The realm of ether fills;
How sweeps the song of solemn joy
O'er Judah's sacred hills.
"Glory to God!" the sounding skies
Loud with their anthems ring:
"Peace on the earth; good will to men,
From heaven's eternal King."
Light on thy hills, Jerusalem!
The Saviour now is born!
More bright on Bethlehem's joyous plains
Breaks the first Christmas morn; {420}
And brighter on Moriah's brow,
Crowned with her temple-spires,
Which first proclaim the newborn light,
Clothed with its orient fires.
This day shall Christian tongues be mute,
And Christian hearts be cold?
O catch the anthem that from heaven
O'er Judah's mountains rolled!
When nightly burst from seraph-harps
The high and solemn lay,--
"Glory to God; on earth be peace;
Salvation comes to-day!"
--_Edmund Hamilton Sears_.
{421}
HYMNS AND POEMS FOR THE TWILIGHT HOUR
{422}
{423}
READY FOR BED
Hark! the clock strikes from the steeple;
Now good-night to all good people;
Bed is ready to receive us;
Yet you say, "Oh, do not leave us!"
Thank you, friends, but we must hurry,
Else our dear old nurse will worry.
Good-bye, father; good-bye, mother;
Come now, baby; come now, brother:
By your sisters three attended,
All must go, for play is ended.--
Early go, if wise and wealthy
We would be, and also healthy.
So good-night to all good people!
Hark! from yet another steeple,
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven:
Now to bed, and bless you, Heaven.
Good advice comes from the steeple:
So good-night to all good people!
--_Ida Fay_.
{424}
BABY'S BOAT
Baby's in the boat,
Rocking to and fro;
Tautest craft afloat,--
Baby's watch below.
Snowy sails are set:
Little lullabies,
Hush the pretty pet,
Close the laughing eyes.
Storms can never harm;
Mother watches near:
Oh! her loving arm
Knows the way to steer.
Quiet now, at last,
Till the morning beams;
Baby's anchored fast
In the port of dreams.
--_George Cooper_.
{425}{426}
[Illustration]
THE ADORATION OF THE ANGELS
By William Adolph Bouguereau (1825-1905)
"Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth,
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth;
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King."
--_James Montgomery_
[End illustration]
{427}
LITTLE VOICES
What says the little brook?
"I am but a little brook;
Yet on me
The stars as brightly gleam
As on the mighty stream;
I sparkle on my way
To the sea."
What says the little ray?
"I am but a little ray,
Sent to earth
By the sun so great and bright,
Giving food and heat and light;
Yet I gladden every spot
The palace and the cot
Hail my birth."
What says the little flower?
"I am but a little flower
At your feet;
Yet on the path you tread,
Some joy and grace I shed;
So I am happy too
For the little I can do
When we meet."
What says the little lamb?
"I am but a little lamb
Soft and mild;
Yet in the meadows sweet
I ramble and I bleat; {428}
And soon my wool will grow,
To clothe you with, you know,
Darling child."
What says the little bird?
"I am but a little bird
With my song;
Come, hear me singing now,
As I hop from bough to bough;
For I cheer the old and sad
With my voice, and I am glad
All day long,"
What says the little child?
"I am but a little child
Fond of play;
Yet in my heart, I know
The grace of God will grow,
If I try to do His will,
And His law of love fulfill,
And obey."
{429}
THE TWILIGHT FALLS, THE NIGHT IS NEAR
The twilight falls, the night is near.
I fold my work away,
And kneel to One who bends to hear
The story of the day.
The old, old story; yet I kneel
To tell it at Thy call,
And cares grow lighter as I feel
That Jesus knows them all.
Thou knowest all: I lean my head;
My weary eyelids close;
Content and glad awhile to tread
This path, since Jesus knows.
And He has loved me: all my heart
With answering love is stirred,
And every anguished pain and smart
Finds healing in the word.
So here I lay me down to rest,
As nightly shadows fall,
And lean confiding on His breast
Who knows and pities all.
{430}
SAVIOUR, BREATHE AN EVENING BLESSING
Saviour, breathe an evening blessing
Ere repose our spirits seal;
Sin and want we come confessing,
Thou canst bless, and Thou canst heal.
Though destruction walk around us,
Though the arrow past us fly,
Angel-guards from Thee surround us,
We are safe if Thou art nigh.
Though the night be dark and dreary,
Darkness cannot hide from Thee;
Thou art He who, never weary,
Watchest where Thy people be.
--_James Edmeston_.
{431}{432}
[Illustration]
THE MADONNA OF THE HARPIES
By Andrea del Sarto (1487-1583)
One of the most famous painters of the Florentine school. He lived
and worked in his native city of Florence except for a sojourn at
Paris, where he was invited by Francis I. This picture is called the
"Madonna of the Harpies" because of the strange figures of harpies
in the border, not shown in this reproduction
[End illustration]
{433}
SUMMER RAIN
The mountain streams are silent,
Or whisper faint and low;
The earth is grateful to the dews
For moisture which the clouds refuse;
Blow, west wind, blow!
And fall, O gentle rain!
Awake the music of the bowers,
Unfold the beauty of the flowers;
The cornfields long to hear thy voice,
And woods and orchards will rejoice
To see thee, gentle rain!
It comes! The gushing wealth descends!
Hark! how it patters on the leaves!
Hark! how it drops from cottage eaves!
The pastures and the clouds are friends.
Drop gently, gentle rain!
The fainting cornstalk lifts its head,
The grass grows greener at thy tread,
The woods are musical again;
And from the hillside springing,
Down comes the torrent singing,
With grateful nature in accord,
A full-voiced anthem to the Lord,
To thank Him for the rain.
{434}
THE GLORIOUS HEAVENS
The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
Th' unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's power display,
And publishes to every land
The work of an almighty hand.
Soon as the evening shades prevail
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly to the listening earth
Repeats the story of her birth;
Whilst all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.
What though in solemn silence all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball?
What though nor real voice nor sound
Amidst the radiant orbs be found?
In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
Forever singing as they shine,
"The hand that made us is divine."
--_Addison_.
_Adapted from the nineteenth Psalm_.
{435}{436}
[Illustration]
JESUS AND JOHN
By Murillo (1618-1682)
[End illustration]
{437}
TWILIGHT
The twilight is sad and cloudy,
The wind blows wild and free,
And like the wings of sea-birds
Flash the white caps of the sea.
But in the fisherman's cottage
There shines a sudden light;
And a little face at the window
Peers out into the night.
Close, close it is pressed to the window,
As if those childish eyes
Were looking into the darkness
To see some form arise.
And a woman's waving shadow
Is passing to and fro,
Now rising to the ceiling,
Now bowing and bending low.
What tale do the roaring ocean,
And the night wind, bleak and wild,
As they beat at the crazy casement,
Tell to that little child?
And why do the roaring ocean,
And the night wind, wild and bleak,
As they beat at the heart of the mother,
Drive the color from her cheek?
--_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_.
By permission of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
{438}
THE PEBBLE AND THE ACORN
"I am a Pebble and yield to none!"
Were the swelling words of a tiny stone;
"Nor change nor season can alter me:
I am abiding while ages flee.
The pelting hail and the drizzling rain
Have tried to soften me long in vain;
And the tender dew has sought to melt
Or to touch my heart,--but it was not felt.
"None can tell of the Pebble's birth;
For I am as old as the solid earth.
The children of men arise and pass
Out of the world like blades of grass;
And many a foot on me has trod
That's gone from sight and under the sod!
I am a Pebble! but who art thou,
Rattling along from the restless bough?"
The Acorn was shocked at this rude salute,
And lay for a moment abashed and mute;
And she felt for a while perplexed to know
How to answer a thing so low.
But to give reproof of nobler sort
Than the angry look or the keen retort,
At length she said, in a gentle tone,
"Since it has happened that I am thrown
"From the lighter element, where I grew,
Down to another so hard and new, {439}
And beside a personage so august,
Abashed I will cover my head with dust,
And quickly retire from the sight of one
Whom time nor season, nor storm nor sun,
Nor the gentler dew, nor the grinding wheel,
Has ever subdued or made to feel."
And soon in the earth she sunk away
From the comfortless spot where the Pebble lay;
But it was not long ere the soil was broke
By the peering head of an ancient oak;
And as it arose, and its branches spread,
The Pebble looked up, and, wondering, said,--
"A modest acorn never to tell
What was enclosed in her simple shell--
"That the pride of the forest was thus shut up
Within the space of her little cup!
