Decorah public opinion., December 15, 1896, Image 3

About Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928

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The Surprise Party. £
They have been havin surprize par
tys round here all winter, and the chil
dren have urged me to go to cm, but I
held back.
“I dont believe in em sez I and I
wont go,” But finely they got their
father on their side—Sez he "it wont
hurt u, Samantha, to go for once.”
“Sez I ‘Josiah Allen the place for
old folks is to hum, and I don't be
lieve in surprize parties any way—l
think they are perfect nusencee. It
stands to reason if u want to see lire
friends u can invite em—and if any
body is too poor to make a cake or 2
or a pan of cookies they are too poor
to go into company at all.’ Sez I ‘I
haint proud ner never wuz called so,
but I dont want Tom. Dick and Harry
that I never spoke to in my life, feel
as if they are free to break into my
house any time they please’—Sez I ‘it
would make me perfectly wild to think
there wuz a whole drov ov people lia
ble to rush in on us at any
minute, and I won’t break in
to other wimmens houses.’ And
sez I ‘hev u forgot how some ov em
carried liquer to old Peedicks and two
or three had to be carred up and laid on
to Miss Peedick’ses spare bed? Sez I
‘hev u forgot how they broke Miss Bob
bets porler lamp all to smash runnin
round ketchen each other —hev u for
get these insideuces?’ sez I in cold
tones.
“It is fun,’’ sez Thomas Jefferson, “I
should love to see you and old Deacon
Bobbet playln wink em slyly.”
eni wink at me if they dare,”
sez I sternly. “Let me ketch em at It.
I dont believe on surprize parties," says
I in firm ackcentp.
j “No more do I,” eez Josiah, “but the
children are so set on our goin,
sposen we go for once. —No livin wo
men could do better by children than
u have by mine, but I dont suppose u
feel exactly as I do about pleasing em
—it haint natteral you should.”
There he knew he had got me. If
ever a women tried to do her duty by
another womens children it ie Saman
tha Allen whose maiden name wuz
Smith —Josiah knows it —he knows
Jest how to start me. Wall there haint
no use talkin —I went to the very next
party which wuz to be held 2 miles be
yond Jonesville they had had em so
fast they had used up all the nearer
places. They had heard ov this family
that had a big house—and the women
had been to the same meetin house
with Betsy Bobbet 2 or 3 times, and she
had met her in a store a year before,
and had been introduced to her so she
said she felt perfectly free to go—and as
she wuz the leader it wuz decided on.
They went in two loads, but Josiah and
I went in a cutter alone —we got start
ed ahead ov the loads and when we got
to the house we see it was lighted up
real pleasant, and a little cutter stood
by the door. We went up to the door
and knocked and a motherly lookin wo
man with a bunch ov catnip in her
hand opened the door.
“Good evenin,” sez I, but she seem
ed to be a little deaf and didnt answer.
I see as we stepped in thro a door partly
open a room full ov wimmen.
“Good many got here,” sez I speakin
a little louder.
“Yes a real good doctor,” sez she.
“What ip the world!” I began to say
tn wild amaze.
“No,” sez she, “its a boy.”
I turned right round and laid hold on
Josiah, sez I "start this minute, Jo
siah Allen, for the door.” I laid hold
ov him and got him to the door, and we
never spoke another word till we wuz
on the sleigh and had turned round —
then sez I —“Mebby u will hear to me
another time Josiah Allen.”
“ITS A BOY.”
“I wish u wouldn’t be so aggravaten”
6ez he. Jest then we met the first load
where Tirzah and Thomas Jefferson
wuz and we told em to turn round
and go back, for they had other com
pany and couldn’t have us. We went
back most to Jouesville when we met
the other load who had topped over In
the snow —as we drove out most to the
fence to go by em, Josiah told em the
same as he had the other load.
—"I dont care for company” sez Betsy
Bobbet risln up out of the snow with a
buffalo skin on her buck which made
her look wild, "I dont care for com
pany. Did they say we mustnt come?”
