Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

10. Extremely complicated. Now the fever of agitated passion, the palsy of want of natural affection, the decay of spiritual affection—a complication of disorders, so that what is a remedy in one case is a poison in another.

[ocr errors]

II. Hereditary. What is born of the flesh is flesh." "In sin did my mother conceive me," Ps. 51. 5. By one man sin entered into the world, Rom. 5. 12; so Gehazi's family inherited from him the leprosy, 2 Kings 5. 27.

12. Most infectious. The atmosphere of the earth is charged with disease which is caught from the air of a room or from clothes; but sin from a glance, or a word, as in David's case. Evil communications corrupt good Only Christ was exempt from this infection; like a sunbeam he could penetrate impurity without being soiled.

manners.

13. Very loathsome and malignant. The drunkard's and libertine's complaints are such. The body, as in leprosy, is often a putrid mass, so that friends cannot come near. Paul says, "Who shall deliver me from the (putrid) body of this death ?"

14. Incurable by human means; sin, when it hath conceived, brought forth dead. Quack doctors will not

do. No doctors can cure this leprosy.

Russian. The fleetest horse escapes not from its tail.
Tamul. Is the young jackal to be trained to howl?
Arab.-The shadow of the deformed is deformed.
Tamul.-A lame man is a hero before a cripple.
Tamul.—As if one changed his pillow to cure the headache.
Persian.-If you keep sour milk in a leathern bag 100
years, it will still be sour milk. John 3.5-7.
Urdu.-Put a dog's tail into a straight pipe for 1000 years,
it will still be as crooked as ever.

God's People graven on the Palms of his Hands.
Is. 49. 15, 16.

God says a mother may forget her sucking child, but he

will not forget his people, Is. 49. 15.

An engraving is not

impressed on the surface as writing but is cut in or graven with a pen of stone or of writing iron; this impression is not rubbed out like that of ink or on palm leaves, but remains like the impression of the style on leaves. God's having his people graven on the palms of his hands, means their being in a secure place, and one easily observed by the individual.

Hitopadesh. He by whom swans are made white, and parrots green, and peacocks variegated, will provide thy subsistence.

Sanskrit.-A mother curses not her son; the earth suffers no harm; a good man does no injury; God destroys not his creation.

Light.-Ps. 36. 9.

God the sun, the source of light, Jas. I. 17; communicated to the body through the eye, Mat. 6. 22; the path of the just like the shining light, Prov. 4. 18; the favour of God is light, Ps. 27. I, and is therefore agreeable, Ecc. 11. 7.

Upanishad. It is through God's shining that all else shines; by his lustre the universe is illuminated.

The Righteous Bold as a Lion.-PROV. 28. 1.

The roaring of a lion in quest of his prey resembles the sound of distant thunder, and being re-echoed by the rocks and mountains, appals the whole race of animals, and puts them instantly to flight. So great are the terror and dismay which his roaring produces, that many animals, which by their swiftness might escape his fury, astonished and petrified by the sound of his voice, are rendered incapable of exertion. He never flies from the hunters, nor is frightened by their onset; if their numbers force him to yield, he retires slowly, step by step, frequently turning upon his pursuers. He has been

known to attack a whole caravan, and when obliged to retire, he always retires fighting, and with his face to his enemies. "An army of deer with the lion as leader is more terrible than an army of lions with a deer as leader."

A lion was the symbol of a king; Judah is called, from its brave character, a lion's whelp, Gen. 49. 9; Babylon is called a lion on the eagle wings of conquest, Dan. 7. 4; Paul was delivered out of the lion's mouthi.e., from the wicked-2 Tim. 4. 17; Nebuchadnezzar was called a lion, Jer. 4. 7; Christ called the lion of the tribe of Judah, Rev. 5. 5.

