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 SABBATH HOURS 
 
 THOUGHTS 
 
 BY 
 
 LIEBMAN ADLER 
 
 THF JEWISH F'UFJLICATION SOCIETY OF AMERICA 
 
 1893
 
 Copyright, 1893, 
 By the Jewish Publication Society of America. 
 
 PRESS of 
 Ed\vaki> Stern <fe Co. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA.
 
 
 TO THE 
 
 FAITHFUL KEEPERS 
 
 OP THE 
 
 PERPETUAL LIGHT 
 
 OF 
 
 JEWISrr FEELINf} AND PRACTICE, 
 
 G:be 3cwt3i3 lUomcn, 
 
 THIH WOKK JH J)i:i>ICATEI), 
 
 .'{0283.'i?
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 The folloAving fifty-four sermons, one for each Sabbath 
 of the year, with two additional for leap jeavs, were 
 culled from two volumes of German sermons on texts 
 i'\i)\n the Pentateucli, published l)y the late Rabbi Lieb- 
 iiian Adler, of Chicat^o. 
 
 Tiie author, in iiis preface, speaks of how, in days 
 gone by, "when, on Friday, all the preparations for the 
 beloved Sabbath had been completed, and the Sabbath 
 ^^arments had been donned, the Jewish mother began to 
 read, attentively and devoutly, the Pentateuchal and 
 I'r(»|)hctifal portions a.ssigned to that Sabbath, continuing 
 until it Wius time for the evening service at the syua- 
 gogiie, and finishing whatever she failed to read then, 
 on the afternoon of the Sabl)ath." 
 
 It is hoped that thi.s collection of modern sermons on 
 every-day problems may take the place, with the daugh- 
 ters of Zion, of the ohl-timc book of Biblical readings, 
 and therofore it is dedicaUul first and foremost to the use 
 of the women in Israel. Through all the vicissitudes of 
 this century, the sanctity of the Jewish home has been 
 Wfll maititained, and with it the influence of woman 
 over Jewish niligious life. By right of inheritance, she 
 occu])ies vantage-ground, from whose height she can 
 shape the future. She it is that can keep alive the 
 ancient fervor, and jiroinotc an intelligent view of 
 
 V
 
 VI PREFACE. 
 
 Judaism and its practices. To equip her with needed 
 knowledge is the purpose of this collection of Biblical 
 discussions, which are conducted from the point of view 
 of modern thought, and with rare lucidity, illustrate the 
 universality and present timeliness of our ancient sacred 
 literature. 
 
 Through these same characteristics, our book may come 
 to have another use. There are many towns and settle- 
 ments in the United States wholly cut off from Jewish 
 teaching, and such communities may welcome these ser- 
 mons as a source of devotion and as a guide to the study 
 of the Sacred Scriptures, the fount of Jewish inspira- 
 tion. Indeed, the book will yield its virtue only to him 
 who, with each sermon, will read, in the Holy Book 
 itself, the chapter from which the text marked under the 
 title is selected. Such earnestness alone can restore to 
 us our former distinction, the knowledge of the Law, 
 which must continue to be our wisdom and our under- 
 standing before the eyes of the nations. 
 
 The Editor.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.* 
 
 Liebraan Adler was born ou the twenty-fourth day of 
 Tel)eth, 5572 (January 9, 1812), at Lengsfeld, Grand 
 Duchy of Saxe-Weiniar, Germany. He received his firi^t 
 instruction in the sch<x)l of the Jewish congregation and 
 from the rablji of the to^vn, and continued his Hebrew 
 studies with R. Kunreuther, at Gehiliausen, and afterward 
 in the Jewish seminary at Frankfurt, under R, Solomon 
 Trier and R. Aaron Fukl. 
 
 He tlien passed through a two years' course in the 
 Teachers' Institute at Weimar, and accepted a position 
 in the Jewish congregational school of his native town, 
 A secular school having been established, mainly through 
 his efl!)rts, he became its principal in 184i). But five 
 years later, Adicr left Germany, in the hope that 
 America might affl)rd a bettor career for his children. 
 Soon he was made the teacher and jjreacher of the Jew- 
 ish congregation at Detroit, Mich., where his memory is 
 still affectionately and reverently cherished. In 1861, a 
 call came to him I'rom the Keliillath Aiishe Ma'arnbh of 
 (.'hicago, with which his name was connecteil until the 
 day of his death, Jamiary 2!), 1802. 
 
 In Chicago Ids w<trk wiis varied and lal)orinus. The 
 fulfilment of his duties required strength, perseverance 
 
 •Adapted and traiiHlated, with the permission of tho author, from 
 "Llcl)rimti Aiiler, Kine ficdenkrofic, K<rh(iltcii am 11 P'uhriiar, 18'.I2, im 
 Tompel iler K. A. M. in Chicago, von B. Ful.Hfiitiial."— [Ei*.] 
 
 vii
 
 Vlll BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 and couraii'C, and Liebman Adler Avas strong, tenacious 
 and honest. Hence, his harvest in Chicago, as in Detroit, 
 was appreciation, reverence and love. After the lapse 
 of years, his congregation made liis work less onerous, 
 and during almost the whole of the last decade of his 
 life, he was relieved of all his official duties. 
 
 Two phases of his public activity deserve special men- 
 tion ; he was a true patriot, and in the best sense of the 
 word, a successful, religious teacher. " Five Addresses 
 to the K. A. M." are on patriotic themes, are anti-slavery 
 in sentiment, and express strong feeling with clear, swift 
 utterance. His deeds affirmed the sincerity of his con- 
 victions. It was he that induced his oldest son to risk 
 life, if need be, in the service of the Union Army. 
 
 In his religious work, he stood upon a conservative 
 platform, clinging to inherited customs and ceremonies, 
 which to him seemed fraught with inspiration. But his 
 orthodoxy was not the uncompromising rigidity of pre- 
 judice. He was a clear, unbiased thinker, and a student 
 of Jewish history, who saw in Judaism a living, pro- 
 gressive force. 
 
 The l)est exposition of his attitude we have in his ser- 
 mons, of which we happily possess three volumes. They 
 are pervaded by a tranquil spirit, peculiarly character- 
 istic of his mind and life. In simple, cordial language, 
 he has laid down in them the highest wisdom of noble 
 living. They are wholly free from every blemish of 
 polemics, are in no sense dogmatic, or clouded by mys- 
 ticism. In a word, they are genuinely popular. In the 
 Jewish homiletic literature of our day, they should, 
 along with David Einhorn's and Michael Sachs' sermons, 
 be accounted our treasures.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. IX 
 
 His published works form one tangible legacy that 
 our revered rabbi has left us. Another aud a greater 
 is the memory of his beautiful character. Unassuming 
 and childlike, he loathed all pomp and artificiality, and 
 \v;us content with his own lot in life. As becomes a son 
 of Aaron, he loved and promoted peace, and his lips 
 always and everywhere kept knowledge. The true 
 phihjsophy which he expounded to othei-s, rendered his 
 lAsn life joyous, prevented every taint of pessimism, and 
 taught him to meet death without dread. 
 
 Besides the proof of his patriotism and the statement 
 of his creed, he has left us, in his will, a record of his 
 lovable traits as a man. According to a fine old Jewish 
 fashion, he gives his children directions fi)r their spirit- 
 ual guidance: "My children ! Keep together in frater- 
 nal union. Let no sacrifice be too great to ensure your 
 mutual helpfulness and the continuance of your broth- 
 erly feelings. Every act of love that you show unto 
 <»ne anotlier will do my soul good. The exampU- of 
 eleven children of one father, standing together in love 
 and faithfulness, will be a mure beautiful adornment of 
 his grave than the most elaborate floral decoration, 
 which I would rather not have, though I do not wish to 
 control your desires in that matter. 
 
 "The little jjropcrty that I leave behintl, will become 
 yours only after the death of your mother. I know you ; 
 I can trust you, you will not show yourselves unfilial in 
 its possession and use. The inheritance, however, wliieli 
 you pos.ses8 even now is a good name and a training aa 
 good as I coidd give you. It seems that not one of 
 you is destined to grow rich. Let that n(»t <listurb 
 you. Only remain honest, true, industrious and eeo-
 
 X BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 uomical. Do not speculate. Even when speculation is 
 successful, no blessing rests upon it. Put your whole 
 energy into the conduct of your chosen calling. Serve 
 God, and have him always before your eyes. With men, 
 be amiable, courteous and modest, and all will go well 
 with you even without riches. My last w'ord to you is : 
 Honor your mother! Brighten her sad widowhood. 
 Do not disturb her in the enjoyment of her small estate, 
 and supply the deficiencies in her income. 
 
 " Farewell, wife and children ! One thing more, my 
 children : I know well that if you Avould, you cannot 
 practise Judaism according to my conception, and as I 
 practised it. But remain Jews, and live as Jews in the 
 best manner of your times, not only for yourselves, as 
 individuals, but also for the welfare of the community." 
 
 These words ring out, and re-echo beyond the walls of 
 his own home. "His image," says one of his chosen 
 friends, " stands before us in clearest outlines, and we 
 look up to it with fervent love and deep reverence. . . . 
 As often as we look upon it, may we renew within us the 
 resolve to walk in his footsteps, and thus grow into the 
 light of a noble life."
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 Preface. 
 
 Biographical Sketch. 
 Sermons : 
 
 The Story of the Creation, 1 
 
 The First Verse of the Bible, 8 
 
 The So-called Fall of Man, 13 
 
 The Sense of Shame, 21 
 
 Cain and Abel, 29 
 
 The Book 35 
 
 Praise and Blame, 42 
 
 Reli<.non ainl the Moral Law, 48 
 
 Be Content to Live in the Laud of Thy 
 
 Birth, 55 
 
 The Tower of Babel, 60 
 
 Ix^arnin;,' and For;,fettinf(, 68 
 
 The Mas.scs Follow a Few Thinkers, .... 75 
 
 Vicissitudes of Fortune, 81 
 
 Fear Not that You May Suffer by Doing 
 
 Good, 86 
 
 Off.spriiif,' of till' House and Ollspring of the 
 
 Spirit, 93 
 
 Reli^^ion and Kthic.-< 99 
 
 A Kevelatioii at the Threshold, 105 
 
 How Can Ten Ki;,diteous Men Save u City 
 
 from Destruction? Ill 
 
 xi
 
 XU CONTENTS. 
 
 " I Thought, Surely, there is uo Fear of God 
 
 iu this PLace," 119 
 
 Educatioual lufiuences, 126 
 
 " Lead Us not into Temptation," 133 
 
 Conflict of Duties, 139 
 
 Temperament, 144 
 
 Does Man Naturally Improve with Age? . . 160 
 
 Humility, 155 
 
 Tolerance, 161 
 
 Belated Education, 171 
 
 The Importance of Little Things, 178 
 
 " Death and Life are in the Power of the 
 
 Tongue," 184 
 
 Home Influence, 190 
 
 Existence and Life, 196 
 
 Immortality, 202 
 
 The Death of the Father, 210 
 
 Gratitude, 216 
 
 Righteous Indignation, 221 
 
 The Sabbath, 228 
 
 Moses and His Mission, 234 
 
 Offering and Sacrifice, 239 
 
 Providence or Chance, 246 
 
 Individuality, 252 
 
 Forgetting and not Learning, 257 
 
 Equality, . . 264 
 
 The Meaning of the Word " Holy," .... 270 
 
 Self-respect, 275 
 
 Success aud Failure, 281 
 
 " Let thy Brotlier Live with Thee!" .... 286 
 
 Know Thyself, 292 
 
 Character Sketches from the Bible, .... 297
 
 CONTENTS. XUi 
 
 " People of the Lord," 304 
 
 Qvuility aud Quantity, 30!) 
 
 The Testimony of our Law Among the Nations, 315 
 Neither Add Thereto nor Diminish There- 
 from, 320 
 
 Competition, 3L 
 
 ,)-. 
 
 Chivalry, 330
 
 THE STORY OF THE CREATION. 
 
 Gen. I: 1. 
 
 In the Jerur-alcm Targum " in the beginning " is ren- 
 dered hy " in ■wisdom." Truly, in the very first word 
 nf Holy AVrit there is wisdom, since it begins with 
 "the beginning," and leaves untouched all that goes 
 before. 
 
 Among the ruins of Nineveh, a library of inscribed 
 stone-flags wa.s discovered. AMien deciphered, they were 
 found, among other things, to contain a tale of the 
 creation and the story of a flood, which, in many par- 
 ticulars, coincide with the Biblical tales. These ancient 
 accounts from Nineveh may be older than those of the 
 I'ible, but the latter excel the former, even as the 
 laconic speech of an experienced sage eclipses the c<tn- 
 fiised lK)iiil)ast of a th(jughtless chatterer. 
 
 Whereas the Bible is content to begin with the 
 " l)eginning," the Nineveh document suj)i)lies the un- 
 known preceding the beginning wilh fables aii<l tales 
 of IJie gods, wildly fanta.stic and uiin-sthetic. 
 
 Ihe ancients have proi)oun<l('d the question : " Wiiy 
 doe.i it sav, ' in the ])eginnirig God created,' why not, 
 'CxiA crcalcfi ill the l)eginniiig?' God, the 8td)ject, 
 • light to take precedence." The <|uery was considered 
 worthy of various replies, and, with the same idea in 
 mind, the (ireek translators have taken the liberty of
 
 2 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 changing the text. But even when thus transposed, 
 there is wisdom iu the words. 
 
 The Bible wishes to give man a story of the creation 
 of the earth which he inhabits ; it wishes to speak of 
 the " beginning " and not, as does the Nineveh docu- 
 ment, tell a tale of the God-head, a theogony. For this 
 reason, " in the beginning " should be more accentuated 
 than " God." 
 
 The ancients furthermore ask why the Bible com- 
 mences with 2 in n'tyNnD, instead of with x, as do 
 the ten connuandments. The question is scarcely a 
 brilliant one, but the reply is very clever. The letter 
 
 3 is closed on all sides but one. This signifies that 
 we must not too deeply investigate, we must not permit 
 our thoughts to betray us to the heights of heaven 
 or into the depths of hell ; they should not lose them- 
 selves in speculation, either about prehistoric ages, or 
 about a future world. Therefore, the Torah begins 
 with neither philosophy nor hypothesis concerning the 
 nature of the God-head, but wdth heaven and earth. 
 
 Portions of the Bible do not meet with universal 
 approval. But we are apt to forget that its wisdom does 
 not consist merely in what it says, but equally, if not 
 more, in what it leaves untouched. Strictly speaking, it 
 contains no theology, no metaphysics, no mysticism, no 
 heaven, no hell, no angels, no devils, nothing of another 
 world. The Bible, according to its contents, may be 
 divided into natural history, history, laws and ethics. 
 
 " In the beginning God created the heaven and the 
 earth." This verse brings the Bible into harmony with 
 the most advanced science. Wlien was the beginning? 
 That is not explained ; perhaps millions, perhaps an
 
 THE STORY OF THE CREATION. 3 
 
 Utterly inconceival>le uiimber of years ago. Whence 
 was the earth evolved? From fire? From water? 
 Or from both ? The Bible itself is silent on that point. 
 It leaves to science full sway to investigate and decide 
 the question. 
 
 The ancients inquire : " Why does Scripture say 
 D'oiyn nx and ]"\nn nxi. Those words nx are appar- 
 ently superfluous; it would be just as correct to say: 
 pNi D'rDiy D'r\'in xin n^i^xno." And they think that these 
 words signify that heaven and all that is included in the 
 idea of heaven, and the earth with all its potentialities 
 were created on the first day, i. e., indefinite ages ago, 
 but that on earth these forces proved their existence 
 gradually, each one acting in its own time. 
 
 We may consider the story of the creation of the 
 universe told completely in the first verse. The further 
 narrative deals exclusively with the earth which we 
 inhabit; not with its creation, but with its development, 
 its evolution. It is n(j cosmogony, but purely geogony. 
 On the first day, or in the first stage of development, light 
 found its way through the dense vapor shrouding the 
 earth. And there wa.s light ! But there was not yet 
 discernible a body whence light emanated. 
 
 In the second stage of development, the fluid element 
 wa.s divided into actual water and tlie vapor that fills 
 the atmosphere. 
 
 In the third stage, the \u.^i, mighty uplieavaLs of the 
 earth took |)Iace. Tiie crust of the earth was sprung 
 0{)en, mountains arose; from the; dc|)ths, while otiier 
 parts fell int<j aljysses, were lilled with wati-r, ainl 
 formed the 8ea.s. And upon the newly-made dry laud 
 appeared the earliest vegetation.
 
 4 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Ill the foiirtli stage, the atmosphere had become so 
 clear that the sun, the moon and the stars were visible. 
 Finally, in the fifth and sixth stages appeared life, 
 rising from its lowest forms to its highest develo])meut 
 in man. 
 
 To-day, as on each Sabbath, we have solemnly taken 
 the Torali from its case, and have thanked God aloud 
 for blessing us with it ; the congregation, Bible in hand, 
 devoutly follows the reading of the portion, and at its 
 close, once more gives thanks to God for bestowing upon 
 us the treasure of the Torah. 
 
 And what is this that we have read ? It is what in 
 science is known as geogony, the doctrine of the forma- 
 tion of the earth, a branch of natural science. Science 
 — this is the distinction — deals Avith the creation only, 
 regardless of the Creator ; whereas the Torah men- 
 tions the Creator : " God said, God created, God made," 
 etc. 
 
 What could be more potent in urging the Israelite to 
 investigate and acquaint himself W'ith Nature, than the 
 fact that the Torah, his Holy of holies, ojDens with a 
 chapter of natural science ? It does not begin like our 
 catechisms with, " What is religion ?" but it tells God's 
 people hoAV the earth developed under God's omnipo- 
 tence. Man's earthly weal, his fairest, chastest joys, 
 and his pure, sincere piety are the results of this study. 
 The psalmist, in the 104th Psalm, loses himself in con- 
 templation of Nature, and then his surcharged heart 
 breaks forth into the words : " O Lord, how manifold 
 are thy works ! in wisdom has thou made them all : the 
 earth is full of thy riches." 
 
 If, thousands upon thousands of years ago, in the
 
 THE STORY OF THE CREATION. 5 
 
 infancy of mankind, long before there Avas any idea of 
 natural .«cience ; l)efore the telescope had brought within 
 mortal vision spheres millions of miles away ; before the 
 microscope had disclosed a new microscopic world ; 
 before the magnet had pointed the path over the seas; 
 before air and water had been analyzed in the crucible; 
 and thousands of other means had brought light and 
 order into the dark bowels of Nature, and revealed a 
 world full of marvels— if, at that early period, Nature 
 was held in such esteem that the holy l)ook, the Bible, was 
 o]>ened with a contemplation upon it ; if, at that time, 
 sages and j)oets, gazing about them and up at the starry 
 firmament, drew thence the inspiration which impelled 
 them to immortal verses and songs of wisdom ; how far 
 advanced must we be, we children of the nineteenth 
 century, in which science, witli its innumerable dis- 
 coveries and inventions, h:ts opened so many windows 
 admitting light into tlie awful depths of Nature ! Alius, 
 we are indeed rhildnn of the nineteenth century ! The 
 ordiiiarv imlividual^I mean one ol'tlic masses of to- 
 day— is a child in matters of natural science. Yes, we 
 have retrograded. We have, it is true, cast off an im- 
 mense tnimber of .-u|)erslitions, (»f absurd exj)lanatious 
 and |)rejuili<(s held \>\ the ancients concerning tlie 
 phenomena of Nature, lint this is not, ihie to intelli- 
 gence ; there is a dilli'rent reason lor i(. The ancients 
 inquired into the cimses of things, and it' a rational 
 answer was not at hand, the (piery was silenced with a 
 fable. \Ve <Io not iinjiiirr ; we are, therefore, safe from 
 all niisunder>tanding, but neither do we arrive at an 
 understanding of thes(! causes. We imagine; that we 
 have atlvanced ; we have advanced, but it is not pio-
 
 6 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 gress ; we are i^rodded by coniparatively few thinkers. 
 Ask the masses about any ordinary phenomena of 
 Nature and their causes — about thunder-storms, earth- 
 quakes, cyclones, shooting stars, volcanoes, eclipses of 
 the sun or moon. For every one of these, the ancients 
 had an explanatory reply ; l)ut were you to repeat that 
 reply to one of the masses of to-day, his education would 
 lead him to deride the credulity of the ancients ; yet 
 no better answer is forthcoming ; none is needed, since 
 none is asked for. In social intercourse there is nothing 
 more unbearable than an inquisitive person ; but in the 
 intercourse with Nature, the Nature in and about man, 
 everyone ought to be inquisitive, particularly the 
 Israelite ; and sound and reliable answers can be drawn 
 from the wells that have been dug and made accessible 
 to all — from a rich, popular literature. 
 
 Ah, how wofull}^ has religious thought gone astray ! 
 Religion and natural science, which, in the first chapter 
 of the most ancient record of religion, went hand-in-hand, 
 and appeared to possess one heart and one soul, now 
 regard each other inimically, and, like Jacob and Esau, 
 quarrel about the rights of the first-l)orn. Jacob must 
 bow down seven times before Esau embraces him; and 
 when Esau says, " Now let us go forth together like 
 brothers," Jacob trembles at the thought of such close 
 companionship, and answers, " We may not go together, 
 for my flocks might suffer; go tliou first, and I will 
 follow." And when Esau says, " Then shall some of my 
 poojjle remain Avith thee to guide and protect thee," 
 Jacol) replies, "Wherefore? I need it not." 
 
 Judaism ought not to countenance this unbrotherly 
 relation 'twixt religion and science. The Bible is science
 
 THE STORY OF THE CREATION. / 
 
 — natural science, history, law and ethics. The Talmud, 
 despite the objections and warnings interposed by some 
 of the rabbis, discusses all the branches of science known 
 in those times, as do the best i-abbinical writings of the 
 brilliant Spanish school. Only the German and 
 Slavonic rabbinical schools, during times of unutterable 
 oppression, became alienated from science, as also ^Vfrican 
 and Asiatic Judaism has become estranged. 
 
 I am addressing an educated, enlightened congregation, 
 one certainly not accustomed to unctuous sermons from 
 its present preacher. Yet, were I to bring a flower into 
 the pulpit instead of a Bible-text, and attempt to prove 
 the omnipotence of God by showing the structure of the 
 stem, the leaves, the calyx, the corolla, the stamens and 
 pistils, the cells and veins ; were I to show that the 
 goodness and wisdom of the Creator are manifest in tlie 
 drop of honey at the bottom of the cup, attracting the 
 in.sect, which in its intrusion is covered with pollen, 
 carries the pollen to other flowers, and so fecundates 
 them, etc., you would not be greatly edified. You 
 would say, " Such matters are out of jjlace in the temple 
 of God !'' 
 
 This is tiie true reform at which we must aim : we 
 mu.st con.secrate both history and imtMral science, by 
 regarding them as integral parts of religion; — n'tyx^D* 
 consid(;recl a.s natural science, must be held e<jually 
 sacred with Noah,* considered as hi.story. 
 
 • "In ttic bogirininK," tti<j iininc- nf tlio first of tlio flny-fonr \vekly 
 r>ortinns Into which the I'cntuteuch Is divided. Noiih is the niuuu ol the 
 second portion.— [Tr.]
 
 THE FIRST VERSE OF THE BIBLE. 
 
 ' III the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."— Gen. 1 : 1. 
 
 Heathens can accept not even the first words of Holy 
 Writ, for, according to their ideas, " in the beginning " 
 the gods were created. The Torahs of the heathens do 
 not begin with cosmogony, the history of the creation of 
 the world, but with theogony, the account of the crea- 
 tion of the gods, and of how one god begat another. 
 After that, how many generations may have come and 
 gone, ere the spirit of research awoke in man, leading 
 him to investigate tlie origin of each individual crea- 
 tion, and then of the sum of things, the universe, that 
 is to say, ere he reached the idea contained in the words 
 "he created!" 
 
 For these words also are beyond the conception of the 
 heathen ; he would say " they created." We have 
 revised our prayer-book, substituting " salvation " for 
 "Savior." But a far greater, a far more imiwrtant and 
 more influential change at the time was that from " they 
 created " to " he created." Nor, indeed, could the 
 heathen say " they created." "Created" signifies the 
 formation of something from nothing, and the power to 
 do this the heathen does not accord to his gods, who 
 may only give form to pre-existing matter. These first 
 words of our Torah, " In the beginning God created," 
 which express a complete revolution in the world of 
 
 8
 
 THE FIRST VERSE OF THE BIBLE. » 
 
 thought, have been given to humanity by Judaism, nor 
 have they yet taken root anywhere Init in the soil of 
 Judaism and her daughter-religions. How long, then, 
 may it have been before the human intellect was suffi- 
 cientlv strong and disciplined to sum up manifold crea- 
 tion in two concepts, and to give expression to these in 
 two W(jrds : heaven and earth ! 
 
 Then, for thousands of years, this first verse of the 
 Torah expresj^ing, as it does, a spiritual conquest, was 
 conned by mankind. But in the course of those years, 
 its imperfections have been remedied, and its misconcep- 
 tions righted. Divine truth can never 4)e clearly enough 
 understood, and much less clothed in wm-ds, ])ecause, for 
 the divine, we have but a human method of expression. 
 This is shcjwn in the very first verse of Holy Writ, in 
 our text. " Elohim," which is the concentration of the 
 blind, heartless forces of Nature, supposed to have been 
 divided among all the gods, was later transformed into 
 "Adonai," a single Creator, Preserver of the world and 
 Controller of luiinan destinies, an eteinal, omnipotent, 
 just and merciful (iod, a (iod that is Providence, an 
 all-providing Fatlier, a holy, sujjerior, intelligent Being, 
 free from all faults an<l passions, asking no service for 
 hims<df, demanding only that \\r seek tlie light oi' truth, 
 an«I abide in virtue. Tlius, in the eonix! of time, the 
 incomplete designation of a supreme |)o\ver, " J-'Johini," 
 gave way to the more (•omj)rehensive "Adonai." So, 
 too, have misunderstandings been dispelleil. Isaiah's 
 prophecy ha.s been ful(ille«l with regard to tlu^ word 
 "heavens:" " Tiie heavens are vanish<<l bke smoke." 
 Heaven, as the ancients understood it, no longer exists 
 for u.s, not o/jy, much less xevcn heavens. At the time, it
 
 10 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 was an enormous triumph of tlie mind to bring all crea- 
 tion undoi" two heads ; as time went on, the mind included 
 all creation in a i<i>ig'le conception, and expressed it in a 
 shigle word : universe, or the even more forcible cosmos. 
 When Ave raise our eyes to the glorious azure, which 
 the ancients called heaven, we, with our modern con- 
 ception thereof, are none the less disposed to reverential 
 wonderment, our souls are none the less attuned to joy- 
 ous adoration, when we think of the Creator of these 
 glories, of this ether, which at night is illumined by 
 innumerable lustrous worlds, and in which our earth 
 floats like a feather. Yea, this azure awakens in us, as 
 did the heaven of the ancients in them, worship and 
 adoration of the Ruler of the universe, even though the 
 azure no longer re})resents to us a solid edifice, the better 
 half of creation, the habitation of superior beings. 
 
 ^he word of God is everlasting, but its interpretation 
 varies. The word " Shomayim" signifies to us what is 
 beyond human conception, the supernatural, which the 
 mind sees as in a vision, the inexpressible which the heart 
 dimly feels. The animal part of man belongs to the earth. 
 But his higher thoughts and aspirations, his world of 
 ideas, and all that is beyond animal i)lcasures : thought, 
 hope, the consolation of immortality, the belief in one 
 CJod, the constant striving better to understand his 
 being and his will, to live and act accordingly — these 
 constitute our heaven. To earn what we require is 
 earthly ; but to earn it honestly and fairly under the 
 most trying circumstances,^ so to limit our wants that we 
 may not jeopardize honesty and rectitude, r/ta^ is heav- 
 enly. To live in wedlock is earthly ; but for man and 
 woman to live together in love and faith, in peace and
 
 THE FIRST VERSE OF THE BIBLE. 11 
 
 harmon\\ even though it necessitate daily and hourly 
 sacrifiees^i/(ai is heavenly. To he father and mother is 
 earthly ^ but to use every endeavor, shunning no sacri- 
 fice, not merely to rear children, but to bring them up 
 in the fear of God and on the path of virtue, not only 
 to regard them as the sunshine of the home, a natural 
 delight to the eyes of the parents, but to be ever con- 
 scious of the sacred duty to make good, useful men and 
 women of thern^ that, is heavenly. To live for one's 
 self and one's family is earthly • but to deny one's self 
 l)leasures in order that others may enjoy, to exert one's 
 self that other exhausted ones may rest, to care for 
 others and save them care, and even to risk one's life 
 for that of others^f//a< is heavenly. To drift with the 
 tide is earthly, l)ut to stand against the current in the 
 defence of truth and conviction, to stand alone for the 
 right, firm as a rock, even tliough the tide of public 
 opinion toss and swell around one, and principles totter 
 and sway, that is heavenly. Earnest attention to tem- 
 poral needs is earthly ; l)ut to think of the eternal, and 
 U) sacrifice momentary go<j(l i'or the sake of eternity, 
 ^ that is heavfiily. 
 
 This heavenly spirit was r-rcatcd as wsus tlic earthly. 
 It wa.s the creation of the first day. An<l in the 
 account of the fiv(! days following the lirst one of 
 creation, we are toM of the development of this crea- 
 tion in matters of the earth as well :is nl' heaven. 
 
 Thy heaven, oh man, thou carricst williin thy mind 
 and within thy heart! Some have only a bit of it, 
 ftthers, all the seven heavens of the ancients: with some, 
 it is clf)nded o'er, somlire and threatening ; with others, 
 radiant in its brilliancy. Kabi)i Akil)a dietl a martyr,
 
 12 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 after indescribable torture, yet seven heavens were in 
 his heart. Hach-ian's life closed with the blackest skies 
 within his heart, though as Akiba's emperor, he was 
 apparently enjoying the greatest earthly prosperity. 
 
 God created the heaven and the earth ; but just as the 
 earth became known to man by degrees, a large portion 
 of it being discovered after thousands of years, and 
 much still remaining to be discovered, so it is with 
 heaven, the heaven in the mind, in the heart, and in 
 social life. It must be sought and found. Progress 
 means ever to discover new heavens within us, heavens 
 of knowledge and of culture of heart and mind, patience 
 and fraternity, peaceful and harmonious existence in 
 social life, as well as in the intercourse of countries and 
 nations. This is the sevenfold light, these are the new 
 heavens which the prophet of Messianic times has 
 promised us ; and to approach iiearer and ever nearer to 
 them is the task of our mundane existence.
 
 THE SO-CALLED FALL OF MAN. 
 
 Gen. III. 
 
 The Bible suffers from two opposing parties — on the . 
 one hand, from the simple piety of tli(j.se that pay it 
 uu(jue.stiouing homage ; on the other, from its enemies. 
 Both accept the words of Holy Writ in their literal 
 sense, even in those portions that are narrative and not 
 legislative. 
 
 The one cla.ss takes it very ill, if we say, " The word 
 ha.s a meaning, but word and meaning are as ditierent 
 a.s body and soul ;" that they consider the most pro- 
 nounced heresy. The others say, " What absurdity ! and 
 that is supposed to be Holy Writ !" 
 
 We believe that when the Bible commands and for- 
 l)ids, there is no room for subtle interpretations ; there 
 the words embody the full meaning to be conveyed, and 
 whoever attempts to wrest the sense to suit himself, acts 
 dishonestly by the book. But when the Bil)le clothes 
 its teachings in tales and parable^, we agree with Rashi 
 that the words themselves cry out, "E.Ki)lain me!" 
 With regard to the verse, Dixn m'^in "^DD HI " Tliis 
 is the book of tiie generations of .\daiii." our sages say: 
 "So far JUS the st<;ry of the creation and all that is <'nn- 
 n(!ct<'d with it is concerned, the, honor of Holy Writ 
 demands that we take a hidden meaning for granted; 
 but further on, where tjuestions of j)ract.ical lifi; are 
 involved, the honor of the Scriptures demands an exact 
 and literal interpretation of its contents." 
 
 13
 
 14 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Thus do we approach the task that we have set our- 
 selves for to-day's discourse, the exphmatiou of those 
 portions of the Bible that treat of the " fall." (Gen. II : 
 15-17 ; III : 1-7.) 
 
 Let us say at once what meaning they convey to us. 
 The first human beings lived their appointed time in 
 happy innocence. Then they liegan to think, and their 
 innocence Avas destroyed. Doubt, discord between head 
 and heart, took the place of a calm spirit and serene 
 content. 
 
 There is a way of thinking that but reflects the 
 thoughts of otliers. A child thinks as its parents think ; 
 a pupil tliinks as the teacher has taught him to think ; 
 an individual thinks as those about him think. 
 
 There is a kind of thought that subordinates itself to 
 the wishes of the heart, " the wish is father to the 
 . thought !" 
 
 There is a kind of thought that will make no conces- 
 sions to the feelings, but would rule as an autocrat ; it 
 says to the heart : Repress thy desires, they do not please 
 me. Speculation makes unquestioning enjoyment of life 
 an imjjossibility. 
 
 Speculative thought banishes innocence. The child 
 is innocent so long as it follows the instincts of its heart, 
 and thinks the thoughts of others. But no sooner does 
 it begin to think independently, than its actions become 
 good or evil, it can no longer be called innocent. So 
 what is told of Adam is tlie natural course of man's life. 
 Every human being, for a time, lives in innocence, in 
 pleasant unconsciousness of right and wrong ; if left at 
 liberty, he acts according to the dictates of his heart, 
 and enjoys his existence.
 
 THE SO-CALLED FALL OP MAN. 15 
 
 As the young child ueed not trouble itself about its 
 sustenance, since it is given to it, so with its thoughts : 
 it thinks whatever is given it to think. A child of a 
 quarrelsome disposition may manifest it at an early age, 
 it is true, and live at variance with those about it; may 
 be ea.sily fretted and angered and excited, but within 
 its heart every child is at peace with itself No sooner 
 has independent thought asserted itself than heart and 
 reason, inclination and duty, gratification aud remoi-se 
 battle for supremacy. Before thought awakens, we live 
 at peace with ourselves ; but awakening thought drives 
 us out of the paradise of childhood, to which we may 
 never return. 
 
 This Bible-story does not betray a disturbance in the 
 plan of creation, as if God hud had some other iuten- 
 tious concerning man, and these had been frustrated by 
 the sinfulness of Adam. It raises the veil, and dis- 
 covers to us the underlying idea of the plan of the 
 Almighty. 
 
 It is true, it is a great deal pleasanter to abide in 
 ignorance, at peace with ourselves. We live nuich 
 more calmly, more content with ourselves and tlie 
 world, when we do not think, or if we tjiink, think 
 as others do. It is niiich more conducive to peace to 
 know little. Learning ami knowledge, iuipiiry and 
 introspection bring nnich dis(iui(;t into (uie's own heart 
 and into the world. The Preacher says, "He that 
 increa-seth kn(jwledge increaseth pain," and the German 
 prince of poets : 
 
 "Who til inks not of the morrow, 
 To him life liriiijjH itH ^liftH, 
 And yet he's free from sorrow."
 
 16 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 The inuoceiice of not thinking, of artlessness is, upon 
 closer consideration, not quite so charming as it would 
 appear. The child is guileless, sweet and good, because 
 it is too weak to do any harm, and because its parents 
 and guardians watch over it that it may not abuse what 
 streno-tli it lias. But when the natural innocence of not 
 thinking has grown great and strong, and can no longer 
 be watched, then Avoe to such simplicity and to its sur- 
 roundings ! Innocence, sentiment, but not reasoning, is 
 the attribute of a savage. The savage is a grown child. 
 The savage, like the child, follows his instincts ; he is 
 not troubled and unsettled by thought. And like the 
 child, the savage is self-satisfied, he niay wade in blood, 
 but he feels none the less innocent. Not only those 
 that we call such are savages. Whoever allows himself 
 to be guided only by his feelings and instincts, and has 
 not partaken of the tree of knowledge, is a species of 
 savage. Were all men but children, mature only in 
 years, we would have no villages, no towns, — only wig- 
 wams. 
 
 No ; innocence is becoming only as long as man lacks 
 the power to do harm. As the years go by, bringing 
 strength to man in their flight, thought, the serpent, the 
 symbol of the ancients for eternity and wisdom, rears 
 its head, and man enjoys the fruits of the tree of knowl- 
 edge. He is no longer a child, existing in innocence, 
 not knowing what is good and what evil ; he is a divine 
 being, rising above nature; he knows good fi'om evil, and 
 can regulate his life accordingly. 
 
 At what period does this change take place ? In our 
 religion, thirteen is the age assumed for the male sex, 
 and twelve for the more rapidly maturing female sex, as
 
 THE SO-CALLED FALL OF JL\.N. 17 
 
 the boundary between irresponsible innocence, which 
 eschews thought, and the responsibility imposed by the 
 consciousness that independent thought may be exer- 
 cised. Of course, this is only an ajiproximate boundary 
 line, for many a one may grow hoary, nor cast off the 
 innocence of ignorance. 
 
 Our story draws a picture of the human race at the 
 very dawn of the history of mankind — not its fall, 
 which the Church teaches as a fuudunientid truth, but 
 on the contrary, its elevation. On the one hand, it dis- 
 closes the paradise of innocence : life without moral 
 restraints, truth withcnit investigation, thoughts with- 
 out thinking, gratification without remorse; no warn- 
 ing, no prohibitory laws, not even a sense of shame 
 to restrain enjoyment. " Of every tree of the garden 
 thou mayest freely eat." But then there is the picture 
 of the tree that man is warned not to touch. This is 
 the tree of thought. If thou partakcst of its fruits, 
 thou wilt be like unto a divine being; tlmu wilt thiidc 
 independently of parents, of teachers and of the times ; 
 thou wilt know good from evil. But I warn thee, 
 dearly must thou pay for it. Thought gnaws like a 
 worm at all thy pleasures; the innocent ciiild witliin 
 thee will die, and thou wilt become aa a different 
 being ! 
 
 But of all trees, this very one attracts man wiih irre- 
 sistible power. lie partakes of the fruit, and |)ays tlif « 
 pfiialty. The careless, thoughtless, joyous Adam is 
 fl(;ad ; in his phu"e, we see a serious man, upon whose 
 brow earnest thought is mirrored. 
 
 It was not intended that man's fate should be charac- 
 terized by the unbroken regularity of the development 
 8
 
 18 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 of the floAvcr of the field, or of tlie course of the stars in 
 the heavens. Thought aud feeling were to hattle within 
 him, and thought with thought. The keen edge of 
 reason was to clip the wings of feeling, and the warm 
 heart was to give of its warnitli to cold, cruel, uncom- 
 promising Reason, and coax it gently into harmony with 
 life. That which we have lost, the harmony of childhood 
 in the years of innocence, we are to find again in the 
 reconciliation of thought and feeling, Tliis recovered 
 harmony, which is our own merit, even though it he 
 imperfect, is worth far more than the perfect one which 
 was given to us, and which we lost with childhood. 
 
 We cannot deny that the tenor of the tale in question 
 is suggestive rather of loss than of gain to humanity ; 
 and here, as elsewhere, the wisdom of the people is 
 proved in their proverb : " Not all is gold that glitters." 
 Thought is a double-edged sword, which ofttimes wounds 
 the thinker, and brings misery and unhappiness not only 
 to him, but to the world at large. It can transform rich, 
 luxuriant fields, the scene of joyous existence, into a 
 bleak, barren desert. However, the means to prevent 
 such misfortune is also mentioned. Man is told, "In 
 the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread." When 
 the years of innocence have flown, and thought begins 
 to hold sway, give the boy work, and work also thou as 
 long as thou hast strength, even to old age. Labor is a 
 ^ panacea for all ills; it keeps sound hearts healthy, :ind 
 heals suflering ones ; it keeps thought within l)ounds, 
 preventing it from straying off into unjjrofitable regions. 
 Every thinker ought also to be an artisan of some kind, 
 and every laborer a thinker. 
 
 Woman, too weak physically, too sensitive in nature
 
 THE SO-CALLED FALL OF MAN. 19 
 
 and disposition, to battle for daily bread in the cruel 
 world, takes upon herself the responsibilities of mother- 
 hood, and the greater part of the cares, troubles and 
 burdens of the home and the bringing up of the chil- 
 dren, which latter, alas ! often (>ntails anxiety and sorrow. 
 She devotes herself to her children, and sacrifices herself 
 for them all her life ; and this complete devotion of 
 heart and soul and thought to her maternal duties pro- 
 tects her equally from temptations of the heart and from 
 undisciplined thoughts. Intelligent mothers are the 
 greatest blessing of the human race. 
 
 As our first mother induced the first man to eat of 
 the fi-uit of the tree of knowledge ; as once choruses of 
 women animated David to immortal deeds, and drove 
 a king, whom they did not praise, to despair ; as the 
 homage of wonuxn was the one bright spot and the 
 moral support of the knights in the darkness of the 
 Middle Ages, so even to-day nuich of wliat men do that 
 is worth doing can be traced to (lie importance wliich 
 they attach to the approval of noble women. ^^'hcncv<M• 
 we meet a man wlio is distinguished in mind mikI deeds 
 above his fellow-men, we may saiely couchide that the 
 spirit of an intelligent mother lives in him, a mother 
 that guided her son to the tree of knowledge. 
 
 Now, that thought may not comi)letcly control man, 
 to the exclusion of lieurt and fi-eling, tiie iiai lativc goes 
 on to say : "And I will pnl eiimity between thee and 
 the serpent, and ixitween thy see<l Mnd its seed; tlimi 
 shalt bruise its head and it shall brni.-e tiiy heel." And 
 what is the world's history but a continnous warfare 
 between wisdom and stupidity, passion and self-control, 
 sound jn<lgment and ])rejiulice, civilizati(»n and savage
 
 20 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 instincts? How often is the head of wisdom trodden 
 upon, and how often do critical thought and linical 
 deliberation drag upon the heel of noble impulses ! 
 
 No, it is not a fall of which Ave read. A being as 
 perfect as is our God would not create an order of 
 things so frail and destructible that the first man could 
 disorganize the entire system. 
 
 The story is rather a mirror of the noble impulses of 
 man ; of his striving after knowledge and enlightenment ; 
 of his efforts to comprehend the causes of things ; of his 
 attempts to demolish every barrier opposing his progress 
 towards knowledge; of his desire for possessions that 
 floods cannot wash away and flames cannot consume, 
 and for this we must not blame Adam and Eve, our first 
 parents, but rather praise our God.
 
 THE SENSE OF SHAME. 
 
 Gen. III. 
 
 It is a matter of course that the owner of a house, 
 W'hicli he himself has built, of which he has laid the 
 foundation.s, and in which he has always lived, knows 
 more about it than any stranger who has merely passed 
 through its rooms ; it is equally self-evident that even 
 an ignorant shepherd-lad is a better guide in his native 
 village than a philosopher from afar ; that a manufac- 
 turer is more familiar with his own productions than all 
 or any of his customers, no matter how expert they may 
 be. 
 
 The Bible is the holy edifice of the children of Israel ; 
 the fcjrefathers laid its foundations, the sons completed 
 it, and for many centuries, tli rough good and evil days, 
 they have dwelt in it in faith. In this edifice, then, 
 they ought to feel at home. But one day there came 
 the Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians ; then the Ger- 
 manic tribes, tlic Goths and Vandals; and hitcr on the 
 Arabs, tent-dwellers and camel-drivers. The former 
 came from their lecture-halls, their minds full of fan- 
 tastic theories, whicli, in their schools of philosophy, 
 passed for wisdom, and the latter came directly Cnmi 
 the superstitions of idolatry. But they all chose our 
 Book as the text-book of their faith, and moreover pre- 
 tended to know an interpretation thereof truer than our 
 
 21
 
 22 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 own. This explains the difference between our religion 
 and theirs. The new devotees of the Bible, coming 
 from foreign regions of thought, built their new religion 
 upon the old substructure, without a thorough knowledge 
 of the foundations, of the quality of the materials, and 
 of the plan. 
 
 The new worshippers read the Bible in its transla- 
 tions : the Ronums, in Latin ; the Greeks, in the Greek 
 tongue ; the Arab chief could not read at all, nor could 
 any of the Germanic, the so-called bai-barian accessions 
 of the Church. 
 
 The book, read in a foreign tongue, Avas also inter- 
 preted in a foreign spirit. The word of the Bible was 
 taken in its verbal meaning, and adhered to literally. 
 
 Unsatisfactory as the translation of Hebrew into for- 
 eign languages must necessarily be, yet is it a far easier 
 task than the translation of the spirit of the Bible into 
 the spirit of Rome and Byzantium. The text of the 
 Bible was but inadequately reproduced, and its t^pirit 
 suffered still more. This is exemplified in the portion of 
 the Torah read to-day — the tale of the fall, as the 
 Church calls it, wliich it utilizes as the corner-stone of 
 its new ediftce. Paradise, the tree of life, the tree of 
 knowledge, the serpent which speaks and beguiles the 
 woman, the woman who tempts her husband to sin, the 
 hiding from God, the curse and the punishment, the 
 expulsion from paradise— every Avord was interpreted 
 literally by the Church, and whatever spirit was infused 
 into it, was introduced from foreign sources. 
 
 The rabbis tell us that there are forty-nine different 
 methods of interpreting a single word or verse in the 
 Bible, and that no one of these is binding as a dogma of
 
 THE SENSE OF SHAME. 23 
 
 faith. lu I.-^niel, too, have been attempted manifold 
 explanations of the chapter in question, some of which 
 differ from one another as materially as sense differs 
 from iKmsense. But no one takes exception, no one 
 is branded as a heretic, no matter which of them be 
 accepted. Years ago, Ave took occasion to sjieak in this 
 same temple, about this chapter, combating its inter- 
 pretation as the fall of man. To-day, we will confine 
 ourselves to the consideration of a means of grace, which 
 is incidentally mentioned in the narrative as having 
 grown out of the indulgence in the forbidden fruit. 
 
 Among the chief characteristics that distinguish the 
 human being from the brute, we generally include his 
 erect carriage, his capacity for thought and speech, free- 
 dom of will, and C(jnscience. Many include the power 
 to laugli and weep, and we may, with still more justice, 
 add the sense of shame. Man is the only being in the 
 animal world that feels shame; we need not, as the 
 rabbis think, learn it from cats. It is singular that, of 
 all the commeiitattn's of the Bible in past and recent 
 times, none has given heed to this circumstance, which 
 is so prominently brought forward in the tale under dis- 
 cussion. After the first beings — so goes the story — had 
 (!at(!n of the tree of knowledge; that is, had begun to 
 think, the sense of shame a])j)eared as the first conse- 
 <|uence. Two lniMian beings dwelt upon the earth, and 
 they felt shame in each other's presence, and sewed fig- 
 leaves together to cover their nakedness. But despite 
 this, they still were ashamed in the presence of fJod, 
 and wh(!n he called them they were afraid, and hid them- 
 selves. Wv ai'e further tol<l that fJod gav<! man labor 
 aa a safeguard against unbriillccj thought and action,
 
 24 8ABBATH HOURS. 
 
 and toward the end it says : " God made garments of 
 skins, and clotlied them." 
 
 In a Torah manuscript, written by Kabbi Meir, the 
 reading, " a garment of light," was found in a marginal 
 note. And truly, Avhere, in the first days of creation 
 could the furs or skins of beasts have been found? 
 However, it matters not whether we grossly say " skins," 
 or more spiritually, " garment of light," the point under 
 consideration is the reference to the sense of shame, 
 which is awakened by thought. 
 
 Few are conscious of the heavenly gift they possess in 
 the sense of shame, of the angel of mercy that follows 
 and o-uards them through life. The consciousness of the 
 wickedness of sin in itself, its evil results, fear of heav- 
 enly and earthly punishment — all taken together are 
 not so much protection to man against degeneration and 
 excesses, as is the sense of shame. 
 
 When the barriers that protect virtue and morality 
 fall, the sense of shame is the last to give way. Woe be 
 to the man that feels no shame, to him who, like the bold 
 ones Isaiah laments about, " Like Sodom, tell openly 
 their sin, and conceal it not." Among the three laudable 
 characteristics of Israel, our sages mention the feeling 
 of shame. The sense of shame is the patent of nobility 
 of the descendants of Abraham. They further say, 
 "They Avho are ashamed arc not inclined to sin." 
 
 Shame felt in the presence of others is the lowest 
 degree ; but this lowest step is the most important, for 
 all the others depend upon it. Who does not begin at 
 the bottom, cannot reach the top. Therefore, be it not 
 said, " He who does not feel shame in the presence of 
 God, should not feel shame in the presence of man ; who
 
 THE SENSE OF SHAME. 25 
 
 sins in secret should have the courage openly to admit 
 it, and who does this not will be accounted a hypo- 
 crite." The lowest degree of shame should be cultivated 
 until the higher one is attained. It is well to throw 
 round one's self the safeguards of shame, even in one's 
 own family circle. Parents should be ashamed to talk 
 and act recklessly befoi'e their children. Husband and 
 wife should feel shame in the presence of each other, 
 even as Adam and Eve were ashamed. 
 
 It is well to have the utmost consideration for the 
 feeling of shame and delicacy in children. Better cor- 
 poral punishment than insults and scoldings that 
 degrade them in their own eyes, and dull their sense 
 of shame. Every laborer, and be he of the lowest class, 
 has feelings of delicacy which his employer is bound to 
 respect. Even a beggar has some sense of shame left, 
 his last trea.su re ; and far more does this apply to the 
 needy who will not beg. Respect their sense of shame 
 as well. 
 
 The next higher step is to feel ashamed of one's 
 self within one's own heart, to be forced to say to one's 
 self: Though no (me knows how wicked thy thoughts and 
 actions are, thou knowest it ; thou Host, thou llatterest, 
 thou art false, thou are uncharital)lc, thou are dishonest, 
 thy hidden paths of sin are beneath human dignity. 
 Be ashamed, oh man, to face thyself. As the sense of 
 shame leads men to cover their faults with fig-leaves 
 before their fellow-men, so it leads them to justify their 
 faults in their own eyes. 
 
 There is tlnis a still higher degree of shame, shame 
 in the presence of God. Before the eye of God, wliat 
 avails the fig-leaf? Man stands there in a " garment of
 
 26 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 light;" all his faults show tlirouirh it, every blemish in his 
 character is ai)i)arent. Beforethe all-seeing eyeof God, the 
 Holy One, all assumption of goodness vanishes, the mask 
 falls and every equivocation, every excuse which suffices 
 to still our conscience, stands revealed in its true light. 
 Indeed we who like to call ourselves his children, ought 
 to be sincerely ashamed in our Father's presence, doubly- 
 asliamed to sin and then cover our sin with the fig- 
 leaves of sophistry, falsehood and hypocrisy. 
 
 Well for him who need not hide in fear, when he 
 heai-s in his conscience the call of God : " Man, where 
 art thou? thy God seeks thee!" And yet, it is well 
 with him Avho still has the grace to hide and be ashamed 
 of his sin in the presence of God. 
 
 As every gift of God is exposed to abuse, so the 
 sense of shame. Such abuse is termed false shame, 
 false pride. We are ashamed to learn ; we hide our 
 lack of knowledge under a fig-leaf, and so cover up our 
 ignorance. We are ashamed to correct a mistake, to 
 admit to ourselves, and certainly to others, tliat we have 
 been guilty of a wrong, and we prefer to continue in 
 ignorance, in the old faults and mistakes. We are 
 a.shanied to subordinate ourselves, to obey, and we 
 ad(jrn ourselves with the fig-leaf of proud independence, 
 often quite unjustifiably. We are ashamed to toil with 
 our hands, with which it was intended that we should 
 lal)or, and make the earth habital)le for man. We are 
 not ashamed to be seen with hands idly folded during 
 the hours of toil. AVe are not ashamed, though we be 
 young and strong, to seek aid, humbly and cringingly 
 to beg for assistance, and thus forfeit our dignity; but 
 we would be intensely mortified to be seen with a burden
 
 THE SENSE OF SHAME. 27 
 
 upon our shoulders, with an axe or a shovel in our hand, 
 honestly toiling for our daily bread. Decked in 
 borrowed finery, unpaid jewels and ornaments, we do 
 not shrink, in the presence of our rich friends, from 
 boasting of out counterfeit wealth. But we would be 
 inexpressibly ashamed of being found living according 
 to our means, with shabby, but untorn, cleanly and 
 honestly gotten clothing and furniture, and associating 
 with people in similar circumstances. Tins false shame 
 has done, and continues to do, a great deal of harm. 
 
 We have deteetor.-i to discover the base coin among the 
 true. Our virtues are the genuine gold coins in the 
 media of exchange between men on earth, as well as our 
 viaticum on the journey to the world beyond. But 
 anu)ng the virtues, as in everything else, not all is gold 
 that glitters ; in the practice of virtue, too, we need a 
 detector to distinguish the false from the true, genuine 
 virtue from its counterfeit. This is true concerning all 
 the virtues, but particularly of the sense of shame. 
 
 In conclusion, we turn once more to our inti'oductory 
 words. We remarked that our interpretation of the 
 Bible and its misinterpretation on the i)art of others 
 mark the line of division between our faith and the 
 newer religions. The understanding of the Bible 
 depends upon oiii- knowledge of it in the original. 
 ICvery translation is but the translator's exposition of his 
 own conception. \\f Israelites would have to be 
 ashamed of our pretension to tlie truer understanding, 
 were the; ability to rea<l tiie divine Book in the oriirinal 
 to become its rare among us as it was among the pio- 
 neers of the n(!wer religions and tlu! later worshij)pers of 
 the Book. Not only are we ow I he point of losing this
 
 28 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 ability to read it in the original, but the masses of our 
 fellow-believers seem more and more inclined to ignore 
 their ancient religious documents, even in their transla- 
 tion. Alcibiades one day asked a schoolmaster to lend 
 liim his Homer. " I have none." " What ! you, a 
 teacher, and no Homer in your house?" and in his 
 indignant anger, the boy so far forgot himself as to 
 strike the old man. Again, thou art an Israelite, and 
 hast no Bible in thy library? Thou belongest to a 
 faith that prides itself upon being the nations' teacher 
 in matters of religion, and dost not know thy own text- 
 book ? It is true, under the present circumstances, not 
 every one can hope to be able to read and understand 
 the Bible in the original ; in fact, the great majority 
 must be debarred therefrom. All the more ought every- 
 one to feel bound to support any institution whose object 
 it is to counteract this evil, so that at least the leaders 
 and chosen ones of every Jewish congregation will pre- 
 serve in Israel the inherited, true, pure spirit of the 
 Bible. 
 
 Sense of shame, thou divine messenger, thou guar- 
 dian spirit of virtue, do not forsake us ! Be our good 
 angel in all our ways, in our journeys, in storm and in 
 sunshine, until we safely land upon the shores of eter- 
 nity.
 
 CAIN AND ABEL. 
 
 Gen. IV. 
 " God is with me, I do not fear." 
 
 There is a distinction between " God is " and " God is 
 with me ;" we may believe in the existence of God, and 
 yet feel forsaken of God. Happy he that can devoutly 
 exclaim, from the bottom of his heart : " God is with 
 me." AVoe to him who, like Saul, in dull despair ex- 
 claims: "God has forsaken me; he answereth me not 
 even in my dreams !" 
 
 How can man know whether God is with him or not? 
 We are led to this question by the subject of to-day's 
 Scriptural portion. 
 
 Cain and Abel each brought God an offering. "And 
 the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering, but 
 unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect, and 
 Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell." 
 
 Who told Cain, how did he know that CJod had not 
 respect unto his offering? One of the explanations 
 given by the early ral)bis is tliat fires from heaven 
 fjcvoured Abel's offering, ;iiid left Cain's untouched. 
 A more recent commentator indicates the answer in an 
 illustrated edition of the Bible. The smoke from Abel's 
 sacrificial altar is seen to ri.se straight to liBitven, I)iit the 
 smoke from Cain's offering is blown sideways by tlio 
 wind. Such explanations are smoke themselves, and 
 
 29
 
 30 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 only dim the clear vision of tlie reader of Holy Writ. 
 To know whether God is content with us, we need neither 
 watch the smoke of the ofierin<f, nor wait for fires from 
 heaven; we need only look into our own hearts; if 
 there we liud that we are content with God, we have 
 the happy consciousness that God is content with u^! ; 
 he who can say "S 'jx, I am the Lord's, can also say 
 'h ", the Lord is with me ! 
 
 The tale of the first two brothers is taken from life ; 
 not from the remote, obsolete life of antediluvian times, 
 but from the fresh stream of life, surging about us to-day. 
 No malicious, envious, god-forsaken man is satisfied with 
 himself, or his fellow-men, or his fate, or the course of 
 things in general ; and whoever is at strife with himself, 
 soured and embittered in spirit, is of the opinion that 
 God has forsaken him, and that there is no justice in 
 the world. The gnawing worm of discontent and the 
 ansrels of contentment do not ask what a man's station 
 may be ; to them it is immaterial whether he is rich or 
 poor, learned or ignorant, king or subject; they take 
 cotrnizance onlv of hearts, not of ranks. There are 
 those that are sated, yet dissatisfied, and others that are 
 content though starving. A good, honest man, a duti- 
 ful laborer or business man will, when his work is done, 
 .sit at the table with his wife and children, in the one 
 modest room he calls home. Content if the hunger of 
 all be appeased, he rises, thinking : " God has helped 
 me to-day, he will help again to-morrow ; God is with 
 me, I do not fear." It does not occur to him to think 
 that God has ijprsaken him, that God is displeased with 
 him, that he suffei^s unjustly. Instead of making the 
 old-time offering, he prays to the Lord ; nor does he
 
 CAIX AND ABEL. 31 
 
 think : " How can I pray to a God that pays no atten- 
 tion to my prayer?" 
 
 The Church puts the words of the Psalmist into the 
 mouth of its founder, " My God, my God, wherefore 
 hast thou forsaken me?" Our martyrs did not so 
 exclaim in their hours of torture, when the flames were 
 rising about them at the stake. Even in the throes of 
 death, and in death itself, they did not believe them- 
 selves forsaken of God. They did not expire saying, 
 "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" but 
 with " Sh'ma Israel " u\k)u their lips. 
 
 In tiie tale of Ral)l)i Akiba's martyrdom, we are told 
 that he rejoiced in his painful death, as an opportunity 
 to seal with his life-blood the averment that he had 
 made twice every day : " Thou shalt love tlie Eternal, 
 thy God, with all thy heart, with thy life, and with all 
 thy goods." 
 
 Cain was a farmer; his farm was as large as the 
 whole earth. 80 far as his condition, his outer life, was 
 concerned, he might well live content, and say: "God 
 is with me!" But of what use was all this? His 
 i)rother was as calm and happy and contented as is 
 every good man that is satislicd with himscll', with his 
 fate and with his (Jod. p^verything seemed to go well 
 with his brother; he was equally composed in success 
 and failure, always even-tempered and happy. With 
 this condition Cain compared his own wretclied state of 
 ininri ; in the light of the contrast, his calling and work 
 seemed trivial. That which, in his brother's hand, 
 became refreshing wine, in his own seemed to sour into 
 vinegar, or to turn to bitter gall. Then he thought. 
 "God docs not love me, he hates me; my ollering
 
 32 SABBATH HOURS, 
 
 does not please him. My brother is his favorite ; his 
 offering has fonnd favor in the eyes of God." And 
 embittered as he Avas, he took the first opportunity, 
 offered by a dispute in the field, to deal the fatal blow, 
 and he became a murderer. 
 
 " The wicked looketh out for his righteous, and 
 seeketh to slay him," says the Psalmist. That is one of 
 life's truths, first proved in Cain, and it has continued 
 to be proved through all generations. He that is dis- 
 satisfied with himself is no longer content with God, or 
 the world, or his own brother. He is not with God, and 
 therefore God is not with him. In his eyes everyone is 
 happier than he, more favored by God than himself. 
 
 Let us ask : " How is nobility of heart manifested, 
 and what brings genuine, lasting happiness to the 
 heart?" To take, to accept without giving in return, if 
 on account of poverty, is bitter ; if from motives of ava- 
 rice — show me the covetous man whose face is not fallen, 
 like Cain's, in whose features we cannot read : " Here 
 dwells neither contentment nor happiness !" Neither to 
 give nor take, but to live only for one's self, is the man- 
 ner of low natures ; or, as we read in the Ethics of the 
 Fathers, is the fashion of the lords of Sodom and Go- 
 morrah. It is sweet to give, to sacrifice. If husband 
 and wife, if parents and children, live and sacrifice for 
 one another, they will feel divine bliss in so doiug ; this 
 happiness is augmented where there exists strength and 
 opportunity to extend help and kindness beyond the 
 home, out into the endless world of suffering humanity. 
 Even the most selfish of men cannot so completely iso- 
 late himself, but that he will sometimes be called upon 
 to make a sacrifice in honor of God or in the interest of
 
 CAIN AND ABEL. 33 
 
 humanity ; but he will bring his sacrifice tardily, and 
 in a surly, grudging spirit. So it was with Cain : " in 
 process of time," after he had stored harvest upon harvest, 
 he determined to sacrifice some of his superfluity in grati- 
 tude to God, the Giver ; but of Al)el we are told that 
 he brought " of the firstlings of his flock and the fat 
 thereof" 
 
 When people give with trembling hands and " in pro- 
 cess of time," we may know that they are selfish, avari- 
 cious, hard-hearted. The noble ones, the Abels, do not 
 delay their gifts and sacrifices until they have enough ■ 
 and more than enough themselves, but they give and 
 sacrifice of their earnings soon, because giving, sacri- 
 ficing for others, is their greatest happiness. They do 
 not fear that giving may impoverish them, that they 
 themselves may want, for " God is with me, I do not 
 fear." They do not, after the manner of Cain, " in pro- 
 cess of time," come to the house of God, and, by their 
 presence, sacrifice an hour to God ; but they appear 
 before God, and can spare an hour i'or worship, even one 
 of their remunerative hours. They do not say, like 
 Cain: "Am I my l)rother's keeper? My brother does 
 not concern me; I have myself to look after." It gives 
 thera pleasure to be kind to their brother, and to protect 
 him from evil. Thus are we content within ourselves; 
 we know tiiat we are with God, and that therefore God 
 is with us. 
 
 They that isolate themselves in feeling, tiiat have no 
 heart for others, no wish, no hoj)c, no gf)al but their 
 own interest, will .soon find tlicir spring of joy drained, 
 their hearts grow cold and ever colder; they become 
 bitter and more l)itter, more unhapj)y and discontented; 
 
 4
 
 34 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 they forsake God, and feel god-forsaken, and their very 
 expression invites the query : " Why art thou wrotli, 
 and why is thy countenance fallen ?" 
 
 Blessed be they that are content within ; blessed they 
 that are wath God, and with Avhoni is God ; blessed they 
 that may in truth exclaim: "God is with me, I do not 
 fear."
 
 THE BOOK. 
 
 ''This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that G)d 
 created man, in the likeness of God made he him ; male and female 
 created he them ; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, 
 in the day when they were created."— Gen. V : 1, 2. 
 
 Our text, in two brief, prosaic verses, disposes of 
 the creation of the first human beings, which was 
 described more circumstantially and graphically in a 
 f(jrmer chapter. The cause of the repetition, and 
 of the altered form and contents, i.s that the fir.'^t is 
 an account of the creation of the natural man, whereas 
 the second one treats, as it were, of a second, revised 
 creation, tlu; child of nature being transformed into 
 a civilized l)eing. Civilized man begins with the 
 book. " This is the book of the generations of man " 
 (of tlu! formation of man). With records begins 
 the development of the civilized l)eing: mSin (gen- 
 erations) is iiis evolution. .Savages remain savages, 
 because they cannot write, uiid liavc traditions but no 
 book.s. If the peoples that now rank as the most 
 enlightened were to forget how to read and write, and 
 were to Io.se all their books, a few generations lience 
 would see them barl)arians. A lirctinie of seventy 
 years is mucli too .^liort for mental or physical progress 
 to be of any conserpience. Yet even the little an 
 age can achieve, woidd pa«s away with it, and tlie 
 following age would have to begin over again. Antc- 
 
 35
 
 36 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 (liluvian man must, indeed, have been nnicli longer 
 lived than wc of the present day, else even the limited 
 civilization of" prehistoric times could never have been 
 attained. The personal experiences of long lives made 
 up for the written records of several generations. But 
 even the nine hundred and sixty-nine years of Methuse- 
 lah's life, what are they, unrecorded in detail, as compared 
 with the lifetime of one of us, who, through books, can live 
 from four to five thousand years ! By means of books, 
 we are contemporaneous with the mental and technical 
 acquirements of hundreds of generations. We live with 
 the earliest inventors, Jubal and Tubal Cain, as with 
 Edison. Books are humanity's savings-bank. The 
 profound thinker deposits his golden thoughts therein ; 
 the superficial thinker, his cojjpers, but each one some- 
 thing. The accumulated capital may be drawn upon 
 not only by the depositor, and in proportion to his 
 deposits, but by all mankind and to any extent. The 
 charter of this bank is entitled : " This is the book of 
 the generations of man," the book that forms civilized 
 man. 
 
 ^lany may say : " I do not believe in books. 1 read 
 no books, much less liave I written any, yet I am neither 
 a fool nor a savage !" 
 