“No,” sez Josiah, “they didnt say
so."
“Well then girls and boys,” sez she
clamberin into the sleigh, “lets go on.”
They went and how they got along
I haint never enquired and they dont
seem free to talk about It. But they
kept on havln em. Betsy Bobbit as I
hav sed wuz the leader and she led
em once into a house where they wnz
makin preparations for a funeral and
once into a house where they had the
small pox. They had all been vaxey
nated so they got off better than they
ort to. Some how Tirza and Thomas
Jefferson got sick of em, and left off
goln, and az for Josiah, though lie
didn’t say much. I knew his mind.
One nite about 2 weeks after this,
one Monday nite, I had had an awful
days-work washin and we had been up
all the nite before with Josiah, who
had the newralegay in his back. We
hadn’t one ov us slept a wink the nite
before, and Tirzah and Thomas J had
gone to bed early. It .had been a
lowry day and T couldnt hang out my
cloze, and so many ov em wuz hung
up round the kitchen on lines, and
nails, that Josiah and me looked as if
we wuz settin in a ealaeo tent. And
what gnve the room a more gloomy and
melankolly cast, I found when I went
to lite the lamp at nite that the kero
sene wuz all gone—and bein out ov
candles, I made for the first, time in
my life what they call a “clut” —which
is a button tied up in a rag and put
in a saucer ov lard, u set fire to the
rag. and it makes a lite which is better
than no lite at all —as a slut is better
than no woman at all—in that way I
suppose it deryved its name, but It
haint a dazlln lite, nothin like so gay
and festive as gas. I, beet out with
work and watchen, thought I would
soak my feet before I went 2 bed, and
so I put some water in the mop pail
an set by the side ov the stove with
my feet into it —the thought had come
to me after I had put my nite cap on.
Josiah set behind the stove rubbin
some linament into his back —he wuz
barefooted, with his coat and vest off.
Josiah wuz jest speaken 2 me and sez
he
“I believe this linyment makes my
back feel easier Samantha, I do hope
I shall get a little rest to nite.”
Sez I “1 hope so too Josiah.” Jest
az I sed these words, without a minutes
warnin, there came a knock —and the
door opened at the same time —and in
poured what seemed to me at the time
to be a hundred and 50, men women
and children, headed by Betsy Bobbet.
Josiah so wild with horror and amaze
ment that he forgot his lameness for
the time, leaped from hie chair, and
backed up against the wall between the
back door and the wood box. I rose up
and stood in the mop pail, 2 stricken
with amaze and horror to get out of it
—for the same reason heedin not my
nite cap, which was cut sheeps head
fashion.
"We have come to surprize u” sez
Betsy Bobbet sweetly. My tongue clove
to the roof ov my mouth—no word I
could speak for I wuz speechless, but
1 glanced at em with looks which I
suppose filled em with awe and dread,
for Betsy spoke again in plaintive ack
cents —
“Wont you let us surprize you?”
“No! No!” sez I wildly—for then my
voice came hack —“I wont be surprized!
—u shant surprize us to nite. We wont
be surprized! Speak Josiah” sez I turn
ing to him in my extremity. “Speak!
tell her: Will we be surprized to nite?"
“No, no!” sez he in a firm, warlike
tone, as he stood backed up aginst the
wall. "No we wont be surprized.”
“U see friends” sez Betsy to the
crowd —"she wont let us surprise her.
We will go.” So she headed em off —
but she turned at the door, and sez she
in a reproachful ackcent, “Mebby It is
right to serve a old friend in this way
—I have known u a long time Josiah
Allens wife.”
“I have known u plenty long enuff”
sez I steppln out of the mop pail and
shetten the door which they left open
—pretty hard.
Josiah came from behind the stove,
pushin a chair ahead of him. and walk
in by the help ov It. and sez he
"Darn the suprize parties; and
darn —”
“Dont swear Josiah” sez I. “I should
think u wuz bad enuff off without
swearin.”