And meekly to sink in the darksome earth
To prove that nothing could hide her worth.
And, O, how many will tread on me
To come and admire that beautiful tree,
Whose head is towering toward the sky,
Above such a worthless thing as I!
"Useless and vain, a cumberer here,
I have been idling from year to year;
But never from this shall a vaunting word
From the humble Pebble again be heard,
Till something without me, or within,
Can show the purpose for which I've been!"
The Pebble could not its vow forget
And it lies there wrapped in silence yet.
--_Gould_.
{440}
A PSALM OF LIFE
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
"Dust thou art, to dust returnest,"
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead! {441}
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;--
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
--_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_.
By permission of Houghton. Mifflin & Co.
{442}
WHILE THEE I SEEK, PROTECTING POWER
While Thee I seek, protecting Power,
Be my vain wishes stilled;
And may this consecrated hour
With better hopes be filled.
Thy love the power of thought bestowed,
To Thee my thoughts would soar,
Thy mercy o'er my life has flowed,
That mercy I adore.
In each event of life, how clear
Thy ruling hand I see;
Each blessing to my soul more dear,
Because conferred by Thee.
In every joy that crowns my days,
In every pain I bear,
My heart shall find delight in praise,
Or seek relief in prayer.
When gladness wings my favored hour,
Thy love my thoughts shall fill;
Resigned, when storms of sorrow lower,
My soul shall meet Thy will.
My lifted eye, without a tear,
The lowering storm shall see;
My steadfast heart shall know no fear,
That heart will rest on Thee.
--_Helen Maria Williams_.
{443}{444}
[Illustration]
MADONNA DELLA TENDA
By Raphael (1483-1520)
"Think ye the notes of holy song
On Milton's tuneful ear have died?
Think ye that Raphael's angel throng
Has vanished from his side?
"Oh, no!--We live our life again;
Or warmly touched, or coldly dim,
The pictures of the Past remain,--
Man's works shall follow him!"
--_John Greenleaf Whittier_.
[End illustration]
{445}
OFT IN THE STILLY NIGHT
Oft in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Fond memory brings the light
Of other days around me;
The smiles, the tears,
Of boyhood's years,
The words of love then spoken,
The eyes that shone,
Now dimmed and gone,
The cheerful hearts now broken!
Thus in the stilly night
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad memory brings the light
Of other days around me.
When I remember all
The friends, so link'd together,
I've seen around me fall,
Like leaves in wintry weather;
I feel like one
Who treads alone,
Some banquet hall deserted,
Whose lights are fled,
Whose garlands dead,
And all but he departed.
Thus in the stilly night,
Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad memory brings the light
Of other days around me.
--_Thomas Moore_.
{446}
THE BRIDGE
I stood on the bridge at midnight,
As the clocks were striking the hour,
And the moon rose o'er the city,
Behind the dark church tower.
I saw her bright reflection
In the waters under me,
Like a golden goblet falling
And sinking into the sea.
And far in the hazy distance
Of that lovely night in June,
The blaze of the flaming furnace
Gleamed redder than the moon.
Among the long, black rafters
The wavering shadows lay,
And the current that came from the ocean
Seemed to lift and bear them away;
As, sweeping and eddying through them,
Rose the belated tide,
And, streaming into the moonlight,
The seaweed floated wide.
And like those waters rushing
Among the wooden piers,
A flood of thoughts came o'er me
That filled my eyes with tears.
How often, O how often,
In the days that had gone by,
I had stood on that bridge at midnight
And gazed on that wave and sky! {447}
How often, O how often,
I had wished that the ebbing tide
Would bear me away on its bosom
O'er the ocean wild and wide!
For my heart was hot and restless,
And my life was full of care,
And the burden laid upon me
Seemed greater than I could bear.
But now it has fallen from me,
It is buried in the sea;
And only the sorrow of others
Throws its shadow over me.
Yet whenever I cross the river
On its bridge with wooden piers,
Like the odor of brine from the ocean
Comes the thought of other years.
And I think how many thousands
Of care encumbered men,
Each bearing his burden of sorrow,
Have crossed the bridge since then.
I see the long procession
Still passing to and fro,
The young heart hot and restless,
And the old subdued and slow!
And forever and forever,
As long as the river flows,
As long as the heart has passions,
As long as life has woes;
The moon and its broken reflection
And its shadows shall appear
As the symbol of love in heaven,
And its wavering image here.
--_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_.
By permission of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
{448}
KINDNESS
A little word in kindness spoken,
A motion or a tear,
Has often healed the heart that's broken,
And made a friend sincere.
A word--a look--has crushed to earth
Full many a budding flower,
Which, had a smile but owned its birth,
Would bless life's darkest hour.
Then deem it not an idle thing
A pleasant word to speak;
The face you wear, the thoughts you bring,
A heart may heal or break.
--_Colesworthy_.
{449}{450}
[Illustration]
MADONNA
By Murillo (1618-1682)
"Bright angels are around thee,
They that have served thee from thy birth are there;
Their hands with stars have crowned thee;
Thou, peerless Queen of Air,
As sandals to thy feet the silver moon doth wear."
--_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_.
[End illustration]
{451}
PERSEVERANCE
A swallow in the spring
Came to our granary, and 'neath the eaves
Essayed to make her nest, and there did bring
Wet earth, and straw, and leaves.
Day after day she toiled
With patient art; but ere her work was crowned
Some sad mishap the tiny fabric spoiled
And dashed it to the ground.
She found the ruin wrought;
Yet not cast down, forth from her place she flew
And with her mate fresh earth and grasses brought
And built her nest anew.
But scarcely had she placed
The last soft feather on its ample floor,
When wicked hands, or chance, again laid waste,
And wrought the ruin o'er.
But still her heart she kept
And toiled again; and, last night hearing calls,
I looked, and lo! three little swallows slept
Within the earth-made walls.
What trust is here, O man!
Hath Hope been smitten in its early dawn?
Have clouds o'ercast thy purpose, trust, or plan?
Have faith, and struggle on!
{452}
THE LIGHT OF STARS
The night is come, but not too soon;
And sinking silently,
All silently, the little moon
Drops down behind the sky.
There is no light in earth or heaven,
But the cold light of stars;
And the first watch of night is given
To the red planet Mars.
Is it the tender star of love?
The star of love and dreams?
O no! from that blue tent above
A hero's armor gleams.
And earnest thoughts within me rise,
When I behold afar,
Suspended in the evening skies
The shield of that red star.
O star of strength! I see thee stand
And smile upon my pain;
Thou beckonest with thy mailed hand,
And I am strong again.
Within my breast there is no light,
But the cold light of stars;
I give the first watch of the night
To the red planet Mars. {453}
The star of the unconquered will.
He rises in my breast
Serene, and resolute, and still.
And calm, and self-possessed.
And thou, too, whosoe'er thou art
That readest this brief psalm,
As one by one thy hopes depart,
Be resolute and calm.
O fear not in a world like this,
And thou shalt know ere long,
Know how sublime a thing it is
To suffer and be strong.
--_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_.
By permission of Houghton, Mifflin & CD.
{454}
WE ARE SEVEN
I met a little cottage girl;
She was eight years old she said;
Her hair was thick with many a curl
That clustered round her head.
She had a rustic woodland air,
And she was wildly clad;
Her eyes were fair, and very fair,
--Her beauty made me glad.
"Sisters and brothers, little maid,
How many may you be?"
"How many? Seven in all," she said,
And wondering looked at me.
"And who are they? I pray you tell."
She answered, "Seven are we;
And two of us at Conway dwell
And two are gone to sea.
"Two of us in the churchyard lie,
My sister and my brother;
And in the churchyard cottage, I
Dwell near them with my mother."
"You say that two at Conway dwell
And two are gone to sea,
Yet ye are seven! I pray you tell,
Sweet maid, how this may be." {455}
Then did the little maid reply,
"Seven boys and girls are we;
Two of us in the churchyard lie
Beneath the churchyard tree."
"You run about, my little maid,
Your limbs they are alive;
If two are in the churchyard laid,
Then ye are only five."
"Their graves are green, they may be seen,"
The little maid replied,
"Twelve steps or more from my mother's door,
And they are side by side.
"My stockings there I often knit,
My kerchiefs there I hem;
And there upon the ground I sit
And sing a song to them.
"And often after sunset, sir,
When it is light and fair,
I take my little porringer
And eat my supper there.
"The first that died was sister Jane;
In bed she moaning lay
Till God released her from her pain;
And then she went away.