 It is true that there are practical men and women 
 who never read, and withal are more useful than many 
 that absorb libraries and exhaust inkstands. Neverthe- 
 less, whatever there may be stirring of fertile thought in 
 his brain, or of delicate feeling in his heart, and whatever 
 technical skill he may proudly boast, indirectly the prac- 
 tical man has drawn it all from the accumulated knowl- 
 edge in the bank-book of humanity ; for this bank not
 
 THE BOOK. 37 
 
 only pays back deposits with interest, it does not even 
 wait for people to draw upon it — it does not even ask, 
 " Who was the depositor ?" Its profits benefit all, even 
 those that do not read and write. The bank is not in 
 danger of a run upon it ; on the contrary, it is ever call- 
 ing and reminding people, " Do not let my treasures lie 
 idle, come and take of them !" 
 
 It is equally true that readers and writers of books 
 are not always the best men ; the former often carry 
 awav with them the absurdities and the unhealth- 
 fulness gathered in some books, and the latter often 
 deposit tin instead of gold — matter to kill time and 
 souls, instead of educational store. But do we not find 
 blight and madwort among the Avheat? So it must also 
 })e in the field of human thought. 
 
 The first story of the creation has, for its subject 
 the natural man, and the style of description is chosen 
 accordingly. The nuin of nature speaks in metaphors. 
 Just as writing begins with picture-writing, with thoughts 
 depicted in colors, so the expression of thought by 
 means of language begins with word-painting. With 
 culture, comes the use of prose, and accordingly the 
 second account of the creation, which speaks of the 
 "cultured Jiian,"' ac^complishcs in two verses what it 
 took the first an entire chapter to <i<>. 
 
 So much for the diflcrcnce in form between the two 
 accounts of the creation: now for tlu' dillercncc in 
 matter. 
 
 According to tlic first at^couiit, iri:iu was created first. 
 Hut when it was found that it was not well lor 111:111 to 
 be alone, woman was given to liiiii as a comi)anion. 
 The man was called Adam and his wife Eve — for "she
 
 38 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 was the mother of all living." According to this 
 account, woman's place in creation -woukl be but as the 
 complement of man ; she is valuable only as the mother 
 of future generations ; for her own sake, her existence 
 would not be justified. This, indeed, do we find the 
 position of woman to be in uncivilized lands and ages ; 
 she is but her husband's beast of burden. The social 
 and domestic position of woman keeps pace with culture. 
 
 In the second account of the creation, we are told, 
 " Male and female created he them ; and blessed them, 
 and called their name Adam." Here woman is created 
 not merely as a helpmate to man, as a supplement, as it 
 were ; she is valued not only as Eve, the mother of men, 
 but she exists independently and for her own sake. 
 
 " This is the book of the generations of man " — this 
 is the history of man as the book has developed him. 
 
 There always have been men and women who exag- 
 gerate virtue and piety into a very caricature, and so 
 cause them to be decried. We find the same tendency 
 illustrated in the relation of the sexes to each other. 
 The calm, sensible prose of our text would read that 
 man and woman were created equals, and so every just, 
 enlightened code of laws endeavors to give to woman 
 equal rights with man. Whereas the poetical concep- 
 tion of the story of the creation of the " natural man " 
 degrades woman to the level of a mere convenience to 
 man, the romantic literature of civilized countries goes 
 to the other extreme, and deifies and beatifies the *' eter- 
 nally feminine " (das Eivig- Weibllche). It depicts the 
 world as one of flowers and sunshine, of homage and 
 adoration, and oftentimes are girls and young women 
 embittered for life, unhappy and discontented with their
 
 THE BOOK. 39 
 
 lot, because they fancy themselves wronged, because, in 
 real life, in the world of reality, they find that, in the 
 long run, men and Avomen alike are valued according to 
 their services. Their eyes are opened to the fact that 
 the demands of the home upon the housewife, of the 
 family upon the mother, and finally the husband's 
 a«serti(ni of his rights, prove to be very different from 
 the hazy pictures of romantic literature. 
 
 Yet the charming conceits of romantic literature pos- 
 sess at least the merit of having given great pleasure 
 to the w<n-ld. Who can count the houi-s of enjoyment 
 that such reading has bestowed, or the number of hearts 
 that it has softened ? Who would deny that it has been 
 invaluable in awakening, fostering and cultivating the 
 ii'sthetic sense in the majority of its loaders? If we had 
 to continue the Bible, who knows but that the influence 
 of romantic literature might inij)el us to add a third 
 account of the creation of woman to the two already 
 existing? In the fust, she is man's inferior; in the 
 second, ids equal ; in the third, she would be a higher 
 :esthetic being, wliicli neither knits nor weaves nor spins, 
 but charmingly arrayed, like the lilies of the field, would 
 beautify our lives, and "weave heavenly roses into our 
 earthly lifi-." And then, I)ccause it were not good fur 
 woman to be alone^ — for who wo\ild weave and spin and 
 take carcftf tilings? — we wouM have fiod creati- man to 
 serve her. 
 
 But exaggeration ceii-ses to Im' pleasing, iiwh'ed, it 
 becomes ofiensive, when it introduces woman into the 
 arena of" j)olitical strife, and transports her I'roni the 
 peace and purity of doniesti<' life to the noise ami mire 
 of j)nl»licity. She luis a right to enter ujion this life,
 
 40 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 certainly, just as the dove has a right to mingle with 
 eagles, but the exercise of the privilege Avould prove 
 fatal to the poor dove. Instinct teaches the animal to 
 keep out of danger. Is there not enough of abuse, 
 slander, fraud and even bloody strife in connection with 
 elections and jiolitics in general among the politically- 
 privileged sex, Avithout casting the other and purer half 
 of humanity into this whirlpool? Men, in their politi- 
 cal contests, may calumniate and cast the mire of slander 
 upon one another. A blot on a man's character is easily 
 obliterated, and even his real shortcomings are leniently 
 judged. But the faintest tinge upon a woman's char- 
 acter robs her forever of her reputation and tarnishes 
 her name and being. Woman, more delicate and sensi- 
 tive, and Avhen good, possessing a nobility of soul which 
 even the best among men cannot approach, would not 
 retain her equanimity as man does in the pitiless strife of 
 politics. She would leave the field of battle hurt, deeply 
 pained and wounded, whereas men of opposing factions 
 cordially shake hands after the battle, as if no unkind 
 word had been spoken. But the cultured, patriotic 
 woman is not debarred from exerting political influence; 
 her spirit may guide husbands and sons in the noblest 
 direction, and kindle them to the noblest deeds. Cor- 
 nelia did not go into the Forum, but she was the mother 
 of the Gracchi. 
 
 " This is the book of the generations of man." The 
 evolution in the history of civilization, the growth of 
 culture, of thought, of enlightenment, of intellectuality 
 in each successive generation, is due to books. 
 
 We have noted their influence upon the position of 
 woman. The tendency of culture is to place the weak
 
 THE BOOK. 41 
 
 on an equal footing with the strong. And thus Israel, 
 like woman, has been the gainer by the advance of cul- 
 ture. It is weak in numbers, and has been further 
 weakened by prejudice. Look about you in the differ- 
 ent countries of the earth. Wherever you find woman 
 oppressed, her claims disregarded, there Israel likewise 
 does not lie upon a l)ed of roses ; and where woman suc- 
 ceeds in asserting her rights, Israel also is permitted to 
 grow in dignity. In no land upon earth is woman held 
 in higher esteem than in our blessed United States. 
 Here, too, the Israelite may enjoy every privilege. This 
 is the best evidence that the country takes first rank, in 
 point of culture, among the nations of the earth. May 
 it ever remain upon this j)iunacle, and be guarded from 
 the pitfalls of exaggeration !
 
 PRAISE AND BLAME. 
 
 " These are the generations of Noah : Noah was a just man and per- 
 fect in his generations, and Noah walked with (iod.— Gen. VI : 'J. 
 
 In tlie introductory words of to-day's portion of the 
 Law, in which the Bible speaks of Noah in the third 
 person, he is designated as "a just man and perfect,'* 
 and again as a man that " walked with God ;" but 
 further on, where Noah is mentioned in the second per- 
 son, addressed by God, it says merely, " for thee have I 
 seen righteous before me in this generation." 
 - Thence our sages draw the lesson that, in a person's 
 presence, praise of him should be moderate, and full 
 praise accorded only in his ahsence.4 Generally, this is 
 accepted in its negative sense,yas a warning against flat- 
 tery, as an objection to exaggerated praise. « To be sure, 
 if we glance about us in practical life we find that praise, 
 in the presence of the person commended, is apt to be 
 exaggerated, even false„wliile behind his back, tliere is 
 rarely any praise at all, neither faint nor unstinted 
 praise. 
 
 (These thoughts lead us to the regions of flattery and 
 duplicity, tempting the preacher to moralize, and otter- 
 ing him a grateful subject, bound to win for him his 
 listeners' sympathies. They fully approve of his railing 
 against and clii<liug the insincerity of the world. " The 
 minister is quite right; every word he has uttered is 
 
 42
 
 PRAISE AND BLAME. 43 
 
 perfectly true !" For each one thinks that the moralist's 
 strictures apply only to the wicked world, and not to 
 himself,^ 
 
 • Our principle should be, not that we may praise^"'but 
 that we oufjJd to praise others; moderately, yes, and 
 with discretion, but praise them we should. As God 
 spake to Noah, " For thee have I seen righteous before 
 me„" so be you ready frankly to show the good man 
 your appreciation. ^ INfany people have not sufficient 
 
 ^ — generosity to speak a kind word or give a sign of appre- 
 ciation, unless it be from selfish motives. / " Love thy 
 neighbor as thyself." Surely, no one objects to this fun- 
 ^^ — ■ dainental principle of our religion. Well, no matter 
 how modest you may be, you are pleased by an expres- 
 \y^~'^ sion of praise which, you feel, you merits It borders on 
 ■-- saintlincss to l)e al)]e to act rightly and nobly, quietly 
 and without ostentation, seen only by God, knowing 
 one's self to be misunderstood, and yet continuing calmly 
 and unconcernedly in the path of the good and the 
 noble. 
 
 " Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 
 
 If you mean to try to live up to the law, " Love thy 
 neighbor as thyself," you must rcincmlicr tliat it can be 
 carried out, not only in cases in which your neighbor 
 is in need of material assistance, or retjuires your per- 
 sonal aid, l)ut also by rejoicing his heart whenever it can 
 
 ^^ be done.* Love of mankind givers bread to the liiiin,M-y 
 and alms to the poor, and makes us obliging to our 
 neighbors. In times of troultlc we extend a helping 
 hand to every one that needs it. IJut wiien neither 
 hunger, nor troubh;, nor aught else, calls for acts of 
 
 . human kindneas — what then? Speak a pleasant word
 
 44 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 to all ! That is the gift that pleases the millionaire as 
 well as the beggar, and it is always appropriate. It is a - 
 gift precious enough for those dearest to you, and not 
 too valuable to bestow upon the most distant acquaint- 
 £^^ ance. v If you wish to give pleasure to the faithful part- 
 ner of your life, if you would sincerely delight her, and 
 elevate her spirits, you need not go to a dry-goods store, 
 and purchase the costliest and most elegant material for 
 ^__^^Jier^nor pave the ways of a happy marriage with dia- 
 monds: tell her something kind; praise her manage- 
 ment in her sphere at home.* AVhen a man supposes 
 that he can give a woman no greater pleasure than by 
 presenting her with woven materials, shining gold and 
 glittering stones, does he imagine that he is thus showing 
 the proper appreciation of the dignity of womanhood ? 
 ^ — Does he imad,nc that to be the way to malj^ every 
 woman happy,^rom the maiden to the matron 'M^Show 
 her your appreciation of the dutiful mother in her, of 
 the housewife, and do not stint your praise of anything 
 that may be praiseworthy in her, and if she possess but 
 a spark of true womanly pride, this will make her hap- 
 pier than wagonloads of precious gifts could do. 
 ^ ^If you have a laborer with whom you are satisfied, 
 tell him so! Praise him! He will be better pleased 
 than with the conventional gift which is supposed to 
 repay his ardent services. 
 
 How delighted pupils are when they are praised by 
 
 their teacher, and they may carry the praise home in the 
 form of a certificate, particularly if they know that the 
 praise is deserved. - ~ 
 ■ — But even our dear, beloved gold, hardly earned, still 
 more hardly parted with, finds its way more readily out
 
 PRAISE AND BLAME. 45 
 
 of our purses, than does a good, kind word out of our 
 mouths. The penurious man will sooner, though even 
 that with a heavy heart, make up his mind to the pur- 
 chase of a diamond, than will the hard man to the 
 utterance of appreciative praise. Limited knowledge 
 of human nature is shown by the fact that there is more 
 complaint of flattery, that is, of too much and undeserved 
 ])raise, than of praise withheld, though merited. 
 
 To flatter a man in his presence, and then to criticise 
 him adversely as soon a.s his back is turned upon us, is 
 an undoul)ted sin,^of which no one is entirely innocent, 
 but which everyone regards as contemptible ; but when 
 the kind word that really belongs to another is withheld, 
 the wrong is not even suspected.^ Is it because people 
 are, in truth, so poor in virtue that we hear so few 
 iA' them praised ?^ Why, that would be a slur upon the 
 Creator wIid made them ! 
 
 (iod said to Noah, "Thou art a man whom I have 
 found good and righteous, 'in tiiis generation,' under the 
 existing circumstances under which thou liast grown up 
 among men." 
 
 So let us judge. Lot us give every one his due ; let us 
 judge of everyone in the light of the circumstances 
 under which he luus lived ami Ixcn brought up./ Let us "''^ 
 give t<j everyone credit for the good in liim, whether it 
 be great or .small, to those near and dear to us^as well^ 
 as to those with whom we come but casually in contact. 
 
 Our sages say, in an alleg(;ry, that (Jod lays the hand 
 of his mercy upon the scale of merit, when the tongue 
 of the balance wavers between guilt and deserts. Kven 
 though there may be some doubt as to the uiKpiali- 
 fied merit of the action in ((uestioii, praise ill We are —
 
 46 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 not SO conscientious when we come to blame, a INIany a - 
 hard judgment is passed upon tlie strength of a mere 
 supposition, of rumors floating about in the air, coming, 
 no one knows whence — why be so guarded in. praise ? 
 If we take into consideration the circumstances under 
 which a man lives and acts, much may be praised that 
 is not exactly resplendent in virtue,^ and much be 
 thought clean that has many a stain. 
 
 -— Of course, praise must be, according to circumstances, 
 merited, then it is not flattery. ^ It must not be over- 
 done, else it may spoil the one to whom it is accorded. 
 Moderate praise harms no one; on the contrary, it 
 spurs him on to be completely worthy and deserving of 
 it. 
 
 ~ Many a one that finds it hard Avork to; utter a kind 
 word justifies himself by saying, " I cannot flatter! I 
 am no' flatterer and no hypocrite !" Instead of which - 
 he ought to say, " I cannot praise ; my heart is not good 
 enough." 
 
 Many a one who can most readily, without the slight- 
 est hesitancy or qualm of conscience blame another in 
 his presence, but cannot bring himself to utter a word 
 of praise or acknowledgment,, considers himself there — ■ 
 fore one of the most sturdy, honest and sincere of men. « 
 In reality, he ranks among the heartless, coarse-grained 
 misanthropes of earth. 
 
 - Many are not actually malevolent ; they blame with-- 
 out condonniing ; but neither are they kindly disposed. 
 They utter not a kind word, unless it be forced from 
 them. But, despite their taciturnity, they are not 
 philosophers, as they fondly fancy ; they are too poor 
 in love and sympathy for their fellow-beings to give
 
 PRAISE AND BLAME, 47 
 
 away even a word.r They would not have given Noah 
 the satisfaction of saying to him, " Thee I have found 
 righteous in this generation." 
 
 ^ Praise a man moderately in his presence. You are 
 not asked for valuable gold coins — exaggerated praise ^ 
 nor are there very many that deserve such praise.^ But • 
 be always well supplied with small coins, the small change 
 of praise, and scatter it to the right and left on your path- 
 way in life as kindly gifts and just tributes ; for there 
 are few in whom there is not something to praise. ~ 
 
 To cast blame upon a strong man, in his very pres- 
 ence, though it may l)e justified, requires heroic courage > 
 but to find something to praise in a weak one, and 
 to accord him praise therefor, besjieak a noble nature 
 and a gentle heart. « Blessed be they that can do both, 
 in wIkjih n(jbility of spirit, strength of mind and good- 
 ness of heart are united ! 
 
 I
 
 RELIGION AND THE MORAL LAW. 
 
 Gen. VI : 9. 
 
 When the momeut of separation between life and 
 death has come, and our labors here are ended ; when 
 there is nothing more to be added to or taken from our 
 life-work, in what word should we most like to have all 
 our striving and getting summed up, and echoed beyond 
 the grave? Artist? Scholar? Ruler? Millionaire? Or 
 should we like to be remembered as a beautiful, graciouS 
 lady ? No matter how much importance people, even up 
 to the last day in life, attach to such names, when the last 
 hour comes, on the verge of eternity, there is no longer 
 any delight in the things that seemed of ruling import- 
 ance during life. The word that we should most like 
 to have re-echo in the world after the grave has closed 
 over us, is that which clung to Noah's memory : " Noah 
 was a righteous man." Zaddih is the word; to have 
 lived as a Zaddik would assuredly be our last and greatest 
 desire. We find this word cut into most Israelitish 
 tombstones, in praise of the man resting beneath. Often 
 the praise that the patient stone ])ears is unmerited, 
 yet the frequency with which it occurs testifies to the 
 high esteem in which the epithet is held. 
 
 The handsomest and tallest monument, with the most 
 grandiloquent inscription, has no value, if the one little 
 word " Zaddik " cannot be truthfully placed upon it. 
 
 48
 
 RELIGION AND THK MORAL LAW. 49 
 
 The most touching and the most polished funeral oration 
 is devoid of meaning, if the little word " Zaddik " must 
 of necessity be left out of it. Man may secure post- 
 humous fame through manifold works ; he may gain 
 celebrity after his death among those left on earth, but 
 in departing, only that which walks before us is of value 
 to us, ^pii* I'JijS -]Sni " Before thee shall go thy right- 
 eousness" — all that pertains to a Zaddik. 
 
 Zaddik is a Hebrew word. What is its translation? 
 It is one of the untranslatable Hebrew words. Even in 
 being defined, it loses its force, just as wine loses its 
 aroma in a chemical analysis. To render it in another 
 language deprives it of its flavor, it is then like wine 
 jKjured from one vessel into another. The attributes just, 
 honorable, honest, benevolent, god-fearing, may be ap- 
 plied to a man or not — the subject ever remains ; but in 
 Zaddik all these attributes are embodied. The one word 
 is the sul)ject and the predicate. We cannot imagine a 
 Zaddik otherwise than possessing all these attributes. 
 The liible declares Noah to have attained his majority; 
 it tells us that in his generation he was the only one that 
 had reached the nobility of a Zaddik. 
 
 At the time of the deluge, there had been no revela- 
 tion on Mount Sinai, and no Moses called to speak to 
 the people in the name of God. Ifow could there then 
 have been a Zaddik? And liow could men be punished 
 for evil or even be; called evil, there being no divine laws 
 to obey and none to infringe? The liible-text teaches us 
 the great lesson that we carry a divine revelation in our 
 hearts. Also to that portion of humanity that was not 
 present at Mount Sinai, God revealed himself and spoke. 
 This revelation continues through all times, and the voice 
 
 5
 
 50 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 of God, beard in our conscience, does not die away. It is 
 " the loud voice that does not cease." Our sages men- 
 tion seven Noachian precepts, but it is not imperative to 
 derive them from the Bible, as our sages do. The four 
 into which the seven resolve themselves are, humanity, 
 chastity, justice and the worship of God. These emanate 
 from man's moral instincts, and are the ijentle voices of 
 the heart, in whicli God's will manifests itself. Noah 
 bad the same law-giver as bis contemporaries, the same 
 teacher and mentor — the moral law within bis heart ; it 
 was sufficient to make him a Zaddik, to teach him how 
 to earn God's favor, whereas his contemporaries bad 
 incurred tlie deluge. 
 
 This story recommends to us tolerance, exercised by 
 God himself, and so often overlooked by religious zeal. 
 Even those who were not at IVIount Sinai, and whose 
 ancestors were not there, who never experienced a 
 supernatural revelation, and, therefore, do not believe 
 in any, even they may find favor in the eyes of God, if 
 they lead a virtuous life. Noah's contemporaries met 
 their destruction, because they despised the moral law, 
 and permitted their feelings and actions alike to run riot. 
 " For the land was filled with violence." This, the Bible 
 tells us, was the cause of the destructive flood. So far 
 as their belief was concerned, whether true or false, the 
 sun would have continued to shine for them as it had 
 done before and has done since for millions of idolaters. 
 
 In matters of belief, tolerance is a virtue ; men of the 
 most varied beliefs may live near one another, and each 
 one live and die a Zaddik. ]5ut when the question is 
 purely moral, affecting all men alike ; when it is one of 
 nobility, of humanity, of rectitude ; when, in short, it
 
 RELIGION AND THE MORAL LAW. 51 
 
 falls under the divine revelations made in our hearts, 
 then to practise forbearance, to be indifferent towards 
 the views and actions of men, is sinful, punishable toler- 
 ance, of the sort that has ever produced deluges ; that is 
 to say, times of social distress, great or slight, according 
 to the prevalence of this laxity of judgment. 
 
 In the story, after Noah has been distinguished by the 
 honorable name Zaddik, we read further on, as if in 
 explanation of it : "Noah walked with God!" We 
 spoke of a moral law, which every one carries in his 
 heart, and which renders it possible for every one to be 
 a Zaddik. But where, in history, look where we may, 
 can we find an example of a people or a country or any 
 large community living for any length of time in peace 
 and order and security, based purely upon this moral 
 law? A belief in God or gods, whether childish or 
 rational, has always been the foundation of stable, civil 
 order, and the anchor of the social fabric. Individuals 
 have, at all times, discarded the belief in God, and yet 
 continued to live virtuously, but communities — never. 
 The worst periods of moral depravity, even in heathen 
 communities, have always been those in which irreligion 
 was considered the ])roper thing, and the masses turned 
 their backs upon tlicir temples of divine worship, and 
 gave up their hclief, without sul)stituting a hetter one. 
 
 The praise accorded to Noah, "and Noah walked 
 with God," shows what was lacking in his contempora- 
 ries, and wliat occa-sioncd the moral ruin of tlie pc(jple. 
 They walked neither with (Jod, nor with gods. 
 
 Truly, the nnual law :in<l the tendency to good arc 
 in the human heart; so an; the conditirms for growth 
 • iintaincd in (he seed, tlic earth and the atnios])hcn', hut
 
 52 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 the sun must give heat and light, must awaken and 
 quicken the germ. Thus the heart has its moral law, 
 and the understanding knows right from wrong, but the 
 divine spark, which impels the heart to good actions, is 
 wanting. This animating element is the belief in God. 
 The chemist knows the component parts of the blood ; 
 he can show us its separate ingredients, but lie cannot 
 make blood of the parts. How to impart life is the 
 secret of creation. The secret of quickening the moral 
 law in man is not withheld from us : it is the faith in 
 heaven, in a higher, superhuman, inconceivable Being. 
 
 As remarked before, individuals, guided by the moral 
 law, may remain in the right path, even though they be 
 infidels, but never an entire community. Political and 
 social problems may unite the masses, and move them to 
 act in harmony, but not permanently, only while the 
 question is pending. If the moral law is to be the law 
 of the land, if it is to achieve permanent and thus effec- 
 tive results, it must be informed with a ray of the sun 
 of faith, dispensing light and warmth from a world 
 above and beyond ours. 
 
 Noah's contemporaries walked not with God, where- 
 fore the Zaddikim gradually disappeared from their 
 midst, and morality died out among them. Depravity 
 followed in the train of godlessness. But Noah walked 
 with God ; his belief in God kept the moral law in his 
 heart fresh and pure, and he was the only Zaddik of his 
 time ; and he is praised as a most excellent Zaddik. 
 For it is not so difficult to live a Zaddik among Zad- 
 dikim. It is infinitely harder to remain true to one's 
 self among evil, immoral people, to stand firm in the 
 current of pul)lic opinion, and not be carried away by it.
 
 RELIGION AND THE MORAL LAW. 53 
 
 Let us not be deceived because nowadays we find 
 everywhere people who are estranged from religion ; 
 infidels, who are nevertheless good and virtuous. Let 
 not such examples mislead us into believing that com- 
 munities may prosper spiritually, and the world remain 
 moral, without some kind of religion. In a country of 
 fifty millions, hundreds of thousands may live moral 
 lives without religion, so long as millions and millions of 
 their contem])()raries worship God, and teach the wor-, 
 ship of God, and instil thoughts of heaven in church, in 
 school, and at the domestic hearth — so long as hundreds 
 of thousands of churches and schools and synagogues 
 exist to foster these teachings, and so awaken, support 
 and sanctify the moral law in the heart. 
 
 Imagine all the churches and schools closed, the 
 moral guidance discontinued, and each one left to follow 
 the promptings of his heart. Oh, ye philosophers! ye 
 would not win those fleeing iiDin the ashes of their faith, 
 not even your own offspring ; the masses deserting God 
 would drag you down into their own wliirlpool of unfet- 
 tered sensualism, materialism and gross scliishnuss. 
 
 It W(juld be the foulest calumny to accuse nujdi'rn 
 Jews of retrogression in morality, because of tlu^ more 
 lax exercise of the rites of theii- inheritcfl religion. 
 Even the most conservative must aihnit, upon unbiased 
 jndgmeut, tliat in nniny ways things are better than they 
 were in the days of un(|uestioned orthodoxy. Vet we 
 (;annot be sufiieiciitly earnest in our warning against too 
 greatly damping the fire of religion, till the heart is 
 dead to the thought of (Jod. Whoever values morality 
 for himself and the generaticjn in which he lives, a.s well 
 as for the generations that follow, must j)ractise religion
 
 54 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 not only in spirit, l)ut jil.so in a manner that will, by- 
 mutual, external intei-csts, bind together a large circle 
 of believers. Through abandoning the belief in God, 
 antediluvian humanity, with one exception, gradually 
 sank into moral depravity. This one alone remained 
 a Zaddik, for he was the onlv one that recognized a 
 God above him. " Noah walked with God." 
 
 Let the precious title of Zaddik not wait for the tomb- 
 stone, Ijut may the Israelite be honored in life, before 
 God and man, as a Zaddik !
 
 BE COKTENT TO LIVE IX THE LAKD OF 
 THY BIRTH. 
 
 "And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply ; bring forth abundantly inthe 
 earth, and multiply therein."— Gen. IX : 7. 
 
 In the repetition of the thought contained in the first 
 part of our text in the concluding words, " and nuiltiply 
 therein " our .'-ages recognize a special covenant of God ; 
 or, translated into the language of our day, a law of 
 Nature regulating the atlection of man for his native 
 heath. "And nuiltiply therein" — thrive, develoj) and 
 .strengthen in the place wliere your cradle stood. 
 
 It is certain that some such natural law of inevitable 
 force must regidate man's feeling on the subject. The 
 most inhospitable regions of the earth are inhabited by 
 l)<'o])]e who, nevertheless, enjoy life ; they strain every 
 nniscie to earn a meagre subsistence, while lands, richly 
 lilcssed, remain initill(Ml. In the rugged moinitains of 
 \'(;rmont, in the forests of Maine, among the bogs antl 
 niar.shes of North Canilin:!, tlicrc arc light crojjs and 
 hard work, little pleasure and ininli privation. Yet 
 people iiave lived there from generation to generation, 
 elingiiig to and loving the s])ot in wliieli tliey were born, 
 while vast areas of land in the I nion, as fertile as the 
 garden of (lod, as the land of Egyj)t, still await the 
 pioneer's plow. The Shetland isles, even Iceland, Spit/,- 
 Itergen and Nova Zend)la are inhabited, whereas Spain, 
 Hungary, the principalities of the Danube, etc., .still 
 
 66
 
 56 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Lave room for all their dwellers. As a rule, moreover, 
 people are proud of the wretched bit of laud which 
 they happen to inhabit. The Russian, in his smoky 
 cabin, buried in snow half the time, looks proudly down 
 upon the Italian, who must go to the mountains for the 
 snow and ice wherewith to cool a beverage. The laz- 
 zarone, who lives on the street, subsists on alms, and can 
 claim nothing as his own but- the blue of the sky over- 
 head, yet exclaims, " See Naples and die !" 
 
 A Greenlander replied to a missionary, " Who made 
 the sun ? I don't know ; I have never thought al)out 
 it ; but if it was made by anyone, it assuredly must have 
 been a Greenlander!" 
 
 The epochs in history, when entire peoples threw ofl' 
 these fetters, and left their barren homes in multitudes 
 in search of more pleasant abiding-places, have ever 
 been fraught with misery, as was the time of the deluge. 
 What is the burning of Magdeburg, of London, of Mos- 
 cow, or of Chicago, as compared with the calamities 
 brought on by these hordes ? Hundreds of miles of 
 villages and towns were one sheet of flames. Slaying 
 and massacre preceded them, and death, ruin and deso- 
 lation followed in their wake. 
 
 God spake after the great deluge, " There shall be no 
 more a flood to destroy the earth !" Likewise, Provi- 
 dence has, since many centuries, kept the nations within 
 bounds, and not permitted them to deluge the earth. 
 The old covenant, "and multiply therein," is once again 
 in full operation. The entire surface of the earth is 
 inhabited, and despite the partial distribution of favors, 
 each one believes himself in possession of the most fav- 
 ored spot, and there takes root for all times.
 
 BE CONTENT TO IJVE IN THE LAND OF THY BIRTH. 57 
 
 So enormous a displacement of the fluid element, as 
 in Noah's time, is a curse ; but complete cessation of 
 movement would be equally unfortunate. So the rush 
 of entire peoples, the surging of a sea of humanity over 
 the whole earth, brought with it inexpressible misery 
 and suffering.^ On the other hand, if nations were to 
 separate themselves from one another by insuperable 
 barriers; were to hate and despise one another, and live 
 each one only within the circle of its own ideas, it 
 would prove anything but a blessing. Regarding this, 
 much has changed for the better. Nations confine them- 
 selves within their boundaries, and yet there is easy 
 movement from one to the other. In ancient times, 
 next to death, exile was the most severe punishment, for 
 only one's native heatli contained that which was most 
 desirable. "Stranger" was an ugly name; neither the 
 life nor the pro[)erty of him that bore it was safe; 
 respect, friendshij), good-will were out of the question. 
 These conditions naturally strengthened the love of 
 home. The more uid'ciiid fate was in foreign lands, the 
 more beautiful did lioine ap|)('ar. The ancients used to 
 say, " Wlierever I am ha])i)y, there is my country !" But 
 no one was happy anywlure except at home. 
 
 Nowadays, any good Ixiok or n(\vs])aper article is 
 translated into various languages, and tia\(ls IViini land 
 to land. The products of the soil or of trade and works 
 of art are taken everywhere ; hundreds and thousands 
 of people are enq)loyed in scattering them abroad. We of 
 to-day also love our homes ; but oftentimes we are better 
 off in a strange than in our native laml ; since we are se- 
 cure abroad, and aretreateil kin<llv, we no longer consider 
 leaving home a misfortinie, oi- litl- away from it, exile.
 
 58 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 For tlii^, God be praised. Each people lives happily 
 and securely in its own domain, and still each individual 
 may safely remove his home to a distance of thousands 
 of miles. Just as the sea is confined in its basin by 
 rocks and sand-banks, so the peoples are detained within 
 limits by the natural law, "multiply therein." 
 
 But as brooks, rivers and torrents beautify the earth, 
 as fogs, clouds and moderate rains refresh and invigo- 
 rate it, so do men travelling from land to land in families 
 and parties receive and bestow the advantages of new 
 knowledge, of new skill, new views, new conceptions, 
 and animate, refresh and enhance the social life of 
 lumanity. 
 
 The portion from the Prophets (I Kings XXI), which 
 we read to-day, illustrates the natural law about the 
 affection of man for his native heath. Xaboth will not, 
 at any price, part with his inherited vineyard. The 
 soil which his parents tilled and cultivated is dearer to 
 liiiii than any other estate offered to him, even though 
 it be better and more beautiful than his own. When 
 we take into consideration the submissiveness of Orientals 
 to the behests of their ruler, and the perils of jjrovoking 
 his wrath, Naboth's outspoken preference for his plot of 
 ground is explicable only by the compelling power of a 
 natural law. 
 
 In this, too, there has been a great change. How 
 many d(; we find to-day living in the houses of their 
 parents, or cultivating the lands of their grandparents? 
 Who would not be ready to sell his house and grounds 
 for a good round sum ? Kot once but ten times in the 
 course of his life ? If the community wants a piece of 
 ground, hundreds are eager to sell, for a goodly reniuner-
 
 BE CONTENT TO LIVE IN THE LAND OF THY BIRTH. 59 
 
 ation, little caring that their ancestors once lived 
 upon it. 
 
 AVe ought to regard, as one of Nature's hints, the fact 
 that man is always strongest and happiest and most con- 
 tent in his native home, wherever that home maybe: 
 " Here I will cast anchor, and if storms do not drive 
 me away, I will live, work and die here ; here would I 
 see my children roai-ed and settled." Staff in hand, 
 loins girded, ever prejjared for change, living for the 
 day and mistrusting the morrow — that is not the way to 
 find happiness in life. Choose a country, and love it ; 
 choose an occu])ation, and be faithful to it, working 
 earnestly, perseveringly and trustfully, thus preparing 
 better times. Whatever is yours by inheritance or 
 honest gain should please you, and seem better and 
 more beautiful than royal estates. Unlike those that 
 are ever seekiug happiness in change, to whom the 
 belongings of others always seem better and more desira- 
 l)lc than their own, who are never satisfied witii what 
 they themselves possess; uidike those that arc willing 
 to sell auything and everything for gold, and rati- the 
 value of every possession according to the gold standard 
 — unlike such, have ye a fatherland that ye love, a city, a 
 town, a bit of ground, a home to wliicli ye arc attached, 
 a house in which ye feel at home, in wliicli to live, not 
 to lie bartered away Cruni lime lu (line, ami thus form 
 ye a link in tlie i'amily chain, and add to its sacred 
 traditions. 
 
 " liriiig forth abundantly in llii' earth, and multipl\- 
 therein !"
 
 THE TOWER OF BABEL. 
 
 GEN. XI. 
 
 Was there anytliiiig sinful in the buihling of the 
 Tower of Babel ? LTj)on ciilnily perusing the story, we 
 find therein neither sin nor punishment of sin. "A 
 tower whose top may reach unto heaven " has been con- 
 strued as an expression of sinful audacity^ as if the 
 builders of the tower had had the intention of storming 
 heaven and dethroning (lod ;^ whereas, it is evident that 
 the expression " reach unto heaven " is merely figura- 
 tive, and means " very high," just as it conveys the idea 
 of the superlative in the phrase, "the cities are walled 
 and great unto heaven.'\ Altogether, speculation and 
 tradition have been too active about the Tower of Babel,. 
 The main question was not the building of a tower — that 
 is mentioned incidentally-^it is really the building of a 
 city that is spoken of. Why, the last words are : " and 
 ' ' '_ 7 they left off to build the city.'V But, surely, the tale 
 — I L. must have some meaning ! fCertainly it has a meaning, 
 but one far more natural ana rational than has generally 
 I I l)een attributed to it. Let us try to elucidate it^ 
 
 ~ "And the whole earth was of one language and of 
 one speech." 
 
 Two opposing forces act upon man. ^ AVhen two peo- 
 ple live together, sometimes from their very first meeting, 
 this conflict of feelings becomes noticeable.. The one 
 
 JIUH' iip'yu f:iH^ Vi>-n'l 
 
 i/
 
 THE TOWER OF BABEL. 61 
 
 tendency is toward individualism, toward a life of un- 
 trammelled, personal liberty^ to do what we will, and to 
 take what we can. t This, according to the Bible, was 
 the tendency of man before the deluge : ," the land was 
 filled with violence." * People in whom this tendency 
 predominates are just as hard to get on with nowadays. ^ 
 They cause unhuppiness in ^TTaT^ied life, and dissensions 
 in societies ; they mar the peace of the community, and 
 aj^- a n arohwfa: in political life. But man cannot live for 
 himself alone ; he is a being with social needs, and their 
 satisfaction necessitates limitations to the personal liberty 
 of the individual.^ To find the happy medium between 
 the two extremes is the duty of every individual towards 
 himself, and of every one who has it in his power to 
 adjust the laws of the community. 
 
 The extreme of self-control and self-effacement is shown 
 in the story of the Tower of Babel, t After building it, 
 the peoj)le wanted to remain together, to form owe com- 
 munity, to speak one tongue, and, in every respect, to 
 ^-^-Jead the same life, t To accomplish this, each one would 
 ij-^ I ' havt; been obliged to sacrifice almost wholly his individ- 
 ual liberty.^ This personal restriction, which is imposed 
 by all desp(jtic governments, to a certain extent by all 
 monarchies, and even by some republics, renders the 
 citizen a mere stone in the social structure.^ He does 
 not exist for his own sai<e, but only as a part of the 
 whole.f lie is like one of the bricks in the ti>wer. • The 
 brick was not baked for the sake of the brick itself, but 
 to be used in building the tower. > 
 
 That, indeed, is the view of coiujuerors of ancient and 
 nKtdern times. The man, as an imlividual, has no 
 value — of what consequence is he? Jiiit he is re<|uired 
 
 '-, / -r
 
 62 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 US a stone to assist in building up a monarchy or an 
 empire. ^NN' hat cared Nebuchadnezzar or Cyrus for the 
 welfare o^the people upon whom he made war? What 
 cared Alexander the Great for the welfare of the Asi- 
 atics ? AVhat cared the bloody Roman for the comfort or 
 happiness of the peoples far and near whom he con- 
 quered ? Did Napoleon go to Moscow to advance the 
 welfare of the Russians ? Does Russia care to make the 
 Turks happy?! In every case, the object was to secure 
 bricks for the structure of power ; and so men and 
 peoples are formed into bricks to be utilized in that struc- 
 ture.* Anyone who, in matrimonial or business relations, 
 requires the other party to live only for him and his 
 advantage, and so asserts his own individuality ^that the 
 individuality of his associate is crushed — on a small 
 scale, he, too, is a conqueror and a tyrant. ^ The people 
 with whom he comes into contact are only bricks to him, 
 to be used at his pleasure and to his advantage. » It is 
 ■ one of the violent methods of despotism to force the 
 I)eople under a common yoke, to make them forget their 
 own language, and adopt that of their conqueror.* Uni- ' 
 formity in religion,^ uniformity in manners and customs, 
 but above all, uniformity in language ! 
 
 Experience teaches us that differences of language 
 and the consequent division of people into separate 
 nations and tribes, protected the liberty of mankind.* 
 For liberty, when driven away by one people, always 
 found another somewhere on the face of the earth 
 to abide with. ♦ Differences of language prevent the 
 formation of universal empires, which are the graves 
 of li]x'rty.( Whenever any such liave been welded to- 
 gether, by means of blood and iron, they have soon fallen
 
 THE TOWER OF BABEL. 63 
 
 into their component parts, by reason of the different 
 tongues. 
 
 — Varieties of language are the safeguard, not only of poli- 
 tical liberty, but also of religious and scientific freedom./^ 
 /Thought may be fettered in some one place, but the 
 power of the oppressor can penetrate no further than his 
 lancjuage goes^ 
 
 rA\'(je to us, had the Latin or the Greek tongue become 
 urffversal in the Roman Empire, as the Romans and the 
 Greeks, respectively, endeavored to make it ! Roman 
 Christianity would then, in its sway, have become co-ex- 
 tensive with the Latin language. 
 
 Woe to the world, had the Arabic tongue become 
 universal twelve hundred years ago ! If so, jNIoham- 
 medanism wi^uld now be the universal religion. The 
 Reformation could not have gained a foothold among 
 Christians in the Protestant countries, had not the Bible 
 been translated into the language of the country, and 
 thus reached the people. Moses Mendelssohn was no 
 reformer, neither in his life nor in his teachings, but by 
 translating the Hebrew J>ible into good German, he 
 tijok the preliminary ste|) to reform^ 
 
 --. Xhus^ too, the story of the Tower of Babel conveys to 
 
 lis the les-son that unilunnity of language and custom 
 was not included in the scheme of creation., CJod scat- 
 tered the j)eople over the earth, and gave them dilferent 
 languages to make; them live in separate nations and 
 tribes. I Man is not to be like one of the bricks in the 
 tower; his individuality demands respect. . ~ — ^ - 
 \ "And it came to pass, as they joiinicved iVom llif 
 VaxsI, that they found a |)Iain in the bmd of Shinar ; 
 and they dwelt there.'^ *
 
 64 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 According- to the ancients — the rule would scarcely 
 apply to the United States — liberty dwells in the moun- 
 tains, and bondage in the valleys ; in tlie mountains 
 there is poverty, in the valleys there is wealth. The 
 sparse vegetation in tlie mountains, coupled with the 
 absence of rivers and seacoast, del)arring the inhal)itants 
 from all opportunities for profitable trade, naturally 
 compels them to industry and moderation, the cardinal 
 virtues of civil life. The clear, pure light and atmosphere 
 incite to free thought and ideal living. On the plains 
 the fertility of the soil and the oj^portunities for carrying 
 on trade and thus acquiring wealth, spoil the people and 
 crush their spirit. In a life of luxury, the higher 
 things of life are disregarded, and the love of liberty is 
 lost. "And from thence did the Lord scatter them 
 abroad upon the face of all the earth." The mountains 
 were to have dwellers to preserve liberty, while the val- 
 leys were to be peopled by those whose mission it was to 
 garner wealth for purposes of enlightenment and civili- 
 zation. " Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, 
 whose toj) niay reach unto heaven, and let us make us a 
 name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the 
 whole earth." 
 
 The cities are the homes of intelligence and refined 
 culture, of love of art and the sesthctic sense. There we 
 find the fostering spirits of all these high endeavors, 
 teachers of science as well as the self-denying rich, who, 
 having hoarded wealth, a])ply it to the furtherance of 
 noble enterprises. In the cities, tlie schemes originate 
 which distribute wealth like a fructifying stream over the 
 entire country. In the cities, people of genius and talent 
 congregate ; everyone who is pre-eminent in his specialty
 
 THE TOWER OF BABEL. 65 
 
 seeks the city, where his services will be appreciated. 
 But in the cities, there is also luxury, extravagance, 
 corruption, pretence. There, every physical and moral 
 power is strained and over-exerted to meet the insatiable 
 demands of city life and customs. Political and moral 
 sins alike find a most congenial home there. The 
 rabble that collects there is ready for any crime, even 
 for treason ; traitors to their country have ever found 
 and bought their minions in the city. 
 
 In the country, life is more simple ; there is more sin- 
 cerity, more modesty, more cordiality, more industry 
 and moderation. On the other hand, there is less intel- 
 lectuality, le&s taste for art and science, and less oppor- 
 tunity to cultivate or teach these ; there is less enterprise 
 and a more limited horizon in every direction. 
 
 A country in which city life predominates would be a 
 misfortune, as has been proved by Sidon and Tyre, Car- 
 thage and Venice. But a country of villages and farms 
 and no cities, a land of peasants without business and 
 tradesmen, such as I'ri and Schwyx in Swit/X'rland, would 
 permit of none l)ut a heavy, clownish existence, a life of 
 stagnation, in which progress in matters of religion, of 
 civil law, of art and science, of trade, of constitutional 
 government, and even of agriculture, would not be possi- 
 ble. When combined with the restlessness of city life 
 the conservatism of country life is a valuable factor in 
 the rcgidation of well-ordered progress. Left to itself, 
 tliis conservatism would degenerate into complett! inertia. 
 Therefore, the Scriptural narrative says that "The Lord 
 scattered them abroad upon the face of all the earth; 
 and they left off to build the city." 
 
 " And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the East." 
 
 6
 
 66 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 There is a migration of people from tlie East across 
 the ocean to this country, too. Thence, where circum- 
 stances have taught them to live industriously and 
 modestly, they come here to assist in a structure so great 
 and magnificent, that figuratively its top reaches unto 
 heaven. The immigrants build up both cities and vil- 
 lages. Under such circumstances, there is no danger 
 in building. The increase in the population of the cities 
 is counterbalanced by the ever-increasing country popu- 
 lation. But we Israelites, as a religious brotherhood, 
 have not maintained this nice adjustment. The nuijority 
 of our co-religionists in Europe lived in villages and 
 country towns. There were they brought up in the 
 school of industry and moderation, and there, too, they 
 could live in strict obedience to the behests of their 
 religion, without coming into conflict with the outer 
 world. 
 
 Kow, in the old world as here, the tide of hiimanity 
 flows toward the cities; country communities are dwind- 
 ling away. Here, in our re])ublic, all the immigrant 
 Israelites become city dwellers ; the counterbalancing, 
 conservative country communities are lacking. The 
 restrictions imposed by our religion are daily disregarded 
 in favor of the demands of city life. So much for the 
 practice. As for the theory, the teachings of our faith — 
 they are not so readily and blindly accepted l)y the 
 city dweller, who comes into contact Avith all sorts of 
 ideas, as by the simple countryman. The ra])id trans- 
 formation in the life of the Jewish people here, in their 
 thoughts and actions, is due to the change from the 
 country to the city; the pious, slow, conservative coun- 
 tryman has become an easy-going townsman.
 
 THE TOWER OF BABEL. 67 
 
 O would that Israelites, wliile enjoying city advan- 
 tages and adopting city customs, did but retain the rural 
 sinqjlicity, steadiness, industriousness and virtuous life 
 of their former rural homes ! INIay they, like the flower 
 transplanted to a new soil, not wilt in their divine heri- 
 tage, but l)e ennobled, and bear fruits that will find 
 favor in the sight of God and man I
 
 LEARNING AND FORGETTING. 
 
 " Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and 
 from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I 
 will shew thee."— Gen. XII : 1. 
 
 Man has a twofold task here below : to learn and to 
 forget. The latter is the more difficult of the two. 
 Although, at first blush, nothing seems easier than to 
 forget, and nothing more difficult than to learn ; a 
 moment's thought Avill show us that the most important 
 functions in life, particularly of mental life, are acquired 
 without any trouble. We learn to think, speak, subor- 
 dinate ourselves, to be ashamed, to be merciful, and to 
 practise other virtues — yea, and some of the vices — of 
 our civilization, by merely living in our country, in our 
 birthplace, in our home. 
 
 AVhat we learn in the school-room, in the sweat of our 
 brow, is of minor account ; the most important things 
 in life we learn easily, without thought or trouble, invol- 
 untarily and unconsciously, in our intercourse with 
 men. Now, if we were to pause reverently before this 
 naturally acquired wealth of thought, feeling, speech 
 and action, there would be neither progress nor develop- 
 ment ; one generation would follow another, and each 
 one be like the last. Many mistakes and failings, un- 
 consciously acquired, must be forgotten, if there is to be 
 improvement, and this forgetting is very difficult of 
 
 68
 
 LEARNING AND FORGETTING. G9 
 
 accomplishmeut ; the force of habit inclines us to learn 
 with ease, but to forget far less easily. 
 
 From time to time, therefore, there must arise original 
 thinkers, who, above and beyond the inheritance of past 
 ages, have ideas of their own, revelations in art, trades, 
 professions, science or religion. They impel the masses 
 to follow slowly in the paths they have made. INIinor 
 geniuses direct small matters, the fashions of the day ; 
 they appear and vanish like meteors on the social hori- 
 zon. For matters of more lasting import, there are a 
 few bright minds which shiue like guiding stars upon 
 the human pathway. But for the great thoughts that 
 revolutionize history, and flood the earth witli light like 
 the morning sun, the centuries jirepare and wait, until 
 the man is born, from whose mind shall emanate the 
 thouglits that are destined to create a new order of 
 things in countries and among peoples. 
 
 Such a man was Aln-aham. To him came the divine 
 message which we have choiieu for oi«-text : to leave 
 his country and his l)irthplacc and his family, and go 
 to a land that God would show him, a new world of 
 thought, wliich he was to l)e the first to unlock. 
 
 When the shock of surjjrise, occasiimcd by ihc dis- 
 covery of America, had abated, there were many rciuly 
 to belittle tlie merit of tlie discoverer, saying that 
 it was a sirii])l(' nuittcr, that llic thought tliat led 
 to the discovery was so natural that otlu-rs besides 
 Columbus might have conceived it.^In the same way," 
 the thought of one God, in opposition to the idea that 
 the divine, creative forces are distrihuted among many 
 gods, seems 80 natural that it might have been discovered, 
 and introduced to the world by thousands and millions
 
 / 
 
 70 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 besides Abraham, f The logical consequeuces of the 
 belief in one God — the doctrine of universal brother- 
 hood, and the code of morals governing mankind — are 
 so generally accepted by ns, tha^a large proportion of 
 people, educated and uneducated, particularly the latter 
 when they are prosperous,^, think that if they be but 
 good and honest, they can get on very well without 
 any God whatever.^ But we must consider that in 
 Abraham's day, and before and after him, the world, 
 including its thinkers and sages, was heathen, and 
 that the morals that hedge us about to-day are mono- 
 theistic not heathenish. 
 
 — Abraham could never have become what he did, if 
 he had not possessed the power to forget and to unlearn 
 what he had been taught in his country/ in his birth- 
 placa^and in his home.^ C^ocr a.tes,"Flato, Aristotl^Sl^ 
 other sages of antiquity forgot a great deal ; that isTthey 
 
 .emancipated themselves from the mistaken thoughts 
 and fancies of their countrymen and associates. / But 
 tliey remained heathens withal ; they could not discover 
 and pronuilgate the true belief in God. because they did 
 not sufficiently emancipate themselves from the influence 
 of their country, their birthplace and their intimate 
 a.-sociates. 
 
 I In Christendom, there are many bright minds and 
 logical thinkers, possessed of keen powers of analysis, 
 and imbued with the desire to seek truth and truth only, 
 to serve truth and truth only. If, nevertheless, they 
 stand spellbound before their inherited faith, and let it 
 define the circle of their rea.soning, we need not at once 
 cry out, and brand them as hypocrites. It is evident, 
 they cannot completely emancipate themselves from the
 
 LEARNING AND FORGETTING. 71 
 
 influence of their country, their birthplace, and their 
 home ; they are not strong enough to forget and unlearn 
 as r adically as Abraham did." 
 
 It is tb»s good to be able to forget.) But, on the 
 other hand, fe grgettiit^ ^js- auUwi uumiifod gnQfl ji ^ One's 
 country, one's birthplace, one's home should, from 
 another point of view, not be forgotteuuii Abraham held • 
 them in loving memory and esteem throughout his life.^ 
 -When, after an absence of sixty-five years, he was seek- 
 ing a wife for Isaac, he bethought himself of his old 
 home ii only there, he imagined, and possibly only in his 
 own family, would he find a woman worthy of his son 
 and of his son's future. . We must forget with discrimi- 
 nation : some old recollections and influences must be 
 eradicated) whereas others ought to be religiously pre- 
 served. 
 
 " Out of thy country " was the command that came 
 to Abraham. Man is influenced by the climate of the 
 country in which he lives. Neither the frigid nor the 
 tropic zone has ever produced a great man. In the 
 northern portion of our licmi.sphere, in the temperate 
 zone, there are calm, ddiberatA' thinkei's; the south gives 
 rise to more emotional, more imaginative men ; the 
 former are more active and energetic, the latter are far 
 UKjre iniprcHsioiiahli', Itut they are more indolent and 
 pa.ssive in disposition. " Get thee out of thy country " 
 — rise above the influence of fli niatc ! ^__ 
 
 The inhabitants of every country possess advantages JC4OL 
 and failings.national virtues and national faults. "(Jet ^r\i[ 
 thee out of thy coiuitry," free thyself from the faults 
 and failings of the race that claims thee ! 
 
 Nations and the inhabitants of ditilrcnt districts hate
 
 72 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 one another, or at any Witt, are prejudiced against one 
 another. / " Get thee out of thy country," value every one 
 in accordance Avith liis worth, and judge him according 
 to his bearing, not his parentage.^ 
 
 iSWs Abraham =)^<k<!9dS& crossed the Euphrates, 
 traversed Syria, dwelt in the land of Canaan^ went to 
 Egypt and returnedj^pitched his tents,^and dug wells in 
 the land of the Philistines, and everywhere he met with 
 kindly treatment,^ respect, friendship and love.y Even -^ 
 Sodom felt kindly towards him, and favored him by 
 suffering the presence of his kinsman. ^ For whither- 
 soever he went, it wik Tls a friend of humanity u he ^ 
 harbored no prejudice, and therefore met with none.^ 
 "Away from thy kindred and from thy father's 
 house.'V Two villages, though separated by but a 
 narrow meadow dale,^ may be entirely distinct, not 
 only in the manners, but in the dialect and in the moral 
 attitude of their inhabitants. This is still more apt to 
 be the case with the dwellers in large cities. Boston 
 and IS^ew Orleans, Paris and Amsterdam, Naples and 
 Moscow, Madrid and Stockholm are complete contrasts 
 in the ways,^ thoughts and feelings of their inhabitants. <y 
 But the difference in the moral atmospheres of the cities 
 of our day cannot compare with that between the cities 
 of old., An Athenian was an entirely different being, 
 in character and moral attitude, from a Spartan^ 
 The serious, stern citizen of ancient Rome was the 
 exact opposite of the luxurious, careless, easy-going 
 Tarentincvjihe of Jerusalem Avas entirely different from 
 him of Sidon, or even of Galilee, although the distance 
 between these cities and the province was very insignifi- 
 cant.r) To Abraham came the message to tear himself
 
 LEARNING AND FORGETTING. 78 
 
 away from the moral peculiarities of his country^ aud to 
 enter a new realm of truth and morality ,|iu which the 
 whole earth and all its inhabitants might have a part.-f- 
 -The hardest and most serious task fc is to leave the 
 "father's house,'\tQ_^ancipatt' uuisclvr? mentally and. 
 igptrJtnall yinag T our il S ^Tr, The task is difficult because 
 nature^ gratitude,^ the memories of our youth and the 
 sacred reverence we bear our parents^ all^ rebel against 
 it^ and because every nerve and fibre of our being is 
 interwoven with the traditions of our parental homes. ^ 
 
 ^ The task is a serious one, because its accomplishment 
 threatens to shatter, to its very foundations, the structure 
 of our religious and moral lives.^ The home is the light- 
 house that shines out across the sea of life to warn us,/ 
 when the storms of passion or tire flm<j i ^t ' S 'i w !T o ?r s of 
 temptation threaten our destruction. ^ In the hour of 
 temptation, the va uoi ' mW e forms of our parents appear 
 to us, even thougli they be far away, or no longer of this 
 world ; they plead with us and warn us, pointing out the 
 paths of repentance and virtue. 
 
 --^ We must rcmeiuber that Abraham had readied his 
 seventy-fifth year CroHie felt himself strong enough to 
 tear himself away from the lionic and the faith of his 
 father, and without (huigcr to the peace of his soul to 
 followjout^ his own ideas of truth and piety. ^No r did 
 he lose sight of a iixed goal v " Unto a land that I will "T" 
 shew thee.". He knew that this goal would more than 7^ 
 re])ay him for all he was renouncing. 4 
 
 ---The message that cain(! to Abraham, to forget and to 
 learn, comes tons all.y It is our duty to Icmvc. the honu-s 
 of our fathers, n<itiuiL^Llitu:uily Lut lixunitively ns well^ 
 and to correct in ourselves the abuses, the j)rejudices, the
 
 74 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 harshness, and the mistakes of faith^ thought and action, 
 that we inlierU- Iklt let us beware, lest, in eradicating 
 the weeds, we^ar up the roots of our moral and relig- 
 ious life, fostered in the sanctuary of the home. 4 
 *\_ It was not until Abraham was seventy-five years old 
 that he felt able to cross the threshold of his homeland 
 to erect a new one for future generations. )^ We of to-day 
 p ^ lorget more readily y we leave our homes in g^fesy 
 •L |f(^^^uth^ not only do we leave the parental roof^but men- 
 ; D rW^lly and spiritually, and in matters of worhlly import,'^ 
 \ \\ we throw off its subtle safeguards.)! Abraham tried to 
 ■>. p realize an ideal that ever hovered before him \ he knew 
 1 J V~ whence he had come, and whither he was going. Do 
 1 n r ?re know whither we tend ? We are to forget — verv well • 
 l)ut what will we learn, what are we to learn ? Where 
 Q . is the land that God will show xxs^ . Where shall we 
 stop? We cannot remain and Qiight not to remain 
 where oui- fathers were. > But let us not leave our homes 
 "■ nwiiiuffiK ; lot us carefully and wisely select what should 
 be forgotten, and replace it by what is better worth know- 
 r)\J^\. ing. . Jilverything that recalls father and mother, and 
 "TToes not prevent the children from leading good, true 
 lives, is a blessing to them. ^ Virtue has no better safe- 
 guard than the enduring memory of home,^and the 
 anchor of faith is safest, when imbedded in our youth. ^ 
 ^ Let us wiio are the heajds gliomas blp?ised-wiiJi^s4*+Wren, 
 
 ' _ see. to it that, whenH!&4y grOw ui manhood and Avoraan- 
 ' ^ J hood^ and measure the worth of the spiritual legacy 
 we leave them,, they may find little to forget, and much 
 R / V ^ to hold in honor and in loving, blessed remembrance. 
 
 AD^ r(^/( ':o[j m^ , f^r t. l^Ho^i f-nrt. rm he W 
 
 coMM/\HP HI/ CHILDRCN /\ND Hl^HoJ 
 
 HO Lb AnrR hiM.t/iAt im SHML 
 
 Keep the v/ay or tub lokd^ to d.
 
 THE MASSES FOLLOW A FEW THINKERS. 
 
 "So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him ; and Lot went 
 with him."— Gen. XII : 4. 
 
 Abraham and Lot acted alike in leaving their coun- 
 try and their home for the land of Canaan, but from 
 dittei-ent motives. The former recognized a divine mis- 
 sion ; his action was the result of his own juature 
 thoughts and feelings : "And Abram departed as the 
 Lord had spoken unto him." The latter went simply 
 l)ecause his uncle did. Had his uncle remained at 
 home, it W(juld not have occurred to Lot to go. "And 
 Lot went with him." Lot merely accompanied iiim. 
 
 Such is the practice of the world. There have, at all 
 time.x, l)een only few original, independent thinkers — 
 surprisingly few. The vast majority of tlie millions and 
 millions of jjcoplc tliat have existed and now exist, 
 think, speak and act acconling to prescribed models. 
 In small circles, comparatively small minds suffice to do 
 the thinking for all ; in more extensive circles, more 
 j)rf)found thinkers are recpiired to third< for every mem- 
 ber of the larger constituency. It is the same with 
 regard to periods of time. For short periods, there are 
 minor heralds of thought. Each day, each year, each 
 lustrum, luw its pervading thought, which emanates 
 from someone brain, but with the day, with the year, 
 with tli(^ lustriiiii, the thought i)a.>ses away. Others, 
 
 75
 
 76 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 more potent thinkers, influence a quarter, a half or the 
 whole of a century with their thoughts. Generations 
 upon generations come and go, and copy them in 
 tliought and speech, and fancy themselves to be original. 
 Then there are independent thinkers that have done the 
 thinking, that have been examples to the world, in 
 thought and feeling and action, for thousands of years. 
 Such an one was Abraham. 
 
 Abraham followed neither in the path of his ancestors, 
 nor in that of his contemporaries ; his mind branched 
 out into new directions. He went, as God had com- 
 manded him. He had the strength and the courage for 
 new thought and independent action, regardless of the 
 past and of his own time. 
 
 In Abraham we see the independent thinker of preg- 
 nant thoughts, whereas Lot, according to our text, is as 
 a mirror, in which imitators may recognize themselves. 
 
 We pride ourselves upon being descended from 
 Abraham; but in our intellectual and religious life, 
 we are more like Lot. We are great imitators. 
 We do not speak of imitation in social life, for 
 that is common to frail humanity. Let us speak 
 of that which concerns us Israelites more particu- 
 larly. In both camps, into which Israel is divided, 
 there ai-e thousands upon thousands who unthinkingly 
 follow others, as Lot went with Abraham. It is proper 
 that it should be so with the orthodox. In believers, it 
 is a necessary virtue to exclude independent thought 
 from the field of religion. Imitation in thought and 
 action is the essence of a true, firm faith. Thought is 
 employed only to explain and justify inherited thoughts 
 and practices.
 
 THE JIASSES FOLLOW A FEW THINKERS. 77 
 
 But if anyone imagines that there are only thinkers 
 in the other canij), he is greatly in error. There are 
 very few reformers ; of the reformed there are many. 
 
 In the Christian Church, those that have renounced 
 the old doctrines call themselves " The Reformed." 
 That is a modest way of expressing the fact ; we are 
 reformed, it may be by birth, or education, or instruc- 
 tion, or example, or by the force of circumstances. 
 Had the reformed of the present day lived four hundred 
 years ago, they would, perhaps, one and all, have joined 
 the Catholic ranks, as they now do those of the reform 
 movement. Huss, Wicliffe, Luther, Zwingli, Calvin — 
 these were Rejormera — original thinkers in the midst of 
 a Catholic world. 
 
 Tliose among us that have discarded the old teachings, 
 and particularly the minutely regulated, orthodox-Jewish 
 ways of life, have drifted on with the spirit of the 
 times into the reform movement. We are reformed. 
 The Israelites of the present day that call them- 
 selves reformers would, in Spinoza's day, undoubtedly 
 have done their share in denouncing the independent 
 thinker. 
 
 But we must uui Ite too severe upon ourselves, for 
 such is the way f)f the world. In every field of human 
 activity, there arc but few fresh, l)ubbling springs of 
 thought, whence the innumerable Lot.s draw their wis- 
 dom. ^VIly, then, shouM it l)e otherwise in religious 
 matt(;rsy In every family circle, in every a.'^sociatioii, 
 great or small, there are a few that fnrnisli the thoughts, 
 which the others absorb and adopt, believing themselves 
 to be the originators. Hundreds go to Washington, to 
 Congress ; there, also, there are but few that supply the
 
 78 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 thoughts, and determine the current of debates, and who 
 shall say whence those few derive their inspiration ? 
 
 Among thousands of artists there are but few original 
 masters that strike out into new paths; the majority 
 practise art according to old laws and old models. 
 
 In the domain of science, there are few that write 
 books containing original thoughts. As a rule, scientific 
 men learn Avhat is taught them, and teach what they 
 have learned. 
 
 In pedagogy, it is the same. For three thousand 
 years, the whole world copied the sage that said, " He 
 that loveth his son chastiseth him," and the authority of 
 the rod was second only to that of the father. The in- 
 dispensal)le instrument hung just above the family table 
 in every home blessed with children ; it hovered ever 
 above the heads of the children like the sword of Dam- 
 ocles. 
 
 Toward the end of last century, there came another 
 thinker, who said, " Who loveth his child, shall not 
 chastise it." At once all the rods disappeared, and now 
 the chastising of a refractory pupil in a school is tele- 
 graphed over the entire country, and the account perused 
 with feelings of indignation. 
 
 Four thousand years ago Moses said, " Honor thy 
 father and thy mother," and the command was taken so 
 seriously, and was so much exaggerated, that sons and 
 daughters scarcely ventured to raise their eyes to the 
 stern faces of their parents. The very chairs in which 
 father and mother sat were honored. Contradiction was 
 unknown. Everyone knows how all this is changed. 
 How did the change come about? Surely, it could not 
 have been the result of a revelation made to millions
 
 THE MASSES FOLLOW A FEW THINKEES. 79 
 
 simultaneously! No; there was one thinker that ven- 
 tured to have and to exj^rcss a new thought, and in the 
 Vourse of time this rivulet of thought has swelled into 
 tlie mighty current of general opinion, carrying with it 
 countries and })eoples. 
 
 Now, however true it be that all this is the natural 
 course of events, that there are few that think and inaiiy 
 that imitate, it docs not, therefore, follow that we are to 
 rest satisfied to be, in our own persons, illustrations of 
 the rule. It is the natural course of events that there 
 be rich and poor, yet we are in duty bound to endeavor 
 to keep ourselves above poverty. Even death has its 
 good features, yet we must try to avoid it. 
 
 Then, too, we should endeavor to advance, in the 
 great army of imitators and echoers, to the rank of 
 commanding thinkers. Do a little more good than your 
 father and jiiother did, a little more than those about 
 you do. Let your religion be like a blooming garden in 
 which all is green and thriving. But let not your relig- 
 ion be like a hoil)arium of plants collected l)y vour fore- 
 fathers, shrivelled into theological dogmas, numbered 
 and scientifically lal)elled, and then handed down to you 
 to be carried about as your religion. Take pains to 
 think intlependciitly in nuitters concerning your home, 
 your business and your relations to God and man. Do 
 not be a Itlind imitator. 
 
 After all, Lot did not make the worst choice. There 
 were thinkers among Abraham's contemporaries, whom 
 Lot's entire family followed. Only the one uncle went 
 his own way, anrl l>ot followed him. His contempora- 
 ries l)uilt altars, brought sacrifices, ami called upon 
 their gods. So far as these outward forms of religion
 
 80 SABBATH HOUKS. 
 
 go, Abraham certainly had no advantage over others in 
 Lot's eyes. But Abraham was better and nobler in 
 thought and deed, superior to all among whom he lived; 
 for Abraham went as the Lord had commanded him. 
 This determined Lot to follow and to imitate him. 
 