“I will say darn Betsy Bobbet, Sa
mantha. Oh, my back!” he groaned,
settin down slowly on his chair. “I
cant set down, nor stand up.”
“U jumped up lively enuff when they
came in,” sez I.
“Throw that in my face, will u. what
could I du —and there is a pin sticking
into my shoulder, do get it out Saman
tha, it has been there ever sense they
came, only I haint sensed it till now.”
“Wall,” sez I in a kinder soothing
tone, as I drew it out ov his shoulder —
it must have hurt him awfully had he
not been 2 crazed with fear 2 feel it—
sez I “less be thankful we are as well
off as we be, Betsy might have insisted
on stayin. 11l rub ure shoulders with
linyment agin, and 1 guess ure back
will feel better. Do u suppose they’l be
mad, Josiah?”
"1 dont know, nor I dont care,” sez
he, "but 1 hope so.” And truly his
wish came to pass, for Betsy Bobbet
haint spoke to me sense. The rest did
nt seem to care but she was awful mad,
which shows that it makes a differ
ence with her, who does the same
thing, for meetin with a disappoint
ment here, they went that night right
from here to surprize the Ed iter of the
Gimlet, and it come straight to me, Ce
lestine Peedick told Miss Goweley and
Miss Goweley told me, he turned em
out of doors and shet the door in their
faces. The way it was, his hired girl
had left him that very day, and one of
his twin* was taken sick with tho
colic. He had just got the sick baby
to sleep, and laid it in the cradle by
the fire, and he had give the other one
some playthings and set her down on
the carpet, and he was washin the sup
per dishes, with his sleeves rolled up
and a pink bib apron on that belonged
to his late wife; he was just finishing
his dishes when he heard an awful
screamin from the well babe and wild
ly wrlngin out In's dishcloth, he rush
ed out with it still in his hands, and
found that she had swallowed u side
thimble, lie ketched her up and spatted
her on the bark and the thimble flew
out half way across the room—she
screamed and held her breath, and the
sick one awakened by the tumult, sot up
in the cradle and begun to scream, jest
then the door burst open and in came
the surprize party headed by Betsy
Bobbet. They say. half crazed as he
wuz that he told em If they didnt leave
that minute he would prosicute em,
some of cm was mad about it, but Bet
sy Bobbet was'nt, for in the next weeks
Gimlet the verses came out,
A Large World.
Uranus Is a gigantic world, more
than sixty times as large as ours. It
Is about 1,’*09,000,000 miles from the
earth.
| i
Scrmon^ ►
<j Employments of £
Heaven £
Washington, D. C., Dec. 6, 1896.—Dr.
Talmage’s sermon to-day gives a very
unusual view of the celestial world, and
is one of the most unique discourses of
the great preacher. The text is Eze
kiel 1: 1: “Now it came to pass in the
thirtietß year, in the fourth month, in
the fifth day of the month, as I was
among the captives ef the river of Che
bar, that the heavens were opened.”
Ezekiel, with others, had been ex
patriated and while in foreign slavery,
was standing on the banks of the royal
canal which he and other serfs had
been condemned to dig by the
order of Nebuchadnezzar—this roy
al canal In the text called the
river of Chebar —the illustrious exile
had visions of heaven. Indeed, It is
almost always so, lhat the brightest
visions of heaven come not to those
who are on mountain-top of prosper
ity, but to some John on desolate Pat
mos, or to some Paul in Mamertine
dungeon, or to some Ezekiel standing
cn the banks of a ditch he had been
compelled to dig—yea, to the weary,
to the heart-broken, to taose wdiom sor
row has banished. The text is very
particular to give us the ex-ct time
of the vision. It was in the thirtieth
year, and in the fourth month, and
in the fifth day of the month. So you
have had visions of earth you 3hall
never forget. You remember the year,
you remember the month, you remem
ber the day, you remember the hour.
Why may we not have some such vision
now, and it be in the twelfth month,
aud In sixth day of the month?
