1 fed by a thousand spring freshets1 irresistibly bears everything before it1 so is an ,eastern crowd1 and the wonder is that ,jesus could stay at all4 ,but ,he immediately knew in 8,himself that virtue had gone out of ,him40 ,he was conscious that ,he had put forth power for the woman's healing4 ,he would there and at once correct any superstition that there was any healing virtue in ,his clothes4 ,not in the touch of the garment1 for the people pressed ,him on all sides1 and experienced nothing of ,his healing power1 even though one or another might have had a concealed disease1 simply because this conscious need of help was lacking in them1 and so it was her own faith had saved her1 even though in the beginning it was not wholly free from superstition4 ,but what a trial this stop must have been to the woman1 especially when there was such urgent haste1 and this seeming leisurely way of calling out all the circumstances of the case1 even after all disavowed touching ,him1 and ,his looking 8round about to see her that had done this thing40 ,she must have thought to herself1 8,i will surely be discovered40 ,and timidly shrank back in the crowd1 her face burning with confusion1 for doubtless she was not only alarmed at the delay1 but also mortified and afraid on account of the nature of her malady1 disturbed by the consciousness of impropriety1 as having1 while ,levitically unclean1 dared to mingle with the people1 and even touch the great ,teacher ,himself4 ,we wonder1 in the sweep of the ,saviour's eye over the multitude 8to see her10 as she caught sight of ,his beneficent face1 possibly for the first time1 she did not see something in it that calmed her fears and inspired hope8 ,it would seem so1 for even while yet 8fearing and trembling0 she came promptly out from among the throng1 8fell down before ,him10 and1 hard as it must have been for her to tell her shame in the ears of the multitude1 woman-like1 she bravely 8told ,him all the truth60 ,confessed the whole sad story of her life1 and twelve long years of suffering4 ,oh1 the touch of loyalty to truth and honor in this woman1 prostrate at the feet of ,jesus1 pleading for mercy and forgiveness6 ,how ,his own heart must have been touched by it4 ,he would not break the bruised reed1 even in this necessity for the good of her faith1 to have her openly confess the great blessing she had received4 ,doubtless the ,lord constrained her to make this confession1 partly to seal her faith and to strengthen her recovery1 and partly to present her to the world as healed and cleansed4 ,but while she is sobbing out her confession at the ,saviour's feet1 ,he graciously addresses her1 8,daughter1 be of good comfort2 thy faith hath made thee whole2 go in peace60 ,had ever such endearing words fallen upon human ears6 ,to the woman in the house of ,simon the ,pharisee1 ,he had said1 8,thy faith hath saved thee60 ,to this one ,he says1 8,daughter1 be of good comfort2 thy faith hath made thee whole60 ,that endearing appellation1 8daughter10 must have sounded as a lost note out of heaven in the ear of this woman4 ,could it be possible that she1 who1 under the ,levitical law1 had been held by her people as unclean1 is called 8daughter0 by the pure1 sinless ,son of ,god8 ,did ever heaven come down to earth in such graciousness1 and rescue from the mire of uncleanness and elevate womanhood to be a princess of the sky8 ,surely these were days of heaven upon earth1 and we may well believe that 8daughter0 arose from her prostrate attitude at the feet of the ,lord of life and glory1 8a new creature0 in ,christ4 ,early ecclesiastical legends have garlanded this woman with many beautiful fancies4 ,her birthplace1 according to tradition1 was ,paneas 7the modern ,banias71 located at the sources of the ,jordan4 ,here1 in the front of her residence1 she caused a monument to be erected to her ,deliverer4 ,she must also have been in the company of women who followed ,jesus to ,jerusalem at the last ,passover1 for1 at the several trials of our ,lord she is made to appear under the name of ,veronica1 and is said1 in the presence of ,pilate1 to have proclaimed1 in a clear1 loud voice1 the innocence of our ,lord1 and after he was condemned to be crucified1 on the way to ,calvary1 wiped ,his face with her own handkerchief4 ,whatever value or genuineness there may be attached to these traditions1 they certainly show in what reverence she was held in ,christian antiquity1 and how highly the faith and the hope of this sufferer were esteemed4 ,but1 above all these traditionary legends1 we behold the glory and majesty of our ,lord in that1 in the midst of the multitude1 ,he displayed no traces of excitement1 but that in calm consciousness ,he was ready to receive any impression from without4 ,of this there is the clearest evidence1 when1 in the midst of the excited crowd1 ,he perceived that one timid1 shrinking woman1 in the agony of her faith touched the fringe of ,his garment2 and when ,he stopped to comfort and confirm the trembling believer1 whom ,his power and grace had restored1 ,he had recognized1 even in a throng1 that faith which was unperceived by men1 and only found expression in the inmost desires of the one who was not even known to the crowd4 ,he alone could develop and strengthen this unobtrusive and shrinking 8daughter0 until she breaks forth in open and public profession4 ,there are also reasons why ,christ ascribes to faith the deliverance which ,he alone works3 #a4 ,faith alone can receive the needed deliverance4 #b4 ,shrinking modesty1 and even a feeling of unworthiness1 need no longer be kept back by any sense of uncleanness1 from the full exercise of that faith4 #c4 ,god's gifts are not alone for the rich and those high in the ranks of social life1 for even this ruler of the synagogue had to give place to this timid woman1 therefore faith may be exercised by those in the humblest walks of life4 #d4 ,jesus would convert the act of faith into a life of faith4 ,this woman was not hid from the searching glance of ,christ1 but ,his gracious act of healing was concealed from the world until ,he brought her before ,him in her public confession4 ,if there is anything that can grieve the heart of ,christ it must be the person who absorbs like a sponge all the gifts of grace1 but never gives any of them out to others4 ,if every one acted thus1 ,christianity would be blotted from the face of the earth in a single generation4 ,hence the wisdom and justice in requiring believers to be witnesses and confessors4 ,if you have received any good1 tell it out1 that others may be blessed and ,god glorified4 ,it was now becoming manifest that the opposition of the ,pharisees was deepening1 and1 because they were bitterly offended at the ,saviour's work1 shortly after the healing of the woman with a bloody issue1 ,jesus withdrew from ,capernaum to the 8borders of ,tyre and ,sidon40 ,only a little before this so many were coming and going that our ,lord and ,his disciples 8had no leisure so much as to eat10 and because of these throngs upon ,his public ministry1 ,he had said to the apostles1 8,come ye yourselves apart into a desert place1 and rest awhile40 ,so they sailed for the farther shore1 to find a safe retreat in the sheltered uplands in the dominion of ,herod ,philip4 ,but the people1 who seemed to be always on the watch1 when they saw the little vessel sailing out from ,capernaum1 and knew1 by the direction it was taking1 they quickly spread the news of ,his departure1 and thronged out of ,capernaum1 ,bethsaida1 ,chorazin and other cities1 and hastened on foot around the shores of the sea1 and outran the vessel and reached ,his contemplated place of retirement in advance of the little craft1 and there was no rest1 but a great multitude to be instructed1 and healed1 and fed1 for it was on this occasion that ,he spread a table in the desert1 and five thousand1 besides women and children1 sat down to eat4 ,and so there was nothing but a hard day's work1 and a night on the desolate mountain in prayer4 ,so obviously ,his journey to the 8borders of ,tyre and ,sidon10 was to find seclusion and rest1 which ,he had sought1 but in vain1 in the 8desert place40 ,but even here1 down by the coast of the ,mediterranean1 8,he could not be hid10 although1 when ,he had reached the 8borders0 of the land1 ,he 8entered into a house and would have no man know it40 ,to our mind this is one of the most remarkable incidents in our ,lord's ministry4 ,in the house of some sheltering friend1 on the remote frontier of ,galilee1 ,he hoped to escape popular attention and to be relieved from the demands of the crowds1 who had even deprived ,him of the needed time to eat1 but 8,he could not be hid40 ,a woman1 a ,syro-,phnician1 that is to say1 one of the mixed race1 in whom the blood of the ,syrians and ,phnicians mingled1 and for that reason doubly despised by the ,jews1 this woman had observed ,his presence1 and was soon 8at ,his feet40 ,from the fact that she was a ,gentile1 and of a mixed race at that1 made her coming to ,jesus an act of heroic faith4 ,she came not only without invitation1 or a single promise to warrant her coming1 but in the face of heart-breaking discouragements4 ,we have been trained to believe1 from the clear teaching of ,scripture1 that when we come to ,christ with our burdens of sorrow1 be they ever so heavy1 and ask for help1 our prayers must always be subject to ,his will4 ,and indeed ,he set us a beautiful object-lesson in ,his own great agony in ,gethsemane4 ,but here it would seem as if the process had been reversed1 and as if this poor ,syro-,phnician woman had succeeded in imposing her will on the ,son of ,god4 ,did ,he not say1 8,be it unto thee even as thou wilt80 ,and is there not in this the appearance1 at least1 of the monarch abdicating in favor of the subject8 ,strange1 indeed1 that any one should get their own way and will with the ,sovereign of all1 for the sin that is in us so dyes the color of our will and deflects it1 that we can seldom think of it as being other than a crooked piece of bent or twisted iron4 ,it is very wonderful that this woman's faith was able to get deliverance for her daughter possessed of an 8unclean spirit40 ,somehow she believed beforehand in ,his love to her1 a poor ,gentile mother1 and this was great faith indeed4 ,all the miracles of ,christ were wrought in response to faith1 either in the sufferers who besought ,his aid1 or in their friends4 ,there must be faith by which1 as over a bridge1 the divine help might pass into the nature of man4 ,faith is the unfurled petal1 the opened door1 the unshuttered lattice4 ,and so1 in this case1 it was through the mother's faith that ,god's delivering help passed to the child4 ,upon a careful study of the secret of this woman's faith1 we shall discover that her faith was severely tested4 ,christ gave her four tests1 each of which was necessary to complete her education2 and by each1 with agile foot1 she climbed the difficult stairway1 which some would say was of upward ascent1 but which in point of fact was one of downward climbing1 until she got low enough to catch the waters which issue from the threshold of the door of heaven's mercy4 ,the first test was that of silence4 8,she cried unto ,him1 saying1 ,have mercy on me1 ,o ,lord1 thou ,son of ,david2 my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil40 ,the effects of these unclean spirits are described in the instance where the distressed father brought his demoniac boy to be healed4 ,and while the father is bringing him1 the poor child is seized with paroxysms of his malady1 having fallen to the ground at the feet of ,jesus1 foaming at the lips under the violent convulsions4 ,when the father was asked how long the boy had thus been possessed1 he answered1 8,of a child1 and ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire1 and into the water to destroy him20 and whenever the spirit 8taketh him1 he teareth him1 and he foameth1 and gnasheth with his teeth and pineth away40 ,such was the demon this poor mother's daughter was possessed with1 and grievously tormented4 ,but to her appeal for help1 ,jesus 8answered her not a word40 ,he alone had the power to help1 but the agonizing mother awakened no response4 ,and yet1 ,his very silence is a testing of her faith4 ,often it has happened that ,god's answer which has best met our need was the silence which has not been a refusal1 but has given time for us to reach a condition of lowliness and helplessness before ,god4 ,he always lets the fruit upon ,his trees ripen before ,he plucks it4 ,through the silence of the winter the sap is touching again its mother earth1 and becoming reinforced by her energy for its work in the blossoms of ,may and the fruit of ,september4 ,the mind reaches its clearest1 strongest conclusion by processes carried on in its depths during hours of silence and repose4 ,it is in the long1 silent hours1 when the heart waits at the door1 listening for the footstep down the corridor in vain1 that processes are at work that shall make it more able to hold the blessedness which shall be poured out from the chalice of a ,father's pity4 ,again4 ,she was sorely tested in the conduct of the disciples4 ,they