"So in the churchyard she was laid;
And, when the grass was dry,
Together round her grave we played,
My brother John and 1.
"And when the ground was white with snow,
And I could run and slide,
My brother John was forced to go,
And he lies by her side." {456}
"How many are you then," said I,
"If there are two in heaven?"
Quick was the little maid's reply,
"O master! We are seven."
"But they are dead: those two are dead;
Their spirits are in heaven!"
'T was throwing words away; for still
The little maid would have her will,
And said, "Nay, we are seven!"
--_William Wordsworth_.
{457}{458}
[Illustration]
JESUS IN THE TEMPLE
By William Holman Hunt (1827-1910)
One of the famous English school of so called pre-Raphaelite
painters. This picture, "Jesus in the Temple," is one of his most
celebrated paintings
[End illustration]
{459}
CHILDREN
Come to me, O ye children!
For I hear you at your play,
And the questions that perplexed me
Have vanished quite away.
Ye open the eastern windows,
That look toward the sun,
Where thoughts are singing swallows
And the brooks of morning run.
In your hearts are the birds and the sunshine,
In your thoughts the brooklet's flow,
But in mine is the wind of autumn
And the first fall of the snow.
Ah! what would the world be to us
If the children were no more?
We should dread the desert behind us
Worse than the dark before.
What the leaves are to the forest,
With light and air for food,
Ere their sweet and tender juices
Have been hardened into wood,--
That to the world are children;
Through them it feels the glow
Of a brighter and sunnier climate
Than reaches the trunks below. {460}
Come to me, O ye children!
And whisper in my ear
What the birds and the winds are singing
In your sunny atmosphere.
For what are all our contrivings,
And the wisdom of our books,
When compared with your caresses,
And the gladness of your looks?
Ye are better than all the ballads
That ever were sung or said;
For ye are living poems,
And all the rest are dead.
--_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_.
By permission of Houghton. Mifflin & Co.
{461}
ONE BY ONE
One by one the sands are flowing,
One by one the moments fall;
Some are coming, some are going;
Do not strive to grasp them all.
One by one thy duties wait thee,
Let thy whole strength go to each;
Let no future dreams elate thee,
Learn thou first what these can teach.
One by one (bright gifts from heaven)
Joys are sent thee here below;
Take them readily when given,--
Ready, too, to let them go.
One by one thy griefs shall meet thee,
Do not fear an armed band;
One will fade as others greet thee--
Shadows passing through the land.
Do not look at life's long sorrow;
See how small each moment's pain;
God will help thee for to-morrow;
So each day begin again.
Every hour, that fleets so slowly,
Has its task to do or bear;
Luminous the crown and holy,
When each gem is set with care. {462}
Do not linger with regretting,
Or for passing hours despond;
Nor, the daily toil forgetting,
Look too eagerly beyond.
Hours are golden links, God's token,
Reaching heaven; but one by one
Take them, lest the chain be broken,
Ere the pilgrimage be done.
--_Adelaide Ann Procter_.
{463}
TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW
If Fortune, with a smiling face,
Strew roses in our way,
When shall we stoop to pick them up?--
To-day, my friend, to-day.
But should she frown with face of care
And talk of coming sorrow,
When shall we grieve, if grieve we must?--
To-morrow, friend, to-morrow.
If those who've wronged us own their faults
And kindly pity pray,
When shall we listen and forgive?--
To-day, my friend, to-day.
But if stern Justice urge rebuke,
And warmth from memory borrow,
When shall we chide, if chide we dare?--
To-morrow, friend, to-morrow.
For virtuous acts and harmless joys
The minutes will not stay;
We've always time to welcome them
To-day, my friend, to-day.
But care, resentment, angry words,
And unavailing sorrow,
Come far too soon, if they appear
To-morrow, friend, to-morrow.
{464}
STILL WITH THEE
Still, still with Thee, my God,
I would desire to be,
By day, by night, at home, abroad,
I would be still with Thee.
With Thee when dawn comes in,
And calls me back to care,
Each day returning to begin
With Thee, my God, in prayer.
With Thee amid the crowd
That throngs the busy mart,
To hear Thy voice, 'mid clamor loud,
Speak softly to my heart.
With Thee when day is done,
And evening calms the mind;
The setting, as the rising, sun
With Thee my heart would find.
With Thee when darkness brings
The signal of repose,
Calm in the shadow of Thy wings
Mine eyelids I would close.
With Thee, in Thee, by faith
Abiding I would be;
By day, by night, in life, in death,
I would be still with Thee.
--_James Drummond Burns_.
{465}{466}
[Illustration]
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
By William Holman Hunt (1827-1910)
The original of this famous picture is owned by Keble College,
Oxford, and is hung in a small room adjoining the chapel.
"The legend beneath it is the beautiful verse--'Behold I stand at the
door and knock. If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will
come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.' REV. iii.
26. On the left-hand side of the picture is seen this door of the
human soul. It is fast barred; its bars and nails are rusty; it is
knitted and bound to its stanchions by creeping tendrils of ivy,
shewing that it has never been opened. A bat hovers about it; its
threshold is overgrown with brambles, nettles, and fruitless
corn,--the wild grass, 'whereof the mower filleth not his hand, nor
he that bindeth the sheaves his bosom.' Christ approaches it in the
night-time,--Christ, in his everlasting offices, of Prophet, Priest,
and King. He wears the white robe, representing the power of the
Spirit upon him; the jeweled robe and breastplate, representing the
sacerdotal investiture; the rayed crown of gold, inwoven with the
crown of thorns; not dead thorns, but now bearing soft leaves, for
the healing of the nations.
"Now, when Christ enters any human heart, he bears with him a
twofold light: first, the light of conscience, which displays past
sin, and afterwards the light of peace, the hope of salvation. The
lantern, carried in Christ's left hand, is this light of conscience.
Its fire is red and fierce; it falls only on the closed door, on the
weeds which encumber it, and on an apple shaken from one of the
trees of the orchard, thus marking that the entire awakening of
the conscience is not merely to committed, but to hereditary guilt.
"The light is suspended by a chain wrapt about the wrist of the
figure, shewing that the light which reveals sin appears to the
sinner also to chain the hand of Christ. The light which proceeds
from the head of the figure, on the contrary, is that of the hope of
salvation; it springs from the crown of thorns, and, though itself
sad, subdued, and full of softness, is yet so powerful that it
entirely melts into the glow of it the forms of the leaves and
boughs, which it crosses, shewing that every earthly object must be
hidden by this light, where its sphere extends."--_Ruskin, "Arrows of
the Chace._"
[End illustration]
{467}
LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT
Lead, kindly Light, amid th' encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on;
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Should'st lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path, but now
Lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and spite of fears
Pride ruled my will; remember not past years.
So long Thy power has blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!
--_John Henry Newman_.
{469}
NOW THE DAY IS OVER
Now the day is over,
Night is drawing nigh,
Shadows of the evening
Steal along the sky.
Now the darkness gathers,
Stars begin to peep;
Birds and beasts and flowers
Soon will be asleep.
Jesus, give the weary
Calm and sweet repose:
With Thy tenderest blessing
May our eyelids close.
Grant to little children
Visions bright of Thee;
Guard the sailors tossing
On the deep blue sea.
Comfort every sufferer
Watching late in pain;
Those who plan some evil
From their sin restrain.
Through the long night watches
May Thine angels spread
Their white wings above me,
Watching round my bed.
When the morning wakens,
Then may I arise,
Pure, and fresh, and sinless
In Thy holy eyes.
--_S. Baring-Gould_.
{469}{470}
[Illustration]
THE LITTLE MOTHER
By Ferruzzi
[End illustration]
{471}
A FAREWELL
My fairest child, I have no song to give you,
No lark could pipe to skies so dull and gray,
Yet ere we part, one lesson I can leave you,
For every day.
Be good, sweet child, and let who will be clever;
Do noble things, not dream them all day long,
And make life, death, and that vast forever,
One grand, sweet song.
--_Charles Kingsley_.
{472}
GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD MORNING
A fair little girl sat under a tree
Sewing as long as her eyes could see;
Then smoothed her work and folded it right,
And said, "Dear work, good night, good night!"
Such a number of rooks came over her head
Crying "Caw, caw!" on their way to bed;
She said, as she watched their curious flight,
"Little black things, good night, good night!"
The horses neighed and the oxen lowed;
The sheep's "Bleat, bleat!" came over the road,
All seeming to say, with a quiet delight,
"Good little girl, good night, good night!"