The question Is often silently asked,
though perhaps never audibly pro
pounded, “What are our departed
Christian friends doing now?” The
question Is more easily answered than
you might perhaps suppose. Though
there has come no recent intelligence
from the heavenly city, and we seem
dependent upon the story of eighteen
centuries aeo, still I think we may
from strongest inference decide what
are the present occupations of our
transferred kinsfolk. After God has
made a nature he never eradicates the
chief characteristic of its temperament.
You never knew a man phlegmatic in
temperament to become sanguine in
temperament. You never knew a man
sanguine in temperament to bepome
phlegmatic in temperament. Conver
sion plants new principles in ~ie soul,
but Paul and John are just as differ
ent from each other after conversion
as. they were different from each other
before conversion. If conversion does
not eradicate the prominent character
istics of temperament, neither will
death eradicate them. Paul and John
are as different from each other in
heaven as they were different from
each other In Asia Minor.
You have then only by a sum in
subtraction and a sum in addition to
decide what are the employments of
your departed friends in the better
world. You are to subtract from them
all earthly drossness and add all earth
ly goodness, and then you are to come
to the conclusion that they are doing
now in heaven what in their best mo
ment they did on earth. The reason
why so many people never start for
heaven Is because they could not stand
It if they got there if it should turn
out to be the rigid and formal place
some people photograph it. We like to
come to church, but we would not
want to stay here till next summer. We
like to hear the “Hallelujah Chorus,”
but we would not want to hear it all
the time for fifty centuries. It might
be on some great occasion, it would
be possibly comfortable to wear a
crown of gold weighing several pounds,
but it would be an affliction to wear
such a crown forever. In other words,
we run the descriptions of heaven Into
the grouud while we make that which
was intended as especial and celebra
tive to be the exclusive employment
in heaven. You might as well, if asked
to describe the habits of American so
ciety, describe a Decoration Day, or
a Fourth of July, or an autumnal
Thanksgiving, as though it were all
the time that way.
I am not going to speculate in regard
to the future world, but I must, by in
evitable laws of inference and deduc
tion and common sense, conclude that
in heaven we will be just as different
from each other as we are now differ
ent, and hence that there will be at
least as many different employments
In the celestial world as there are em
ployments here. Christ is to be the
great love, the great Joy, the great rap
ture, the great worship of heaven, but
will that abolish employments? No
more lhan love on earth—paternal, fil
ial, fraternal, conjugal love, abolishes
earthly .occupation.
In tho first place, I remark that all
those of our departed Christian friends,
who, on earth, found great joy in the
fine arts, are now indulging their
tastes 5n the same direction. On earth
they had their gladdest pleasures amid
pictures and statuary, and in the study
of the laws of light and shade and per
spective. Have you any idea that that
affluence of faculty at death collapsed
and perished? Why so, when there Is
more for them to look at and they have
keener appreciation of the beautiful,
and they stand amid the very looms
where the sunsets and the rainbows
and the spring mornings are woven?
Are you so obtuse as to suppose that
because the painter drops his easel and
the sculptor his chisel, and the en
graver his knife, that therefore that
taste, which he was enlarging and in
tensifying for forty or fifty years, is
entirely obliterated? These artists, or
these friends of art on earth worked in
coarse material and with imperfect
brala and with frail hand. Now they
have carried their art Into larger liber
ties and into wider circumference.
They are at their old business yet, but
without the fatigues, without the lim
itations, without the hindrances of the
terrestrial studio. Raphael could Im
prove upon his masterpiece of "Mich
ael the Archangel,” now that he has
seen him, and could improve upon his
masterpiece of the “Holy Trinity,” now
that he has visited them. Michael
Angelo could better present the "Last
Judgment” after he had seen Its flash
and heard the rumbling battering-rams
of Its thunder. Exquisite colors here,
graceful lines here, powerful chiaros
curo here, but I am persuaded that the
grander studies and the brighter gal
leries are higher up, by the winding
marble stairs of the sepulchre, and
that Turner and Holman Hunt, and
Rembrandt, and Titian, and Pasl Ver
onese, if they exercised saving faith in
the Christ whom they portrayed upon
the canvas, are painting yet, but their
strength of faculty multiplied ten thou
sandfold. Their hand has forgotten its
cunning, but the spirit has faculties
as far superior to four fingers and a
thumb as the supernatural Is superior
to the human. The reason that God
took away their eye and their hand and
their brain was that he might give
them something more limber, more
wieldly, more sktlfhl, more multipliant.