were eager to rid themselves of the worry of this woman's crying1 and1 as the quickest solution--a solution which we are all ready enough to imitate--advised ,christ to give her what she wanted and send her off4 ,they thought a miracle to ,christ was not more than a penny to a millionaire4 ,they did not see that ,christ's hands were tied until the conditions of blessing were fulfilled in the suppliant4 ,he loves us too well to give ,his choicest boons to those who have not complied with the lofty spiritual conditions which are part of the standing orders of the kingdom of heaven4 ,much of our charity is sheer selfishness4 ,we would rather grant the request any day than have an unsightly beggar intrude into our bowers of selfish repose4 8,she crieth after us10 the disciples said2 8her misery is unpleasant2 heal it40 ,but ,christ was tied by the terms of ,his commission4 ,she had appealed to ,him as ,son of ,david1 and ,he said that ,he had been sent to the lost sheep of the house of ,israel4 ,she belonged to one of the alien races4 ,she was not even a 8sheep0 of the house of ,israel1 much less a 8lost0 one4 ,the question was1 8,could ,he1 even for once1 transcend ,his commission1 and grant the request of this weary soul which had traveled so far to find the ,christ80 ,as ,messiah1 she had no claim on ,him1 for1 in that capacity1 ,he had been commissioned to the house of ,israel only4 ,once again4 ,her faith was tested in ,his farther refusal to her pleadings1 when ,he said1 8,it is not meet to take the children's bread1 and cast it to the dogs40 ,somehow her quick woman's instinct perceived a way up what had seemed to be the unscalable path of ,christ's refusal4 ,if she had no claim on ,him as ,messiah1 was ,he not something more8 ,was ,he not ,lord and ,master8 ,did not deity blend with humanity in that nature1 which1 whilst ,his voice repelled her1 yet fascinated and attracted her8 ,it would almost seem as if the ,holy ,spirit whispered1 8,accost ,him as ,lord20 8,touch ,him on the side of ,his universal power20 8,speak to ,him as ,son of ,man40 ,so she acted upon ,his suggestion1 and1 throwing herself at ,his feet1 said1 8,lord1 help me40 ,to this appeal ,christ gave answer that seemed churlish enough4 ,but the bitter rind encased luscious fruit4 ,the nut had only to be cracked to disclose the milk1 sweeter than that of the cocoanut in the desert waste4 ,he compared the ,jews to children1 ,himself to bread1 and this woman to a dog4 ,but for the word 8dog0 he used the tender diminutive1 which was not applicable to the wolfish1 starving animals that prowl and snarl through the streets of ,eastern towns1 but was used for the little dogs brought up with the children in the home4 ,now1 hope once again sprang up in her heart4 ,jesus had talked about dogs1 and little house dogs1 the playthings of the children4 ,he said it was not proper to cast the children's bread to dogs4 ,if by children he meant the 8sheep of the house of ,israel10 then she must belong to the household after all4 ,she was quick to see her opportunity4 8,truth1 ,lord60 she exclaimed1 8,yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table60 ,when she said that1 her lesson was learnt4 ,in her former reply she had given the ,lord ,his right place2 in this she took her own as a little dog4 ,you are not a child of ,abraham's stock6 ,truth1 ,lord4 ,you are a ,syro-,phnician1 and1 for that reason1 doubly unfit to be called a child6 ,truth1 ,lord4 ,all ,i do for you must be of grace1 and not of merit6 ,truth1 ,lord4 ,she admitted all and accepted ,his most discouraging statements concerning herself4 ,but1 after the worst that can be said about dogs1 they 8eat of the crumbs40 ,all these seeming objections are in favor of her request4 ,she only wants a little crumb of ,his mercy1 which will take nothing from others4 ,jesus could stand such pleadings no longer1 and he answered and said1 8,o1 woman1 great is thy faith3 be it unto thee even as thou wilt40 ,she had come for crumbs1 but the ,lord handed to her the key of the storehouse1 and said1 8,have your way1 go in and help yourself to all its stores40 ,she would have been content with the crumbs that fell beneath the table on the floor1 but she finds herself seated at the table itself1 and feasting like a daughter of the king on its rich and bountiful provision4 ,no longer a dog1 she proves herself to be one of those other sheep which shamed the lost sheep of the house of ,israel by docility and purity and grace4 ,this woman had many graces4 ,she had wisdom1 humility1 meekness1 patience1 perseverance in prayer2 but all these were the fruits of her faith2 therefore1 of all graces1 ,christ honors faith most4 ,the perseverance of this woman may well be considered as every way calculated to teach us the power and efficacy of faith1 and the greatness of her faith consisted in this1 that in spite of all discouragements she continued her plea4 ,many a blessing has been lost out of our lives just because we lacked these graces of the soul4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,womanhood ,during ,our ,lord's ,judean ,ministry4 ,,the ,,sisters ,,of ,,bethany--,,their ,,characteristics--,,not ,,good1 ,,but ,,best ,,gifts--,,the ,,extravagance ,,of ,,love--,,salome',s ,,strange ,,request--,,her ,,fidelity--,,joanna--,,the ,,poor ,,widow',s ,,gift--,,how ,,estimated--,,the ,,saviour',s ,,words ,,of ,,peace4 ,the sisters of ,bethany1 ,martha and ,mary1 come to our view three times during our ,lord's ,judean ministry4 ,the first view we have of them is recorded in ,luke x1 #ch-db1 where these sisters entertain our ,lord after a long1 weary day's teaching4 ,the second is recorded in ,john xi1 #a-df1 and relates to the sickness and raising from the dead their brother ,lazarus4 ,the third is the anointing of ,jesus by ,mary1 the account of which is found in ,matt4 xxvi1 #f-ac2 also in ,mark xiv1 #c-i1 and ,john xii1 #a-h4 ,though these three events are each distinct1 yet a careful study will discover a close connection between the deep1 underlying truths in each1 the attitude taken by ,jesus1 and the results in the circumstances of everyday life4 ,a great deal has been said and written about these sisters of ,bethany1 some regarding ,martha at fault1 while others think ,mary did not do the right thing to leave her sister do all the work4 ,it is related of three theologians that they were talking together about these two women1 and at last made their discussions concrete by questioning each other as to which of the women they would like to have married4 ,the first said he would rather take ,martha1 to have his home looked well after2 the second said he would much prefer to have married ,mary1 the tender and the loving2 and the third1 who had been silent up to this point1 said1 8,i should like ,martha before dinner and ,mary after40 ,we think there is a great deal in this statement4 ,there are excellencies in each1 and it is impossible for us to do without our busy ,marthas in our homes and churches1 but we must remember at the same time that our ,lord's estimate is that ,mary had chosen the better part which was not to be taken from her4 ,the location of ,bethany is most picturesque and charming4 ,it is scarcely two miles from ,jerusalem1 yet1 by its situation on the south-eastern side of a lateral spur of ,olivet1 is completely hid from view4 ,here1 amid the olive yards and fig orchards1 lived this happy family in comfortable circumstances1 and1 we think1 were possessed of considerable property1 and ranked well among the learned and affluent4 ,jesus had been slowly journeying from ,galilee down the east borders of ,samaria to ,jerusalem4 ,those who are familiar with that journey will remember how replete it was with incidents1 wayside sermons1 parables and miracles4 ,at length1 late in the afternoon1 we may well believe1 ,he arrived at ,bethany weary with the long journey1 exhausted by the labors which attended it1 and glad to get away from the multitudes which thronged ,him4 ,that there should be some stir in the pious household at the coming of such a guest is perfectly natural1 and that ,martha1 the busy1 eager-hearted1 and no less affectionate hostess1 should hurry to and fro with somewhat excited energy to prepare for ,his proper entertainment1 is not to be wondered at1 for1 in all probability1 she had had no information of ,his coming1 and along with ,him twelve disciples to be provided for4 ,the wonder is she was as self-contained as she was4 ,there can be no doubt but ,martha was a good housekeeper4 ,she kept everything straight1 clean and neat4 ,and when ,jesus came1 it upset her somewhat1 and she ran out into the kitchen1 at the back of the house to get the supper2 not a single thing must be left undone1 everything must be there4 ,she is so eager about it1 coming in and out of the little guest-chamber where the ,master is sitting1 hurrying here and there with this one thought in her heart1 that the ,lord must have her best1 nothing must be left unturned to give ,him comfort4 ,and1 of course1 there is a good deal of excitement and possible anxiety4 ,the disarranged furniture is hastily put to rights1 the table had to be freshly laid with clean white cloths1 and the dining-room made presentable1 for it must be remembered ,christ did not come alone4 ,he had a group of twelve disciples with ,him1 and such an influx of visitors would throw any village home into perturbation4 ,then1 no doubt1 the day's labor had been a good appetizer4 ,the kitchen department that day was a very important department1 and probably ,martha had no sooner greeted her guests than she fled to that room4 ,no doubt she was a good cook4 ,mary had full confidence that her sister could get up the best dinner of any woman in ,bethany1 for ,martha was not only a hard-working and painstaking woman1 but also a good manager1 ever inventive of some new pastry1 or discovering something in the art of cookery and housekeeping4 ,on the other hand1 ,mary had no worriment about household affairs4 ,she seemed to say1 8,now1 let us have a division of labor4 ,martha1 you cook1 and ,i'll sit down and be good40 ,so you have often seen a great difference between two sisters4 ,mary is so fond of conversation she has no time to attend to the household welfare4 ,so by this self-appointed arrangement1 ,mary is in the parlor with ,christ1 and ,martha is in the kitchen4 ,it would have been better if they had divided the work1 and then they could have divided the opportunity of listening to ,jesus2 but ,mary monopolizes ,christ while ,martha swelters at the fire4 ,it was a very important thing that they should have a good dinner that day4 ,christ was hungry1 and ,he did not often have a luxurious entertainment4 ,alas6 if the duty had devolved upon ,mary1 what a repast that would have been6 ,but something went wrong in the kitchen4 ,perhaps the fire would not burn1 or the bread would not bake1 or ,martha scalded her hand1 or something was burned black that ought only to have been made brown2 and ,martha lost her patience1 and forgetting the proprieties of the occasion1 with besweated brow1 and1 perhaps with pitcher in one hand and tongs in the other1 she rushes out of the kitchen into the presence of ,christ1 saying1 8,lord1 dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone80 ,now look at ,martha1 but while you look1 do not get out of patience with her4 ,she is cumbered and growing fretful4 ,her service is getting too much for her1 she can not get things done as well as she would like4 ,and being fretful and tired she goes wrong herself4 ,first she is cumbered2 the next thing she feels cross with ,mary2 8,mary is sitting there at the feet of ,jesus1 and ,i am so busy getting the supper4 ,what right has she down there when ,i am so busy80 ,the third thing she gets cross with ,jesus1 and she says1 8,dost not ,thou care that my sister hath left me to serve80 ,cumbered in her own spirit1 angry with her sister1 reflecting upon her ,master1 and putting the blame on him of her weariness4 ,dear soul1 how she loved and wanted that supper to be all that it ought to be1 but she had forgotten that service only was acceptable which was filled up with communion with the ,lord4 ,how tenderly the ,lord deals with ,martha6 ,there was nothing acrid in ,his words4 ,he knew that she had almost worked herself to death to get ,him something to eat1 and so ,he throws a world of tenderness into ,his intonation as ,he seems to say1 8,my dear woman1 do not worry1 let the dinner go2 sit down on this ottoman beside ,mary1 your younger sister4 ,martha1 ,martha1 thou art careful and troubled about many things1 but one thing is needful40 ,is there not a volume of love and sympathy expressed in these words8 ,and may not the ,marthas of to-day learn wisdom from them and seek in ,jesus that ,friend who can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities1 8that good part which shall not be taken away80 ,the ,saviour looked with love and pity upon the troubled ,martha1 for ,he realized that she was not only cumbered with many cares1 but she was also anxious for ,his personal comfort4 ,he was her ,guest4 ,though the ,lord of ,glory1 ,he was also man1 having human wants4 ,he hungered