She did not say to the sun "Good night!"
Though she saw him there like a ball of light;
For she knew that he had God's own time to keep
All over the world, and never could sleep.
The tall pink foxglove bowed his head,
The violets curtsied and went to bed;
And good little Lucy tied up her hair,
And said, on her knees, her favorite prayer.
And while on her pillow she softly lay,
She knew nothing more till again it was day,
And all things said to the beautiful sun,
"Good morning, good morning! our work is begun!"
--_Lord Houghton_.
{473}{474}
[Illustration]
CHRISTMAS BELLS
By Edwin Howland Blashfield (1848- )
"It is the calm and solemn night!
A thousand bells ring out, and throw
Their joyous peals abroad, and smite
The darkness, charmed and holy now!
The night that erst no name had worn,
To it a happy name is given;
For in that stable lay new born,
The peaceful Prince of Earth and Heaven,
In the solemn midnight
Centuries ago!"
--_Alfred Domett_
[End illustration]
{475}
NEW YEAR'S EVE
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new;
Ring, happy bells, across the snow;
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
--_Alfred Tennyson_.
{476}
ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.
The purple-headed mountains,
The river running by,
The morning and the sunset
That lighteth up the sky.
The tall trees in the greenwood,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them everyone.
He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who hath made all things well.
--_John Keble_.
{477}
THE CHAMBERED NAUTILUS
This is the ship of pearl, which, poets feign,
Sails the unshadowed main,--
The venturous bark that flings
On the sweet summer wind its purpled wings
In gulfs enchanted, where the Siren sings,
And coral reefs lie bare,
Where the cold sea maids rise to sun their streaming hair.
Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl;
Wrecked is the ship of pearl!
And every chambered cell,
Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell,
Before thee lies revealed,--
Its irised ceiling rent, its sunless crypt unsealed!
Year after year beheld the silent toil
That spread his lustrous coil;
Still, as the spiral grew,
He left the past year's dwelling for the new,
Stole with soft step its shining archway through,
Built up its idle door,
Stretched in his last-found home, and knew the old no more.
Thanks for the heavenly message brought by thee,
Child of the wandering sea,
Cast from her lap forlorn!
From thy dead lips a clearer note is born
Than ever Triton blew from wreathed horn.
While on mine ear it rings,
Through the deep caves of thought I hear a voice that sings:--
{478}
Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,
As the swift seasons roll!
Leave thy low-vaulted past!
Let each new temple, nobler than the last,
Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length art free,
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea!
--_Oliver Wendell Holmes_.
Used by the kind permission of Houghton, Mifflin and Company.
{479}{480}
[Illustration]
THE CHILDREN OF THE SHELL
By Murillo (1618-1682)
This is one of the famous pictures of the great artist Murillo. The
little child John is giving the little Jesus a drink from a shell.
"The child nature is charmingly portrayed, so innocent and
gentle--seeming to suggest a lovable nature in the artist himself.
His pictures always arouse the reverential feeling--which puts the
stamp of artistic greatness upon them."
[End illustration]
{481}
THE DAY IS DONE
The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.
I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me
That my soul cannot resist:
A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.
Come, read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
And banish the thoughts of day.
Not from the grand old masters,
Not from the bards sublime,
Whose distant footsteps echo
Through the corridors of Time.
For, like strains of martial music,
Their mighty thoughts suggest
Life's endless toil and endeavor;
And to-night I long for rest.
Read from some humbler poet,
Whose songs gushed from his heart,
As showers from the clouds of summer,
Or tears from the eyelids start; {482}
Who, through long days of labor,
And nights devoid of ease,
Still heard in his soul the music
Of wonderful melodies.
Such songs have power to quiet
The restless pulse of care,
And come like the benediction
That follows after prayer.
Then read from the treasured volume
The poem of thy choice,
And lend to the rhyme of the poet
The beauty of thy voice.
And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.
--_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_.
Used by the kind permission of Houghton, Mifflin and Company.
{483}
A CHILD'S THOUGHT OF GOD
They say that God lives very high.
But if you look above the pines
You cannot see God. And why?
And if you dig down in the mines
You never see Him in the gold
Though from Him all that's glory shines.
God is so good, He wears a fold
Of heaven and earth across His face--
Like secrets kept, for love, untold.
But still I feel that His embrace
Slides down by thrills, through all things made,
Through sight and sound of every place:
As if my tender mother laid
On my shut lids her kisses' pressure,
Half waking me at night; and said,
"Who kissed through the dark, dear guesser?"
--_Elizabeth Barrett Browning_.
{484}
LULLABY SONG
Sleep, baby, sleep!
Thy father watches his sheep;
Thy mother is shaking the dreamland tree,
And down comes a little dream on thee.
Sleep, baby, sleep!
Sleep, baby, sleep!
The large stars are the sheep;
The little stars are the lambs, I guess;
And the gentle moon is the shepherdess.
Sleep, baby, sleep!
Sleep, baby, sleep!
Our Saviour loves His sheep:
He is the Lamb of God on high,
Who for our sakes came down to die.
Sleep, baby, sleep!
--_From the German_.
{485}{486}
[Illustration]
HEAD OF ANGEL
"See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto
you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my
Father which is in heaven."--_The Words of Jesus_
[End illustration]
{487}
THE PILGRIMS OF THE NIGHT
Hark, hark, my soul, angelic songs are swelling
O'er earth's green fields and ocean's wave-beat shore.
How sweet the truth those blessed strains are telling
Of that new life, when sin shall be no more.
Angels of Jesus,
Angels of light,
Singing to welcome
The pilgrims of the night.
Onward we go, for still we hear them singing,
"Come, weary souls, for Jesus bids you come."
And through the dark, its echoes sweetly ringing,
The music of the gospel leads us home.
Angels of Jesus,
Angels of light,
Singing to welcome
The pilgrims of the night.
Far, far away, like bells at evening pealing,
The voice of Jesus sounds o'er land and sea;
And laden souls by thousands meekly stealing,
Kind Shepherd, turn their weary steps to Thee.
Angels of Jesus,
Angels of light,
Singing to welcome
The pilgrims of the night. {488}
Rest comes at last; though life be long and dreary,
The day must dawn, and darksome night be past;
All journeys end in welcomes to the weary,
And heaven, the heart's true home, will come at last.
Angels of Jesus,
Angels of light,
Singing to welcome
The pilgrims of the night.
Angels, sing on, your faithful watches keeping,
Sing us sweet fragments of the songs above,
While we toil on, and soothe ourselves with weeping,
Till life's long night shall break in endless love.
Angels of Jesus,
Angels of light,
Singing to welcome
The pilgrims of the night.
--_Frederick William Faber_.
{489}
MEMORY VERSES
{490}
{491}
MEMORY VERSES
_One for Each Week of the Year_.
I said, "Thou art my God."
My times are in thy hand. --_Psalms 31:14-15_.
Let the words of my mouth,
and the meditations of my
heart, be acceptable in thy sight,
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. --_Psalms 19:14_.
Let your speech be always with grace. --_Colossians 4:6_.
O Lord, thou hast searched me,
and known me. --_Psalms 139:1_.
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name. --_Psalms 103:1_.
Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called
the children of God. --_Matthew 5:9_.
Ye are of God, little children. --_I John 4:4_.
Mark the perfect man,
and behold the upright, for the
end of that man is peace. --_Psalms 37:37_.
{492}
Let not your heart be troubled:
ye believe in God,
believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions. --_John 14:1_.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee. --_Isaiah 26:3_.
Ask, and it shall be given you. --_Matthew 7:7_.
Blessed are the pure in heart:
for they shall see God. --_Matthew 5:8_.
Be not overcome of evil,
but overcome evil with good. --_Romans 12:21_.
Let us therefore follow after
the things which make for peace. --_Romans 14:19_.
Keep yourselves in the love of God. --_Jude 21_.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. --_Psalms 103:8_.
Be not weary in well-doing. --_II Thessalonians 3:13_.
Bear ye one another's burdens,
and so fulfill the law of Christ. --_Galatians 6:2_.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path. --_Psalms 119:105_.
{493}
He that loveth not, knoweth not God;
for God is love. --_I John 4:8_.
Blessed is the nation
whose God is the Lord. --_Psalms 33:12_.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. --_Psalms 118:6_.
Abstain from every form of evil. --_I Thessalonians 5:22_.