 In seeking a standard of merit whereby to measure 
 the claims of rival Jewish congregations, we should not 
 take into consideration the beauty of the Temple, the 
 grand organ, the brilliant preacher, the kind of prayer- 
 book, or the amount of religious decorum ; what we 
 may judge by is: the efficiency of the school and the 
 amount of education, of honesty, of modesty, of human- 
 ity, of domestic virtue, of patriotism and of faith in 
 God. 
 
 Since we follow others, let us follow the best, who, 
 like Abraham, go as God commands them. 
 
 i
 
 VICISSITUDES OF FORTUNE. 
 
 Gen. XIII : 1, 2. 
 
 Abraham, in obedience to God's command, left the 
 home of his fathers, and went to the hind of Canaan. 
 Ere long, famine drove him away into Egypt, but after 
 remaining there for some time, he returned to the land 
 of Canaqn. Before his departure for Egypt, he had at 
 most been in comfortable circumstances, but it is more 
 probable that he was impoverished by the famine that 
 had compelled him to leave. But upon his return we read 
 that "Abraham was very rich." Before his departure, 
 while still in comparatively lowly circumstances, we are 
 told that " he builded an altar unto the Lord who 
 appeared unto him ;" further on, " he builded an 
 altar unto the Lord," and " he caHed upon the name of 
 the Lord." In times of poverty and trouble and famine, 
 there is much praying and calling upon tlic name of 
 the Lord. But experience teaclics us that increasing 
 wcaltii causes the lire on the altars of religion to burn 
 ever lower, and the thouglits of a succoring God to 
 become ever rarer uml weaker. 
 
 Only at long intervals do the prosperous seek their 
 altars to call upon (Jod ; and, moreover, they deiiiMiuI :i 
 very different altar from that which contented them in 
 their i)overty ; it must be j)om[)ous and niagriificcnt, else 
 they are sushamed to be seen near it. 
 7 81
 
 82 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 uhe Bible tells us, concerning Abralnun, that " he 
 went on his journeys .... unto tin; ])l:icc where 
 his tent had been at the beginning, .... unto 
 the place of the altar, which he had made there at the 
 lirst^ and Abrani called there on the name of the Lord." ^ 
 
 -- He, the wealthy Abraham, the possessor of gold, silver 
 and herds, returned to the same altar at which the poor 
 Abraham had worshipped, and there called upon the 
 name of the Lord. . 
 
 " — There are ten proofs recounted of Abraham's good- 
 ness and piety, and one of them is that he did not com- 
 plain, when famine compelled him to leave the promised 
 land, which, at the bidding of God, he had just en- 
 tered y but even greater merit, because greater temp- 
 tation is implied by the fact that, when fortune favored 
 him, he remained unchanged, true to himself and to 
 his God. /^ Poverty is a temptation to depart from the 
 path of honesty and from many another virtue ^ and 
 whoever, through times of poverty, has remained good, 
 honest and god-fearing, kindly, eieaaly, orderly and 
 resigned to his fate, has come forth triumphant from a 
 
 " great trial./ But wealth has its trials also, its twofold 
 trials, in fact i in its acquirement and in its application. j^ 
 
 -~A thousand spirits, good and evil alike, lurk in money. ^ 
 
 —The evil ones are the tempters to dishonest gain and to 
 its use for the gratification of every passion. (/ There is a 
 
 ■^magnetic force in moneyi often more powerful than the 
 hand that holds it^ and drawing men whither it will. 
 Then, all honor be to the rich man Avhose hand is more 
 powerful than his wealthy and who applies it to truly 
 good and noble uses. 
 
 Abraham stood both of these tests. When trouble
 
 VICISSITUDES OF FORTUNE. 83 
 
 drove him out of the land, he continued to lead a pious, 
 godly lifcyand no less so when he became wealthy..^ 
 
 Nothing is more common than to hear the wealthy 
 complain of the finilts of the poor, and v.usg verm the 
 p oor of those of the wealthy — and nothing is more 
 "unjust.^ 'The wealthy do not know the sensations of the 
 poor ; they cannot feel with them and put themselves 
 into tlieir places, /roverty and misery have a demoral- 
 izing influence on character ;^ they deaden the sense of 
 honor^and undermine the ways of truth and sincerity 
 in .speech and action,, and they impair the love of order 
 «n£tl3etm^t««ss and even of econom}\N"\Ve would not 
 imj)ly that poverty must perforce lead one to all these 
 lapses from respectability, but it certainly is a strong 
 temjttation t^wTGrrrrto. 
 
 /^AI)raliam resisted the temptation./ Even during the 
 iamine lie remained good and pious. But we cannot 
 expect everyone to be strong like Abraham ; and tliere- 
 fore let the wealthy be cautious and considerate in their 
 judgment of the poor. 
 
 Be not angry if you find the poor swerving from 
 tnithfulness; be not indignant if, now and llicii, you :ire 
 owt-\vitt<'d by a poor man, if he wheedles a gift or a ser- 
 vice out of you which he does not deserv<'. Do not 
 leave him to his fate, because he indulges, i"or once, 
 beyond his means. Be not too severe in your judgment, 
 if he does not come uj) to your stantliird of order and 
 cleanliness. Perhaps, were you similarly oppressed in 
 mind and body, you would be no better. 
 
 And they that ar(^ poor sluMiJd be less bitter in their 
 opinion, less severe in tlnir critiriMn of the licji ; thev 
 need not pride themselves upon not sinning'' :i< the
 
 t^ 
 
 84 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 wealthy sin ; they simply lack the opportunities and the 
 temptations of wealtl^^T" /Y^'-'v. j/\-,i (_ ( • 
 
 "Ah, if I had the money, I should do all manner of 
 good Avith it ! But, unfortunately, those that have 
 money have no hearts, and those that have hearts have 
 no money !", We may hear this every day from the 
 needy ; and on the strength of it, they consider them- 
 selves superior^ecause they imagine that they ivoulcl do 
 so much more good, if they hut had the means. " Ifs " 
 and "buts" are no pi'oofs of goodness of heart, so long 
 as the confirmation of deeds is lacking. TOnly he who, 
 like Abraham, has resisted the temptations, both of 
 wealth and of poverty, is entitled to judge of the rich and 
 of the poor. < )nly he who has been tried and purified in 
 """^^oth furnaces of fortune, is capable of unbiased judg- 
 ■ — raent. » Are we not told that Abraham interceded for 
 even such sinners as those in Sodom and Gomorrah ? 
 
 ■ Abraham had not yet acquired wealth, when he 
 
 adopted his orphan nephew.^ Poverty is no bar to a 
 kindly, humane heart, nor does it absolve from the duties 
 imposed by humanity. /Sl^raham became great and 
 wealthy, but lie never required any subordination on the 
 part of his adopted son ; he ever treated liim as his equr^ 
 AVhen it became necessary for tli©»*-to .separate, he gave 
 his nephew the choice of going or remaining. "And 
 he went on his journey. y The wealthy Abraham was 
 not too proud to associate with his old friends and ac- 
 quaintances. , AVitli liiin,. change of fortune did not 
 imply change of frieiuls and associates. 
 
 A man in perfect health is able to endure a change 
 
 of climate that would prostrate a weaker person. In 
 the same way, a truly good and pious man remains
 
 VICISSITUDES OF FORTUNE. 85 
 
 morally sound through every change of fortuue,,whether 
 he rise from poverty to wealth,, or sink from wealth 
 to poverty. / He goes " uuto the place of the altar which 
 he had made there at the first,'i and calls there on* the 
 name of the Lord. < Like Abraham, he remains true to 
 his altar, to his friends and to his God. 
 
 LFr oS. 
 
 I
 
 FEAR KOT THAT YOU MAY SUFFER BY 
 DOING GOOD. 
 
 Gen. XV. 
 
 "After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, 
 saying, Fear not, Abram : I am thy shield, thy reward shall be 
 exceedingly great." 
 
 "After these things "—after what " things ?" After 
 Abraham's victory over Kedorla'omer and his allies? 
 " Fear not !" hardly seems to us au appro])riate greet- 
 ing to a returning conqueror. The ouly other " things" 
 mentioned before are the meeting with Malkizedek, to 
 whom Abraham gave tithe, and with the King of 
 Sodom, to whom he gave the booty which he had taken 
 in the war. But in neither of these occurrences was 
 there any cause for fear. Surely, gifts do not make 
 enemies. Nevertheless, there was much reason for 
 anxiety on Abraham's part. In giving to others of 
 one's own possessions, in making sacrifices for the bene- 
 fit of others, a man frequently grows anxious about 
 himself; he is affrighted by his own better self and its 
 generous impulses. The soft heart grows timid in the 
 presence of cold reason, which says to it : " How foolish 
 thou art ! Giving is all very well, and self-sacrifice is, 
 indeed, noble, but if thou art so lavish, what will 
 become of thee thyself? If thou art so conscientious in 
 thy business relations and so generous in disposing of 
 thy wealth, thou wilt suffer, and others thrive at thy 
 
 86
 
 FEAR NOT THAT VOU MAY SUFFER BY DOING GOOD. 87 
 
 expense. Think of thy wife and child. Thou o'.vest 
 everything to them. Thou needest not provide for any 
 one else. Let others look to the ^velfare of strangers." 
 Oh, how the very powers of the body, our hands and 
 feet, hesitate and resist, when we bid them execute the 
 noble impulses of the heart! Such was not the case 
 with Aljraham. He gave aAvay willingly and freely the 
 entire booty of the expedition, and even paid tithe in 
 addition to the rest. He w^as not afraid of a generous 
 action. 
 
 Again, fear and trembling may follow close upon the 
 doing of a generous action. A man may think, " It 
 may be that I was too good, too considerate." He 
 recalls to mind instances, in which others, with less 
 conscience and less delicacy of feeling, amassed great 
 fortunes, and now occupy high places in society, while, 
 when the same op])ortunitics ofiered themselves to him, 
 he Avent away empty-handed, obeying the dictates of a 
 warm heart and a tender conscience. He remembers 
 that he made numl)erless sacrifices, and gave untiringly, 
 while others looked out only for their own welfare, and 
 thus acquired ever-increasing wealth. In such reflec- 
 tion.s, fear comes over him, fear for his own welfare: 
 "How can I continue to exist side by side with these 
 shrewder and more calculating nitii, who can ac(juire 
 riches so much more ea.sily than I, aii<l who liml it so 
 much harder to share them with others?" To tlieni, 
 our text says, " Fear not I In spite of all that thou hast 
 done, in sj/ite of all the saciifices that thou hast made, 
 fear not for thy future. Thou wilt not grow poor 
 because of thy generosity, nor sutler for the advantage 
 (jf otliers. ' Thy reward shall be exceedingly great.'
 
 88 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 The benefit derived from such deeds is greater than 
 their price." 
 
 Is not a woman better off for being the wife of a con- 
 scientious and noble-minded man ? Or are those children 
 not fortunate whose father is strictly honorable, though 
 not so richly endowed with Avorldly goods as other men? 
 Is it not better for both childi*eu and father, if, when 
 the hour of parting comes, the former can inherit the 
 blessed memory of such a father, rather than fall heir 
 to the accumulated treasures of a restless and hard- 
 hearted seeker after gold ? 
 
 To this Abraham responded : " ' Lord God, what v/ilt 
 thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of 
 my house ' will be my heir?" Thereupon, he was given 
 the faithful promise of a direct posterity, and assured 
 that after a long series of years, his descendants, grown 
 to be a great nation, would occupy the land in which 
 he now wandered as a stranger. The prophecy closes 
 with the promise : " But thou shalt come to thy father 
 in peace ; thou shalt be buried in a good old age." 
 
 But were his ancestors not buried in Ur of the Chaldees? 
 Did not his father Terah lie in Haran, while he found a 
 grave in the Cave of Machpelah, far away in the land 
 of Canaan ? The prophecy, however, was meant as an 
 assurance to his immortal soul that it would rejoin the 
 souls of those that had gone before in peace. This is 
 one phase of immortality, as we picture it to ourselves: 
 the union of tlie soul with the souls of those once our 
 beloved companions on earth. This idea is, however, 
 not the whole of our belief in immortality. According 
 to the doctrine of immortality, the soul of Abraham, as 
 well as the souls of all other men that have passed away.
 
 FEAR NOT THAT YOU MAY SUFFER BY DOING GOOD. 89 
 
 live on in full consciousness of the doins:s of their chil- 
 dren and their latest descendants. What bliss it must 
 bring to the soul of him that has passed from this earth 
 to see itself perpetuated in descendants in a manner 
 pleasing to the soul of all souls! And what suficring 
 must be the portion of the soul of the worthless man, 
 upon recognizing the sad truth that it has left no good 
 behind it, that the evil wrought by it in the Avorld con- 
 tinues its influence far into the future ! Fancy can 
 paint no more beautiful heaven for the good, and no 
 more terrible hell for the wicked than this picture of the 
 soul gazing from its eternal home upon the good or evil 
 wrought by it in this world, as it continues to influence 
 the lives of men for centuries. 
 
 " Fear not, Abram, thy reward shall be exceedingly 
 great." 
 
 " Thy reward shall be great." It shall continue long 
 after the grave has closed over thee. It shall, first, be 
 the portion of the son promised to thee, that he may 
 prove worthy of being thy child, and then it shall pass 
 on to thy descendants. They shall form a great nation, 
 and s[)irit of thy spirit, shall give to the world thy con- 
 ception of God and thy teacliiug about God to be a 
 blessing unto it forever. If it be granted to Abraham's 
 soul to look down upon the subluiuiry world from the 
 celestial iieights, then must he say to himself, "Truly, 
 my reward is great." 
 
 Abraham was gatliered to his fathers in peace. Not 
 everj'one returns tlui.s to his fatliers. Many who are 
 reckoned among the fortunate ones of the earth, and 
 are envied because of tlie happiness tliat is su[)j)osed to 
 be theirs, pa-ss away from this life at variance with God,
 
 90 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 with the workl and with themselves. It woukl be well 
 for us, could we always keep vividly before our minds 
 this thought : The day will come, when thou wilt be 
 gathered to thy fathers; therefore, so live that thou 
 mayest rejoin thy fathers in peace, t. e., with a clear con- 
 science. In the seventy years that we have lived 
 beyond our immediate ancestors, the world, and we, as 
 l^art of it, ought to have gained somewhat in culture 
 and knowledge ; or, at least, we should not have retro- 
 graded ; our lives ought not to seem barren and empty 
 in comparison with theirs. 
 
 How beautiful the phrase, to be gathered to one's 
 fathers in peace ! With peace in one's own bosom, 
 without the painful reproach of a mistaken life, with- 
 out inward struggles in regard to one's faith, unshaken 
 in one's belief in a Providence ruling over life and 
 death ! How beautiful to leave this earth at peace with 
 one's household, with the sweet consciousness, " I am 
 leaving my house not divided against itself, not in open 
 strife, and not in sullen resentment. It is not probable 
 that over my grave the beautiful bond of family life 
 will be torn asunder, that hate W'ill destroy the edifice 
 erected by ray loving care." 
 
 " His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him." Isaac and 
 Ishmael, different as they were, in disposition and in 
 their relations to their home, nevertheless, stood side by 
 side at the grave of the good father, in fraternal har- 
 mony, moved by a common grief. Abraham, upon his 
 demise, left his house in peace. 
 
 Next to the idea of the unity of God, we hold the 
 belief in the immortality of the soul as the most blessed 
 doctrine. The more active our consciousness of this
 
 FEAK NOT THAT YOU MAY SUFFER BY DOING GOOD. 91 
 
 immortality, the more joyfully and willingly shall we do 
 good, and the less shall we fear to be at a disadvantage 
 compared with other more worldly-minded persons, who 
 scrape together untold wealth, and keep it fast in their 
 clutches. Our weakness and hesitation in doiua: what 
 we know to be good and proper may be traced to the 
 fact that we have not true faith iuthis doctrine of 
 immortality, or else that we do not keep it vividly 
 enough before our minds. Our faith is not so strong as 
 Abraham's, the doctrine is not ever-present to us as it 
 was to him. God said to him, "Fear not, thy reward 
 shall be exceedingly great." And what was to be his 
 reward ? The Lord gave keenness to his sight, so that he 
 might see that, when the grass had grown afresh on his 
 grave four hundred times, his posterity, a great people, 
 would take possession of the beautiful land, and as the 
 bearer of a divine message, would become a blessing to 
 all the nations of the earth. 
 
 Of what value would bo a reward promised for so 
 distant a future to him that lies mouldering in the grave, 
 were it not for the belief in immortality? If eternal 
 <larknes.s is to follow, when the light of this life is extin- 
 guished, what interest can the living take in the weal 
 and woe of generations that will nut exist until liiiii- 
 drcd.s and thousands of years havc^ passed away '! .Vltia- 
 ham rejoiced in the promised blessing, and saw in it 
 his greatest reward. It wa.s his belief that he would not 
 pa.'<s into eternal darkness from the scene of his earthly 
 life ; it was his hope that the dark hour nl' parting |)a.st, 
 the true light would ri.se for him, ami tliiit he would 
 then behold clearly all that had been veiled I'loni liim 
 while on earth.
 
 92 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Let us not hesitate to make sacrifices which a pious 
 aud uoble life demand of the Israelite, nor fear that we 
 ourselves may sufler while doing good to others. Let it 
 be our highest aim to return in peace to our fathers, so 
 that our existence may continue to be a blessed influ- 
 ence unto the latest generations, and that our souls, 
 from their eternal homo, may behold their reward in 
 the happiness of children and children's children.
 
 CHILDREN OF THE HOUSE AND CHILDREN 
 OF THE SPIRIT. 
 
 Gen. XV : 1-6. 
 
 In the narrative preceding our text, we find the divine 
 promise of a numerous progeny to Abraham, which the 
 hitter listens to in silence. In Chap. XIII : 16, it says : 
 "And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth : so 
 that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then 
 shall tliy seed also be numbered." 
 
 DesjHte this ])rophecy, Abraham, in our text, complains 
 of his sad fate, that he will die childless. But after 
 a repetition of the divine promise, Abraham " believed 
 in the Lord ; and the Lord accounted it to him for 
 righteousness." \\'liy was the promise repeated? In 
 what resj)ect do (he two promises didiT, causing the 
 first to be accepted .so coolly and indiU'erently, and the 
 .second to be annonnced and received with gravity and 
 seriousness? l'nitlicrm(M-e, the text says, in connection 
 with the second promise, that "Abraham believed in the 
 Lord," which would lead us to conclude that lie IkkI imt 
 believed the first promise. But is it i)os.sil)le that a man 
 of such ])iety, as was our ancestor's, coulil have shown 
 incredulity with regard lo (lod's word? Tliere are 
 l)lenty of sceptics about us, but suppose tln' most scep- 
 tical of sceptics had been blessed with a divine rcvcla- 
 
 03
 
 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 'and were convinced of its authenticity, would he 
 in, /believe it? 
 
 Let us endeavor to answer these questions, and to 
 fathom the text. Abraham laments : " Lord God, what 
 wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward 
 of uiy house is this Eliezer of Damascus? One bom 
 in my house will be mine heir." This plaint does not 
 refer to an earthly legacy, but to higher things. 
 
 In the course of their lives, parents acquire a wealth 
 of experience, knowledge and understanding, and would 
 fain bequeath to their children this treasure bought with 
 sorrow and suffering. It is their heart's desire that their 
 pain-bought knowledge of right and truth, that their 
 better selves may not die with them. But to how many 
 parents this happiness is denied ! At their death, the 
 children inherit their worldly goods, but the riches of 
 mind and heart die with them, and their children are 
 left morally destitute. 
 
 "When God said to him, " Lift up now thy eyes, and 
 look from the place where thou art, .... all the 
 land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy 
 seed forever," Abraham was unmoved ; to believe or not 
 to believe was of no consequence to him. 
 
 The promise that his offspring should some day ]>e the 
 masters of this fertile land w'as no great blessing in his 
 opinion. For, is it a blessing to parents to have chil- 
 dren that have nothing in common with them in princi- 
 ples, in faith, in feelings and in thoughts? AVhat delights 
 do children confer that do not sympathize with the joys 
 and sorrows, the hopes, predile(;tions and antipathies, 
 aTuI above all, with the faith of their parents? That 
 hearken to other mentors, follow other examples, and
 
 CHILDREN OF THE HOUSE AND OF THE SPIRIT. 95 
 
 strike out into other paths? Of what value would a 
 revelation be that shows us a great-great-grandchild liv- 
 ing in wealth and plenty? 
 
 When, therefore, God repeatedly spoke to Abraham 
 of the great reward in store for him, the latter ex- 
 claimed : "'Lord God, what wilt thou give?>ie/' I go 
 childless, if I must walk through life alone, wnthout 
 sympathy for my moral ideals. What would it avail 
 me, though my children be numerous as the dust of the 
 earth, if they be not the children of my heart and 
 mmd .' 
 
 In the text, Eliezer is referred to as the child of the 
 house. Perhaps Ishmael and Keturah's children were 
 already born at the time, and if so, they were the heirs. 
 But even if they were born later, they were the children 
 of the house merely, and they were accorded but an 
 earthly heritage. 
 
 Then God said unto Abraham : " This shall not be 
 thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine 
 own bowels shall be thine heir" — he that comes forth out 
 of thy own true self, the son of tliy mind and thy heart. 
 He will inherit ilicc, thine own better self will he trans- 
 mit unto thy descendants. And ( Jod said, "Look now 
 towanl th(! heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to 
 number them, .... so shall thy seed be." 
 
 The simile of the stars is not chosen in older (o illus- 
 trate the blessing of" :in iiiii\imerable progeny; for th(^ 
 stars visible to the nake<l eye can readily be eountcfl, an«l 
 there are not nearly so many as is generally sui)posed. 
 Plato coinited them, and, to our disappointmeMt, could 
 count oidy one thousand and twenty-two; and even at 
 the present time, with the aid of modern astronomical
 
 96 SABBATH UOUES. 
 
 appliances, the number obtained, by simultaneous count- 
 ing in the best observatories, with the finest telescopes, 
 does not exceed six hundred thousand. The illustra- 
 tion of the stars is chosen, we should say, in order to 
 indicate the quality of Abraham's progeny. Nations 
 and religious brotherhoods, numerous as "the dust of 
 the earth," do not confer blessings in proportion to 
 their numbers. Nor are children a blessing, if their 
 ambition grovels in the dust ; if their thoughts are of 
 the earth, earthy ; if their highest delights are sought 
 in the mire. But children whose virtues shine like the 
 stars in heaven, a people whose lives and teachings are 
 guiding stars to the world and a light to the nations — 
 happy the fathers and mothers who may call themselves 
 the parents of such offspring. 
 
 "So shall thy seed be," even as the bright stars above, 
 counted or uncounted. "And he believed in the Lord." 
 This promise touched and satisfied him. "And he ac- 
 counted it to him for righteousness." The attitude of 
 mind, which assigns to strong and ofttimes blind parental 
 love a subordinate place ; which crushes selfishness, so 
 that man no longer delights in his own good fortune, 
 except inasmuch as it produces happiness for his fellow- 
 men and for future generations; which forces from man's 
 bosom the plaint of Abraham, "What care I what 
 God's gifts be, if I am to be to the world as a barren 
 tree; if my spiritual conquests are to be buried with my 
 body?" — this attitude of mind, God will account to thee, 
 oh man, for righteousness ! 
 
 " Oh, Lord God, what wilt thou give unto me, seeing 
 I go childless?" 
 
 Heavenly Father, of what value are thy gifts and thy
 
 CHILDREN OF THE HOUSE AND OF THE SPIRIT. 07 
 
 blessings, if we waste our lives, and abuse thy gifts, 
 without making them productive of good to our fellow- 
 creatures and to posterity? If our lives here below 
 leave no trace, and are but as dust? Of what value are 
 children, if they are but as dust of the earth, with 
 nothing holy, ideal or sacred at work within them for 
 posterity? What is the good of saving dollar upon 
 dollar, hoarding an earthly treasure for our children ? 
 What is the good of watching and working and starv- 
 ing and worrying, in order that our children may find a 
 rich heritage, while to us, in reality, is given no seed, 
 since our better selves are not inherited by our children, 
 and do not live on in them ? " One born in my house is 
 mine heir" — what avails all earthly pleasure, if thy 
 heir be but a son of thy house, and not of thy mind, 
 of thy heart, of tliy true self! 
 
 In the six sons of Kcturah and in Ishnuiel, .Vbraham 
 recognized the offspring of his house, but not of his 
 mind or his faith ; among eight children there wa.s but 
 one that gave Iiim the ])leiisure of minoring his own 
 miml. We have no reason, then, to feel secure in our 
 children, and to expect that th(!y will elevate them- 
 selves from the dust of earth to the stars of heaven. 
 Even with tlie very greatest can^ ])arents may succeed 
 in bringing uj) their sons and •laughtei's but as children 
 of the house; there arc innumerable influences at work 
 in the education of a diilil, besides th<> good iiilciilioiis 
 of the {larcnts. If, however, yon would hope for a 'liiM 
 of your mind, its cdufatiftn and training imist not be a 
 secondary matter, attended to at odd inomcnts, in the 
 intervals of pleasure and business ; it must lie yonr 
 chief care and first care every day. Then your ciiild 
 
 8
 
 98 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Avill some clay inherit more than yonr money; it will 
 inherit yon, and all that is good in you. And have a 
 care, too, that your child, if it do inherit you, inherit 
 what is i^ood.
 
 RELIGION AND ETHICS. 
 
 Gen. XVIII. 
 
 The first division of our reading from the Torah 
 to-day deals with two separate incidents in the life 
 of Al)rahain ; hut, in the narrative, they are so inter- 
 woven, that they seem like parts of one event. The 
 one is the continuation of the revelation of God, hegun 
 in the foregoing chapter, concerning the future birth 
 of Isaac. The second event is Abraham's manifesta- 
 tion of hosj)itality towards the three strangers. With 
 this concej)tioii of it, the story reads about as follows: 
 As observed before, God aj)])eared to Abraham. Mcan- 
 wliile he saw three strangers approaching his tent 
 in the heat of the day. Thereupon, he turned to God, 
 and said, "My Lord, pjiss not away, I pray thee, from 
 thy servant!" meaning, "while I show hospitality to 
 these strangers." After Abraham had fully discharged 
 the duty of hos])itality, he receive(l the divine revela- 
 tion: " r will certairdy return unto thee; at this time next 
 year; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall haveason." I'^inally, 
 wo read in verse twenty-two, "And the men turned 
 their faces from there, and went towards Sodom; luil 
 ;\1 trail am stood yet before !!:<• l-onl." (It is said that 
 this verse read originally, " ( Jod sto(»d yet before Abra- 
 ham.") The ad'air with the travellers was (•onelude<l, 
 and the revelation continued. 
 
 99
 
 100 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Thus is explained the use of the singular in the pas- 
 sage cited, and thus we eliminate the displeasing element 
 in the narrative — the apparent use of the name of God 
 in addressing creatures that eat and drink, and appear 
 in bodily form. 
 
 For what purpose, however, are the two incidents, 
 divine revelation and the exercise of hospitality, so 
 intimately connected in this narrative ? If the appear- 
 ance and entertainment of the three men is utterly 
 irrelevant to the revelation to Abraham, why is reference 
 made to it in the Holy Scriptures, and for what reason 
 should it have been thought worthy of preservation for 
 future generations? Let us direct our attention this 
 morning to this point. 
 
 Among us who have fallen somewhat behind this 
 rapidly progressing century, the word ethics is but seldom 
 used, but, under the term morality, Israel has always 
 highly honored what the word stands for. Ethics is the 
 high sounding word for that which many a one entirely 
 estranged from religion would gladly see in its place. 
 Religion is, however, the unpretentious root of the tree 
 on which ethics may be said to hang, one of the many 
 fruits borne by it. The root of the tree draws nourish- 
 ment from the dark earth for the strength of the trunk 
 and the juice of the fruit. It holds the tree firmly, so 
 that it may remain fixed, in one spot, for years and 
 years, and proudly rearing its branches high in the air, 
 may not fall to the earth with all its glory. The root 
 remains modestly hidden in the ground, while all praise 
 is rendered to the tree for its shade, its wood, its fruits 
 and its beauty. 
 
 Religion is the root, ethics the fruit. He whose
 
 RELIGION AND ETHICS. 101 
 
 standard is an ethical one, enjoys only the fruit ; he 
 that lives in an atmosphere of religion, owns tree and 
 fruit alike, religion and ethics. " Walk before me, and 
 be thou perfect," Deity says to Abraham. If a man 
 does not foster religious feeling in himself, but be- 
 comes estranged from religion, he falls short of being 
 a perfect man, for religious feeling forms an essential 
 part of man's nature. So, too, he that believes — and 
 lives according to his belief — that i)iety, pleasing in 
 the sight of God, may exist apart from ethics, he, too, 
 lacks much of being a " perfect " man. Only he that is 
 both pious and good is " perfect." The two incidents in 
 the life of Abraham, as they are interwoven in this tale, 
 illustrate the point under discussion. We are told of a 
 divine revelation, and its narration is interrupted by 
 an account of Abraham's hospitality. Taken together, 
 the two incidents show Abraham in the light of a "per- 
 fect" man. 
 
 The narrative begins thus, " God appeared to Abra- 
 ham." How did Deity reveal himself to a hunuui 
 being? Surely, not in a physical form, perceptible 
 to the senses. A divine revelation can be only an 
 inward revelation. The soul isillled with the conscious- 
 ness tiiat the Lord is near, and perceives his holy will in 
 a manner iiieomjuclK iisible to us. At such times, the 
 soul is surely in an elevated and deeply religious mood. 
 Al)raham was in so elevated a mood, his soul was com- 
 inuning with its Maker, when he observed the three 
 travellers in his vieinity. In their persons, ethics made 
 its demand upon him, in the midst of his devotion, 
 while his heart was uplifted by the presence of God. 
 J'^thics represented to him, " Here, Abraham, are
 
 102 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 human beings to whom you must offer help. Be 
 friendly to them ; welcome and refresh the weary trav- 
 ellers." As at the beginning of the chapter, we have, 
 introductory to this passage, the word X"i'i. This 
 time, however, its meaning is not seeing in any form. 
 As frequently, it signifies, " he deliberated." He delib- 
 erated : "Shall I turn from God? Let my God wait 
 so that I may greet these strangers, and offer them my 
 services?" He interrupted his devotion, and hastened 
 to fulfil his earthly duty, the duty of hospitality, the 
 ethical obligation of humanity. Prayer, devotion, the 
 commandments and the restrictions imposed by the 
 ceremonial law ; in short, everything in the field of 
 religion that pertains to worship of God, that helps to 
 keep the idea of God alive in us, is of great value, and 
 is necessary to a " perfect " man. As soon, however, as 
 man is needed for earthly duties, and ethics puts forth its 
 claim to his powers, God forgives his turning away, nay, 
 he even commands him not to allow his duty to nuui to 
 be interfered with by service to God. God and his ser- 
 vice can wait until man's wants are attended to, for 
 man, when in distress, craves immediate help. There 
 can be no more sacred, no more divine moment in the 
 life of a human being, than was that in Abraham's life, 
 described to us in the Holy Scriptures, in which his soul 
 soared to the heights of revelation. Nevertheless, he 
 ha.stened from the presence of God, and turned to human 
 beings in need of help. 
 
 But you may tell me that this is the very demand 
 made of man by the worshippers of ethics, of nothing 
 but ethics : " Forsake entirely the barren worship of 
 God ! Turn away from the dream of divine revelation, 
 and devote all your powers to the active virtues of
 
 RELIGION AND ETHICS. 103 
 
 ethics. Declare your ab.^olute allegiauce to a religion 
 of humanity I" 
 
 For such also our text has an inipressiv;e lesson, a les- 
 son which we cannot take to heart earnestly enough, nor 
 impress sufficiently on our memories. " My Lord, if now 
 I have found favor in thy eyes, pass not away, I jn-ay 
 thee, from thy servant !" "With these words, Abraham 
 turned to God after having extended his gracious invita- 
 tion to the strangers. " Let me not forget thy service, 
 ( ) Lord, while serving these men !" We daily meet 
 with pei*sons holding the firm belief that religion is con- 
 fined entirely to acts of benevolence, to humanity of 
 thought and deed. " I lead a moral life ; my hand is 
 ever open to give and to render assistance. What more 
 can be expected of me?" "My Lord, if now I have 
 found favor in thy eyes, pass not away, I pray thee, 
 from thy servant!" Oh God, forsake me not in my arro- 
 gance, in my over-estimation of the little good that I do 
 uj)on earth, tliat T may not lose sight of thy power; that 
 I may not forget thee, fmiii wliose hand I have received 
 everything, the little that 1 give away, as well as the 
 good Iv store that I keej) for n)y own use! And if I 
 should gain in piety of thought and goodness of heart, 
 let me not therefore gnjw neglectful of thy praise, let 
 my faith in thee, Heavenly Father, not lose in leivor! 
 
 The poor man that (imls liim-eir dn the road t<i pros- 
 peritv; the pmsperour^ man, on the mad to great o]iu- 
 lence, should call aloud witli Abraham, " My God, ilo 
 not forsake tliy servant in tlie days of prosperity, in 
 sorrow and distress, I sought tliec. I knew then that 
 there was a ( iod, whom it was the duty of a 'perfect' 
 man to serve ; let me not forget thee now tiuit no trouble 
 clouds the heaven of mv life."
 
 104 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 " My God, pass not away from thy servant !" should 
 also be the prayer of the man of science, the man of 
 deep culture.^ Many a philanthropist forgets his God, 
 believing that he is a " perfect " man by virtue of his 
 benevolence alone, that thereby he has attained the very 
 summit of life. Many a man, rich in wealth and wordly 
 goods, passes heedlessly by his God in his care-free exist- 
 ence. Even more common is this neglect in men rich 
 in learning. They become puffed up with knowledge ; 
 their pride forbids them to hold a belief in God in com- 
 mon with common men. But too frequently is this the 
 case in our day. With many of our faith, the first fruit 
 of learning isforgetfulness of God : " To worship God and 
 still possess culture ! The combination is impossible !" 
 Ob, my God, pass not by thy servant! Let me not for- 
 get thee, while seeking knowledge ! Let my heart not 
 lose the bliss of faith, while I am gaining in wisdom ; 
 let me be a man, a " perfect " rnaii in knowledge, and 
 let me at the same time remain childlike in my belief 
 in a Father of all creatures ! 
 
 "Oh God, pass not by thy servant!" may we well 
 exclaim when we consider the condition of religious 
 worship in our time and country. Order and decorum, 
 the gratification of an aesthetic sense are all admirably 
 provided for in our houses of worship, and for this pro- 
 gress we ought to be truly thankful. But all that has 
 been done is not sufficient to bring forth devotion, and 
 elevation of the soul to God, to make attendance at public 
 worship a holy joy, ennobling and strengthening the soul. 
 Devotion is the kernel, all the rest is merely the shell. 
 " Oh God, pass not by thy servants," who assemble in 
 thy name !
 
 A REVELATION AT THE THRESHOLD. 
 
 "And the Lord appeared unto Abraham in the grove of Mamre ; while 
 he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day."— Ckn. 
 XVIII : 1. 
 
 This verse stands in complete isolation in the cliapter. 
 Are we to understand that God manifested himself in 
 the three visitors of whom we are told more farther on 
 in the chapter? Such a construction has, indeed, been 
 put upon this verse, especially by Christian scholars, 
 who have interpreted it as a revelation of the Trinity. 
 For this very reason, we should feel ourselves called 
 upon to find a Ijctter explanation of the passage. 
 
 Our weekly portion of the Torah shows us how God 
 reveals himself h) man* Many l)elieve that Deity can 
 manifest himself oidy in thunder^ as at Sinai,(,()r to 
 extraordinarily holy persons, like the pr(j])Iu'ts,, or at 
 partieuhirly favored places^ as in the Temple; or else 
 tlicy hold that God no longer speaks at all^ Our text 
 can teach tlwni a different hfsson^ (Jod rcveah-d him- 
 self to Abraham at the door of his tent, upon hind 
 belonging to a heathen^ There is surely nothing holy, 
 nothing extraordiiuiry in this situsition ; on the con- 
 trary, it is higldy comuKuiplace in its character* Abra- 
 ham received the divine revelation whih^ sitting at the 
 entrance to his tent and seeking relief from the bui'uiug 
 heat (jf midday. 
 
 105
 
 10(l SABBATH HOURS, 
 
 Abraliam was resting comfortably at the door of his 
 tent, wlien, in the distance, he saw three men travelling 
 towards ]iim.« A shrewd worldling in Abraham's place, 
 supremely conscious of his own comfortable position, 
 would have allowed his idle glance, betokening ease, to 
 rest upon them, and follow them until they were out of 
 sight. If they had turned their steps toward his dwell- 
 ing, and had asked for assistance, he would have tried 
 to rid himself of them as soon as possible.* In the lan- 
 guage of our day, he would have provided them with 
 half-fare tickets to the next station.^ Not so Abraham. 
 He feared that the strangers might pass by his abode, 
 and he hastened towards them, and invited them cor- 
 dially to be his guests, as if he were asking a favor 
 instead of offering one./ He offers them only bread, 
 water and rest in the shade, so that they may surely 
 consent to halt^i When they have accepted his invita- 
 tion, he prepares for them a rich repast, and is as active, 
 as eager and as happy in providing for their entertain- 
 ment, as if they were kings, who would repay his kind- 
 ness with gold and honors.i 
 
 Tlih was the manifestation of Deity. In the pure, 
 diildlikc heart, in the kindly action of Abraham, God 
 revealed himself. 
 
 If, seeing a fellow-man trudging through the sand of 
 the desert, in the burning midday sun, you do not arise 
 IVom your comfortable position, and are not moved to 
 show active sympathy, until the sufferer himself asks 
 for your aid ; if you then scrutinize th,e petitioner care- 
 fully to decide whether he cannot drag himself along 
 for some distance, so as to lie out of your sight ; if you 
 inquire into the worth rather than the ivant of your
 
 A REVELATION AT THE THRESHOLD. 107 
 
 suffering felloAV-creature ; if you refuse your aid or sym- 
 pathy to a man, thinking : " He has only himself to 
 blame for his present misery" — then,^uclee(l, not God, P)^ }' 
 but a prudent man reveals himself) The fear of being h> 
 deceived in the object of your T)enevolence, the exces- i ) 
 sive anxiety that a fellow-creature be spoilt by gener- 
 . osit}ythe principle of helping no one that is not com- 
 pletely lame, of leading none not totally blind, of nursing 
 none that is not sick unto death ; to sympathize only 
 with those completely overwhelmed by misfcjrtune, to 
 mourn for the dead alone — these are not manifestations 
 of DeitV;) But if you go forth to meet strangers, if, 
 seeing that they are in distress, you do not ask of them, 
 whence they come or whither they go, nor inquire into 
 their belief, nor accompany your gift with bitter re- 
 j)roache3 for the misfortune which they should have 
 avoided, but feel only the impulse to aid them, to re- 
 inove the thorns from the path of your neighbor, then 
 you may, even to-day, experience the revelation of four 
 thousand years ago in the grove of Mam re. 
 
 Such actions can, indeed, be explained oidy as a 
 revelation of (Jod. How could we otherwise reconcile 
 delight in giving j)le!L^iirc to others witli human nature? 
 How c(juld man live, work and sacrifice of his own 
 pos.se8sion8 for th(! benefit of others? Toil and moil to 
 make the burdens of life ejusier for others to bear? 
 Common-scnso apjjroves of the rej»ly to David's petition Q^ V 
 tliat a porti<jn of the rich repast tliat Nabal had prepared f / / / 
 tor his shepherds be givm to him and his exhausted ^ '^ ' 
 followers rX Shall I then take my bread, ami mv water Nj/Ql//^ 
 and my flesh that 1 have killed for- my sheep-shearers, and 
 give it unto men, whom I know n(»t wiience they are?"
 
 108 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Of course, we respect au honest, prudent man. He 
 may be faithful and just, upright and industrious, but 
 these qualities alone do not make an Abraham. Reason 
 certainly does not counsel a man bowed beneath the 
 weight of a hundred years, to hasten from his tent at 
 noon, on a day of tropical heat, to watch for strangers, to 
 offer them the freedom of his house, and to entertain 
 them to the best of his ability. Reason could never 
 convince us that, in certain cases, it becomes our duty 
 to work for the good of others, even at the sacrifice of 
 our own lives. Whenever man is active in promoting 
 the good of his fellow-man through self-denial, we may 
 say that we have a divine revelation, that "the Lord 
 appeared unto" us. Consciously or unconsciously to 
 himself, there exists in his heart the feeling, " There is 
 a God, and all the universe is his possession. Every 
 created thing forms a part of the whole. Whatever I 
 do for my fellow-man, I do for myself as well, for my 
 fellow-man and myself are but a part of the whole. And 
 even were I to walk through the valley of the shadow of 
 death, I should not perish and be lost in nothingness, 
 for there is a God, an immortality, an eternity. Another 
 life will be mine." 
 
 Truly, a heartfelt, noble act of self-denial, performed 
 for the welfare of others, is a revelation of God. It is 
 not indispensable that sucli a manifestation be solemn 
 and impressive; that a man should await its coming in 
 talith and tefillui, with fasting and prayer, sound of 
 trumpet and peal of organ. At the entrance to one's 
 house, in apparently the most commonplace situation of 
 life, God may make his presence manifest. The good 
 deed is accomplished, the idea realized before reason has
 
 A REVELATION AT THE THRESHOLD. 109 
 
 had time to apply its standard, and shape them according 
 to its pattern. 
 
 — What a contrast do the two pictures in our Parashah* 
 present to us. '/On the one side, Abraham, joyfully and 
 eagerly providing for the strangers, and serving them ; 
 and on the other, Sodom — the whole town in an uproar, 
 a mob storming a house with brutal energy, demanding 
 the blood of the strangers. ' We must remember that 
 hatred of strangers, and unkind treatment of them, was 
 not peculiar to Sodom. There we find the feeling mani- 
 fested witli unusual bitterness, ^t was the normal con- 
 dition throughout all parts of the world then known, 
 and it remained a common characteristic, in a more or less 
 aggravated form, down to our own time. Even now, 
 through(jut great stretches of country, the sight of a 
 stranger is as welcflime as that of a wild beast, and his 
 life is equally safej In the juxtaposition of these two 
 strongly contra.sted scenes, the workings of revelation 
 and reason respectively are pointed out to us. Reason 
 dictates — or at least such was its advice in former times: 
 
 ' " Be on your guard against the stranger ! He Avill surely 
 do you no go<jd, and he may work you harm." Qio 
 spoke tlie whole worldTj 
 
 In the midst of this ocean of hatred and persecution, 
 arose the lonely island of love ami kindness: the picture 
 of Abraham and his guests, ^n tiie presence of such 
 jihen(»mcna, tlie Psalmist exclaims, " I-Vom the Lord is 
 this come to f)ass, it is marvellous in our eyes," /. r., here 
 something has taken place that is beyond the grasp of 
 our understanding^ In our text, it is expressed difler- 
 
 • Each of the flfty-four weekly portions into whldi llu- rintateuch is 
 divided.— [Tr]
 
 110 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 eutly ; there we read, " The Lord appeared unto him." 
 Abraham, the father of hospitality and kindness to 
 strangers, was a manifestation of God, in the midst of 
 a world of cold calculation. 
 
 man of mere prudence and sense may be an accept- 
 citizcn of Sodom, but in him God does not reveal 
 himself That which his reason does not teach him, ever 
 — remains a sealed book to hiiuj Everything great, ele-- 
 vated and beneficent in character- everything that adds 
 to the happiness of the world,, the product of the self- 
 denial of a few noble-minded individuals, is a divine 
 revelation. 
 
 Oh, may such revelations never pass away from our 
 midst! May tlie spirit of Abraham, manifested in his 
 blessed revelations, continue to exist in the deeds of his 
 children for ever and ever !
 
 HOW CAN TEN RIGHTEOUS MEN SAVE A 
 CITY FROM DESTRUCTION? 
 
 Gen. XVIIT, XIX. 
 
 We read iu Job, " Can a mortal be more righteous than 
 God ? Or can a man be more pure than his jSIaker ?" 
 (IV : 17.) This exhortation of Eliphaz to Job naturally 
 recurs to us, when we read the conversation between 
 God and Abraluim, concerning the fate of Sodom and 
 Gomorrah. Di<l Abraliain really venture to remind 
 God of his duty^when he asked, "Shall the Judge of 
 all the earth not exercise justice?" Did Abraham dare 
 admonish (Jod, when he exclaimed, " Far he it from 
 thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous w^ith 
 the wicked?" Abraham, furthermore, implored CJod to 
 spare the wicked for the sake of fifty, forty, thirty or 
 even ten rightecnis men in the community. Wiierein 
 would lie the justice of such an mtioii? .Justice does 
 not demand merely that tlif iiinocciit shall not suffer; 
 it insists, with e<|ual force, that the wicked must not go 
 unpuni.^hcd. \\'hat would we think of an earthly judge 
 who would refuse to pronounce sentence against a num- 
 ber of (criminals, because of tiie many good citizens in 
 the community! 
 
 To inter|tret this paswage literally, as il' a c(illo(|uy luid 
 really taken place, in.stead of entering into the; spirit (»f 
 the chapter, would be grossly unjust to tin; Jloly Scrip- 
 
 111
 
 112 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 turcs. The significance of tlie conversation is indicated 
 in the opening words : " Shall I hide from Abraham 
 what I am about to 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 
 know him, that he will command his children and his 
 household after him, that tliey shall keep the way of the 
 Lord to do righteousness and justice." 
 
 "His children and his household after him" are to 
 keep the way of the Lord, so that they may resemble 
 God in DStyoi T\p-\li, in " righteousness and justice." 
 The contemporaries of Abraham, who had known the 
 place where the Dead Sea now stretched its waste of 
 waters as a fertile valley, the site of populous cities, and 
 their children, remembering the awful catastrophe, 
 would certainly ask themselves the question : " IMust 
 not many an innocent man have suffered in the destruc- 
 tion of so large a number of human beings ?" 
 
 Abraham did not want the way of the Lord to be 
 judged by his contemporaries or his descendants in the 
 light of an act of a2:)parent injustice. The way of the 
 Lord was to be a guide to them in their earthly career. 
 A man's conception of bis God always regulates his life. 
 Nor can more be asked of him. If his God is unjust, he 
 will also be unjust. Abraham's conversation makes it 
 appear that in the doomed cities, there were not fifty, 
 nay, not even ten, undeserving of their fate. His answer 
 to would-l)e critics was, " The Judge of all the earth does 
 no inj ustice. Be ye likewise on your guard against wrong- 
 doing in your earthl}- careers." 
 
 Subordinate to the main idea, the manifestation of the 
 Ruler of the universe as the God of justice, and the
 
 HOW CAX TEN RIGHTEOUS MEN SAVE A CITY? 113 
 
 significauce of the Dead Sea as the everlastiug memorial 
 of his justice, various precious thoughts, which canuot 
 but appeal to the thoughtful reader, are found iu this 
 passage. As long as thei-e are ten, or speaking gener- 
 ally, a proportionate number of righteous men in a com- 
 munity, so long may it enjoy a prosperous existence, or 
 the hope of amelioration of its condition be cherished. 
 Whenever a peojile has succeeded iu working its way 
 from slavery to freedom ; from a state of rudeness to 
 that of civilization ; or has risen from ignorance to cul- 
 ture ; or has pa,ssed from the darkness of superstition to 
 the realms of light ; or has exchanged rabid fanaticism 
 for respectful toleration, the achievement has not been 
 the work of the masses ; the movement did not, from its 
 incipiency, count its followers by hundreds or thousands 
 — no, the pioneer band always consisted of a handful of 
 nol^le men and women, who finally succeeded in infusing 
 a new spirit into the pco])le at large. AVithout these 
 torches to illuminate the path of the beautiful, the true, 
 the good, the indifferent masses, would never have made 
 any progress ; on the contrary, the baser elements in 
 the conimuuity wouhl have succeeded in directing the 
 multitude into their j)aths. Had the one Moses and, by 
 a generou.s estimate, the seventy other chosen men been 
 taken from the six hundred thousand that went up from 
 Egyj)t into the light of freedom, then, humanly speak- 
 ing, Israel would have disappearccl (Voin th(! stage of 
 history. Without Ezra and Nehemiah, the kingdom 
 of Israel would probably not have arisen a second time. 
 Had it not been for Kabbi A'olianan ben Zakka'i, Israel's 
 Law would have died out. Had it been possible for 
 George III to silence one hundred men like Patrick 
 
 9
 
 114 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Henry, Samuel Adams, and tlieir compeers, the forma- 
 tion of tlie United States might have been indefinitely 
 postponed. Even now, perhaps, we should be the sub- 
 jects of Her Majesty, the Queen of England. The 
 many prosperous communities, which we behold on 
 every side in our land, whose activity is a source of rich 
 blessing to the country, did not spring into life with a 
 large number of members. They all owe their exist- 
 ence to a few faithful and energetic individuals. The 
 masses merely followed their good example. 
 
 The maintenance and direction of states, cities, com- 
 munities and associations, like their creation and founda- 
 tion, must be set down to the credit of a few — the men 
 spoken of in our text as Zaddikim. It would be doing 
 a great injustice to the majority of the citizens of our 
 city, as well as of others, to count them among the 
 B'shoim, but neither can they be counted among the 
 Zaddikim, the upholders of the community. One sec- 
 tion of the community provides faithfully for the wel- 
 fare of school and household, taking no thought for the 
 city or country in general, for congregations, or for asso- 
 ciations. Others, again, may take an interest in the 
 affairs of the community, not however to benefit the 
 community, but rather to serve their own selfish ends. 
 The sound kernel, the vital element of the community, 
 is composed of an exceedingly small number. It is 
 made up of citizens of pre-eminent probity and public 
 spirit. Were these lacking, the power of the wicked 
 would rule the indifferent masses, and transform the 
 most prosperous community into Sodom and (JonKMrah. 
 This is the second lesson, taught to us in the form of 
 a conversation between Abraham and Deity — a few
 
 HOW CAN TEN RIGHTEOUS MEN SAVE A CITY? 115 
 
 worthy men may save a whole community from destruc- 
 tion. 
 
 Was Lot a man of this description ? The testimony 
 of the Holy Scriptures on his character is not unexcep- 
 tionable. We read, " When God destroyed the cities of 
 the plain, he remembered Abraham, and sent Lot away 
 out of the midst of the overthrow." Lot, therefore, 
 owed his salvation not to his own merit, but to his kin- 
 ship with Abraham. It is true, he practised hospitality, 
 but only "in the evening," as the narrative has it. He 
 desired the strangers to rise up early, and go on their 
 way, without attracting any notice. He conducted the 
 travellers to his home by a side-path (nj niD). INFore- 
 over, this incident wius the first intimation that his 
 fellow-citizens had of the diHerence between his mental 
 attitude and theirs. Up to that time, lie had given 
 them no opportunity to find out that he held nol)lcr 
 views tlum they. Lot wivs one of those men, common 
 at all times and places, who are good when surrounded 
 l)y g(M)d influences, but who, among evil companions, 
 nuiinlain a timid silence, avoiding any appearance that 
 might betray a diflerence between tiuir point of view 
 and that of the others, and hence give oiiencc. TIh' 
 men that hav*' power to save, tlie Zaddikim, wiiom 
 Abraham liiid in mimi, the men that could have rescued 
 Sodom from destruction, had they been ])resent, must 
 have the courage, not only to liarhor :in ind('|)cii(i('iil 
 opinion in secret, but to express their convictions ojumly, 
 and to act according to them. We nMii of " fifty right- 
 eous men irlt/iln t/n; riti/" — not the upright man within 
 his fo>ir walls, behind dosed doors and darkened win- 
 dows, not the pious man among |»ious men, the good
 
 116 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 mau in ;i comnumity of good men, l)ut the man that 
 shows liis piety openly "witliiu tlie city," caring not 
 what may be the opinion of those about him, caring not 
 whether his sentiments make friends or enemies for him 
 amono- those about him. 
 
 Abraham supposed that fifty such pious men were to 
 be found in the five cities, and thei-e was not even one ! 
 To his contemporaries and his posterity, standing with 
 deep emotion on the brink of this dead body of saline 
 and sulphurous water, asking, "What caused this dis- 
 aster? Was it the work of a just God?" he could reply, 
 "Yes, the justice of the eternal law, ruling in human 
 affairs, is here manifested." Not the number of evil- 
 doers, of weakling and indifferent citizens — they are 
 found everywhere — caused this catastrophe, but the lack 
 of Zaddikim, the salt of the masses, who keep human 
 life from moral corruption. It was for the want of such 
 men that these cities and their inhabitants perished. 
 Sodom and Gomorrah are not the only victims of such 
 a fate. Since their dav, numberless kinjjdoms and cities 
 have vanished from the earth, meeting with an end of 
 horror. Associations have been dissolved, others drag 
 out a weary existence, all for want of a proportionate, 
 if small, number of men of strength of character, of 
 noble devotion to tlie common welfare. The material 
 for a continued existence was at hand, the builders were 
 lacking. The cement was wanting to hold the members 
 together in an existence worthy of their divine origin. 
 The pillars that upheld the structure tottered on their 
 foundations. 
 
 These Zaddikim do not always go about with crowns 
 upon their heads, or decorated w*ith orders and medals ;
 
 HOW CAN TEN RIGHTEOUS MEN SAVE A CITY ? 117 
 
 nor do they, in all cases, occujDy pulpits and university 
 chairs, and bear the title doctor or profesmr. They are 
 sometimes plain, unostentatious citizens, who live quiet, 
 uuassumini,^ lives, and quite unconsciously to themselves 
 as to others, exercise a good influence upon their fel- 
 lowmen. They do not always receive their reward 
 upon eartli, neither is their lot, in all cases, enviable. 
 Frequently, indeed, they sufler more or less for their 
 courage in diflering from the world about them in 
 opinion, in thought, in action. They frequently hear 
 the cry, "This one man came in to sojourn, and he will 
 needs be a judge." You, Avho stand quite alone with 
 your antiquated or radical notions concerning things 
 human and divine, you, strange man that you are, you 
 wish to act as our judge ! Alas ! There are not always 
 angels at hand to take the part of the innovators, when 
 attacked, an<l t(j save them. History has many a sad 
 tale to relate of martyrs to conviction. 
 
 Every man cannot, therefore, be expected to take a 
 bold stand, and so bring down upon himself the wrath 
 of the multitude. Every one does not possess either the 
 courage or tlic ability to carry on the fight, and indeed 
 a great number of such bold spirits is not needed in the 
 world. ViWt it ought always to be borne in niiml that 
 the existence of the nuuiscs, characterized as it is by 
 exclusive attention In their own concerns, de|i('nds upon 
 the virtue (mDr) of a comparatively small imiid)er. 
 Ueverencc is due to those capable of exertions for which 
 we lack till' necessary strength. I'^iirthc rmore, what we 
 an; not strong enough to accomplish in birge circles, let 
 us seek to achieve in siiiallfr splieres. Let each one of 
 us make an earnest efibrt to become the shining example,
 
 118 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 the Zaddik in his family, in society, in congregational 
 life. " In the place where there are no men, strive to be 
 a man." Let each one say to himself, " It may be that 
 the little world of my activity needs just such as I am 
 to influence it to pursue a moral, a pious existence, and 
 be saved from destruction." Let us remember, that 
 some must always be the bearers, while the others are 
 borne along. Let us put our shoulders to the wheel, 
 a.shamed to allow ourselves to be carried by others, and 
 to live by the mei-it (nni) of other and better men. 
 And may wc, fathers and mothers, make it our highest 
 aim to be counted among the Zaddikim, when the Judge 
 of all the earth counts the righteous men of our city 
 and country. May we be found among those who, like 
 Abraham, command their children and their households 
 to observe God's ways, to live " to do righteousness and 
 justice."
 
 " I THOUGHT, SURELY THERE IS NO FEAR 
 OF GOD IN THIS PLACE." 
 
 Gen. XX -.11. 
 
 Abiraelech, King of Gerar, reproached Abraham 
 bitterly for allowing him to come to the very brink of 
 a great- sin. Abraham excused himself, saying: "I 
 thought, Surely there is uo fear of God in this place, 
 and they will slay me." 
 
 Sin, therefore, must have been discussed prior to the 
 existence of the religion of Israel, and the fear of sin 
 held man in check, even in the time of Al)raham. AVho 
 can say how much earlier in tlie world's history this 
 feeling acted aa a restraining force? Sin was not, at 
 that time, an offence against morality, a vi(jlation of 
 a philosophical code of ethics, l)ut an oUence against 
 Deity, and the fear of sin was the dread of the punish- 
 ment that oflendcd Deity would visit upon num. With- 
 out the fear of Ckk], the fear of sin did not exist; where 
 the concej)tion ol' ( iod was wanting, there was likewise 
 no conception of sin. 
 
 In the scene of our narrative, the country in which 
 Abraliam and Al)iiii(lc(li caiiK! into contact with each 
 other, there was no university, no lecture platform, no 
 library; in fact, no book and no pulpit; neither is there 
 any mention of a temple The oidy structure s|)oken 
 of as devoted to the service of God is an altar, made by 
 
 119
 
 120 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 setting up a single stone. And yet men knew what is 
 meant by " sin ;" they recoiled in horror from certain 
 acts, and recognized that toleration of them would bring 
 distress upon king and realm. 
 
 Such was the aspect of affairs in Abimelech's tiny 
 kingdom, four thousand years ago. The condition of 
 Gerar was that of the entire ancient world, and the 
 description applicable to that time holds good of the 
 world of to-day. To the saying in the Bible: " The fear 
 of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," might be added : 
 " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of the fear of sin." 
 
 That which we term science, is of comparatively 
 recent development ; even in its incipiency, it was the 
 possession of but few men. So small was their number 
 that they were counted, and but seven were honored with 
 the title, " Wise Men." 
 
 What occuj^ied the mind of man in that distant day? 
 The intellect craves nourishment as well as the body, 
 and its food is thought. What, then, engaged the 
 thoughts of the individual, when the duties connected 
 Avith the management of his simple household had been 
 fulfilled ? What was the common thought of the nation ? 
 For a nation must, of necessity, have a common subject 
 for contemplation. Religion, the gods — these were the 
 topics for the consideration of the whole peoj^le — their 
 origin, their dwelling-place, their occupations, the objects 
 of their love and hate, Avhat angers them, what pleases 
 them — about all this the wise men taught, and the poets 
 sang. From this source was drawn thought to engage 
 the mind, and joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain to 
 nourish the emotions connected with home, the commu- 
 nity, the country at large.
 
 THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD IN THIS PLACE. 121 
 
 The idea of humanity is of even more recent origin 
 than science. " Ethics," " phihiuthrophy," " virtue " 
 were unknown conceptions in that early day. They 
 were not present to spur man on to good deeds, or to 
 restrain him from wrong-doing. The fear of the gods 
 alone regulated the life of the individual and of the 
 community. 
 
 Abraham said, " ' I thought, Surely there is no fear of 
 God in this place,' and therefore, neither life nor the 
 marriage bond is held sacred." The Elohivi of Abime- 
 lech was, indeed, not the Adonni of Abraham ; neverthe- 
 less, the fear of the gods, be they called Elohim or 
 Adonai, was the only bound set to human passion, the 
 sole protection against rude force, the one power bridling 
 wild lust. 
 
 Out of the belief in gods grew the belief in one God, 
 and along with the belief in one God came the idea of 
 this God as the Father of mercy, the righteous judge, 
 ruling according to eternal laws, as King, i. c, an all- 
 guiding Providence, and as a holy Being, i. e., a God 
 who, without thought of his creatures' service or grati- 
 tude, wills and achieves naught but good. However, in 
 Israel, too, there was no " virtue," no system of " ethics," 
 independent of religion. There wa.s but one idea — the 
 fear of the Lord. Tiie conimanfhnciits in the Bible en- 
 joining gf-ricrosity, humanity, morality, or holiness upon 
 man are usually li»llo\vod by tiie phra-sc, " 'jx "I am 
 the Lord." Thus, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as 
 thyself: I am the Lord." 
 
 "Thou shalt fear thy God : I am the Lord." 
 
 In the course of centuries the teachings of the God of 
 Israel had become so comj)letely a jiiirt (»f the foriii and
 
 122 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 essence of civilization, that good was recognized and 
 practised under the det^ignation, " virtue," " morality," 
 "truth," the 1)ad, shunned as "vice," "superstition," 
 " falsehood," independently of the fear of the Lord. 
 Then, men could live good, rational lives in which the 
 thought of the fear of God played no part whatever. 
 With the development of science, the intellectual food 
 provided was more than could be digested by a whole 
 generation, and so entirely could the new treasures of 
 knowledge occupy the mind that not even one thought 
 remained to be bestowed upon God. 
 
 If such is the case, wherein lies the force of Abraham's 
 assertion, that where the fear of God is lacking, one 
 must be prepared for the worst ? We must admit that 
 there are, at present, individuals and also certain limited 
 associations of men upon whose thought and action the 
 fear of the Lord has no influence whatever, and with 
 whom it is, nevertheless, safe, nay, even pleasant to 
 dwell. In virtue and generosity, they bear comparison 
 with any god-fearing man or woman, and hence, they do 
 not illustrate the truth of Al)rahanrs assertion. Let 
 us seek to make the consequences of such godlessness 
 clearer by means of an illustration. 
 
 In Holland, many laborers are constantly working at 
 the dams and canals ; were their care and exertions to 
 cease even for a few years, half of the land would be 
 swallowed up by the ocean. Many thousands, living in 
 that country, do not lend any aid in defending the land 
 from the threatening waters; nevertheless, they dwell in 
 security, and partly upon the very soil that has been 
 won by hard labor from the unwilling sea. In like 
 manner, the synagogues, churches and religious schools
 
 THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD IN THIS PLACE. 123 
 
 — all of which nourish the fear of the Lord — are the 
 dikes resisting the advance of godless materialism. 
 Picture to yourselves the state of affairs without these 
 dikes. Think of all these buildings devoted to the ser- 
 vice of God as closed. Imagine that there is neither 
 church nor synagogue, and in their stead, put gymnasia 
 or even scientific institutions. Then would appear the 
 truth of Abraham's declaration that where there is not 
 fear of the Lord, nothing is considered sacred, nothing 
 is secure. The foundation would be taken from under 
 tlie feet of the moral hero denying the existence of God, 
 just as the comfort and security of the Hollanders would 
 be a thing of the past, were the activity of the workmen 
 at the dikes to cease. 
 
 An individual or even hundreds or thousands of men, 
 here and there, may set up reason in place of God, or 
 substitute the doctrine of humanity for religion; the 
 whole body of mankiud will not be injured in the least. 
 ]5ut woe unto us, were the l)anner of godlcssness to be 
 raised among large bodies of men, and the fear of the 
 Lord attacked by them in closely serried ranks! A 
 great nation, standing upon the very height of civiliza- 
 tion, once nuide such an attempt, and its deliaut action did 
 not go unpunished. How much innocent blood was tlicrc 
 slicd, because tlicie was no fear of the Lord in the land ! 
 
 It cannot b(; denied that even the hands of religion 
 reek with Idooil ; that the inimlxr of its victims can 
 scarcely be estinuitcd ; that religions iuivc l)ecn a curse 
 as well as a source of blcK^ing to MKinkind. I'.ut this 
 evil tiling was not the true fear of the Lord ; it was 
 malice, delusion, avarice, ignorance under tlu^ mask of 
 religion, not pure fi-ar of God, free from ba.se alloy.
 
 124 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Yet, the evil followiug iu the train of religion, how- 
 ever great it may aj^pear to us, is scarcely to be taken 
 into account in comparison Avith the misery that would 
 ensue, were every spark of n god-fearing spirit among 
 men to be extinguished. A dwelling-place among 
 snakes, crocodiles, hyenas, tigers and wolves would be a 
 I^aradise, compared with life among men entirely devoid 
 of religion, of the fear of God. 
 
 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of the fear of 
 sin. None can deny that the fear of the Lord is older 
 than science, than " virtue," than life regulated by pure 
 reason. At the same time, the fear of the Lord is the 
 end of the fear of sin, i. e., the fear of the Lord, as a 
 motive for shunning evil, will outlive all others. The 
 fear of God has ever been victorious over all opposing 
 forces, and will ever continue so. When the fury of 
 wanton si)irits is spent, when the attempts to solve the 
 mystery of the world without a God have failed, the 
 thinkers, worn out with their struggles, meekly and 
 penitently return to God in their old age, and confess : 
 " We thought that we were building a system, pointing 
 heavenwards, a system as comprehensive and as power- 
 ful as believers teach their God to be, and we have been 
 digging downwards, digging pits into which our thought 
 has fallen ever lower." 
 
 Our text warns us of still another danger. Abraham 
 thought tliat the fear of God did not exist in Gerar, but 
 he was mistaken. Abimelech spoke with horror of the 
 imminence of sin. He was affrighted even by the 
 appearance of a god in a dream. Be, therefore, not 
 hasty in your judgment of a fellow-man's relation to 
 God. Not every man that loudly proclaims his belief
 
 THERE IS XO FEAR OF GOD IN THIS PLACE. 125 
 
 in God bears a truly go(l-fearin<r spirit within him, and 
 many a one that seldom pronounces tlie name of the 
 Lord reverences him the more deeply, and serves him 
 the more eagerly. Surely, it is not good to blaspheme, 
 but the heart cannot always be judged from the utter- 
 ances of the li])S. ]Many a one is indifferent in his ser- 
 vice of God, because he knows that God's service is 
 cared for. Conscious of his own upright life, he forgets 
 him that gave us the law of good. Were he to see his 
 faith in actual danger, he would i)lace himself before 
 the breach, just as the Hollander leads a peaceful exist- 
 ence while the weather is calm, but rushes to the dikes, 
 when the tide seeks to destroy the land. There is 
 nothing so arrogant as the condemnation of a whole 
 region, an entire community, with the assertion : " I 
 thought, there is no fear of the Lord in this land." 
 He alone, whom we should fear, knows who truly fears 
 and reverences him. He alone may say: "Surely, 
 there is no fear of the Lord in this place." ]\Ian, how'- 
 cvcr, has enovigh to occupy his attention in his own soul. 
 It is sufficient for him to keej) alive within himself the 
 fear of the Ivord.
 
