The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-11-13
THE CAMEL AND THE NEEDLES EYE.

st. Matthew, xix. "a. St. Mark, X. 25.
st. Luke, xviii. 25. at is easier for a
camel to go through, the eye of needle,
than for rich man to enter into tho king
dom Of heaven"
can scarcely remember the time in NV
early youth, when this text did not excite
my curiosity and wonder. In the days of
the Evangelist, rs well as our own, needles
were of various sizes. There are the large
needles, such as st. Paul used in making
tents, and such also, as we know, arc now
employed i'll making tho broad sails of
some great admiral. There arc the finest
points of steel, used in ancient and modern
times, in the most delicate kinds of needle
work. fit to deck the person of ~ Queen at
her coronation. The camel is a beast of
burden, much used in Eastern countries.-
1t Is about the size of the largest OK, with
one or two lunches on its back, with long
neck and legs, and with feet adapted to
the hot and sandy desert. Such is the
general understanding of the two more
prominent terms Of the passage Of the
Holy Witt, now under consideration.
Some have supposed that a slightly va
r'ed reading iii the original word, which is
translated "camcl," might bc adopted, by
which the phrase would be made to mean,
a cable" such as is used in anclIoring
ships in tho roadsteaI. Then tho text
would read, ut is easier for cable to 60
through, the eye Of a needle" &c. But the
former is probably the most correct read
ing, for the whole figure seems to have been
a maxim, quite prevalent in the E,st.-
Among the Babylonians, in whose country
elephants were not uncommon, the phrase
was, Gan elephant passing through nee
dies eye" But the elephant was stran,
ger i'll Judea, while the camel was we'll
known; and therefore the latter was used
10y the Jews, instead Of the former, to give
force to the maxim. Obviously the object
of this form of speech was to express a
thing absolutely impossible.
But have met with another explanation
of this striking figure, which, to say the
least, adds to its beauty and force. All the
important cities Of the East, in ancient
times, were surrounded by high and mas
sivc walls; and SO they arc, as the modern
traveller informs us, at the present day. At
certain points, these walls were perforated
10y large passage.ways, for the exit and ell
trance of the Inhabitants. These passage
ways i'll times ofpeace, were open 10y day, but
at night they were closed by massive gates,
capable of resisting any common assault.
Now, by the side of these large entrances,
were very much smaller ones, used by foot
passengers, and by those who had occasion
to so forth, or enter the city by night
They were called ",hc needles eye" Lord
Nugent, an English traveller of modern times,
when at Hebron, was directed to 20 Out
by the needles eye" that is, hy the small
side-gate of the city. The camel can 60
through the needles eye, but with difficulty,
aud hardly with a full load nor without
stopping.
think this expresses the just idea of the
passage, 1t is easier for camel to go
through tile needles eye than for rich
man to enter the gate Of heaven" 1t is
not impossible for rich man to enter
heaven, for We may believe there are many
already in the paradise Of God, who conse-
Grated their wealth TO the service of their
lsedeemcr, and trusted in him always for
salvation. But just as the camel must he
relieved of part Of his load, before lie can
pass through the needles eye," SO the rich
man must divcst himself Of large portions
of Ills wealth, In the walks of bcnevolcnce.
in order to enter the gates Of glory. Our
Saviour seems to have reference to the same
idea when lie says, ".StraiyAt is the gate"
And as the camel was compelled to stoop
ia order to enter by the low and narrow
gate of the city, so must the rlcl, man
Learn humility, if ho would "see tile Lord -
"in tile fullncss Of joy."-CAristian Wit
ness.
Il Dutehman's Llea Of Beauty.-In
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