WON BY THE WIVES.

103'

the lash. It was a shameful punishment. For many offences? No, for one offence. Did any of the townsmen offer to divide the lashes with him? No; he who committed the offence bore the penalty all alone. It was the penalty of a changing human law; for it was the last instance of its infliction.

"When I was a student at the university, I saw another sight I never can forget—a man brought out to die. His arms were pinioned, his face was already pale as death-thousands of eager eyes were on him as he came up from the jail in sight. Did any man ask to die in his room? Did any friend loose the rope, and say, 'Put it round my neck, I die instead?' No; he underwent the sentence of the law. For many offences? No, for one offence. He had stolen a money parcel from a stage-coach. He broke the law at one point, and died for it. It was the penalty of a changing human law in this case also; it was the last instance of capital punishment being inflicted for that offence.

"I saw another sight-it matters not when-myself a sinner standing on the brink of ruin, deserving nought but hell. For one sin? No, for many, many sins, committed against the unchanging laws of. God. But again I looked, and saw Jesus, my Substitute, scourged in my stead, and dying on the cross for me. I looked, and cried, and was forgiven.”— Good Words. (See also No. 558, vol. Mark to John.)

1. PETER III.

1339.-WON BY THE WIVES.

I Peter lil. I.-"That, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives." [R.V.] Gained by the behaviour.

Illustrative.-As I was conversing, says a writer in the New York Observer, with a pious old man, I inquired what were the means of his conversion. For a moment he paused—I perceived I had touched a tender string. Tears gushed from his eyes, while with deep emotion he replied, "My wife was brought to God some years before myself. I persecuted her and abused her because of her religion. She, however, returned nothing but kindness; constantly manifesting an anxiety to promote my comfort and happiness; and it was her amiable conduct when suffering illtreatment from me that first sent the arrows of conviction to my soul."

1340.-PLAITING THE HAIR AND WEARING JEWELS.

I Peter iii. 3.-"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing 1 of gold, or of putting on of apparel." [R.V.] 1Jewels of gold. Illustrative.-Among the Jews there were women who made it a gainful profession to plait women's hair. The art must, indeed, have required some practice and skill, since it seems that the taste of the Jewish women inclined them to have their hair set up, by the aid of crispingpins, in the form of horns and towers. It was also practised anciently in every part of the East, and is, to the present day, in India, in China, also in Barbary. It was also prevalent among the Greeks and Romans, as ancient gems, busts and statues, still remaining sufficiently declare. In monuments of antiquity, the heads of the married and single women may be known, the former by the hair being parted from the forehead, over the middle of the top of the head; the latter, by being quite close, or being plaited and curled, all in a general mass.-INGRAM COBRIN, M.A.

Goldsmith tells of a mandarin who took much pride in appearing with a number of jewels on every part of his robe. He was once accosted by a sly old fellow, who, following him through several streets, bowed often to the ground, and thanked him for his jewels. "What does the man mean?" cried the mandarin, "I never gave you any of my jewels." "No," replied the other; "but you have let me look at them, and that is all the use you can make of them yourself; so the only difference between us is, that you have the trouble of watching them; and that is an employment I don't much desire."

1341.-COURTESY.

I Peter iii. 8.-" Be 1 courteous" [R.V.]' Humble-minded.

Illustrative.--Tract distributors and others will do well to remember the importance of a courteous behaviour when about their work. "Sir, do you want to know how I was converted-I, an old grey-headed sinner?" said a good old man to his minister. "Tell me," answered the minister. "I was walking along one day, and met a little boy. The little boy stopped at my side. 'Please, sir,' he said, 'will you take a tract? And please, sir, will you read it?' Tracts! I always hated tracts and such things; but that, 'Please, sir,' overcame me. I could not swear at that kind spoken 'Please, sir.' No, no: I took the tract, and I thanked the ttle boy, and I said I'd read it; and I did read it, and the reading of it saved my soul. I saw I was a sinner, and I saw that Jesus Christ could save me from my sins. That'Please, sir,' was the entering wedge of my old hard heart."

The Queen, accompanied by Lady Agnes Duff, was once visiting the fine falls of Corriemulzie. In crossing the high road, which runs between the cottage grounds and the sight of the Falls, the party met a drove of cattle coming from the Castleton market. The drover, a fine-looking man from Athol, addressing Lady Agnes, said, “ Please, can you tell me if the Queen is forward to-night?" Her Majesty overheard the question, turned round, and bestowed on the stalwart highlander a most gracious bow and smile. Sir George Grey then fell back, and told him that that was the Queen.

When Old Zachariah Fox, the great merchant of Liverpool, was asked by what means he had contrived to realise so large a fortune as he possessed, his reply was, "Friend, by one article alone, in which thou mayest deal too if thou pleasest-civility."

1342.-REVENGE.

| Peter iii. 9.-"Not rendering evil for evil, or 1railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing." [R.V.] 1 Reviling.