 7 • • ' * ^ ^ J- T 
 
 EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCES. 
 
 Gen. XXI : 9-15. 
 
 "And Sarah saw the son of Ilagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne 
 unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said to Abraliam, Cast out 
 this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall 
 not be heir with my son, with Isaac." 
 
 (Ft 
 
 ^It Avould surely have been simpler to speak of the 
 child ])v name. Why not say at once, " Sarah saw 
 Ishmael." An attentive reader of the Bible cannot, 
 liowever, have failed to notice that in the description of 
 its characters, those of good as well as those of evil fame, 
 the name of the niotlier is frequently mentioned. Such 
 is the case hereT) Sarah speaks of Ishmael as the " son of 
 Hagar the Egyptian." By this designation, she indicated 
 the evil nature of the boy, and justified the demand for 
 his removal. She thus intimated that there rested upon 
 him the spirit of his mother, an abandoned creature 
 fi-om her very childhood, the offspring of slaves in Egypt, 
 brought to Canaan /like a bale of goods, a creature 
 without a will of her own, subject to the whims of her 
 mistress. How could anything good be expected of her 
 son and his education ? 
 
 It is a painful thought that many human beings, 
 Ishmaol-like, are born under an evil sta£) Ancestral- 
 imperfections of mind and soul, acting as dominant 
 influence.-5 in the determination of character, become the 
 
 126
 
 EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCES. 127 
 
 heritage of children and grandcliildrcn. It is dithcult 
 to ])ringsuch observations into harmony with a belief in 
 a just and nieroifid God. ^ But belief is not an easy mat- 
 ter ; Avere it so, there would not be so many unbeliev- 
 ers, nor so many of little faith. The believer approaches 
 (piestions concerning Providence, with the modest ad- 
 mission : " Here the domain of knowledge ends, and 
 that of belief begins. A Providence does exist, a divine, 
 ruling Power, whose ways, however, are too exalted for 
 our comprehension." Nevertheless, we cannot help but 
 see that for many men, paths for good or for evil are 
 designated at birth, and not every one possesses the 
 necessary strength to forsake the allotted road. The 
 angel could well prophesy to Hagar that the son born 
 unto her w(juld be a wild man, whose hand would be 
 against every man's, and against whom would be every 
 man's hand. Tliere are many mothers, to whom one 
 might thus j)rophesy without being an angel. A Hagar 
 will ever 1)6 the mother of an Ishmael. 
 ^>^ Mothoi-8, pre-eminently, are resjjonsible for the moral 
 condition (»f their cliildren. The great men, who have 
 been benefactors to tlie race in the varied situations of 
 life, and tlic myriads of earnest, helpful men and women 
 in cities and villages, whose unostentatious work in their 
 limited circle is a source of blessing, owe their useful- 
 ncs.s to a mother's influence which rests iijion (hem, and 
 inspires (hem to action. On the other hand, the greater 
 share of re.sponsil)iiity for what is low and mean in tiieir 
 children rests upon the mothers as well. Many factors 
 enter into the education of a man to lead him away from 
 the good or the evil course prej)ared for him in liis 
 home; hut in the training bestowed by home, and in
 
 128 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 that element of home training determined by the char- 
 acter and disposition of parents, tlie maternal influence 
 is of the first importance. 
 
 Do we ask when the education of a human being 
 commences? Much sooner than is ordinarily held to be 
 the case — long before the child is born. The choice of 
 a helpmate is the beginning of this training, for this 
 choice decides the character of the family to be founded. 
 The wild Bedouins, who even to-day, render entire 
 stretches of country unsafe, and remain implacable ene- 
 mies to civilization, are the descendants of Ishmael, the 
 son of Hagar the Egyj^tian. 
 
 Sarah said, " Ishmael must leave my house ; he may 
 no longer associate Avith Isaac." Here we have the sec- 
 ond factor in man's education — association. Of what 
 avail is the discipline of the home, even when exercised 
 by the best of mothers ; of what avail is a school though 
 conducted by the most cajiable and conscientious of 
 teachers, against the mighty stream of life which flows 
 threateningly around the quiet home ? The mother's mild 
 words, the wise advice of the father, and the earnest dis- 
 cipline by both, can have but little force against the 
 power of visible example in the world without. " Ex- 
 ample is stronger than precept." Example often insinu- 
 ates itself into the heart, upon whose hardness entreaty 
 and solemn warning can make no impression. The 
 character which father and mother have labored hard 
 to form is frequently altered, ruined or remodelled by 
 society. However, this change is not always for the 
 worse ; frequently, indeed, it proves a true blessing. 
 
 Parents send their children to school, and believe 
 them in good keeping. It is true, there they receive
 
 EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCES. 129 
 
 from their teachers the knowledge necessary for them 
 throughout life, but in their associations with the pupils, 
 they learn both good habits and evil ways. Frequently, 
 •the advantages of the instruction of the former are out- 
 weighed by the disadvantage of the evil influence of 
 the latter. In many a one, the seed of moral ruin has 
 been planted in an institution of learning ; there, he 
 has learnt how to bring down his good parents with 
 sorrow to the grave. Sermons with illustrations from 
 real life are preached to them on the play -ground, in the 
 servants' hall, in the workshop, in the counting-rooms. 
 How the remembrance of your words, good parents and 
 teachers, pales in the presence of the living example! 
 In training your children, it is, therefore, not the small- 
 est part of your duty to keep far from the innocent the 
 poison of evil example. " Cast out this bondwoman 
 and her son I" Remove from your children's vicinity 
 all that are morally unsound, from the child's nuree to 
 the frivolous dandy that frequents your house, and 
 shrink not from ridding yourself of hoary age, if its bji.se- 
 ness is likely to conuj)t your pure sons and daughtei*s. 
 
 "And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's eyes, 
 because of his son." 
 
 Here we have the tliinl factor in education. I'iiLlicr 
 and mother must act in harmony with each other in the 
 training of their children. lietter no education at all 
 than that father and mother should work in opposite 
 directions. 
 
 Al)rahani, doubtless, possessed authority enough to 
 make his will prevail in his house. He cinild not see 
 tiiat any harm would come to Isaac from Ishnuiel's con- 
 tinued stay in his home. He felt severely the separa- 
 
 10
 
 130 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 tion from his son, but a divine voice cried to him : " In 
 all that Sarah may say unto thee, hearken unto her 
 voice." Act in harmony with the mother of the house. 
 
 The discipline of children and the education of children 
 are two different things. Discipline is established in 
 cases in which an energetic fathejr guides the reins of 
 authority in conjunction with a passive mother; or again, 
 in which an energetic mother stands by the side of an 
 insignificant father. The children are well disci2:)lined 
 as long as they feel the restraints of home government. 
 As soon as they think themselves free, they are different 
 beings, and follow different impulses. If, however, 
 father and mother are at one in zeal and purpose, then 
 we have true education, then the spirit of the parents 
 informs the character of the children. The house in 
 which children are di><ciplincd is like a well-regulated 
 clock, Avhich keeps time accurately as long as it is wound, 
 but stops when the motor power of the spring is no longer 
 active. The house in which children are educated is 
 not moved by mechanism, but animated by a soul, 
 Though the parents have long been at rest, or though, 
 if alive, they no longer guide their children's footsteps, 
 still their noble work will continue to bear fruit. 
 
 Finally, we must con.sider the moral value of the edu- 
 cational method pursued in Abraham's home^ (f^^® P^^' 
 pose of sending away Ishmael, the removal oi an evil 
 influence, was good, but what can be said of the means 
 employed ? It is true, the circun)stanccs of the time did 
 not permit Abraham to send wife and child to the rail- 
 way station, and to secure for them comfortable places 
 in a palace car, in which they might journey in safety 
 to Egypt, but surely he could have devised ii more hu-
 
 EDUCATIONAL INFLUEXCES. 131 
 
 mane method of carrying out the harsh measure. It is 
 highly displeasing to us to see him show the woman and 
 her child the door, saying to them, " Here are bread 
 and a skin of water. Take them and find your way 
 through the desert into distant Egypt as best you can." 
 In our day, too, there are men that do not treat their 
 own kinspeople kindly, but they are not praised for their 
 behavior, and surely not respected ; under certain cir- 
 cumstances, indeed, they are severely called to account 
 for their actions. 
 
 In our text, however, the occurrence is described as if 
 quite natural and proper; in fact, the seal of divine 
 aj)pn)val is set upon it. 
 
 Tliis point in the narrative leads us up to the fourth 
 factor in man's education — time and j)lace. Man is the 
 child of his century, and as the "heir of all the ages," 
 he constitutes mankind. Four thousand years and thou- 
 sands of miles lie between us and the events of our 
 narrative. Abrahani was a child of liis eentury — the 
 twentidh since creation, according to l>ii>lical calcula- 
 tion, just as we are cliildrcn nf our century, the si.xtieth 
 since creation, V^'<^"<»rding to the same method of reckon- 
 ing. Abrahani wa.-i a child of (lie Orient ; we are chil- 
 dren of Europe and America. Surely, we have learnt 
 something in these ff)ur thousand years, especially in a 
 zone more favorai)Ie to culture. And we have; learnt 
 and been taught nuich that is good an<l noble, which 
 was unknown to Abraham and tiie other patriarchs. 
 The spiritual achievements of the four tlionsand years 
 of" tlie education uf numkiuil cm uowhcn; 1)0 more 
 clearly seen than in the legal enactments aliout the posi- 
 tion and fstiinatiou of woman in tlie marriage relation.
 
 132 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 The treatment of Hagar and her child, as the child of 
 a slave, four thousand years ago, in the Orient, was 
 normal, in keeping with the culture of a formative 
 period. To-day, in the midst of the culture of Europe 
 and the countries settled by emigration thence, such 
 action would be inhuman, deserving of punishment. 
 
 " He whose actions find favor in the sight of the best 
 of his contemporaries, lives for all time," says the poet. 
 We can demand no more of man than that he should 
 rank among the best of his time. As such, Abraham 
 and Sarah will always be deeply reverenced by us. But 
 woe to the world, Avere there no times, nobler in their 
 influence than the Abrahamic period; no ideas of mo- 
 rality, purer and nobler than those amid which the 
 patriarchs and the other Biblical heroes lived and 
 labored ! In spite of their deficiencies, which we need 
 take no pains to deny, the ancients gain in our esteem, 
 when we remember the deficiencies of their teacher — 
 the time in which they lived. We, however, in consid- 
 eration of the fact that teacher Time has, since those 
 days, gained so much in the matter of knowledge of the 
 good and the right, must demand greater things of 
 ourselves.
 
 "LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION." 
 
 Gen. XXII. 
 
 " God tempted Abraham !" Did the Omuiscieut, then, 
 not know what would be Abraham's decision ? To lead 
 a man into temptation, deliberately to place sin in his 
 path, is considered unworthy of a mere mortal — how 
 can we, then, ascribe such an act to God ? Let us de- 
 vote our attention to this and other peculiar expressions 
 in a chapter of the Bible that has always been lield 
 in high honor by us. 
 
 The oldest and most highly venerated prayer of the 
 Christian Church, its show prayer, so to speak, is the 
 Pater-noster. It would be highly improper for me to 
 send forth, from this place, a ho.stile criticism of any- 
 thing held sacred by another religious community, were 
 it not that, first of all, learned Israelites have, with 
 much labor, traced each part of this prayer to Jewish 
 .sources. Again, many I.sraelitc.s look upon it as not 
 merely harmless, but of surpassing merit, mid it is not at 
 all displea-sing to them to have their chililrcn join in (he 
 prayer in the devotional exerci.scs of the public sclioois, 
 and finally, 1 sball really — to use a C()llo(|uialism — be 
 niiiiding my own biisinc.s.s, since one i)art of tii(! prayer 
 under criticism is to be found in our own liturgy: 
 P'OJ 'tS N"? iJKOn '7K1 " Lt^ad us not int<j temptation."
 
 134 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 God did lead Abraliain into temptation. It cannot be 
 gainsaid. According to our sages, he tempted him not 
 only once, but even ten times. 
 
 When the Children of Israel were in the desert, God 
 "led them into temptation." The Bible repeats this asser- 
 tion again and again with great emphasis. David cer- 
 tainly understood the art of praying, as but few others, 
 and he makes the direct appeal. " Try me and prove me." 
 
 A prayer for immunity from temptation, then, finds 
 no support in the Holy Scriptures. On the contrary, to 
 come into God's presence with such a j^etition seems a 
 violation of the spirit of the Bible. 
 
 Long after the death of the founder of Christianity — 
 though at not so late a period that a sharp line of 
 demarcation was drawn between Jew and Christian, 
 between Jewis-h and Christian literature, as was to be 
 the case afterward — Abba Areka formulated the prayer, 
 jVOJ 'tS vh " Lead us not into temptation !" 
 
 The Church did not borrow this phrase from the 
 Synagogue. It is more probable that Abba Areka con- 
 ceived this supplication under the influence of the 
 ecstatic, the plaintively sentimental atmosphere sur- 
 rounding the new sect. We find other traces of the 
 familiarity of this great teacher with the apocryphal 
 books, and also that he did not hesitate to copy from 
 them without stating his sources. 
 
 The whole prayer of which the phrase under discus- 
 sion is a jiart breathes the Christian dogma of the sub- 
 jection of the will, and of grace as a means of salvation: 
 
 " Teach me to know thy law ; lead me in thy precepts. 
 Let me not go astray. Suffer me not to fall into temp- 
 tation or disgrace. Let wicked impulses gain no power
 
 LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION. 135 
 
 over me. Keep far from me all evil associations ; and 
 let all my powers learn to serve thee." 
 
 Breathes there tlirongh this prayer the spirit of our 
 stronf', sound and rational belief? our idea of God and of 
 the dignity of his morally free children ? No, forgive 
 me, Abba, thou great and pious teacher, no Israelite can 
 repeat thy prayer in sincerity ! It is not a growth from 
 holy Israelitish soil. The twigs and leaves extend into 
 the field of our pure faith, l)ut the trunk is rooted, if 
 not in a rank soil, at least in mould in which doctrines 
 concerning God and human nature foreign to us are 
 fostered. 
 
 God does lead us into temptation ! Of Abraham's 
 temptations only ten are recorded. Fortunate Patri- 
 arch ! Our temptations mount up into the thousands. 
 No day passes in which they do not assail us. Certainly, 
 temptations assail us, but how is it with our power of 
 resistance? Most certainly, we, too, withstand them. 
 He must be, indeed, a weak creature who, in the whole 
 course of his life, ha.s not found witliin himself the 
 strength to resist t<'iiiptation at least ten times. 
 
 Wherein would lie the strength an<l the excellence of 
 virtue, if the tem]>t!ition to yield to other inclinations 
 did not have to be resisted? Would self-restraint be a 
 virtue, were it not for the k^mptation to yield to desire? 
 Ami where would lie the merit of piety, were it not for 
 the temptation to forsake it, iind follow in tlie seductive 
 patli of worldliness? 
 
 Amf»ng the earliest passages in the life of the first 
 human pair rcconlcMl in tlu; Holy Scriptures is the 
 account of the temptation which preceded the first sin: 
 "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for
 
 136 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 food, and that it Avas pleasant to the eyes," etc. Was 
 not that a teni2>tation ? Sin always appears to us in an 
 attractive guise, challenging our attention, while virtue, 
 unassuming in appearance, rests quietly in the corner, 
 alluring none, waiting to be wooed. The first tempta- 
 tion is placed beside the first duty. Duty and temptation 
 are of the same age. 
 
 He that prays, " Lead us not into temptation !" asks 
 that God change the order of nature, the very plan of 
 creation ; that he make man cease to be a man, and 
 change him either into an angel or a brute, neither of 
 whom knows temptation, and is, therefore, also incapable 
 of virtue. 
 
 Let us understand very clearly that God does place 
 temptation in our path, from morning until evening, 
 from evening until morning, from youth to old age, from 
 our earliest awakening to consciousness till the last si:)ark 
 of life dies out within us. The child is tempted to gratify 
 its sweet tooth, to play during school-hours, to tell false- 
 hoods. The youth and the maiden are assailed by 
 temptation in a different form. The man and the wo- 
 man, in the strength of their years, are likewise tried, 
 and even old age is not safe from folly, i. e., from temp- 
 tation. Prayer is here of no avail. " Help yourself!" 
 is the admonition. Every j)rayer with such an object in 
 view is an " idle prayer." Resistance to temptation con- 
 stitutes the moral element in life, and lends grace to man. 
 
 Remember, O rich man ! your wealth is a temptation 
 to luxury, to arrogance, to idleness. A temptation 
 assails you in the method of gaining riches, and in the 
 method of disposing of them. Wealth will be a test 
 as to whether you are to rule money, or to be its slave.
 
 LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION. 137 
 
 And to you, poor raan, poverty is a trial. Prove that 
 a great soul can exist in an humble hut ; that you can 
 preserve a heart pure and noble, even in want. 
 
 Beauty is likewise a temptation to its possessor. 
 Many a one, in the consciousness of this great gift of 
 nature, wastes his years in frivolity, and in the care of 
 the beautiful shell, neglects the moral kernel. 
 
 Intellectual power is no less a temptation. Fre- 
 quently the man of average intellect achieves a higher 
 development in morality, in well-being, in usefulness, 
 than his more richly endowed brother, whose very 
 genius proves his ruin. 
 
 Whatever be the fortunes of your life, be they pleas- 
 ant or adverse, say to yourself, " This is a temptation. 
 I must summon up all my strength to resist it." 
 
 Whoever has passed a difficult examination before 
 strict judges knows what heart-felt bliss was his, when 
 the hours of anxiety were over. A like blissful feeling 
 is ours, when after a day of severe trial, our conscience 
 a.ssure8 us that we have come forth victorious from 
 honest battle. 
 
 In connection with temptation, one need not think of 
 murder and homicide and other capital crimes. Smsill 
 are the temptations which glide; througji our lives like 
 shadows. They constantly surround us, jjoisoning exist- 
 ence with their stings, in our business activities, in our 
 calling, in our domestic int'^^rcoursc, in our IViendship, 
 in our appetites, in the use of our tongues, etc. 
 
 Verily, God does tempt us. Let us rememl)er that at 
 all times. Ye.s, he tempts us, and therefore we rank 
 abov(! the brutes, and, if we resist, abov(! the angels. 
 
 In this point, however, we nuist not imitate God. We
 
 138 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 must not lead a man into temptation ; we must not 
 place a stone in the path of the blind. When man deals 
 thus by his fellow-man, he is not tempting him, he is 
 leading him astray. 
 
 If you fawn on the base man, and praise the sinner ; 
 if you flatter the rich and powerful ; if, by pomp and 
 show, you attract attention to yourself, and give occasion 
 for extravagant imitation, then you are leading your 
 neighbor into temptation, you are misleading him. 
 
 i
 
 ■1 
 
 CONFLICT OF DUTIES. 
 
 Gen. XXVII. 
 
 Isaac had grown old, aud he felt that the time had 
 come for setting hi.s earthly affairs in order. His mo;<t 
 j)recious posse.s.<iou was the blessing which he had re- 
 ceived from hi.s father, and which, in turn, he intended 
 to transmit to his first-born and favorite. Out-witted by 
 liebecca, he laid the ble-ssing upon the head of Jacob. 
 
 The memory of Rebecca is sacred to us. She is one 
 of our pious mothers in Israel, and it would grieve us 
 .sorely t(j be compelled to look upon her in an unfavor- 
 able light, but truth and the virtue of truthfulness 
 among men are also holy, even holier than the mem- 
 ory of Rebecca. In what light nni.st this narrative of 
 tiie Scriptures be regarded, so that full justice may be 
 ihmc to truth, without detracting from the character of 
 our revered Mother Rebe<'ca? 
 
 A collision is one of the incidents of life that .so often 
 nuike existence unpleasant; frecpiently, indeed, involve 
 lo.ssof life, riiysical collisions, in which two bodies conj- 
 iiig from opposite directions strike again.st each other, 
 are of daily occurrence. Sometimes there i.s even danger 
 that our j)lan(t may collide with a comet whirling to- 
 wards us through .Mpace. There is another kind of 
 encounter, an invisible and noiseless one, in wlii<'h 
 neither bones nor muscles sulH-r injury, but which is, 
 
 139
 
 x40 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 nevertheless, quite as disastrous in its effects. Spirits 
 come into conflict with each other, and in the course of 
 the struggle temper becomes heated. Clashing interests 
 meet on the narrow path of life, and obstinately push 
 on with diametrically opposite ends in view. Ideals of 
 the good, the true, the beautiful are dragged down into 
 the whirlpool of stern realities and the barren prose of 
 life ; as when, for example, the young wife, with her 
 ideal of a " knight without reproach," and the young 
 husband, with his dream of fair angels, stand before 
 each other as they really are — reality seeming to mock 
 pitilessly at the images created by fancy. 
 
 The moralist's task is an easy one : he preaches mod- 
 eration and self-restraint. There is, however, still an- 
 other sort of conflict, in which even moderation and the 
 extreme of self-control are inefiectual ; that is, when 
 there is a conflict of duties. 
 
 Two conflicting duties, of which the one can be per- 
 formed only at the expense of the other, may claim our 
 attention at the same time. 
 
 Let us make this proposition clearer by some exam- 
 ples. 
 
 A married couple may have the choice between peace 
 and amity in their own home, on the one side, and the 
 preservation of friendly relations with parents, who may 
 be hostile towards one of them, on the other. An Israelite 
 may have to decide between living strictly according to 
 the dictates of his conscience, and his and his family's 
 temporal welfare, or their very existence. It may hap- 
 pen that in fulfilling the duty of self-preservation, we 
 are forced to act in violati(jn of the demands of love of 
 country and of our fellow-man. The elder Brutus acted
 
 CONFLICT OF DUTIES. 141 
 
 as judge in the case against his son, who had been guilty 
 of treason towards Konio. Here, there was a conflict 
 between the father and the judge in one person. The 
 younger Brutus, one of the murderers of Csesar, liis 
 friend and benefactor, had to decide between the duty 
 of gratitude, on the one side, and his duty towards the 
 community, on the other. 
 
 We, too, in our days, may have to choose between 
 raspeet for the written hiw of the land, and regard for 
 the higher law^ — the eternal one — of reason and morality. 
 
 Our revered ^lother Rebecca found herself in a 
 similar position. 
 
 ~~^ Happy the woman that can look up to her mate as to 
 her superior, the director of the household, the guide 
 and tcaclicr of her children ! Unenviable is the lot of 
 her who has to direct without assistance the affairs of 
 the household, and the training of the little ones. The 
 strong women are not the hap})iest women. S(j unenvi- 
 able a lot was Rebecca's ; she had to bear Isaac's share of 
 life's burdens as well as her own. 
 
 Isaac exercised blind authority in the household, 
 worse for Rel)ecca than if there had been no one but 
 herself to appeal to. As it wji.><, Lis [)ower was but a 
 useless and disturbing element. She knew well the 
 wild, untamc(l nature of her older son, and could pic- 
 ture to licr.-cir his wrctcliiil riitmc. And to iiini his 
 father was willing to entrust the traditional blessing of 
 the family and the welfan; of future generations! 
 
 The children of our day also prize highly the blessing 
 of their parents, but not so much from a belief in its 
 efficacy, as from a feeling of reverence for their parents, 
 and for the assurance it gives them that they have per-
 
 142 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 "^^formed their duty to their loved ones, and have given 
 them pleasure. 4 In ancient times, imiw^Ter, a blessing 
 from the mouth of the father was God's voice. # The 
 blessing hand of the father was the hand of fate^ and " 
 
 ■■''^» Isaac was going to err so far as to lay his hand upon 
 Esau's head ]f Was it not clearly the mother's duty to 
 interfere ? T*ul^V-&LL'ii>-^*^'***~^*^*-<i^y> but she was also 
 under a moral obligation towards the infirm and blind 
 old man^ Was it proper to distress tlie unhappy, aged 
 father ? Would it be right for her to o})en his eyes to 
 the trife character, the unworthiness of his favorite, his 
 first-born ? (There was no hope of amelioration, _for) 
 
 ""**^ Jacob ana Esau were no longer children.*^ Esau was a 
 married man. Indeed, according to the reckoning of 
 the Bible, the brothers must have been sixty or seventy 
 years old at the time. The truth would have broken 
 Isaac's heart J/ it is even questional)le whether he could 
 have been brouglit to look upon it as the truth.^ Men,'* 
 
 "" — otherwise extremely sharp-sighted, are frequently af- 
 flicted with an incurable blindness to the qualities of 
 their own sons. ^ In this case, then, there was a struggle 
 between conflicting duties. / At the expense of truth, 
 Rebecca secured the fiUher's blessing to the proper 
 p erso n, j 
 
 /"^l am far from believing that we should set up as 
 /a rule always to be followed, when the straight path 
 does not lead to the good end, choose the crooked one ; 
 if unalloyed truth has no prospect of gaining a victory, 
 choose equivocation and cunning. In such cases, every 
 one must be a law-giver unto himself; in the struggles of 
 conscience, he must he his own adviser. 
 
 Make this a rule of life, build your philosophy of life
 
 CONFLICT OF DUTIES. 143 
 
 upon it lus a fundamental principle, " I will ])e true in 
 thought, speech and action. I will allow nothing to 
 cloud the honesty of my words and deeds." But do 
 not lose sight of the fact that we dare not fulfil even our 
 duty without testing the wisdom of our course. 
 
 In over-zealous and one-sided practice of duty, in 
 unswerving attention to the behests of stern conscien- 
 tiousness, we may, perhaps, be treading a path of duty 
 that is paved with sin, with disregard of other duties. 
 Our sages call this attaining a desirable end on the path 
 of sin. 
 
 Test the worth of everything — even of the virtue of 
 truthfulness, the very corner-stone of all the virtues. 
 ICxamine everything in the light of place, time and cir- 
 cumstances. In your criticism of your fellow-man, be 
 not too ready to stigmatize every neglect of duty as 
 absolutely bad. Remember, there is frequently a con- 
 flict <jf duties, in which the one must be subordinated to 
 tlie importance of the other. Perchance, the neglect of 
 the duty apparent to you may be the price ])aid for per- 
 forming another — a more imi)ortant — obligation, of 
 whose e.xistcnce you are entirely unaware. 
 
 Let every good mother give thanks to her ( n ator, if 
 her household is .so constituted that she stands before her 
 spou.se and her children as a pattern of stiict Irutlifiil- 
 ness and uprightnciw. Should a inolhcr, huwcvcr, I){'Iiev(^ 
 that lier position retpiires her to follow the path of dupli- 
 citv, then may the reasons for her action be of so urgent 
 and holv a nature, as wr-re those of-<(ur revered Mother 
 Rebecca, blessed be her memory!
 
 TEMPERAMENT. 
 
 Gen. XXVII : 41. 
 
 " Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for 
 my father will be at hand y then will I slay my brother 
 Jacob." rCommenting upon this phrase in the Scrip- 
 tures^our sages say, ," Esau spoke *'/( (0*73) his heart ; 
 thus all evil men speak and do. We read in the Psalms, 
 -' The fool says in his heart,yJeroboam spoke in his 
 heart, Haman spoke in his heart, f They are all gov- 
 erned by their hearts,^ while good men control their 
 feelings ; therefore, it is said ' Hannah spoke to (literally 
 on, n^Vbi') her heart,' ' David spoke to his heart,' and 
 thus also did Daniel express himself, imitating their 
 Creator ; for the Bible says, * God spoke unto his heart.' "0 
 - God, the Creator, alone has power to create jl man 
 can merely modify what has been given him, using it for 
 good or evil purposes, ^ts it is not in his power to create, /f 
 so also he is unable to annihilate anything existing 
 according to nature's laws. , He may work havoc and 
 ruin,^ he may be the author of unspeakable evil,j but 
 annihilation is beyond his power A 
 
 Man is born with a certain disposition, which fre- 
 quently proves a most troublesome factor in his educa- 
 tion, both at home and at school. A man's nature is 
 the work of creation, and cannot be destroyed. Educa- 
 tion, therefore, must not seek to stifle nature, but rather 
 
 144
 
 TEMPERAMENT. 145 
 
 attempt to develop it into character. Jacob and Esau 
 form a case in point. Tiiey were endowed, by nature, 
 with different dispositions — ^^e children struggled 
 within" Rebeka^t Jacob was, by nature, a cool, de- 
 liberate thinker. , Esau was wild and excitable^ guided 
 by impulse in his good deeds as well as in his evil ones^ 
 Their widely different qualities were revealed in their 
 choice of a vocation, t Jacob's quiet shrewdness inclined 
 him to cattle-raising ;y his brother's wild courage selected 
 the bow and arrow as a means of obtaining a livelihood. ^ 
 Esau is described to us as comin^honie from a hunt, 
 excited and very much fatigued./^Surcly, the paternal 
 larder, his mother's kitchen, mif^ have supplied him 
 with food, had he but asked for iL^ However, with the 
 impatience, characteristic of such a nature, he insists 
 upon eating the meal prepared for his brother. / For this 
 privilege, he resigns his birthriglit. ( He eats and drinks, 
 laughing all the wliile ;, he had satisfied his heart's desire /t 
 — the desire of his ma.ster, for his heart controlled liiin 
 
 ^completely .14 But when his father^ although ignorant of 
 the compact Ijetween the brotliers, bestowed the blessing 
 of the first-born upon Jacob,, then Esau's luuut was 
 heavy,Qind his lament over the loss of his privileges was 
 commensurate with his animal spints upon resigning 
 them to his brothenJ He comi)lained that Jacob had 
 
 , cheated him out of"^3 birthright. » Ami in liis heart he 
 saifl, i' Tlie days of mourning for my father will be at 
 hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob." ]{", how--^ 
 ever, the blessing under discussion was worth a eonUst, 
 Esau ought to have considered that it would eflec^tually 
 shield Jacob from any evil tiiat he niiudit plot against 
 him -f but by virtue of his temperament, he lay at the 
 u
 
 146 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 mercy of his feelings.| Again, we are told that his choice 
 of wives grievously embittered the life of his parents. | 
 ' His unfortunate choice was the act ofhis wild feelings, 
 entirely uncontrolled by reason. ^Th e teachings of 
 morality, the suggestions of prudence, consideration for 
 the feelings of his parents counted as nothing against 
 the wild tumult in his heart. In one of his good 
 moments his heart was moved by the sorrow of his 
 parents, and he added a third wife to the two so dis- 
 pleasing to them. Finally, he is pictured to us nursing 
 in his heart wrath, which has been accumulating 
 through twenty-two years of separation, and, with four 
 hundred men at his back, moving towards his brother, 
 whose blood he is bent upon shedding. Instead, tears 
 of emotion flow in profusion. He kisses and embraces 
 his brother, lying upon the heart that he had purposed 
 to pierce with his steel, and speaking to Jacob in the 
 soft, loving tones proper to brotherly intercourse. Here, ^ 
 again, he acted as his heart promjjted him. He was 
 completely under the control of his heart. In one 
 moment, the venomous poison ^fhatred within him was 
 transformed into the wine of love^ 
 V In Jacob's life, on the other hand, we find evidences 
 of thoughtful deliberation rather than of rash impulse, v 
 ^\ Jacob does not speak in his heart ^ he speaks to his 
 heart; he is master of his heart, not its slave. ^ These 
 children, so entirely different in temperament, were the 
 offspring of the same house, of the same father and 
 mother i even more than this, they were twins. \ What a 
 sad picture of family life is here presented to us ! » One 
 ^^of these sons is compelled to flee the paternal roof in 
 secret, so destitute of means that he bears with him
 
 TEMPERAMENT. 147 
 
 nauirht but the staff in liis haud^and is forced to spend 
 a night under the open sky. ^ The other remains at home, 
 "^t-vaxiauee with his mother, and nursing thoughts of 
 murder in his lieart. | Can the parents be blamed for 
 their own and their children's unhappiness ?* Esau's 
 tomiK-rameut was ever the same from l^irth ^ so, too, 
 Jacob's. I Esau's mother could make no peaceful sliep- 
 herd of him, ^ nor could Jacob's father train him to 
 be a bold, reckless hunter. | !Man cannot annihilate. 
 He c an merely mould and modify natural endowments, j 
 [Dis agreeable ~as may be ~the consequences which they 
 entail upon us throughout life, they cannot be suppressed 
 or destroyed. | Those traits of Esau's nature, which were 
 especially objectionable to his mother, slie mistook for 
 malice, and licr heart turned against him. She thought 
 that E.sau lacked but the will to be like Jacob. Isaac, 
 again, considered the qualities displeasing to liiin in 
 Jafol) as unmanly and deceitful cunning, ami his love 
 fur his son gradually cooled. " Why is he not like 
 Esau?" he lusked. The divergent opinions about Jacob 
 and E<an, held by their parents, are still current in tlie 
 world. I'ious Judaism loves Jac(»b, and iiates Esau. 
 The best pos.sil)le construction is ])ut upon Jacob's 
 actions, while Esau is denied all good <|iialitics. An- 
 other cla^s of liible readers, again, sliows a decided 
 preference for Esau; they attribute to liiiu knightly 
 (pialities, while in Jacob, they see an arti"ul knave, want- 
 ing in brotlicrly feeling. Both the parents and the 
 critics of the brothers take it for granted lliat all human 
 beings, if such be their will, can j)attern tlicmselvcs or 
 be patterned after the same model of virtue. And wlicn 
 Esau fails to be like Jacob, sus it wjis his mother's desire
 
 148 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 he should be, or Jacob, in growing up to be unlike Esau, 
 does not meet with his father's wish, the boys' will 
 is declared to be at faulU) Had Esau made the greatest 
 effort to please his mother,|or had Jacob done all in his 
 power to comply with his father's wish,^ neither coulc 
 have been successful ; Esau could not have made a 
 Jacob of himselfj. nor Jacob an Esau. ^ Their naturesT"^ 
 were different,, and natural inclination cannot be de- 
 stroyed. I Such is the experience of parents with several , 
 children, and of teachers to whose care a whole school 
 is entrusted. (^ Children cannot all be modelled after the 
 same pattern -^ both parents and teachers must take dis- 
 position into account in their work of education, f Not 
 that nature is to be allowed to pursue its course un- 
 checked, any more than it should be forcibly suppressed ! 
 By means of education, disposition ought to be elevated 
 into character ; it should be placed on a foundation of 
 morality, so that man may not be the slave of his emo- 
 tions, but that his potions may be subordinate to him 
 and his intelligenceTy 
 
 -^ The educator's most difficult task is to find the method 
 appropriate to the nature of each child in a home or a 
 school^and to apply it so skilfully that the children may 
 not notice tlic differences in their education. * The prob- 
 lem is so difficult that we parents ought not to be too 
 severely censured if we fail to solve it perfectly in the 
 training of each of our children. \ Were not Isaac and 
 Rebecca unsuccessful in their efforts? It is true, we 
 can see a special reason for their failure, t The parents, 
 themselves, were not at one in the education of their 
 children. ^ Under these circumstances, Esau's untamed 
 savagery and Jacob's artfulness are in nowise remarka-
 
 \ 
 
 TEMPERAMENT. 149 
 
 ble,^ Jacob leaned toward his mother^ while Esau was 
 more attached to his father, t Miserable discord ensues 
 when the two guides do not confront the children as one 
 being, one thought, one heart and one head ^ when appeal 
 is made to the one from the other ^ when children use one 
 parent as a shield against the other;*, when the one 
 smiles, while the other storms;^ the one permits what the 
 other prohibits ; the one assents, and the other refuses > 
 (or, even when the opposition of the one side to the activ- 
 ity of the other be but negative) » 
 
 Let us parents mark well the dreadful words of the 
 son, whom his father had spoilt and his mother did not 
 love because of his disposition :/ " When the days of 
 mourning for my father come, then will I slay my 
 brother Jacob. "^ Let us so train ourselves and our chil- 
 dren that they may not, like Esau, like Jeroboam, like 
 Ilaman, speak in their hearts, the seat of unbridled 
 nature^ but to their hearts, like Hannah, like Job, like 
 Daniel, like God himself, according to the words of the 
 Scriptures, which read, "And the Lord spoke unto his 
 heart."
 
 DOES MAN NATURALLY IMPROVE 
 WITH AGE? 
 
 Gen. XXX J. 
 
 What a contrast the picture of Jacob's departure from 
 the home of his childhood, drawn for us at the beginning 
 of the portion, presents to the scene depicted at the end, 
 the description of his home-coming, the subject of our 
 Biblical selection this morning ! 
 
 In the account of Jacob's departure from the paternal 
 roof, a fugitive, bearing with him naught but the stulf 
 
 — >^ in his hand^ we read that when night overtook him on 
 his journey, he laid him down under the open sky, and 
 slept the sweet sleep of youth. - Twenty years latePr-J(\ 'J ; 
 grown to be a rich man, he complains " sleep has de- 
 parted from my eyes."i Upon leaving home, he dreamt — 
 
 vij of angels, of a ladder connecting heaven and earth, of 
 
 God standing beside him. > Twenty years later, upon re-z:>-U • 
 turning to the home of his youth, he dreams of his flocks 
 of rams and goats. , At the beginning of his journey, he 
 declared himself satisfied with " bread to eat, and rai- 
 ment to put on, 'J and these things were given him in 
 abundance as the fruit of his labor. • Now, however, he 
 IB no longer content with these simple blessings., He 
 says, 'no*? "djn-d: nu';rx 'no " I must also provide for the 
 future of my house." 
 
 Having become an inmate of his uncle's house, he 
 
 150 
 
 :n 
 
 D
 
 DOES MAX NATURALLY IMPROVE WITH AGE? 151 
 
 makes light of serving seven years twice over in order 
 to gain the beloved of his heart. This same man, of ~ 
 warm feeling and poetical imagination, we see, in the 
 Biblical narrative read this imaEFng, grown twenty 
 years older, and in the very prosaic situation of contem- 
 plating a stroke of business, accomplishing his end by 
 the device of the ring-streaked rods ! 
 
 In presenting so sharp a contrast between youth and 
 old age, Jacol)'s life is not anomalou*<,4t merely illustrates 
 the natural development of a man in the course of years > 
 it accentuates the difference between the sentiments of the - 
 young and of the old \ idealism in youth, the practical 
 side of man's nature developing w'ith increasing years •,^ • 
 U)oetry at life's entrance, prose constantly growing more 
 prosaic at the other end of our earthly existence^ in 
 youth, self-sacrifice, generosity, living and expending for 
 tlie plea.sure of the moment^ weaving rosy dreams of the 
 morrow^as the years go by, , selfishness and calculation, 
 distrtist of the future.^ Tlie belief iserroucous that man 
 —natnralhj grows better with years j that the spirit ap- 
 . proachcs nearer a state of ])erfection ; tliat man dies bet- 
 ter than he was wlien born. * Every nian grows more 
 knoii'itn/ with age; his intellect expands; he becomes 
 richer in experience^ tlie necessity of a(la[)ting himself 
 to existing circumstances grows ever more urgent ;(y 
 through practice, he becomes more and more an adept at 
 dealing with persons 'aiuT^lTPiiti n^iVien according to 
 their natures. * Even though he grow no wiser, prudence 
 comes to every man with increasing years, but he does 
 not inevitably grow better with time; by a natural 
 development, indeed, he changes for the worse. 
 
 If impulsive youth commits ii folly, if a young heart
 
 152 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 loves rather too Avell than wisely, we may always plead 
 youth iu extenuation of the fault ; the Gerftmn saying, 
 \\f\] with years alone comes sense, may serve to assure us 
 that all Avill yet be well, i If, on the contrary, the con- 
 duct of a young man be cruel, heartless, uncharitable, 
 
 (uttclmtilrous, -avaricious^ envious and spiteful — then, 
 indeed, it is useless to seek comfort in the thought, 
 " These faults will disappear in time ffuiis, is the way of 
 youth." No ; it is not so!) These qualities will only 
 *-^ become more and more marked with increasing yearsj* 
 An evil-hearted youth will surely develop into a still 
 more evil-hearted man. . Age never corrects faults of 
 the heart. • If man desires to be good and constantly to 
 grow better — and such both ought to and can be his 
 aim-;-he must seek earnestly to preserve in age the treas- 
 ure of his youth,^the good impulses of his heart.^ The 
 root of all the good and noble qualities of the heart lies 
 in our youth, i It is the privilege of age to nourish this 
 root, to make it send forth strong and enduring shoots^, 
 
 TTherefore, there is no religion of reason. , Keasou can) 
 rely on itself for support ^ the heart, on the other hand, 
 craves the help of religion., Religion appeals to the 
 heart alone*^ Its office it is to guard and foster the emo- 
 tions of the heart, so that the innate love of the good 
 may not Avither through neglect. / Religion cannot wi- 
 jdant good in the hearty but it can rouse and stimulate 
 •*^the good already in existence. ^ It can fan the spark of 
 nobility into a flame. ^ It may guard against evil influ- 
 ences,^ and so, with advancing years, the heart may grow 
 purer and better. 
 
 ^-^.Smce, as far as qualities of the heart are concerned, 
 youth is naturally better than age^ since the child has a
 
 DOES MAX NATURALLY IMPROVE WITH AGE? 15S 
 
 more tender heart than the old man,|the rational train- 
 ing of children, the training that will make good men 
 ■ and women of them, does not consist in teaching many 
 maxims of morality,, but in exercising strenuous care to 
 keep baneful influences at a distance. , Parents and-, 
 teachers must be untiringly vigilant over their own 
 actions, lest they thoughtlessly reveal weaknesses, which 
 cannot fail to produce an effect like blighting mildew 
 upon the heart of the child. ^Ihe harm thus done can 
 scarcely be made good by subsequent preaching and 
 moralizing, by reproof and punishment^ If parents 
 take great pride and pleasure in the j>feeeeidtts clever- 
 ness of their children, they mayi by stimulating their 
 activitics,.by conversation and discussion, aid such early 
 development. It is, however, questionable whether the 
 intellect thus reaps permanent good results., He Avho 
 arises too earlv feels worn out when the strentrth of him 
 who has enjoyed sufficient rest is at its height.} But as 
 far as the qualities of the heart are concerned, an early 
 development of cleverness is certainly harmful. Let 
 the children be childlike as long as they are children 
 in years. Feed them on worldly wisdom with a .spoon ; 
 do not overwhelm them with it by the bucketful. Do 
 not ha.-?ten to make gentlemen of your boys, and ladies 
 of your girls scarcely out of the cradle. Do not lay 
 upon them too soon the yoke of etiquette, and still less, 
 the harness of trade. An hour spent in play is much 
 more eifective in developing mind and body, as well as 
 in fostering the pure and natural content of childhood, 
 than all show and (incry, thsin jirecocious chatter and 
 worldly wisd<Mii. The fermenting juice must be allowed 
 to rest, if good wine is to be made of it. Unspoilt cliil-
 
 164 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 dren are easily satisfied, and need but little for their 
 sum of happiness — like Jacob, in the days of his youth, 
 raiment to put on, enough to eat to satisfy hunger, and 
 the enjoyment of the dream of life by indulging in 
 sport and gaiety.i Children, clad in magnificent gar- 
 ments, and decked with jewels are not only hindered in 
 their childish games by a regard for their fine clothes, 
 but when they arrive at the period of self- consciousness, 
 they do not dream of angels passing to and from heaven ; 
 their unchildlike visions are of show and vain display. 
 
 At length, whatever we may do, arrives the time in 
 the life of every individual, just as it came in Jacob's 
 life, when a serious question presents itself for solution : 
 " I must provide for my future and the future of my 
 house." Idealism, generosity and lovely dreams of 
 angels cannot found a house, neither will they alone 
 enable a man to preside over it houoralily. Sagacity 
 must be quickened and brought into action ; but in the 
 struggle, hold fast to your childlike nature. Do not 
 degenerate into a soulless threshing-machine, busied only 
 with gathering the grain. In the midst of labor, pre- 
 serve a cheerful spirit ; let tender feeling exist side by 
 side with sharpness of insight ; in careful and minute 
 investigation and research, keep your childlike faith in 
 God and his Providence. A forward, worldly-wise child 
 is not an agreeable phenomenon, but the sight of a man, 
 hoary of head, yet young in heart, is most pleasing ; an 
 old head above a heart beating with youthful enthusiasm, 
 a grave, hard-working man, occupied with the sober 
 cares of business, who, when he dreams, unlike Jacob 
 in his prosaic, old age, is not visited by visions of flocks 
 and herds, but still beholds heavenly apparitions steal- 
 ing about his couch.
 
 HUMILITY. 
 
 Gen. XXXII, XXXUI. 
 
 Filled with dread and anxiety, Jacob journeyed to- 
 wards his home. It was no idle, spectral fear that 
 made him tremble. Esau was moving towards him with 
 four hundred men. For twenty long years had anger 
 been ])oiling in Esau's bosom, wrath gnawing at his 
 heart-strings. At last, the hour was at hand, when he 
 might i)luck the sweet fruit of revenge. What means 
 did Jacob ad(jpt for his protection? Our sages include 
 them in three words non^oi nStJn ])-))! gifts, prayer and 
 
 - - war. J First, he sought to allay his brother's wrath 
 with gifii, then he turned to God iu prai/cr, and finally 
 he prepared himself for the worst by getting ready for 
 
 — ■ combat. ^ Esau, however, with knightly courtesy, refused 
 the gift; matters did not come to such a pass that it 
 was necessary to figlit;/and whether to prayer is to be 
 attril)uted the favorable outcome of the meeting, God 
 alone can knoww In the ordinary course of events, (iod 
 hel])8 man by giving him strength to help liimself. 
 - Jacob, surely, held this belit I", or he woiiM liavc Ix'cn 
 satisfied to pray, and woiiM not haver sought <»thcr means 
 of rescue as well. What was it, however, that cooled 
 Esau's burning wrath ? ^^'hat changed his bloody in- 
 tentions so suddenly into kind, fraternal feelingH? It 
 was the friendly word, tlie frat<'rnal tone and the humble 
 
 15")
 
 156 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 api)roach of liis brother.^ The warmth of Jacob's greet- 
 ings, his modest speech had already thawed slightly the 
 ice-crust about the heart of his wrathful brother., When, 
 however, the brother upon whom his father had laid the 
 blessing of the head of the family, came into his pres- 
 ence, bowing himself to the earth seven times, then the 
 icy crust gave way, all the brotherly feeling, so long 
 repressed, rushed forth. ^/ CJifts, it is true, are a mighty 
 lever. Gifts can buy worthless rabble without limit, 
 and even win the sympathy of better men. - A gift to 
 -- the needy is a true kindness, and to the rich, it is a 
 pleasant mark of esteem. / Combat and bravery subdue 
 cities and countries,/ found states and kingdoms, and 
 strike down those that neither bend nor yield. But 
 more effective than the richest gift, more agreeable to 
 the spirit than the finest offering, more powerful than 
 the strongest arm, more victorious than steel-clad valor, 
 is the soft tongue, the mild speech, the well-chosen word. / 
 He that humbles himself conquers him before whom he 
 kneels. - The meek one himself becomes the victor. 
 
 — Esau, the man of the sword, the experienced warrior, 
 skilled in arms, rushes forward with four hundred con- 
 federates at his back, who merely await his signal to 
 draw their blades, and speed their arrows. ; A helpless 
 
 - shepherd approaches, followed by trembling women and 
 children. The shepherd, however, bows himself to the 
 earth seven times, and the weapons fall to the ground ; 
 
 ^ a brother lies locked in a brother's tender embrace.*- 
 The weak shepherd was the conqueror ; the mighty 
 Esau, the vanquished one. Seven obeisances had sent 
 four hundred and one swords back into their sheaths. 
 
 - A heavy burden fell from the heart of Jacob ; moun-
 
 HUMILITY. 157 
 
 tains of oppressive care were removed from the sijirits 
 of his beloved ones. The blackness of night was 
 changed into laughing sunlight. On the part of Esau, 
 the viper of anger, the serpent of hatred, the hyena of 
 revenge, which had gnawed incessantly at his heart, and 
 torn his very entrails, were suddenly transformed into 
 dove-like tenderness and the patience of a lamb. He 
 had set out on this expedition with murderous intent, 
 and he retraced his steps, a kind and loving brother.^ 
 
 — AVliat magical power had wrought this wonderful and 
 rapid change ? AVhat is the name of the talisman ? 
 Humility ! This is the magic spell ! 
 ''^Tt is eighty years since our own Benjamin Franklin^ \ 
 ' recommended this talisman to youth as a means to sue- 
 cess. It is four thousand years since Jacob tested its 
 power. 
 
 ^ I well know that this Israelitish method of stooping 
 in order to avoid a blow is entirely out of harmony 
 with Hellenic or Teutonic ideas. Greeks, Romans and 
 Teutons alike look with contempt upon tbe bowed head 
 of humility. To bow seven times is a sevenfold mani- 
 festation ol" c<jwardice and servility. According to ihv'w 
 conception of honor, Jacob and liis followers should 
 have met violence with violence, lliid he fallen in the 
 encounter, and had his whole; family perished from the 
 earth, they would have erected :i nioiuimoiit to his 
 memory, th(.'ir poets would have c(!lebrated him in 
 inmiortal songs. However, we are not teaching thi' 
 morality of the Romans, the Clreeks and the (iernianO 
 
 ^^"-4»h4 ]jiblieal,4wHH4ftrt>h elhies, w h ir h enlls to ns, "Hide 
 
 — ^tliyself for but a little moment, until the indignation be 
 
 passed away !" f What would have become of Israel, if.
 
 158 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 instead of provin<r itself buoyant like the ship, it had 
 stood up proud and unbending like the mighty, heaven- 
 aspiring cedar ! Long ere this it would have been 
 uprooted and dashed out of existence. 
 
 His submissiveness in the presence of superior strength 
 has won for the Israelite the reproach of cowardice. If 
 the Israelite be, indeed, an enemy to strife and to fight- 
 ing with deadly weapons, it is as much from dread of 
 inflicting death as from fear of being killed.^ 
 
 Our text reads, " Jacob was greatly afraid, and he 
 
 felt distressed." Our sages interpret this verse as mean- 
 
 ' "jT iiig : " He was greatly afraid for his own life and the 
 
 » \ f lives of his beloved ones, and he felt distressed that he 
 
 !^J[ V might be put under the necessity of inflicting death on 
 
 .: ;. J others.'! 
 
 ! |Y -- Submission, it is true, is a virtue to be practised only 
 within narrow bounds. Humility and compliance may 
 be low and mean qualities, unworthy of a human being. 
 — ^-The narrow limits within Avhich submission is praise- 
 worthy are well defnied in Jacob's story .ti First of all, 
 Jacob humbled himself before his older brother, and the 
 re-awaking of brotherly love was the reward of his 
 deference.* Secondly, Jacob was conscious of the wrong 
 that he had done his brother. ■ 
 
 Well may one bow seven times over, and even more, 
 — if thereby a wrong can be expiated, the memory of an 
 act of injustice be blotted out! 
 " It was not alone the humility of bowing low that con- 
 ciliated the wrathful brother, but the soft word, the mild 
 speech, the brotherly tone as well. 
 
 Q know of no limits that ought to be drawn to the use 
 of gentle words^ Be ever mild in the form of your
 
 HUMILITY. 159 
 
 speech, even though decided iu your purpose. Ahvays 
 be friendly. Do not cultivate glibness of tongue, hut 
 be ever ready with a kind word, i well knrnv, one can- 
 not always be agreeable } one cannot answer amiably at 
 all times, l)ut this is true only because in this, as in all 
 other respects, we are imperfect.* He that strives after 
 perfection in all things will in this direction, too, try to 
 do his utmost. 
 
 There is no haxrpitress^mi— ©a*th- — indeed, our sages 
 say there is no God — where there is no kindliness, and 
 as a result, not good cheer, j AVhat good does it do you, 
 you husband, if you heap uptivasures, and lay them at 
 the feet of your spouse ? What avails it that you are a 
 paragon of virtue ; that your spirit can soar far above 
 our common life ; that you are a marvel of deep learn- 
 ing, if, having all this, you lack friendliness of speecli ? 
 Is your wife a happy woman ? Are you hap})y ? And 
 of wliat avail, oh wife! is your l)eauty, your charm, 
 your wit ; what matters it that you are the very personi- 
 fication of fidelity and self-sacrifice ; that your house 
 welcomes the visitor liy the cleanliness, the order and 
 the good ta.ste there manifest? Vou d(j not rest from 
 morning till niglit. Vou arc a |ia(t(rn woman and 
 mother, but if you are lacking in that one virtue — 
 kindline&s — wjiat matters all this to yourself and to 
 others? If your speech is shaip and cutting; il' you 
 cannot bow dcnvn even seven times, if necessary ; that is, 
 if you cannot aceon)modate yourself to people as thoy 
 are and to existing circumstances ? Ami, yon ( hiMicn, 
 it matters not that you feed and clothe y<jur aged iiairnts 
 with the host that can be procured ; that 3'ou [)rovid«! 
 al)UiMlantlv for their cornfort, if you arc unwilling to 
 
 J
 
 160 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 bow before them in cliikllike reverence, if your lips 
 know not the speech of kindness.*^ 
 - Gifts, combat and prayer bring forth prosperity, do- 
 minion and piety, but friendliness makes happiness.- 
 The key to one's own happiness and that of others is not 
 of gold or iron. A cheerful spirit and a pleasant word 
 will open the kingdom of bliss.
 
 TOLERANCE. 
 
 "Then baid Jacob unto liis household, and to all that were with him, 
 Put away the strange gods that are among you, and cleanse your- 
 selves, and change your garments. 
 
 "And let us arise, and go up to Bethel ; and I will make there an altar 
 unto the God who answered me on the day of my distress, and was 
 with me on the way which I went. 
 
 "And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their 
 hands, and the ear-rings which were in their ears ; and Jacob hid 
 them unrler the oak which was near Schechem."— Gen. XXXV : 2-5 
 
 What may be considered the distinguishing mark of a 
 man of true culture? What characterizes tlie nation 
 that has progressed farthest on the paths of civilization? 
 The answer to these questions may, we think, be summed 
 up in one word — tolerance ! 
 
 If we allow the various nations of our time to pass in 
 review before our mental vision, we shall find that those 
 nations j)os.sc.ss true culture whose social relations and 
 legislative codes breathe a spirit of tolerance ; and the 
 degree of tolerance characterizing a community may 
 serve as a standard of its grade of culture. So, too, in 
 till! world's history. Page after page reveals the lact 
 that, with the dawn of culture, the first traces of tolera- 
 tion nuiy be discovered ; gradually tolerance spreads 
 farther and farther, borne on its way by tlu; jirogre.ss of 
 civilization, and. in turn, aiding the latter in its develoj)- 
 meut. 
 
 Hi.story has also a story of retrogre.'<sion in cidturc to 
 12 161
 
 162 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 relate, and the first sign of each retrograde movement is 
 the spread of intolerance. 
 
 Let us next turn our attention to individuals. 
 
 AVe must premise that by a person of culture, we, of 
 course, do not mean one dressed in the height of fashion, 
 whose house is furnished as fashion demands, and whose 
 demeanor accords exactly with the rules in vogue in the 
 society of the day. Neither does the term convey the 
 idea of a man crammed with deep learning or polite lit- 
 erature. Whenever you find a man strict towards him- 
 self, true to his own convictions, but at the same time 
 tolerant of others, then be assured that you are dealing 
 with a person of culture, whether the individual belong 
 to the upper or the lower stratum of society ; whether he 
 appear in a smock frock or wear threadbare clothing, it 
 matters not, that person is cultured, even though igno- 
 rant of Latin and Greek. 
 
 Toleration and intolerance do not, as is commonly 
 held, manifest themselves only in the field of religion, so 
 that if religion did not exist, these conceptions would 
 also be unknown ; they assert themselves in social life 
 generally, in whatever relations human beings may 
 associate with one another. If you can quietly sit 
 by, and listen while some one gives expression to an 
 opinion, offensive to you, and according to your way of 
 thinking, utterly false ; or, if you can hear a question dis- 
 cussed from one point of view, while you would treat of 
 an entirely different phase, and you do not obtrude a 
 correction upon your opponent, then you are tolerant. 
 If you can allow every one to jjursue his own path, fol- 
 low out his own views and inclinations — if you be a 
 husband, permit your wife to carry out her own ideas in
 
 TOLERANCE. 163 
 
 the managemeut of the househokl ; if you be a master, 
 suffer your workman that does his duty faithfully to 
 work according to his own method, and not lay down 
 arbitrary rules for him to follow — then you are tolerant, 
 and you bear the stamp of true culture. 
 
 Intolerance is especially decried in the form which it 
 takes in religious life ; there its aj)pearance is like that 
 of a roaring lion, a loathsome, hissing serpent, a hyena 
 from whose pollution not even graves are safe. But it 
 is in the family circle, in the relations of every-day life 
 that this beast is nourished and fostered, without the 
 least suspicion that many of the evils attending our 
 career may be traced to the same intolerance that has 
 won for itself such ill fame in the domain of religion. 
 
 It is frequently said that heathendom knew not the 
 curse of intolerance, that the scourge was brought 
 upon numkind by Judaism in the first place, and that 
 Christianity intensified its virulence and enlarged its 
 dominion. This is false, first of all, because toleration 
 and intolerance, as we observed before, are not confined 
 to religion alone, but manifest themselves as phases of 
 cliaractcr throughout life. Tlic ubscrvation is, more- 
 over, intrinsically untrue. I'haraoh believed that the 
 Israelites could serve their (Jod in Egypt, and Moses 
 re[)lied to him, " NVould not the Egyptians stone us, if 
 we sacrificed a hiiiib?" It seems, then, that a.s early as 
 the days of Egyptian supremacy, men were stonc<I in 
 honor of ('(>i\. We, may remember, in tliis connection, 
 how Oaniel, 1 laiianiah and tlieir companions were tlireat- 
 • iied with death; Kamltyses, with his own hand, put to 
 death the adored Apis of Egypt, an<l not content with 
 tliat deed, he ordered a maxsacrc among the Egyptians,
 
 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 who had been unutterably shocked by the enormity of 
 the outrage committed. 
 
 Our Chanukah festival annually reminds us of the 
 religious persecutions of the Israelites under Antiochus. 
 Both before and after the destruction of the Temple, 
 the Jews underwent much suffering, because they would 
 not consent to give divine adoration to the Roman 
 Emperors. Socrates was sentenced to drain the cup of 
 poison, because he was accused of contempt of the gods, 
 of leading astray the youths under his control, i. e., of 
 teaching them to despise the gods. 
 
 It is true, nevertheless, that the instances of intoler- 
 ance in heathen history are few in })roportion to the 
 large number of heathen on earth, and the length of 
 time during which paganism held sway. This apparent 
 tolerance may be traced to the fact that the various 
 religious beliefs of the heathen did not clash with one 
 another. Many gods were worshipped, but nothing 
 definite was known concerning their number, and hence 
 a few more or less made no vital difference. New gods 
 were discovered, as we discover new planets. A stran- 
 ger, finding other gods than those worshipped in his 
 home, was in nowise troubled by this fact ; he added 
 the new gods to the old ones, or recognized in the former 
 deities already familiar to him. A Roman coming to 
 Greece found Jupiter in Zeus, in Germany he discovered 
 him in Wodan, in Egypt in Osiris, and in Phoenicia in 
 Baal, and in like manner, he found the counterparts of 
 the other gods and goddesses known to him, with only the 
 names changed. In Athens, a special altar was erected 
 to the unknown g(Kls, so that no insult might be offered 
 to a god of whose existence the Athenians were unaware.
 
 TOLERANCE. 165 
 
 Such was not the case in Israel, and, therefore, our 
 faitli was looked upon as the source of intolerance. 
 There is only one God, and he is better and more power- 
 ful than all your gods put together, and, at the same 
 time, invisible ! With this assertion, Israel cast down 
 the gauntlet to the entire heathen world. No matter in 
 what place the Israelite found tbe temple doors standing 
 open for him, he could discover no god, worth}' of his 
 adoration ; even the sun was nothing to him in compari- 
 s(ni with his God. He allowed no god to be likened to 
 iiis God, and would not yield an inch of his ground in 
 matters concerning tlie Deity : " Your gods are nothing 
 at all, our (Jod alone is God ! Your divine law is tolly, 
 ours alone is the law of wisdom. Your morality is an 
 abomination, ours alone is pure and holy. Call i»iir 
 God neither Juj)iter, nor Zeus, nor Wodan, nor Osiris, 
 nor Ormuzd, nor Trinity, neither speak of him as Ideal, 
 Nature, Reason. Our (Jod is God, and neitlier defini- 
 tion nor comparison can encompass his greatness." 
 
 It is true, this .sounds like intolerance; and this intol- 
 erance has, for thousands of years, incited all the nations 
 of the earth to enmity towanls us. This inldlciancc has 
 made bloody work for the hanginaii :in(l tlir toiiiinrs, 
 the princes and tin- ralihlc of all times. Hut we cannot 
 act otherwise. This intolerance, which refuses (o have 
 any comparison made between tlu; belief of Israel and 
 other heliefs, has never done any one an injury.* Israel, 
 alone, has sulil-red thereby. 
 
 Turning to our text, we rear] tliat daiol) demanded 
 of his followers, all (he idols (hat they liad with (hem, 
 and " he buried (hem under the oak near ISc'beclieni." 
 * KliiKJohii llyrcuiiUH' In-uliiiuiil uf lliu IiliiiiKi.'unH exco|>teil.
 
 166 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 For nearly twenty years before this event, Jacob had 
 allowed the practice of idolatry in his family. Before 
 her flight, Rachel had taken possession of her father's 
 household gods. These images had therefore been wor- 
 shipped by her as long as she had been at home. And 
 Jacob had borne with this idolatry up to that time. He 
 had probably thought, " Better a pious heathen from 
 conviction than an unimpassioned believer in God, hold- 
 ing to the faith under coercion." This is an example 
 of true tolerance. 
 
 Later, however, when he journeyed to Bethel to erect 
 the long-promised altar to the service of the Most High, 
 he would endure no discord, no mixture of idolatry and 
 the worship of the one God. Here, again, we have in- 
 tolerance, but intolerance proper to the circumstances. 
 When standing upon ground holy to us, we dare not, 
 only to please others, mingle the sacred and the profane. 
 
 In last week's portion of the Torah, we read how 
 Laban swore to Jacob, "The gods of Abraham and 
 the gods of Nachor shall judge between us." Here we 
 have an instance of heathen intolerance which accepts 
 all manner of gods. Jacob, however, would not lend 
 himself to this form of tolerance. Jacob swore not by 
 the gods of Nachor ; he swore by the God of his father. 
 That is intolerance, resting upon strong, personal con- 
 viction. 
 
 Be intolerant! Remain true to your belief in that 
 which your conviction assures you to 1)e divine, true, 
 pure, holy and noble. Stand firm ! Be not seduced by 
 promises of earthly gain. Be not affrighted by any 
 harm that may come to you ; do not let ridicule move 
 you from your position. If they call to you : " Come,
 
 TOLERANCE. 167 
 
 be not so stubborn. Give us a finger, if you must re- 
 fuse your whole hand ! Come to us ! We shall be able 
 to agree. Give way somewhat yourself, we too will do 
 the utmost in our power to meet you. See, the difibr- 
 ence between us is not great. We are \\'illing to say, 
 ' the gods of Abraham ;' surely, you may then say, 'the 
 t£ods of Nachor.' Be tolerant !" 
 
 No! Be intolerant! Between Judaism and philo- 
 sophical Hellenism, as between Judaism and Christianity 
 weakened to Unitarianism and Universalism, there 
 yawns a deep cliasm. We believe only in one God, a 
 Divine Providence, ruling the world, in whose sight all 
 men are equal. We cannot add anything to this ))elief, 
 as, for instance, ascribing divine (pialities to a human 
 being, nor can we give up any part of it, as, for instance, 
 endowing our Gi)d with human accidents. 
 
 In rcL-^aid to the beliefs and the actions of othei-s, 
 however, be tolerant. Honor their temples and lecture 
 halls, their ])riests and teacheis, their congregations and 
 jiiidiences, even though in principle and practice they 
 clash with y«)ur convictions. Throughout lii'c, in nur 
 rower as in wider spheres, allow every one to reach liis 
 goal in his own way, without offering officious :nlvice as 
 to better niethotis of attaining his end. 
 
 Tniversal " eidighti-nnient " is not the climax of hap- 
 piness to which mankind may hope to attain in tlie 
 course of time. Iv|uali/ation of mankind, wiiether on 
 a high or a low j»hine, is a dangerous prineijde. Tliis 
 principle guides a gigantic northern power wliii h nudies 
 great exertion.s towards bringing about uniformity of 
 belief. The accursed w<irk of the Inquisition wius in- 
 spired bv this idea, and such is the motive of the advo-
 
 108 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 cates of " enlightenment," who aim to lead the world on 
 to enlightenment and— unbelief, and grow impatient 
 when they find that they cannot accomjili^h their end. 
 Ko ; never will all mankind think alike! The Fiji 
 Islander and the scholar in a Berlin lecture hall Avill 
 never occupy the same point of view. The world is 
 meant to present a varied, iiot a uniform aspect. Uni- 
 versal toleration is the hopeful dream of niankind^ — an 
 ideal, not incapable of realization. 
 