Do not. therefore, be melancholy
among the tapestries, and the bric-a
brac, and the embroideries, and the
water-colors, and the works of art
which your departed friends used to
admire. Do not say, “I am so sorry
they had to leave all these things."
Rather say, “I am glad they have gone
up to higher artistic opportunity and
appreciation.” Our friends who found
so much Joy in the fine arts on earth
are now luxuriating in Louvres and
Luxembourgs celestial.
• • •
Again. I remark that those of our de
parted Christian friends, who In this
world had very strong military spirit,
are now in armies celestial and out in
bloodless battle. There are hundreds
of people born soldiers. They cannot
help it. They belong to regiments in
time of peace. They cannot hear a
drum or r fife without trying to keep
step to the music. They are Chris
tian, and, when they fight, they fight
on the right side. Now, when these,
our Christian friends who had natural
and powerful military spirit, entered
heaven, they entered the celestial
aripy. The door of heaven scarcely
opens but you hear a military demon
stration. David cried out, "The char
iots of God are twenty thousand.”
Elisha saw the mountains filled with
celestial cavalry. St. John said, “The
armies which are In heaven followed
him on white horses.” Now. when
those who had the military spirit on
earth sanctified entered glory, I sup
pose they right away enlisted in some
heavenly campaign; they volunteered
right away. There must needs be in
heaven soldiers with a soldierly spirit.
There are grand parade days when the
King reviews the troops. There must
be armed escort sent out to bring up
from earth to heaven those who were
more than conquerors. There must be
crusades ever being fitted out for some
part of God’s dominion —battles, blood
less, groan less, painless. Angels of
evil to be fought down and fought out.
Other rebellious worlds to be con
quered. Worlds to be put to the torch.
Worlds to be saved. Worlds to be de
molished. Worlds to be sunk. Worlds
to be hoisted. Beside that In our own
world there are battles for the right
and against the wrong where we must
have the heavenly military. That Is
what keeps us Christian reformers so
buoyant. So few good men against so
many bad men, so few churches against
so many grogshops, so many pure
printing presses against so many pol
luted printing presses, and yet we are
buoyant and courageous, because while
we know that the armies of evil In the
world are larger in numbers than the
army of truth, there are celestial co
horts In the air fighting on our side.
I # have not so much faith in the army
on the ground as I have in the army
in the air. O God, open our eyes that
we may see them; the military spirits
that went up from earth to Join the mil
itary spirits before the throne —Joshua
and Caleb, and Gideon, and David, and
Samson, and the hundreds of Chris
tian warriors who on earth fought
with fleshy arm, and now having gone
up on high are coming down the hills
of heaven ready to light among the in
visibles. Our departed Christian
friends, who had the military spirit in
them sanctified, are in the celestial
army. Whether belonging to the ar
tillery or the cavalry or the infantry, I
know not. I only know that they have
started out for fleet service, and cour
ageous service, and everlasting ser
vice. Perhaps they may come this way
to fight on our side, and drive sin, and
meanness, and Satan from all our
hearts. Yonder they are coming, com
ing. Did you hear them as they swept
by?
What are our departed Christian
friends who are explorers doing now?
Exploring yet, but with lightning loco
motion, with vision microscopic and
telescopic at the same time. A conti
nent at a glance. A world in a sec
ond. A planetary system In a day.
Christian John Franklin, no more in
disabled Erebus pushing toward the
North Pole; Christian De Long no
more trying to free blockaded Jean
nette from the ice; Christian Living
stone no more, amid African malarias,
trying to make revelation of a dark
continent, but all of them In the twink
ling of an eye taking In that which was
once unapproachable. Mont Blanc
scaled without alpenstock. The coral
depths of the ocean explored without
a diving-bell. The mountains unbarred
and opened without Sir Humphrey
Davy’s lamp.