If ye love me keep my commandments. --_John 14:15_.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thine heart,
and with all thy soul,
and with all thy might. --_Deuteronomy 6:5_.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament showeth his handiwork. --_Psalms 19:1_.
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,
call ye upon him while he is near. --_Isaiah 55:6_.
Hear instruction, and be wise,
and refuse it not. --_Proverbs 8:33_.
Suffer the little children
to come unto me; forbid them not:
for of such is the kingdom of God. --_Mark 10:14_.
Prove all things.
Hold fast that which is good. --_I Thessalonians 5:21_.
Blessed are the merciful:
for they shall obtain mercy. --_Matthew 5:7_.
{494}
For there is not a word in my
tongue, but, lo, O Lord,
thou knowest it altogether. --_Psalms 139:4_.
Like as a father pitieth his children,
so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. --_Psalms 103:13_.
Come unto me, all ye that
labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. --_Matthew 11:28_.
This is my commandment,
that ye love one another,
as I have loved you. --_John 15:12_.
Be strong in the Lord,
and in the strength of his might. --_Ephesians 6:10_.
Rejoice in the Lord always. --_Philippians 4:4_.
Honour thy father and thy mother;
that thy days may be long upon the land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee. --_Exodus 20:12_.
Bless them which persecute you;
bless, and curse not. --_Romans 12:14_.
Thou shalt not steal. --_Exodus 20:15_.
Give to him that asketh thee. --_Matthew 5:42_.
Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor. --_Exodus 20:16_.
{495}
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. --_Matthew 22:39_.
I will say of the Lord,
He is my refuge, and my fortress:
my God; in him will I trust. --_Psalms 91:2_.
In the day of my trouble
I will call upon thee:
for thou wilt answer me. --_Psalms 86:7_.
The eyes of the Lord
are upon the righteous,
and his ears are open unto their cry. --_Psalms 34:15_.
Show me thy ways,
O Lord, teach me thy paths. --_Psalms 25:4_.
Be ye therefore followers of God,
as dear children. --_Ephesians 5:1_.
I am the good shepherd,
and know my sheep, and am known of mine. --_John 10:14_
Ye are the light of the world.
A city that is set on a hill
cannot be hid. --_Matthew 5:14_
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble. --_Psalms 46:1_
My peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth,
give I unto you. --_John 14:27_.
{496}
God tells us in the Bible.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God. --_Matthew 22:37_.
Love one another. --_I John 3:23_.
Be ye kind one to another. --_Ephesians 4:23_.
Pray to thy Father. --_Matthew 6:6_.
Lie not. --_Colossians 3:9_.
Speak the truth. --_Zechariah 8:16_.
Thou shalt not steal. --_Exodus 20:15_.
Thou shalt not kill. --_Exodus 20:13_.
Children, obey your parents. --_Ephesians 6:1_.
Give to the poor. --_Matthew 19:21_.
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. --_Exodus 20:8_.
Search the Scriptures (study the Bible). --_John 5:39_.
Do no wrong. --_Jeremiah 22:3_.
Do that which is right. --_Exodus 15:26_.
Sin not. --_John 5:14_.
[_By courtesy of the Clarke School, Northampton. Mass._]
{497}{498}
[Illustration]
JESUS KNOCKING AT THE DOOR
By Heinrich Hofmann (1824- )
[End illustration]
{499}
PROVERBS
{500}
{501}
PROVERBS
These wise and true sayings are taken from the book in the Bible
called "Proverbs." Some of them are said to have been written by
Solomon, the wise king of Israel.
My son, if sinners entice thee,
Consent thou not.
A wise son maketh a glad father:
But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand:
But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver:
The heart of the wicked is little worth.
The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich:
And he addeth no sorrow therewith.
A false balance is an abomination to the Lord:
But a just weight is His delight.
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast:
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
A wise son heareth his father's instruction:
But a scorner heareth not rebuke.
{502}
Walk with wise men, and thou shalt be wise:
But the companion of fools shall smart for it.
Righteousness exalteth a nation:
But sin is a reproach to any people.
A soft answer turneth away wrath:
But a grievous word stirreth up anger.
The eyes of the Lord are in every place:
Keeping watch upon the evil and the good.
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance:
But by sorrow of heart is the spirit broken.
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord:
Than great treasure and trouble therewith.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is:
Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
A wise son maketh a glad father:
But a foolish man despiseth his mother.
A wrathful man stirreth up contention:
But he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
Pride goeth before destruction:
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
The hoary head is a crown of glory,
If it be found in the way of righteousness.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
{503}
A merry heart is a good medicine:
But a broken spirit drieth up the bones.
Wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler;
And whoso erreth thereby is not wise.
Even a child maketh himself known by his doings,
Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,
He also shall cry, but shall not be heard.
He that followeth after righteousness and mercy
Findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches,
And loving favour rather than silver and gold.
The rich and the poor meet together:
The Lord is the maker of them all.
Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.
He that loveth pureness of heart,
For the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
Remove not the ancient landmark,
Which thy fathers have set.
Seest thou a man diligent in his business?
He shall stand before kings;
He shall not stand before mean men.
{504}
A word fitly spoken
Is like apples of gold
In baskets of silver.
Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,
And the Lord shall reward thee.
Seest thou a man hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth;
A stranger, and not thine own lips.
{505}
PROVERBS
The following proverbs are from various sources outside the Bible.
An idle youth becomes in age a beggar.
Idle people take the most pains.
Let honesty and industry be thy constant companions.
--_Franklin_.
Haste makes waste and waste makes want.
The more haste the less speed.
Ill habits gather by unseen degrees,
As brooks make rivers, rivers run to seas.
--_Dryden_.
Small habits well pursued betimes
May reach the dignity of crimes.
--_Hannah More_.
God is always at leisure to do good to those that ask it.
God helps those who help themselves.
What we gave we have,
what we spent we had,
what we left we lost.
--_Epitaph of Edward, Earl of Devon_.
You may know him by the company he keeps.
Better alone than in bad company.
A guilty conscience needs no accuser.
Content is more than a kingdom.
Deeds not words.
A goodly outside apple rotten at the heart,
O what a goodly outside falsehood hath.
--_Shakespeare_.
{506}
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
--_Wesley_.
They conquer who believe they can.
--_Virgil_.
Never make a mountain out of a mole hill.
Employ thy time well, and since thou art
not sure of a minute throw not away an hour.
Virtue is its own reward.
--_Prior_.
Early to bed and early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
--_Franklin_.
Count that day lost whose low descending sun
Views from thy hand no worthy action done.
Never leave that till to-morrow
which you can do to-day.
--_Franklin_.
Kind hearts are the gardens,
Kind thoughts are the roots,
Kind words are the blossoms,
Kind deeds are the fruits.
--_New Education Reader_.
Do you know how many children,
Go to little beds at night,
And, without a care or trouble,
Wake up with the morning light?
God in heaven each name can tell;
Knows you, too, and knows you well.
--_New Education Reader_.
Be kind and be gentle,
To those who are old,
For kindness is dearer
And better than gold.
--_New Education Reader_.
{507}
Please is a very little word,
And thank-you is not long.
Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
I am weak, but He is strong.
Love God with all your soul and strength,
With all your heart and mind,
And love your neighbor as yourself,
Be faithful, just, and kind.
Deal with another as you'd have
Another deal with you:
What you're unwilling to receive,
Be sure you never do.
--_New England Primer_.
Politeness is to do or say
The kindest thing in the kindest way.
--_New Education Reader_.
Do all the good you can
In all the ways you can,
For all the people you can
Just as long as you can.
--_Lippincott's Beginner's Reading Book_.
Be to others kind and true,
As you'd have others be to you.
--_New Education Reader_.
[End of "VOLUME ONE: THE GOLDEN BOOK"]
------------------------------------------------
[Start of "VOLUME TWO: HERO TALES"]
{1}
{2}
{3}
THE BIBLE STORY
{6}
[Illustration]
Joseph, the Prime Minister, Greeting his family.
"And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went
up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen; and he
presented himself unto him, and fell on his neck,
and wept on his neck a good while."
[End illustration]
{7}
THE BIBLE STORY
VOLUME TWO
HERO TALES
ARRANGED AND EDITED BY
REV. NEWTON MARSHALL HALL, D.D.
MINISTER OF THE NORTH CHURCH, SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
AND
REV. IRVING FRANCIS WOOD, PH.D.
PROFESSOR OF
BIBLICAL LITERATURE AND COMPARATIVE RELIGION
AT SMITH COLLEGE
_Authors of "The Early Days of Israel" "Advanced Bible Studies" Etc_.