 But do we not exclaim daily with the prophets, " On 
 that day, the Lord will be One, and his name One?" 
 We, who are here assembled in this bouse of worship, 
 we all believe in one God. For us, God is even now 
 " One and his name One," and yet how widely we differ 
 in our conceptions of the divine and in our line of con- 
 duct. Acts, whose performance seems a sacred duty to 
 one, are less than trivial in the eyes of another. Never- 
 theless, we live together in friendshij) and amity. The 
 Avide divergence of our i)aths in the " light of the Lord " 
 does not disturb our peace. That such a relation may 
 exist among all men is the hope that we cherish for 
 the great day of our prayer ; not one shepherd and one 
 flock, but many flocks and many shej^herds, and all the 
 shepherds at peace with one another, serving one Mas- 
 ter. AVe possess a sufficient assurance of progress, when 
 we see believers of widely varying faiths, as well a.s 
 those differing within the confines of a single belief, 
 dwelling side by side in peace, enjoying like privileges; 
 when pope, nuifti, grand lama, rabbi and j)hilosopher 
 do not curse and defame one another, but rather dispose 
 their followers to peace, so that all sects may dwell 
 together in unity and concord.
 
 TOLERANCE. 169 
 
 Those were evil days, wheu the word tolerance was 
 unknown in the domain of religion, when tolerance was 
 not a virtue but rather a crime. 80, the best time is 
 to come, when the word toleration will a,<rain disa[)pear. 
 
 The word tolerance is of Latin orijjin, and sitrnifies 
 " bearinir." A man consents to hrar an injustice meekly 
 rather than become involved in strife and contention. 
 The German speaks of Duklung, forbearance, patience. 
 We speak of bearing with misconduct. Parents are 
 ))atieiit with tlieir children's misbehavior; teachers, 
 with i)upils of limited capacity. Such was, and is, the 
 general conception of tolerance. The individual looks 
 down upon those holding a difterent opinion with grim 
 forbearance, or smiles pityingly at tlie ciiildlike sim- 
 })licity of the people ; he bears with it, suffers it. For 
 the present, let us rest content with this conception. It 
 is the medicine that will curi' the dreadful disease of 
 intolerance. 
 
 Sound morality, however, knows not tolerance, not 
 intolerance. Jt recognizes only the natural right of man 
 to exercise freedom of thought, and especially to di'ter- 
 niine his relation to heaven, accordintr to his own judir- 
 numt and conx iclion. Man ninst even l»e allowecl the 
 right to fall into eii-or. There is no need (n practise 
 forbearance or yiijfcrance, because one man is orthodox 
 in his faith, another is a reformer, and the views of a 
 third differ (Voni both oftheni ; because this man is a Jew, 
 that one a Christian, and the third a heathen. JOaeli one 
 has a right to be wluit he is. Not toleration, not for- 
 bearance, but one right for all ! 
 
 One's conviction naturally becomes ever more fixed 
 in nursing fanatic zeal towards other bcsliefs; while in
 
 170 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 looking indulgently upon the beliefs of others, it is diffi- 
 cult not to become careless of one's own belief, not to 
 allow respect for the convictions of others to make one 
 falter in one's own faith. 
 
 We Israelites find it a difficult task to preserve a 
 pious, Jewish faith, while practising universal toleration. 
 
 Let us ever remember Jacob, who bore with idolatry 
 for twenty years, Ijut removed the idols away from him 
 upon erecting an altar to the one God, and founding an 
 independent household. He allowed the heathen to 
 swear by all the gods. He, however, swore by the God 
 whom his father feared. Let us say with Joshua, in his 
 farcAvell speech, " Choose for yourselves this day, whom 
 ye will serve ; . . . . but as for me and my house, 
 we will serve the Lord." 
 
 As we thank thee, O God, for the sun, which brightens 
 the day, for its light and heat, so we thank thee for the 
 sun of reason, which gives promise to mankind of a 
 beautiful day — a day of peace and concord, when upon 
 the sacred soil of thy adoration, neither blood nor tear 
 will flow, no violence and no hate be manifested, neither 
 cruelty nor bitterness l)e known. 
 
 Bless our country, the shining example of toleration 
 to all the other nations of the earth ! Bless the fathers 
 and motliers, who encourage pure fiiith in thee in their 
 family circles, and who implant it in the tender hearts 
 of their offspring ! Bless the teachers in the pulpits 
 and in the schools, who teach thy law and urge the 
 jjeople to continued fidelity to it, and who, at the same 
 time, proclaim peace — peace to him tliat is near and to 
 him that is far, truth and peace ! Oh, thou, God of truth 
 and peace !
 
 17.S 
 
 he 
 
 BELATED EDUCATION. 
 
 Gek. XXXVII. 
 
 For thousands of years men dwelt by the shores of 
 mighty rivers, without knowing the fountain-head, 
 whence the water issued in such volumes, ignorant of the 
 mountain, whose springs fed the sources of the streams. 
 Of the origin of many of these streams we are igno- 
 rant even to-day. Even more emphatically is this true 
 of the springs of human actions, the influence at work 
 in the lives of mighty nations. Great events ])our their 
 streams into the ocean of history. Individuals and mil- 
 lions are raised on high on these waves <>f tlie worM's 
 historv, and again are sunk beneath its billows. Ibit 
 we know not the cause of the.se phenomena, reason fails 
 to find their origin, which is frequently (piite iusignifi- 
 cant. Throughout thou.«ands of yeans, Israel, like the 
 gull" stream iu the v:L<t waters of the ocean, iuis pre- 
 served its individuality iu the complex history of the 
 wiirld. When Israel j)our(il fnitli from Egyj)!, il was 
 a considerable stream. Willi tlie SDJuurn among tiie 
 lOgyptians an<l the exodus Ibllowing tlu!r(!UpoM, Israel's 
 story ceases to be the record of a series of" ("amily events 
 and d(!velops into national liislnry, and, tliereal"ler, 
 plays a j)art in the history of the world. Where naist 
 we seek the fountain-head (»f' this mition? We do not 
 mean the stock fmm which it .sprang. For that wo are 
 
 171
 
 170 
 
 5BATH HOURS, 
 
 1<^ \ It is the elementary, moving 
 
 jatioiial story that we seek. We 
 \\d have foinid it condensed into 
 Reading of the chapter. " These 
 3ob," this the issue oi' Jacob, 
 . ^ discipline of Joseph, a training, it 
 -....cL oe admitted, long delayed. Jacob's eyes were not 
 opened to the true condition of Joseph's spiritual life 
 until the latter's seventeenth year, and then we read " his 
 father rebuked him." But it was too late. Joseph 
 grew up, we are told, with the sons of the maid-ser- 
 vants. His mother was dead. There remained, in his 
 home, his father, his mother's sister, adult l>rothers, 
 with their wives and two other wives of his father, l)ut 
 all these together could not, in his education and in 
 their care of him, be a true motlier to the boy. Had 
 Rachel, his mother, been alive, it would probably not 
 have been necessary for his father to rebuke his son in 
 his seventeenth year. There would have been no enmity 
 between Rachel's son and the sons of her sisters, and all 
 the trouble springing out of this hatred, which finally 
 ended in the removal into Egyjjt, might have been 
 avoided. His father allowed the motherless child to 
 grow up in its ow^u way among the cliildren of the maid- 
 servants, and failed completely to observe the growing 
 discord between Joseph and his brothers until t(^o late 
 for remedy. " Joseph brought evil reports of them unto 
 his father." Jacol) listened witliout reliuke to the boi/ 
 Joseph's criticism and complaint of his brothers, who 
 were men in years. Jacob's own early ex})eriences 
 ought to have impressed upon him the full significance 
 of fraternal strife and the consequences of family dissen-
 
 BELATED EDUCATION. 17'^ 
 
 sious. In his intercourse with Esau and Labau, he 
 ought to have learnt this lesson well. But he did not 
 see that the same weed was springing up in rank luxu- 
 riance in his own house. "When he finally noticed it, 
 it was too late. The rebuke was in vain. " Israel loved 
 Joseph more than all his children — and he made him a 
 silken garment." (d"D£3 is thus rendered in the Midrash.) 
 It is true, we cannot control the inclinations of our 
 hearts ; we have no power to decide whom we shall love, 
 and how much atiection we shall bestow. It was unfor- 
 tunate that Jacob loved Joseph more than his other 
 children, but he was not responsible for this feeling. 
 Duty and common-sense, however, should have warned 
 him not to sli'dit his less-beloved children, nor to allow 
 them to feel that he held them in less regard than he had 
 for Jo3ei)h. He acted like many other fathers, heedless 
 of the dictates of reason, guided by the heart alone. 
 Jacob's love for Joseph did not lead him to watch over 
 his child more carefully, and to discipline him for his 
 own good ; he left him to the tender mercies of Bilhah 
 and Zilpali. On the other liand, he made his son a 
 silken garment. Joseph's ])ri>thers, clothed like shep- 
 herds, tended their flocks, while Ida father's favorite 
 W(mt abdiit in lurdly clothing. It is scarcely a matter of 
 a.stonishmcnt tliat <liiii visions <ii' authority over his 
 brethren sliould have looiiud ti|> in . Joseph's mind. WC 
 cannot accuse him of having liarborcd clearly dciinid 
 thoughts on th(! Hubjcct. Tlu! idea of the rulei-ship of 
 one brotlicr over another was not so very fauciful. 
 Such had ever been the ciuse in his fandly. Isaac was 
 jtreferred to Ishmacl, Jacol) was set above Esan in 
 receiving tin- paternal blessing. 'Ilic billcr feelings
 
 174 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 aroused by Josepli's narrative of his dream, which could 
 so easily be interpreted as foretelling the future author- 
 ity of Joseph over his l)rethreu, were therefore not pro- 
 duced by over-sensitiveness. His brothers broke out 
 into the cry, " Shalt thou indeed reign over us? Or shalt 
 thou indeed have dominion over us ?" Even the father 
 believed, though he kept the belief locked in his own 
 heart, that the dream might be realized. "His father 
 noted the matter."' Finally, however, Jacob recognized 
 the danger in such visions to the general peace of the 
 family and to that of the dreamer, in particular. 
 Thereupon, his father spoke to Joseph, not clothing his 
 words in fine silk, for he rebuked him harshly. Here, 
 again, we have a parallel to the course of so many 
 fathers among us, who have not the heart to say a stern 
 word to the boy, the mere chikl, but are ready, in their 
 anger and excitement, to upbraid the youth in the 
 harshest terms. But the rebuke came too late. Through 
 the belated education of Joseph, the house of Jacob lost 
 its firm lialance, and thereujoon rushed helpless upon its 
 fate, through the pleasant days when tlie family had 
 been saved from famine, into the ensuing darkness of 
 slavery. Joseph's individual destiny, however, led him 
 through the depths of slavery and imprisonment to 
 rulership over Egypt. 
 
 A father neglected his motherless child, allowing it to 
 fi)llow its own inclinaticm, instead of leading it with 
 tender care ; he attended to the education of his son only 
 when the latter had l^ecome a youth. This it was that 
 decided the destiny of a nation for centuries to come. 
 " This is the issue of Jacob, Joseph being seventeen years 
 old," etc.
 
 BELATED EDUCATION. 175 
 
 Wbeu Jacob's last hour came, aud he had gathered 
 his sons about his death-bed, he spoke harshly to the 
 three eldest of them. Our sages say : " Jacob addressed 
 Reuben in these words, 'My sou, thou mayest ask, 
 Why I did not ere this address these words to thee? 
 Because I feared that thou mightc^t turn the reproach 
 buck upon me.' " Our sages would not merit the title 
 bestowed ujjon them, did they give us this narrative as 
 of an actual occurrence. In this speech, they wish to 
 teach us that fathers must not rebuke their children 
 when they are grown, just though such reprimand may 
 be. It comes too late, and can effect nothing but l)itter- 
 ness of feeling. It is easy to recognize the fault of be- 
 ginning an education too late in life. Those that commit 
 this error, finally, though it may be too late, come to the 
 conclusion that their efibrts were too long delayed. The 
 fault of waiting too long to cea.se from discipline is less 
 commonly recognized. The influence of the parental will 
 upon the will of the child must make itself felt l)ut 
 lightly at first, and gradually increase in its influence. 
 So, too, the removal of this discipline must be a gradual 
 l)roc('3s, until at its completion, the son and daughter 
 arc left cmnpletcly at lii)crty. Many parents embitter 
 their own lives as well as the lives of th(ii' cliiMrcii Ky 
 neglecting this principle; having once seized tli( reins 
 of government, they know not when to lay them down. 
 Everything on earth has its time of growth, of blossom, 
 and linally <>i' ripe I'rnitage. The same is true of educa- 
 tion. A ship leaves the harhor. The steersman places 
 himself he.-iile the lielm, surely not with the intention 
 of .--teering the ship :iliout \\y<>i\ the oci^an aiinlesslv. but 
 in order to guide it into iinutliei li;iven. TIh helmsman
 
 176 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 then leaves his post; the cargo, if the ship carry any, is 
 unloaded. If it bear no cargo, but conies to shore with 
 eni2)ty hold, the rudder may be turned again and again; 
 it is of no practical use. 
 
 Our weekly portion in the Torah furnishes us with an 
 example of the uselessness of belated education, and 
 shows us, at the same time, how apparently trivial inci- 
 dents in family life may decide the fate of future genera- 
 tions. The consequences of events that occurred in 
 Jacob's tent fills the richest, the most interesting pages 
 of history for thousands of years after that time. 
 Through the inverted lens of time, we see, like a drop 
 on the edge of a cliff, this nomad family of the dim past 
 in the midst of family dissensions, deplorably frequent 
 at all times. As the drop helps to feed the spring which 
 swells into the brook, into the stream, and finally into 
 the mighty river, so family events become the source 
 of an historical stream of mighty import. 
 
 It is a mistake for man to hold too high an opinion 
 of himself, and think too meanly of others. This is 
 the characteristic commonly called pride. On the other 
 hand, it is unfortunate, if a man holds himself of too 
 little consequence ; that is, in his relation to mankind as 
 a whole. It is unfortunate if a father thinks : " My 
 attention to the education of my children or my neglect 
 of them concerns only myself and my family. Of what 
 consequence is my petty existence, are my actions within 
 my own walls, to the world at large?" In this respect, 
 one can scarcely hold too high an opinion of one's self. 
 A man dies i'or himself alone ; he lives for the world. 
 Kis achievements and his omissions do not aflect the 
 present alone, nor do they pass away with it, but they
 
 BELATED EDUCATION. 177 
 
 continue to influence the fate of others, first of his im- 
 mediate descendants, and then, of more distant posterity. 
 His good work in the education of his children is a bene- 
 fit to the world, his neglect of discipline an injury. 
 
 Finally, the fact must not remain unnoticed that 
 Joseph, in spite of all, after suffering keenly for his own 
 petty faults and for the doting love of his father, grew 
 up to be one of the most n(jble-miudcd of men. His 
 early home had been the abode of j)iety and the fear of 
 the Lord, and in spite of all the faults of his training, 
 this could not l)iit produce good results. The impres- 
 .•^ions of the parental home are not lost. For a time, 
 they may appear forgotten ; they may lose some of their 
 freshness in our intercourse with men ; amid youthful 
 frivolities, their memory may grow dim ; the conceit of 
 youth may not ho]<l them at their true value; but they 
 will rise to the surface again, as oil floats ever upward, 
 and finally gains the surface of the water. A child that 
 has spent the first seventeen years of its life in a house 
 permeated with an upright and god-fearing spirit may, 
 indeed, if left to \U own devices, go astray; may sink 
 from one folly into another, but it will surely find the 
 path of" righteousness again. It will not be morally 
 ruinefl. NN'liether discipline be early or late, the spirit 
 of home will be tlic deciding influence. They are, indeed, 
 favored whose youth ha.s Ihch pM-.-i <I in a god-fearing 
 home; they will, at the end, live an honor to f lod. 
 
 18
 
 THE IMPORTANCE OF LITTLE THINGS. 
 
 " No human being, no hour in life, no moral action is without signifi- 
 cance." 
 
 The world's history, and, as part of it, the fate of the 
 individual, lie before us, dark and impenetrable as the 
 mighty ocean. The sea rolls majestically before our 
 eyes, terrifying us with its mighty waves and billows, 
 its restless tossing and raging. And yet, what our eye 
 can take in is merely a drop in comparison with the vast 
 stretch of waters, and even this drop covers, as with a 
 cloak, the secrets of the awful deep. 
 
 We raise our eyes to the firmament ; our vision scans 
 immeasurable distances. AVhen the eye is tired out 
 with gazing, not only the eye of the average man, but 
 also the well-protected organ of the most skilful astron- 
 omer and the boldest thinker — it drops, and man must 
 acknowledge to himself: " My vision can penetrate only 
 the least part of that which is on high ; I can compre- 
 hend only the smallest section of what I have seen, and 
 that which my understanding can master — what docs it 
 signify in the plan of the Architect of the universe?" 
 The vast design is entirely concealed from us. So with 
 our insight into the mysteriously woven fate of man- 
 kind and of the individual. 
 
 The number of events chronicled by history, com- 
 pared with the vast sum of past occurrences, is as the 
 
 178
 
 THE IMPORTANCE OF LITTLE THINGS. 179 
 
 limited liorizon of man in comparison with the whole 
 universe. Only an insignificant number of events is 
 observed at all ; the majority receives scarcely any notice, 
 and is forgotten, and that which is observed, noted, and 
 made a part of history is not understood in its relation 
 to the whole. As in the world's history, so also in the 
 life-history of every individual. If a man, at the age 
 of seventy, were to take an inventory of his memory, 
 noting all the clear recollections of his past life— how 
 soon would his task be finislicd I How insigniiicant 
 would be the sum thus obtained I Of an inconsiderable 
 number of his experiences as compared with the sum 
 total, has he taken cognizance ; of this number, only the 
 smallest portion has been impressed upon him ; most of 
 these impressions he has forgotten, aud of that which 
 finally remains fastened in his memory, he fails to under- 
 stand the j)urpose, and what its relation to the whole. 
 It is true, he can tell what he considered pleasant and 
 what unpleasant events, what sad days and what joyful 
 ones, biit it may be that the unj)lea.sant experiences wen- 
 a source of blessing to hini, wiiih' iIk; pleasant ones were 
 harniriil in their conseijuenees. 
 
 In the life of .losejili and ]\\< l';iiiiil\ , I he Scriptures 
 .show how marvellouslv a man',- lite, ((tiitrary to his own 
 actions and desires, he, indeed, iin<'on.seio»i.s thereof, may 
 shape it.s<'lf in agiven \\a\. The story t'nitlH r illii-t infes 
 how tlie most trivial .-ictioii, even of an insignificant man 
 in an ob.'»curc corner oi' the earth, may continue to aliect 
 the destinies of others in tlie nio.-l distant liiture, unto the 
 latest generations. 
 
 Who can say that he is not a Joseph in his own way? 
 Or that each one of his actions docs not i)lay a part in
 
 180 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 the lives of others ; that its influence is not felt in ever- 
 widening circles ? In the life of Josej^h, the Scriptures 
 unveil for us the life of a single man. How many pass 
 through life without solving the riddle of their own fate, 
 and of their influence upon the lot of other men? 
 
 No human existence is without significance, no hour 
 in life is unimportant, no moral action is a matter of 
 indifterence. " There is nothing without its appropriate 
 place, no man without his opportunity." Originally, 
 Joseph was an unimportant personage for the world at 
 large, a mere shepherd lad, running about with his 
 brothers in tlie fields of Mesopotamia. Despite his 
 humble l)eginnings, however, he, in the end, not only 
 shaped the destinies of the house of Israel, but also 
 impressed his personality upon the development of dis- 
 tant, mighty Egypt. Truly, the life of every individual 
 is of significance in the plan of the universe. Do not 
 estimate any man as of too little worth to be either useful 
 or harmful to thee. It is true, not every stone the build- 
 ers reject becomes the chief corner-stone, but for each 
 one the Creator has provided a place in the great world- 
 structure. The smallest may be a stumbling-block 
 placed in thy path for weal or for woe. Do not force 
 thyself upon the great ones of the earth, nor be too 
 anxious about their favor or displeasure, as if they, 
 alone, could bring l)lessing or curse upon thee. Had it 
 not been for Pharaoh's dreams, the chief butler, pow- 
 erful though he was, would have allowed Joseph, for- 
 gotten of all, to perish in prison. As far as our fate is 
 governed by outward circumstances, it follows its own 
 rules, to which both great and small must submit. 
 
 Neither underestimate thine own value, thinking.
 
 THE IMPORTANCE OF LITTLE THINGS. 181 
 
 " Nothing of all this concerns me. I am too insignifi- 
 cant ; I can lend no aid in the world's work," In this 
 sense, no creature on God's earth is insignificant, or 
 exists for itself alone. To be of use in the world, one 
 need be no philosojiher, rich in wisdom, nor hold sacks 
 of gold in his grasp, nor boast an arm of iron. Man, 
 thou art an instrument in tlie hand of Providence! 
 Look to it that when thy hour of usefulness comes, thy 
 edge be not dulled and rusty. 
 
 Neither is any moral action a matter of indifierence. 
 Thy action, thy speech, thy omissions, and thy silence 
 are either good or not good, and the actions that seem a 
 matter of indifference — why, this very thinking that an 
 action can be iudifierent is one of the things that are 
 iiol good. It is wrong to act thoughtlessly. To relate a 
 dream, (jr to remark in a conversation that a certain 
 person has done a certain thing, is considered a perfectly 
 harndess proceeding. Thus Joseph must have thought 
 about his own childisli prattle. Jacob probably also 
 considered it morally indifierent, whether his .son was 
 clad in silk or in linen. And yet how important were 
 these things in deciding the fate of a large family and 
 of an entire kingdom I No word falls upon l)arrcn soil ; 
 no action is lost in the; sands of tinu'. From it may 
 spring a tree of life, or thidniih vou.uikI othi'rslike you, 
 it may bring forth th<irns and thi.stle.s. 
 
 Our text fiiitli<rmiire teaches us that we lack the 
 insiirlit to determine which of our exix'rienccs are truly 
 good, and which air liad. We can discriminate only 
 iM'twcen pU'a.-<ant and unpica.smt (ixperience.s, for what 
 is agreeable to US and wiiat is good for us are not always 
 united, nor is the disagreeable in every case evil. How
 
 182 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 often a few days of joy, of pleasure, are followed by 
 many days of sadness ! Frequently, after gratification 
 comes deep regret, serene happiness follows close upon 
 bitter affliction, and after pain may come blessing. 
 Joseph's brothers thought that, by selling him, they had 
 rid themselves forever of the troublesome boy. This 
 was pleasant, but not good for them. How frequently 
 must they have felt bitter remorse for the unkind deed ! 
 Their hearts must have been pierced as with knives, 
 when they saw their father sinking under the burden of 
 his grief Twenty-two years after the deed, we hear 
 them, in their distress, breaking out into lamentations, 
 " Truly, we are guilty concerning our brother, in that 
 we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, 
 and we would not hear ; therefore is this distress come 
 upon us." 
 
 So fared it with the brothers. To Joseph, on the 
 other hand, the treatment that he received at his 
 brothers' hands was anything but agreeable ; but it was 
 merely unpleasant, it was not evil. His way into the 
 light lay through dark night. In order to rule, he had 
 first to be a slave. The bottom of the pit was for him 
 the first step of the throne. His suffering was the salva- 
 tion of his family. AVhatever is ordained by God, 
 whatever is ordered as our lot, may be unpleasant, 
 bitter, deeply i)aiiiful, but it is never evil. Nothing 
 eml can proceed from the hand of God. Let us, then, 
 not 1)6 too extravagant in our delight in a pleasant expe- 
 rience, nor entirely cast down by grief when trouble 
 comes upon us ; we know not the end for which Provi- 
 dence has sent the joy or the trial. Neither be too 
 indignant against him that has wounded thee by word
 
 THE IMPORTANCE OF LITTLE THINGS. 183 
 
 or deed, aud has injured thy worldly prosperity. It 
 may be that, though seeking to do tliee harm, he has in 
 reality benefited thee. Hold firmly to the belief: "God 
 directs everything for the best. No matter what man, 
 in envy, in anger, in hatred, or in folly, plots against 
 man, he can do no harm, if such be not God's will. Here 
 aud there a man is allowed to see the problem of his 
 existence solved in his lifetime, and then he may 
 exclaim with .Joseph, " Ye thought evil against me, 
 God meant it unto good." In most cases, however, we 
 never receive any light on the subject, but grow old, 
 remembering in l)itterness the injuries that our fellow- 
 men have done us. But it is our firm belief that there, 
 where all errors vanish ; where the spirit is entirely 
 freed from earthly dross ; where truth shines forth in 
 brightness — there the ways of Providence will become 
 clear ; there shall we recognize that the ha[)piness and 
 the salvation of mankind are not promoted by the good, 
 the wise and the uprigiit alone, but that all men assist 
 in the work — the good because such is their desire, and 
 the foolish and tiie malicious, because they must.
 
 "DEATH AND LIFE ARE IN THE POWER 
 OF THE TONGUE." 
 
 (Provebbs, XVIII : 21.) 
 Gen. XLI. 
 
 The turning-points in Joseph's life form an excellent 
 illustration of the wise saying, " Death and life are in 
 the power of the tongue." 
 
 ■ Joseph's seventeenth year and his thirtieth may be 
 
 looked upon as critical points in his career. In his 
 seventeenth year, he was on his way to the misery of 
 slavery and captivity, his thirtieth finds him scaling the 
 summit of earthly honors. In each case, the weak 
 tongue was instrumental in bringing about the crisis. 
 
 ^ In ascribing most important results to the use of the^ 
 < tongue, Solomon does not refer to words that are care- 
 fully weighed and considered before they are spoken ; for 
 in that case, the tongue is merely the irresponsible in- 
 strument of the mind. The text refers to the thought- 
 less use of the tongue, which is like the undirected play 
 of a child. Like a child, it causes much trouble, and 
 again wins all hearts by its artless simplicity. 
 
 In another one of his sayings, Solomon explains the 
 meaning of this dictum. He speaks of a prattler, a 
 babbler, who is like a careless marksman playing with 
 arrows; yet, while working havoc and destruction, he 
 declares that he means no harm. J 
 
 A/ In the life of Joseph, we find an illustration of this 
 
 184
 
 POWER OF THE TONGUE. 185 
 
 proverb. Joseph meditated no evil against his brothers. 
 It was no fiiult of his that his dreams were so displeasing. 
 It was his misfortune thoughtlessly to babble of them 
 without taking counsel with his heart or his understand- 
 ing. He manifested like thoughtlessness in repeating 
 his brothers' improper talk. He reported nothing but 
 the truth. Children speak the truth ; but they, too, tell 
 it with the tongue, without discretion or consideration. 
 
 -^ Turning to the change for the better in Joseph's for- 
 tunes, we again find his lot decided, not by the discretion 
 but by the thoughtlessness of his speech. 
 
 — One morning Joseph found the two high Egyptian 
 oflBcials, who shared his dungeon, much depressed in 
 spirits. His good nature prompted him to ask the cause 
 of their sadness. His reason did not urge him to put the 
 fjuestion. Joseph was no physician, neither was he tiie 
 friend of these men. It was his habit to exchange a 
 friendly word with every one, and in this spirit, he put 
 the sympathetic question, which really meant no more 
 than our " How do you do ?" Yet it was precisely this glib 
 word of Ilia tongue that became unto him the word of 
 salvation.N In vain did Joseph address the butler in 
 well-ciiosen words, when tlie latter returned to fill his 
 high position ; in vain his explanation of the injustice 
 under whicli he wjts suHering ; in vain did lie entreat 
 his late fellow-prisoner to iiitcrced(! willi IMiaraoh on his 
 behalf. V fl'cse words were inspired hv liis reason, vet 
 they were of no avail, wliilc the careless, f<jrgotten " How 
 do you «lo?" the trii-k of his tongue, saved his life. ^ Two 
 years after the wonls were spoken, tiie thoughtless eour 
 tesy of his lips sprouted into a tree of lii'e for himself 
 and his family.
 
 186 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 " Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and 
 they that love it will eat its fruit." 
 
 Joseph tasted these fruits, the bitter and the sweet 
 alike. 
 
 From his story, we may draw the general inf(;rence 
 that the heart is not always so unfriendly, nor the judg- 
 ment so severe as the careless tongue would proclaim. 
 
 The kind-hearted and pious Joseph would have been 
 the last man intentionally to wound his brothers and his 
 parents, but his unguarded tongue irritated his brothers, 
 and enkindled their wrath, and so brought misery upon 
 his ftimily and himself. 
 
 Do we not all know men like Joseph, kind of heart, 
 but cutting of speech ? A bad habit, lazy good nature, 
 and the dangerous gift of wit, all seeking expression in 
 conversation, are responsible for this sharpness of speech. 
 The consciousness that no ill-will is harbored induces a 
 careless use of stinging words. 
 
 A clear perception of this trouble may be useful in 
 teaching us two things. First of all, we ought not to 
 weigh sharp words on too delicate and accurate a scale. 
 We must not mistake the tongue for the entire man. A 
 person may be a Joseph at heart and yet speak with the 
 voice of Esau. Again, after having indulged in un- 
 guarded language, we may not comfort ourselves with 
 the thought that our intentions are good. We scarcely 
 comprehend our own hearts fully ; how, then, can the 
 world be expected to judge us according to our hearts? 
 The opinion of the world is based upon our words. 
 
 From Joseph's life we may furthermore draw the 
 lesson that any word of ours is liable to light upon in- 
 flammable material, which, catching fire, may work
 
 POWER OF THE TONGUE. 187 
 
 havoc and destruction, though we had meant no harm. 
 In the In-ain of man, much thought ferments without de- 
 vehiping into definite conclusions or ])ractieal results. 
 The masses wait only for a watchword to be given them, 
 to which they then adhere unquestioningly. 
 
 In one hour Joseph's brothers, swayed by the sugges- 
 tions of successive speakers, changed their minds three 
 times. Their feelings were roused to enmity against 
 their brother, but the decision necessary for action w^as 
 wanting. " Lot us kill him !" " Yes, he shall die !" 
 " We will ca.<t him into the pit!" "Away with him to 
 the pit!" " We will sell him !" " Yes, let him be sold!" 
 
 Remember, therefore, your words spoken in the fam- 
 ily, in the pulpit, in the halls of legislation, in society, 
 without thought of harm, may be harmful in their con- 
 se(juencrx. 
 
 Not death alone, also life lies in tlie ])owor of the 
 tongue. 
 
 Many a slandered man wraps himself in the cloak 
 of liis innocence, too proud to clear himself, although 
 before one word of explanation, evil opinion with all its 
 evil c<^)ns<;fjuences wouM vanish. ( )tlicrs, again, lack the 
 courage to speak a good word at the right time, if that 
 word opposes tlie current of general oj)iiiion. Reuben 
 gives us an example of such cowardice. IIc^ would 
 gladly have returned Joseph uniniured to his father, 
 but he li:id not the courage to speak the word tluil would 
 have saved him. To<t late he revealed his true feeling 
 in the matter — when lie found the pit empty and Joseph 
 sold. His tongue had not uttere*! the right word boMlv 
 at the right moment. 
 
 llavf! the courage to proclaim y<Hir (jj)inion opcinly and
 
 188 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 without disguise. Care not how high the waves of op- 
 posing opinion may run, if, by your courage, you may 
 aid a good cause, prevent harm, or he helpful to inno- 
 cence. 
 
 -The Talmud makes Balaam, Job and Jethro take 
 counsel together as to the fate of Israel. The one spoke 
 in favor of its preservation, the other of its destruction. 
 Job timidly held his peace. For this silence, it is said, 
 he .atoned by his well-known sufferings. 
 ^Tliere are many such Jobs to-day, Avho, through timid- 
 ity or through ftilse modesty, are silent at times at which 
 it would be proper for them to speak. 
 
 Finally, Joseph's story should teach us the worth of 
 a tongue accustomed to friendly speech in intercourse 
 with our fellow-men. Language is not meant to serve 
 merely as a vehicle for conveying our ideas, but in our 
 associations, it is to perform the office of oil between the 
 parts of machinery that rub against each other. Lan- 
 guage does not offer us only the threshed grains of 
 wheat, but straw and chaff" as well ; not the fruit of 
 thought alone, but also beautiful, variegated leaves and 
 blossoms. Language is a fully developed plant, not 
 merely its fruit. 
 
 Were nothing to be sjioken but the words necessary 
 for human intercourse, life on eartii would be very 
 quiet. The world would be a vast cloister of Trappists. 
 Easy, pleasant conversation, maintained by the expendi- 
 ture of but a very small percentage of thought, forms 
 part of the amenities of existence. 
 
 The question put by Joseph to his fellow-prisoners 
 l)elongs to this class of speeches, the offspring of the 
 tongue, not of the brain. The greatest wisdom, the
 
 POWER OF THE TONGUE. 180 
 
 most remarkable fluency of speech, could not have 
 (ij^ned the prison doors for the innocent man. An 
 empty, thoughtless phrase, a word of mere courtesy, led 
 him from the dungeon to the throne. 
 
 Our sages, in recommending strongly the use of the 
 most plea.sing and the choicest expressions, refer to the 
 passage in the Bible, which reads, " Of every clean 
 beast .... and of beasts that are not clean." 
 In this verse, in order to avoid the uncTSthetic word 
 nsoo, unclean, four words arc used in paraphrase of this 
 term. Let us, too, eschew all harsh expressions in our 
 daily conversation. 
 
 One of our greatest teachers exultingly mentions, as 
 the ripest evidence of his worldly wisdom, the fact that 
 no one had ever anticipated him in greetinir, not even a 
 heathen or a child— not the meanest of mortals with 
 whom he had come in contact in life. 
 
 How many of us gathered together in this house have 
 brought cloufk into our lives by a thoughtless word 
 or through disregard of a friendly form of greeting! 
 Others, again, may be living comfortably in tlic sunshine 
 of prosperity through the aid of friendship, which all 
 uneonscious they have won by means of a iielpiug liaiul. 
 
 NVe arc apt to think that " liic and dcatli " must 
 depend upon great and (lilli<iilt exertions, earnest labor 
 ami deep thought, while in reality, a word rn'|ii(iitly 
 forms the delicate hinge upon wliicli our fortunes turn. 
 
 We must cultivate not only the feelings of the heart 
 and the jwwers of the miinl. Let us also accustom 
 the tongue to speak words of kindness, of gentleness, of 
 courtesy — for " Deatii and life are in the power of the 
 tongue."
 
 HOME INFLUENCE. 
 
 " Joseph recognized his brothers, but they recognized not him."— Gen. 
 XLII: 8. 
 
 Family life is like a light-house. The occupants see 
 the ships leave the harbor, and follow them -with their 
 eyes, until the last sail is lost to sight below the horizon. 
 In the darkness of night, the crew of many a vessel, far 
 out on the waste of waters, peers eagerly into the dark- 
 ness to catch a glimpse of the tower, one ray from whose 
 lantern will inspire the men Avith renewed hope and 
 strength. The Avatchers in the tower rest secure in their 
 accustomed places, though wind and wave may beat 
 about the house. They are safe and at rest. They 
 know not of the fearful hearts of the sailors, whose eyes 
 are strained anxiously towards the tower with its lamp 
 of rescue. 
 
 So, when one member of a family takes leave of his 
 home, there is sorrow on both sides ; the one departing 
 and those left at home are filled with sadness. But as 
 <lays, weeks and years pass by, although the absent one 
 be not forgotten, and though he be recalled to mind 
 occasionally, yet he is no longer constantly in the 
 thoughts of those still at home. Life at the homestead 
 goes on in its usual way, even though there is one less 
 in the family circle. As for the one that has left home, 
 if the sun of fortune smiles upon him, and his ship of 
 
 190
 
 HOME INFLUENCE. 191 
 
 life, laden with rich cargo, sails through calm seas, he, 
 too, may, for a time, not think of the loved ones whom 
 he has left behind, as the mariner does not look anx- 
 iously for the tower with its cheerful lamp, when the 
 light of day is about him, and the weather is clear and 
 bright. The son and daughter may, however, fall upon 
 evil days while in a strange land ; the dark night of 
 despair may reign in their hearts ; merciless fate may 
 hem them in, leaving no way of escape. AVhen such 
 days come, the fearful heart seeks the paternal roof, 
 the home of love and sympathy, of kindness and benig- 
 nity, the home of happy, youthful days. Imagination 
 overcomes the obstacles of land and sea, which may 
 separate the child from home, and fancy conjures uj) a 
 picture of tlie days sp-^jit uiider parental care. Home 
 is the ligiit-house whicii the ciiild seeks with deep long- 
 ing,, when surrounded by the darkness of night, when 
 driven by the fury of the storm. , At home, on the other 
 hand, the days pass quietly and monotonously in blissful 
 ignorance of the misery of the absent ones, whose hearts, 
 weighed down by troul)le and distress, beat yearningly 
 at tlic thought of home. 
 
 How fervently, from the very depths of liis soul, Jo- 
 sc[)h nuist liave calh-d n|)on his father on that drcadiiil 
 dav in the pit I I he lU-.iv, shcitcn^d home, now h»st to 
 him forever, must liave seemed a veritable licaven. On 
 his way to Egypt, in his career as a sl.ive. Inter when 
 wasting the best years of his life in prison, though inno- 
 cent of anv crime, how frecpiently, in blessed dreams, in 
 thought, in desire, in reverie and imagination, he must 
 have been transported to the home of liis youth ! Its 
 memory ever remained fresh within hini. Later, when
 
 192 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 his fortunes changed for the lietter, when his first son was 
 born to him, lie named the child Meuasseh, which means 
 to forget, " For," said he, " God hath made me forget all 
 my toil and all my father's house." This very incident 
 shows, however, that he had not forgotten his " father's 
 house," for on that happiest of days, when giving his son 
 a name, he showed by the name that he remembered the 
 home of his youth. It was, therefore, natural that Joseph 
 should recognize his brothers. In si)irit he had been at 
 home ^o frequently that his family had not become strange 
 to him. They, however, recognized him not. The ex- 
 planation usually^ given for this circumstance is that 
 Joseph was almost a child when he left home, and when 
 his brothers saw him again, he had become a man. But 
 Benjamin was even younger than Joseph ; Gad and 
 Asher were but little older ; even Reuben, the oldest of 
 all, was only thirteen years older than Joseph, and never- 
 theless Joseph recognized them all. Tiie high position 
 in which his brothei's found him may, it is true, have 
 made recognition more difficult ; Imt even this circum- 
 stance could not have obscured the memory of features 
 once well known to them. As observed before, the one 
 leaving home is easily forgotten, his memory fades away 
 quickly, while the recollection of the loved ones at home 
 is never effaced from the mind of the absent one. Jo- 
 seph's memory must, furthermore, have been a bitter 
 reproach to his brothers, so that, far from cherishing 
 remembrance of him, they rather sought to keep him 
 away from their thoughts. 
 
 Oh, Avell beloved home ! Happy family life ! Thou 
 paradise of our childhood and youth ! Who that has 
 tainted of thy joys can e'er forget thee! He, whom fate
 
 HOME INFLUENCE. 193 
 
 has too soon driven from the paradise of youth, or who 
 has early been deprived of its guardians, he knows 
 not of how much of the happiness of life he has been 
 robbed4as little as the Esquimau can understand how 
 greatly his dull, gray sky would suffer by comparison 
 with the heaven that smiles upon the land of the citron. 
 Even though years have passed since we left the home 
 of our youth, though it exist no longer, and wc our- 
 selves preside over homes as fathers and mothers, with 
 cliildren confided to our care — its memory is always 
 dear to us, the recollection of the happy youth spent 
 witliin its walls is ever a delight to the soul. 
 - Wlien Joseph was temjited by sin, lie said, " How 
 then can T do this great evil, and sin against God?" 
 This was the influence of his recollections of home, a 
 warning voice from the home penetrated by the fear of 
 the Lord. Our sages say that the revered face of his 
 father was thrust between Joseph and sin, and that thus 
 he was kept from doing evil. What better guardian can 
 a young man take with liim int(i a strange land than tlie 
 memory of the sanctuary (jf home, tlie memory of liis 
 father and mother? | When a child in a distant hind 
 has taken the first step toward committing a sin, and his 
 own self-respect no hmgcr holds him in check, then 
 there comes over him ihc rtincinliraiicc of his parents. 
 " What woidd they say, were tliey to know of my evil 
 ways? II<»w sLshamed of me they wouM hoi How 
 they wouhl grieve over my fall!" 
 
 Father and mother must, therefore, make the family 
 
 life one of peace and harmony. Nothing does more tt) 
 
 mar the ha[»|»ines.s of" ehihlren, nothing makes the nv 
 
 membrance of h<»nie more painful, than diseord Itetwcen 
 
 14
 
 194 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 father and mother. ^lake your house a pleasant abode 
 for your childreu according to the means at your dis- 
 posal. ("Not plenty and show, but kindness and love 
 everywhere perceptible make home a happy place ; their 
 presence is felt in the very air of the house, in the 
 j)leasant relations existing among the various members 
 of the householdr) 
 
 If the recollection of home is to be an active, blessed 
 memory, the father must not only have a house, the 
 house must also have a fother and a mother, who are a 
 ])art of it, (not ever on the streets, in company, attend- 
 ing to business, seeking pleasure and distraction of all 
 kinds'^ "Home" means father and mother living in 
 the midst of their children. The memory of a youth 
 spent amid such associations does not die out in the 
 hearts of the children, and, as with Joseph, an absence 
 of twenty-two years cannot efface the recollection of 
 home. Where there are SHch memories, brother will 
 not say to brother, " I do not know you !" " Joseph 
 recognized his brothers." Their likenesses, their remem- 
 brance had never departed from him. In spite of all the 
 unkindness that had come between them, he felt himself 
 at one with them. 
 
 A child's pleasantest recollections of home — pleasant 
 and yet earnest enough to be deeply graven upon its 
 mind — are, after all, those of the piety of the family life, 
 especially of the solemn and joyous festivities, attendant 
 upon Sabbaths and Holy Days. Even though the pa- 
 rents feel but coldly towards these celebrations, they 
 have no right to deny the enjoyment thereof to their 
 children. To compass this end, cliildren may be denied 
 some pleasures during the week, so that indulgence in
 
 HOME INFLUENCE. 197 
 
 them on the Holy Day may make tlie season addition- 
 ally pleasant by aid of sensuous delights. 
 
 It is useless to speak to the men of these things. They 
 go on in their own way, heedless of words of advice. The 
 ■ mothers, however, should consider it a sacred duty to 
 impress upon their children the true delight of the day 
 of rest properly celebrated, and of joyful festivals, 
 and weave the memory of such days into the child's 
 recollections of home. A son whose home was never 
 more to him than an eating house, whose father was 
 simply his provider, whose mother, the lady of the house, 
 will not be the one to exclaim in the hour of temptation, 
 " How then can I do this great evil, and sin against 
 God !" God forms no part of his childish recollections, 
 and the moral fear of such a father and such a mother 
 is not a sufficiently active memory to deter him from 
 sin. 
 
 As your children are dear to you, oh, jiarents! make 
 your home-life jjleasant ami attractive. Mingle inno- 
 cent, sensuous delights with religious earnestness, so that 
 the remembrance of home may lie a blessed memory to 
 your children throughout life!
 
 1^ 
 
 EXISTENCE AND LIFE. 
 
 "And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage 
 are one hundred and thirty years : few and evil have been the days 
 of the years of my life, and I have not attained unto the days of 
 the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage." 
 —Gen. XLVII : 9. 
 
 Even ill the time of Jacob, one hundred and thirty 
 years Avei-e no short span of life ; besides, Jacob was still 
 alive, and might hoj^e to attain as great an age as his 
 forefathers, and perchance live longer than they. It is 
 also difficult to see the force of Jacob's remark as a reply 
 to Pharaoh's question. 
 
 Were a question like that of Pharaoh to Jacob to be 
 put to one of us, we should find it easy to answer, easier 
 than Jacob, because we should not have to glance over a 
 series of one hundred and thirty birthday-anniversaries, 
 in order to make a reply. Such, however, is the case 
 only when the question is merely about the length of 
 existence. If we are asked about the length of time 
 during which we have enjoyed life ; if we subtract from 
 the days of the years of our pilgrimage, the time that 
 we have spent in idle dreaming ; that we have frivolously 
 wasted ; the time passed by us in trouble and distress, in 
 dread and anxiety ; those long periods, the wishes and 
 hopes and labor of which ended in bitter disappointment ; 
 if we deduct all these items from the sum of the days 
 of our lives, we should have to cast up the aggregate of 
 
 196
 
 EXISTENCE AND LIFE. 197 
 
 the periods of our lives remaining, before giving tlie 
 actual number of years that we have lived. 
 
 In this spirit, Jacob replied to Pharaoh : " You ask 
 about the length of my existence? The years of my 
 pilgrimage in various lands are one hundred and thirty; 
 but how long have I really lived? To that question, I 
 cannot give you an answer. The sum of my life, in the 
 best sense of that word, is very snuill. In these one 
 hundred and thirty years, I have lived but little. INIy 
 father and my grandfatlier saw better days. They lived 
 more than I in the years of their sojourn upon earth." 
 
 Even the bright spots in his existence, the short 
 period in which he really lived, Jacob calls evil. 
 
 Men upon a low plane of culture, lacking, as they 
 frequently are, in self-knowledge, lament bitterly, when 
 days of distress come upon them. They possess a sooth- 
 ing balm, however, for their suffering — they throw off 
 all responsibility, and rail against man and Providence 
 aa the cause of their trouble. When good times return, 
 they enjoy them, and that without allowing self-accusa- 
 tion to mar tli<«ir jileasure. 
 
 L'pon a highci- level of culture and — what is synony- 
 mous with it — ofself-analysisaudsell-comprehensioii.iiK'U 
 bear sorrow (piietly and with resignation. They neither 
 reproach riovidcnce, nor attril)ute tin ir luisfortune to 
 the malice of wicked men. Th(!y recognize that the root 
 of most of the evils that plague us lies in ourselves. 
 The consciousness oi' our own culpaliilily hangs like u 
 gray mist even over the bright spots of life. 
 
 A glance at the career of Jacfjb nuiy show us tiie justi- 
 fication for his complaint about the short duration of 
 his life, ori well as for liis acute coiiscioiisuess of hi- own 
 culpability.
 
 198 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Esau and Jacob were born at the same time. In 
 temperament they were the very opposites of each other. 
 " The children struggled together within " Rebekah. 
 You who have brothers and sisters, kind, loving and 
 self-sacrificing ; you who dwell together in brotherly and 
 sisterly love, throw no stone of condemnation upon 
 Jacob, because of the unfraternal relations between him 
 and his brother, because the deceit plotted by the one 
 aroused murderous thoughts in the soul of the other. 
 Remember, your brother is not an Esau ! In counting 
 up the days of his life, Jacob had to strike out the days 
 spent in the home of his youth. Home becomes a verit- 
 able hell, when it is the theatre of deadly enmity between 
 brothers. 
 
 Another cloud obscured the brightness of Jacob's 
 early days. His parents were not in harmony in regard 
 to the education of their cliildren. In painting scenes 
 and characters, the Bible does not lay on the colors 
 heavily. In a few light and seemingly accidental 
 strokes, a picture is placed before us. In this narrative, 
 we read simply, " Isaac loved Esau, but Rebekah loved 
 Jacob." This is the theme. It needs no genius, no 
 rich fancy to compose the variations upon it, and every 
 variation of the numberless ones possible will be sad. 
 Every child whose youthful recollections are of parental 
 strife and discord, may, like Jacob, strike out the years 
 of his childhood from his book of life. 
 
 Jacob was placed in these unfortunate circumstances, 
 he was in nowise responsible for them. The good man, 
 however, always sees cause for self-reproach in the trials 
 and tribulations of life. 
 
 No one can be asked to enter into a bond of friend-
 
 EXISTENCE AND LIFE. 199 
 
 ship with a man like Esau, but it is a brother's duty to 
 manifest a brotherly spirit even towards an Esau. No 
 matter how difficult it may be to continue in fraternal rela- 
 tions with your brother, you dai-e not give him up. It is 
 not for yoit to break loose from him. Others may criti- 
 cise your brother harshly, and treat him as he deserves 
 to be treated; your judgment is not free, your course 
 toward him is marked out to you by the tie of blood 
 between you. 
 
 Jacob's life after he left the paternal roof was a mere 
 existence — an existence full of thorns. His work was 
 heavy and momentous. After the toil of the day was 
 over, he did not find rest and inspiration in the circle 
 of his loved ones. No; dislike, mistrust and envy met 
 him on the threshold of home : he encountered every- 
 where glances of reproach and contempt. This exist- 
 ence finally ended in secret flight. 
 
 A life passed among kinsfolk is an enviable lot. As 
 every tree in the forest is sheltered from the elements by 
 those about it, while the solitary tree in the open field 
 is broken by the storm, .so we are protected by loviug 
 relatives, ever ready with help and sympathy. But how 
 Bad the sight of kinsmen at enmity with one another! 
 The wrath of the offendcfl kin-iiKin is more piussionatc 
 than that of another, his stroke is surer, more fiercely 
 burns the wound inflicted by him. 
 
 Whoever has, like .Jacob, lived at variance with liis 
 relatives, or in his business relations, has daily had to 
 bear with ill-will from tlioso a.><S()ciated with him, may 
 strike out those years of hia existence, a.s a time during 
 which he has not lived. 
 
 Again, it was not Jacob's fault that lie had so shrewd
 
 200 SABBATH HOUKS. 
 
 and slippery a man as Laban to deal with in bis family 
 and business relations. Nevertbeless, be could not but 
 reproach himself for finding no better way out of his 
 difficulty than to meet cunning with cunning, and to 
 employ deceit and flight in severing his connection with 
 the brother of his mother and the father of his wives. 
 
 Accompanying Jacob upon his homeward journey, we 
 see his constant fear of the meeting with his brother ; 
 the misfortune of his only daughter ; the critical posi- 
 tion iu which he was placed by the uncontrollable pas- 
 sion of his sons, Simeon and Levi ; the early death of his 
 beloved Rachel ; the discord among his children, which 
 he saw breaking out again in his house like an heredi- 
 tary evil, and finally the twenty-two years of grief for 
 the supposed, horril)le death of his favorite. We should 
 far exceed the proper limit of time for our discourse, 
 were we to discuss all these points so minutely as to 
 show how they illustrate the text. 
 
 The general meaning of the text is, however, clear to 
 us. It teaches us the difference between existence, " the 
 days of the years of my pilgrimage," and life, "the 
 days of the years of my life." 
 
 Our text contains .Jacob's self-accusation. Man is per- 
 mitted to judge himself according to a severe standard. 
 Jacob scorned to acquit himself of wrong-doing by urg- 
 ing the untoward circumstances under which fate had 
 ])laced him. 
 
 The Bible records the age of the departed Patriarch 
 in these words, " the days of Jacob, the years of his life, 
 were one hundred and forty-seven years." 
 
 In the sight of the all- wise Father, Jacob had lived 
 thidULihout his whole existence. AVhat seemed as lost
 
 EXISTENCE AND LIFE. 201 
 
 to liiiii, the bitter trials and the oppressions of his heart, 
 were the birth-throes of his soul, his training for a 
 higher destiny. 
 
 In the economy of nature, there is change of form, 
 but never absolute loss; so, too, in the domain of the 
 moral actions of mankind. That which is our greatest 
 trial, if considered by itself, may, in the complete plan, 
 prove a beneficent disjjensation, though we frequently 
 lack the insight to see it in its proper light. 
 
 Whenever, oh man ! you succumb in honest contest 
 with fate, remember that your failure is that of a mor- 
 tal, whose weaknesses and imperfections are well known 
 to him, who has made you as you are; in wlmse spirit 
 the Holy Scriptures testify concerning Jacol), " He 
 lived full one hundred and forty-seven years."
 
 IMMORTALITY. 
 
 Gen. XLIX. 
 
 " There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in 
 our philosophy." 
 
 Shakspere's profound observation that there are "things 
 in heaven and earth," of which man has no knowledge, 
 does not refer to those natural forces which reason has 
 as yet failed to comprehend, though undoubtedly true 
 also of them, \)\it to a spiritual world, whose nature can 
 be grasped neither by physical perception nor by the 
 finest powers of the human intellect, a world whose bor- 
 derland we may tread but in dreams and vague presenti- 
 ment. 
 
 In our discussion of this proposition in regard to 
 " things in heaven and earth," we shall try not to soar 
 into high and unaccustomed spheres, but shall remain as 
 near earth as possible, dealing with those problems that 
 obstruct the path of every thinking being. 
 
 Let our text be the assertion of our sages : " The 
 patriarch Jacol) did not die." 
 
 Jacob went down into Egypt with seventy followers. 
 During his seventeen years' sojourn in that land, this 
 number must have increased considerably.. Nevertheless 
 they continued to form one family. The dying patriarch 
 was as ever its head, holding all its members together. 
 To his three oldest sons, themselves advanced in years, he 
 
 202
 
 IMMORTALITY. 203 
 
 addresses stern words of reproach. He takes from the 
 oldest son the highly-prized birthright, and no one ven- 
 tures to remonstrate, much less to gainsay his decision. 
 
 Families are not held together by the force of reason 
 If such were the power of reason, if intelligence could 
 bind together the various members of a family, our hoUl 
 on family life would be as strong to-day as it was in 
 Jacob's time. We have lost nothing of intellectual 
 power siiice his time ; neither has the faculty of reason- 
 ing been taken from us. Nevertheless, it would be im- 
 possible for twelve large households, with children and 
 grandchildren, to hold together as one family. It is 
 • lilficult nowadays for the adults of a single household 
 to look upon themselves as one body. The more ex- 
 tended the power of the intellect, the nn-re limited the 
 range of that sul>tle " in heaven and earth" which we 
 do not understand. Among these things must be 
 reckoned the recognition of the ties of kindred even in 
 the limited degree in which it exists to-day. 
 
 No one can have failed to observe that the most intel- 
 ligent are not the most obedient nor the most niYoo- 
 ti on ate as diildren^iot the most faithful ii^'ccTiijii^al; 
 relations^ Hot the most self-sacrificing as fathei-s and 
 iiiotliers — in short, not the ones most cognizant of the 
 clainiH of kinsliip. Hiocthe's correspondence witli liis ^ 
 mother wa.s carried on through a valet^ Mose^ expected'''^ 
 the mns of Levi, whom he had phiccd in tlie exalted 
 jmsition of teachci-s and guides of th(! pcitplc, to have 
 sufficient strength of soul t<» disregard tlieir feelings for 
 jiarcnts, for children and kinsmen, if necessity demanded 
 the sacrifice, y^f we wish to see true lieauty of family life, 
 tenderness in parents, obedience in children, warmth of
 
 204 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 affection for kindred, we must not ascend too high in 
 the strata of intelligence. 
 
 ^~ The old world can boast of an entire class of men of 
 su])reme culturej^with whom, in the United States, only 
 individuals, not a class, may bear comparison. Never- 
 theless,^ as a whole,/1>lie people of this country may be 
 considered the most intelligent among the nations of the 
 earth,^ or rather, we may say, this country has the 
 smallest number of uneducated and narrow-minded 
 citizens in proportion to its population. But, on the 
 other hand, it must be said, a^iilling indifference,^ 
 
 Xpenetrating the very heart of the people,, characterizes 
 its family life. \The American can not be denied 
 credit for unexampled nobility and public spirit in 
 
 ^generous gifts to charitable and educational institutions, 
 but the lack of warmth in family relations may perhaps 
 be one of the causes of this extraordinary liberality/ 
 The fortunes of his heirs after his death trouble an 
 American but little. 
 
 ^ It is not agreeable to contemplate the consequence 
 of the stronger family feeling existing among the Jews 
 — less readiness in making great sacrifices for the com- 
 mon good ; (Tudah Touro has as yet had no successoiO 
 
 Intellect is, therefore, an obstructing rather than a 
 fostering element in the recognition of the claims of 
 kindred, ijnion may exist among the members of a 
 family, even though there be no sympathy among them, 
 no harmony in inclinations of mind and heartT^There 
 must, therefore, be some common --^oal element in the 
 family, nanded down from dead and gone ancestors, , 
 .sometimes tracing its origin far into the past, ^ which 
 makes the descendants of a common stock feel a bond 
 of kinship uniting them.
 
 IMMORTALITY. 
 
 "^ Such is the subtle bond thrown ab( 
 In spite of our patriotism for the lant 
 dwell : in epT^fff our intimate association^ 
 fessors of other faiths ; in spite of the differ^ 
 us, in culture, in religious opinions and A ^..e 
 
 •-Israelites, , scattered over the whole earth,^ a^ we are, 
 
 -possess a common " something '[ inexplicable by reason, 
 a prevailing family feature, something that reason neither 
 grasps nor courts. ^Jacob is not dead.'| ^Tacob's soul 
 \ continues with his family in immortal life.^ The soul 
 of Jacob is not exceptional. I'he souls of all of us 
 "^continue to live in our descfendants. ^ Our fathers and 
 mothers live on in us^and our spiritual characteristics 
 are transmitted to our grandchildren and great-grand- 
 children.^ This truth is a ray of immortality itself , 
 
 — ^The proof of the existence of a life fur removed from 
 the earthly life of reason;, of a life unfathomed by the 
 "■^understanding, Jies in the very stronghold of the intel- 
 lect, namely, in science."^ Can mere reason explain Iiow 
 it is that man gives up his whole life to the cause of 
 science? Dws common-seme ever make such a demand 
 
 upon man ? 
 
 How many men of noble diaracter and high attain- 
 ments, while seeking to extend the donuiin of kuMwl- 
 edge, have met their death in the i<y regions of the 
 
 N, Pole, ill tlie swamps and sands of Africa!, But no 
 matter how many nuiy thus pcrishj^the iiiiml)er remains 
 
 "^^ great of tliosf that, undctcrrc'l by the fate of the pio- 
 neers, foUow ill their footsteps. How many (-^t+^tkaaix of 
 learning have languished in attics, and have, finally, 
 
 ■"^perished in the act of ennching science with the result 
 of their labors! Such plienoiiKiia may be included
 
 Ct\)Q SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 among the " things in heaven and earth," beyond the 
 comprehension of reason. 
 
 — In our own days, have we not had a sad instance of 
 such devotion to science in the fate of the two men* that-- 
 sought to do that in attempting which hundreds before 
 them had perished— to tame the strong winds of the air 
 for the use of man ? >Yould cold reason urge man to risk 
 his life in such a cause,^ were there not, at the same 
 time, a vague presentiment in him of the " things in 
 heaven and earth," of which the intellect can tell us 
 nothing I did not an inward voice whisper to him, "If 
 the worst happen, your body may perish in the venture, 
 but no harm can come to your soul ^" 
 "■^What would science be or what would become of it,, 
 if left to the control of reason, Avhich it worships as 
 its god) were it not for belief in immortalityj(^which it 
 refuses to accept ?) 
 
 ^-' In spite of the initial expense of a musical instrument 
 and the cost of instruction in its use, it is not uncommon 
 to find one in our homes, while in scarcely one of 
 a hundred dwellings is there an apparatus for physical 
 experiment ; in one of ten thousand, perchance, a labor- 
 atory. Hundreds of private tutors in music, in arith- 
 metic, in penmanship and orthography are employed,, 
 against one engaged to teach history and natural science. 
 The education of children is frequently directed solely 
 with a view to their worldly success. fThe study of his- 
 tory and natural science does not contribute to this end. 
 The poor instruction in these branches offered in the 
 
 * Donaldson, who, with a companion, made an ascent in a balloon, 
 and never returned.
 
 IMMORTALITY. 207 
 
 public schools — if, indeed, they be included in the curri- 
 culum — is deemed sufficient?) 
 
 ""^ — There are, however, some human beings to whom these 
 subjects are of the greatest interest, by whom days and 
 nights are given to the advancement of learning that 
 can bring them no practical gain in a world of reason.—. 
 "^ Such devotion proves to us that the soul soars in another 
 world even during its life on earth— a world, in which 
 there is no death, though everything above us, in the 
 world of reason and the senses, be hushed, and our 
 friends lament and bury us as dead. 
 
 ^•'^ When Jacob called Joseph to his side, and gave him 
 in.struction as to the manner of his burial,^su(l(lenly the 
 thread of his discourse wtus broken off,^^,and as though in 
 delirium, he began to speak of Rachel, who had died 
 many years before, in distant Egypt, with the shadow 
 of death already irf)on liiinNiis spirit hovered over the 
 lonely grave on the road to Bethlehem., 
 
 ^..^What explanation can be ottered for this contact of 
 the .soul of the living with the dead, ^unless we admit 
 the existence of that " something,',' soaring far aI)ove our 
 atmosphere of cold rea.son,,on the heights of fancy and 
 presentiment? 
 
 -^ / What was the earnest wisli that Jacob expressed upon 
 
 his dcatli-bed '/\ He entreated Joseph to convey his body 
 to the home of his youth^and there bury it beside his 
 fur('fath(;rs>- Tlic task imposed was no light one. Its 
 execution (Iciiiaiidcil the assistance! of <juite a little army, 
 
 ^ for the way was long and difH(•u]t^^ In our days, the ^ 
 bodies of those wrecked < ill' t lie far I'>nglisli coast wore 
 taken up from the bottom of tlic. sea^to lie laid away to rest 
 in the earth oCli<inie, in the western part ol' thi~ ciiiiiiti y.
 
 208 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Is tliis the prompting of reason? Common-sense 
 says: "Let grass grow over the graves. Let oblivion 
 spring up in the hearts of those left on earth. As for 
 the remains still visible to us, let them be removed from 
 sight as soon as possible." Science offers its aid, and 
 ])uilds an oven for the speedy destruction of the body. 
 And it would seem as though the spot in which dust is 
 returned to dust ought to be a matter of indifference. 
 
 Is reason not right in its opinion ? The world, how- 
 ever, from Jacob's time to the destruction of the Schiller 
 in our own day, has refused to become reasonable on 
 this point. It cannot be gainsaid, there is an immortal 
 something " in heaven and earth,' ^ which was before our 
 time, exists during our lives,^and will continue to be 
 after we have passed awa)'>^*The deaf man has no con-^ — 
 ception of sounds/^he blind man knows nothing of 
 colors, so it may be that we live in the midst of glories 
 for whose perception we have not the proper senses, and 
 to understand which we lack intellectual strength so 
 long as our 2)hysica I existence continues, so long as the 
 soul, hidden within the body, is limited to the perception 
 of the things of this world. 
 
 What we call the future life is not a kingdom of 
 heaven, a preternatural world entirely separate from 
 this one.^ It forms one world with our own. As long 
 as the soul wears its earthly garb, we can perceive only 
 so much of it as our senses reveal to us,^and intellect 
 and reason teach us, and as a " something " tells us— 
 something beyond the reach of intellect or reason. 
 Like a diseniI)odied spirit from another world, it flits 
 across our consciousness i^ like lightning's flash, it illu- 
 mines our souls ; like a ghostly echo, like faint sounds
 
 IMMORTALITY. 209 
 
 dying away iu the distance, it rouses vague thoughts 
 within us. 
 
 A man may presume to doul)t the existence of God ; 
 he may scoff at those that believe iu the immortality of 
 the soul and find comfort in this belief He cannot argue 
 out of existence that spiritual " something," spoken of 
 by Shakspere, soaring above the senses and l)eyond 
 reason. Let him call it an incomjireheusible something. 
 To us, it is God and immortality. 
 
 15
 
 THE DEATH OF THE FATHER. 
 
 "And when Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 
 Peradventure Joseph may now hate us ; and then he would certainly 
 requite us all the evil which we have done unto him."— Gen. L : 15. 
 
 As a flickering light flares up in sudden strength, illu- 
 minating the surroundings with ghastly effect, and then 
 dies out forever, leaving dense darkness behind, so family 
 affection, the consciousness of a close union between bro- 
 thers and sisters, once more leaps into life in their hearts, 
 when they stand about the newly-made grave of their 
 father. In their common grief, they feel, in the very 
 depths of their hearts, that they once more are united. 
 But when they return to the house of mourning, whicli 
 the father has left forever, the protecting roof seems to 
 have been removed from the home, so long the abiding- 
 place of peace and happiness, the Avails appear to totter 
 on their foundations. The importance of the individual, 
 the "/," develops with amazing rapidity, while the idea 
 of unity, the " we," fades into the background. 
 
 -^'"OnToTtlie consequences of the death of parents, and 
 surely not the least melancholy of them, is the loosening 
 of the family tie, the relaxation of the bond of union 
 between brothers and sisters. 
 
 — Not until Jacob's body, after elal)orate funeral cere- 
 monies in Egypt and Canaan, had been laid away to 
 rest ; not until many months had pa.ssed and the sons 
 were once more gathered together in their own home, 
 
 210
 
 THE DEATH OF THE FATHER. 211 
 
 (lid Jacob's children actually see that their father was 
 dead. From the death of their father until their home- 
 coming, they had ^elt their common loss in their common 
 grief Now, close upon the exhaustion of the emotions 
 followed the actual perception of what had occurred. 
 They saw that everything had changed. The brothers 
 confronted each other witli mistrust and estrangement. 
 Each one presupposed that the change, which he per- 
 ceived in his own mental attitude — the substitution of 
 the individual for the body, of "7," for "iwe" — had 
 taken place in each of the others. 
 