A lion is

I. Courageous; such was David, Ps. 27.3; so Nehemiah said, shall such a man as I flee, Neh. 6. II; so Paul boldly avowed his doctrine to be what the governor called heresy, Acts 24. 14; he fought with beasts, I Cor. 15. 32; the Apostles said they must speak of the things they had seen, Acts 4. 20; so Elijah, 1 Kings 10. 15, 19; Is. 41. 14. The lion called the king of beasts, so believers are more than conquerors, Rom. 8. 3; other beasts fear it, so Herod feared John, Matt. 15. 5.

2. Strong. Samson says, out of the strong lion came forth sweetness, Judg. 14. 14; Christ as a lion is mighty to save, Is. 9. 6; at times the lion is still when he crouches down before his spring; Christ is now a lamb, but afterwards will be a lion, on the last day, Am. 3. 8.

3. Mild to these submissive, yet firm; so John before Herod; Paul before Felix; so Moses.

Russian.-Fear has many eyes; he fearing the wolf enters not the forest.

China.-Men who never violate their conscience are not afraid of a knock at their door at midnight.

Urdu.-The leaf cracked, and your servant fled.
Persian.-He fled from his own shadow.

Arab.-No religion without courage.

Turk.-Among ten men nine are women.

Canara.-An elephant fears not fishes, neither do the good the bad.

African. If a mouse were as big as a bullock, yet it would be the slave of the cat.

Time like a Mail-post, Swift Ships, Eagles.—JOB 9. 25, 26.

Time, in its rapid devastating course, is compared to a flood, Ps. 90. 5; to a tale that is told, Ps. 90.9; a handbreadth, Ps. 39. 5; a dream, Ps. 73. 20; a weaver's. shuttle, Job 7. 6.

In Job's days human life had been gradually shortening from 500 to 70 years.

The dromedary post, though not as quick as a horse in a given space, yet maintains an uniform continued progress.

Time is like a mail-post, in four points :

1. The postman rides on swift horses 150 miles a day, while the caravan moves only at two miles an hour. 2. Changes in order to increase speed.

3. Delays little for rest or mere salutation, Luke 10. 4.. 4. Allows no obstruction on the road. The Persian messengers could, by royal authority, press horses, men, or ships, so as to expedite them, Esth. 3. 15.

The post may be stayed, but the sun never stops. Swift ships-i.e., made of papyrus of the Nile-which cut through the water with easy speed.

Italian.-Time is an inaudible file.

Greek.-Man is a bubble.

Bengal.-There is no hand to catch time.

Canara.-Life is a lamp exposed to the wind, Jas. 4. 14. Arab.-Who is able to restore what was yesterday, or to plaster over the rays of the sun ?

Persian.-The best teacher is time.

China.-As wave follows wave so new men take old men's

places.

China.-Men live like birds together in a wood :
When the time comes each takes his flight.
China. A generation is like a swift horse passing a
crevice.

[ocr errors]

China. When we take off our boots and stockings to-day, That we shall wear them to-morrow who can say ? Canara. The pearl though originating in water does not become water again, Prov. 4. 18, 1 Cor. 13. II. Oriental. The world has nothing constant, but its instability.

Arab.-Every day in thy life is a leaf in thy history, Prov. 27. I.

Katha Saritságar.-The rivers, the flowers, the moon's phases, disappear but return, not so youth.

An Oppressor like a Crouching Lion.-Ps. 10. 9.

A lion is proud, strong, and crafty, lying in wait for the prey; such were Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 3, Manasseh, 2 Kings 21. 16, Rehoboam; Satan is compared to a roaring lion, 1 Pet. 5. 8, active as with Job, knowing his time is short, Rev. 12. 12.

Oppression is an abuse of power, the practice of unjust and uncharitable actions as to a hired servant, Deut. 24. 14, or widow, Ex. 22. 21-24. Oppression makes a wise man mad, Ecc. 7. 7; grinds the face of the poor, Is. 3. 15; flays the poor, Mic. 3. 1-3. Envy one cause of oppression, as in Ahab and Naboth's case; pride another, as in Jezebel's case.

Telugu. There is no justice in oppression, and no sight in a blind eye.

Bengal. The landlord loves the peasant with the same love as the Musalman has to the fowl-i.e., which he fattens in order to kill.

« ZurückWeiter »