and thirsted as other men1 and it was the duty of these sisters to provide for ,him the necessary food4 ,if at the last day it will be a matter of condemnation to any one that he has seen one of ,christ's disciples an hungered or athirst and did not minister unto him1 how much more guilty would they be who would suffer ,christ ,himself to go without food when ,he was hungry1 and that too in their own house6 ,martha was right1 therefore1 in seeing that a suitable meal was prepared for her guests4 ,her mistake was that she set an undue importance upon the matter4 ,she represents that large class of ,marthas which emphasizes fidelity to temporal cares and subordinates the devotional and spiritual4 ,mary represents that side which magnifies the devotional and spiritual1 and which subordinates the temporal and physical things1 making them subserve the other4 ,the one is serving ,christ in our own way and according to our own zeal2 the other is humbly waiting at ,his feet for direction4 ,martha must needs get up a great entertainment4 ,she must have a needless variety of dishes1 show thereby the skill and resources of her art as a housekeeper4 ,instead of thinking mainly of what her distinguished ,guest might do for her1 of the infinite store of blessing that hung upon ,his lips1 she was wholly intent upon what she might do for ,him4 ,while thus absorbed and fretted with cares of how she might give her table a more comely appearance1 she was losing the heavenly manna which ,jesus came to dispense1 and which she so much needed for her soul4 ,not only did she throw away this priceless opportunity of hearing the words of eternal life directly from her ,lord1 but she was unreasonably vexed at ,mary for not being as foolish as herself4 ,the thoughts and purpose of her heart were as open to ,him as were those of the gentle1 loving ,mary2 and while one revealed care and anxiety for the perishing things of this life the other told of perfect love and trust in her adored ,lord2 of earnest longing for the knowledge of the truth1 of deep humility1 of self-forgetting devotion1 of that quiet courage which fears neither ridicule nor opposition4 ,there may have been some truth in ,martha's complaint against her sister4 ,very possibly ,mary may have been so absorbed with the 8good part0 which she had chosen1 as to be really negligent of her household duties1 and to throw upon ,martha burdens which should have been shared equally by the sisters4 ,had ,mary1 sitting at the ,master's feet and drinking in the precious doctrine that fell from ,his lips1 been puffed up thereby1 and said to ,jesus1 8,speak to my sister ,martha1 that she stop her household cares1 and come and sit with me in this devout frame of mind10 very likely the rebuke would have fallen in the other direction4 ,observe1 ,jesus did not meet ,martha's words against her sister with a denial1 or with an apology4 ,he simply vindicated ,mary's religious integrity1 by testifying that she had 8chosen the good part40 ,she was a faithful1 humble1 loving disciple1 and delighted to sit at ,his feet and receive instruction4 ,that which ,jesus calls 8that good part0 must be of priceless value1 a treasure well worth obtaining in this changing1 perishing world2 for it is to be enduring1 8it shall not be taken away40 ,like the favored ,mary1 we may not literally sit at the ,master's feet1 yet ,he is speaking to every humble child of ,god1 in and by ,his ,word4 ,we may choose the world with all its vanities which perish with the using1 or we may choose ,christ as our portion1 both for time and eternity4 ,o6 how many troubled ,marthas there are in these modern times that need to choose the 8good part10 that need to sit humbly at the dear ,saviour's feet1 to be nourished by ,his love1 cheered by ,his council1 and approved by the divine 8well done60 ,the lowly life of humble sacrifice is the only life worth living4 ,the next view we have of this beautiful ,bethany home the scene is all changed4 ,the sunshine is all gone out and great clouds of sorrow and distress have rolled into the sky of its happiness4 ,prosperity has given place to the bitterest adversity1 the brightness and gladness are banished1 and the sisters are right down under the deepest1 darkest shadow of sorrow that ever settled on their home4 ,the well-beloved brother1 ,lazarus1 is ill unto death1 and ,jesus is far away1 and in the very midst of ,his ,peran ministry4 ,in their distress1 the first thought of these sisters was of ,jesus4 8,if ,he only knew our brother was sick10 they doubtless said one to the other1 ,he would sympathize with us1 and at once restore him to health4 ,and so they sent him the simple message1 8,he whom ,thou lovest is sick40 ,our first thought is when the messengers1 bearing the sad intelligence1 had informed the ,lord1 ,he would have at once promptly responded to this cry of help coming from the home where he had been so heartily welcomed and so bountifully entertained4 ,but how different was ,his reception of the message from what we naturally expected4 ,so far as is known1 ,he did not even return an answer4 ,could they have been mistaken8 ,did not ,jesus love ,martha and her sister1 and was not the very message couched in the words1 8,he whom thou lovest80 ,would ,he dishonor the confidence they had reposed in ,him8 ,for two whole days ,he continued ,his ,paran ministry 8in the same place where ,he was40 ,to us this conduct is most surprising4 ,o1 how often the ,lord does so with us1 even when we cry after ,him in our sorrow ,he does not come4 ,but always right in front of the statement1 that ,he does not come1 we have 8,jesus loved40 ,how it added to their sorrow4 ,lazarus dying1 ,christ not coming1 and at last ,lazarus is dead and in the tomb1 and yet the ,master has not come4 ,surely the dense gloom of bereavement has settled down over the home1 but a little while ago so full of sunshine and beauty4 ,heartbroken1 the sisters keep their vigil by the sepulchre1 but among the friends coming and going to tender their sympathy1 the ,friend does not appear4 ,he came not to save2 ,he comes not to weep4 ,the fact must have added poignancy to their grief4 ,but wait in your judgment4 ,right through these dark hours ,jesus loved these sisters4 ,do not lose sight of this fact4 ,it may comfort you some day4 ,he refrained from bestowing a small favor only that ,he might have an opportunity to bestow a greater4 ,if he had healed ,lazarus by a word1 ,martha and ,mary would have been grateful and satisfied1 but by waiting ,he could give them a greater blessing1 and one which might be shared by sorrowing ones in all ages to come4 ,but ,jesus is coming4 ,lazarus is dead1 but ,jesus is come at last1 and is halting on the brow of the hill1 just outside of the village4 ,the news of ,his arrival reach the stricken sisters4 ,how does the intelligence of ,his presence affect them8 8,then ,martha10 the dear woman1 8as soon as she heard that ,jesus was coming1 went and met him2 but ,mary sat still in the house40 ,what a contrast4 ,martha hastens along the village road to the brow of the hill where the ,saviour had halted1 doubtless that ,he might meet the sisters apart from the crowd1 which had come in accordance with ,jewish custom1 to mourn with them1 and as she comes running to meet ,him1 she exclaims1 8,lord1 if ,thou hadst been here my brother had not died40 ,he certainly understood that4 ,but in her blind grief she could not understand how1 if ,he loved her and her sister1 ,he could delay ,his coming until it was too late4 ,in her words there was almost the accent of rebuke and reproach1 8,if ,thou hadst been here my brother had not died40 ,but how graciously ,he deals with her4 ,he comes to her in her argumentative state and with words the most comforting said1 8,thy brother shall rise again40 ,martha could hardly believe her ears1 as she certainly did not comprehend the meaning of these words with her heart1 and replied1 8,i know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day40 ,she believed in the life everlasting1 but she was going to put off being comforted until 8the last day40 ,in that ,martha has many sisters4 ,but how patiently our ,lord recalls the mind of ,martha from the resurrection of the last day to ,himself4 ,he said1 8,i am the resurrection1 and the life2 he that believeth in ,me1 though he were dead1 yet shall he live2 and whosoever liveth and believeth in ,me shall never die60 ,he is master of the thing that fills her heart with dread1 and patiently ,he deals with her4 ,was not that beautiful8 ,comforted in her heart1 ,martha hastened back to her home1 and called ,mary her sister secretly1 saying1 8,the ,master is come1 and calleth for thee40 ,he wanted to meet ,mary apart from the public mourners1 as ,he had met ,martha4 ,the custom was for the comforters to do as the mourners4 ,if they were silent1 to remain so2 if they wailed1 to wail with them4 ,the shrieks of ,oriental mourners are often ear-piercing4 ,our ,lord wanted to avoid this1 and so no doubt1 although it is not chronicled1 ,he had commissioned ,martha to bear the tidings of ,his arrival1 and she went and quietly and said1 8,the ,master wants you1 ,mary40 ,mary 8rose quickly1 and came unto ,him40 ,but mark her coming4 ,unlike her sister1 8when ,mary was come where ,jesus was1 and saw ,him1 she fell down at ,his feet1 saying unto ,him1 ,lord1 if ,thou hadst been here1 my brother had not died40 ,that's what ,martha said4 ,yes1 but what effect did it produce upon ,him when ,mary said it8 8,when ,jesus therefore saw her weeping10 and the company of mourners who had followed her soon after she left the house1 8also weeping0 with her1 8,he groaned in the spirit and was troubled10 no doubt1 at the empty platitude on the part of those miserable comforters4 ,but at the sepulchre1 where lay the mortal remains of the loved ,lazarus1 ,he wept4 ,the ,son of ,god in tears6 ,his great heart sharing another's sorrow4 ,this scene is the most precious and comforting in the record of the ,saviour's life so far as the revelation of ,his heart is concerned4 ,martha gets ,his teaching1 ,mary gets ,his tears4 ,martha said exactly what ,mary said4 ,when ,mary said it1 what a difference6 ,which do you think was the better thing1 to run after ,him and get ,his teaching1 or wait till sent for and get ,his tears8 ,the reasoning mind will receive the ,master's teaching2 the broken1 weeping heart1 ,his tears4 ,bright and luminous as were ,his words with resurrection glory1 ,mary got to deeper depths in the heart of ,god when she came than ,martha1 because she drew ,his tears of deepest sympathy with her sorrow4 ,why did ,jesus weep8 ,because ,lazarus died8 ,no1 ,he is going to call ,him back for a definite purpose4 ,he knows that bereavement has broken the hearts of these two sisters1 and though ,he is going to heal sorrow's wound1 ,he sympathized with their grief1 and ,his heart went out in their distress4 ,every wounded heart that belongs to a child of ,god1 the ,master is going to heal by and by2 yet ,he suffers with you in the wounding1 and enters by tears with you into the sacrament of your sorrow4 ,and so ,he wept when these women wept4 ,there are times in our lives when the tears of sympathy speak greater comfort than the most eloquent words4 ,beloved1 when you go to your friend sitting in the shadow of her deepest sorrow1 spare your words1 but freely mingle your tears with hers4 ,job's comforters sat in silence for seven days before they spoke4 ,but if you are not delivered out of your bereavement1 may this scene in the life of our ,lord comfort you with the thought that ,he has something better for you4 ,the best thing came to these sisters1 right after the bitter weeping4 ,in the third and last view we have of this blessed ,bethany home1 we see some of the scenes of the first view coming up to us4 ,it is the same home1 only1 because of better accommodations1 the feast is held in the house of ,simon1 but the same people are in it4 ,but what a change there is here6 ,let us get the humanness as well as the divinity out of it4 ,look at those people1 what are they doing8 ,sitting at the table4 ,a lovely place for us men to sit4 ,but ,martha served4 ,do not miss that4 ,she is doing what she did before1--getting supper ready4 ,she is bustling about in her earnestness1 but she has lost her grumbling4 ,she gets through the entertainment with smiles from first to last4 ,she is no less busy1 but she is at rest in her mind4 ,she is cumbered1 but is not angry with ,mary1 and is not reflecting on ,jesus ,christ4 ,she had learned something in the day of sorrow and darkness4 ,it has not altered her power to serve1 but the matter and the manner of her service4 ,what about ,mary8 ,if you have carefully studied the last few days of our ,lord's life upon the earth you have noticed that ,he was a lonely man1 and that even ,his disciples failed to enter into sympathy with ,his suffering as it overshadowed ,his life4 ,take the story of those last six days and our ,lord's journey to ,jerusalem1 and you will find that it is an awful picture4 ,he has the shadow of the cross upon ,him1 and ,he keeps calling these men to ,him saying1 8,i am going to ,jerusalem to suffer1 to be