There was once a great ship which had been sailing for many days upon
the ocean. Before it reached its destination, a high wind arose, which
drove it from its course; until, finally, becalmed close to a
pleasant-appearing island, the anchor was dropped. There grew upon this
island beautiful flowers and luscious fruits in "great profusion"; tall
trees lent a pleasing, cooling shade to the place, which appeared to the
ship's passengers most desirable and inviting. They divided themselves
into five parties; the first party determined not to leave the ship, for
said they, "A fair wind may arise, the anchor may be raised, and the
ship sail on, leaving us behind; we will not risk the chance of missing
our destination for the temporary pleasure which this island offers."
The second party went on shore for a short time, enjoyed the perfume of
the flowers, tasted of the fruit, and returned to the ship happy and
refreshed, finding their places as they had left them; losing nothing,
but rather gaining in health and good spirits by the recreation of their
visit on shore. The third party also visited the island, but they stayed
so long that the fair wind did arise, and hurrying back they just
reached the ship as the sailors were lifting the anchor, and in the
haste and confusion many lost their places, and were not as comfortable
during the balance of their voyage as at the outset. They were wiser,
however, than the fourth party; these latter stayed so long upon the
island and tasted so deeply of its pleasures, that they allowed the
ship's bell of warning to sound unheeded. Said they, "The sails are
still to be set; we may enjoy ourselves a few minutes more." Again the
bell sounded, and still they lingered, thinking, "The captain will not
sail without us." So they remained on shore until they saw the ship
moving; then in wild haste they swam after it and scrambled up the
sides, but the bruises and injuries which they encountered in so doing
were not healed during the remainder of the voyage. But, alas, for the
fifth party. They ate and drank so deeply that they did not even hear
the bell, and when the ship started they were left behind. Then the wild
beasts hid in the thickets made of them a prey, and they who escaped
this evil, perished from the poison of surfeit.
The "ship" is our good deeds, which bear us to our destination, heaven.
The "island" typifies the pleasures of the world, which the first set of
passengers refused to taste or look upon, but which when enjoyed
temperately, as by the second party, make our lives pleasant, without
causing us to neglect our duties. These pleasures must not be allowed,
however, to gain too strong a hold upon our senses. True, we may return,
as the third party, while there is yet time and but little bad effect,
or even as the fourth party at the eleventh hour, saved, but with
bruises and injuries which cannot be entirely healed; but we are in
danger of becoming as the last party, spending a lifetime in the pursuit
of vanity, forgetting the future, and perishing even of the poison
concealed in the sweets which attracted us.
Who hath sorrow? Who hath woe?
He who leaves much wealth to his heirs, and takes with him to the grave
a burden of sins. He who gathers wealth without justice. "He that
gathereth riches and not by right in the midst of his days shall he
leave them." To the portals of eternity his gold and his silver cannot
accompany the soul of man; good deeds and trust in God must be his
directing spirits.
Although God is merciful and pardons the sins of man against Himself, he
who has wronged his neighbor must gain that neighbor's forgiveness
before he can claim the mercy of the Lord. "This must ye do," said Rabbi
Eleazer, "that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. The
Day of Atonement may gain pardon for the sins of man against his Maker,
but not for those against his fellow-man, till every wrong done is
satisfied."
If a man is called upon to pardon his fellow, freely he must do it; else
how can he dare, on the Day of Atonement, to ask pardon for his sins
against the Eternal? It is customary on this day for a man to thoroughly
cleanse himself bodily and spiritually, and to array himself in white
fresh clothing, to typify the words of Isaiah, "Though your sins should
be as scarlet, they shall become white as snow."
* * * * *
It happened that the mayor of a city once sent his servant to the market
to purchase some fish. When he reached the place of sale he found that
all the fish save one had been sold, and this one a Jewish tailor was
about purchasing. Said the mayor's servant, "I will give one gold piece
for it;" said the tailor, "I will give two." The mayor's messenger then
expressed his willingness to pay three gold pieces for it, but the
tailor claimed the fish, and said he would not lose it though he should
be obliged to pay ten gold pieces for it. The mayor's servant then
returned home, and in anger related the circumstance to his master. The
mayor sent for his subject, and when the latter appeared before him
asked:--
"What is thy occupation?"
"A tailor, sir," replied the man.
"Then how canst thou afford to pay so great a price for a fish, and how
dare degrade my dignity by offering for it a larger sum than that
offered by my servant?"
"I fast to-morrow," replied the tailor, "and I wished the fish to eat
to-day, that I might have strength to do so. I would not have lost it
even for ten pieces of gold."
"What is to-morrow more than any other day?" asked the mayor.
"Why art thou more than any other man?" returned the other.
"Because the king hath appointed me to this office."
"Well," replied the tailor, "the King of kings hath appointed this day
to be holier than all other days, for on this day we hope that God will
pardon our transgressions."
"If this be the case thou wert right," answered the mayor, and the
Israelite departed in peace.
Thus if a person's intention is to obey God, nothing can hinder its
accomplishment. On this day God commanded His children to fast, but they
must strengthen their bodies to obey Him by eating on the day before. It
is a person's duty to sanctify himself, bodily and spiritually, for the
approach of this great day. He should be ready to enter at any moment
into the Fearful Presence with repentance and good deeds as his
companions.
A certain man had three friends. One of these he loved dearly; the
second he loved also, but not as intensely as the first; but toward the
third one he was quite indifferently disposed.
Now the king of the country sent an officer to this man, commanding his
immediate appearance before the throne. Greatly terrified was the man at
this summons. He thought that somebody had been speaking evil of him, or
probably accusing him falsely before his sovereign, and being afraid to
appear unaccompanied before the royal presence, he resolved to ask one
of his friends to go with him. First he naturally applied to his dearest
friend, but he at once declined to go, giving no reason and no excuse
for his lack of friendliness. So the man applied to his second friend,
who said to him:--
"I will go with thee as far as the palace gates, but I will not enter
with thee before the king."
In desperation the man applied to his third friend, the one whom he had
neglected, but who replied to him at once:--
"Fear not; I will go with thee, and I will speak in thy defense. I will
not leave thee until thou art delivered from thy trouble."
The "first friend" is a man's wealth, which he must leave behind him
when he dies. The "second friend" is typified by the relatives who
follow him to the grave and leave him when the earth has covered his
remains. The "third friend," he who entered with him into the presence
of the king, is as the good deeds of a man's life, which never desert,
but accompany him to plead his cause before the King of kings, who
regardeth not person nor taketh bribery.