 An infirm, blind old man had died and been buried. 
 As a matter of fact, the event caused rather a feeling 
 of relief than of loss to those left behind, and to the 
 decea.sed himself, death brought welcome release. But 
 the influence of his mere existence among them, even 
 though he was stretched helpless on the coticli of pain, 
 as now of his death, was marked ami |)u\v(rf"ul. The 
 home iiad received a severe shock. Its regular life was 
 <lestroyed. Everything had to be meas\ired by tlic new 
 standaid, and adjuste<l to the new order. 
 
 The inipre.s.sioii that their position in life WJis insecure 
 prompted tin; anxious thought of tlic brothers, " Wlial 
 is our relation to .Id-epli '.' " I"or I heir fallier was deail, 
 and tliev li.i'l lo be a«sni<il anew of llieir i-el:iMon to 
 J isepli, belore tln-y conlil tiu.~l liini. ,|u-(]ili, ;il'tei- liis 
 father's dentil, might j)rov<' a very dilli'niit piTson irotn 
 the Jo.seph of -Jacob's lift'tiine. But there are n<tl)ie 
 scuis in the world, which stand all tests successfully, and 
 pasH through every crisis without losing in magnanimity. 
 They cannot understand how it can be otherwi.se. Such 
 a soul wa.s .Joseph's, lie could not conceive of himself
 
 212 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 as changing towards his brothers, and he wept when 
 they came to him witli mistrust in their hearts and on 
 their lips. 
 
 It is, indeed, touching to look upon a group of eleven 
 grown men, helpless and fearful as a flock of sheep after 
 a thunder clap, throwing themselves at the feet of their 
 much-dreaded brother, with the entreaty, "Allow us to 
 live protected by the dying wish of our father!" But 
 the picture of Joseph appeals to us even more strongly. 
 AVe see him overpowered by this speech, weeping and 
 comforting them, acquitting them of all wrong, nobly 
 covering up their evil deed with its good consequences, 
 and finally promising to care for them and theirs as he 
 had done before his father's death. So beautiful are his 
 words a nd so n oble his behavior, Jthat children, upon 
 retlifning from iheir latner s~ grave, instead of sitting 
 upon the ground and reading Joli, might well peruse 
 this chapter of the Bible daily, and take to heart this 
 example of the magnanimity of a brother after the 
 death of his father. 
 
 "The brothers of Joseph, not Joseph himself, saw that 
 their father was dead. No change had been wrought 
 in Joseph's filial and fraternal feelings by the death of 
 his father. He, therefore, suspected no change in any 
 one else. Not so his brothers. They had given but 
 poor proof of brotherly love. Joseph might have told 
 of an instance, not exactly noble in its nature, of their 
 brotherly devotion. Later, too, when Benjamin's safety 
 was at stake, they had shown but little brotherly love 
 and solicitude. They had been distressed, and had cried 
 aloud at the thought of their father's grief, were they to 
 return without his favorite. These selfish men felt that
 
 THE DEATH OF THE FATHER. 213 
 
 the death of their father released them from irksome 
 authority, and they supposed that Joseph shared this 
 feeling with them. 
 
 One's own frame of mind is the mirror in which the 
 worhl is reflected. The man of guilt suspects every fel- 
 low-creature of wroug-doiug. The innocent sees nothing 
 but innocence about him. The blemishes that we see 
 in others are frequently only the reflections of our own 
 imperfections. 
 
 His brothers interpreted Joseph's speech and actions, 
 his silence, his omissions, in the light of their own dis- 
 trustfulness. 
 
 How often is this phenomenon repeated in life ! We 
 attril»ute impoitance to the gestures of others, read sig- 
 nificance into their words, and draw inferences from 
 their actions, and no ulterior meaning was intended. 
 All this is merely the reflection of our own souls. It 
 were well to examine carefully, whether like Joseph's 
 brothers, we have not read amiss, before we jnit an 
 unfavorable cuiistruction upon the thoughts of our fel- 
 low-men. Tlierc are many such sharp-sighted men and 
 women in the world, who know innrc about us than 
 we know ourselves. Tliey know wiiat we woidd think, 
 if we thought; wbat we would say, il" we spoke; they 
 know the purpo.sc of our actions as well its of our failure 
 to act. They know our reasons for looking to the 
 right and not to tin; left, for looking to the left and not to 
 the right, 'i'hcy pri<l(' themselves not a little upon their 
 insight, and look upon themselves as (lrMii-|)ro[)hets. 
 What a pity, all these cogitations are entirely witliout 
 rhyme or rcn-on I 
 
 "One nnist know much in order to know how little
 
 214 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 one knows." This is a well-known truth, but we limit 
 ourselves too much in its application. Usually, the 
 aphorism is understood as referring to book-learning. 
 We recognize that a person must be very learned in 
 order to know what an infinitesimal part of knowledge 
 is his own possession. But the phrase is applicable to 
 all men, not to the learned alone. Every one, no matter 
 what his station in life, must possess rich experience and 
 a goodly share of the knowledge of human nature in 
 order to understand how frequently, in spite of all wit 
 and cleverness, he may be on the false scent. 
 
 Parents themselves may be in error in regard t(j their 
 children and their children's futures. How harshly 
 Jacob spoke of Simeon and Levi, and how mistaken he 
 was about Levi. In the blessing of Moses, the tribe of 
 Levi was lauded in the highest terms, and throughout 
 many hundreds of years, the position of its members was 
 the most sacred and the most influential in Israel. 
 Ephraini, who was preferred to his brother, and blessed 
 with Jacob's right hand, turned out to be a destructive 
 element in Israel. 
 
 Two persons may dwell side by side in the marriage 
 relation, growing old and gray, without ever sounding 
 each other's hearts to their very depths. Most of our 
 knowledge of the soul-life of our fellow- man, upon which 
 we so pride ourselves, is like the acquaintance of Joseph's 
 brothers with his thoughts and emotions. They imagined 
 that they understood their brother, and tliey thought 
 that they would make use of this knowledge l)y very 
 delicate and clever means. "They sent word unto 
 Joseph." They invented a speech, and had it reported 
 as spoken by their father upon his death-bed. They
 
 THE DEATH OF THE FATHER. 215 
 
 ♦ then came to Joseph, tlirew themselves clown before 
 him contritely, and offered themselves to him as servants. 
 Then Joseph confronted them in his innocence, and it 
 became clear to them that they had been on the false 
 scent. This is an every-day occurrence, which, perhaps, 
 -^ does not always strike us so forcibly as in the Scri})tural 
 narrative al)out the children of Jacob. 
 
 Finally, the narrative teaches the effects of an evil 
 conscience. Joseph could forgive his brothers, and they 
 could thus escape punishment for their evil deed. Con-: 
 science, however, is not a merciful, noble-hearted brother, 
 but an inexorable judge. An evil conscience gnaws 
 ceaselessly at man's heart-strings ; an evil conscience is 
 his companion at bed and board. 
 
 Forty years had passed since their brother had been 
 Hold. Joseph's kindness and tenderness, his forgiveness 
 of tlieir deed, had not been a])le to lay this perturbed 
 spirit of conscience, and these forty years had been pow- 
 erless to still the ui)l)raidiiig voice, penetrating to the 
 very marrow of their bones. 
 
 O that after tlie father's eyes arc closed uj)on this 
 world, it could never be noticed in the relations of the 
 family circle that the head of the house, he who during 
 his life kept all together, is dead ! May li('l|)less orphans, 
 upon returning from tiu; burial of (licii- father, never 
 want for a brother like .l<)S('])li, who will take upon 
 himself the l»'ad<'r>liip of the family, and keep its mem- 
 bers unitcfl, HO that it may not be xecn that the father 
 hsm passed away !
 
 GRATITUDE. 
 
 K.\. VIII. 
 
 In regard to the first three plagues recorded in the 
 Holy Scriptures, we are told distinctly that they were to 
 be brought upon the land by Aaron. In allusion to 
 this, our sages observe: "In the water of the river, 
 Moses found shelter when a child, and the earth covered 
 the Egyptian whom he had killed. It would have 
 seemed ungrateful if, unmindful of their good offices, 
 he had smitten the earth and the water with his 
 staff." Such reflections of our sages must not be taken 
 literally as explanations. In their intense admiration 
 for the Holy Scriptures, they like to read all good and 
 noble thoughts into them, or to give these thoughts to us 
 as drawn from this favorite source. In the case under 
 discussion, they want to impress upon us the excellence 
 of gratitude, and tliey maintain that in the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, they find it advocated l)y God, and practised l)y 
 Moses to its utmost consequences. A man must not 
 injure even the earth or the water that has been of ser- 
 vice to him. The thought ha.s, indeed, passed into a 
 proverb, "In einen Brunnen, aus dem man getrunken, 
 mil man keinen Stein werjen." (Into a well, from which 
 one has drawn water, one should not throw stones.) 
 
 Gratitude is a virtue that apparently reaps no reward, 
 while its opposite, ingratitude, seems much more profit- 
 able. One may be ungrateful, and yet remain well, 
 
 216
 
 GRATITUDE. 217 
 
 prosper, grow rich, and attain a good old age. A man 
 may fail to return thanks for all that he is and possesses ; 
 no earthly judge can arraign him on this charge. 
 
 Gratitude, indeed, may cost man dear, may lead him 
 through lire and water, and demand sacrifice after sacri- 
 fice on his part. No wonder, then, that we see this virtue 
 so frequently neglected. 
 
 The ungrateful man, like a dishonest debtor, repu- 
 diates his debt. The benefit is forgotten, or its value 
 minimized in the eyes of the debtor, and held unworthy 
 of any special thanks, or he looks upon it as an atten- 
 ti(jn due him. If the beneficiary does renieml»cr the 
 favor, and acknowledges it as such, he seeks to attribute it 
 ti> selfish motives on tlie part of the l)encfact()r. Finally, 
 as the benefit is underestinuitod, the retui'u that he makes 
 for it is overestimated ; he holds that he has fully made 
 good his indebtedness. 
 
 What is the nature of gratitude? How must it first 
 manifest itself? When may it cease to be active? A 
 generous acknowlcdgiiicnt of favors received constitutes 
 the first clement *>i' gratitude. The Hebrew language has 
 no equivalent for f)ur word "thank." Where we use 
 lliitnk.<, tlif Ilclircw speaks of min, acknowledgnicnl, 
 rrcofjnUioii. "[h unjN D'ln means not " we. thank ihcc," 
 but " we acknowledge thee," " we recognize thee." Upon 
 making the tiiank-ollering of the first fruits, the farmer 
 did not sav, " I rcfturn thanks," but " 1 acknowledge this 
 flay before the Lord, that 1 am come, into tiie land which 
 the Lonl swore unto our fathers to give to us." When 
 Achan sinned, Joshua di nianded a "confession" from 
 iiim, using for ruiifisaiini the same word mm Msiuiliy 
 translate)! iiv I Imu /,:■<.
 
 218 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 And where may gratitude end ? Only with the end 
 of the debtor himself. A man ought never to allow 
 himself to forget another's kindness towards him, nor 
 believe that the act of benevolence has been fully repaid 
 with a favor done the benefactor in return. Not alone 
 should a man be ever thankful to the benefactor him- 
 self, but towards the latter's children, who may survive 
 him, should he show his gratitude. He should say 
 to himself, " This man's parents treated me in a most 
 friendly manner; he shall reap the fruit of their kind- 
 ness." A noble nature rather over- than wuc^ej-estimates 
 the value of benefactions received ; if it underestimates 
 anything, it is its own return for kindnesses. The con- 
 sciousness of an obligation is not a burden on the spirit 
 of the grateful man ; he rather finds pleasure in it from 
 the assurance which his experience has given him that 
 there are good men on earth, that the world is not so 
 black as it is painted. The grateful man does not feel 
 his indebtedness limited to the benefactor, but looks 
 upon it as extending to all with whom he may come in 
 contact. It prompts him to reason thus: "I have 
 received benefits, I have been shown nmch kindness. 
 Let me be equally friendly, whenever the opportunity 
 presents itself. My fellow-man extended a helping- 
 liand to me, when I was in distress, and it was pleasant 
 to me. I now feel called upon not to hold back when I 
 see others in trouble." 
 
 And as in your relations to individuals, so let it be 
 with associations and congregations, with nations and 
 countries. Whoever has dwelt under the protection of 
 a community, and enjoyed its benefits, ought never to 
 forget it. Even if he experience unkindness at its
 
 GRATITUDE. 219 
 
 hands, the memory of the good tliat he has enjoyed 
 ought, nevertheless, not to pass from his mind. In 
 regard to such circumstances, the Holy Scriptures 
 declare, most clearly and emphatically : " Thou shalt 
 not abhor an Egyptian ; because thou wa.st a stranger 
 in his land." In spite of the injustice that Israel had 
 suttered, it was still not to forget that it had learned 
 many useful things from the Egyptians ; that it luul 
 dwelt in the land of Egypt. Israel was never to return 
 to Egypt, the land of its oppression, but whenever the 
 people might come in contact with an. Egyptian, they 
 were to treat him with kindness. 
 
 AVith every kindness that is shown us, every sacrifice 
 made for our sake, every gift that wc receive, we thus 
 take upon (nirselves a life-long obligation ; grateful 
 natures, therefore, are reluctant to make use of the kind- 
 ness of others, wlien not absolutely unavoidable. The 
 ungrateful nuui is like the thoughtless borrower, who 
 makes use of all his credit; the payment of his debts 
 does not trouble liiiii. The ungrateful nuxn lightly says, 
 " I thank you," and, thereupon, considers his obligation 
 discharged. The grateful man, on the <»ther hand, is like 
 the hone-st merchant, who has an aversion to making 
 debts if he has not money sufficient at his disposal to 
 cover the del)t. 
 
 (Iratitude is scarcely a virtue; it is rather an endow- 
 ment of nature. ICven beiu-^t'^ know gratitude. Isaiah. 
 in rei)roafliing Israel with ingratiturle towards his ( !od, 
 says: "The ox knowelli his owner, and the uss his 
 master's crib." 
 
 Indeed, in uneivilized man, in savages, we find it most 
 strongly devel<;i)i-d. Civilization refines the coarseness
 
 220 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 of nature. In this refining process, however, many valu- 
 able, natural qualities are lost, among them gratitude. 
 A cultured man, in the ordinary sense of the term, has 
 not, by reason of his culture, gained in the power of grati- 
 tude ; he is rather deficient in the development of this 
 endowment. We find a deeper sense of gratitude in the 
 wigwam, in the home of the unassuming citizen or 
 farmer, than in the palaces of the great. 
 
 Nature has arranged that gratitude shall be the first 
 subject of man's instruction in the school of life. On 
 the very first day of our existence, we receive more bene- 
 fits than we can repay in a whole lifetime. At best, a 
 child may discharge the interest of its debt by means 
 of life-long devotion, love, obedience and reverence to 
 its benefactors, namely, its parents. Upon the first day 
 of man's existence as a suckling, follow the days and 
 years of the helplessness of childhood, days and years of 
 boundless devotion on the part of his parents. This is the 
 school in which nature teaches man to know gratitude. 
 As the pupil, who learns to know his " Keader " well, 
 ai)plies his knowledge outside of the school-room, and 
 reads other books, so he that has learnt to be grateful 
 in the school of parental care and devotion, will be im- 
 pelled to practise gratitude in other spheres of life. 
 
 So, too, the good citizen of the United States will 
 never forget that France extended a helping hand to 
 his country in its struggle for existence, and Isi-ael will 
 always retain a friendly feeling for Holland — the first 
 modern state to permit Israel to lead a human existence.
 
 RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION. 
 
 Ex. XXXII. 
 
 How bitter iiiu.<t liiive been the feelings of Moses, as 
 he passed down from Blount Sinai into the camp of the 
 Israelites! His people had been delivered from slavery, 
 and deemed worthy of a divine revelation. The ten 
 commandments had laid the foundation of a new social 
 and religious order. Forty day.s and nights had Moses 
 passed upon the mountain-top in spiritual activity, rear- 
 ing, with the divine aid, upon this foundation, the struc- ^ 
 ture of Israel's Law. Finally, the system stood before ^ 
 his mental vi.sion, complete in every detail. Law and — ■ 
 law-giver alike were prepared tur their work. The 
 chosen people of the future stood, at the foot of the 
 mountain, awaiting iiis return. 
 
 - The forty days and nights of the isohition of Moses 
 had not been pas.<ed only in a literal scn.se upon a 
 mountain-top; in imagination, M(».«es luid reached the 
 summit of his ho|K;.s. Sud(leiil\ t lie call eanie to liini: 
 " Hescend from the height of idealism. I'ar, I'ar licluw 
 you lies iiideous reality. Think no more of the |iroud - 
 strueture which you fondly lio|ied to rear, lor the very 
 foundaiion is sunken. 'I'lie soiuid of the first word of - "^ 
 the e(;nnnandm('nt has died away among your jKiople."' s ■" 
 ^Thc descent «»f Moses from Mount Sinai and his re^ 
 turn to the canip nuiy most aptly be characterized by 
 
 221
 
 ^l 
 
 222 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 (the German phrase, " vovi Hhnmel gejallen ;"* truly h^ 
 \w.had fallen from the heaven of his hopes and ideals. 
 Nevertheless, he took with him the tables of stone, and 
 
 —^ surely not for the purpose of destroying them. "^ He had -• 
 
 heard the evil news, and it pierced his very soul, but he 
 had not yet )<een what had occurred ; his heart was sad- 
 . — dened within him, but the dreadful tidings had not be- 
 numbed his reason, j^hus Moses moved towards the ~- 
 camp with troubled soul, but calm and deliberate of 
 — ^ mind.. '^ In his conversation with Joshua concerning the 
 meaning of the noise in the camp, he found it impossible 
 to tell his companion openly of that which he knew had 
 v.«^happened. "^ When, however, he saw before his eyes the 
 evidence of the miserable backsliding of the people, the 
 full consciousness of the Avreck of his life's work broke 
 in upon him. His wrath flared up in him, and the tables 
 of stone, testifying to his people's mission, lay shattered 
 — -^at his feet.^" 
 worthless. 
 
 He who, 
 away before his eyes, or who, teaching in the fond belief 
 that he is training a comuuinity of wise and good men, 
 finds that his scholars are brutes and fools; whoever has 
 lived in the sweet dream of having established a new 
 order of truth and light, of love and justice, and awakes 
 to find the old misery, the old error, the same darkness 
 of the sj)irit as of old — he, indeed, will not censure the 
 faithful servant of the Lord for his loss of self-control, 
 nor chide him for acting like an ordinary mortal, and 
 breaking even the most precious possession of his house 
 in the moment of anger. 
 \ / I I '/An idiomatic expression for keen and sudden disappointment— [Tr.]
 
 RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION. 22c 
 
 lutely / 
 
 His was holy wrath ! 
 
 Nothing in this world is absolutely good or absolutely, 
 bad. Wheat, the bread-giver, is but a weed, if it grow 
 in an inappropriate spot, while the deadly nightshade 
 may, under certain circumstances, prove a precious plant. 
 80, too, wise deliberation, and so, powerful wrath, dread- 
 ful to see and destructive in its effects ; respectively, they 
 are n ot absolutely good, not absolutely bad^ The con-- 
 duct of Aaron is a ca.se in point. ^ He beheld the stream 
 of evil running ever higher. He saw that it threatened 
 to break through all the dikes set up to resist its course. 
 He carefully and prudently considered how useless it 
 would be for him to attempt to stem this wild current 
 of opposition. The flood-gates were broken down, and 
 through them theral^ljle jjoured in an unchecked stream, 
 leaving destruction in its wake. Aaron comforted him- 
 self, as any cool, deliberate man might do, with the 
 reflecti(jii that tiie catastrophe was inevitable. WIumi 
 called to account by Moses, he said to him : " Thou 
 knowest the peoj)U', that it is bent on mischief," meaning, 
 " I could not prevent them from carrying out their wishes. 
 Opposition, on my ])art, would have cost me my life." 
 Thus is Aaron represented to us in tiiis narrative, a reed 
 lunding before the storm, a sheep fleeing from wolves. 
 
 Wliat a contract to tlit; behavior of Moses! In his 
 righteous indigiialion, hi; stijrnuMl into the very midst oi" 
 I he intoxiciited mjisses, dashing the tal)les of stone into 
 |>ioce8 before their eyes, and seizing their god, he ground 
 him into j)oNvder. The imiltitude gath( nil aliuui ihc 
 calfs<.'attcred in utfright. i/Moses (Tcsputchcfl tlic Levite.s 
 
 U) seize the rmgleadei'isof rebellion, and tlie blo(«l of 
 three thousand of tlicm was poured out on the desert
 
 224 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 sands. Order Avas restored in the camp. Such was the 
 work of wratli, fanned into a flame by the spirit of holi- 
 ness. In considering another Biblical section, we had 
 occasion to remark that cursing, a universal practice in 
 ancient times, was gradually vanishing with the spread 
 of culture ; so, too, with anger. As civilization pro- 
 gresses, calm deliberation gradually takes the place of 
 passionate action, and especially does it supplant wrath 
 as a method of adjusting a difficulty. A cultured man 
 of our day is as ashamed of manifesting anger as of 
 swearing. Persons of intelligence discuss and argue 
 questions of state, of the congregation, of the family, 
 of business, etc., without passion. They fight with argu- 
 ments, but not with venom and blood. The uncultured, 
 on the other hand, in their intercourse with their fellow- 
 man, are ever on the verge of a crater. From its mouth, 
 the fire of wrath may burst forth at any moment. 
 
 It must, in justice, be said of the citizens of our coun- 
 try that outbursts of passionate wrath are less frequent 
 among them than in any other nation of the earth. 
 They act with prudence and deliberation in cases in 
 which others employ violent means to secure their ends. 
 The American may even conunit murder, or wreak 
 bloody revenge without ceasing to be a gentleman in 
 outward bearing. But it must not be overlooked that 
 there is a dark side to this decline of violent pas- 
 sion. Crimes that arouse the righteous indignation 
 of all good people of other lands are here disj)osed of 
 with the utmost coolness by people and judge alike. 
 As evil counses lose the shame formerly attached to 
 them, indignation and stern justice also decline. Crimes 
 do not bring dishonor to the offender ; they are simply
 
 RIGHTEOUS I>'DIGNATION. 225 
 
 "settled," to use a common phrase. When brought 
 before a judge they are adjusted, and pai-dou may be 
 granted if sentence of condemnation be jDassed. 
 
 Our sages tell us the story that, in view of the havoc 
 wrought by passion in the moral world, the evil genius 
 was pursued, and finally driven into an iron cage, and 
 the cage was carefully locked. Soon, however, it 
 became evident that it was impossible for the world 
 to exist without passion, and so passion was again 
 set at liberty, but was first blinded so that it should 
 no longer choose for itself a path of destruction, but 
 would be constrained to act as a slave to the moral 
 nature. 
 
 Pre-eminent goodness, truth and beauty are always 
 the offspring of pa.ssion. Deliberation and careful 
 thought do not fall into error easily, but, on the other 
 hand, tliey lack the creative power which alone can 
 rai.se actions above the level of the commonplace, nor 
 can they boast the power of self-sacrifice, the inevitable 
 price of grcatncs-s. 
 
 How excellent is a little righteous indignation in 
 many of the afiairs of life, the less inijiortant :us well as 
 those of greater moment ! For example, if parents 
 were always to take all possible, mitigating circum- 
 stances into consideration in their dealings with their 
 children, they would in each ca.se overlook the fauh, 
 ever excusing it and delaying ])unishmen(. Forbear- 
 ance is a cfjnvenient virtue, and one aj»j)caliiig with 
 force to a parent's feelings. Fortunately, Imwever, 
 fathers and nKithcrs jiro now and again, to the great 
 advantage of their children, filled with righteous indig- 
 nation, and the children, in turn, under the inspiration 
 
 16
 
 226 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 of wholesome respect, for once are made to feel the value 
 of a serious education. 
 
 So, too, husband and wife, holding the sanctity of the 
 marriage bond at its true worth, forbear to speak of each 
 other's weaknesses ; they go on their way without im- 
 proving, and their mutual respect weakens in proportion 
 to tlie strength of their failings. Suddenly, one or the 
 other is filled with righteous indignation ; involuntarily 
 a word of censure is dropt, which, severely as it may 
 smart, is salutary in effect. 
 
 A thunder-burst of righteous indignation might occa- 
 sionally be of good service in clearing the air in the 
 legislative halls of state and connnunity, where excessive 
 cleverness and hair-splitting debate so frequently hinder 
 healthy progress. 
 
 Let us imagine Moses entering one of our synagogues. 
 His eye would light upon the memorial tables, which 
 usually occupy so prominent a place in our houses of 
 worship, and he would ask one of the many Israelitish 
 children present, probably a non-attendant or an irregu- 
 lar attendant at the religious school — if, indeed, a school 
 exists — " Do you know the ten commandments ? Can 
 you read the words inscribed upon that tablet ? Do 
 you know the name of the first letter?" " No .'" would 
 be the answer to each question. I believe the spirit of 
 his ancient, holy wrath would overcome him, and once 
 more he would dash the tables of stone into fragments ! 
 
 We no longer kn(jw righteous indignation in such 
 matters. Civilization tames men and ennobles human 
 nature. We see and hear much that is displeasing to 
 us without giving way to ungovernable wrath. Blessed 
 be this achievement of true culture ! It is well for us
 
 RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION. 227 
 
 not to allow our wrath constautly to grow hot within 
 ii.«. Temper its fire with reason. Nevertheless, it might 
 also be well for us to preserve in our souls the capacity 
 for righteous indignation, so that we may know whether 
 there glows on the altars of our hearts a spark of rever- 
 ence and love for truth, morality and the religion of our 
 fathers; a spark live enougli to l)e fanned into a flame, 
 should danger threaten the most precious of human 
 possessions.
 
 THE SABBATH. 
 
 " Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to 
 you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord ; whosoever doth 
 work thereon shall be put to death."— Ex. XXXV : 2. 
 
 Cosmogonies, even older than that of Israel, were cur- 
 rent among the heathen nations ; but in character and 
 contents, they differ entirely from the Mosaic narrative. 
 They begin with the creation of the gods ; they relate 
 how one deity produced another ; how the gods multi- 
 jilied ; how they formed ranks and classes ; how they fought 
 with one another, and still continue to do so, while the 
 world and what it contains are mentioned only incident- 
 ally as parts of creation. The Mosaic narrative, on 
 the other hand, unrolls a picture of the creation of the 
 heavenly bodies, of minerals, plants, animals, and finally 
 of man, but no superhuman elements are introduced into 
 the story, " In the beginning " the one, uncreated God 
 stands alone in awful majesty, and when the work is 
 finished, God is still the Only One, with the Sabbath as 
 a witness of the completion of the work of creation. 
 Thus, no opportunity is left for the idolatrous imagina- 
 tion to fill out details. The celebration of the Sabbath 
 on the seventh day of the week proclaims to the world 
 D'nbx I'x n;'^3:3i jnnx 'jxi jib?n-i 'jn " I am the first, 
 and I am the last, and besides me there is no God." 
 It matters not what objections may be urged against 
 the theory of the creation of the world in six days ; it 
 
 228
 
 I'HE SABBATH, 229 
 
 is immaterial whether these days denote indefinite 
 periods of time, or do not admit of literal interpretation; 
 the essential point in the narrative is the exhaustive 
 enumeration of created objects, in which there is no 
 mention of any being higher than man, neither gods 
 nor spirits. "Before the world was brought forth," 
 there was but one God, and when the work of creation 
 wtts finished, our God was still the Only One. The KSab- 
 bath is, therefore, mentioned in connection with the 
 story of creation as the "sign forever " between God and 
 Israel. As the seventh day Sabbath is the expression 
 of Israel's belief in one God, so it also serves to empha- 
 size another fundamental idea of Israel's religion, the 
 idea of man in the noblest sense of the term. In the 
 repetition of the ten commandments in the fifth book 
 of Moses, we read that the Sabbath is to serve as a mem- 
 orial of the deliverance from Egyptian slavery, for a 
 slave cannot make a Sabbath for himself; he cannot say, 
 " I require rest ; to-day, I will cease from work ;" or, 
 "To-day, I will occupy my mind with other thoughts 
 than of my daily occupations." Day and night, whotiier 
 physically fresh and vigorous, or worn out witli toil, he 
 mu.xt be ready to do his nnvster's bidding. In ceasing 
 from labor regularly on one day of each week, on the 
 other hand, we testify to our right to make what disposi- 
 tion we will of ourselves, and to our liberty and ecpnility 
 in all human rights and privileges. To-day, we do not 
 stand alone in the enjoyment of this privilege, all civil- 
 ized nations share it with us, and, in a short time, we 
 may look for the complete disappearance of slavery as a 
 condition recognized and allowed by law. But at the 
 time of the promulgation of the Sinaitic code, and, in-
 
 230 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 deed, for tliousands of years after that day, even down 
 to our own times, slavery and serfdom were considered 
 natural conditions throughout the world. The horrors 
 of bondage among the Greeks and Romans can scarcely 
 be adequately described. Serfs were no better than 
 beasts in tlie eyes of their masters. Condenuiation to 
 slavery was scarcely preferable to sentence of death, for 
 the slave belonged to his master, body and soul. Neither 
 can the free men of those times be considered men in 
 the best sense of the word. In Rome, there were Ro- 
 mans ; in Athens, Athenians ; the rest of mankind were 
 barbarians, helots and provincials. Even the Roman 
 was not a man with all a man's rights and privileges, for 
 his rank determined his condition. He was patrician or 
 plebeian, patron or client. As a patrician, he was 
 more than an ordinary man ; as a plebeian, his rights 
 and privileges were less than those becoming a human 
 being. It is true, in the course of the year, the slaves 
 enjoyed some days of privilege, on which their masters 
 waited on them ; but those days were marked by all 
 manner of outrageous proceedings, of debauchery and 
 immorality. There was no thought of so great a privi- 
 lege for the slave as a fixed, weekly day of rest. The 
 word humanity, in our day, is on the lips of every one. 
 The term is Latin in derivation, but its import is Israel- 
 itish, and the Sabljath is the upholder of this idea, as it 
 is the foundation upon which rests the belief in God. 
 
 The rabbinical conception of Judaism, in this as in 
 other instances, shows a degeneration from the Mosaic 
 idea. Among the prayers of thanksgiving in the daily 
 service the rabbis iucluded these three : thanks for 
 having been created an Israelite, for not having been
 
 THE SABBATH. • 231 
 
 created a slave, and not a ^vomau. According to the 
 Mosaic idea, however, he that is born an Israelite cannot 
 be a slave ; indeed, it is hardly proper to refer to slavery 
 in a prayer, and thus apparently recognize it as a divine 
 institution. Here, as elsewhere, we cannot fail to observe 
 the influence of heathen schools upon Jewish thought. 
 It is told of Thales, one of the seven "Wise Men, that he, 
 too, daily returned thanks to the gods for having been 
 born a Greek, a man, and free. Judaism has, at all 
 times, suffered in health from the effects of the spiritual 
 draughts blowing upon it from without. 
 
 Examples are not wanting in daily life of men of 
 great wealth, who, seeing deserved or undeserved finan- 
 cial ruin impending, .seek help in vain far and wide 
 among strangers, and, to their surprise, succeed in find- 
 ing the much needed succor close at hand. The wise 
 woman of the household had quietly laid aside somewhat 
 of their abundance in the days of good fortune, and so 
 helf)ed to save the home in the hour of danger. 
 
 We dare not close our eyes to our critical position in 
 regard to the seventh day Sabbath, as far as the youths 
 and men in Israel are concerned. The Jew, formerly so 
 rich in Sabbatlis and festivals, now finds himself utterly 
 destitute of floly Days, or sees the time fa.st coming, 
 when he will he stript of these j)recious possessions. 
 If the Habbutli were naught l)ut a day of physical 
 rest, its sole aim to afford the wearied l)ody an oppor- 
 tunity for repose, then, indeed, tlie first day of the 
 week might .serve in its place. The rrsf of the Sabbath 
 day is, however, merely a means to a higher end. The 
 Sabbatli is the pilhir upon whicli rests our belief in one 
 God and the l»rotherlio(Ml of niiin, witli all the blessed
 
 232 . SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 consequences resulting from such a doctrine. The Sab- 
 bath is our dogma, our confession of faith, declaring 
 D'nbx j'N 'n^'S^oi jnnx ':ni \wh^ 'JN, " I am the first, and 
 I am the last, and besides me there is no God," while 
 the celebration of the first day of the week proclaims a 
 directly opposite belief. We will not cease to hope for 
 a better condition of affairs among the men in Israel. 
 AVe believe that a crisis has been reached, not that the 
 Sabbath is lost to us forever. ' 
 
 In the meantime, it is the duty of the women in Israel 
 to stand before the breach, carefully fostering the Sab- 
 baths and festivals, just as they wait patiently, keeping 
 the table ever ready against the return of father and sou 
 belated on their homeward way. Give the Sabbath a 
 friendly welcome in your pleasant homes. Set a good 
 example to your growing sons and daughters. Leave 
 your shopping and your business affairs to be attended 
 to on other days of the week. Let your spotless homes in 
 festal garb, by the air of peace and happiness pervading 
 them, proclaim to the visitor : " This is the Sabbath day ! 
 Here the Sabbath reigns even though the clamor of 
 every-day life resounds without these walls!" Let the 
 Sabbath in the home show father and sons, when they 
 return from their work-a-day occupations, that the Sab- 
 bath is neither lost nor abandoned, though they them- 
 selves are passing through the Sabbath crisis of our day. 
 
 Long ago, the women in Israel gave up their jewels 
 and even their mirrors for the equipment of the sanctu- 
 ary in the desert. Now, oh women ! Save that day 
 which is even more precious than the tabernacle of the 
 congregation of Israel ! Save it by taking it under your 
 special protection ! •
 
 THE SABBATH. 233 
 
 Rabbi Me'ir was the author of the infelicitous bene- 
 diction, " Praised be thou, Lord ! who hast not made 
 me a woman." If his spirit, sixteen hundred years after 
 his demise, could look down from the heavenly heights, 
 upon our time and circumstances, he would say, " Praised 
 be thou, O Lord ! who hast created women that they 
 may arise to preserve the sanctuary of Israel in the hour 
 of danger!"
 
 MOSES AND HIS MISSION. 
 
 Lev. 1:1. 
 
 Shortly after the exodus from Egypt, Israel erected a 
 common sanctuary, expending upon it energy and treas- 
 ure in proportion to the means at its disposal. The 
 people brought ^old and silver and other costly material 
 for the building and its ornamentation. The nobles 
 contributed jewels of great price. Bezalel and his asso- 
 ciates bent their strength and skill to the work. The 
 women made perhaps the greatest sacrifice of all— they 
 surrendered their mirrors of burnished bronze. 
 
 What did Moses contribute to the sacred cause ? 
 
 fn the Proverbs of Solomon, we read, " There is gold, 
 and a multitude of jewels ; but a precious vessel are the 
 lips of knowledge])' This verse suggests the following to 
 our sages : " Gold was brought by the people, and pearls 
 the princes gave ; but who brought the most precious 
 'vessel ?'N\Ioses, we are told, gazed sadly upon the com- 
 pleted sanctuary, and said, ' Every one has contributed 
 his share. I, alone, have come with empty hands.' God, 
 therefore, comforted him, saying, ' Thy word is the gift 
 most pleasing in my sight, f Among all these men, thou 
 alone wilt Ije called.' Therefore, the Bible says, ' The 
 I>ord called unto INIoses, and spoke unto him.' " 
 
 The tabernacle was completed with its ricli, golden 
 ornaments. Upon the breast and shoulders of the high- 
 
 234
 
 MOSES AND HIS MISSION. 235 
 
 priest flashed the jewelled wealth of kingdoms. The 
 
 sacrificial service was in full progress ; the inceuse 
 
 cended from the sanctuary in fragrant clouds. The 
 
 people filled the space set aside for them, feasting their 
 
 eyes upon the result of their laboi*s, and giving gener- 
 ous praise to all whose material aid or artistic skill 
 had assisted in the completion of the sanctuary.* But-- — 
 no voice had as yet come from on high to set the seal of 
 divine aj)j)roval upon the work. Finally, the call came, c^ 
 y.-^p — «r "He called unto Moses." From among all the people,^ 
 he alone was called. For without ]\Ioses' share in the 
 work, the tabernacle and its service, with all its i)()mp 
 and show, would have been without purpose. • If the — -t^ 
 spirit of Moses dwell therein,* even an humble house 
 may be a glorious sanctuary^while an Israelitish temple, 
 to which the Law and the spirit of Moses are strangers,- ^ 
 even though it be decked witli purple and set upon 
 beams of gold, is naught but a Monument to pride and 
 . _ -6>-^ vainglory, w It matters not how solemn the chant of the 
 service, nor how much a{)parent devotion and exalta- 
 tion mark the progress of the prayers, it is all a mere 
 
 _. form,, if the call be not heard in the sanctuary, the call 
 
 unto Moses. ^ -" — ^ —^ 
 
 The references to the construction (tf (lie taberiKidc 
 ^ and the services hclil in it are dC importance to us 
 ■vHn our da> 
 
 r^ 
 
 ^ _ 4pJjn our day.y| It is'not the width of the street, nor tiie^ 
 imposing size and magnirn-ciice of the structure, and 
 tii(! elegant decoration of tlie interior^ nor yet the melo- 
 dious ehoir, the majestic peal of the organ, and the 
 flignified behavior of tiie worshijjpcrs that can make our 
 synagogues what they ought to lie. /rs'either can the 
 'zc and thickness of tlie pniyer-books compa.«s tliis end.j 
 
 81 >
 
 236 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 "**" The true spirit cau be measured only by tbe reverence 
 paid to Moses and his Law on the lips bf the teachers^ 
 ■—^ and in the hearts of the attendants, ifrhrough a newly 
 completed sanctuary must resound the call detei'mining 
 its worth and purpose, the Lord calling " unto Moses." 
 In every Israelitish house of worship there is at least 
 one copy of the written Law of Moses, and long or short 
 portions are recited in the course of the service. But 
 when God " calls " for Moses and his Law, he does not 
 want the mere sound of the word, void of all life and in- 
 telligence, but the animating thought, the living soul of 
 the Law. rXhe soul receives no inspiration from the 
 hasty recitaTof the Torah, and that in a language unin- 
 
 1 .telligible to many in the audiency. If the only source --< 
 
 ' ^of Israel's knowledge of the Law be thepeekly instruc- 
 * >^ion — if such it can be called — received on the Sabbath 
 
 «,^' 'oa^ then, indeed, may Moses ask, in sadness : " What 
 has been my share in the erection of the sanctuary?" 
 
 -*— «ar It is the duty of every Israelite to familiarize himself 
 with the Law of Moses in word and import while he is 
 young, nor should he cease from its study in old age. * 
 ^iid if he that occujiies the pulpit likewise considers it 
 ms duty to aid in spreading " knowledge and understand- 
 ing" of the Law, then we may hope to have sympathy 
 and intelligence accompany the reading of the Torah. 
 The call unto Moses, which is of so great a significance 
 in our sanctuaries, does not merely mean an intimate 
 acquaintance with his Law ; it also requires a consider- 
 ation of the qualities which fitted ^Nloses for his life-work 
 — to be a law-giver unto Israel, and in many respects, a 
 standard for all civilized nations. 
 
 Moses was eighty years old, and as yet there was no
 
 MOSES AND HIS MISSION. 237 
 
 To rah, although, previous to this time, the call of God 
 had come to him in Egypt. In that day, there was 
 no trace of the mass of learning which a theological 
 student of our time is expected to acquire. The Bible 
 did not exist, still less was there any thought of a Tal- 
 mud. Moses had absorbed the learning of the time, 
 and, through thought and experience, had acquired 
 much knowledge of the world and its ways. Such was 
 Moses as God found him — not a theologian, but a man, . 
 qualified to proclaim his commandments, and worthy/ 
 v^ ' of the task, and the " Lord called unto him." x-^-"- — 
 
 f f ^ C When God calls for Moses in the sanctuaries devoted 
 to his service/lie does not want the theologian Closes, / 
 
 ftounding, both in his praise and in his censure, in his^1\ 
 lentation and in his rejoicing, a narrow Judaisnij*/ 
 wants the Moses pictured to us in the Bible^the man — 
 of energy, rich in knowledge of man and the world,, 
 whose mind encompasses the whole of life and under- 
 stands it ; who does not forget God in his attention to 
 wcjrldly matters,iiior does he ignore the earth while 
 reflecting upcju tliegreatness of his Maker. 
 
 Finally, the call for Moses docs not enjoin upon us 
 merely an intimate acquaintance with the Law and tlie 
 wisdom therein contaim-d. Of equal importance is the 
 question, " What testimony do we bear to his l>aw and 
 hi.s example in our daily lives ?'^ 
 '^r_ '^Wliile occupying an exalted position in IOgyj)t,(Mos5^ 
 ri.-ked his lil(! f(jr the sake of his helpless brethreru 
 M-A Even when a fugitive, an inner voice compelled liini to 
 aid those suffering grievous wrongs to obtain justice.** 
 Advanced in ycar3,jhc took upon himself the liberation 
 and the leadership of his unhappy |iroplo. /The forty
 
 238 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 (lays and nights passed on the mountain-top were surely 
 not spent in feasting. This is the lesson of this inci- 
 dent in the life of Moses, as narrated in the Bible ; in 
 the execution of his divine appointed task, the aged 
 man denied himself many physical comforts, devoting 
 himself wholly to the service of divine truth and tlie 
 salvation of his people.T» Tireless energy was united in 
 "f^fAiim with unparalleled modesty and inexhaustible pa- 
 tience, and therefore God called unto him. 
 >- And similarly the call resounds through our syna- 
 gogues ; the call for men willing and able to aid those 
 to obtain justice that suffer wrongfully ; the call for men 
 to devote themselves to the service of the community, to 
 advance the welfare of others in the uarro^A' or wide 
 spheres in which they may be called upon to labor. 
 
 b^^
 
 OFFERING AND SACRIFICE. 
 
 "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any one of 
 you wish to bring an offering unto the Lord : of the cattle, either of 
 the herds, or of the flocks, shall ye bring your oflfering"— Lev. I : 2. 
 "S pip DD:0 3'"\p' O DIN 
 
 This passage, if translated in the order in which the 
 words occur in Hebrew, would read : "A man that ofters 
 of you a sacrifice unto the Lord." According to the 
 «e;(.-<e of the verse, it ought to read, "S py yyD DDO DiN 
 "Any one of you that brings an offering unto tlie Lord." 
 
 Many interprctaticnis have been put upon this text by 
 the (jld Bible students, but not one of them is entirely sat- 
 isfactory. In our morning's discourse, let us attemj)t to 
 find a more pleasing interpretation of these verses. 
 
 In the pa.s.sage, DDO, "of you," nuist be emphasized. 
 If a man wishes to bring a true sacrifice to CJod, he 
 nuist put a part (jf himself into the oliering. A gift, 
 whose bestowal does not demand any self-denial on tlu' 
 part of the giver, though it may be good in itself, l>y 
 virtue of its application to ;i worthy cause, is, neverthe- 
 less, flo far as the giver is concerned, not a sacrifice. 
 Physical aid. n-iidcred without <'H'ort, but at an oppor- 
 tune moment, may j)n»v(! a m<ist grateful help, a true 
 service, but can lay no claim to the distinction of sacri- 
 fice ; it is not DDO, "of you," a j)art of your rgn. So a 
 iiiiiii iiiMV liiiii;^^ an offering to (he 'ICinple, ;nid lliini< 
 that he has lirought a sacrifice. Tiie sacrilicial animal 
 
 239
 
 240 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 may bleed before the altar, or lie smoking upon it ; it 
 is, nevertheless, but a gift, not a sacrifice, and, in this 
 instance, a useless one. You must bring a part of your- 
 self with your offering, your heart and soul must be in 
 it, if it is to be a true sacrifice. This, alone, constituted 
 the worth of the sacrificial service at the altar, and upon 
 this idea, the prophets ever laid great stress. A pious 
 heart and noble intentions must accompany the sacrifice. 
 The offering is not an end in itself. It is not food for 
 the gods, as the heathen believe, but the expression of a 
 pious, god-fearing frame of mind, beneficent in its moral 
 effect upon the giver himself. 
 
 For us, the synagogue and its service must take the 
 place of the Temple and the sacrifice of olden times ; and 
 we, too, must heed the injunction contained in the em- 
 phatic DDO, " of you," if the service in the synagogue is 
 to partake of the efficacy of a sacrifice. Participation 
 in the public service is always beneficial in its effect upon 
 ourselves, and is, moreover, a worthy action. If, how- 
 ever, we attend service only when we have nothing else 
 wherewith to occupy our time, only when the sun shines 
 brightly and the air is clear, and the house of worship 
 stands at but a short distance away from our homes ; if, 
 in brief, we are willing to sacrifice neither strength nor 
 convenience, then, in truth, our DDO, mickem is wanting. 
 "We bring our prayer-books, but not ourselves to the 
 synagogue. 
 
 The gift of the man of little means is usually a sacri- 
 fice. A gift, however small in value, demands strict 
 self-denial on his part. The rich man can, naturally, 
 not be expected to dispose of his riches for benevolent 
 purposes to his own actual imj^overishment. So long,
 
 OFFERING AND SACRIFICE. 241 
 
 however, as giving is a pleasure to him, requiring no 
 self-conquest on his part, his gift, however deserving of 
 gratitude, cannot be regarded as a sacrifice. It is not 
 mickem. If, however, the man of wealth gives away 
 more than he feels it his actual duty to give, bearing 
 more than his share of the general burden of charity ; if 
 his heart is weary of giving and again giving ; if he lacks 
 sympathy for the applicant; if, indeed, antipathy preju- 
 dices him; if he is prompted not by his charitable im- 
 pulses, but by his sense of duty, then giving is no longer 
 a pleasure to him — even the rich man, under such cir- 
 cumstances, brings a sacrifice. 
 
 In actual, personal service, however, in tlie real 
 mickem, rich and poor are alike. He that wislies to 
 make a sacrifice pleasing in tlie sight of God, may not 
 be sparing of his own efforts. Let us speak not of 
 those that offer their fellow-man only censure and good 
 advice instead of material aid and the helping liand, but 
 of better men. Of these we may make two divisions. 
 Those in the one chws manifest their sympathy for suffer- 
 ing mankind in generous gifts, and by ghidly sacrificing 
 their money for the benefit of others; but no rlemand 
 may be made upon them themselves, neither u[)on their 
 time nor their energy ; nor will they deprive themselves 
 of any pleasure for the sake of their suffering fellow- 
 men. In the other division are the real helpers in dis- 
 tress, the true workers in the field of humanity and re- 
 ligion. They grow neither tired nor impatient, l)iit an; 
 ever ready to put their hands to the good cause, to deny 
 thera-selves both rest ami pleasure for the benefit of their 
 family, of the cfunnninity, of stiffering mankind. 
 
 Many a father of a family is the very personilicnli(jii 
 17
 
 242 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 of liberality towards his wife and children. Without a 
 nuirraur, he pays his consort's hills. He employs the 
 best teachers for his children, and considers no sum 
 too large to be expended on procuring their happi- 
 ness. But he himself must be left in peace. His wife 
 receives no help from him ; early and late, year in and 
 year out, she must bear alone the cares of the household. 
 There is no one with whom she may seek counsel or 
 assistance, and the children, too, lack a guide and an 
 educator. This is giving without sacrifice. It is not 
 mickem. This same man may be a good member of con- 
 gregations and societies. To their councils and meetings, 
 he sends his delegate, the dollar, but he himself cannot 
 be induced to come. 
 
 So there are many good and attentive children that 
 do everything for parents and grandparents that can 
 be done with money, but they are not self-sacrificing 
 enough to take into consideration the wishes of their 
 eldei-s in the arrangement of their households, or in their 
 mode of life; they find it impossible to leave desires 
 ungratified for the sake of giving pleasure to others. 
 Here, again, we have a lack of what the Bible calls 
 mickem. 
 
 So with our relations to our kinsmen. We are not 
 unwilling to render them material assistance, but we 
 hesitate to associate with them, if they happen to occupy 
 a lower position in the social scale. Such help is a gift, 
 l)ut not a sacrifice. We offer them our gold, but not 
 ourselves. 
 
 Again : a man is a Jew, and wants to live as such, 
 but his religion must not demand too much of him. He 
 gladly celebrates the Holy Days if they happen to fall
 
 OFFERING AND SACRIFICE. 243 
 
 upon Sundays, thus not interfering with his business 
 I)ursuits. Judaism must, likewise, not ask that a curb 
 be put upon his appetite. His fellow-citizens of other 
 beliefs need not discover that he is a Jew, for this 
 knowledge might work him harm. Such Judaism has 
 some virtue in it, it i.s true, but it is not the virtue of 
 sacrifice. It is not mickem. Such religion does not 
 penetrate the very heart and soul of man. 
 
 Again : a certain man is religious. But religion de- 
 mands a continual a])asement of reason. A truly relig- 
 ious person must acknowledge to himself that he believes 
 in the highest truths, even though his reason does not 
 grasp them as ea.^ily as the rule of three ; they lie beyond 
 the horizon of his rea.son. This means great self-con- 
 quest for man, proud as he is of his intellectual attain- 
 ments. To him whose faith is bounded by reason relig- 
 ion is a.s a gift, not a sacrifice. 
 
 On the whole, the plca.sant virtues do not allow man 
 to become degraded, nor, on the other hand, do they 
 raise him above the level of the commonj)la('p. By 
 pleiwant virtues, I mean such as it is agreeable to exer- 
 cise, whose {)ractice makes our paths in life smooth and 
 ea.sv. The stern virtues, on the other hand, exalt a 
 human being in the sight of (iod mid his fellow-men. 
 The stern virtues cause the heart of man to bleed. 
 .Xgainst their practice, prudence enters its protest. A 
 sharp struggle witliin tlie soul is tlie jirice of llieir tri- 
 umph. 
 
 Revenge, for instance. How sweet ! The long wished 
 for hour of vengeance has come at lengtli ! Rejuson says 
 to us: " Your o[)ponent, your enemy is at your mercy. 
 Take fioni liiiii his power. I >o unto him as he <li(l unto
 
 244 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 you, and let him feel all the bitterness that he has made 
 you suffer." Duty, however, calls to you: "You shall 
 not take revenge. You must not seek to wreak ven- 
 geance upon your fellow-man." Truly, forgiveness is 
 as difficult as revenge is pleasant ; and great as is the 
 delight of laying hands upon youi enemy, and jDunish- 
 iug him to your heart's content, so great is the self- 
 conquest required to allow him to go on his way un- 
 harmed, and, it may be, to render him assistance. He 
 that practises this stern virtue, doing his enemy no 
 harm, but rather acting as a benefactor towards him, he 
 indeed, brings a sacrifice — mickeni, a portion of his own 
 heart. Thus, every struggle against a passion, every 
 self-imposed deprivation of comfort, ease, pleasure, dear- 
 est habits, favorite pursuits, or even renunciation of 
 well-founded opinion, for the sake of maintaining har- 
 mony and concord in the home circle and abroad, is a 
 true act of self-sacrifice, an offering of a portion of self- 
 love. 
 
 Everything great and noble in its nature demands 
 sacrifices. Virtue, religion, patriotism, friendship, con- 
 jugal affection, filial and parental love, affection among 
 brethcrs and sisters — all require sacrifices for their full 
 development. Their wortli is great or small in propor- 
 tion to the power of self-sacrifice manifested in their 
 exercise. 
 
 How large the price paid for truth ! How difficult to 
 be faithful to its standard, and ever to acknowledge it 
 before mankind ! 
 
 In tlic darkness of medieval days, our ancestors sacri- 
 ficed all that is most dear to man upon earth for the sake 
 of their faith, in defence of that which they held to be
 
 M7 
 OFFERING AND SACRIFICE. 245 
 
 the truth. Not individuals alone, but entire communi- 
 ties, from the child to the aged man, from the beggar to 
 the man of wealth and position ! 
 
 Those were times in which man sacrificed himself and all 
 that was precious in his eyes to his God. How light a bur- 
 den has Judaism grown to be in our day, and yet many 
 murmur at its weight, and here and there it is thrown off 
 as too oppressive to be longer borne. A heavy plank 
 rests more securely on the shoulder than the light feather, 
 which a breath of air may blow away. Thus it is with 
 Judaism. The easier its profession and its practice, the 
 more difficult appears to its bearers the task of balancing 
 it in the stroni; winds of modern times. 
 
 The daily service in the Temple was begun with a 
 prescribed sacrifice, and in the evening, it was closed 
 with the same ceremony. At day-break, the priests were 
 called to i)rcpare the offering. We, too, are called upon 
 every morning to bring our sacrifices in our homes and 
 in our various pursuits. Man, gather up your forces 
 for the work l)eforc you ! Practise self-control, be peace- 
 able, be benevolent! Strive to subdue indolence, desire, 
 greed, envy, hatred, pride and arrogance, even though a 
 piece of your heart — the corner in which these (jualities 
 reside — be sacrificed in tlie act. Mickem! Make an 
 offering of this part of your adj to your God.
 
 PROVIDENCE OR CHANCE. 
 
 Lev. X. 
 
 Aaron, the honored high-priest, stood performing the 
 duties of his exalted office on the most festive of the 
 days celebrating the dedication of the newly-finished 
 tabernacle. His heart was filled with emotions of solemn 
 joy. Well might he praise that day as the proudest of 
 his life. I Probably not a few envious glances followed 
 the hero of the day, the foremost among six hundred 
 thousand men, moving about in his magnificent robes to 
 j)erform the honored service in the sanctuary. But Avho 
 can foresee the vicissitudes of a single day ! The sun had 
 risen brightly that morning for Aaron ; at noon it shone 
 above his head in majestic splendor, the evening saw it 
 sink obscured by clouds and mist. Of his four sons, 
 who had shared with him the honors, as the services of 
 the day, the two older ones lay stretched before him in 
 death, victims to their own wrong-doing. 
 
 "A fire went out from before the Lord." A similar 
 incident, occurring in our own day, would not be reported 
 in these words : "A fire went out from before the Lord," 
 it would be spoken of as a dkaster, an unfortunate occur- 
 rence, an accident. 
 
 Can we look upon the denial of the existence of a wise 
 Providence as a mark of progress? Is it a proof of 
 sound philosophy to say, under similar circumstances, " a 
 
 246
 
 PROVIDENCE OR CHANCE. 247 
 
 fire broke out," and not to add "from God?" Nay, 
 such omission rather bespeaks a relapse into a state of 
 deplorable barbarism. 
 
 History can tell us but little of the earliest stages of 
 human civilization ; let us then close its vast tomes, and 
 allow thought to carry us back to that dim j)ast. A pic- 
 ture is there unrolled to us of men destroyed by fire and 
 water, of men strangled and slain without looking up to 
 any power liiglier than themselves. Chance and the 
 wickedness of man alone are looked upon as responsible 
 - - agents. In a later stage of development, petty, envious 
 and malicious deities and spirits were regarded as the 
 authors of the evil that afflicted mankind, till finally, in 
 "^^he Scriptures, the one, omnipotent God is revealed, who 
 holds in his hand the destinies of all his creatures. 
 Nothing is too great nor is aught too small to escape his 
 all-seeing eye. It is he who has counted not only the 
 suns, but every leaf upon each tree, every mote of dust 
 upon the globe, who not only sees into the heart of man, 
 and understands all his joys and sorrows, his thouglits, 
 desires and ambitions, but wlio knows the very entrails 
 of the minutr- creatures wliich, even wlien enlarged by 
 the microscope to the ten-thousandth diameter, l)ec()nu' 
 visible to human eyes as a mere dot. Thus the idea 
 of unity was introduced intf) creation. 
 
 Creation is a unity, the work of one mind, and the 
 constant aim of science is naught but lo show (lie rela- 
 tion of tlie individual to the iiniverse. 
 
 Is it not an inspiring thfdight that we arc all j)!irts 
 of one universe ruled by iiiUlligence, in which the indi- 
 vidual is neither lost nor forgotten ? To take the reins 
 of the rulership of the world from (lod, and place them
 
 - /^ 
 
 8ABBATII HOURS. 
 
 the hands of blind chance, once more disintegrates 
 [he whole into its component parts, and we have again 
 chance in the place in which the idea of God had erected 
 a structure, harmonious in all its details. This so-called 
 progress, which sets chance in the place of Providence, 
 rositores the condition of those times in which the fratri- 
 cide asks, "Am I my brother's keeper?" 
 
 The incident under discussion, in which the band 
 of Providence manifested itself visibly, is of a sort 
 familiar to our own every-day experience. The two 
 young men, Nadab and Abihu, heeded not the injunc- 
 tions of their father and of their uncle, who was at the 
 same time their superior iu position and their teacher ; 
 regardless of authority and law, they played with the 
 forbidden fire. This heedlessness was their destruction, 
 and from the consequences of this very fault, we see 
 thousands £^nd tens of thousands suffering day after day. 
 He that fails to obey his parents ; that heeds not the 
 injunctions of teachers and superiors, is sure to bring 
 ruiu upon himself,j though consuming fire may not 
 always be the destroying agent. 
 
 Is there even one among us who, casting an honest 
 glance upon his past life, will not say, "I should be 
 l)etter oflf to-day, had I always heeded the voice of my 
 father, ray mother, my teacher?" In flaming letters 
 we see traced in every earthly career these words: " He 
 that uses fire like Nadab and Abihu will perish even 
 as did Nadab and Abihu. This is a law of God, as 
 natural and as unalterable as the change of the seasons. 
 Yet it must be admitted, tliat in the course of his life, 
 man is visited by sorrows which, in human estimation, 
 he has not brought upon himself, and he enjoys blessings
 
 PROVIDENCE OR CHANCE. 249 
 
 which he does not deserve. In these crises, it is hard 
 for a believer to maintain his position. If this event is 
 not the work of chance, but the conscious deed of your 
 God, then he is a ruthless God, governed by caprice. 
 But I say that he that believes in the existence of a 
 Supreme Being, and at the same time believes that this 
 Being could abandon his creatures to the mercy of 
 blind chance, is guilty of grosser blasphemy, than if he 
 ascribes to him caprice and ruthlessness. Neither of 
 these descriptions applies to the true Israelitish con- 
 ception of God. We beheve that God is neither cruel 
 beyond comprehension, nor beyond comprehension in- 
 different to the weal and woe of his creatures. He is 
 wise and good beyond comprehension. It is true, the 
 combination of kindness and justice in divine judirnients 
 is incomprehensible to us ; neither can we understand 
 the union of free-will and predestination. It is, how- 
 ever, rational to assert, " The God of my belief is an 
 incomprehensible Being," for the concept deity pre- 
 supposes inscrutability. A God whose purpose we could 
 fathom, the significance of whose actions we could grasp 
 with our mere spark of intelligence, avouM be no God. 
 
 The i)iety that traces everything to the will of the 
 Almiglity as its cause i.s, however, not always the source 
 of comfort that it proved to Aaron. To one, the recog- 
 nition of God's dispensations is the cause of nuu-h self- 
 reproach and conscfjncnt unhappiness ; to another, again, 
 it offers an opportunity for uncliaritable criticism of his 
 neighl)or. The one upbraids himself, tliinking, that 
 trouble and distress, death and destruction are God's 
 decrees, and the other judges his fellow-man in bitterness ; 
 he says to himself, " God has afHIctod that man for his
 
 250 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 misdeeds?'— With this thought in mind, Moses addressed 
 to Aaron* the words of consolation, " On those who are 
 near unto me, will I be sanctified." The upright and 
 the pious cannot be spared earthly woe and affliction ; 
 even the best among men must learn to know suffering. 
 Not every stroke of misfortune is meant as a punish- 
 ment, neither is every infliction a penalty for sin. Man 
 honors God and sanctifies him in the measure in which 
 he submits to God's will, holding firmly to the convic- 
 tion, " God's will controls my destiny ; what God does 
 is for the best." Piety does not consist in loud wailing, 
 much less in an open display of bitter grief, but rather 
 m humble resignation to God's will. 
 -^'And before all the people will I be glorified." The 
 mass of the people, incapable of independent thought, 
 but ready to follow others in thought, speech and action, 
 emulating your example, will honor God. And highly 
 necessary it is that the people see before them a worthy 
 example of willing submission. 
 
 Experience teaches that the illusion is common to all 
 the nations of the eai-th, that the louder lamentation 
 and mourning are among the people, and the more un- 
 
 . restrained the expression of grief, the greater their piety. 
 
 ■^ -"The contemporaries of Moses cut their flesh in sign 
 of mourning, tore their hair and mutilated their bodies 
 till the skin was dyed in blood. The expression of grief 
 at funerals was heightened by the weeping and howling 
 of women paid for their efforts. ~^ Moses now demanded 
 of Aaron that by his good example he should discoun- 
 tenance these vicious customs. -^^Let not the hair of 
 your head grow long, rend not your garments ;" be not 
 interrupted in the discharge of your duties.
 
 a 
 
 PROVIDENCE OR CHANCE. 251 
 
 VIoses warned his lirother against another vicious 
 usage of the day. Just as on the one side, mistaken 
 piety sought to aggravate the emotion of grief, so, on the 
 other hand, the attempt was made at mourning feasts 
 -^b:iM^) deaden the natural feelings of sorrow by the use o\'^ 
 intoxicating drinks. Man should, however, neither mur- 
 Itidly over-stimulate his natural feelings in a spirit of 
 religious extravagance, nor frivolously seek to benumly^-T 
 them. Give unto nature its due, neither more nor less. 
 -~^ Such is the significance of the law /for the sons of 
 Aaron set down in this chapter — the la^- enjoining upon 
 them abstinence from the use of intoxicating licpiors.
 
 INDIVIDUALITY. 
 
 Lev. X. 
 
 When men like Nadab and Abihu, Avho had already- 
 been given a share Avith their father in the service of 
 the sanctuary, and had been appointed as teachers in 
 Israel, seek to follow their own inclinations, turning aside 
 from the course marked out for them by high authority, 
 we must look for a more satisfactory reason for their 
 action than the general observation that youth, by its 
 very nature, is tempted to place itself in opposition to the 
 views of the aged. ^ "Important principles must be at stake 
 in this conflict between Moses and Aaron, on the one 
 side, and Nadab and Abihu, on the other. « 
 '"•-^' Nadab and Abihu took each his censer, and they 
 put therein fire, and put therein incense: and they 
 brought near before the Lord a strange fire, which he 
 had not commanded them.'!, 
 
 ■- It seems probable — and the view is advanced by our 
 sages— that it was Israel's strong individuality, so pro- 
 nounced as to be stigmatized by Moses as stubbornness,^ 
 that rendered it fit for its mission as the bearer and the 
 preserver of the pure conception of G(jd together with 
 all the ideas inseparable from that belief, so important 
 in their influence upon other faiths. A nation of a 
 more pliable natui'e, more ready to surrender its indi- 
 viduality for the sake of an easier existence among the 
 
 252
 
 INDIVIDUALITY. 253 
 
 nations, could not have undergone the dreadful persecu- 
 tions, the great oppressions, and the nameless sufferings 
 in the cause of truth endured by Israel. ^ 
 
 The obstinate position taken in Israel on the question 
 of pci'sonal rights, and the intense repugnance ever mani- 
 fested to a surrender of any of them, indicate clearly the 
 reason for Israel's failure to rear a permanent state^ 
 With the exception of the reigns of David and Solomon, 
 and of a few years during the time of the Maccabees,^ 
 Israel always lived in a state of dependency on other 
 nations, or else, as we read in the Book of Judge^ 
 ,1' Every one did what was pleasing in his own eyes,^' or 
 as the people exclaimed, after the death of Solomon, when 
 weary of the rigor of the central authority^ " Let every 
 Israelite look to his own tent !'^ 
 
 Now we are ready to examine our text — a manifesta- 
 tion of this individuality in the earliest days of our his- 
 tory. 
 
 Moses and Aaron had arranged a ])rogram for the 
 dedication of the taljcrnacle^iii which there was no men- 
 tion of an odering of incense. AVhen in accordance with 
 the arrangement.'?, the various sacrifices had been oflercil, 
 
 and consumed by the fireTTSadah and Abihu seenicil (d 
 think the ceremonies still iiiconiplete ; thereuium, each 
 tiMik his censer, laid fire upon it, and nuule an o(fi>ring 
 of incense — in opposition to tlie order of exercises ])laniie(l 
 at the appointeil place in the nami; of ( lod. 
 