THE KING-RICHARDSON COMPANY
SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
CHICAGO
CLEVELAND
{8}
COPYRIGHT, 1906,
COPYRIGHT, 1917,
BY THE KING-RICHARDSON COMPANY,
SPRINGFIELD, MASS.
{9}
PREFACE
This volume contains those Old Testament stories of heroic lives, which
never lose their charm. No better nor more fascinating stories were ever
written than those of Abraham, and Joseph, and Gideon, and Moses. In the
ordinary volume, however, they are scattered over many chapters and even
books, and the reader has great difficulty in piecing them together.
Here they are told as continuous narratives, with illustrations of the
famous places, which enhance their charm. We believe that the old heroic
figures will come, in this way, before the children, and older people as
well, with a vividness and reality never before realized.
{10}
{11}
CONTENTS
PAGE
THE PATRIARCHS.
1 Abraham 21
2 Isaac 49
3 Jacob 60
4 Joseph 91
THE GREAT CAPTAINS.
1 Moses 137
2 Joshua 277
THE JUDGES.
1 Ehud 315
2 Gideon 319
3 Abimelech 332
4 Samuel 338
THE GREAT KINGS.
1 Saul 349
2 David 382
3 Solomon 452
NOTES 485
MEMORY VERSES 503
{12}
{13}{14}
[Illustration]
ON THE WEST OF JERUSALEM, LOOKING TOWARD BETHLEHEM
From a photograph belonging to the Forbes Library, Northampton,
Mass., and used by special permission.
[Illustration]
{15}
PALESTINE
Blest land of Judea! thrice hallowed of song,
Where the holiest of memories pilgrim-like throng;
In the shade of thy palms, by the shores of thy sea,
On the hills of thy beauty, my heart is with thee.
With the eye of a spirit I look on that shore,
Where pilgrim and prophet have lingered before;
With the glide of a spirit I traverse the sod
Made bright by the steps of the angels of God.
Blue sea of the hills!--in my spirit I hear
Thy waters, Gennesaret, chime on my ear;
Where the Lowly and Just with the people sat down.
And thy spray on the dust of His sandals was thrown.
Beyond are Bethulia's mountains of green,
And the desolate hills of the wild Gadarene;
And I pause on the goat-crags of Tabor to see
The gleam of thy waters, O dark Galilee!
Hark, a sound in the valley! where, swollen and strong
Thy river, O Kishon, is sweeping along;
Where the Canaanite strove with Jehovah in vain,
And thy torrent grew dark with the blood of the slain.
There down from his mountains stern Zebulon came,
And Naphtali's stag, with his eyeballs of flame,
And the chariots of Jabin rolled harmlessly on,
For the arm of the Lord was Abinoam's son!
{16}
There sleep the still rocks and the caverns which rang
To the song which the beautiful prophetess sang,
When the princes of Issachar stood by her side,
And the shout of a host in its triumph replied.
Lo, Bethlehem's hill-site before me is seen,
With the mountains around, and the valleys between;
There rested the shepherds of Judah, and there
The song of the angels rose sweet on the air.
And Bethany's palm-trees in beauty still throw
Their shadows at noon on the ruins below;
But where are the sisters who hastened to greet
The lowly Redeemer, and sit at His feet?
I tread where the Twelve in their wayfaring trod,
I stand where they stood with the Chosen of God,--
Where His blessing was heard and His lessons were taught,
Where the blind were restored and the healing was wrought.
Oh, here with His flock the sad Wanderer came,--
These hills He toiled over in grief are the same,--
The founts where He drank by the wayside still flow,
And the same airs are blowing which breathed on His brow!
And throned on her hills sits Jerusalem yet,
But with dust on her forehead, and chains on her feet;
For the crown of her pride to the mocker hath gone,
And the holy Shechinah is dark where it shone.
But wherefore this dream of the earthly abode
Of Humanity clothed in the brightness of God?
Were my spirit but turned from the outward and dim,
It could gaze, even now, on the presence of Him!
Not in clouds and in terrors, but gentle as when,
In love and in meekness, He moved among men;
And the voice which breathed peace to the waves of the sea
In the hush of my spirit would whisper to me!
{17}
And what if my feet may not tread where He stood,
Nor my ears hear the dashing of Galilee's flood,
Nor my eyes see the cross which He bowed Him to bear,
Nor my knees press Gethsemane's garden of prayer?
Yet, Loved of the Father, Thy Spirit is near,
To the meek, and the lowly, and penitent here;
And the voice of Thy love is the same even now
As at Bethany's tomb on Olivet's brow.
Oh, the outward hath gone!--but, in glory and power,
The Spirit surviveth the things of an hour;
Unchanged, undecaying, its Pentecost flame
On the heart's secret altar is burning the same!
--_John Greenleaf Whittier_.
[By permission of Houghton. Mifflin & Co.]
{18}
{19}
The Patriarchs
The earliest years of Jewish history are called the Patriarchal Age, and
the men who were the leaders of the people were called Patriarchs. It
was a very simple age. The people were nomadic, wandering from place to
place to find pasturage for their great flocks and herds. They lived in
tents. The patriarchs were the sheiks of the tribes, like sheik Ilderim
in the story of "Ben-Hur." It must be remembered that they lived in a
rude and uncivilized time. They had none of the high moral teaching
which we have. They often did things which were evil, but they also
sought earnestly after God, and often in the silence of the desert,
under the stars of night, found him, and worshiped him as truly as we
do. Their story is the common human tale of struggle and defeat and
victory, which is repeated under different circumstances in every age.
{20}
{21}
ABRAHAM
_The Story of the First Great Hero of Israel's History. How He Tented
with His Flocks on the Upland Pastures of Palestine, and Became the
Father of a Great Nation._
THE MIGRATION.
_He Leaves His Father's Home and Journeys to a New Country_.
There was a man named Abram, who lived in the city of Ur of the
Chaldees.
Now the Lord said unto Abram, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show
thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and
make thy name great; and be thou a blessing: and I will bless them that
bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall
all the families of the earth he blessed."
So Abram went, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him:
and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their
substance that they had gathered, and all their families and servants;
and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of
Canaan they came.
And Abram passed through the land unto the place of {22} Shechem, unto
the oak of Moreh. And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, "Unto thy
family will I give this land": and there builded he an altar unto the
Lord, who appeared unto him.
And he removed from thence unto the mountain on the east of Beth-el, and
pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Ai on the east; and
there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the
Lord. And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.
ABRAM AND LOT.
_The Division of the Land_.
And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And Lot also,
who went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was
not able to hold them, that they might dwell together: for their
substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there
was a strife between the herd men of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of
Lot's cattle.
And Abram said unto Lot, "Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between
me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we are
brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray
thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the
right; or if thou take the right hand, then I will go to the left."
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the Plain of Jordan, that it
was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and
Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt.
{23}{24}
[Illustration]
THE TRADITIONAL OAK OF ABRAHAM, NEAR HEBRON
From a photograph belonging to Miss Julia W. Snow
and used by her kind permission.
"And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto
the Oak of Moreh."
[End illustration]
{25}
So Lot chose for himself all the Plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed
east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram
dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the
Plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were
wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly. And the Lord said
unto Abram, after Lot was separated from him, "Lift up now thine eyes,
and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and
eastward and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will
I give it, and to thy family for ever. And I will make thy family as
the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the
earth, then shall thy family also be numbered. Arise, walk through the
land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will
I give it."
And Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre,
which are in Hebron, and built there an altar un to the Lord.
THE FIGHT OF THE FIVE KINGS AGAINST THE FOUR.
_The Capture of Lot, and His Rescue by Abram_.
And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and
the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the
same is Zoar); and they set the battle in array against them in the
vale of Siddim; against Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of
Goiim, and Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Ellasar; four
kings against the five.
Now the vale of Siddim was full of pitch pits; and the {26} kings of
Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that remained
fled to the mountain. And they took all the goods of Sodom and
Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took
Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and
departed. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the
Hebrew.
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he led forth
his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and
pursued as far as Dan. And he divided himself against them by night,
he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah,
which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the
goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the
women also, and the people.
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the
slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him. And
Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine: and he was
priest of God Most High. And he blessed him, and said, "Blessed be
Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be
God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand." And he
gave him a tenth of all.
And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, "Give me the persons and take
the goods to thyself." And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have
lifted up my hand unto the Lord, God Most High, possessor of heaven
and earth, that I will not take a thread or a shoelatchet nor aught
that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, 'I have made Abram rich': {27}
save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the
men which went with me; let them take their portion."