What are the historians doing now?
Studying history yet, but not the his
tory of a few centuries of our planet
only, but the history of the eternitie?
—whole millenniums before Xenophon
or Herodotus, or Moses, or Adam was
born. History of one world. Historj
of all worlds. What are our depart
ed astronomers doing? Studying as
tronomy yet, but not through the dull
lens of earthly observatory, but with
one stroke of wing going right out t(
Jupiter, and Mars, and Mercury, ami
Saturn, and Orion, and the Pleiades—
overtaking and passing tbe swiftest
comet in their flight. Herschel died a
Christian. Have you any doubt about
what Herschel is doing? Isaac Newton
died a Christian. Have you any doubt
about what Isaac Newton is doing?
Joseph Henry died a Christian. Have
you any doubt about what Joseph
Henry is doing? They were In discus
sion, all these astronomers of earth,
about what the aurora borealis wa3.
and none of them could guess. They
know now; they have been out there
to see for themselves.
But what are the men of the law,
who In this world found their chief
joy In the legal profession—what are
they doing now? Studying law In a
universe where everything is controlled
by law from the flight <*' humming-bird
to flight of world —law. not dry and
hard and drudging, but righteous and
magnificent law, before which man and
cherub, and seraph, and archangel, and
God himself bow. The chain of law
long enough to wind around the Im
mensities, and infinity, and eternity.
Chain of law. What a place to study
law, where all the links of the chain
are in the hand!
What are our departed Christian
friends who in this world had their Joy
in the healing art doing now? Busy at
their old business. No sickness In
heaven, but plenty of sickness on
earth, plenty of wounds In the different
parts of God’s dominion to be healed
and to be medicated. Those glorious
souls coming down, not in lazy doctor's
gig. but with lightning locomotion. You
canot understand why that patient got
well after all the skillful doctors had
said he must die. Perhaps Abercrom
bie touched him —Abercrombie, who,
after many years doctoring the bodies
and the souls of people In Scotland,
went up to God In 1844. Perhaps" Aber
crombie touched him. I should not
wonder if my old friend Dr. John
Brown, who died in Edinburgh—John
Brown, the author of “Rab and His
Friends”—John Brown, who was as
humble a Christian as he was a skilful
physician and world-renowned author;
I should not wonder If he had been
back again to see some of his old
patients. Those who had their Joy In
healing the sickness and the woes of
earth, gone up to heaven, are coma
forth again for benignant medicament.
But what are our departed Christian
friends who la all departments of use
fulness were busy, finding their chief
joy in doing good—what are they do
ing now? Going right on with the
work. John Howard visiting dungeons;
the dead women of Northern and
Southern battlefields still abroad look
ing for the wounded; George Peabody
still watching the poor; Thomas Clark
son still looking after the enslaved—
all of those who did good on earth
busier since death than before. The
tombstone not the terminus but the
starting-post. What are our departed
Christian friends who found tbeir chief
Joy in studying God, doing now?
Studying God yet. No need of revela
tion now, for unblanched they are face
to face. Now they can handle the om
nipotent thunderbolts, just as a child
handles the sword of a father come
back from victorious battle. They have
nc sin; no fear, consequently. Study
ing Christ, not through a revelation
save the revelation of the scars —that
deep lettering which brings it all up
quick enough. Studying the Christ of
the Bethlehem caravansary; the Christ
of the awful massacre with its hemorr
hage of head, and hand, and foot, and
side; the Christ of the shattered mau
soleum; Christ the Sacrifice, the Star,
rhe Son, the Man, the God, the God
man, the man-God. But hark! the
bell of the cathedral rings—the cathe
dral bell of heaven. What Is the mat
ter now? There Is going to be a great
meeting in the temple. Worshippers
all coming through the aißles. Make
room for the Conqueror. Christ stand
ing in the temple. All heaven gather
ing arouud him. Those who loved the
beautiful, come to look at the Rose of
Sharon. Those who loved music, come
to listen to his voice. Those who were
mathematicians, come to count the
years of his reign. Those who were
explorers, come to discover the height
and the depth and the length and the
breadth of his love. These who had the
military spirit on earth sanctified, and
the military spirit in heaven, come to
look at the Captain of their salvation.