 If in our own time, at some public ceremony, at wliidi 
 the exerci.HCfl were proceeding with all due order and 
 decorum, some; officious person were to interfere with the 
 order of ceremonies, surely the anger of the authorities 
 of tlie day would (juickly be roused. It is true, with us
 
 254 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 ■ an action like that of Nadal) and Abihu would not be 
 deemed worthy of the death penalty, since we have 
 learnt to discriminate between form and spirit ; but in 
 the time of Moses, and especially in the sacrificial ser- 
 vice, form was of great importance. | In a lower stage 
 of civilization, a nation, as even notr the mass of the 
 people, does not distinguish between the form and the 
 matter ; to the people, they are the same, standing and 
 falling togetheiT^ 
 
 One of the gfSat ideas of Moses in regard to sacrifices 
 was the overthrow of all altarvso that but one should 
 remain to be devoted to the service of the Almight 
 upon it sacrifices were to be brought, under the super- 
 vision of the high-priest, according to a prescribed j^hm, 
 no option being allowed in the matter. Thus alone 
 could backsliding into idolatry^be combated. \, The 
 myriads of Israel's followers were to serve God accords 
 ing to set ceremonies, and not as was pleasing in their 
 own sight.\ On the very first day on which this law was 
 to go into operation, opposition reared its head in the 
 carapTjsNadab and Abihu wished to carry out their own 
 ideas ; nor did the struggle end with their death ; it was 
 pvolonged throughout a thousand years. ^>Again and 
 again do we ^d in the historical books of the Bible 
 the complaint, /T'he people continued to sacrifice, upon 
 their private altars, and there to offer incense." ^And 
 if, after long years of idolatry, a pious king succeeded 
 in bringing about a revival of better things, still Ave 
 constantly hear the same refrain, '^But the altars were 
 still without number j^the people continued to sacri- 
 fice upon their high places." In short, the people 
 would not be deprived of their individuality; they
 
 INDIVIDUALITY. 255 
 
 were uuwilling to submit to a common will aud a com- 
 mon form. . 
 — -~v This characteristic explains much in the history of 
 Israel in ancient times, as at a later period and in our 
 
 own days.VAt every page of its marvellous story, Juda-^ 
 
 __ ism seems on tlie verge of disintegration. Not only the 
 limbs of Israel's body lie scattered over the world ; in 
 spiritual matters, there is likewise no unity, no commu- 
 nity of action, in truth, nothing but opposition and diver- 
 gence. \Again and again may it be said, " Each one 
 takes nis own censer, and puts thereon incense ;" and 
 worst of all, he also " hiys a fire thei'eupon ! '^"^t has 
 been said of the Bible that its words are capable of forty- 
 nine interpretations. "^There is no other religious com- 
 munity on the face of the earth so entirely without cen- 
 tral authority ;Vhe members think and act as they please, 
 and yet follow a common i)ath in spite of all divergence, 
 
 /Tlie one ('(iinmunity looks up to a Pope, a Dchu Lama, or 
 a Sheik ul Islam, as an autlu)rity ; others again boa.st a 
 consistory or a synod. But we have no institution cor- 
 responding to any of these. Each one takes his own 
 cen.ser. » Rabbinical conventions in the old world, mid 
 Boards of Delegates in the new have sought (o bring 
 about unity of action, but their voices, too, die away 
 ineHectual. The Union of American Hebrew Congn'ga- 
 tiona hits a like end in viewybut as soon jis it will rcnuire 
 obedience of individuals and cfingregations, it is certiiin 
 that the demand will meet with protest or silent disre- 
 gard. 
 ^_ The Shulfiiiui Anikli, it is true, Wiis an acknowledged 
 - authority,, to a certai^n degree extending its inllucnce 
 even to our own rlny ; still its jtowcr was not ho great a.s 
 
 y
 
 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 lieved. Strict as this code is, as a whole, 
 said that many a one came with his cen- 
 re upon it, "*a strange fire which God had 
 Id him^^X^ The cause of these phenomena in 
 Jewish life must, indeed, be regarded as a fact ; but the 
 further cultivation of the national quality which they 
 indicate, is not to be recommended.. Many great afflic- 
 tions are, in the end, recognized as beneficent in effect; 
 Teven death is no exception to the rule) sl-ill it would not 
 occur to us, on that account, to foster and nurse evil in 
 the worldj^^So this strongly marked individuality of 
 Israel is an evil in its one-sided development. To it we 
 must oppose, as a counterpoise, a strenuous effort to main- 
 tain a connection with the body of Israel,^ even if in 
 pursuance of this aim, it becomes necessary to give up 
 much that is dear to us ; much that appears to us better 
 than that which meets with the approval of the majority.
 
 FORGETTING AND NOT LEARNING. 
 
 "After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye have dwelt, shall ye 
 not do ; and after the doings of the land of Canaan whither I am 
 Ijringing you, shall ye not do; and in their customs, shall ye not 
 walk. 
 
 "My ordinances shall ye do, and my statutes shall ye keep, to walk 
 therein : I am the Lord your God. 
 
 "And ye shall keep my statutes, and my ordinances, which if a man do 
 he shall live in them : I am the Lord. 
 
 " For all these abominations have the men of the land done, who were 
 before you, and the land hath become defiled."— Lev. XVIII : 3-5,27. 
 
 With these iiijunction.s a lieuvy task was laid on our 
 ancestors. Tliey were ordered to forget what they had 
 learnt in P^gypt, and to learn nothing in that most effi- 
 cient school in which many receive their entire educa- 
 tion — the school of life, in which we are taught hy asso-, 
 ciation and example. They were to ignore completely 
 the pr(;vailing iii.stiiutl7)n.s and"1iiHa^s of the two most 
 cultured states of the time, of Egyi)t and of Canaan, the 
 neighbor of wealthy and cultured I'ha'nicia.^They were ,. . 
 to rear a new order of things in state and society ,l)uil(l 
 according to a new law, making no u.-*e <>f old material or 
 rules. ^The slow progress of the new idea in Israel, and 
 the mau^backslidings of the people into their old faults 
 are in nowise remarkal)le, for these faults were merely 
 the difficulty of forgetting the past, and the inability to 
 ■-^ ' 18 257 ^
 
 258 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 resist the example of the nations among which the Israel- 
 ites dwelt. 
 
 The law of Moses declared : " There is but one God !" 
 Egypt and Canaan contradicted this statement; every 
 hill and grove adorned with the image of a god ; every 
 monument erected by pagan hands ; every inscription^ 
 wherever such existed, contradicted it. King and people, 
 the learned priest and the ignorant shepherd alike repu- 
 diated this truth. As with one voice, they exclaimed : 
 " There is but one God ! That is not true ! It is not 
 alone an untruth, but an heretical, dreadful thought, a 
 grievous offence against the gods, a profanity which the 
 gods will not fail to punish.' Moses taught an ideal 
 faith ; his doctrine was a voice from heaven, totally at 
 variance with the earth and its inhabitants. 
 
 "Love thy neighbor as thyself." Another strange 
 doctrine unheard of either in Egypt pr in the land of 
 Canaan ! "As one born in the land among you, shall be 
 unto you the stranger that sojourns with you." Here 
 we have a direct blow at an institution common to all 
 ancient communities, both great and small ; among them 
 all, the stranger was mistrusted and hated, if, indeed, 
 death was not his portion. 
 
 ' Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a 
 holy nation," that is the declaration of the equality of 
 the whole people l^efore God and the I^aw. In order to 
 make this Law a part of its very life, Israel had to for- 
 get that in Egypt, slavery, inequality before the law, the 
 ca-ste system, were equivalent to wisdom, and that from 
 time immemorial, they had been the pillars of the social 
 order. Above all these laws, however, stood the com- 
 mand enjoining strict morality, purity of life in tlie rela-
 
 FORGETTING AND NOT LEARNING. 259 
 
 tions of the sexes, and a chastity unknowu to Egypt 
 and Canaan alike. As our text, we read only the intro- 
 ductory words of the chajiter recited this morning. The 
 whole chapter can be read at our public services only 
 because we read it in the Hebrew language. Children 
 and other weaklings cannot grasp the meaning of the 
 section, and even to those that understand them, these 
 things are less offensive Avhen expressed in the Hebrew 
 tongue than in the speech of our daily intercourse. That 
 which in our day cannot, without outraging propriety 
 and decency, be read aloud, even as a prohibition, was 
 a common usage among the Egyptians and the Canaun- 
 ites, and none thought of it as sinful. It was entirely 
 in accord with the law and custom of the time. We 
 mav, then, imagine how difficult of execution was the 
 behest to forget the sensual delights and the license of 
 Egypt and Canaan, and to cultivate strict morality and 
 cha.stity, in the midst of a population among whom de- 
 bauchery formed a part even of divine worsliij). 
 
 Thirty-five hundred years ago, the Egyptians and the 
 Pho'nicians, ranking second only to the former, were the 
 most cultured nations oi" the earth. Israel first lived in 
 Egypt, and later in its career, was tiie neighbor of the 
 Phd-nicians. Suddenly Moses appears, standing alone 
 in his ideas and convictions, and says to his people, 
 Israel, " Forget Egyi)t, neitlier learn a>ight iVoiii the 
 Phfcnicians. Through me, ( lod sends unto you a new 
 Law; it does not teach you how to buihl houses, or dig 
 canals, or giiich; vessels, or carry on your trades and 
 occupations; neither will it teach you how to inscribe 
 your thoughts upon wctod and stone to preserve them for 
 future generations, nor how to manipulate numbers, how
 
 260 SABBATiI H0UE8. 
 
 V to measure the surface of the earth, ^ow to observe the 
 movements of the suu and the stars. All these things 
 it is well not to forget^ese it is well to leaim. (^o land 
 could teach these arts better than Egypt and Phoenicia." 
 Moses confined his teachings to religion and morality. 
 His object it was to give to Israel a new doctrine of faith 
 and humanity, by the application of which a new life 
 was to begin for the nation. \Had Moses brought his 
 divine truths, his teachings, and his laws of universal 
 love and benevolence from Egypt, as is boldly asserted 
 by many a critic desirous of belittling mankind's debt 
 to our religion, how could he have laid upon his contem- 
 poraries the prohibitory command.N^Ye shall not do as 
 the Egyptians do ; ye shall not follow in their paths V-^ 
 Although it is highly displeasing to many a well- 
 meaning but superficial critic that this chapter forms a 
 part of the Bible, it is nevertheless one of the most 
 valuable of its sections, for the prohibitions enjoined by 
 Moses testify to the moral condition of the most cultured 
 people of the time.) 
 
 sV'Thou shalt \6ve the Lord thy God with all thy 
 heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might." \The 
 
 ■ gods, as pictured in the imaginations of the Egyptians 
 and Canaanitcs, or as represented in visible form, or 
 by them iu the shapes of living beasts, were not beings 
 to be loved; they rather inspired their adorers with 
 terror and repulsion. 
 
 The highest ideal towards which our relation to our 
 fellow-men should tend, is expressed in the maxim: 
 " Love thy neighbor as thyself" The generic idea of 
 man, a human being, the citizen of the world, was 
 kno\vn neither to the Egyptians nor to the Canaanites.
 
 tov 
 
 FORGETTING AND NOT LEARNING. 261 
 
 When Pharaoh said to Moses, " I know not Adonai," he 
 might have added, " The idea of man is utterly strange 
 to me ; I know only Egyptians and barbarians." And 
 finally, the most elevated conception of man's duty 
 feNvard himself is expressed in our text : DHD 'Hi — if !i 
 man do my statutes and ordinances, " he shall live 
 ^)y them," to which our sages add, in explanation, 
 ur\2 no'ty x^i, " not die by them." ^--The Israelite ought 
 to regard life, its preservation, maintenance and enjoy- 
 ment as a duty, 'and not leave it entirely to nature's 
 control. This certainly required the Israelites to forget 
 Egypt, and to refrain from adopting the customs of 
 Canaan ; for in those countries the underlying thought 
 of religion was worship of the gods, not the care be- 
 stowed by the gods upon man, w^hile the reli gion of 
 Israel sought the happiness of mankind.]^' JNot Tor my^ 
 \ ' sake do I demand obedience," says the Lord, " not for 
 mine own honor and glory, have I given laws and com- 
 mandments unto youT^hat you should live according to 
 them, but for your sake, tliat you may live and be 
 \ happy." 
 
 Dr\2 'ni, " he .sliuil live by them." Heathenism dool^ not 
 recoirni/e that man has duties toward himself. What 
 matters it to the gods that man doe« violence to his per- 
 son, or injures his health, that he scourges himself, and 
 denies himself tli«- jdeiwures of life, if only the iionor 
 and the oHerings due to them from mortals receive 
 proper attention? The higliest honor that could be 
 paid to the gorls, the ollering most jjleasing in their 
 sight wa.H a man's sacrifice of his own jwrson upon the 
 altar. Most gratefid to them was the incense of human 
 llesh arising fro?ii the earth.
 
 262 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 In the Mosaic code, self-preservation is for the first 
 time considered a religious duty. 
 
 On the one hand, to forget^ and on the other, not to 
 nmitate have ever heen, and still continue, Israel's duty. 
 It is true, the land from which many of us came was no 
 Egypt, neither do we dwell in Canaan. In both coun- 
 tries, we did and do learn much for which we ought to be 
 truly grateful, not alone in trades, in science, in art, and 
 in all other knowledge useful to us in our civic life, but 
 in morality as well. The people among whom we dwell 
 set us a good and worthy example. For, do they not 
 use the same source from which we draw inspiration 
 and knowledge — the Holy Scriptures ? But in essential 
 matters of faith and in all that touches closely our wor- 
 ship of God, we must follow the path especially marked 
 out for us by the divine word, learning and adopting 
 nothing from our former felloAV-citizens, nor from those 
 among whom our lot is now cast. In matters of moral- 
 ity as well, many an injunction has been handed down 
 to us from the old, severe times which it would be well 
 not to exchange for the usages and ideas of other 
 nations ; among such behests, may be included those 
 contained in the chapter read to-day, offensive to the 
 ear, but valuable to the heart. We have reference to 
 the sanctity of marriage in the Israelitish community. 
 The Bible knows no false modesty. In its pages are 
 found in abundance words that we hesitate to pronounce, 
 and on the other hand, the Holy Canon contains a song 
 in honor of pure love ; but no thought endangering the 
 sanctity of the marriage relation, treating it in a frivo- 
 lous light for the amusement of the public, no sentiment 
 making fidelity ridiculous and glorifying breach of faith
 
 V 
 
 FORGETTING AND NOT LEARNING. 263 
 
 \ 
 
 ip to be found in its books. Holy family life ! Foun- 
 dation of the structure of morality ! Remain with us 
 in thy ancient strength. Israel ! Exchange not the 
 nreciou.*! heir-loom of chastity in the marriage bond and 
 purity in family relations for the glittering toys of 
 Viyolity common in the life about you ! 
 
 We haye still another precious inheritance from the 
 olden days, the yirtue of moderation in the use of 
 intoxicating liquors. We rarely find an Israelite a 
 member of a temperance society, for Israel's religion 
 says to him Dnn'ni, You shall lire, and enjoy yourself,s/ 
 Dn3 no'iy nSi, biit you shall not destroy in yourself the 
 capacity for enjoyment." Nor is an Israelite often 
 found among drunkards. Here again the warning 
 adyice of Moses is in place: Do not act acrordingto 
 tTie u.sages of~the^an(r that you haye left, nor of that 
 in which you dwcTTT^ 
 
 We haye recciyed many benefits at the hands of our 
 fellow-citizens, Ixttii here and abroad; let us strive to 
 make some return for these gifts by setting them a good 
 example in our own liyes.
 
 EQUALITY. 
 
 "Ye shall be holy : for I the Lord your God am holy."— Lev. XIX : 2. 
 
 We have here no moral maxim, whose influence upon 
 mind and heart can be but a variable quantity, but a 
 law, a fundamental law upon which rises the very struc- 
 ture of the Mosaic state. The meaning of this law is 
 more clearly indicated in the verse of the Bible which 
 reads : " Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and 
 a holy nation" — I declare you all equal before God and 
 the Law in dignity, in rights and in duties. 
 
 In Egypt, the home of Moses, the model state of 
 antiquity, the doctrine of a holy nation and of a kingdom 
 in which every subject possessed equal privileges with the 
 priestly caste, would have been looked upon as revolu- 
 tionary, a transgression against the divine and earthly 
 order of the universe. The promulgator of such a doc- 
 trine, unless spared on the plea of insanity, would have 
 met Avith a martyr's fate. Differences in rank, belief 
 and race lay at the foundation of state and society in 
 Egypt, as in all ancient, mediaeval and even modern 
 civilizations, the republics of the Middle Ages forming 
 no exception to this rule. There had been holy men 
 before this time, but no one had ever conceived the idea 
 of a holy nation. The ancient world was familiar also 
 with the idea of a priest-nation, i. e., a nation controlled, 
 in body and soul, by the priesthood. The Bible tells us 
 
 264
 
 EQUALITY. 265 
 
 that the meanest Egyptian considered it beneath him to 
 sit down to a meal with a shepherd. In India, the repre- 
 sentative of a civilization even older than that of Egypt, 
 one hundred Pariahs were not considered equal in worth 
 to one Brahmin. A Brahmin would die of thirst rather 
 than refresh himself at a well from which a Pariah had 
 drawn water. 
 
 Such was the condition of the world through which 
 resounded the proclamation of Moses: "Ye shall all 
 form a holy nation ; each one of you is of priestly worth !" 
 
 A legend current among our sages audaciously says 
 that God, too, binds phylacteries upon his brow, and that, 
 as in the phylacteries of Israel lies the confession of the 
 unity of God, so the Lord's phylacteries declare the 
 unity of Israel as a single, harmonious community : 
 " Where is there another people like thy people Israel, 
 founded on unity?" For man's notions about divine 
 rule exercise a determining influence upon the institu- 
 tions of government made by man, and through them, 
 upon the weal and woe of mankind. The heathen con- 
 ception of heaven lacked the element of unity as well as 
 of e(iuality. Their gods and spirits were separated into 
 grades and chusscs. How could the thought of human 
 equality exist side I)y side with this conceptinii ol' lieav- 
 enly institutions? Not until the spread of the belief in 
 one God, the j>romiiIgation of the doctrine of the crea- 
 tion of one human pair, and of man's creation in the 
 image of (iod ;is narratcij in tlu; Bible, could the thon;:ht 
 of the equality <tf all men inlorm law. The man that 
 made all Israel kneel before one God coiihl also call to 
 it with the voice of authority, " Ye shall be a king- 
 dom of priests and a holy nation 1" or iv* set forth in our
 
 266 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 text, " Ye shall be holy : for 1 the Lord your God am 
 holy." 
 
 When ])aganism clothed itself in the garb of Chris- 
 tianity, many gods were deposed from their high places 
 in heaven, but this change did not bring with it the 
 establishment of the idea of divine unity. In conse- 
 quence, throughout seventeen hundred years, the Church 
 tolerated and even approved the institution of rank in 
 affairs of the state and of society ; indeed, the Church 
 herself had serfs and slaves in her possession. The divi- 
 sion of believers into priesthood and laity exists even 
 to-day ; the ban of the Church would follow a contradic- 
 tion of this dogma, and if temporal power were to lend 
 its aid, the daring rebel would atone for his heresy upon 
 the funeral pyre. In the highly cultured states of the 
 old world, the pride and splendor of the nobility is not 
 yet a thing of the past. 
 
 The desert was the scene of the promulgation of the 
 new doctrine, the equality of all men in the sight of 
 God. There, alone, could Moses find neutral ground, 
 soil uncorrupted by the vicious husbandry of violence 
 and injustice. The Puritans, too, were compelled to flee 
 from the restraints of tradition, an antiquated doctrine 
 of kingly authority, and the hopeless view of heaven 
 and earth current in the old world ; they, too, sought 
 virgin soil, and came to these bleak shores, still covered 
 with the primeval forest, that they might prepare the 
 ground for the law of reason, and plan a life in accord- 
 ance with tlie doctrine of the equality of all men. 
 
 The law and the doctrine of universal equality have 
 become so thoroughly a part of our very flesh and 
 blood that a word on the subject may ap})car super-
 
 EQUALITY, 267 
 
 fluous, how much more making the idea the theme 
 of a discourse in a house of worship. Nevertheless, it 
 is well for us to be reminded occasionally that the 
 acquisition is, in truth, a very recent one. For more 
 than tliree thousand years, the law of equality was like 
 a srrain of wheat lying in the hand of a mummy. The 
 law as it stood in tlie Bible was a beautii'ul flower in the 
 garden of morality. In the economy of human affairs, 
 in the fields of practical legislation and administration, 
 it was trampled upon, and violently ujjrooted, wherever 
 it ventured to sprout upon the surface of society. 
 Wonderful to relate ! Tliree thousand years af^or the 
 promulgation of the doctrine, six thousand miles distant 
 from Mount Sinai, far over the sea known at that time 
 a.s the Snjn D% and beyond a still greater Snjn D', entirely 
 unknown to the ancients, in a quarter of the globe whose 
 existence was not suspected in that distant day — there the 
 Mosaic law, like the staff of Aaron, sprouted, blossomed 
 and bore fruit in. one moment ! The plant that had 
 been lo(jked u[)on as poisonous in the old world, or at 
 the lea.st, detested by the ruling powci-s a.'^ a rank weed, 
 now became a very tree of life for mankind. And 
 yet only a decade ago, how much blood was shed in 
 this very land, the traditioii:il Ikiiiic of liberty, ere the 
 complete triumph of this gloriou.s jiiinriplc coujul be 
 achieved I 
 
 What is Israel's shan; in this aciiievementV There 
 was no Jew among the I'uritaiis that came to this country 
 in the Mdi/Jlowcr, and planti i| tlic scrd that was to bear 
 good fruit for the future Kepul)lic. Mono of our fellow- 
 believers participated in tin; struggles of the colonies 
 with thf I'arliameiit of the mothcr-counf rv. Tin- name
 
 268 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 of an Israelite is not found among the signers of the 
 Declaration of Independence, nor among the framers of 
 the Constitution. Our share in the great work of the 
 Republic is our Torah. The corner-stone of our national 
 constitution — the equality of all men — was quarried at 
 Mount Sinai. The Puritans, those men of irresistible 
 strength and ii'on will, were the l^uilders of the Republic. 
 In them Saxon strength and Biblical spirit were united. 
 They thought in the spirit of the Old Testament ; they 
 spoke in the language of the Bible ; they preached in 
 the style of the prophets ; they sang in the words of our 
 psalmists. As they also preferred to take their names 
 from the Old Testament, only the sound of the Hebrew 
 language Avas wanting in their camp for us to imagine 
 ourselves in the midst of Davids, Joabs, Gideons and 
 other Old Testament heroes. 
 
 Israelites ! This is our part in the structure of a new 
 Avorld — our Torah ! There is but one God in Heaven 
 and one mankind on earth. Yet in our day, none know 
 and study the Torah less than we Israelites. To the 
 Spaniards belonged the gold and silver mines of the 
 new world ; but it was the Hollanders and the English- 
 men that grew rich. The Spanish owners became im- 
 poverished in their indolence. We possess the gold 
 mine of religion, but in religious learning we grow ever 
 l)Oorer ; our Christian brethren enrich themselves with 
 our treasures. 
 
 Who can count the millions of dollars expended by 
 Christian piety and liberality upon the translation of 
 the Bible into one hundred and fifty languages, that it 
 may be spread over the entire earth, and be placed in 
 every lonely cabin? In the cars, in steamboats, in
 
 EQUALITY. 269 
 
 hotels, the Bible lies ready at hand, placed there by 
 some pious hand ; and it is not merely read, it is studied 
 l)y Chri.stian scholars and by the common people, by 
 priest and layman alike. And now behold the contrast 
 — the Holy Scriptures and the Israelites! The picture 
 is a sad one, even from a secular point of view, for any 
 one that makes the slightest pretension to culture ought 
 not to be a stranger to this book of the world's litera- 
 ture. ^^'ill there soon be a change for the better? 
 May God grant that Israel remain his holy nation and 
 a kingdom of priests worthy of the name I 
 
 When we assemble in thy name, O (iod ! to open 
 the book of thy Law, wc express our thanks to thee that 
 thou hast selected us from among all nations to receive 
 thy Law — to receive, but not to forget it ; not, like sloth- 
 ful servants, to lay the burden upon the shoulders of 
 others, but to preserve it, to study it and to spread 
 abroad its blessed truths. We thank tlice in words, may 
 we confirm our gratitude in deeds! May thy holy law 
 be ever on our lij>s aiul in our hearts! !May the words 
 of the j)rophct find realization in us: " My s[)irit that 
 is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy 
 moutli, shall not depart out of tli\- indiitli, nor out oi" 
 the mouth of thy children, nor out of the uiouth of thy 
 chihlren's chihlren, from hcncefortli and forever!" 
 
 /
 
 THE MEANING OF THE WORD "HOLY." 
 
 " Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto 
 them, Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy."— Lev. 
 XIX : 2. 
 
 An action worthy of being called holy must be entirely 
 free from selfish motives. If we shun sin because of our 
 fear of earthly or eternal punishment ; if we do good in 
 the hope of reward, though this anticipated reward be 
 but praise and gratitude and other acknowledgment, the 
 action is, indeed, praiseworthy. Our sages say, " Who- 
 ever says, ' These alms I give that my child may live, or 
 in order tc secure for myself life eternal,' may be called 
 truly pious." Yes, he is a pious man, for God is in his 
 thoughts, and to him he looks for help. However, we 
 cannot call him a hohj man, for his motive is self-inter- 
 est, even though of a most refined character. " Ye 
 shall be holy." With no thought of selfish gain, sanctify 
 your lives, devoting yourselves to good and avoiding 
 evil. 
 
 A man may, however, do good and noble deeds with 
 aims and spirit alike disinterested, and still not have the 
 slightest claim to holiness, for in order to deserve the 
 attribute holy, sentiment and act must be inspired by 
 thoughts of God and his holy will. " For I the Lord 
 your God am holy " — let this be the reason for your holi- 
 ness. In this chapter, so rich in maxims concerning that 
 which is good and just, every sentence is followed by the 
 
 270
 
 THE MEANING OF THE WORD "HOLY." 271 
 
 warning, " I am the Lord your God." Be this tlie 
 motive of your actions. No one speaks of holy Socrates. 
 In our days, too, there are many good and noble men, 
 who have no claim to holiness, still less do they lay any 
 pretensions to such praise, lor God is not in their thoughts, 
 probably they do not even believe in him, and hence the 
 divine idea can have no influence upon their feelings and 
 actions. Through ]Moses, (rod proclaims to Israel : " Ye 
 shall be holy ! It is God's. will that, without a thought of 
 self, you devote youi-selves to all that is pure and- ele- 
 vated, and let your inspiration be this thought, ' God is 
 holy !' " 
 
 Little justification as there is for calling that man holy 
 whose actions, though disinterested, good and noble, are 
 uninspired I)y any tliought of God, still less is it proi)er 
 to ascribe this quality of holiness to one wlio acts 
 always in the name of God, and who lives and dies in a 
 firm belief in hi in, but whose sentiments ami actions 
 cannot bear the searching light of reason :uul morality. 
 In the name of God, Tonpiemada and Arbues, I'hilip the 
 Second, Ferdinand and Isabella wrouglit <Iceds, tin; 
 very thought of which makes us sliudder willi horror. 
 L'>yoIa,too, believe«l that lie wa.s truly serving (iod, and 
 all these tlu; Head of the Church pronounced iioly. 
 ( I ran ting that these nitii robbed, persecutecl :iii<l im lined 
 their fellr»w-men to death in the firm belief tli;il their 
 actions were pleasing in tlu; sight of <!od ; granting that 
 avarice did not play a part in urging tiitin on to action, 
 nevertheless, we eanuitt admit thai they coulil lay <'laim 
 to holiness, since their doclrine, sentiments and deeds 
 were in direct oppositi<in to the diciates of rea.son ami 
 morality. Korach, too, laid claim to ludiness. He said,
 
 272 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 " The whole of the contrregation are all of them holy, 
 and the Lord is among them," but his deeds were base, 
 prompted by vain ambition. Acting in the name of God 
 and in a belief iu God may make a man pious, but not 
 holy. Holiness is greater than piety. Holiness includes 
 piety, but piety may exist apart from holiness. There 
 are, therefore, more pious men than saints in the world. 
 A fanatic may be pious, and yet displeasing both to God 
 and to man. Piety is of the heart, but holiness presses 
 into service heart, hand and spirit. " Ye shall be holy, 
 for I the Lord your God am holy." God is not called 
 holy because of a pious belief in himself, but because he 
 is goodness, justice and wisdom ; because he dwells in our 
 thoughts far removed from all that is earthly, all that 
 is sensual. " Ye shall be holy " means, " I am not satis- 
 fied with piety that simply pays its addresses to me ; I 
 want not servants that think to gain my favor by praise 
 and prayer." 
 
 Finally, holiness must be paramount and constant, 
 suffering neither fluctuation nor change. 
 
 In every man's life there are moments of good inspi- 
 ration, when noble impulses are stirred within him. So 
 too, there are but few human beings, over whom there 
 steals not, now and again, a presentiment or a conscious- 
 ness of the existence of a divine, omnipotent Power, of 
 an eternal life in which the soul will continue its exist- 
 ence. To some, such feelings, such moments may be 
 familiar companions ; to others, but fleeting and infre- 
 quent visitors, perhaps gaining entrance to their souls on 
 the annually recurring Day of Atonement, or when afflic- 
 tion and death are visited upon them. Such moments 
 and thoughts are like flashes of lightning, illuminating
 
 THE MEANING OF THE WORD " HOLY." 273 
 
 the heaven of night ; but the light is unreliable. It 
 does not always lighten, when one is sorely in need of 
 light. So, too, the light of piety is often extinguished, 
 even in the pious man, at the very moment when he 
 most feels the want of it. But, "Ye shall be holy" 
 means, " The fear of the Lord, a good heart and a will- 
 ing hand must become second nature to you. In tempta- 
 tion and in the hour of weakness, they must not waver. 
 Your fear of God and your moral instinct dare not be 
 diseased, at times exciting your blood to fever heat ; at 
 others, chilling you to the heart." 
 
 After the principle of holiness has been laid down for 
 us in the words of our text, the rest of the chapter, read 
 to-day, gives the details for putting it into jmxctice. 
 
 "Ye shall fear, every man, his mother and hisfatlier." 
 Fear of one's father, i. e., obedience to parents, lies at 
 the foundation of education in holiness. Let no one 
 8j)eak of an education as good, in which childlike obedi- 
 ence is wanting. Opinions may dificr as to the mode of 
 compassing tliis end. Not the method, but the rcsiiH, is 
 important. " Ye shall lie holy !" How beautiful are 
 these words! Moses, however, was not a man of fine 
 phrases, but of deep and sound sense. He says to Israel, 
 "You are dcstiiu'd to become a holy nation, to devote your- 
 self entirely t4j all that is divine, good and noble. Towards 
 this end must tend the e<lucation given you by your father 
 and motlur. Ibily men are not born. In obedii-nce to 
 one's father and mother one learns obedience to duty. 
 
 "Ye shall fear, every man, his mother andhis f:itli( r, 
 and my Sabbaths shall ye keep." If your childn-n arc 
 to obey you, fathers and mothers, yoit must keep my Sab- 
 bath.s. Yet important a.s the observance of the Salilmlh 
 
 19
 
 274 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 is, it is but one duty, selected as an example out of many- 
 duties, and saying to us, " If the education of your chil- 
 dren is to be successful, you must guide them by your good 
 example; if your children are to obey you, yon must be 
 obedient to God." It is true that, in the work of education, 
 the observance of the Sabbath is a most important factor, 
 and hence especially fitted to be chosen as an example. 
 " My sanctuary shall ye reverence " is a further means 
 to holiness. In using these words, Moses had in mind 
 the sanctuary of his time, though the structure was but 
 a simple tent and not a magnificent temple. The tab- 
 ernacle and later the two Temples were replaced by 
 synagogues and schools as scats of education in holiness. 
 Reverence the holy purposes that the house serves, be 
 the structure but one of boards ! Divine service, the 
 school, education in the home with the observance of 
 the Sabbath as an aid, are the means of sanctifying Israel. 
 When we enter the house of the Lord let us heed the call, 
 " Reverence for my sanctuaries !" Assemble here in an 
 elevated, an earnest mood ; leave frivolous thoughts and 
 ungodly meditations without these walls. Let devotion 
 hold your souls in thrall! Upon joining our family 
 circles, let us attend to the inward voice saying, " Render 
 obedience to your parents!" When we pursue our call- 
 ings, in our business intercourse, let us heed thcAvarning, 
 " Be upright in your dealings with your neighbor." And 
 in all conditions and vicissitudes of life, may sympathy 
 with our fellow-man be our constant companion ! Love 
 your ncigiibor in a spirit of disinterestedness, of unsel- 
 fishness, of holiness. 
 
 " Ye shall be holy !" Be not only synagogue and 
 prayer-bof)k saints, but be holy in thought and action, 
 hi^Iding aloof from everything base and impure.
 
 SELF-RESPECT. 
 
 Lev. XIX : 18. 
 
 "Love thy neighbor as thyself!" "This law," says 
 Chri.«-tianity, " I gave unto the world," and thereupon 
 proceeds to call itself, to the exclusion of all others, the 
 relijrion of love. The Jewish religion is said by it to be 
 narrow in its sympathie.*;, and the God of Israelis called 
 a (lod of wrath. It is impossible to understand how the 
 authorship of the doctrine of humanity can be denied 
 to Judaism, for the tenet is taught here in the Penta- 
 teuch with all i)ossible clearness and force. " Thai may 
 be true," they say to us, " but you use the word "];•"» ' thy 
 neighbor,' which means belonging to your own people. 
 Non-Israelites are excluded from this circle, while our 
 religion teaches an unrestricted and universal love of 
 mankind." '1 liis objection, too, is entirely without foun- 
 dation. In the verses that follow, .Moses says: " If a 
 stranger sojourn with you in VMiir land, ye shall iiol vex 
 him. As one born in llie land among you, shall lie unto 
 you the stranger that sojourncth willi yoii, and tlinu 
 slialt love him as thy.s<'If." 
 
 The moving force in this dispute betwtien the two sets 
 of adherents is the vain ambition of each to make the 
 greater /niii.<l of the faith profe.«s(!d by each. In tliectry, 
 tliis law is highly |)ri/.e<l, ImiiIi in churches and in syna- 
 gogues; it is found in all catechisms. I'ut in practice, 
 
 275
 
 276 SABBATH HOUES. 
 
 it is equally neglected by both bodies of men. This 
 contest between the religions for the honor of being the 
 true mother of the idea of humanity reminds us of the 
 dispute of the two mothers before the judgment seat of 
 Solomon, concerning the ownership of the living child 
 and tlie dead one. In that altercation the living child 
 nearly lost its life. At times, both religions have acted 
 like unnatural mothers towards this offspring of heaven. 
 It is but a poor consolation for us that rivers of blood, 
 mountains of human bodies, seas of tears testify against 
 the younger mother, while the older one, the Synagogue, 
 for seventeen hundred years, like the lamb in the fable, 
 did not muddy the stream for the wolves, and stands 
 before the world clean of hand. The theory is good, 
 even of heavenly excellence. It is, indeed, but too 
 good for this world. Earth would turn into a heaven 
 for its inhabitants, if the doctrine of humanity were in 
 practice applied with the zeal with which it is advocated 
 as a theory. There is probably no one among us so 
 little versed in knowledge of himself as to boast, " I, 
 for my part, love my neighbor as myself." There has 
 been no human being on the face of the earth, from 
 Adam's day down to our own, who has not loved himself 
 more than his fellow-man. Taken in its strict sense, the 
 law is against human nature. It was set up by jMoses as 
 an ideal to be approached more and more nearly, but 
 without any prospect of its complete realization. In the 
 development of the religion of Israel, as shown in the 
 I'eligious writings that followed the books of Moses, 
 there is no reference to the law of humanity promul- 
 gated in the Torah. Not until twelve hundred years 
 after the time of Moses do we hear the famous Golden
 
 SELF-RESPECT. 277 
 
 Rule of Hillel. This law, however, is not " Love* thy 
 neighbor as thyself," but " Do not unto othei*s what 
 you would not have others do unto you." In idea, this 
 is very far removed from love, but as a duty, it lies 
 within the range of man's powers. Synagogues and 
 churches are not wanting in men and women obeying 
 this Golden Rule in their lives, and even going far 
 beyond it in their ivorks of love. 
 
 The law of love of our fellow-man is to be our ideal ; 
 its meaning, therefore, deserves a somewhat closer inves- 
 tigation. We translate the word 1^2^^) in our text as 
 " thou shalt love." Love, however, is stubborn, and will 
 not be made a matter of duty. Sympathy comes and 
 goes, and gives no reason for its erratic course. As we 
 noticed earlier in the discussion, the demand for love for 
 our fellow-man is against human nature, and is not man's 
 nature also the work of God? But n^nxi may also 
 mean, be charitable, be benignant. This demand is not 
 unreasonable. ^lan can comply with it, if such be his 
 -will. Rejoice in your neighbor's prosperity ; judge him 
 in the best jxjssible liglit; give him all due honor, and 
 in your intercourse with him, make all allowances i'or 
 his deficiencies. Sympathize with him in his sorrow, 
 pity him in his distress, even if you arc unable or unwill- 
 ing to aid Iiiin in deed. Such is the construction that 
 our sages put upon the verse, *' lie hunumc," they say, 
 " even in the manner of executing sentence of death 
 upon a criminal, for 'thou shalt love thy neighbor as 
 thyself.' " To a.sk love for u criminal would be dcmand- 
 
 * n^nXI " Thon Bhalt love " Is hero followed by the dative cose. The 
 verso mny, therefore, be IranslHled, " Ix)Vo for thy neighbor," etc. 
 Ilillel evidently tlms tniiislatcd the verse, for bin Golden Uule Is merely 
 the negative of thiH lujuiicliou.— ITr.J
 
 278 SABBATH HOUES. 
 
 ing too much, but one may be kindly disposed even towards 
 those going to the scaffold. 
 
 /^The words "as thyself" demand a somewhat more 
 thorough discussion. These words seem to make the 
 doctrine still unsafer as a guide in life. In too many 
 instances, our neighbor would be but hardly used, were 
 we to love him as ourselves, act towards him as towards 
 ourselves. Let us examine our lives with strictly impar- 
 tial scrutiny, with vision unobscured by fatuous self-love. 
 Who has wrought us more harm, has made life harder 
 for us to bear, has done more to embitter our joys, than 
 we ourselves ? And we consider ourselves as belonging 
 to the better classes! How is it, then, with the thou- 
 sands lying in prison ; with those wandering aimlessly 
 about the streets ; with the imcounted hosts of thieves and 
 cheats, who bring upon themselves want and distress, 
 amid which they perish, ending their lives in poor-houses, 
 or it may be by their own hands ? All these men loved 
 themselves, but we should scarcely feel grateful were they 
 to show us in our intercourse with them such love as 
 they have shown towards themselves. 
 
 Therefore, let man first learn to love himself wisely ; that 
 is the higher duty. A man must be of worth to himself, 
 before he can be of worth to his neighbor. Beneficent ^ 
 and enduring love is founded upon respect. If we 
 advance " Love thyself," as the higher principle, it is in 
 the sense, " Man respect th3'self " Far be it from the 
 spirit of religion to demand love for yourself, in your 
 wild, brutish inclinations, your boundless selfishness. To 
 love one's self wisely and in a god-pleasing manner, means 
 to keep far from one's self all manner of impurity, for 
 every sin is an act of unkindness toward one's self. To
 
 \ 
 
 SELF-RESPECT. 279 
 
 ove one's self means to do <roocl to others, for your reward 
 is great in your own heart and in the hearts of those 
 about you. Your friends will be double the number of 
 those befriended by you. To love one's self means to 
 enjoy God's gifts, but only in such a way as not to lose 
 one's self respect. \Jie pure, be honest, be u])Ttght, be^ 
 true, kind and useful, be grateful to God and man, be 
 courteous and sociable ; thus, your love for yourself will 
 rest ujwn respect ; you will be a friend to yourself, and 
 your friendship and your love may then possess some 
 value for your neighbor ! 
 
 The princi})le of love of self is thus developed before 
 the idea of love of one's fellow-man, and it likewise 
 takes precedence in its mention in the Bible. Man, we 
 are told, is created in the image of God, which means, 
 " Man, do not hold too mean an o{)inion of y(nu>elf, as if 
 created for no other purpose than to eat, drink and sleej) ; 
 t(j be born and to die like the beast. You are destined for 
 higher things; you have free-will; you can do good and 
 evil to others, '^'ou have an immortal soul extending 
 beyond this eartldy life; you have intelligence. Like 
 God, the soul is invisible, but its Ix-iiig is felt, just as the 
 being of the Almighty and his omnipotence and his wi.s- 
 flom are perceptible in his works. I'pon your counte- 
 nance, the Lord has l)reatlied tlu; living soul.'"* lioth 
 mind and heart speak in llu; face of nuui.^l^lie face is 
 the mirror ofmir liinughts and eiiiotion.s. In it, we may 
 read acumen and stupidity, benevolence and malice, deep 
 eanicstnes.s and uidxuiuded covetou»ne.ia, lidelity and 
 
 * Liitlicr, in his "Tnlde Talk." tnitiHlnUrit()ilH|iiin.xiiKciii llu> Rlblo thiiH- 
 " He Mew iijurn IiIh coutitetiunce a llvlnK Hplrit." TIiIh reinlitioti wiui 
 approved by Herder.
 
 280 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 deceit, wrath and equanimity, love and hate, despair and 
 resignation, cunning and simplicity, pride and humility, 
 and even more than all this may a watchful observer 
 note in the face of man ! Therefore, man, hold not too 
 low an opinion of yourself! Pay honor and respect to 
 your own soul. Even your fellow-man may read your 
 nature in your face, and he will regard you with respect 
 or contempt, according to his decision ; how much bet- 
 ter must your soul be known to your Creator ! If, when 
 you look into your mirror, you see unamiability stamped 
 on your countenance, you ought to feel ashamed even in 
 your own eyes. You will thus learn to love yourself 
 wisely, to grant yourself every pleasure that does not 
 make you lose the respect of good men and of yourself. 
 And thus, seeing it to be rooted in yourself, a part of 
 your very being, remember the law of humanity, the 
 subject of contention between Cln-istianity and Judaism. 
 In the strife, let us not allow this heavenly child to per- 
 ish ; let both rather cherish it with tender care.
 
 SUCCESS AND FAILURE. 
 
 Lev. XXII : 27. 
 
 Success is the all powerful argument, deciding beyond 
 appeal the question of merit. Reason, morality, the 
 warning voice of history, are all mute before the spec- 
 tacle of obvious triumph. 
 
 - The world docs not inquire whence came the gold. It 
 matters not whether it l)C of low and sordid origin, or 
 the reward of honorable service ; whether it shine on the 
 breast of the hero, a token of self-sacrificing courage, or 
 gleam in the hand of the spy, a reward for treason. 
 ( iold is goldT^ So with success. Success is jiroof of right- 
 thinking, of cleverness, of wisdom and of justice. Suc- 
 cess is 8ucces.s.^ The path on which the goal of victory 
 was attained ia of no moinent."*'^^\s soon, however, as 
 fortune deserts a man, he lo.scs, in a moment, not only 
 the results of his lal)or, but the good opinion formerly 
 held by his fellow-men of his endowments of heart ami 
 niin*!^ Such is the fate of human l)cings, and of ideas, 
 curn'Uts of tliougbt, and fa.«hions as well. Tiiey ride, 
 their triunii)h is nianifeHt, and hence they are considered 
 beautiful, good, true and right, until tlieir kingdom is 
 taken from them; but when that time cornea, they are 
 no longer conceded the slightest merit. 
 , — C)ur attention is directed to this subject to-day by a 
 commentary of the Midrash on the morning's portion. 
 
 281
 
 282 THE SABBATH. 
 
 We read iu EcclesiaBtes, f]TiJ-inN \^p' D'hSxh, " God 
 is on the side of the persecuted ;" whereupon the Mid- 
 rash remarks, " God espouses the cause of the down- 
 trodden against the oppressor. Cain was the oppressor 
 of his brother Abel, and the Lord turned away from 
 the former. So with Noah and his contemporaries. 
 God chose Noah from all the men of liis time. Abra- 
 ham and Nimrod, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his 
 brothers, Closes and Pharaoh,^David and Saul, )Israel 
 among the nations of the earth — in each instance, God 
 is found on the side of the oppressed. So w' ith the sacri- 
 ficial animals ; the ox is hunted down by the lion, the 
 goat by the leopard, the wolf chases the lamb. None 
 of these pursuers is deemed worthy of being sacrificed ; 
 only the pursued and long-suffering animals may be led 
 to the altar. Therefore, we read, ' When a bullock, or 
 a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth.' " (Lev. XXII : 27.) 
 
 In his faith and iu his practice, Noah stood alone, in 
 opposition to all the men of his time. Such was the rela- 
 tion of Abraham and of Moses to their respective con- 
 temporaries, and such was the position of Israel and 
 its faith in all lauds and times. Every epoch furnishes 
 examples of men of intellectual strength and of moral 
 power, holding an isolated position in thought, feeling 
 and tastes. 
 
 The masses do not regard with indifference the volun- 
 tary spiritual separation and independent position of 
 such individuals ; no, they harass and persecute the 
 men and women that dare hold different opini(jns and 
 beliefs from those current with their contemporaries. 
 The non-conformists are jeered and vexed in a thousand 
 ways, and abused until their discomfiture seems complete.
 
 SUCCESS AND FAILURE. 283 
 
 ^' God sides ^^^th the oppressed." Many a man, occu- 
 pying a solitary position in his generation, and many an 
 idea struggling against the current of the time, are on 
 the side of right and truth, while aberrations of feeling, 
 taste and thoug ht may make up the sum of the spiritual 
 ife of "entire epochsT^Os^oah, holding himself aloof from 
 the rudeness about him, sutiering violence but doing 
 none, avoiding wickedness in the midst of a sinful 
 world, must have seemed a fool in the eyes of his 
 contemporaries.^^ From a human point of view, suc- 
 cess was not on his ^cT^..^ Abraluim's new faith, as 
 the legend tells us, brought him mortal danger. T His 
 hours of leisure were filled with meditations, not con- 
 ducive to material welfare^V He remained true to a 
 Go<l, who led him from due temptation into another. 
 His new moral code set certain bounds to liis earthly 
 ])]ea.<Mi-e57^\ll this must have made his life apj)ear a — 
 faikire to the men of his time; nor could tliey think his 
 (lea the correct one, nor regard Abraiiam himself as a 
 wi.se and far-seeing man\y .J(»seph's j)e(uliar way of 
 thinking made him appear an idle dreamer to his 
 brothers. V/I-'or eighty years it was Moses' fate to be 
 regard<'(I as a foolish man, who had interii-nii in a 
 quarrel that did not concern liiiii in the least, and, in 
 con.sefjuence of which, he had lo live as a stranger in a 
 strange land. 
 
 s^And how h»w wius the opinion li«id <d' IsratI and its 
 faith in the times and on the scenes of iU* oppreasion ! 
 \'crily, throughout centuries, Israel and its faith seemed 
 anytliing l»ut triumphant, ijjtit (Io«l i.M with the op- 
 j)res.-'ed. (lod looks not upon success, l)ut upon the 
 spiritual attitude. If the principle be good, though it
 
 284 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 lack the support of the multitude, God will be with it 
 aud its upholders, v 
 
 "<rhe poet says: NRight is with the living," or as 
 Ecelesiastes expresses it,\^A^ living dog fareth better 
 than a dead lion." Hence, every period of time is 
 looked upon as the best, by those living in it ; ours is no 
 exception to the rule.N" The nineteenth century !" With 
 this exclamation, all possible praise and approval are 
 heaped upon its institutions and the opinions of the mul- 
 titude ; for the century is alive, life is success, and suc- 
 cess means everything that is good and right. \The an- 
 cient times are dead and gone, and, therefore, they are 
 dismal failures. \pthers, again, hold that the olden times 
 achieved more than the new in faith and morality, in 
 domestic and social life.N/They think that a dead lion is 
 better than a living dog. \^ut the important point is 
 that whether the oppressor takes a stand on the side of 
 the old or of the new, God is not with the oppressor>r» 
 Success is of no avail as an argument in the sight of 
 God. /\If justice and right be on their side, God takes 
 part with the minority against the majority, with the 
 weak against the strong, with the living against the 
 dead."^ 
 
 \ Let us, too, not allow our judgment to be biased by, 
 success or failure. When we form our opinion of a man, 
 
 ^^v let us look not upon the fruits of his life, but upon the 
 seed sown by him. \Many a one sows thistles, and reaps 
 rich and luscious fruits ;xclo not decide, on that account, 
 to sow the seed of thistles. Another, again, plants rarest 
 grains, and rank weeds spring up, and choke them. 
 
 ^~Do not, therefore, cease to sow good seeds in your path in 
 life. ^Man does his share, be it good or bad. \Success —
 
 SUCCESS AND FAILURE. 285 
 
 - the earthly harvest of our deeds — is influenced by the 
 winds and storms of fate, which lie beyond human con- 
 trol. \Let no one, then, believe too firmly in liis own 
 moral and mental strength, because fortune smiles upon 
 him^or hold too mean an opinion of himself, and de- 
 spair of his powers, because success dues not crown his 
 efforts. Look with impartial eye upon the condition 
 of your aoiil. See whether your intentions are good, 
 whether you have done the best in your power. Let suc- 
 cess not make you arrogant, nor defeat dishearten you. 
 \And let us all make it a rule of life ever to be the par- 
 tisans of the (ipprossed and the weak. 
 
 But why are the weak ones weak, if God be on their 
 side? Why are the oppressed persecuted, and the 
 down-trodden abused ? We may as well ask, " Why 
 is the bullock strangled by the lion? Why does the 
 leopard rend the goat ? Why is the lamb torn by the 
 wolf? What is the reason for the sorrows of the lielp- 
 les.s?" This is one of the great problems of the universe. 
 
 Honcc, hold not too high an opinion of the lions, the 
 le(jpard.s and the wolves of your accjuaintance, because 
 their cttbrts meet with success. Neither tliink nuanly 
 of the sheep, the weak, those that are hunted down, 
 because failure is their lot in life.
 
 "LET THY BROTHER LIVE WITH THEE!" 
 
 Lev. XXV : 25-44. 
 
 The Hebrew language is especially rich in expressions 
 for poor. We have hx 'j;% |V3X, B'l, "^Vn, pDO, ">in;'. On 
 the other hand, it is very poor in words for the idea of 
 wealth. We have the word i'jy>% and possibly also J^ity. 
 This peculiarity in the language proves how much atten- 
 tion was paid to the poor by the people that spoke it. 
 In our text a certain term is used to describe the change 
 from wealth to poverty (po or i^). We read, "And if 
 thy brother become poor, and fall in decay with thee : 
 then shalt thou assist him, yea, though he be a stranger, 
 or a sojourner, that he may live with thee. Thou shalt 
 not take of him any usury or increase ; but thou shalt 
 be afraid of thy God : that thy brother may live with 
 thee." And again we read, "If thy brother become poor, 
 and sell away some of his possession : then may his 
 nearest of kin come and redeem what his brother hath 
 .sold." The time set for the redemption of a house within 
 the city was one year ; country property could be redeemed 
 within any length of time. If the property was not 
 redeemed, land and village property alike had to revert 
 to the original owner in the jubilee year. And, finally, 
 we read a third time, "And if thy brother become poor 
 near thee, and (he sell himself unto thee, or) be sold 
 unto tliee: tliou shalt not compel him to work as a 
 bond-servant. 
 
 286
 
 LET THY BROTHER LIVE WITH THEE. 287 
 
 " But as a hired laborer, as a sojourner shall he be 
 with thee; until the year of the jubilee shall he serve 
 with thee. 
 
 "And then shall he depart from thee, he and his chil- 
 dren with him ; and he shall return unto his own family, 
 and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return." 
 
 If a man sells a part of his estate, he cannot properly 
 be called poor. According to the ^Fosaic laws, a man's 
 sale of his own person, or his sale by warrant of tlie 
 court, to satisfy an unpaid debt, signifies only that he 
 pledges hiuKself to the service of another man for a length 
 of time not exceeding six years. But he is not poor who 
 is able to pay his debts with the fruit of his labor, and 
 to support himself by service rendered to others. To 
 this class of unfortunates, our morning's text refers, men 
 declining in fortune, but not yet fallen, .struggling with 
 adverse fate, but yet holding out against its attacks. 
 
 The phra.<e, " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," 
 is extolled by all, and refuted by none ; many a one, how- 
 ever, feels that he has discharged the duty here laid upon 
 him by the gift to the j)oor of a few cents or a few dollars. 
 The man so reduced in means that he is un(l(iiial)ly 
 pof)r ha.>; pa.<s('d the time of sorest distress. Not only will 
 the benevolence of others not allow liini to want, but the 
 iinier struggle, the anguish of sinking ever hiwer, no 
 longer makes his heart heavy within liim. i'overty it.self 
 is not 8f» hard to bear as the journey leading to it from .1 
 |)osition of alHuence. I low diflicidt to part with the first 
 acre, the second, the third I "I was a well-to-do farnur 
 and am still considered such by my neighbors, but I shall 
 .«oon be compelled to become a simple day-laborer." 
 Judge of the feelings of the man, once the po.ssessor of
 
 288 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 a broad estate, with none to dictate to him, but many in 
 his service to do his bidding, when forced by necessity 
 to enter with wife and child, into another's employ, he 
 and his wife as well compelled to act as the servants of 
 strangers! This sorrowful journey from wealth to 
 poverty is frequently made even more difficult by the 
 painful efforts to maintain the appearance of prosperity 
 before the eyes of the world. Though the heart aches, 
 a smile of contentment must play upon the lips ! Sore 
 distress under the thread-bare cloak of affluence ! 
 
 To render assistance to struggling and sinking fellow- 
 creatures, to extend to them a helping hand, and aid 
 them that they may not fall — this is the active love of 
 our fellow-man enjoined on us by the Holy Scriptures. 
 INIoses wrote this chapter only to impress the importance 
 of this duty upon his people. It is by no means an 
 exhaustive treatment of the subject, but merely a cita- 
 tion of examples. In it, our sympathy and help are 
 not invoked for naked poverty, crying aloud for bread, 
 extending the begging hand, and ever ready with a 
 word of gratitude in return for the gift ; but for him 
 " who falls in decay with thee," or literally, whose hand 
 sinks helpless at his side. He does not stretch forth his 
 hand to receive help, but you cannot fail to notice that 
 it drops nerveless. He may be endowed with excellent 
 qualities of mind and heart, but to amass and maintain 
 a fortune requires skill of hand as well. To you, not to 
 the world at large, it is plain that his hand hangs use- 
 less at his side. 
 
 For the care of the destitute, for orphans and widows, 
 for the helpless and aged, charity provides. Their dis- 
 tress is alleviated by public institutions and the united
 
 LET THY BROTHER I-IVK WITH THEE. 289 
 
 efforts of benevolent men and women. But public in- 
 stitutions are powerless to aid those succumbing in their 
 struggles against fate, for the publication of their dis- 
 tress would be an even greater trial than want itself. 
 They shrink from confessing to themselves how sad is the 
 future tliat awaits them. A tender heart, a heart filled 
 with love for humanity, must here seek to bring help 
 in word and deed, unseen of all but God alone. " Thou 
 sbalt be afraid of thy God !" And the text adds, " I 
 am the Lord." The thought, "God, the Holy One, 
 sees me, I shall find grace in the sight of the all-merci- 
 ful Father," is most precious to him who acts as an 
 unknown benefactor to his fellow-creatures in distress. 
 More precious than tears of gratitude; than expressions 
 of praise and approval in countless newspapers; than 
 monuments of marble and of bronze, is the reflection, 
 " I am acting in God's spirit, for God, too, unseen of 
 any one, heals the heart wounded by sorrow, and from 
 his invisible hand, the whole world is fed." 
 
 "That man is not poor," some may say, " lu- has still 
 resources upon which he may depend for his sustenance. 
 'He ha'^ sold away some of his possession.'" Tliou, 
 who art a friend to mankind, do not wait until all the 
 resources of thy iellow-man are exhausted. Ah soon as 
 he is compelled by necessity to brf/ln parting with his 
 pfjssessions, "then shalt thou assist him," lend him a 
 helping hand. " iJut we cannot all be rich ! Lit him 
 sink into poverty. There is still time to help him when 
 he has become quite needy." "Let thy br<»ther live 
 mth thee." Let it be a jjicaBurc to thee, to have him 
 live 7iext to thee, in uixlistiirbed prosperity, not oppressed 
 by care and sunken far below thee in worldly station. 
 
 20
 
 290 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 We read further, " Thy money shalt thou not give him 
 upon usury." lu another place i^^' "^wa "i^tSd l^w: is 
 added (Dcut. XXIII : 20); that is, nothing that bites, 
 that makes him suffer shalt thou impose upon him. Do 
 not accompany thy charitable deed with biting words. 
 Thy benevolence does not give thee the right to assume 
 the character of a lordly patron. 
 
 "What Moses calls selling, would in our days be con- 
 sidered entering into the service of others. How many 
 young and old men, women and girls nowadays con- 
 sider themselves fortunate, if the opportunity be afforded 
 them of earning their living in the employ of strangers ! 
 Many of them have seen better days, when they them- 
 selves were masters and had servants of their own at 
 their beck and call. " Thou shalt not rule over them 
 with rigor." If now thou art become a master over 
 them, be not only their superior, lording it over them 
 at will, but be also a helpful friend, of whom they may 
 seek advice ; do not treat them as slaves. 
 
 In the ^neid, Virgil makes his hero prophesy as to 
 the future of Rome, and he says : " Others will surpass 
 thee in fluency of speech, in arts, in science ; thou wilt 
 show thy pre-eminence in exercising rulership over the 
 whole world." Israel can apply this description to its 
 own career, but in a different and nobler sense. Israel 
 is surpassed by others in the number of artists, of men 
 of wisdom, of discoverers and inventors. As men the 
 achievements of Israelites in all human arts may com- 
 pare favorably or unfavorably with those of others ; their 
 Judaiiin plays no part in their worldly success or failure. 
 But in faitli and iu theoretical and practical humanity, 
 Israel ought to become the ruling power of the world.
 
 LET THY BROTHER LIVE WITH THEE. 291 
 
 Thirty-five hundred years ago these doctrines of human- 
 ity stood alone in the world ; to-day they are no longer 
 good enough for those that consider themselves represen- 
 tative of the best thought of our day. The belief in one 
 God, and in his pure, moral Law, with its great chapter 
 on humanity, stands upon a royal road of the world's 
 history, and is destined to ride in triumph over tli* whole 
 earth. A language reveals the spirit of those that 
 speak it. The Germans say dein Ndchstcr or Nebenmeuftch ; 
 the Englishman speaks of his neighbor and fellow-man ; 
 the Hebrew language uses the word friend, as in 
 ■]10D i;^iS n^riNi, or, as in our morning's text, the still 
 more loving term, brother. Not the Israelite alone is 
 spoken of as a friend or a brother; the term is also 
 applied, as (jur text again illustrates, to the strangers 
 that sojourn in the land, 
 
 We live among a nation not inferior to Israel in char- 
 ity and humanity. Let us strive not to fall short of its 
 standard in acts of benevolence; let us rather exert our- 
 selves to keep in advance of it, so that, when our Law- 
 has won f(»r itself the rulcrship of the world, Israel's may 
 b(; the undisputed right to bear aloft the banner bearing 
 the inscription, " Ivct thy brother live with thee!"
 
 KNOW THYSELF. 
 
 "And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and say 
 unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, then shall the seven lamps 
 give light toward the body of the candlestick."— Numbers VIII : 1-2. 
 
 According to our text, the six lamps upon the six 
 branches of the candlestick were to be so turned as to 
 shed light upon the body of the candelabrum. The 
 lamp was to be a light unto itself, its beams were to serve 
 primarily for illumination of itself. 
 
 These instructions form a fitting introduction to the 
 Avhole chapter, which treats of the conduct of the Levites 
 in their sacred calling. The tribe of Levi was to be a 
 light unto the people, shining before them in precept and 
 example. It was, therefore, necessary for the Levites to 
 be a light unto themselves, examining their own souls 
 by the searching rays of scrutiny and trial, before they 
 could be able and worthy to guide others by the light 
 of their example. 
 
 All of us may well take to heart the instruction here 
 given to the Levites. Let us allow our light to pene- 
 trate our own souls, before we concentrate its rays upon 
 the thoughts and feelings, the words and actions of 
 others. 
 
 To know himself is man's most difficult task as well 
 as his most imperative duty. As we find suitable Bibli- 
 cal verses or pious sentiments inscribed upon the doors 
 
 292
 
 KNOW THYSELF. 293 
 
 of our houses of worship, so over the portal of a Greek 
 temple luight have been read the legend, " Know thyself" 
 The twofold evil — lack of self-knowledge and exces- 
 sive illumination of the actions and sins of others — 
 grows worse with the progress of civilization. Among 
 civilized nations, appreciation of right and wrong is 
 almost universal, but not every one posse^Jses the moral 
 strength to be virtuous and live according to law. Hy- 
 pocrisy lends its aid in concealing deficiencies, and in 
 the place of true morality of conduct we have the ap- 
 pearance of morality. AVhen the Empress Catherine of 
 Russia was journeying through the ("rinica, her all-pow- 
 erful favorite had the country lying along tlic road on 
 whicli she was travelling decorated, to some distance on 
 each side, with rej^resentations of pleasant villages, neat 
 farms, smiling fields and grazing herds of cattle in order 
 to deceive the ruler as to the true, d&solate condition of 
 the country. 
 
 These painted villages corrcspoiid to the gestures, 
 forms of speech and action current in civilized society; 
 tliey are really jiainted virtues. Were the civilized 
 world in reality as it appears to the superficial observer, 
 eartli woul<l be a glorious, nay, a heaveidy alxtde. Tlic 
 few human beings in the houses of correction are as noth- 
 ing compared with the vast numbers of men on eartli. 
 The men that are at large, if taken to be what they pre- 
 tend to l)e, are the very impersonations of virtue. 
 
 Yet we know in our heart.'* that such is not the case. 
 We know that in the forms of speech and intercourse <»f 
 the most cultivated circles, mere show is oHl-rcd in jdace 
 of reality. At the ver)' zcnitli of Koman culture. 
 Augustus reignt d fur forty-four years, the most powerful
 
 294 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 man in the most powerful realm on earth. In his dying 
 hour, he said to his friend and adviser, Maecenas, 
 " Have I played my part well ?" If a man with the 
 power of Augustus, before whom a world lay prostrate, 
 felt compelled to throw the cloak of hypocrisy over his 
 purple robes ; if, in the solemn hour of death, seeing 
 himself as he really was, he made the confession that 
 he had been acting a part in life — surely we can feel no 
 surprise at Kant's assertion that men, in general, in 
 becoming more civilized, develop more and more into 
 actors. 
 
 These observations are not recorded as an accusation 
 or a reproach against society. If such were our idea, 
 we should necessarily have to regard civilization as an 
 evil. In reality, no greater honor could be shown to 
 virtue, nor could her divine origin be more clearly 
 manifested, than in the phenomenon that those possess- 
 ing neither the strength nor the inclination to lead a life 
 of virtue, feel it incumbent upon them to honor it by 
 simulating its appearance. Virtue is like the sun ; the 
 reflection cast upon the earth at dawn is followed by the 
 sun himself So he that practises the appearance of 
 virtue accustoms himself to virtue itself: he grows to 
 love it as we love everything that is habitual, and 
 finally becomes truly virtuous. 
 
 Simplicity alone is deceived by appearances. Every 
 thinking civilized being knows that marks of affection, 
 of respect, of decorum, of unselfishness in word or 
 action, may be either a mere pretence or a proof of real 
 feeling. If a person says to me, " Consider my house 
 your home," he is not using an hypocritical phrase 
 for I know that the offer is made with the assumption
 
 KNOW THYSELF. 295 
 
 that it will not be taken seriously, A savage, on the 
 other hand, would look upon the invitation as a genuine 
 offer. 
 
 Imagine a world entirely wanting in decorum, in 
 manners, in a sense of shame, in courtesy, in roHnement, 
 a world in which all the poison seething in the heart of 
 men, were poured out in society, in which the nlimber of 
 good actions would I)e lin)ited by inclination, in which 
 kind words and pleasant smiles would be exchanged oidy 
 when prompted by true kindliness of feeling — how miser- 
 able were human existence in this world! 8uch a 
 condition would mean the end of all sociability, of all 
 tranquillity, of all contentment. AVere no word to be 
 spoken, no act performed, however good in itself, unless 
 called forth by correspondingly good feeling, true virtue, 
 which gradually develops under cover of the assumption 
 of virtue, would be but a rare phenomenon. 
 
 Decorum, a regard for appearance, ])oliteness, the 
 friendly exchange of sentiments of regard, make up the 
 small coin of virtue. Small change is always alloyed 
 with ba-ser metal, and therefore does not possess the 
 intrinsic value of gold, tint nevertheless, it is indispens- 
 able a.s a medium of exchange. 
 
 If a fellow-being manifests a kindly disposition towards 
 you, if he is polite and attentive, give him credit for his 
 kindness, even though you think that his heart is not in 
 the act. If a friend fails to meet with y(»ur exj)eetatit»ns 
 of him, be not 1*^)0 bitter ir) your denunciations; you 
 should liave remenibend tlmt voii aie dealing with a 
 civilized being, who drops many a phnwe tlmt lie docs 
 not mean seriously, because he takes it for granted lli.if 
 he will not be jield to his word. Aristotle eoninienees
 
 290 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 e 
 
 an address Avitli these words, " My friends ! There are 
 no friends !" 
 
 On the other hand, let the light of criticism penetrate 
 deeply into your own heart, into the recesses of your 
 thoughts and feeling. Turn the seven lamps of your 
 reason inward upon yourself. Examine, by their light, 
 how your sentiments and actions harmonize with each 
 other. Be not content with the simulation which you 
 excuse in others. You must not pry too deeply into the 
 motives of your fellows-men, but bring the searching light 
 of scrutiny sharply to bear upon the grounds of your 
 own action. Strive io be that Avhich you find it well to 
 appear. When you light the lamp of reason, let its light 
 be cast principally upon yourself Be like Augustus, 
 the mighty emperor ; like Kant, the strict moralist, the 
 great thinker, and let us add, on the authority of our 
 text, like Aaron, the first high-priest !
 
