China. To meet an old friend in a distant country is like the delight of rain after a long drought. Afghan.-The world is a traveller's serai (inn). Tamul.-Conversation on a journey is equal to a convey ance. Turk.-Though the ass goes to Mecca he becomes not a pilgrim for this. Ramayane. As two logs of wood meet on the wide ocean and soon part, so wives, relatives, riches, having come into contact with men, hasten away again. The Wicked are Wolves and Locusts.-MAT. IO. 16. Stephen, surrounded by the fierce Council, when they gnashed upon him with their teeth, stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, although they had just before seen his face, as though it had been the face of an angel, Acts 7. 57; Stephen was like him who is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Wolves are fierce and cowardly; they often carry off children and devour them; they love to hunt in packs, are particularly fierce against sheep, fond of darkness, hence bad judges were compared to evening wolves, Zeph. 3. 3. The wicked are also called slaves of sin, John 8. 34, dry bones, Ez. 37. 3. The wicked are compared to locusts, Rev. 9. 3, as being cunning, Prov. 30. 24-27, voracious, rapid in movement, carried about by every wind, very numerous. Modern Greek.-Nourish a wolf in winter that he might devour you in summer. "The Words of the Wise Goads and Nails.-Ecc. 12. 10, II. As the elephant, when sluggish and disobedient, must be quickened and corrected by the goad, which has a stinging, correctly aiming, and deeply penetrating effect, so does our sleeping conscience need the continual pricks and admonitions of a faithful expounder of Scripture, both for correction and instruction in righteousness, 2 Tim. 3. 16. And as it is the use of "nails" to fasten what is loose, or what would otherwise drop to pieces, so the exhortation of a wise preacher should fix in our treacherous memory what we might otherwise "let slip." God's word is compared to a hammer breaking the rock in pieces, but the hand of God is required; according to the strength and skill of the holder is the blow; this hammer fastens the nails of conscience and of promise; it pierces even a stone. Fit words are apples of gold in pictures of silver, Prov. 25. II; this is a definition of a parable or a proverb which sets off grave sentiments by elegant language, as the appearance or imitation of finely-coloured fruit is improved by its shining as through a veil, through the network of a silver vessel finely carved, or like oranges in baskets of silver. The beauty of truth is heightened by the veil of imagery. Christ, without a parable, spoke not unto the people. Arab.-Proverbs are the lamps to words. Persian.-A word and a stone thrown away do not return. Persian.-Great talkers are like broken pitchers, everything runs out of them. Tamul.-The force of an elephant is subdued by a goad. Tamul.-An elephant requires a goad, and boiled rice a chilli (a spice). Hebrew.-What flowers are to gardens, spices to food, gems to a garment, and stars to heaven, such are proverbs interwoven in speech. Sanskrit.-Chewing the chewed-i.e., repeating idle words. China.-Good words are a string of pearls. Telugu.-Sweet as a cuckoo warbling in a garden are the charming words of the wise; but the words of sinners are vile as the cawing of a crow. Arab.-Truth is a cutting sword. PART III. Who is the Altar for Believers ?-HEB. 13. 10. Christ's sacrifice like an altar in six points: I. All, even the most polluted, might approach it. Christ was also the brazen serpent on high, John 3. 14; (2) Its horns or four corners a place of refuge for the guilty, 1 Kings 2. 28; (3) The altar the only place for sacrifice, so prayer can be offered only through Christ's mediation, Heb. 9. 28; (4) The incense for it was beaten and prepared, so prayers must be from an humble spirit; no strange incense allowed to be offered; incense to be offered morning and evening, so special prayer then; (5) The altar was sprinkled with blood once a year, so Christ was once offered; (6) Fire was necessary to kindle the incense on it, so the Holy Spirit's influence is requisite. Who has the Everlasting Arms ?-DEUT. 33. 27. God's strength is denoted by his arms. A stretchedout arm attributed to Him, Jer. 27. 5. 1. The arm an essential part of man, man's strength in labour and fighting is shown by it, Ex. 15. 16; so is the power of God to protect us from three enemies, the flesh, the devil, and the world; God lays bare His holy arm, Is. 52. 10-i.e., as servants strip up their sleeves and make their arms ready for service. 2. Holds things; so God led the Jews through the wilderness by his glorious arm, Is. 63. 12. 3. Sign of love; young lambs carried in arms, Is. 40. II; outstretched by father to call back his child. Thus Laban embraced Jacob, Gen. 29. 13; and on meeting them Jacob embraced Joseph's sons, Gen. 48. 10; so Esau embraced Jacob at meeting, Gen. 33. 4. 4. Sign of strength, so Sampson .broke with his arm. the cords like flax, and slew many men with the jawbone of an ass, Judg. 15. 15, and overthrew the house of the Philistines, so God's arm brought salvation, Is. 63. 12. Man's arm is of flesh, and cursed is he that makes flesh his arm, Jer. 17. 5; God's of spirit, Job II. 9; man's arm short, God's long, Jer. 60. 1; man's arm for a time, God's always; no king saved by the multitude of an host, Ps. 33. 16. Persian.-God, who gives teeth, also gives bread. Is. 49. 15. Bengal.-If a man's destiny be crooked, even in a jungle of dark grass, a tiger attacks him. China-To catch a man with his teeth. What Bags wax not Old ?—LUKE 12. 33. Men count up their money, put it into bags, seal them up that they may be safe, and reserved for a long time. God seals up the sins of his people in His bag, Job 14. 17; thus Israel's defection was remembered after 390 years, Ps. 25. 7; his bones are full of the sins of his youth, Job 20. II; Saul was dead, but his sin was alive, there was a triennial famine on account of Saul having slain the Gibeonites. God brought the sin of Joseph's brethren, committed twenty years before to their mind, Gen. 42. 21; old sins will be old serpents, and sting unto death, Num. 32. 23. Canarese.-Alms are food prepared for a journey, Rev. 14. 13. Rabbinical. The pious need no memorial; their deeds are their memorial. How Born again ?-JOHN 3. 3. A Brahmin is called dvija, twice-born-i.e., first by nature, and second by dedication to his religion. A Christian is twice-born in regeneration, which is compared to an old tree grafted, through which its nature is changed and improved, and the old stock is made. to bear good fruit. A child when new born is a perfect man as to limbs, though not yet at their full growth and size; similar is God's grace in the new birth. Christ, in his conversation with Nicodemus, showed the need of the new birth. The new birth of a Christian is expressed by the emblems of a resurrection, Col. 3. I; a transformation, Rom. 12, 2, having a heart of flesh, Ez. 36. 26; a new creation, 2 Cor. 5. 17; putting off the old man, Eph. 4. 22; metal figures cast in a mould, Rom. 4. 17; adoption, Rom. 8. 15. Believers are called by the world its offscouring, but by God His jewels, yet though by nature children of wrath, by the new birth they become sons of God; like the" angels, they have access to their Father, Rom. 8. 14; their petitions are heard, Mat. 7. 7-11, and they become heirs of God, 4. 7. Sakontala.-How could a mortal to such charms give birth? The lightning's radiance flashes not from earth. African. The daughter of a crab does not give birth to a bird. Who is the Bread of Heaven ?-JOHN 6. 51. Man has a soul as well as a body, and as the body cannot live without food, so neither can the soul. The soul can never die like the body; the death of the soul |