The astronomers come to look at the
Morning Star. The men of the law
come to look at him who is the judge
of quick and dead. The men who
healed the sick come to look at him
who was wounded for our transgres
sions. All different and different for
ever in many respects, yet all alike In
admiration for Christ, in worship for
Christ, and all alike In joining tn the
doxology: “Unto him who washed us
from our sins in his own blood, and
made us kings and priests unto God;
to him be glory in the church through
out all ages, world without end.”
Amen.
To show you that your departed
friends are more alive than they ever
were, to make you homesick for
heaven, to give you an enlarged view
of tbe glories to be revealed. I have
preached this sermon.
Clean* RlryrlM.
A bicycle cleaning and insurance
company has been organized in Lon
don. For a subscription of sixpence a
week It undertakes to clean bicycles
at the homes of the owners and in
addition to give the owner an accident
Insurance policy.—New York Tribun*
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON Xil, DEC. 20- BIRTH OF
CHRIST.
ioltlcii TextJ "‘And tli« Angel Said Unto
Them, 'Knar Not; for lleliold I Bring
Tiding* of tlreat Joy’” Chriatinai*
l-esson.
HE section Included
* n *his lesson, tho
whole of which
*/Jf should he read, in
aiV eludes John 1: 1-18;
Si d Luke 1: 1-80: and
• • Matt. 1: 1-25; 2: 1-12.
.y n Historical Setting.
Time The last of
- . December, B. C. 5,
- four years before the
—L* commencement of
* ou r common era. A.
D. 1 (Anno Domini,
year of the Lord), so
that Christ was born
1900 not 189*5 years ago. The visit of the
wise men was in February. B. C. 4, when
Jesus was six or eight weeks old.
I’lace. Bethlehem of Judea, a village
five or six miles south of Jerusalem. Beth
'«hem means “House of Bread,” a very
fitting name for the place where he was
oorn who was the Bread of Life.
“The far east” included the lands of the
captivities,—Assyria. Babylonia, and Per
sia. where Ezekiel prophesied, and Daniel
"Uled, and Esther was queen. To-day’s
lesson. Matt. 2, verses 1-12, follows;
1. “Now when Jesus was born.” Jesus,
the divine son of God, became man by
feeing born of the Virgin Mary. "In
Bethlehem of Judea,” probably about Dec.
-5. B. (\ 5. It is not told in Matthew how
Jesus came to lie in Bethlehem. For that
tve turn to Luke. "In the days of Herod
the king." Herod died April 1, B. C. 1
(Lewin’s Fasti rtacri) at Jericho, at the
age of seventy, so that the visit of the
wise men must have been a I'ow weeks
previous. This Herod was Herod tho
Great, founder of the ilerodian family.
2. Saying. “Where is he that is born
king of the Jews?" The Inquiry, more
literally translated, is, Where is the born
King: that is, the newly born King of
the Jews? The Magi expected, no doubt,
to find him in the capital city and in the
royal palace.—Morison.
“For we have seen his star in the east.”
Seen by them in the eastern countries, or
seen In the eastern sky. “And are come
to worship him.” To acknowledge his
worthship; to do homage to him.
3. "When Herod the king had heard
these things.” The tidings would run like
an electric shock through the palace of
the usurping Herod.—Trench. "He was
troubled." agitated, disturbed, lest ne
should lose his throne and his power. Il«
was old, and feeble, and wicked. Ills life
had been full of crimes. He knew' he
was hated by his subjects. The least
disturbance would inflame his conscience
and arouse his fears. "And ail Jerusalem
with him."