 CHARACTER SKETCHES FRO^[ THE BIBLE. 
 
 MOSliS, KORACH, IJATIIAN AND ABIRAM. 
 
 NlMBERS XVI. 
 
 Koracli speaks of the " people of the Lord " and its 
 holiness. He aecuse.s Moses and Aaron of tyranny ami 
 presumption in the administration of the saered (»Hiee. 
 We, h(j\vever, understand tlie purpose of his accusation ; 
 we can clearly see the secret desi<;^n of his speech to the 
 people. He adopts the tone <>f nil ilrmagogues and 
 ottice-seekers, flattering the masses^ misrepresenting the 
 conditions of the time, and slandering the party in 
 power. "The people! Tiie people's rights!" is their 
 cry. The meaning of their harangue is ever, " IMaco 
 the power into our hands! L<"t us guard your riglits!" 
 We know well the design of Korach's agitation. His 
 eye is on the high-priest's olhce. Ifr wishes to rule the 
 "people of tlir Lniij." Aiiihilion wa.- tlic mainsi)ring 
 of his action. 
 
 N^ Among all the pa.'*8ion.««, and)ition is the most danger- 
 (»u.-<. The. darkest pages in lii.^tury have heen painteil 
 in its luri«l colors.^ When rule«I hy any other paKsion,'' 
 man is fully conscious that lie is doing wrong. Thtf 
 gand)ler, the flrunkard, tiie rake, (he thief, the Bwindler, 
 the volujauary, all well know that they are pursuing 
 
 ii97
 
 r 
 
 298 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 the path of evil ; but they are, or think themselves, too 
 weak to forsake their wicked ways, aud follow their in- 
 ward promptings to a better life.^The man of ambition, 
 on the other hand, believes himself worthy of the honor 
 to which he aspires, f He thinks that he is laying claim 
 merely to that which is his due ; he holds that the world 
 is defrauding him of his rights. The stronger his con- 
 fidence in the justice of his claim, the bolder and the 
 more decided will be the stand taken by him. 
 
 Aml)ition,^nlike the other passions which generally 
 -ule petty soius^^is usually most active in men of genius, 
 of extraordinary ability. ^To this peculiarity, it is due, 
 that, as far as the public welfare is concerned, it is the 
 most dangerous of all the passion^ The power stirring 
 within tlie man of ambition seeks an outlet for its exer- 
 cise,, a field wherein it may turn its energies to account. , 
 The endowments of the man of ambition are not always 
 imaginary ; they may be of undeniable excellencCf 
 Recognition of his abilities alone is wanting,^or does 
 the opportunity offer itself for procuring this recogni- 
 tion by proper meanSj/ In his impatience he^akes the 
 very foundation of societ^calling to his aid the powers 
 of deceit and violence. 
 
 Such was the case with Korach. His unsatisfied am- 
 bition ^Tought havoc in Israel, aiid^rought misery to 
 thousands upon thousands implicated in the rebellion.. 
 Before Korach 's appearance upon the scene, the mate- 
 rial for insurrection lay ready in the community, need- 
 ing but the necessary touch to set it aflame ;ngnoble 
 purposes stirred in the hearts of many in IsraelT But 
 the order of the community would not have been dis- 
 turbed thereby. The disaffection of petty minds would
 
 CHARACTER SKETCHES FROM THE BIBLE. 299 
 
 not have burst forth into the flames of rehellionj) Cour- • • 
 age and decision were lacking. / The ambition of one 
 
 — - man, however, served to set the whole mass ablaze. All 
 the passions, seething in the hearts of petty men; all the 
 malice which had been ashamed to show itself in the 
 light of day, now l)ur.st forth in united strength. The 
 master-passion, ambition, broke tlie dam of public order, 
 and the full Hood of cowardly sinners poured into the 
 cam}). 
 
 « ^ ^ As ambition is the most dangerous of the pa.ssions, it 
 is also the noblest of them all. To devote thouglit and 
 scheming, toil and energy fto low, sensual delights, to 
 material gain in gold or goods, to drink, to gambling, is 
 the mark of a ba.se and vulgar nature. For, when our 
 oljjects in life are so unworthy of our dignity as human 
 beings, as are these, then the nobly-l)orn soul nuist 
 degrade itself to the position of sl;i\ ( to the l)()dy. But 
 honor is one of the finest of the pleasures of life ; honor 
 is a true delight to the soul. The body nnist deny itself 
 'nuich, must sacrifice much, must do its utmost, so that 
 the soul nuiy enjoy the fulness of hon()r^ Korach, as- o c 
 # - the most dangerous of the mutineei-s, merited the most 
 severe punishment.^ His name, therefore, is identified 
 with the rebellion ; heavy was the penalty paid iiir his 
 
 guilt, r He wa.4 the guiltiest among the rebels, but not 
 
 the worst. , Therefore, despite his guilt, we find that, in 
 other sections (»f the liihie, the descMiirJiints of Korach 
 are men highly hononij in the comnumityyv NN'c find 
 poets among them mimI liinious singers, by their efibrt.'* 
 contributing mu<li to the iMiiiity of the Teiriple service. • 
 
 , I _ Therefore, the Bible says, " But the sons of Kor:i( li 
 did not die." The error of the father was not visited
 
 300 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 upon the children. * His noble qualities,, his ability to 
 work his way out of the common mass,, and, from the 
 height attained, influence the life of the community — 
 this was the inheritance of his children and his chil- 
 dren's children. 
 ^ The children of Korach, who, according to the Holy 
 Scriptures, did not die with their father, include not only 
 the heirs of his body, but his sjnritual descendants as 
 well. ^Vhoever feels within himself the ability to be of 
 — use in the community^ whoever seeks to be the right 
 — man in the right place, will also feel the desire to occupy 
 this place, and stepping forth from the seclusion of 
 private life„to take upon himself the burdens, the cares, 
 the dangers,, and in the end also the ingratitude of 
 publieseryice. 
 
 Korach's spirit thus lived again in Alexander, in 
 / .Julius Caesar, in Napoleon — all of them great men, 
 1 fitted for the high position which they won for them- 
 selves by virtue of their superior powers, but censurable 
 for the means employed in attainment of this end; for* 
 . their violence, intrigues, breach of faith, and bloodshed. 
 Like Korach's, theirs, too, was an end of horror. 
 
 Let us turn to the picture presented by the life of / 
 -• Dathan and Abiram. 
 
 Quite unlike Korach, these men seem neither danger- 
 ous nor worthy of the least respect. Their characters 
 were low, and their motives mean, nor did they possess 
 the necessary strength to do harm. They met the ad- 
 vances of Moses anrl his offer of a jjeaceable adjustment 
 of difficulties in a malicious spirit, with foolish and irra- 
 tional words. Like all low-minded men, they looked 
 with hatred upon any one of noble aims, and, therefore,
 
 
 CHARACTER SKETCHES FROM THE BIBLE. 301 
 
 they were iiistinctively the personal enemies of Moses, 
 ^e idealist, tlie man of lofty thought^ They reproach a » 
 Moses with having led the children of Israel out of 
 Egypt, the land of felavcry, it is true, but of slavery 
 sweetened wit"^ milk and honey. They failed to appre- ' « 
 ciate the work of Mdscs as the savior of the people, 
 their teacher and leader;^ even the promise of fertile 
 lands for their children was without value for them. 
 
 ^ey wished to have fields and vineyards for themselvesim Q j 
 They belonged to that class of people, to whom nothiiig/', 
 is worth the cHort expended on obtaining it, except 
 money and worldly goods, fields and meadows; to-4lif 
 
 (class that would joj-fully surrender ]\Iouut Sinai for a 
 vineyard, a world of ideals for a tangible possessioii^_^ 
 ^Dathan and Abirani, too, have passed away, but their 
 vulgarity of soul still lives on in the world. 
 
 In every undertaking, the question is raised, " "Will it 
 bring us to the land flowing with milk and honey':' 
 What is the use of diligent study of the l^aw, of scien- 
 tific investigation, oi' poetry and art, if tliey cannot help 
 us to obtain fields and vineyarils, if tlii'y will not fill our 
 coffers with gold ?" 
 
 M:iti il;i] lilrsgings iirc by no means to be desj)ised. 
 Who does nf)t strive to possess them V Hut side liy sid(> 
 with our efforts for eartlily possessions, we nmst still find 
 Uuw. fi)r higher things. Wlien «)ur interest or our jtar- 
 -~~ tieipati(jn in a good cause is asked, we should not always 
 ^^ in(|uire as to the worldly advantage tluit we nuiy gain 
 from our eH()'is, (Tn his anxiety for his acres and vine- 
 yards, his milk amT honey, ni:ii: nni-t not lose sight n\' 
 the demands of the heart and tlie soul, the welfare nf 
 mankind, the good of posterity, immortality and the life 
 
 Bi: Nor Ll'Kli JIHRVHNU' WHO M' ' ' 
 RBcjziifiisc A Rn-WAFD.
 
 302 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 hereafter ; otherwise he will perish iu the desert of 
 worldly interests as Dathan and Abiram sank into the 
 ^earth, and were lost forever. «-5>. 
 
 \^he third character sketch is that of MosesJI 
 
 ' ' Dathan and Abiram seek indemnity in fields and 
 vineyards for the losses which, they maintain, they have 
 suffered in leaving the land of Egypt. $ To them, Moses 
 
 — , says, " ' I have not taken away an ass of any one of 
 them.' Have I asked for one beast of burden in re- 
 turn for my services ? I have sacrificed my life, all my 
 strength in this cause ; where are my fields and my vine- 
 
 .^^ yards ? , ' Nor have I done wrong to any one of them.' 
 Where is even one man, whose rights I have injured 
 in the fulness of my authority?" 
 
 Here we have the picture of a man sacrificing himself 
 for the world,,for its improvement and elevation. He -• 
 
 - — took upon himself the leadership of the people, and 
 wielded his power like a great man, and that, at a time, 
 when there was little prospect of honor or success,,when 
 he could see only labor and care in store for him.» 
 
 t » When he made his first petition to Pharaoh, there surely 
 was none to envy him : no K orach, no Dathan, no 
 Abiram showed his face then. Later, however, when 
 ■" seeming impossibilities had been achieved, when the 
 daring undertaking had been crowned with success, and 
 Moses stood before them in the fulness of his power, 
 then the envious sought to injure him, and to wrest from 
 the leader, tried awl true, the reins of authority, r From ' 
 his height, irowcver, he could call to them: " For whose 
 sake do I stand here upon the watch-tower ? Not for 
 my own sake, and not for the sake of those near unto 
 me. I climbed this height, and now hold it in yow
 
 CHARACTEK SKETCHES FROM THE BIBLE. 303 
 
 interesjt. ' jNIy office has brought me no field aud uo 
 vineyard, neither milk nor honey has been my reward. 
 Mine was the very beast of burden that carried me on 
 the journey, from ^lidian into Egypt, undertaken in 
 behalf of your liberation."
 
 "PEOPLE OF THE LORD." 
 
 KuMBERS XI : 27-29 and XVI. 
 
 In the " Sayings of the Fathers," we find the sage ad- 
 vice to scholars to choose their words carefully in their 
 discourses, so that their pupils may not misunderstand 
 them, and thus be led to spread erroneous doctrines. 
 
 The quarrel between Moses and Korach furnishes a 
 striking example of the harm that may be wrought by 
 the misconstruing of even the sublimest truths. Sin is 
 rarely shameless enough to show itself in all its naked- 
 ness, and say, " I am sin ; I know what I am, and you, too, 
 may know it. It matters not to me that you recognize 
 me in my true character." No ; sin speaks not thus, but 
 rather loves to clothe itself in the garb of virtue. Olany 
 a misdemeanor is not committed, solely because it is im- 
 possible for tlie offence to maintain the appearance of 
 respectability Rudeness seeks to excuse itself, saying, 
 " There is no deceit in me. I am perfectly frank and 
 open."^ Hard-heartedness explains its position thus: 
 " We must not spoil the poor by heaping benefits upon 
 them,'j and the Israelite that seeks to make his religion 
 as convenient to himself as possible says, " This is phi- 
 losophy !" 
 
 In the last Sabbath's portion, we were told how two" 
 highly-esteemed laymen in Israel had prophesied to the 
 people, because " the spirit rested upon them." Eager /
 
 PEOPLE OF THE LORD. 805 
 
 informers lost no time in telling Moses of the occurrence.^ 
 To them, Moses said, " O, that we might render all the 
 people of the Lord proi:)hets ; that the Lord would pour 
 out his spirit upon them !" 
 
 Moses had spoken of Israel as a " people of the 
 Dn-d." Shortly afterward, Koracli appeared at the 
 head of a misguided party in rebellion against the exist- 
 ing order, with an argument taken from Moses' own 
 speech — " people of the Lord !" 
 
 CNo doul)t, the greedy office-seekers were ashamed to 
 pose their petty malice and their utter worthlessness to 
 the sterling character of ■\Ioses. Therefore, they acted , 
 in the capacity of advocates of the " jjCdple of the Lord." 
 The majesty of the whole people could, despite his great-'! 
 ness, he boldly set up in opposition to Moses. Had jiotj, 
 rMoses himself called them " peojjle of the LordT^ If it "' 
 ^"was'triieTas ISfoses Trad" salTI, tliat every Uhe in Israel 
 might be a prophet, then surely every Israelite was 
 wcirtliv of the higli-pricstly office. ^fThus sin reared its 
 head in the camp, under the mask of an advocate de- 
 fending a people defrauded of its rightjO The Israelites,-— 
 i(uj)^ius they \very/ marked the wonfs of their leade^ 
 and though th(^ failed (<• grstsp their meaning, they 
 hurled at Moses atl^l Aaron the reproach, " It is you who 
 have causcil tiie peo]ile oC the Lord lo die I' 
 
 In using the piira>e, " people of the l/onl," Moses 
 did not mean to imply (hat every Isra<'lite, from the 
 fact of his Isiaelitish biitli,was a better, a more gifhnl 
 man than others ; that he was, on I li:il aeioiinl, lilted lur 
 highest honors. Moses :id<ls llie >tipulati«m, "That 
 the L<ird would i)iit his spirit upon llieiii." (lod, how- 
 ever, does not lay Ids sjjirit upon one unworthy of it,
 
 306 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 ' ' ' even though he be of Israelitish births Upon Eldad * 
 and Medad, who worked earnestly in the camp as 
 teachers and preachers, without any thought of reward 
 in gold or land or hontjjc) upon them rested the spirit of 
 the Lord. Their ability to teach, their willingness to 
 teach, and the modedy wdiich led them to choose to work 
 for the common welfare without honorary titles mmj 
 badges of offi(J, such must be the characteristics of the 
 men that can form a veritable " people of the Lord !" 
 Not so Korach. To work quietly and unostenta- 
 tiously for the common good was not to his mind.^ 
 fi t Strange to relate, in Israel's entire camp, there were but 
 two men who, as " people of the Lord," offered them- 
 selves as teachers in the camp, while more than two 
 hundred and tifty, as " people of the Lord," offered 
 themselves as candidates for the office of high-priest ! 
 
 #■ ' ' AVould it ever have occurred to a common Egyptian 
 to stir up a revolt for the purpose of obtaining a pricvstly 
 office ? Our knowledge of the history of Egypt is con- 
 stantly having fresh light cjist upon it, but as yet we 
 have had no account of a rebellion against the priestly 
 order, or of any uprising of the lower against the upper 
 
 # « # castes. ) In Egypt, the idea of a holy nation, of an 
 entire people forming a kingdom of priests, was utterly 
 unknown. On the contrary, the people, in general, were 
 filled with the consciousness of their ungodliness, and of 
 their un worthiness to approach their gods as priests. 
 
 ]Moses corrected this error. He maintained that the 
 whole of the Israelitish nation is holy with reference to 
 rights and privileges ;/ but he asserted as W'ell that not 
 every Israelite is therefore a saint. " The Lord will make 
 known who is his, and W'ho is holy, that he may cause
 
 PEOPLE OF THE LORD. 307 
 
 them to come near uuto bini ; and liini whom he shall 
 choose will he cause to come near unto him." f Accident ♦ 
 of birth cannot sanctity an Israelite. > A holy life alone 
 can bring a man near to God, and only the " chosen " 
 one,^ot he that thrusts himself forward, may approach 
 the Lord. 
 
 How frequently in life do we see teachers and prcacli- 
 ers, statesmen and philosojjhers misunderstood,, their 
 words and speeches misinterpreted ! The unfortunate 
 division of the Israelites into Pharisees and Sadducecs, 
 for instance, is said to have owed its origin to the mis- 
 understanding of a doctrine concerning retribution.^ 
 Who can measure the rivers of blood, whose source may 
 be traced to the misuse or the misconception of the 
 terms, liberty, religion, enlightenment, and the like? Is 
 it not to the misinterpretation of certain passages in the 
 Holy Scriptures that the origin of the Christian religion 
 has I)een traced — of that mighty religion, whose adlier- 
 ents are scattered* far and wide; whose influence luus 
 changed the very current of life in hut and palace, in 
 village and town ; whose numerous sects control com- 
 pletely great sections of our glolie? ri^here are, in our 
 nineteenth century, millions of nicii that adhere to 
 j)olitical parties, knowing naught Itut the watchword, 
 ancj swearing l)y it, though they comprcliend the under- 
 lying principh" lus little as Korach's followers kiunv the 
 meaning of" their cry, " [)eopl(^ of the Ijord." I'hennm- 
 cna, similar in character t<» the.sc of world-wide import^i^ 
 may be observed, on a smaller scale, in our daily livcs^ 
 How iiiiicli trouble and strife might be avoided in the 
 home, ill business, in social and e«)ngregational affairs, 
 were but this wise saying constantly Ixtrne in mind:
 
 308 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 "Ye sages, be careful in your speech, that ye be not 
 misunderstood, nor your meaning misconceived." Words 
 are like fire: useful if carefully guarded, but dangerous 
 when, employed, as children use fire, without thought or 
 caution, A single word of doubtful meaning in com- 
 pacts between nations and kingdoms not infre(|uently 
 has been the cause of long years of bloody warfare, and, 
 in private affairs, of weary law suits and great losses. 
 
 The wise lesson which we may clearly read in our text 
 ought to impress two things on our minds : it is well to 
 accustom one's self to a mode of speech that cannot be 
 misunderstood. Again, the words of others must not be 
 weighed upon too exact a scale, nor should the worst 
 possible construction be put on them. It may be that 
 your brother expressed himself infelicitously ; but as 
 well may it be that you have been infelicitous in your 
 interpretation.
 
 QUALITY AND QUANTITY. 
 
 "And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare 
 me here seven bullocks and seven rams."— Nimbeks XXIII : l. 
 
 Upon this xeme our sages foiiunent thus : " Why 
 seven altai>> ? Because up to that time seveu pious men 
 had erected altai-s, pleasiuir in the sight of God, namely, 
 Adam, Al)el, Noali, Ahiahani, Lsaac, Jacol) and Closes. 
 ' Their sacrifices were certainly ])leasiug in thy eyes ; hut 
 is it not more fitting for thee to receive offerings from 
 seventy nations than from seven individuals?' Balak 
 asks of Deity. lie was answered, we are told, by a say- 
 Tng of 8oloinoifs, Oietter is a piece of dry hread and ' 
 quiet therewith, than a h(ju.se full of the sacrifices of 
 contention.' " 
 
 In the physical world, (|uantity often sujiplics the 
 place of quality, hulk is suhstitutcd for strength. Two 
 weak men may succeed in vantjuishing one strong op[)o- 
 ncnt, a thick Imanl may hear more than a tliin Kar of 
 iron. 
 
 The exjxricncc that quantity may conqx-iisiitc for 
 lack of quality leads to tin- application of this principle 
 in the intellectual and moral world. The liungling 
 artist seeks to hide his lack of skill hy laying on his 
 colors in thick patches ; the poor nuisician covers the 
 bareness of his conqiosition with llic noise of insirn 
 nieuts ; the liar .seeks to give strength to his statement,"*, 
 
 309
 
 310 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 of whose incredibility he is well aware, by repeated pro- 
 testations of his veracity. The hypocrite employs count- 
 less words and kisses, pressures of the hand, and all 
 other possible outward signs of good-will as proofs of his 
 friendship and good faith, which in reality, are almost 
 minus quantities!'"*«'So, too, in religion, it is believed that/^ 
 lack of quality may be made good by added quantity. ♦ 
 For instance, the followers of a belief or the members 
 of a sect are counted, and the great number of believers 
 is looked upon as the religion's chief glory. "^^ God is^' 
 supposed to be honored by a great number of meaning- 
 less religious practices. The strength of a religion is 
 judged by the outward glory and magnificence of the 
 temple, the service and the machinery of divine worship. 
 ,It is the chief pride of the v^ majority in religious 
 communities to see their spacious temples well filled.^ 
 The truth and excellence of one's belief are attested by 
 the crowd of its professors, by the power and wealth of 
 those that bow beneath its yoke, by the worldly pros- 
 perity enjoyed by believers, and denied to unbelievers, 
 or at best grudgingly bestowed upon them. 
 
 Were we to allow such witnesses to the truth as num- 
 bers, power and social success to have weight with us in 
 judging religious truths, then we Israelites would hold, 
 but a poor opinion of our faith. We are not numer- 
 ous nor powerful, neither does Jucmism pave the way 
 to social success for its followers/^ But truth does not- 
 always dwell with the majority .^^How frequently have 
 the- champions, the teachers of truth yielded up their 
 tortured souls on the funeral pyre, while tens of thou- 
 sands of the people in their wild delusion looked upon 
 the horrijjle scene as a sacrificial service pleasing in the
 
 QUALITY AND QUANTITY. 311 
 
 sight of God. So, too, thought Balak, iu the song of 
 Balaam. "Why," says he, "wilt thou find pleasure 
 only in the altars of this little nation ? Why wilt thou 
 v»/ recognize the noniage of only seven men in the long 
 period of time between Adam and ]\Ioses? Behold seventy 
 nations are at thy service. Comply with their wishes. 
 Be God as they conceive him, the God of the majority !" >' 
 
 'Let it, then, be a matter of indifference to us how 
 many millions we count among our followers. Our con- 
 fidence in the truth of our belief is not shaken, because 
 some statisticians estimate the number of Israelites at 
 only five millions, nor are we stronuthcncd in our faith, 
 when others, exaggerating, a.ssumc eleven millions to 
 be the correct uumljcr. We, likewise, refuse to swell / 
 our ranks with proselytes.^ Yes, even though thousands 
 fall away, and are lost to us through seduction or fri- 
 volity, not the least harm is therel)y done in our eyes to 
 the truth that we profess.^^' The righteous is an ever- 
 la.sting foundation." Were a supporter of the truth to 
 stand alone in his belief, he would be the jjiliar, the up- 
 holder of his world. 
 
 _ The split in Israel, in religious matters, is so open that 
 it cannot be ignored by silence on the subject. V^sraelitcs 
 of the old way of thinking are still in :in ovcrwliclining 
 majority^ That, however, does not prove tliat they are 
 in the right, nor can this fact alone make their future 
 wcure.^ (Quantity eannot comj)ensatc lor lack of (pialily. 
 On iU^-t*tL«i* baud, the defecti»»n of^) Jiiany highly eid- 
 tured men, of men of wealth from msttHnJorcy, proves 
 nothing against its teneti^, for,"^ Better is a j)ieee of dry 
 bread, and (juiet therewith, than a house iiill u\' the 
 sacrifices of contention."
 
 312 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 ft.Youug Israel, the Israel of reform, is still in the 
 minority. It cannot be reproached with this paucity of 
 numbers, as aweaknes^for the question is one of quality 
 not quantity. It is striving earnestly to increase its 
 forces, but even should it succeed, should tens of thou- 
 sands join its ranks, it would be i»triaBie«Ily no better. ^ 
 In oixler to prove true suj^eriority, young Israel must 
 showritS~iid¥a4ilage over the old in benevolence, in a 
 stern sense of justice, in cultivation of heart and miud, 
 in moderation, in modesty, in peace and chastity of 
 family life, in the domestic virtues in general. 
 AW hen a Balak of the future ascends the seat of judg- 
 iTOnt to pass sentence on the jjai'ty contests in Israel, 
 and cries out in his animosity, " Behold, how this people 
 is divided against itself. Here thou seest a portion, and 
 there a portion. Surely, then, thou mayest curse them 
 and denounce them " — let us hope that this will be the 
 answer: "I see neither wrong on the one side, nor per- 
 verseness on the other.X The Lord his God is with each 
 of them!''^ Balak said, \' Behold, I have built seven 
 altars, iiml offered seven bullocks and seven rams therc;^ 
 upon, and," as our sages continue iiis speech for him, 
 'N^Aliraham brought only one small ram as an offering. 
 I,-hmvcv^v4H>;ve-4>Tnrrght-«e v o n r a ms, aHd-eVe n .sg^ea 
 4)uU<Kiks besides." This is the climax of heathen piety. 
 Every grove had its own altar, every height its idol. 
 Festivals, a.ssemblies of the people, innumerable religious 
 practices, meaningless and irrational, filled up the meas- 
 ure of a heathen's days ; countless sacrifices, culminating 
 in the sacrifice of the best-beloved children, constantly 
 bled on the altar. Moses, in forbidding private sacri- 
 fices, destroyed thousands of altars at a blow. Only one
 
 QUALITY AND QUANTITY. 313 
 
 altar was allowed by the Law — the altar in the one 
 Temple in the land. 
 
 ^■\He that keeps within due bounds in his religious life, 
 he that lays more stress uj)on quality than upon quantity, 
 he is pious after the manner of Abel, of Noali, of-tU^ 
 ^j)atriarchs, of Closes, who, in the outward expression of 
 their adoration of God, limited themselves to building 
 one altar, to sacrificing one lamb. ^Vhoever, on the con- 
 trary, holds that piety demands many religious observ- 
 ances — he is a follower of Balak, who built seven altai"s, 
 and let seven bullocks and seven rams smoke upon thenu 
 In the Bil»lical section, ii'oiH •w!nc1rtHu:-4extrTK~t«k-ett7 
 \\e read that at the sacriiice, the king " was standing by 
 his burnt-oHering, he, and all tiie princes of Moab." 
 
 - -The heathen idea that eye and ear nuist be attracted by 
 the pomp and show of the public service J has "T)een 
 banished neither from the church nor from the syna- 
 gogueT^ Excessive importance is still j)laced upon aj)- 
 pearances, upon costly show, upon the jjrcsence of indi- 
 viduals prominent in the coniiiiiinity liy virtiu; of wealth 
 or position. lAltraham sacrificed a rain without peal oi' 
 organ anrj clihiit of choir; he stood alone with liis son 
 and his (loil. Mount Moiiah \va>! made sacred for all 
 liiiic by liis sacriliic; even to-day il is a.scended with 
 emotions of rcvcniicc, while the A\r of IJalak's ponqxais 
 sacrificial scrvi'-c, is ibrgotten ; neither does anyone care 
 
 to seek it. j 
 i']vcrv feat 
 
 ,'cry fT^luri' that contriltiilc- to the dignity of the 
 services and to its attractivenciss for the visitor is of 
 value in our cyvii, but it would hr hi gh l y un-^{*^vv4«4t to 
 overestimate the imj>ortance of these outward things, 
 and to look upon them as essential, and err to so great an 
 
 I 
 
 ■JKM'
 
 314 
 
 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 OY) 
 
 extent that we should not consider a service worthy of 
 the name, one that we could really attend with propriety, 
 unless the rich dresses of the ladies rustle funless organ 
 and choir pour out a flood of music) unless a preacher 
 appeals in grandiloquent language to the congregation 
 from the pulpit. ^'^'. "■. -C^K^ Oer^"^ <^''^^<-^'*' A 
 
 " Better a piece of dry bread, and quiet therewith," 
 better a house of God filled with devotion, which is after 
 all the satisfying bread of the piotts heart, " than a house 
 full of the sacrifices of contention," i. e., a house of wor- 
 ship, beautifully finished and decorated, but wanting in 
 the true devotion that brings peace to the hearty 
 
 
 u
 
 THE TESTDIONY OF OUR LAW AMONG 
 
 THE NATIONS. 
 
 "See, 1 have tauglit you statutes and ordinances jubtasthe Lord my 
 fJod commanded me; that ye may do go in the midst of the hin«l 
 whither you go to lake possession of it. 
 
 "Keep therefore and do them ; for this is your wisdom and your under- 
 standing before the eyes of the nations, that sliall hear all these 
 statutes, and they shall say, Nolhinj,' hut a wise and understanding 
 people is this great nation. 
 
 "For what great nation is there that hath gods so nigh unto it, as is the 
 Lord our God at all times tliat we call upon him? 
 
 "And what great nation is there that hath statutes and ordinances so 
 righteous as is all this law, which I lay before you this day? 
 
 "Only take heed to thyself, and gmird thy soul diligently, that thou do 
 not forget the things which thy eyes have seen, and tlial they depart 
 not from thy heart all the days of thy life ; but thou shalt make them 
 known unto thy sons and unto thy sons' sons."— Delt. IV : r)-9. 
 
 No age or cliiiic Iuls failed (o iinuliice iiidividtinls of 
 pre-eminent wi.-^doni and jii.«ticc, witliin llic ranks of Jii- 
 dai.'^ni a.s well as Ix-yond its iiale. lint in tliis uuH-niu^ 
 text, Mo.scs exhorts tin; Israelites, sayin;;,^ It is not snfti- 
 eient for Israel ^oprodnee indivi<lnals ol' ripened jndg- 
 nieiit mill iiltiiity. Isnul imi.-t ~l:u\v the world liow an 
 entire ]»eo|)l<' may lie elevated alios <■ thr level ol' the 
 Hnrronndin;; nations, tlirongli the inlliienci- of tlie divine 
 Law, wliieli I pive niito it.'\j,'lie aitioiis of tlie child of 
 worthy parents or oi' the puj)il ol" u school of g((od re- 
 pnte are olwrved more elo.M-ly, and his fanlt.s of oniiK^ion 
 and eon)ini.'<sion are censured more severely than the 
 (leficieneieH of him whose training luw Im.h neglected, 
 
 316
 
 316 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 both at home and at school. AVc proudly extol the 
 )ii('rits of the Law of Moses, vauuting its antiquity, its 
 existence as a light in Israel, at a time when all the peo- 
 ples round about were sunk in the darkness of heathen- 
 ism. Since, then, we acknowledge that we have had so 
 greatly the advantage of other nations in enlightenment 
 and truth, it will naturally be inferred that we ought 
 equally to excel other and less favored classes of man- 
 kind iu piety and nobility. If we, scattered members of 
 Israel, were content to rank merely among the average 
 members of the communities in the midst of which we 
 reside, severe censure would be our rightful portion, 
 Abraham was our father ; Moses, our teacher ; the Torah, 
 our text-book in religion "the prophets, our guides; from 
 our midst, the Psalms rang out into the world. Surely, ; 
 
 tiien, we ought to raise ourselves above the level of me- T^^' 
 diocrity. ^We have no right to complain then, if an 
 Israelite is more s everely condemned for violations of the 
 trutli, or of rightand morality in general, than the many 
 sinners of other religious beliefs. , Neither must we con- 
 sider ourselves victims of injustice, if the errors of in- 
 dividuals among us are laid to the account of the entire 
 community ,^^o we-not ourselves say, "Every Israelite 
 is responsible for his brother ?" JL^^.^V'^*^^^^ 
 
 — Not the Law of Israel, but the life of Israel in accord- 
 ance with the Law can win honor and respect for us 
 among the nations.j^Then, too, the talent or the genius 
 of one of our fellow-believers should not be expected to 
 elicit from the surrounding nations the exclamation, 
 
 -*' Nothing but a wise and understanding people is this 
 great nation !" 
 
 .^ The honor which Israel shall enjoy among the nations,
 
 THE TESTIMONY OF OUR LAW. 317 
 
 »— according to Mopes' prophecy, ami which he exhorts the 
 people to strive to deserve, is not in the least affected by 
 our relative position to the followers of other beliefs in 
 commerce, in art or in sciences Enlightenment and 
 nobility of soul, piety and morality, manifested by the 
 mass of the people — these alone are the conditions under 
 which Israel will win the respect of the nations of the 
 
 earth/^Let the wisdom and piety of Israel, which Moses 
 
 promised should be rewarded w ith the regard of mankind, 
 be practically applied, in the conduct of Israel in tlic 
 ordinary relations of men — in the intercourse of hus- 
 bands and wives, of parents and chiMren ; in a moderate 
 enjoyment of the goud things of life; in the erection of 
 henevolent institutions; in humanity ;(Tn unswerving 
 fidelity to religious convictions."^ 
 ( But is not this ])romise of reward, as a .'-i»iir to the ful- 
 filment of duty, in opposition td tlic retpiirements of 
 strict morality? Is it right for the Bible, that divine 
 volume, to find room in its pages fur the dcmaiul that 
 man allow human approbation to influence his conduct? 
 Would it not have been better to say, " Do what is right, 
 regardless of the opinion (»f the peoples round almnt yoii'r) 
 rrThere is, however, no nation on earth that flovs not pride 
 itself on the possession of some real or fancied pre- 
 eminence, and it is by tiie thought of these excellencies 
 that the bond of nationality is {^rengtln-ncd, and |»opular 
 
 - — 'prifle in nationality stimulated. V^Moses wished to inspire 
 such prifle in his people. Could he, then, have set a 
 
 - — - loftier aim to their and»ition than the lio])c of wroling 
 from the lips of the nations tlic praise, "This nation has 
 the most rational conception of <;od. its laws are 
 laws of jnstice and tnen-y. The jx'ople serve their
 
 318 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 God, aud live a life of righteousness, manifesting justice, 
 truth aud love in their relations to each other and to 
 Grangers!" A L L fi'iAA/V^Vn/'^^vAr | 
 
 Let us not bom of our^ v, ritten Law, looking upon it 
 as a crown for our heads, if the Law resides not within 
 our heads as well ; nor is it proper for us to array our- 
 selves in the cloak of humanity and justice, of truth 
 and the knowledge of God, as taught by our religion, 
 if the being, enveloped in the cloak, is a stranger to 
 these virtues. "^The Law is not meant as an honor to xis ; 
 tve must rather honor it in our daily lives by living in 
 accordance with it ; that is to say, we must " sanctify the 
 name of the Lord." 
 
 There remains for our consideration only that part of 
 our text which reads, V For what great nation is there 
 that hath gods so nigh unto it as is the Lord, our God, 
 at all times that ive call upon him f 
 -^-This verse emphasizes, in the first place, the o»w*i- 
 presence of God in contradistinction to the heathen 
 deities who were local in jurisdiction. "Our God," 
 says Moses, " is everywhere the same, upon the land and 
 on the sea, upon mountain-tops as in the valleys, on 
 earth and in heaven. He hears us, and is nigh unto us 
 whenever we call upon him. He is near to us also in 
 the sense that we have no mediator between God and 
 ourselves." (^Another lesson is here taught us as well. 
 God is nigh unto us only if we call upon him^ If we 
 wish to keep alive within us the consciousness of the 
 existence of God,^e must turn to him from time to 
 timei thus reminding ourselves that a God reigns over 
 us, a God of mercy and justice.f^The blessed result of 
 prayer is not always a direct response to our petitions ;
 
 / 
 
 THE TESTIMONY OF OUR LATT. 319 
 
 but few prayers are answered iu the sense that we have 
 changed the will of God according to our own will. 
 Surely, it is best that God's will and not ours is doiie^) ^ . 
 Prayer is, however, never without its reward, for througn rr 
 it, we refresh in oui-selves the feeling that God is near to 
 his creatures. ^A voice within us seems to say, "Son of 
 man, there is a God, the director of the fates of n)en, 
 ~ who is ever nigh unto you. urust in his wisdom, fear 
 his justice and his tribunal ! ^Let the thought of his 
 holiness fill you with a solemn dread !" This is the 
 echo, the answer, in a pious heart, of the eai'uest prayer 
 ascending from its depths. 
 
 If God is not to bo forgotten in Israel, we must direct 
 our attention more earnestly to our Law ; we must be 
 more zealous in our attendance at jiublic worship ; there 
 to join the asseml)led congregation in i)raising God, and 
 in listening to the exposition of divine truths, so that 
 God may, indeed, be near unto u»-iu heart and sjnrit. 
 
 1 

 
 NEITHER ADD THERETO, NOR DIMINISH 
 THEREFROM. 
 
 " What thiug soever I command you, even that shall ye observe to do : 
 thou Shalt not add thereto, and thou shalt not diminish therefrom." 
 — Deut. XIII : 1. 
 
 This prohibition is contradictory to the development 
 of religious law and life among us ; truly, there has been 
 much " added thereto " as well as " diminished there- 
 from." 
 
 Nor could it be otherwise. The Law was not made 
 for angels. Man is ever subject to the vicissitudes of 
 time, place and circumstances, and these influences are 
 responsible for the continual flux and flow in his spiritual 
 life. 
 
 This, however, is the meaning of our text : " Leave 
 the Law of Moses as it is. Add nothing to it, claiming 
 for your interj)olation a divine origin, and thereby giv- 
 ing added value to the Law and more authority to 
 your views and ordinances. Neither take anything from 
 it, nor force any meaning out of it, if there happens to 
 be something in my Law displeasing to you, or inconve- 
 nient, because out of season. Your lawful religious au- 
 thorities may regulate your life according to the demands 
 of time and place, as the Holy Scriptures say, ' Thou 
 shalt not depart from the sentence which they may tell 
 thee ;' but these deci*ees must be promulgated on their 
 own responsibility." 
 
 320
 
 NEITHER ADD NOB DIMINISH. 321 
 
 The old teachers remained faithful to this injunction. 
 It was not a matter of idle play, when they ascertained 
 tbvi exact number of lettei-s, words and verses in the 
 ^losaic Law, or estimated the number of Mosaic ordi- 
 nances, fixing the i)ositive commands at three hundred 
 and sixty-five, and the prohibitions at two hundred and 
 forty-eight. However religious law and life might be 
 modified and altered by additions and eliminations of 
 the rabbis and by popular custom, the Law of JNIoses, 
 as such, the basis for all these changes, wjis never to 
 be affected. A sharp, dividing line was carefully main- 
 tained between divine and human additions — between 
 "Mosaic" and " raljbinical." Hillel established seven 
 rules, and Rabbi Ishmael increased their number to 
 tiiirteen, iia guides in the interpretation of the Law of 
 Moses. The results of these interpretations — tiie true 
 explanati(jns im well as the distorted complications — 
 were always looked upon as rabbinical. The six hun- 
 dred and thirteen Mosaic commands and prohibitions 
 were neither incrcasr'd nor diiiiinished in number by the 
 labor of scliolars. Tiie Tabiuid — the repository ol' the 
 mental activity of the rabbis — never became a New 
 Testament. It serverl, ami to some extent still serves, 
 as a religious guiile, but it was never regarded as otiier 
 than a human, a ralibinical product. 
 
 We, in our days, ought to be especially niindl'iil of 
 the words ol" f)ur text, neither "to add thereto nor to 
 diininisli therefrom," to honor the book in the f<)rm in 
 wliich it has been handed down to us. In forcing il.s 
 way out of the narrow bed of the Holy Scriptures, life 
 has torn away nnicli of their banks; it hi\H s])read itself 
 over many fields, now a swjurce of ble,«sing, and again 
 
 22
 
 322 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 leaving destruction and devastation in its path. Let us 
 take heed that we may not lend a hand in the destruc- 
 tion of the dikes still remaining. 
 
 Holy AVrit must patiently permit many of its deci- 
 sions to be disregarded by imj^etuous life. It must allow 
 science to examine its pages with a critical eye. But we 
 ought not to put upon it the indignity of so wresting its 
 sense as to find sanction and approval in its pages for the 
 very havoc wrought in it by the force of circumstances. 
 Israel has often returned to the Law after long intervals 
 of neglect. As a good mother keeps the modest rooms 
 of their early home ever ready against the possible return 
 of her haughty children, so the Holy Scriptures are 
 always prepared for returning Israel. "Whenever Israel 
 does return, let it find everything just as it left it. 
 
 Neither should we "add thereto." We should not 
 attempt to make the Holy Scriptures more beautiful 
 than they are. Nor should we seek to read into them 
 great ideas, great truths and principles of humanity, 
 Avhich have come to us " with the process of the suns," 
 and which Ave fail to find in the Holy Book. We should 
 be grossly unjust towards the world, towards the many 
 generations with their men of great endowments of 
 mind and heart that have come and gone, were we to 
 a.scril)e to our Holy Book every possible develoi^ment in 
 doctrine and legislation, in enlightenment and nobility. 
 Many of our most honored, our most highly valued 
 s})iiitual possessions, many ideas contributing greatly to 
 man's welfare on earth and in the hereafter, were pro- 
 duced, taught and put into practice simultaneously with 
 the teachings of Moses, as well as after the time of that 
 great law-giver. In comparison with the moral order
 
 NEITHER ADD NOR DIMINISH. 323 
 
 of our day, the Law of jMoscs may l)e likened to the 
 acorn by the side of the mighty oak, whose wide, many- 
 leaved branches throw dense and far-reaching shade upon 
 the ground. The acf)rn went through various processes, 
 became warmed in the earth, sprouted and devclo})ed, 
 and when it had penetrated to the surface, and stepped 
 forth into the sunliglit, it had to pa^s through many sea- 
 sons, drinking in their changes of light, heat, laiii, air 
 and gases; it had to be blown about in all directions by 
 storm and tempest, and add ring liy ring to it.s circum- 
 ference, ere it grow to be the heaven-aspiring oak. In 
 like manner with the Holy Scriptures as the nucleus, tlic 
 germ, the root of all development, our system of morality 
 has grown ; our views have become clearer, our feelings 
 have become enno])led, our ideas of justice have become 
 purer and more elevated, and especially has science ad- 
 vanced with giant strides. Excessive jiraise provokes 
 criticism. lie that insists u])on finding all our modern 
 conceptions of nobility and virtue in the liiltle, is respon- 
 sible for the consef|uences, if the sharp critic, seeking 
 such ideas, and failing in his attempt, pimiounces harsh 
 judgment upon the sacred dnniiiients. 
 
 Time and all luitions have been working at the struc- 
 ture of religion for four tliousan<l years. \N'e Israelite's 
 oeeu[)y a position in the very niiflst of this work of 
 culture, rpon us there lies a twol'oM obligation : to 
 co-operate heart and soul in the Htru<"ture of a religion 
 for all mankind, ami not to imagine that the Israelite 
 whose conduct sectms unexeeptionable when judged li\ 
 Tiiblical or rabbinical standards, appears perfect before 
 ( lod and the world. Religion is never complete, nor is 
 man ever perfect in his relation to hiuLscIt", to Go<l and
 
 324 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 to his fellow-mau. Not Mount Sinai alone bears the 
 heaven of our laws and doctrines ; the Alleghanies and 
 the Rockies ought also to be supporters of these sublime 
 ideas. Not only by the seventy elders in the desert and 
 seventy-one revered heads of the Sanhedrin, wliich sat 
 in Luhkhath haggazith, but also in the legislatures, in 
 Congress, even in every common council, is the cause of 
 religion advanced or injured — in Boston as in Rome, in 
 each place according to its character. Religion makes 
 up our whole life. We either sin against it, or live a 
 worthy existence according to its dictates. In reading a 
 book, we read religion either as ennobled or degraded, 
 as adulterated with frivolity or deepened with thought. 
 He that Avrites a book writes religion even though reli- 
 gion be far from his thoughts while he is at work. Thus 
 Humboldt, Dickens, Schiller, Longfellow involuntarily 
 have added more to the circle that our century, too, is 
 making al)out the trunk of religion's tree, than many a 
 rabhi who devotes his whole life to the conscious study 
 of religion. 
 
 Religious communities should, therefore, always main- 
 tain friendly relations with one another. All can learn 
 from one another. All are filled with the desire to 
 advance the cause of religion. Side by side with this 
 aim, we Israelites have yet another task. We must 
 guard strictly our ancient religious documents, that 
 nothing be " added thereto nor diminished therefrom." 
 Let him, who may seek them in hundreds or thousands 
 of years, find them as they were when handed to us : 
 neither better nor worse, neither increased nor dimin- 
 ished in contents. Mountains may be moved, and hills 
 be levelled ; tlie heavens may grow old even as a gar- 
 ment, but the word of the Lord will stand forever !
 
 COMPETITION. 
 
 ''Thou sbalt not remove the Iniuliuiirksof thy neighbor, which they of 
 old time have set, in thy inhcrituuce which thou shalt inherit, in tlie 
 land that the Lord thy Godgiveth thee to possess it."— Dkut. XIX f. U. 
 
 Although the removal of u landmark is iK'ithur iiKue 
 nor less than theft, and though robbery and depredation 
 of all kinds are distinctly prohibited by the Bible, this 
 kind of stealing receives especial mention, as peculiarly 
 deser\'ing of punishment. In all ancient codes, the 
 removal of a landmark is coikIcimikmI in tlic severest 
 terms. The art of surveying was not known in those 
 day.s, nor had tlit; ancients registers in which huxlcd posses- 
 sions were reconlerl according to their size and boundary. 
 The landmark wiu*, tiierel'orc, the; only absolute proof of 
 the possession of real estate. In view of tin; great import- 
 ance of fixed boundaries, the Romans had a special (ule- 
 lary diety for tliciii — Terminus; in <»ur text, also, (Jod is 
 mentione<l pailicuhirly in connection with the prohiliilion 
 against removing a neighbor's landmark — "in tht; land 
 which the I^ord tliy dinl givetli ihee lo possess it," 
 
 In the eours(! of time, llii-; (•.inniiiiniinniii ln-i i(s 
 siirnificance ; even aftir llie removal of a iaiidniark we 
 can find the; correct lioundary. lint it is only in il.s 
 application to fields and meadows that this law has lost 
 its im|)ortance; respect for the boundary marking oil' our 
 right from that of our neighbors siill forms a great chaj>ter 
 in the book of morality. 
 
 326
 
 326 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Upon careful examination, respect for existing boun- 
 daries will be found to constitute a great part of our 
 idea of morality. In the home, boundary lines are 
 rigidly drawn between husband and wife, between 
 parents and children ; in business houses, between buyer 
 and seller, between lender and borrower, between 
 laborer and employer, and between civil functionary 
 and citizen. Each one has his own peculiar rights 
 and privileges, and to the rights of each, certain boun- 
 daries are set. Of him that steps beyond the limit 
 of his authority, it may be said, " he removes the land- 
 mark of his neighbor." In our morning's discourse, we 
 shall consider only one phase of this far-reaching pro- 
 hibition — the interpretation put upon it ])y our sages, 
 which, under the designation Snj J'DO (unfair competi- 
 tion), was held in high regard in truly pious Jewish 
 circles. According to this conception, an Israelite is 
 not allowed to cripple a fellow-man's means of gaining a 
 livelihood through competition. In the Bible, the height 
 of popular felicity is thus described : " They shall sit 
 every man under his vine and under his fig tree with 
 none to make them afraid." This indicates peace at 
 home and abroad. But, in our days, no one could, 
 even under such favorable conditions, dwell in security 
 " under his vine and his fig tree," not even in the most 
 powerful state, guarded by millions of soldiers ; not even 
 under the watch of the most vigilant police force. The 
 name of the destroyer of a quiet, comfortable exist- 
 ence ; of the thief of the spiritual peace of the merchant ; 
 of the noiseless war between man and man, is competi- 
 tion, or as our sages express it bi3J J'DD. The official can- 
 not find unalloyed pleasure in his office, nor the business
 
 COMPETITION. 327 
 
 man iu his daily pursuit, nor the Avorkman in his hire. 
 A man says to himself: "My field is bearing fruit. 
 After much honest and arduous toil, I may at length 
 hope to reap a rich harvest." Suddenly competition 
 stretches its hand beyond the boundary line, and his 
 hopes are dashe<l, his harvest blighted. 
 
 Alas! this unlimited liberty to bring ruin upon one's 
 fellow-man is the very pride and boast of our time ! It 
 is true, the results of this competition in increaijing 
 means of intercourse and in devehjping industry can 
 scarcely be estimated ; they have indeed attained a 
 dazzling height. In progress, one year at present is equal 
 to one hundred of former times. But how great the 
 price that we have paid for this advance ! How luus mo- 
 rality suflere<l ! If a man feels uncertain of his future, 
 he hastily seizes upon every means in any way justifiable 
 before the law in order to reap the riciiest possilile har- 
 vest in the field of the present. And how many true, 
 honest, industrious men does competition daily drag into 
 financial ruin ! How many worthy families fall into 
 misery and decay, liow many struggle ibr existence, wag- 
 ing a daily fight with the current of competition — a fight 
 that makes all rest, all enjoyinciit nf lil'r i'lipossible! 
 
 We do not speak of inevitable coniijctition. WIkii (wo 
 are con.strained to seek bread in the same field, and nnist 
 snatch from ea(;h other one-half the means of subsistence, 
 it is dire want that oversteps the brtundary. We speak 
 only <'f the thousands with whom competition is not a 
 matter of necessity, of those that can reap a rich har- 
 vest within their own limits, and nevertheless cros.H into 
 the boundaries of others, that they nuiy glean there an 
 well.
 
 328 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 Even here, the individual is scarcely to blame. The 
 spirit of" the age looks up to competition as its good geuius, 
 calling upon it for aid, and burning incense before it as 
 before a deity. What can the individual do but yield 
 himself up to the current of the time, and extend his ter- 
 ritory as far as possible beyond his own boundaries ? 
 Every one must be prepared to have his boundaries 
 invaded on the morrow, even as he oversteps the boun- 
 daries of others to-day — to have the waters drawn away 
 from the source of his existence, even as he guides the 
 stream of another's livelihood into his own channel. 
 The warning of Moses is unheeded to-day. " Thou shalt 
 not remove the landmarks of thy neighbor," sounds like 
 folly in the ears of the present generation. But little 
 remains of the old Jewish respect for the " landmark " 
 of one's neighbor. 
 
 If the command to love one's neighl)or, in its applica- 
 tion in deeds of benevolence, could heal the wounds of 
 society, the problem before us would be a comparatively 
 ea.sy one. The many institutions for the relief of human 
 misery speak well for the active charity of our days. 
 Neither can we complain of lack of justice. Good sense 
 and good-will are ever present to give ns the best possible 
 laws, although the law, it is true, has not always the best 
 servants to see that its bidding is done. What we do 
 lack, however, is equity. Equity lies midway between 
 justice and benevolence; it is unAvritten justice and 
 cliarity towards all, rich and poor alike. 
 
 It is vain to hope to disj)el the serious and dangerous 
 questions of the time that lie like threatening clouds 
 over all countries, by multiplying charities, or by means 
 of legislation. " Thou shalt not remove the landmark
 
 COMPETITION. 329 
 
 of thy neighbor is sound morality, and belongs under 
 the head of equity, not of justice or h\w. This is the 
 great work for future generations : to procure universal 
 acknowledgment for the Mosaic doctrine of respect for 
 the landmark of one's neighbor; so to limit the juris- 
 diction of competition that it may prove, not a curse, 
 but a l)lessing to society. The conscience of the people 
 must ]>e awakened, must lie made lus alive to the force of 
 the unwritten law of equity a;? of the written law of 
 justice. A disregard of the demands of equity ought 
 to seem, to the public sense of justice, as <lishonoral)le lus 
 a violation of the written law of the country ; it ought 
 to seem as dishonorable to remove an invisible land- 
 mark, as to clinil) into a window for tlic jinrpose oi" com- 
 mitting a theft. 
 
 "Ix't thy brother live with thee." As far as it lies in 
 thy power, let him enjoy liis life and lie sccnrc in his 
 hapi)iness " under his vine and his fig tree." This is not 
 the lan<l that thou hiust seiy.ed Ibr thyself, bnl the land 
 that the Ijord hits given to thee.
 
 CHIVALRY. 
 
 " Remember what Amalek did unto thee, by the way, at your coming 
 
 forth out of Eg>'pt. 
 " How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, all that 
 
 were feeble behind thee, when thou was faint and weary ; and he 
 
 feared not God."— Deut. XXV: 17-19. 
 
 I believe that 1 can guess the thoughts of many (lur- 
 ing the reading of this text. The sound of this cry of 
 revenge from barbarous times, you think, ought not to be 
 heard in these days of enlightenment and humanity. 
 
 And even granted that we, peace-loving Israelites, 
 were eager to give heed to this cry ; were eager once more 
 to seize the sword of revenge, to wash out with blood old 
 scores against this hereditary enemy, where could we 
 find Amalek to-day, inasmuch as the command to extir- 
 pate the Amalekites was carried out to the letter in the 
 days of Hezekiah ? 
 
 Let us consider the significance of this command in 
 the days of Moses and its importance to us. 
 
 According to one principle of division, the history of 
 civilization falls into three great periods. 
 
 The first includes the time in which man led a life of 
 complete lawlessness ; then followed the period of the 
 rule of unwritten law, which, in turn, led to the sway 
 of the written code. 
 
 It would 1)6 impossible to determine the length of the 
 first period — the time in which men led a life of license, 
 
 330
 
 CHIVALRY. 331 
 
 fighting and destroying one another in the struggle for 
 existence — the time pictured to us in the Bible in the 
 story of the first brothers. This sul)ject constitutes 
 a boundless field for investigation, a field in which 
 Darwin, his predecessors and his follower have garnered 
 rich harvests. So much, however, we can state with 
 absolute certainty : the moment of man's fii-st inii)ulse 
 towards culture must have coincided with his earliest 
 suspicion of the existence of higher spiritual powers, 
 powers of superhuman strength, surrounding him in 
 invisible form. Or Itriefiy stated, civilization took its 
 rise in the fear of gods. We say fear of goch — fur this 
 fear must have assailed the savage on all sides to restrain 
 him on the path of wild desire, to make him voluntarily 
 do or leave undone what he would have preferred to 
 neglect or to perform. The idea of one CJod does not 
 carry with it sufficient terrors for i)riinitive nuin to curb 
 his wild nature. This vague fear of the gods, which 
 fills the savage with sudden dread, without giving a 
 decided bent to his thoughts and actions, develojjs into 
 the religion of the second period of human civili/atiou 
 — a fixed system of doctrines and statutes directing 
 thought and action with liinding Ibrce. 
 
 Upon the field thus picketed l)y religion, custom 
 flourishes, devehjping into the law of haliit, whi<h in 
 turn becomes the unwritten law of society. 
 
 Whatever may be said of the worth or worthlessncHs 
 of early n-ligions, they iiiu.^t be, allowed one merit — they 
 taught man obedience to l»inding laws. 
 
 The law of chivalry was the most important of these 
 unwritten laws. An exhaustive definition of this idea, 
 a consideration of its development in the course of time.
 
 332 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 especially during the Middle Ages, would fill a volume. 
 It suffices for our purpose to bring before the mind, the 
 seed and kernel of the virtue — honor in arms, the only 
 honor recognized l)y half-civilized peoples, the honor of 
 strong bones, of muscles of iron, and nerves of steel ; 
 of a hand unswerving in directing the club or other 
 weapon of attack and defence. Such honor could be 
 gained only in the contest of the strong with the 
 strong, of the armed warrior with him who was chal- 
 lenged to fight and hence prepared for defence. In 
 a further stage of development, not only did it bring 
 no honor to a man to attack another from behind, 
 to fall upon the unarmed man with weapons, to over- 
 throw the weak, but, on the contrary, it brought 
 him only shame and disgrace. In a still higher stage 
 of development, it became a matter of duty for the 
 man of honoi', not only to spare the weak, but, indeed, 
 to grant them protection, to constitute himself the cham- 
 pion of women, cliildrcn, the aged and — the priests. 
 
 As the fear of the gods may be considered the a-b-c of 
 culture, the first impress of the shovel on the path of 
 civilizati(jn, so the virtue of chivalry may be called the 
 first reading lesson, the first outpost of civilization. 
 
 Amalek had taken none of these first steps in civiliza- 
 tion. 
 
 "He met you by the way" — you, wlio were travelling 
 onward, not suspecting harm, unjjrepared for battle. 
 
 " He smote the hindermost oi' you ; the aged, the 
 women, the children, the sick, the lame, when your 
 warri(;rs were faint and weary," not in a condition 
 to invite the attack of men of chivalrous honor and 
 feeling.
 
 CHIVALRY. 333 
 
 " He feared not " the gods. The ver}' first impulse, 
 the earliest germ of civilization was wanting in him. 
 
 A community so uttery devoid of law, of honor, of 
 fear of God, l)ore in itself the seed of destruction. It 
 would surely have met its fate — extirpation — without the 
 command of Moses. The ^losaic decree merely shows 
 us, by means of an illustration, the phenomenon that 
 we have observed a.s the result of a law of nature, in the 
 history of many other equally l)arbarous hordes. There 
 is no decree in the United States ordering the extermina- 
 tion of the Indian, and yet the remnants of his people 
 are melting away like snow in the sunshine of spring ; 
 for, in the Indian of our day, there lives, also, no spark 
 of chivalry. He fights from ambush, attacks peaceful 
 travellers, murders in cold blood women and children, the 
 aged and the sick, and puts his defenceless prisonei*s to 
 death by horril)le means, untroubled by any thoughts of 
 his gods. Bo Moses summoned the children of Israel to 
 the tstsk performed, in their time, by the Heguhilors «»f 
 the South, or the Vigilance Coniinittee of Calilbniia, wlio 
 though criminals before the law, were yet beneCactnrs ol" 
 society. He wished them to free the nation iVnm lliis 
 pubbc scourge, to remove this stumbliiig block from 
 the path of civilization. 
 
 Such W5US the significance, in the ancient Hiblical <lays, 
 of the commandment of revenge in our text. But what 
 le.«son can it teach us? What can we, in its annual repe- 
 tition, gain from it? 
 
 The answer to this (piestion bringH us to llie tliinl 
 epoch in civili/ation — the period ..f written law. 
 
 Written law lias limited tlnr activity <»f the virtue of 
 chivalry, but it ha.'< not completely discarded it. Wiltt. n
 
 334 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 law is gross matter, unwritten law fine spirit. He that 
 makes tlie written law the sole guide of his life, leaving 
 undone only those things that it forbids, and jjerforming 
 none but its injunctions, may be a good, tax-paying citi- 
 zen, an important man on exchange, a man whose honesty, 
 according to the letter of the law, cannot be impugned. 
 He may live without shame, and be buried with pomp 
 and glory — nevertheless, he is but a poor creature ; he 
 is not of the knights ; in spite of his liberty, he is a slave. 
 
 We have defined chivalry as meaning, honor in arms. 
 Such it was at one time, and still remains in those states, 
 in which great, standing armies are necessary as a pro- 
 tection against foes from within and without. In those 
 countries, the bearer of arms is highly respected, and in 
 point of honor, he is more sensitive than other men. 
 In the United States, the bearing of arms in time of 
 peace is not accounted an especially honorable profes- 
 sion ; if a man were habitually to walk our streets girt 
 with a sword, he would be laughed at and jeered. But 
 our definition speaks of "honor in arms." Even if we 
 omit "arms," the best part — honor, the unwritten law 
 of chivalrous manhood — still remains ; it cannot be 
 couched in writing, nor formulated into a law. It is the 
 bouquet of character, the delicate perfume of the soul, 
 which, despite its delicacy, makes its presence manifest 
 in the whole man, in his every act and thought. 
 
 The written law says, " Thou shalt not lie." But how, 
 nuich falsehood there is in the world Avhich the law can- 
 not touch — falsehood under the protection of equivoca- 
 tion in speech and action, under all possible evasion and 
 excuses made to appease conscience ! Not so the man 
 of chivalrous honor. He is filled with that noble pride
 
 CHIVALRY, 335 
 
 which will j^taud before no man with eyes downcast, he 
 wants to look every man openly and honct^tly in the eye. 
 But he cannot do so, upon whose tongue there is a lie, 
 who finds it necessary to conceal speech and countenance 
 behind the screen of equivocation. Therefore, the man 
 of chivalrous honor is true, where hundreds are false. 
 
 The man of chivalrous honor is faithful. Falsehood is 
 the weakness of a heart that dares not show itself in its 
 true colors. A man of chivalrous honor scorns such 
 weakness and timidity. 
 
 For the same reason the man of chivalrous honor is 
 better e(]ui])ped to resist sin than others. Open sin 
 brings shame, and to sin in secret betokens fear of man 
 and his criticism. Both these emotions are foreign to 
 the nature of chivalry. 
 
 The man of chivalrous honor stands erect before the 
 great ones of the earth. He bows no hjwer (liaii llity 
 before him. lb- is no flatterer, but he shows kindness 
 and lenity towards the weak aii<l the lowly ; lie is never 
 brutal. 
 
 The man of chivalrous honor does his duty without 
 boasting; he is too proud to ("((vet the applause of men. 
 
 In view of the great competition in business life, and 
 the pO(»r equij)ment, with which so many an; compelled 
 to enter the struggle for exi.stence, it would ite unjust to 
 condemn those that lie in wait to pounce upon any 
 opportunity of gaining an advantage;; that feel driven 
 to emplov any arfifiee within the boundary line of 
 threat('ning law. Sueli action, however, is n<it chival- 
 rous. The man of honor doc« not lie in wait in the 
 path of lil'e. lie marches straight forward in Iiis daily 
 occupation, an the lion goctj forth for hia food.
 
 336 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 The chivalry of man manifests itself most strongly in 
 his attitude towards the weak. 
 
 He whose capital is large and whose soul is noble and 
 chivalrous, sufFei-s his weak competitor to live side by 
 side Avith him. lie crushes him not with the great 
 power at his disposal. The mighty stream allows the 
 brooklet to ripple on at its side ; it does not swallow it 
 up in its own greatness. 
 
 If a man is hard-pressed by business troubles, power- 
 less in his relations to a man of chivalrous soul, unable 
 to impose conditions, but compelled to submit to any 
 that may be offered — the high-minded man will spare 
 the weak man, nor will he take all possible advantage 
 of the misfortune of his ueighl)()r which the written law 
 may allow him to take with impunity. 
 
 Any one attacked from behind is weak. To speak 
 evil of a man behind his back is sinful, but it is especially 
 offensive to the spirit of chivalrous honor, which requires 
 a man to take the part of his unjustly slandered fellow, 
 to defend the absent, who is unable to defend himself. 
 
 Woman is weak, not only by virtue of her frailer, 
 physical constitution, but also by reason of her tem2)era- 
 ment and the restraint put upon her by nature, custom 
 and propriety. The man of chivalrous honor is, there- 
 fore, especially distinguished by his delicate considera- 
 tion for the weaker sex. 
 
 The minority is ever the weaker element in a com- 
 munity. It is unchivalrous for the majority, because of 
 its written right to do so, to tyrannize over the minority; 
 especially is this true in cases in which the questions are 
 of a religious nature. 
 
 There is, however, an obverse side to the virtue of
 
 CHIVALRY. 337 
 
 chivalry. Even iu the olden times, when chivalry con- 
 stituted the very basis of society, the knights were wont 
 rather to arrogate to themselves more rights than were 
 their due, than to help others to rights of which they 
 had been defrauded. So, in our days, we find men of 
 chivalrous nature, who go far beyond the requirements 
 of the written law in their performances, but who also 
 frequently fail to come uj) to the requirements of the 
 law, when it becomes inconvenient for them to do so. In 
 this way, they lose a proper standard of judgment for 
 themselves and for others. 
 
 The confusion of the chivalrous honor of manhood 
 with outward marks of honor presents a still darker 
 picture. Undue anxiety and ertbrt for distinction in 
 public life show auglit but a knightly spirit. Tlie more 
 a man or woman struggles for honor among men, the 
 further does he or she travel from the path of true 
 honor. So great are the means re(juired for obtaining 
 the gauds of pul)lic honor, the path to this goal is often 
 so degrading, if indeed, it be not impure and lilthy, 
 that a few years t)f honors fre(|ueiitly pave tlie way to a 
 lifetime of shame. And even should this dearly-liouglit 
 outward distinction of a worthlcj^s soul last through life, 
 what l)oot3 it? Nothing is gaiMr(l thereby except that 
 thousainls <•!' eyes are fixed upon the man, and thousands 
 of lips pronounce his name, bill fnily not to honoi- him. 
 For the more a man steps int<ithc foreground, the lielter 
 target does he beeoiiK! for tlie crilieal shots of envy ; 
 retributive justice feels caih-d np<Mi to do its duty. 
 Character, not social position, makes the knight. The 
 lord may be a slave, and his serf a n<ibleman. 
 
 Our text thus teacher us that the virtue (»f chivalry, 
 
 28
 
 338 SABBATH HOURS. 
 
 the bud of civilization, which, in our day, has opened 
 into the full blown flower — the unwritten law of honor 
 — is an ornament to man. It further tells us that, 
 though the days of coat of mail, of shield and battle- 
 axe be past ; though the times of Charlemagne ; of the 
 Cids, the Bayards, the Richard Coeur de Lions ; of Sala- 
 din, of Gotz and von Hutten lie far behind us, there is 
 still plenty of opportunity for the simj^le citizen to per- 
 form deeds of chivalry. "Thou shalt blot out the 
 remembrance of Amalek." 
 
 Strive to keep all vulgarizing influences far from you. 
 Avoid everything that may dishonor you in your own 
 eyes, and strive further to root out every remnant of the 
 deceitful, cowardly Amalekite spirit that may still lurk 
 in your heart. In the temple of God, "everything 
 speaketh glory " and honor.
 
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