delivered into the hands of men1 and they will crucify ,me40 ,his disciples broke in upon that awful revelation by asking1 8,master1 who is the greatest among us80 ,but there was one soul that saw the cross--,mary4 ,never forget it1 you men2 it was a woman that saw the cross and went into the shadow of it with ,christ1 as it was a woman who became the first human preacher of the resurrection when ,he came back again4 ,so while ,he 8sat at meat10 in the house of ,simon the leper1 with the man whom ,he had cured of the most terrible of diseases upon one side1 and the man whom ,he had raised from the dead on the other1 and the disciples on either side of these1 ,mary looks into the faces of the guests1 and they all were happy1 as men usually are with a feast spread before them1 and even ,christ1 though fully conscious of his approaching death1 and all the humiliation accompanying it1 did not abandon ,himself to melancholy feelings or looks1 yet with that deep intuition that is only born of the highest and the holiest love1 she sees what no one else sees1 that on ,his heart is the shadow of a great sorrow4 ,and she is thinking1 8,what can ,i do8 ,can ,i do anything that will let ,him see ,i know something of ,his pain8 ,can ,i go into the darkness with ,him and share in that sorrow80 ,and when love does this kind of thinking it is always extravagant4 ,she slipped away from her sister's side in serving1 hastened to her room1 where the precious treasure was kept1 and seizing the alabaster box of spikenard1 for which she had paid more than #cjj pence1 she hastened back to the feast1 saying to herself1 8,i will give ,him this2 it is the choicest thing ,i can get hold of1 and ,i want to pour it out upon ,him1 for ,he knows ,i can see ,his sorrow and pain40 ,so speaking1 she fell at ,his feet and poured the perfume on ,his head and feet4 ,it was a lavish waste of love--nearly #a1jjj expressed in our money now4 ,but nothing is wasted that is done in love for our ,lord4 ,some murmured1 others 8had indignation10 and ,judas spoke right out1 8,why this waste80 ,poor ,mary1 she had never thought of there being any waste to her act of love4 8,three hundred pence60 ,judas had quickly ciphered out the contents of the broken alabaster box1 and just now1 at the expense of ,mary1 was very benevolent4 ,the unbroken box of ointment might have been sold1 and the money 8given to the poor40 ,but1 in a moment they were hushed4 8,let her alone10 said ,jesus4 ,how fortunate for ,mary that she had a more righteous ,judge to pass sentence upon her action4 8,against the day of ,my burying hath she kept this40 ,nobody else understood it4 ,the motive determines the act4 8,nothing can be wasted that love pours upon ,me1 because love enters into ,my suffering and sorrow1 and that is what it meant40 8,she hath done what she could40 ,o1 what a precious revelation6 ,jesus is fully satisfied with the limit of our ability to serve ,him4 ,and the sequel showed that she met her ,lord's future as no other of ,his disciples had been able2 anointed ,his brow for the thorns1 and his feet for the nails1 that both thorns and nails may draw blood in the perfume of at least one woman's love4 ,in this act of love done for ,jesus she has erected to herself a monument as lasting as the ,gospel1 for the ,master declared1 8,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 wheresoever this ,gospel shall be preached in the whole world1 there shall this also1 that this woman hath done1 be told for a memorial of her40 ,mary had loved wiser than she knew1 but then it is just like ,jesus to pay back into our hands a hundredfold more than the most liberal of us ever bestowed upon ,him4 ,the sweet story of that beautiful act of the breaking of the alabaster box will be told as long as there is a ,gospel to be preached or a soul to be saved4 ,the wonder of wonders is1 that in this world of sin and suffering there are not more ,marys to break alabaster boxes over the world's burdened laborers4 ,we now pass to notice another beautiful womanly character in ,white ,raiment1 namely1 ,salome4 ,her name means 8peaceful10 and1 though she developed considerable womanly ambition1 her name quite describes her character4 ,she was the wife of ,zebedee1 a well-to-do fisherman on the ,sea of ,galilee1 and the mother of ,james and ,john1 two of our ,lord's best loved disciples2 two who1 with ,simon ,peter1 one of their business partners1 constituted the inner apostolic circle4 ,she had not only given two sons to the ministry1 but she herself accompanied ,jesus in ,his ,galilean ministry1 and1 with others1 ministered of her substance in meeting the expenses of ,his journeys4 ,she must1 therefore1 not only have been a woman of means1 but liberal in her use of it4 ,no doubt she was a quiet1 home-loving body2 but she liked so well to listen to those sayings of our ,lord that she was glad to leave her pleasant1 comfortable ,bethsaida house beside the beautiful 8blue sea of the hills10 to go about hither and thither with her sons and drink in the wonderful words of ,christ4 ,salome is best remembered as coming to our ,lord1 on ,his last memorable journey to ,jerusalem1 with the strange request that her two sons might sit1 the one on the right hand of ,jesus and the other on the left1 in ,his kingdom4 ,just as in the ,sanhedrin1 on each side of the high priest there sat the next highest dignitaries1 so here she requested the two highest places for ,james and ,john4 ,however1 perhaps1 this was not a selfish ambition1 since the request is made for others4 ,some one has said1 8,plan great things for ,god1 and expect great things from ,god10 and an apostle has said1 8,covet earnestly the best gifts40 ,o1 these mothers1 when there are seats of honor to be given out can not only 8covet10 but 8earnestly0 ask for great things for their sons4 ,these two disciples had already been favored4 ,they were with ,jesus when ,he raised ,jairus' daughter from the dead2 they were with our ,lord on the ,mount of ,transfiguration1 and1 later on1 in the ,garden of ,gethsemane1 and witnessed ,his agony4 ,though of the inner circle1 yet they possessed characteristics of their own4 ,they were more eager for extreme measures for pushing their ,master's cause than was even the tempestuous ,peter4 ,their self-poised love of the truth made them zealous4 ,it was they who rebuked the one who cast out demons in ,jesus' name1 because he did not follow them4 ,they requested ,christ to call down fire from heaven to burn up the ,samaritan village that refused to receive them on account of an old prejudice against the ,jews4 ,if these disciples could have had their own way1 that village1 with all its inhabitants1 innocent and guilty1 would have speedily been reduced to ashes4 ,how little they understood their ,lord1 or even themselves4 ,they did not get the idea from their ,lord1 for ,he came to save men's lives1 and not to destroy them4 ,possibly ,salome may have thought her sons had some claim to these honors4 ,the family had some business standing4 ,they had partners and servants4 ,john had some acquaintance with the ,high ,priest1 the great head of the ,hebrew ,church4 ,they had left all to follow ,jesus1 giving up not only their business prospects1 but their friendship with ecclesiastical aristocrats1 and now she was looking out for a good place in ,his kingdom for her sons4 ,probably the two brethren had directed this request through their mother1 because they remembered the rebuke which had followed their former contention about precedence4 ,she asked simply1 directly1 humbly1 nothing for herself1 but what she thought was her due4 ,he gave her no rebuke1 as ,he would have been sure to do if she had asked through any selfish motive4 ,turning to ,james and ,john ,he questioned them about their fitness for such promotion4 ,could they drink of ,his cup and be baptized with ,his baptism8 ,they thought they were able4 ,they knew better what ,he meant when ,herod beheaded ,james1 and ,john was banished to ,patmos4 ,salome remained true to her ,lord4 ,when the terrible death-hour came she stood beside the cross1 held there by her faith and love through the jeers of the mocking crowd1 the dying agony of her ,saviour1 and the darkness which veiled ,his terrible suffering4 ,illustration3 ,,seeking ,,the ,,living ,,among ,,the ,,dead4 ,after the body was taken down from the cross1 ,salome1 with others1 8beheld where ,he was laid40 ,o1 this loving1 faithful woman1 true to her nature1 how she clung to her ,lord to the very last4 ,and on the morning of the resurrection1 8as it began to dawn10 we find ,salome among the company of women hastening to the sepulchre to complete the anointing of the body of our ,lord which had been so hurriedly buried on the evening of the crucifixion4 ,but1 upon reaching the garden1 these women were amazed to find the tomb open and empty4 ,these women--,salome1 ,mary ,magdalene1 ,joanna1 and others with them--came seeking a dead body1 but1 instead1 they found a living angel1 who asked1 8,why seek ye the living among the dead80 8,he is risen2 ,he is not here2 behold the place where they laid ,him60 ,what these women1 in company with ,salome1 had seen was enough to fill them with astonishment1 and what they had heard from the lips of the angel was enough to fill their hearts with joy4 ,wonderful that ,he whom they had mourned as dead was indeed alive again1 though they could hardly believe it4 ,but ,salome's prayer for her sons had sure answer4 ,to ,james was given the high honor of being the first apostolic martyr4 ,john had the distinction of caring for the ,virgin ,mary during her last years1 and1 on ,patmos1 the little rocky isle of his banishment1 where he could hear only the sea-bird's cry and the melancholy wash of waves1 he listened to apocalyptic thunderings that were enough to tear any common soul to tatters4 ,he was permitted to put the capstone on the magnificent column of ,holy ,scripture1 a column that had been forty centuries in building4 ,salome1 the peaceful and brave1 at the last went gladly away to her reward2 for she was sure that her sons1 having drank of ,his cup1 and been baptized with ,his baptism1 were now seated with ,him in the throne of ,his glory4 ,in connection with our ,lord's ,galilean ministry1 we find the name of ,joanna mentioned4 ,she was the wife of ,chuza1 the steward of ,herod ,antipas4 ,no doubt she followed ,jesus1 and ministered to ,him out of her substance1 out of gratitude for having restored her child to health4 ,her husband was the nobleman who went all the way from ,capernaum to ,cana1 and besought our ,lord that ,he 8would come down and heal ,his son1 for he was at the point of death40 ,joanna was both at the crucifixion1 and is mentioned by name as being one of those who brought spices and ointments to embalm the body of our ,lord on the morning of the resurrection4 ,these women must have possessed means1 as well as a spirit of liberality4 ,all this is very beautiful indeed4 ,the last woman in ,white ,raiment during the ministry of our ,lord1 is the widow with two mites4 ,her act of benevolence has associated with it many tender and pathetic touches4 ,the circumstances1 so far as they relate to the ministry of our ,lord1 are inexpressibly sad4 ,he had come down to the last day of ,his public teaching1 and the last hour of that ministry4 ,indeed the time of ,his departure from the ,temple was at hand4 ,he had taught in their streets1 by the wayside1 in desert places1 in the ,temple4 ,he had wept over ,jerusalem that had seen so many of ,his mighty works1 and as in mental vision ,he saw the coming doom1 ,he sobbed out1 8,oh if thou hadst known 444 the things which belong to thy peace60 ,but they refused to know1 and had finally rejected ,him as they had rejected ,his teaching4 ,the very tears of the suffering ,saviour broke out in great sobs of grief in the words1 8,ye would not60 ,so1 in the very last act1 all efforts having failed1 ,he exclaims1 8,behold your house10 it was no longer ,god's house1 8is left unto you desolate60 ,as ,jesus on that last day1 and at the close of the last hour of the day1 closed the door of mercy1 how that word1 8,,desolate0 must have sounded through its ,god-forsaken courts4 ,at a time when such a burden of unrequited toil and sorrow was resting upon the grieved heart of ,jesus1 the touching incident of this poor widow comes to our view4 ,jesus had left the inner court of the ,temple1 and1 on ,his way through the court of the women1 paused over against the treasury to point out one more beautiful lesson to ,his disciples4 ,the people were casting their offerings into the thirteen great chests set to receive their gifts4 ,these offerings were gifts of the people1 and had no reference to 8tithes40 ,these ,jews1 though they had utterly failed to comprehend the 8day of their visitation10 were1 nevertheless1 liberal givers4 ,they did not content themselves with giving a tenth of their income4 ,so it was the 8freewill offering10 the love gifts1 that ,jesus was watching4 ,twice in ,exodus1 once in ,deuteronomy and once in ,leviticus had ,god commanded1 8,and none shall appear before ,me empty40 ,three times a year was every ,jew required to come before the ,lord1 and not one time empty-handed4 ,never was there an exception for rich or for poor1 for great or for small4 ,not a pauper from ,dan to ,beer-sheba1 would have dared to come without his offerings4 ,in these modern times a sickly sentimentality has well-nigh made void the commandment of ,god4 ,he made no discrimination in favor of the poor4 ,he that had little1 gave little4 ,he that had much1 gave much4 ,a lamb or a kid was an offering acceptable4 ,if any were too poor to furnish either1 8a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons0 might be brought4 ,if this was too much1 a few 8tablespoonfuls of fine flour0 was enough1 and any neighbor would furnish them these4 ,the money value of gifts might be brought1 but the law was inexorable1 8,none shall appear before ,me empty-handed0--none at these great feasts4 ,at all other times they might be brought1 at these they must4 ,so while the people brought their offerings1 8,jesus sat over against the treasury40 ,he noted carefully each person1 and the ability of each one1 as the long line of contributors moved forward toward the treasury4 ,no one escaped ,his notice4 ,the rich1 from their mansions of luxury1 rulers of the people1 clad in costly robes1 stately ,pharisees1 nobles1 grand and lordly1 jingling with ornaments of their social standing1 swept over the tessellated floor to the treasury as if by special training for that particular occasion2 and there1 from soft white hands whose fingers were decked in gold1 cast into the treasure chests such offering as their liberality prompted4 ,among the throng came a 8certain poor widow40 ,no one knew who she was1 or where she came from4 ,gliding so softly that no ear heard her footfall1 and shying so timidly that no eyes but ,his saw her1 until her hand was over the trumpet-shaped mouths through which the money was cast into the chests4 ,she deliberately of her 8penury cast in all her living that she had40 ,how much was that8 ,mark tells us her offering consisted of 8two mites1 which make a farthing40 ,they were the smallest copper coin1 and the two were equivalent to two-fifths of a cent of our money4 ,as these two mites slid down the narrow tube of the trumpet-shaped aperture into the chest below1 they did not ring as did the gold and silver pieces of the rich1 but they rang to the echo in our ,lord's ears4 ,she was a 8poor widow0 before this contribution1 but now she is an utter bankrupt4 ,if she ever had any financial standing1 this rash act of giving swept it all away4 ,she would have to go without her supper1 for there was no opportunity1 at the ,passover time1 to earn money4 ,on the contrary1 it was a time for spending it4 ,these great conventions absorbed the small earnings of poor people4 ,but such sacrifices never go unrewarded1 and that poor widow had her supper through some ,god-appointed channel4 ,jesus was so well pleased with her gift1 and the faith which prompted it1 that ,he called the attention of ,his disciples to this act of benevolence1 and said1 8,this poor widow had cast in more than all they40 ,not more money4 ,two mites can not be more than the 8abundance0 of the rich4 ,how more1 then8 ,all gifts have double value--their commercial and their representative value4 ,they represent the self-denial1 the faith and the love of the giver4 ,in the markets of the world the two mites would hardly have been looked at1 but in the eyes of the ,king they represented more than all4 8,ah6 ,he knew of want and hunger1 ,grief and care1 and sorrow too2 ,and the widow's paltry farthing ,cost a sacrifice ,he knew4 ,so all fruits of self-denial ,are the gifts ,he loves the best2 ,not the richest or most costly ,are the offerings most blest60 ,if ever there was an exception1 or if ever one could be exempt1 surely this widow would have been4 ,she was in the weeds of widowhood2 in the depths of poverty2 in the extreme of want2 with only 8two mites0 in the world and no bread for the morrow4 ,her own weary fingers her only means of living2 with her earthly all in her hands she freely cast it into the treasury4 ,jesus was sitting where ,he saw it all4 ,he who-- 8,searched and tried the hearts0 of men1 ,saw what prompted every offering1 ,with ,his wondrous1 ,god-like ken4 ,did ,he stop her8 ,he came to preach the gospel to the poor2 did ,he tell her she was too poor to do as she had done8 ,he brought all ,his apostles to witness the sight2 did ,he say1 8,it shall not be so among you80 ,he was giving laws for ,his ,kingdom for all generations2 did ,he say1 as ,he did in other cases where ,he intended any modification1 8,ye have heard that it was said by them of olden times that #8none should come before ,me empty1' but ,i say unto you1 that whosoever is poor and needy shall bring no gift into mine house80 ,did ,he say it1 or anything like it8 ,can there ever be another occasion half so thrilling on which to say it8 ,the contrast between the rich and noble1 the grand and lordly1 who offered tithes of all their stores1 and this shy and shrinking woman1 in her garb of widowhood1 is very striking4 ,there is not a word of reflection on the gifts or the motives of the rich4 8,the rich and the poor meet together--the ,lord is the maker of them all40 8,no respecter of persons0 is ,he4 ,all honor to the rich who bring their treasures into the storehouse of ,god4 ,all honor to the poor who make 8their deep poverty abound unto the riches of their liberality40 ,may we not from this lesson draw illustrations of consecration8 ,god requires of every ,christian a complete consecration of soul1 body1 time1 talent1 means1 and everything else4 ,consecration means giving to ,god4 ,when a thing is given away1 ownership is transferred in the act of giving1 or presenting from the giver to the receiver4 ,in consecration the ,christian gives himself literally to the ,lord1 and is henceforth not his own1 but the ,lord's4 ,this transaction must be as real as any in life1 and divine ownership of all given to ,god must be recognized4 ,if we wholly consecrate our souls1 our bodies1 our time1 our several abilities1 then ,god can use us4 ,the ,holy ,spirit dwelling in the soul will dictate to the eyes where to look1 and what to look upon1 that the soul may be enriched by seeing4 ,he will direct the feet in paths of safety and usefulness4 ,he will teach the hands to labor skillfully1 laying up treasures in heaven4 ,he will give the lips messages of love1 comfort and sympathy to speak4 ,he will direct us how to use our time1 that the best possible results may be achieved for both ,god and man1 and also for heaven and earth4 ,when such consecration is made1 and we recognize fully ,god's supreme ownership1 then we are in a condition to 8bear much fruit40 ,few men would banish ,god from the universe4 ,too many worlds are wheeling in their orbits1 and their orbits cross and recross each other too often to be left without a guiding hand4 ,moreover1 the one we inhabit is the home of the earthquake and the volcano2 hurricanes and tornadoes are born and bred on every continent and island2 plague and pestilence ride on every breeze2 death and destruction waste at noonday4 ,in the presence of such dangers it is a comfort to know 8the ,lord reigneth40 ,but1 alas6 how many would banish ,god from their hearts6 ,the clouds are the commissary trains of the nations2 who would have them without their driver8 ,men want ,god on the throne1 but not in their hearts4 ,they would have ,him watch the worlds1 the clouds1 the seasons1 but not their actions4 ,as if ,god was not a discerner of the very thoughts and intents of the heart4 ,and then this poor widow loved much4 ,and in ,god's sight no offering of love is too small4 ,love is sometimes a babbling brook1 leaping1 laughing1 sparkling1 splashing4 ,it is beautiful then4 ,it is sometimes a mighty river--deep1 broad1 swift and strong1 shouldering the burdens of a continent and bearing them without a murmur4 ,it is glorious then4 ,but it is sometimes the boundless ocean--feeding all the brooks and rivers1 bearing the commerce of the world1 and yet never losing one note in its everlasting lullaby4 ,it rolls against all its shore lines and moans1 8,if there were no bounds1 ,i'd bring your ships to all your doors40 ,love is sublime then4 ,the widow's love was like the ocean2 it rolled against its farthest shore and longed to go farther4 8,she of her penury0 had cast into the treasury all that she had1 and therefore had given 8more than all they10 for1 not what is given1 but what is left1 marks the grade of self-denial4 ,there may be trust for bread when the storehouse is full1 but the faith that empties the storehouse and then trusts for bread1 is a purer and diviner faith4 ,this poor widow was a heroine of faith4 ,this apparently trifling event in the life of our ,lord is of inestimable importance4 ,it shows1 after ,he had ended ,his oppressive day's labor in the ,temple1 how he would still pause1 in retiring from it1 to bless the loving act of a poor widow1 rendered unto the ,lord in faith1 and to adorn even so lowly a head with the crown of honor4 ,we need no other proof for the celestially pure temper in which ,he left the inner courts of the ,temple after ,he had pronounced ,his great denunciations against the hypocritical professions of ,scribes and ,pharisees4 ,it is as if ,he could not so part1 as if at least ,his last word must be a word of blessing and of peace4 ,this incident of the poor widow with the two mites is also a new proof of the power of little things1 and of the gracious favor with which the ,lord looks upon the least offering which only bears the stamp of love and faith4 ,the last object on which our ,lord's eyes rested as ,he departed from the ,temple was the widow's two mites4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,womanhood ,during the ,apostolic ,ministry4 ,,tabitha--,,glorified ,,her ,,needle--,,the ,,results ,,of ,,little ,,acts--,,lydia--,,her ,,humility--,,philip',s ,,four ,,daughters--,,ph,,be--,,priscilla--,,eu nice--,,lois--,,eudia--,,syntyche--,,hul da-- ,,the ,,hebrew ,,maid--,,tamar--,,mothers ,,of ,,great ,,men--,,the ,,author ,,of ,,the ,,bible ,,woman',s ,,best ,,friend4 ,we now come to the blessed ministry of women during the ,apostolic age4 ,and the first of these is ,tabitha4 ,her residence was at ,joppa4 ,she was a 8disciple10 and ,luke renders her name1 ,tabitha1 out of the ,aramaic into the ,greek as ,dorcas4 ,we further read that she was 8full of good works10 among which that of making clothes for the poor is specifically mentioned4 ,tabitha had1 without doubt1 served ,christ with her needle for many years1 and exercised her faith by performing works of love4 ,but there came a day when the fingers refused longer to ply the needle1 and the heart grew faint1 and in weariness she laid aside the unfinished garment1 just to take a little rest1 and when the neighbors and 8widows0 came in1 they quickly saw the flushed cheek1 and her critical condition aroused their anxious solicitude to relieve and care for and comfort her4 ,the fear of losing her excited and agonized them4 ,the apprehension of their great loss1 in case she should be removed from them1 almost drove the little church at ,joppa to distraction4 ,but1 notwithstanding the tender ministry of loving hands and aching hearts1 ,tabitha daily grew worse1 and finally yielded up her spirit4 8,the calm moon looked down while she was dying1 ,the earth still held her way2 ,flowers breathed their perfume1 and the wind kept sighing2 ,nought seemed to pause or stay40 ,clasp the hands meekly over the still breast1 they have no more work to do2 close the weary eyes1 they have no more tears to shed2 part the damp tresses1 they have no more pain to bear4 ,closed is the ear to love's kind and gentle voice4 ,no anxious care gathers on the marble brow as you gaze4 ,no throb of pleasure pulsates from the dear1 loving bosom1 nor mantling flush mounts the blue-veined temple4 ,can this be death8 ,oh1 if beyond death's swelling flood there was no eternal shore6 ,if for the struggling bark there were no port of peace6 ,if athwart that lowering cloud sprang no bright bow of promise6 ,alas for love if this were all1 and naught beyond the parting at earth's portals4 ,the remains of ,tabitha were carefully laid in a retired upper chamber4 ,and now there was hurry and bustle in preparation for the final rites4 ,friends were sent for1 neighbors were present1 the funeral arrangements were discussed1 the mourning procured1 the hospitalities of the house provided for4 ,all was excitement--the loss was not then perceived in all its greatness4 ,but after the preparations were all made1 after the bustle had subsided1 and the watchers had come for the night1 then it was that the friends of ,tabitha began to realize what had befallen them4 ,now the house seemed so still and sepulchral1 though in the heart of the city1 and though its threshold was still trodden by friendly feet1 it seemed so empty4 ,the apartments--how deserted6 especially the room where she struggled and surrendered in the last conflict4 ,there are the clothes1 the garments and unfinished coat1 there was the vacant chair and idle work-basket4 ,during her sickness they had not so much noticed