4. "And when he had gathered all the
chief priests and scribes." The chief
priests were probably the heads of tho
twenty-four courses into which the sons
of Auron were divided (2 Chron. 23: 8;
Luke 1: 5), but the term may have in
cluded those Who had, though only for a
time, held tho office of high priest. Tho
“scribes” were the interpreters of the
l aw. casuists, and collectors of the tradi
tions of the elders, lor the most part
Pharisees.—Kllicott. "He demanded (rath
er. Inquired) of them where Christ," in
ihe original. The Christ, not the proper
name, but the Messiah, the official title
of the promised Deliverer, "should be.
born." What do your scriptures say?
What is your expectation?
6. "And they said,” 1. e., the chiefs
priests, etc. The answer seems to have
been given without any hesitation, as a
matter perfectly well understood and set
tled by divine authority. Alexander.
“Thus it is written.” What is quoted in
the next verse. "By the prophet" (Mieah,
in chap. 5: 2). It should be noticed that
“by” is literally "through,” and that in
every case this expression is used.
8. "Ami thou Bethlehem." This is quo
ted freely from the Septuagint (the Greek
version of the Old Testament), just as
such quotations were popularly made at
that time, for there were no Bibles in
circulation, and quotations must be made
chiefly as remembered from hearing them
read. “Bethlehem, in the land of Judah.”
n the original there is no "in the” but the
expression is, "Bethlehem, land of Ju
dah,” as we say "Chicago, 111.,” or “New
port, K. I.” "Princes” is, according to a
usual figure, put for the towns where the
princes, or heads of thousands, lived.
7. "Then Herod . . . privily (privately)
called the wise men.” Privily, for he was
already hatching, still more privily, his
malicious plot. "Inquired of them dili
gently;” or, rather, ascertained from
them accurately.—Morison. The verb for
"inquired diligently” is derived from
“akros,” a point. The idea is, he ascer
tained to the last point.—M. R. Vincent.
"What time the star appeared.” That he
might know what was the exact age of
the infant whom he wished to slay.—Ab
bott.
8. “He sent (or directed) them to Beth
lehem,” a short six miles from Jerusa
lem. "Search diligently.” Better, as be
fore, accurately, carefully.
9. “Lo, the star.” Unexpectedly the
star they had seen in the east (it was
not now in the east, but in the south!
appeared to them In the evening as they
went toward Bethlehem. "Stood over
where the young child was": i. e., over
the house, as implied by verse 11; not
merely over the village of Bethlehem.
10. “When they saw the star,” guiding
them, and pointing out the place. "They
rejoiced.” Because their journey was
now ended, their search was successful.
11. "When they were eome into the
house." This could scarcely have been
the stable where the Lord was born. Jo
seph and Mary remained for 40 days in
Bethlehem, and would find temporary
lodgings.
12. "And fell down." In the Oriental
manner of showing homage and worship.
"And worshipped him.” "Opened their
treasures.” The word points to caskets,
or chests, which they hail brought with
them.—Elllcott. "They presented unto
him gifts.” According lo the Oriental cus
tom in paying visits to royalty. Setting
forth greater truths than they knew, they
offered to the Son of man and Son of God
myrrh, hinting at the resurrection of the
dead: the royal gold: and frankincense
that breathes prayer,—"myrrh to a mor
tal. gold to a king, frankincense to God.'
— Upham’s Wise Men. "Frankincense.”
\3. "Being warned of God." In a dream,
in the sunn* manner as God may have
spoken to them before. "Into their own
country another way." They eould easily
go dire t from Bethlehem tp the Jordan
River, leaving JerusuU m to the north und
west.
GEMS OF THOUGHT.
A man must l»e excessively stupid, as
•.veil as uncharitable, who believes there
is no virtue but on his own side.—Ad
dison.
Trouble Is a thing that will come
without our call; but true joy will not
spring up without ourselves.—Bishop
Patrick.
Statesmanship is the art of under
standing and leading the masses. Its
glory is to lead them, not where the>
want to go, but where they ought to go.
—Joubert.