Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-10-30
Scripture Portraits.
BY REV. JONATHAN BRACE.
HANNAH, ruE MoTHEa or sAMrEI,

| ~Such was the case with Hannah one of the tE,
wives of Elkanah, an Ephrathite. Though posses
sing the confidence and love of her husband low
stronger than that cherished for his other wifi
Peninnah, who had given him goodIy progeny
she was yet unhappy, because not blessed with off
! spring This fact We find her bemoaRing at The
altar of God which was at Shiloh. On enc of hcl
visits there, she prayed fcrvently for a son, and
( vowed to Jehovah that if son was given her, he
should be devoted to Ills service As she uttered
this prayer and vow in low tone of voice, SO that
her lips only were seen TO move, the high-priest
Eli, who oiciated at the altar, suspected her of
being disguised with wine. But TO this charge
Hannah feelingly replied, "No, my lord, am a
woman of a sorrowful spirit; have drunk neither
wine nor strong drink, but have poured out nv
soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid
for daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance
of my complaint and grief have spoken hitherto
Then Eli answered and sad,-"Go in peace. and
the God of Isreal grant thee thy petition that thou
hast asked of Him. That petition was not de
MED. In due course of time, a fair, lovely babe
was bOrn-a boy-whOm she called SAMUEL which
name signifies, "asked of Cod
When her husband went up at the period of the
annual sacrifice, to the temple of the Eternal she
did not accompany him, preferring not to 90 thilh-
er until the child was weaned; but when this was
done, mindful of her VOW she promptly repaired
to Shiloh with the prescribed Offering of her store
field and vineyard, of three bullocks, an ephah Of
Hour, and bottle of wine, and presented them aud
her son to Eli And she said, "0h my lord as
thy soul liyeth, my lord, l am the woman that
stood by thee here praying unto the Lord. For
this child prayed and the Lord hath given me
my petition which l asked of him: therefore also /
have lent him to the Lord as long as he liyetb he
shall be lent to the Lord Then followed an
exulting chant in lyric poetry-the spontaneous
gushings of heart oYerfowing with gratitude to
the benefcent being, who had remembered her in her
low estate and bestowed the gift for which she had
pined and which she had sought Before, when she
was in that hallowed spot, she was sad-now she
was happy. Before, she offered prayer-now she
offered praise. Before she was clildess now her
gentle and trusting nature had new affection IN
felt before-a mothers love- True to her sacred
promise that the boy should be eonsecrated TO the
service of the Most High, she parted from him,
committing him to the hands of the hgh-priest. \
severe trial was this REIMBURSEMENT of this crown
ing jewel of her bliss; and feelingly and sgeetlv
has Mrs. Hemans expressed the emotions of .sThe
Hebrew Mother as thus leaving the son Of her
prayers and hopas in the temple and returning
without him to her lone in Ramah. Our readers
will thank US for quoting some of the beautiful
lines. They are as follows:
"Ohl the home whence thy bright smile hath parted.
Will it not seem as if the sunny day
Turned from its door away?
While through its chambers wandering weary-bearted.
languish for thy voice. which past me still
Went like a singing rin!
'Cnder the palm trees thou more shalt meet me
When from the fount at evening return,
With the full water-urn:
Nor will thy sleeps low doveke breathings greet me-
As midst the silence of the stars wake.
And watch Tor thy dear sake.
"And thou, will slurnbcrs devvy clouds fal round thee
Without thy mothers hand to smooth tby bed?
Wilt thou not yainly spread
Thine arms, when darkness vail hath wound thee
To fold my neck and lift up, in thy fear
A cry which none shall hear?
a give thee to thy GOd,--the God that gave thee.
weilspring of deep gladness, to my heart
And, precious thou art
And pure as dew of Hermon He shall have thee
My own, my beautiful, my undefed
And thou shalt be his child - s4
How empty must have seemed her dwelling be-
cause the boy was not there, though every object
therein reminded her of his smiling face, his inno
cent prattle, and his winning ways. She however
comfOrted herself with the thought that this trea
sure of her heart was safe under the genial wing
of Gods altar, and three times year as she went
up thither to the celebration of the festivals she
should see him again and fold him to her breast
Till then, among other matters she busted herself
in making for him little coat the threads of
which, woven with her own fingers she knew would
be all the more valued by the wearer on that ac-
count, as evidence of fond parents affection and
skill-which new garment at her coming she pre-
sented to him and put upon him. and the precious
child-no longer hers, but Gods-"girded with
linen ephod, minstered before the Lord" in Shiloh
Who, beholding the lad there, and thus engaged,
can doubt that God accepted the person and servi-
ces of the young! The boy Samuel was an appro-
we'd minister in the courts of the Lord and out of
the mouth of this child, God perfected strength
He used him to reproye Eli for the weak. criminal
indulgence Of his sons he used him to reform abu-
ses in the church, and he used him to repair the
breach about to be made in the ranks Of the priest
hood Youth arc never more amable ard attrac-
tive, never more in the path of duty, than when re-
membcring their Creator, and employed in his bu-
sincss Every thing is beautiful in its season. and
piety is for ali seasons the grace of youth the
ornament of maturer years, and of hOary hairs the
crown. As the child Samuel grew in stature he
grew in moral excellence and the favor Of God, so
that she who "lent him to the Lord was abundant-
y repaid for the loan, not only in beholdng his vr-
tues, but in enjoying the blessings which flowed
forth from his life to Israel.
The above brief sketch is fraught with instruc-
ton to our readers, and gladly would dwell upon
its bearings at greater length than our limits per-
| init.
1t teaches how children should be regarded. They
| should be regarded as gift from God. Not only
have they the infinite capacities of the soul in them
and an immortal destiny; not only are they an ac-
cesson to the state, not only do they transmit the
paternal name and influence; but they are a fresh
manifestation Of Jehoyah's wisdom benevolence
,,;obt ond rnnch and direefIv ,,;ff from