these things1 for they were ever hopeful that these things might be used or occupied again4 ,but now it can not be1 and they perceive the dreadful vacancy everywhere4 ,oh1 how dark and cheerless the shadows came down over that home6 ,no moon or stars have ever shown so dimly--no darkness ever seemed so utterly dark4 ,the ticking of the clock resounds like bell-strokes all over the house4 ,such deep silence6 ,no footsteps now on the stairs1 or in the sick-chamber2 no nurse to come and say1 8she is not so well10 and come and ask for you4 ,no1 indeed1 only the silent watchers move about with muffled step1 and 8you may sleep on now and take your rest10 if you can4 ,ah1 poor bereaved hearts6 ,it will be long ere the sweet rest you once knew will visit your couch4 ,slumber will bring again the scenes through which you have just passed1 and you will start from it but to find them all too real4 ,god pity the mourners after the body of the loved one lies unburied 8in an upper chamber40 ,all the members of the ,christian congregation of ,joppa appear to have been deeply moved by the loss which they had sustained1 and to have entertained the wish in their hearts1 although they did not venture to express it1 that1 if it were possible1 ,tabitha might be recalled to life1 and yet1 in sending for ,peter1 who at this time was at ,lydda1 ten miles away1 they scarcely expected a miracle1 and only desired that he would address words of consolation to them4 ,much is already gained1 when they who abide in the house of mourning sincerely desire the consolations of ,god's word spoken through human lips4 ,it was only after her death that it became known what a treasure she had been to the church4 ,it is one of the beautiful charms of the ,christian life1 that in nearly every congregation there is a ,tabitha to be found who constitutes1 as it were1 the central point around which the love that exists in the society1 collects4 ,every love is guided by her hand1 and even when she utters no words1 she successfully admonishes others4 ,such a woman could not well be spared out of the ,joppa church1 and so1 with the sunrising1 the little congregation despatched two men1 who hastened over the plain of ,sharon to ,lydda1 with a message to ,peter1 saying1 8,delay not to come to us60 ,there was haste in the matter4 ,the body of ,tabitha1 in accordance with ,oriental usage1 could not be long held 8in the upper chamber40 ,peter seemed to have recognized this1 for he at once 8arose and went with them40 ,as soon as the ,apostle1 who had made no delay1 had arrived at ,joppa1 the elders of the congregation conducted him to the late home1 and to the upper chamber in which the corpse lay4 ,as ,peter entered he saw the widows1 on whom the deceased had conferred such benefits1 standing around the bier of ,tabitha1 weeping1 and 8shewing the coats and garments which ,dorcas made1 while she was with them40 ,these acts of benevolence which survived their author1 were indeed noble testimonials of the deceased woman's love and charity4 ,after these weeping widows had told out their sorrow and their gratitude1 ,peter directed them all to withdraw4 ,doubtless he made this request that he could more fully engage in prayer when alone4 ,he may also have perceived that some were governed by an idle curiosity4 ,at all events1 he did not yet know whether it was the ,lord's will to restore the deceased woman to life4 ,hence he desired to be alone with the ,lord1 in order to make known to ,him the requests of the disciples4 ,after having poured out his soul in fervent prayer on his knees1 ,peter turned toward the body and called to ,tabitha1 saying1 8,arise40 ,luke gives us a graphic description of the scene3 at first she opened her eyes1 then1 on seeing ,peter1 rose and sat up1 and1 at length1 when ,peter had given her his hand1 stood up4 ,the ,lord having restored ,tabitha to life through the prayers of ,peter1 the ,apostle called to the saints and widows1 and presented to them the woman1 who had been raised up by the power of ,god4 ,this great miracle1 we are further told1 produced an extraordinary effect in ,joppa1 and was the occasion of many conversions4 8,many10 ,luke says1 8believed in the ,lord40 ,doubtless1 ,tabitha1 when she realized what the ,lord had done for her1 for the remainder of her life1 said3 8,i shall go softly10 since ,i've found ,the mighty arm that girds me round ,is gentle1 as it's sure and strong2 8,i shall go softly0 through the throng ,and with compulsion calm and sweet ,lead sinners to the ,saviour's feet4 ,tabitha1 in her good works and alms-deeds1 and in her garments that she made1 is not a fashion-plate1 but a model for every ,christian woman4 ,we may learn1 in her life1 the glorification of little things4 ,she was not rich1 at least we are not told that she was1 and yet how she glorified her needle1 until a whole city is moved to bitter weeping at her death4 ,her needle brought her unsought fame4 ,little acts are the elements of all true greatness4 ,they test our disinterestedness4 ,the heart comes all out in them4 ,it matters not so much what we have1 as to what use we put that which we have4 ,a man who had made an immense fortune out of a factory in which its builder had sunk #ge1jjj and failed1 said1 8,i am always here to watch the little things1 to pick up a bunch of cotton1 to tighten a screw1 to turn on a nut1 to regulate a machine1 to mend a band1 to oil a dry place1 and so prevent breakages and stopping of the work4 ,these little wastes of material and machinery in time will eat up the profits of any business4 ,these little things ,i attend to myself4 ,i can hire men to attend the large things40 ,this is the secret of success in every department of business and walk of life4 ,the principle is equally applicable to women's work4 ,perhaps no class of people ought to look after little things more than the house-wife4 ,certainly every woman ought to know that careless extravagance1 and the little wastes in many ways1 destroy the profits4 ,there are a thousand ways in which opportunities for good may be wasted4 ,never wait for the evil to increase4 8,a stitch in time saves nine10 saves a rent1 and1 under the well-trained eye of ,tabitha1 saved a garment4 ,heavy doors turn on small hinges4 ,fortunes turn on pivots4 ,look out for small things4 ,they are the atoms1 the trifles1 that make up the large things4 ,a stitch is a small thing1 but led by the needle of ,dorcas1 the garments and coats multiplied4 ,so of ,christian usefulness4 ,the needle in ,tabitha's hand was a very small instrument1 but the deeds it wrought1 clothed the widows and blessed a church4 ,the two mites of the poor widow were a little sum1 but measured by their motive1 they were perhaps the largest contribution ever made to ,christian charity4 ,it is said that a tract1 from the hands of a servant girl1 led to the conversion of no less than ,richard ,baxter4 ,he awoke to a world of usefulness4 ,among the library of books he wrote was the 8,call to the ,unconverted40 ,it fell into the hands of ,philip ,doddridge4 ,it led him to ,christ4 ,doddridge1 too1 awoke to a world of usefulness4 ,his 8,rise and ,progress0 was the means of the awakening of ,william ,wilberforce4 ,a book of his writing led to the salvation of ,leigh ,richmond4 ,he wrote the 8,dairyman's ,daughter10 that fell upon the world like a leaf from heaven--all the fruitage of a single tract from the hand of a maid4 8,what is that in thine hand80 the ,almighty asked ,moses while he kept ,jethro's flock in the back side of the desert1 and ,moses said1 8,a rod10 a shepherd's staff1 cut out of the thicket near by1 with which he guided his sheep4 ,any day he might throw it away and cut a better one1 but ,god said1 8,with this rod thou shalt save ,israel40 ,what is that in thine hand1 ,sarah8 ,three measures of meal with which ,i prepare my dinner4 ,hasten1 knead it1 and make cakes upon the hearth1 and angels shall sit at thy table to-day4 ,what is that in thine hand1 ,rebekah8 ,a pitcher with which ,i carry water4 ,use it in watering the thirsty camels of ,eliezer1 and thou shalt be an heir in the house of ,abraham8 ,what is that in thine hand1 ,miriam8 ,only a timbrel4 ,use it in leading the women of ,israel in the song of triumph over ,pharaoh's hosts4 ,what is that in thine hand1 ,rahab8 ,only a scarlet thread4 ,bind it in the window1 and thou shalt save thyself and household4 ,what is that in thine hand1 poor widow8 ,only two mites4 ,give them to ,god1 and behold1 the fame of your riches fills the world4 ,what hast thou1 weeping woman8 ,an alabaster box of ointment4 ,give it to ,god4 ,break it1 and pour it on thy ,saviour's head1 and its sweet perfume is a fragrance in the church till now4 ,what is that in thine hand8 ,a broom4 ,use it for ,god4 ,a broom in the hand of a ,christian woman may be as truly used for ,his glory1 as was the sceptre of ,david4 ,what is that in thine hand8 ,a pen4 ,use it for ,god4 ,oh1 matchless instrument6 ,write words of comfort and sympathy that shall echo around the globe4 ,oh1 can you not find some poor soul to-day who does not know ,jesus8 ,can you not tell some wanderer about the ,christ8 ,what is in thine hand8 ,wealth4 ,consecrate it now to ,god4 ,what is in thy mouth8 ,a tongue of eloquence4 ,use it for ,god4 ,the tongue is the mightiest instrument that ,god ever made4 ,what is in thine hand8 ,a kindly grasp8 ,give that to some sad1 desponding soul4 ,we need grit and grace to use the common things in the ordinary way in the daily occupations of life4 ,consecrate the pen1 the needle1 the tongue1 the hands1 the feet1 and the heart to ,jesus4 ,our ,lord gave dignity to labor2 the sweat-beads of honest toil stood on ,his brow4 ,this is ,god's way of working4 ,he chooses to use the least things--even things that amount to nothing--to accomplish ,his work in the salvation of the race4 ,use your leisure4 ,feed the hungry1 clothe the naked1 visit the sick1 comfort the wretched1 spread the gospel far and wide4 ,if you have nothing else1 use your needle1 and the garments will multiply1 and the destitutes will be clothed4 ,a poor girl who had nothing but a sewing machine1 used it to aid a feeble church2 all her earnings above her needs were given towards building a house of worship1 and in a year she paid more than a hundred others richer than she4 ,so you can do if you will4 ,if you but knew it1 you have ,tabitha's needle in your hand--the simple instrumentality with which to do good4 ,when the pierced hand of our ,lord is laid on consecrated needles1 on the ordinary means within our reach1 on wealth1 on learning1 on beauty1 on culture1 on every gift and grace in every relation in life1 then the splendor of the millennial dawn will color the eastern sky with its crimson and gold4 ,from the beautiful home of ,tabitha1 in ,joppa1 the ,sacred history runs on until ,lydia1 in the city of ,philippi1 is reached4 ,while at ,troas1 ,paul had a remarkable vision in the night1 of a man of ,macedonia1 standing before him and praying1 8,come over into ,macedonia1 and help us40 ,how ,paul knew this man to be a ,macedonian is not stated4 ,perhaps he may have frequently seen ,macedonian seamen in ,tarsus1 his birthplace1 which was a flourishing commercial city on the ,mediterranean1 or he may have recognized him by his speech or national dress4 ,this man entreated him1 in the vision1 to cross over the sea from ,asia into ,europe1 and come to the aid of the inhabitants of ,macedonia4 ,paul had never been in ,europe1 and had no thought of going there4 ,on the other hand1 he had been delivering the decrees issued by the church council at ,jerusalem1 through the maritime cities of ,asia ,minor1 and 8assayed to go into ,bithynia10 but was restrained by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,being thus convinced1 he embarked at ,troas1 taking with him as fellow-laborers1 ,silas1 ,timothy1 and ,luke4 ,after a rapid and successful voyage over the peaceful waters of the gean ,sea1 in a direct course to the north-west1 they reached the island of ,samothrace4 ,the next day they proceeded to ,neapolis1 situated on the ,strymonic ,gulf1 and a seaport of ,thrace4 ,from this point they continued their journey1 probably1 on foot4 ,following the ancient well-paved road up the steep ,symbolum hills1 until they reached the solitary pass through the mountains1 at an elevation of #a1fjj feet above the sea4 ,once through this lonely pass and a magnificent view is obtained of the plain in which ,philippi is located1 and of the ,pangus and ,hmus ranges1 which close in the plain to the south-west and north-east4 ,at one point on the summit of ,symbolum one can look down into ,neapolis on the sea1 and into ,philippi in the plain4 ,from this point the ,apostles descended to the plain below by a yet steeper road than the ascent out of ,neapolis4 ,at length1 at the end of a twelve miles' jaunt on foot1 finds them in 8the chief city of that part of ,macedonia10 and they were quite prepared for a good meal and a night's rest4 ,the next morning1 being the ,sabbath day1 the ,apostles began to look about the city for a synagogue4 ,but there was no synagogue in ,philippi1 only one of those light1 temporary structures1 called