The girl She went

Illustrative.-A young girl in South Africa was seized in a wood by a savage enemy of her father's, who cut off both her hands, and then sent her, bleeding, home. Many years passed, the poor girl recovered from her wounds, and the stumps healed. One day there came to her father's door a poor, worn-out, grey-headed man, who asked for alms. knew him at once as the cruel man that had cut off her hands. into the hut, ordered a servant to take him bread and milk, as much as he could eat, and sat down and watched him eat it. When he had done, she dropped the covering that had hid her handless wrists from view, and, holding them up before him, uttered a sentence, meaning, "I have had my revenge!" the very sentence he had uttered when he so cruelly maimed her. The man was overwhelmed, deeply humbled, and filled with surprise. The secret was, the girl meantime had been converted, and had learned that lovely Scripture, "If thine enemy hunger, feed him if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head."

1343.-EVIL SPEAKING.

Peter iii. 16.-"Having a good conscience; that, 'whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that 3falsely accuse your good conversation In Christ. [R.V.] 'Wherein ye are spoken against ; 2put to shame; 3revile your good manner of life in Christ.

Illustrative." If any one speaks ill of thee," said Epictetus, “consider

гоб

HOSPITALITY WITHOUT GRUDGING.

whether he has truth on his side; and if so, reform thyself, that his censures may not affect thee." When Anaximander was told that the very boys laughed at his singing, "Ay," said he, "then I must learn to sing better." Plato, being told that he had many enemies who spoke ill of him, "It is no matter," said he, "I will live so that none shall believe them." Hearing at another time that an intimate friend of his had spoken detractingly of him, "I am sure he would not do it," said he, "if he had not some reason for it." This is the surest as well as the noblest way of drawing the sting of a reproach, and the true method of preparing a man for that great and only relief against the pains of calumnya good conscience.

When Henry III. of France inquired of those about him, what it was that the Duke of Guise did to charm and allure every one's heart; the reply was, "Sire, the Duke of Guise does good to all the world without exception, either directly by himself, or indirectly by his recommendation. He is civil, courteous, liberal, has always some good to say of everybody, but never speaks ill of any: and this is the reason he reigns in men's hearts as absolutely as your Majesty does in your kingdom."

I. PETER IV.

1344.-HOSPITALITY WITHOUT GRUDGING.

I Peter iv. 9.-"Use hospitality one to another without 'grudging.” [R.V.] 1 Murmuring.

Epsit ory.-The word that is here translated "grudging" signifies murmuring, or unwillingness in doing anything, as if it were torn and forced from one, rather than proceeded from a free inclination. And this hateful, churlish way of almsgiving Paul likewise expressly forbids, and says our charity must not be shown grudgingly, or of necessity (2 Cor. ix. 7; Rom. xii. 8).

And here we cannot but admire and adore the infinite goodness of God who has not only obliged us to the substance of this duty, but has so ordered the very circumstantials of it, that the necessitous may be relieved with as much decency and ease to themselves as can be, and the alms of others look rather like their own property, as the payment of a debt, or restoring of a pledge, or bestowing of a reward; and that their souls might not be grieved by frowns, and taunts, and unkind language, when they receive supply for the needs of their body.

Illustrative.-I was beginning to make my meal upon the food we had

DANGER OF UNBELIEF.

107

with us, when in came nine people, each bearing a dish. A large tray was raised on the rim of a corn-sieve placed on the ground, in the centre of which was placed a tureen of soup, with pieces of bread around it. The stranger, my servant, and a person who seemed to be the head man of the village, sat round the tray, dipping their wooden spoons or fingers into each dish as it was placed in succession before them. Of the nine dishes, I observed three were soups. I asked why this was, and who was to pay for the repast? and was informed it was the custom of the people, strictly enjoined by their religion, that, as soon as a stranger appears, each peasant should bring his dish, he himself remaining to partake of it after the stranger-a sort of picnic, of which the stranger partakes without contributing. The hospitality extends to everything he requires; his horse is fed, and wood is brought for his fire, each inhabitant feeling honoured by offering something. This custom accounts for the frequent recurrence of the same dish, as no one knows what his neighbour will contribute. Towards a Turkish guest this practice is perfectly disinterested, but from a European they may have possibly been led to expect some kind of return, although to offer payment would be an insult. The whole of the contributors afterwards sat down and ate in another part of the room.-FELLOWS.

1345.-DANGER OF UNBELIEF.

1 Peter iv. 17.-"What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" Α Illustrative. There is a story told of "The Sunken Rock." vessel, named the Thetis, was cruising in the Mediterranean, in search of a shoal or bank, or something of that kind, said to exist beneath the treacherous waters. The captain, after he had adopted all the means he thought necessary, having failed, abandoned the enterprise, declaring “that the reported danger was all a dream." An officer on board formed a different judgment, went out by himself on an expedition afterwards into the very same latitude and longitude. and there discovered a reef of rocks, which he reported at the Admiralty and it was inserted in the charts, the discoverer being rewarded with a high appointment. The intelligence came to the captain's He was a shrewd, ears; he would not believe in the discovery. clever, practical man, but unscientific, incredulous, and obstinate. "The whole thing is a falsehood," he exclaimed, adding, "If ever I have the keel of the Thetis under me in those waters again, if I don't carry her clean over where the chart marks a rock, call me a liar and no seaman." Two years after, he was conveying in the same vessel the British ambassador to Naples; one windy night he and the master were examin