GOD'S PROMISES.
_The Making of the Covenant_.
After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision,
saying, "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great
reward."
And Abram said, "O Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I am
childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is my servant,
Eliezer of Damascus?"
And Abram said, "Behold, to me thou hast given no child: and, lo, one
born in my house is mine heir." And, behold, the word of the Lord came
unto him, saying, "This man shall not be thine heir; but he that shall
be thine own son shall be thine heir."
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, "Look now toward heaven,
and number the stars, if thou be able to number them": and he said
unto him, "So shall thy family be."
And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for
righteousness. And he said unto him, "I am the Lord who brought thee
out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it." And
he said, "O Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?"
And he said unto him, "Take me an heifer of three years old, and a
she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a
turtle dove, and a young pigeon."
And he took him all these, and divided them in the {28} midst, and
laid each half over against the other: but the birds divided he not.
And the birds of prey came down upon the carcases, and Abram drove
them away. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon
Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said
unto Abram, "Know of a surety that thy family shall be a stranger in a
land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict
them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve,
will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a
good old age. And in the fourth generation they shall come hither
again: for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full."
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark,
behold a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between
these pieces. In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying,
"Unto thy family have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto
the great river Euphrates."
THE BIRTH OF ISHMAEL.
_Abram Receives a New Name. Visit of the Messengers_.
(Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had no children, and, as the custom
sometimes was in those days, she gave him her handmaid Hagar, to be
his wife. And Hagar had a child, and Abram called the name of the
child Ishmael.)
And when Abram was ninety and nine years old, the Lord appeared to
Abram, and said unto him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be
thou perfect. And I {29} will make my covenant between me and thee,
and will multiply thee exceedingly."
And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, "As for
me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of
a multitude of nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called
Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of
nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and
I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I
will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy family after
thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a
God unto thee and to thy family after thee. And I will give unto thee,
and to thy family after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the
land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their
God."
And God said unto Abraham, "And as for thee, thou shalt keep my
covenant, thou, and thy family after thee throughout their
generations."
And God said unto Abraham, "As for Sarai, thy wife, thou shalt not
call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless
her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her: yea, I will bless
her, and she shall be a mother of nations; she shall bear thee a son;
and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant
with him for an everlasting covenant for his family after him."
And the Lord appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the
tent door in the heat of the day; and he lifted up his eyes and
looked, and, lo, three men stood over against {30} him: and when he
saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to
the earth and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight,
pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: let now a little water
be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your heart; after
that ye shall pass on: forasmuch as ye are come to your servant."
And they said, "So do, as thou hast said."
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, "Make ready
quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes."
And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and
gave it to the servant; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter,
and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them;
and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham
went with them to bring them on the way. And the Lord said, "Shall I
hide from Abraham that which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely
become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth
shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, to the end that he may
command his children and his household after him, that they may keep
the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; to the end that the
Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."
And the Lord said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great,
and because their sin is very grievous; {31} I will go down now, and
see whether they have done altogether according to the report of it,
which is come unto me; and if not, I will know."
And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham
stood yet before the Lord. And Abraham drew near, and said, "Wilt thou
consume the righteous within the city: wilt thou consume and not spare
the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from
thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked,
that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee:
shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
And the Lord said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the
city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."
And Abraham answered and said, "Behold now, I have taken upon me to
speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes: peradventure there
shall lack five of the fifty righteous; wilt thou destroy all the city
for lack of five?"
And he said, "I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five."
And he spake unto him yet again, and said, "Peradventure there shall
be forty found there."
And he said, "I will not do it for the forty's sake."
And he said, "Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak:
peradventure there shall be thirty found there."
And he said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there." And he said,
"Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure
there shall be twenty found there."
{32}
And he said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake." And he
said, "Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but this once:
peradventure ten shall be found there."
And he said, "I will not destroy it for the ten's sake." And the Lord
went his way, as soon as he had done communing with Abraham: and
Abraham returned unto his place.
DESTRUCTION OF THE CITIES OF THE PLAIN.
_The Fate of Sodom and Gomorrah_.
And the two angels came to Sodom at evening; and Lot sat in the gate
of Sodom: and Lot saw them and rose up to meet them; and he bowed
himself with his face to the earth; and he said, "Behold now, my
lords, turn aside, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry
all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on
your way."
And they said, "Nay; but we will abide in the street all night."
And he urged them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered
into his house; and he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread,
and they ate.
And the men said unto Lot, "Hast thou here any besides? son in law,
and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whomsoever thou hast in the city;
bring them out of the place: for we will destroy this place, because
the cry of them has grown great before the Lord; and the Lord hath
sent us to destroy it."
{33}{34}
[Illustration]
THE DEAD SEA
The five "Cities of the Plain" are supposed to have been situated to
the north of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is 47 miles long, with an
extreme breadth of about 10 miles. It lies 1290 feet below the sea
level and is itself 1300 feet deep in the deepest part. (See note on
page 257)
[End illustration]
{35}
And Lot went out, and spoke to his sons in law, which married his
daughters, and said, "Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will
destroy the city." But he seemed to his sons in law as one who mocked.
And when the morning came, then the angels hastened Lot, saying,
"Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters who are here; lest thou
be consumed in the iniquity of the city."
But he lingered; and the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the
hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord
being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him
without the city.
And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he
said, "Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in
all the Plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed."
And Lot said to them, "Oh, not so, my lord: behold now, thy servant
hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy,
which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape
to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die: behold now, this
city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape
thither (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live."
And he said unto him, "See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing
also, that I will not overthrow the city of which thou hast spoken.
Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come
thither." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar, that is,
"Little."
The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord
rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah {36} brimstone and fire from the
Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain
and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the
ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a
pillar of salt.
And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had
stood before the Lord: and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and
toward all the land of the Plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of
the land went up as the smoke of a furnace.
And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, that
God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the
overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
BIRTH OF ISAAC.
_Hagar and Ishmael Are Cast Out. Treaty with Abimelech_.
And a child was born to Sarah, according as the Lord had promised, and
Abraham called the name of his son, Isaac. And the child grew, and was
weaned: and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was
weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, which she had
borne unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, "Cast
out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall
not be heir with my son, even with Isaac."
{37}{38}
[Illustration]
HAGAR AND ISHMAEL
By Cazin
[End illustration]
{39}
And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his
son. And God said unto Abraham, "Let it not be grievous in thy sight
because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah
saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy family
be called. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a
nation, because he is thy son."
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle
of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the
child, and sent her away: and she departed and wandered in the
wilderness of Beer-sheba. And the water in the bottle was spent, and
she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her
down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she
said, "Let me not look upon the death of the child."
And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. And
God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar
out of heaven, and said unto her, "What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not;
for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up
the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great
nation."
And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went,
and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And God was
with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became
an archer. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother
took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol, the
captain of his host, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with thee in
all that thou doest: now therefore swear {40} unto me here by God that
thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's
son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou
shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned."
And Abraham said, "I will swear."
And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which
Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. And Abimelech said, "I
know not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither
yet heard I of it, but to-day."
And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and
they two made a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock
by themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, "What mean these seven
ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?"
And he said, "These seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that
it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well."
Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware
both of them. So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: and Abimelech
rose up, and Phicol, the captain of his host, and they returned into
the land of the Philistines. And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in
Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting
God. And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.
{41}
THE TESTING OF ABRAHAM.
_God Provides the Sacrifice_.
And it came to pass after these things, that God proved Abraham, and
said to him, "Abraham!"
And he said, "Here am I."
And he said, "Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even
Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a
burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."
And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took
two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the
wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of
which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes,
and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, "Abide
ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will
worship, and come again to you."
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon
Isaac, his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife; and
they went both of them together. And Isaac spoke unto Abraham, his
father, and said, "My father": and he said, "Here am I, my son."
And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for
a burnt offering?"
And Abraham said, "God will himself provide the lamb for a burnt
offering, my son": so they went both of them together.
And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham
built the altar there, and laid the wood in {42} order, and bound
Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham
stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the
angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, "Abraham,
Abraham."
And he said, "Here am I."
And he said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou
anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou
hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me."
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a
ram caught in the thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the
ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.