proseuch1 which was merely an enclosure without a roof1 and was located on the banks of the swiftly-rushing ,anghista 7not the ,strymon1 as some writers have it71 and so the ,apostles hastened 8out of the city0 to the 8river side10 to the proseuch1 8where prayer was wont to be made40 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,city ,,by ,,the ,,anghista4 ,this place without the city wall was not a solitary locality1 secluded and retired from the endless confusion of city streets1 but1 on the contrary1 it was a market place1 especially set apart for the mountain clans of the ,pangus and ,hmus ranges1 who came down with their pack animals to trade4 ,no doubt this stream had its fountains high up among the ,hmus hills1 and with great force came rushing down the mountain1 and spreading out in the plain1 gave a plentiful supply to man and beast4 ,it flowed down through the market place2 it was within reach of every child's pitcher2 it was enough for every empty vessel4 ,the small birds came down thither to drink2 the sheep and lambs had trodden down a little path to its brink4 ,the thirsty beasts of burden1 along the dusty road1 knew the way to the stream1 with its soft1 sweet murmur of fullness and freedom4 ,the clear1 sparkling river must have reminded the ,apostles of the waters of life and salvation1 which they were bringing to these ,philippians4 ,this stream sometimes may cease to flow1 and every other may be dry in the days of drought and adversity1 but the heavenly stream whose spring was in ,jesus ,christ1 they well knew1 would never cease to flow4 ,and they also well knew that whosoever drank from the river issuing from under the threshold of divine grace1 should never thirst4 ,amid these surroundings1 ,paul and his companions sat down in the proseuch1 8and spake unto the women0 who had already assembled in the place of prayer4 ,it would seem that there were no ,hebrew men in ,philippi1 and possibly1 for the reason this city was a military1 and not a mercantile centre4 ,even the women may have been few in number1 so that the speaker could not deliver a formal address1 but only engage in familiar conversation1 which could be easier done in a sitting posture1 and in a comparatively free and conversational intercourse1 thus assuming at once the attitude of teachers4 ,the gracious words which fell from the lips of ,paul in this first attempt to introduce the gospel into ,macedonia1 are not reported by ,luke1 but he tells us that the ,lord opened the heart of a woman named ,lydia4 ,there is something very beautiful in this incident1 that ,god should honor woman with being the first convert in ,europe6 ,it was a man who stood before ,paul in his vision1 praying1 8,come over into ,macedonia and help us10 but it is a woman who is first willing to be helped4 ,there was1 that ,sabbath morning1 in the proseuch1 by the rippling waters of the ,anghista1 one solitary woman who was in a special degree1 open to the influence of the truth1 and who listened with earnest attention to all that ,paul said4 ,luke tells us that ,lydia was a dealer in purple1 and a citizen of ,thyatira1 ,asia ,minor1 and1 as ,thyatira was a ,macedonian colony1 we may the more readily understand that circumstances connected with her trade brought her at this time to ,philippi1 and was probably only a temporary resident4 ,thyatira was celebrated1 at a very early period1 for its purple dyes and purple fabrics4 ,the purple color1 so extravagantly valued by the ancients1 and even by the ,orientals at the present day1 included many shades or tints1 from rose-red to sea-green or blue4 ,philippi being the military centre of ,macedonia1 the military trappings1 with all their tinsel and show1 made a brisk market for the purple cloth of ,lydia1 and1 no doubt1 she was a woman who prospered in her business1 and was in good circumstances1 and1 possibly1 possessed of considerable wealth1 as she generously offered her home and hospitality to ,paul and his companions4 ,but now see how the words and acts of this noble woman demonstrates the genuineness of her faith4 ,she at once1 with her household1 presents herself for baptism4 ,while it is quite probable that the baptism was not performed on the spot1 it took place1 no doubt1 at the first opportunity4 ,having become a member of the household of faith1 she addresses the ,apostles saying1 8,if ye have judged me to be faithful10 that is1 judged that ,i am one that believeth in the ,lord1 8come into my house1 and abide there40 ,what gentleness in her language1 8,if ye have judged me faithful10 humbly submitting to the experienced judgment of her religious benefactors1 yet urgently inviting the ,apostle and all his companions to enter her house1 and remain there as her guests4 ,this proffered hospitality furnished direct evidence of her love to her ,redeemer1 which proceeded from faith1 and which manifested itself by disinterested and kind attentions to ,his messengers4 ,she supported her plea by appealing to the judgment which they had themselves pronounced in her case1 and without which they would unquestionably have declined to baptize her4 ,that these messengers of the gospel acceded to the request of ,lydia1 and entered her house as guests1 may be confidently assumed4 ,we also see with what beautiful fidelity she remained true to ,paul and ,silas when they were persecuted4 ,it is also interesting to notice that through ,lydia1 indirectly1 the gospel may have been introduced into that very section 7,bithynia71 where ,paul had been forbidden directly to preach it4 ,whether she was one of 8those women0 who labored with ,paul in the gospel at ,philippi1 as mentioned afterwards in the ,epistle to that place 7,phil4 iv1 #c7 it is impossible to say1 but from what we know of her history1 it would be just like her1 for1 surely such a royal entertainer in true hospitality1 would make a heroic laborer in any gospel field4 ,we may learn from ,lydia's life that the human heart is closed and barred by sin1 so that divine truth can not enter to enlighten the mind1 direct the will1 or renew the spiritual life forces until divine grace1 through operations of the ,holy ,spirit1 opens the heart4 ,when the ,lord opens the heart1 conversion is possible1 but it is actually effected only when the heart1 like the prepared field1 with willingness receives the seed of divine truth4 ,god calls1 and if but few are chosen1 it is simply because men choose not to obey the call4 ,the ,lord opens only the hearts of those for ,his spiritual kingdom who are willing to and do accept ,his conditions4 ,in the conversion of ,lydia we see the ,kingdom of ,christ in its incipient state strikingly illustrated4 ,in the parable of the grain of mustard-seed1 ,jesus told his disciples that the gospel in its beginning would be just like that smallest of seeds1 but would grow and spread1 and finally succeed4 ,lydia is only one convert1 a lone woman in a great military camp of a heathen city1 and women1 socially1 in those days1 did not count for much4 ,humanly speaking1 this first ,european convert appeared about as insignificant as a grain of mustard-seed4 ,and yet this apparently insignificant seed produced a rich and precious harvest in the flourishing congregation of ,philippi1 in the spread of the gospel over all ,europe1 and it will soon cover the whole world4 ,from ,lydia's candid reception of the gospel1 her urgent hospitality1 her unfaltering and continued friendship to the ,apostles1 her modest bearing in being accounted worthy of the confidence of her benefactors1 we are led to form a high estimate of her character4 ,though possessed of considerable wealth1 and1 possibly1 of social rank1 she had the grace of humility4 ,her deep humility in the presence of ,god's messengers was a clear and sufficient proof of her humility before ,god1 and that it was real2 that humility1 if not already a resident in her heart1 had1 with the incoming of divine grace1 taken up its abode in her1 and become her very nature2 that she actually1 like ,christ1 made herself of no reputation1 especially when persecution came to ,paul and ,silas4 ,when1 in the presence of ,god1 lowliness of heart has become1 not a posture we assume for a time1 but the very spirit of our life1 it will manifest itself1 as it did in ,lydia1 in all our bearing towards others4 ,the lesson is one of deep import4 ,the only humility really ours is not that which we assume in our devotions to ,god1 but that which we carry with us in our ordinary conduct4 ,the insignificances of the daily life are the importances of eternity1 because they prove what spirit really possesses us4 ,it is in our most unguarded moments we really show what we are4 ,to know the humble woman1 to know how the humble woman behaves1 you must accept her hospitality as the ,apostles accepted the hospitality of ,lydia1 and follow her to her home1 and into the common course of daily life4 ,humility before ,god is nothing if not proved in humility before men4 ,it was when the disciples disputed who should be greatest that ,jesus taught the lesson of humility by washing their feet4 ,and this heavenly grace runs all through the epistles of ,paul1 the spiritual father of ,lydia4 ,to the ,romans he writes1 8,in honor preferring one another40 8,set not your mind on high things1 but condescend to those that are lowly40 8,be not wise in your own conceit40 ,to the ,corinthians he said1 8,love vaunteth not itself1 is not puffed up1 seeketh not her own1 is not provoked40 ,these are all the gracious fruits of humility1 for there is no love without humility at its roots4 ,to the ,galatians the ,apostle writes1 8,through love be servants one of another4 ,let us not be desirous of vain glory1 provoking one another1 envying one another40 ,to the ,ephesians1 immediately after the three wonderful chapters on the heavenly life1 he writes1 8,therefore1 walk with all lowliness and meekness1 with long-suffering1 forbearing one another in love20 8,giving thanks always1 subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of ,christ40 ,to the ,philippians1 8,doing nothing through faction or vain glory1 but in lowliness of mind1 each counting others better than himself4 ,have the mind in you which was also in ,christ ,jesus1 who emptied ,himself1 taking the form of a servant1 and humbled ,himself40 ,and to the ,colossians1 8,put on a heart of compassion1 kindness1 humility1 meekness1 long-suffering1 forbearing one another1 and forgiving each other1 even as the ,lord forgave you40 ,it is in our relation to one another1 that the true lowliness of mind and the heart of humility are to be seen4 ,our humility before ,god has no value but as it prepares us to reveal the humility of ,jesus to our fellow-men4 ,let us cultivate this beautiful gem of divine grace1 which was developed in such a marked degree in the life of ,lydia1 the first ,european ,christian4 ,but we hasten on in our narrative1 and gather up in a group1 as one would gather a handful of flowers1 those ,women in ,white ,raiment so briefly mentioned in the ,sacred records as not to give us enough of their history to write upon4 ,among these are the unnamed four daughters of ,philip the evangelist1 who lived at ,csarea4 ,these daughters ranked high in the early church4 ,they possessed the gift of prophetic utterance1 and who apparently gave themselves to the work of teaching4 ,though no record is left us of their work1 we may well believe their distinguished accomplishments brought them into contact with many people of that busy seaport city on the ,mediterranean1 where people of all nations came and went4 ,phbe of ,cenchrea1 one of the ports of ,corinth4 ,she must have been a woman of influence1 and worthy of confidence and respect4 ,she is not only commended by ,paul1 but was also a deaconess in the church at ,cenchrea4 ,on her was conferred the honor of carrying the letter of ,paul from ,corinth to ,rome4 ,whatever her errand to ,rome may have been1 the independent manner of her going there seems to imply 7especially when we consider the secluded habits of ,greek women7 that she was a woman of mature age1 and was acting in an official capacity4 ,she was not only a woman of great energy1 but possessed of wealth4 ,she evidently was of great service to ,paul1 and he had confidence in her integrity1 for he writes in the very letter of which she was the bearer to the ,romans1 8,i commend you unto ,phbe our sister1 which is a servant of the church which is at ,cenchrea40 ,priscilla1 the wife of ,aquila1 who had fled from ,rome1 in consequence of an order of ,claudius commanding all ,jews to leave ,rome4 ,she1 with her husband1 came to ,corinth4 ,in the days of the ,apostle1 ,corinth was a place of great mental activity1 as well as of commercial enterprise4 ,its wealth and magnificence were so celebrated as to be proverbial2 so were the vices and profligacy of its inhabitants4 ,but it was just the kind of city ,paul delighted in carrying the gospel to4 ,where vice abounded he would have grace much more abound4 ,here ,priscilla became acquainted with ,paul1 and they abode together1 and wrought at their common trade of making the ,cilician tent4 ,this woman1 while taking stitches in the haircloth out of which the