And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh (that is,
Jehovah will provide): as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the
Lord it shall be provided." And the angel of the Lord called unto
Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said, "By myself have I
sworn, saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not
withheld thy son, thine only son: that I will certainly bless thee,
and I will certainly multiply thy family as the stars of the heaven,
and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy family shall
possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy family shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went
together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
{43}{44}
[Illustration]
HEBRON
Used by special permission of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
This is one of the most interesting spots in all the world; for here
is the cave of Machpelah, the one ancient burial place which has
been handed down from remote antiquity as the genuine site. The
spot, as the burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah,
Jacob and Leah, has been venerated always by the adherents of the
three great religions--Jews, Moslems, and Christians. The space
containing the caves is inclosed by a great quadrangle of masonry
197 feet long and 111 feet wide called the Haram. Within this
inclosure, directly over the caves, is built a mosque. For six
hundred years no European except, in disguise was known to have
set foot in the sacred precincts. In 1862 the Prince of Wales
was given permission, with much reluctance, to visit the
inclosure. Since then a few visits have been made, but the cave
itself has never been explored. A few visitors have been
permitted to look down a shaft in the rock beneath the mosque,
but there is no positive information as to what exists below the
surface.
[End illustration]
{45}
DEATH AND BURIAL OF SARAH.
_Abraham Buys a Place to Lay His Dead_.
And the life of Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years: these
were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba
(the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn
for Sarah, and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from before his
dead, and spoke unto the children of Heth, saying, "I am a stranger
and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with
you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him, "Hear us,
my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our
sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his
sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead."
And Abraham rose up and bowed himself to the people of the land, even
to the children of Heth. And he communed with them, saying, "If it be
your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and
intreat for me to Ephron, the son of Zohar, that he may give me the
cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field;
for the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a
possession of a burying place."
Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of Heth: and
Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of
Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, "Nay,
my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein,
I give it {46} thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I
it thee: bury thy dead."
And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. And he
spoke unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying,
"But if thou wilt, I pray thee, hear me: I will give the price of the
field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there."
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, "My lord, hearken unto
me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that
betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead."
And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the
silver, which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth,
four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. So
the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre,
the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were
in the field, that were in all the border thereof round about, were
made sure unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the
children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of the city.
And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field
of Machpelah before Mamre (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto
Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of Heth.
{47}{48}
[Illustration]
REBEKAH AND ELIEZER
From the Sculpture by Therwaldsen.
"And she said, 'Drink, my Lord.' And she hasted and let down her
pitcher upon her hand and gave him drink."
[End illustration]
{49}
ISAAC
_The Story of a Man Who Was Quiet and Gentle in His
Nature, Who Lived in Peace with God and Man_.
ISAAC AND REBEKAH.
_How Abraham Sought a Fair Maiden of Nahor to be His Son's
Wife_.
And Abraham was old, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
And Abraham said to his servant, who ruled over all that he had, "Put,
I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: and I will make thee swear by
the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou shalt
not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among
whom I dwell: but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred,
and take a wife for my son Isaac."
And the servant said unto him, "Peradventure the woman will not be
willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again
unto the land from whence thou camest?"
And Abraham said to him, "Beware thou that thou bring not my son
thither again. The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my
father's house, and from the land of my nativity, and that spoke unto
me, and that swore unto me, saying, 'Unto thy family will I give this
land'; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt {50} take a
wife for my son from thence. And if the woman be not willing to follow
thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only thou shalt not
bring my son thither again."
And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master,
and swore to him concerning this matter. And the servant took ten
camels, of the camels of his master, and departed; having all goodly
things of his master's in his hand: and he arose, and went to
Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made the camels kneel down
outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time
that women go out to draw water.
And he said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, send me, I pray
thee, good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
Behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and the daughters of the men
of the city come out to draw water: and let it come to pass, that the
maiden to whom I shall say, 'Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I
may drink'; and she shall say, 'Drink, and I will give thy camels
drink also': let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy
servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness
unto my master.'"
And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold,
Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife
of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And
the maiden was very fair to look upon, and she went down to the
fountain, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to
meet her, and said, "Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water out
of thy pitcher."
{51}
And she said, "Drink, my lord": and she hasted, and let down her
pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
And when she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will draw for thy
camels also, until they have done drinking."
And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again
unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. And the man looked
steadfastly on her; holding his peace, to know whether the Lord had
made his journey prosperous or not.
And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man
took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her
hands of ten shekels weight of gold; and said, "Whose daughter art
thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room in thy father's house for us
to lodge in?"
And she said unto him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of
Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor." She said moreover unto him, "We
have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."
And the man bowed his head, and worshiped the Lord. And he said,
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who hath not
forsaken his mercy and his truth toward my master: as for me, the Lord
hath led me in the way to the house of my master's brethren."
And the maiden ran, and told her mother's house according to these
words. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban
ran out unto the man, unto the fountain. And it came to pass, when he
saw the {52} ring, and the bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when
he heard the words of Rebekah, his sister, saying, "Thus spoke the man
unto me"; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the
camels at the fountain.
And he said, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest
thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."
And the man came into the house, and he ungirded the camels; and he
gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet
and the men's feet that were with him.
And there was set food before him to eat: but he said, "I will not
eat, until I have told mine errand."
And he said, "Speak on."
And he said, "I am Abraham's servant. And the Lord hath blessed my
master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks
and herds, and silver and gold, and menservants and maidservants, and
camels and asses. And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master
when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. And my
master made me swear, saying, 'Thou shalt not take a wife for my son
of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: but thou
shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife
for my son.' And I said unto my master, 'Peradventure the woman will
not follow me.' And he said unto me, 'The Lord, before whom I walk,
will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt
take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house: then
shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and
if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath.'
{53}{54}
[Illustration]
REBEKAH
By Goodall.
[End illustration]
{55}
"And I came this day unto the fountain, and said, 'O Lord, the God of
my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: behold, I
stand by the fountain of water; and let it come to pass, that the
maiden which cometh forth to draw, to whom I shall say, "Give me, I
pray thee, a little water out of thy pitcher to drink"; and she shall
say to me, "Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels": let
the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed for my master's
son.' And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah
came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto
the fountain, and drew: and I said unto her, 'Let me drink, I pray
thee.' And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder,
and said, 'Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also': so I drank,
and she made the camels drink also. And I asked her, and said, 'Whose
daughter art thou?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's
son, whom Milcah bore unto him': and I put the ring upon her nose, and
the bracelets upon her hands. And I bowed my head and worshiped the
Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, which had
led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his
son. And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me:
and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the
left."
Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The {56} thing proceedeth
from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. Behold, Rebekah
is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's
wife, as the Lord hath spoken."
And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words,
he bowed himself down to the earth unto the Lord. And the servant
brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and
gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother
precious things.
And they ate and drank, he and the men that were with him, and tarried
all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away
unto my master."
And her brother and her mother said, "Let the maiden abide with us a
few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go."
And he said unto them, "Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered
my way; send me away that I may go to my master."
And they said, "We will call the maiden, and inquire of her."
And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, "Wilt thou go with this
man?"
And she said, "I will go." And they sent away Rebekah their sister,
and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.
And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, be thou the
mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let thy family possess the
gate of those who hate them."
{57}{58}
[Illustration]
A CAMEL RIDER
From a photograph belonging to Miss Clara L. Bodman
and used by her kind permission.
[End illustration]
{59}
And Rebekah arose, and her maidservants, and they rode upon the
camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah and went
his way.
And Isaac came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the
land of the South. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the
eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were
camels coming.
And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted
from the camel. And she said unto the servant, "What man is this who
walketh in the field to meet us?"
And the servant said, "It is my master": and she took her veil and
covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had
done. And Isaac brought her to his mother Sarah's tent, and took
Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was
comforted after his mother's death.
THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM.
And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived,
an hundred threescore and fifteen years. And Abraham died in a good
old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his
people. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of
Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which
is before Mamre; the field which Abraham purchased of the children of
Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah, his wife. And it came to
pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son.
{60}
JACOB
_The Story of the Man Who Struggled Much Between
Right and Wrong and Who Suffered Many Things_.
THE STRIFE BETWEEN THE BROTHERS.
_Esau Sells His Birthright. Jacob Deceives His Father and
Receives the Blessing Intended for Esau_.
(Isaac, the son of Abraham, and Rebekah, his wife, had twin sons,
named Jacob and Esau. Esau was a bold, rough, reckless boy, fond of
hunting and adventure. Jacob was more quiet, but also more cunning.
The recklessness of Esau and the cunning of Jacob many times cost them
dear in later life.)
And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field;
and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.