tents were made1 could also conduct a theological school with no less apt a student than that of ,apollos1 already noted for his eloquence1 and who was 8mighty in the ,scriptures40 ,but ,priscilla1 as she heard this eloquent young man1 at once discovered there was something wanting in his ministry4 ,it seemed to her that ,apollos knew only the baptism of ,john4 ,she knew of a more excellent way1 and so while she was setting stitches1 she 8expounded unto him the way of ,god more perfectly40 ,o1 for more ,priscillas1 versed in heavenly lore and skilled to impart it6 ,priscilla is certainly a noble example of what a woman in the ordinary walks of life may do for the church4 ,illustration3 ,,corinth1 ,,the ,,gate ,,of ,,the ,,peloponnesus4 ,eunice1 the mother1 and ,lois1 the grandmother of ,timothy1 are beautiful examples of women in the home4 ,these women had such unfeigned faith in the gospel1 and so ably instructed ,timothy in the ,scriptures1 that this home scene made a deep and lasting impression upon ,paul1 and later on1 in one of his epistles to ,timothy1 he writes1 8,when ,i call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee1 which dwelt first in thy grandmother ,lois1 and thy mother ,eunice1 444 ,i put thee in remembrance 7of this excellent home-training1 and by reason of its superior advantage7 that thou stir up the gift of ,god1 which is in thee40 ,euodias 7or rather ,eudia7 and ,syntyche1 deaconesses in the church at ,philippi4 ,these women afforded ,paul active co-operation under difficult circumstance1 and in them1 as well as other women of the same class1 is an illustration of what the gospel1 in the ,apostolic times1 did for women1 and also what the women did for the gospel1 for the ,apostle expressly states that these women labored with him in the gospel1 besides many other elect women1 the detailed mention of whom fills nearly all of the last chapter of the epistle to the ,romans1 whose history1 if known1 would doubtless be as interesting as the history of those whose names and acts have been preserved to us for our study and comfort4 ,and then there are a host of women whose names are not mentioned1 but who1 we have every reason to believe1 were numbered with the ,princesses of ,god1 women whose faith and patience in labor clothed them in ,white ,raiment4 ,of such we note a few3 ,noah's wife and her three daughters-in-law1 who must have exercised the same faith as their husbands1 and who must have been in full sympathy with their labors2 the host of ,israelitish women led by ,miriam in their song of triumph over the ,lord's deliverance from ,pharaoh's army2 the wife of ,manoah1 the mother of ,samson1 who was twice visited by the angel of the ,lord2 ,hulda1 the prophetess1 who lived in the time of ,king ,josiah1 to whom ,hilkiah1 the high priest1 had recourse1 when the book of the law was found1 to procure an authoritative opinion1 for1 doubtless1 in her time she was the most distinguished person for prophetic gifts in ,jerusalem2 the captive ,hebrew maid in the house of ,naaman1 the ,syrian general1 who knew all about the prophet in ,samaria1 and had faith to believe that ,elisha would heal him of his leprosy1 even though captive as she was1 and in a strange land2 in the days of ,saul and ,david1 when returning from the conquests1 8the women0 who 8came out of all the cities of ,israel0 to welcome1 with tabrets and song1 the deliverers of ,god's people4 ,perhaps we should not fail to briefly mention ,tamar1 the daughter of ,david1 for she was not only a chaste virgin1 but was also remarkable for her extraordinary beauty4 ,her high sense of honor must ever stand as a memorial of her virtue1 especially when we take into account the low standard of morality which prevailed in her time4 ,added to her beauty1 she had domestic accomplishments4 ,it would almost seem that ,tamar was supposed1 at least by her perfidious brother ,amnon1 to have a peculiar art in baking palatable cakes4 ,with no suspicion of any wicked design1 this beautiful princess1 at her father's request1 goes to the house of her supposed sick brother to prepare the food she was assured he would relish4 ,so she took the dough and kneaded it1 and then in his presence 7for this was a part of his fancy1 as though there was something exquisite in the manner of performing the work71 kneaded it a second time into the form of cakes4 ,after the cakes were baked1 she took them1 fresh and crisp1 to ,amnon to eat4 ,when she fully realized his wicked designs1 she touchingly remonstrated1 and held up to him the infamy of such a crime 8in ,israel10 and appealed to his sense of honor1 saying1 8,as for thee1 thou shalt be as one of the fools in ,israel40 ,her indignation after his unnatural designs were accomplished1 and she had been thrust out1 was even more heroic than her protests4 ,in her agony she snatched a handful of ashes and threw them on her beautiful hair1 then tore her royal gown1 and1 clasping her hands upon her head1 rushed to and fro through the streets crying4 ,while this is one of the most pathetically sad scenes recorded in ,bible history1 yet it brings out in a remarkable manner1 the virtue and high honor of womanhood in those rude ages of the world4 ,but over against this dark background of ,amnon's conduct the careful home-training of ,timothy1 under the moulding influence of his mother ,eunice1 and his grandmother ,lois1 shines with a brightness that reflects great credit4 ,and if such careful home-training was so far-reaching in its results as to cause ,paul1 in later years1 to remind ,timothy of this training as an inspiration to stir up the gift of ,god in him1 what shall be said of motherhood and wifehood of the many noble characters found in the ,sacred record8 ,it is a fact that women have great influence in shaping the lives of men4 ,who can tell how greatly womanhood influenced the lives of such men as ,enoch1 who walked with ,god2 ,noah1 whose faith led him to the building of the ark2 ,abraham1 whose wonderful life of trust has made him the father of the faithful in all generations of men2 ,melchizedek1 king of ,salem and priest of the most high ,god2 ,job1 whom adversity could not shake1 and who1 in the midst of his calamities1 exclaimed1 8,though ,he slay me1 yet will ,i trust in ,him20 ,caleb and ,joshua1 whose confidence in ,god's ability to lead the host of ,israel into the promised land1 was unwavering under most trying circumstances2 ,elijah and ,elisha1 who stood as the defences of ,god's people amid idolatrous times2 the good ,king ,hezekiah1 and his ever faithful counselor1 ,isaiah1 who went up into the ,temple and spread out the insulting letter of ,sennacherib1 and 8prayed and cried to heaven20 ,daniel and his companions1 who walked through the fire and the den of lions1 and thus proved their fidelity to truth and righteousness2 ,nehemiah1 who1 by moonlight1 viewed the ruins of the city of his fathers1 and then1 with wonderful courage1 repaired its broken-down walls and set up its gates that had been burned with fire2 and the great host of women mentioned by ,paul1 who1 through faith1 8received their dead raised to life again10 and others who 8were tortured1 not accepting deliverance1 that they might obtain a better resurrection40 ,surely such mothers and wives would raise up heroic men4 ,the ,spartan mother told her son1 when he started for the war1 8to return with his shield1 or upon it40 ,but the ,hebrew women led armies1 subdued kingdoms1 and turned to flight the armies of the aliens4 ,such is the womanhood of the ,bible1 and while with her companion1 man1 she inherited the infirmities brought upon the race in the transgression1 yet she is infinitely in advance of the women living in lands where the ,bible is unknown4 ,indeed1 the condition of ,hebrew women has always presented a marked contrast with heathen women1 and for the reason1 while the ,bible seeks to elevate them1 heathendom has sought to degrade them4 ,heathen oppression of womanhood rests upon the nations where the ,bible is not known1 like the mountain upon ,typho's heart4 ,buddhism presents no personal god4 ,he is 8eyeless1 handless1 never sad and never glad40 ,for sinning man there is no pity1 for of all his hundreds of names there is no 8,father40 ,confucianism1 with its backward gaze1 teaches no sin1 no ,saviour1 and only ,china for heaven4 ,mohammedanism has its creeds1 prayers1 alms1 fastings and pilgrimages4 ,but its creeds were partly written on human bones1 its pilgrimages are corrupt and its formal prayers are to 8,allah10 who bears little resemblance to the ,christian's ,god4 ,not censure1 but pity1 hovers over these classic religions and the millions who are under the pall of paganism4 ,hark6 ,from far distances voices are calling2 ,hushed be earth's clamor1 be silent and hear2 ,thrilling the heart with sad cadences falling1 ,comes the appeals in their syllables clear1 ,knowing no song but the breath of a sigh1 ,send o'er the ocean their heart-breaking cry4 ,lips that are muffled yet utter their story1 ,o the sad plea of their multiplied wrongs2 ,grim superstition grown ancient and hoary1 ,shuts in dim prisons these languishing throngs1 ,heathen womanhood1 with piteous pleading1 ,call to us blindly1 their woes interceding4 ,the non-,christian religions offer no light in life and no hope in death4 ,the bitter cry of the ,hindoo widow's prayer is1 8,o ,god1 let no more women be born in this land40 ,the horrors of heathenism are unknown in ,christian lands4 ,what makes the difference8 ,we have clearly shown in these pages that it is the teaching of the ,bible1 and this one fact alone stamps the book as divine4 ,it has ,god for its ,author1 and1 from ,genesis to ,revelation1 it blesses and elevates women4 ,why does paganism oppress womanhood8 ,because these monstrous systems are dominated by ,satan1 and knowing as he must1 that woman stands at the fountain of the race1 he poisons and corrupts the very sources of life4 ,for the truth of this one needs only to compare ,christian with heathen lands4 ,compare ,america with its happy ,christian homes1 with ,india in whose cloistered zenanas are millions of widows1 many of them under ten years of age1 and doomed to a living death--must sleep on the ground1 feed on herbs1 and practice rigid mortification4 ,before ,christianity entered that land1 the horrors of the suttee 7the burning alive of the widow with her dead husband71 the sacrificing of infants to the ,river ,ganges1 the slaying of young men and women in ,hindu temples to appease ,kali1 the god of the soil1 the 8,car of ,juggernaut10 rolling over hundreds of beings annually1 and crushing them to death1 the burning alive of lepers1 the hastening of the death of a parent by the children in carrying the former to the ,river ,ganges and there1 on the banks1 filling the afflicted one's mouth with sand and water are left to die1 the public exhibition of voluntary starvation on the part of ,hindu devotees1--all these terrible practices1 once so popular in ,india1 have passed away since the missionary has planted his foot upon the soil4 ,to-day none of these things can be found1 and ,india's voice1 as well as the voice of all ,christendom1 can go up to ,god in praise that these things no longer exist there4 ,and what has taken place in ,india1 is also fast taking place in ,china and ,africa4 ,surely1 the ,christian woman needs to press her ,bible to her heart1 and love it as she loves her ,god1 for1 were it not for this blessed book1 her condition would be no better than is the condition of woman in the lands where ,buddhism1 ,confucianism and ,mohammedanism have crushed out of her all that is worth having1 and even denies that she has a soul4 ,it must be seen that such systems are incapable of elevating womanhood4 ,the thought uppermost in our mind1 when we set out to write these pages was1 to show that ,god created man and woman as equals1 that ,christ came to save our whole humanity1 and that ,christianity is the true friend of woman4 ,how beautiful is all this in contrast with the cruelties of heathenism4 ,see how patiently ,jesus talks with a lone woman by ,jacob's well1 how tenderly he speaks to the woman who sobbed out her sorrow for her sins at ,his feet1 how compassionately ,he says to the woman for whose blood her accusers had clamored1 after ,he had silenced them1 8,go1 and sin no more40 ,and1 to the credit of head and heart1 be it said1 woman has appreciated her ,saviour1 and in many ways shown her gratitude4 ,perhaps there is no more beautiful and touching incident in the life of our ,lord than that recorded by ,luke1 where women 8ministered unto ,him of their substance40 ,finally1 if any have been helped to a better understanding and appreciation of the ,bible by the perusal of these pages1 and have been lifted nearer to the heart of ,god1 we shall feel that our labors have not been in vain4 ,,transcriber',s ,,notes3 ,italicized text is surrounded by underscores3 italics4 ,obvious typographical errors have been corrected4 ,inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized4 ,archaic or variant spelling has been retained4 ,the cover image for this e,book was created by the transcriber and is entered into the public domain4