The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1857-12-19
Illustrations of Scripture.

/, not as one that be0teh the 0ir."-1 Coz
!, tx: &c.
In order to attain the greater agility AM
dexterity, it was usual for those who intend
ed to box in the games, to exercise thei
arms with the gauntlet on, when they hat
no antagonist near them, in which maj
would of course beat the air. In the foot
race, the runners, of whatever number the,
were, ranged themselves in line, afte
having drawn lots for their places. Whil'
they waitedfor the signal to start, they prac
ticed, byTway of prelude. various motions t.
awaken their activity, and to keep thei
limbs piable and in right temper. The.
kept themselves breathing by small leaps
and making little excursions, which were
kind of trial Of their speed and. agility; il
such exercises, they might be said with grea
propriety to run uncertainty, toward no par
ticular point, and with no direct or imme
diate ATew to the prize. Bus these allusion'
occur in the declaration of the apostle: 81
therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight
], not as one that beateth the air." He die
not engage, in his Christian course, as one
doubtful in himself whether, in pursuing the
path of duty, he should have the honor oi
being crowned at last or not; as they are
who know that one onl ly receives the prize
nor did he exercise himself unto godliness
like boxers or wrestlers, who sometimes fight
in jest or merely to prepare for the combat
or to display their strength and agility, while
they had no resistance to encounter, no enc
my to subdue, no reward to merit; but he
pressed on, fully persuaded that, by the
grace of God, he should obtain an incor-
ruptible crown from the hand Of his Re-
deemer.-PdrtOa.
'"When thou passea through tie waters,
wiH be ,oith thee; and through the rirers, they
shall not oreyto,O thee." lisa. xiii 2.
"Sarc me, o God; for the ,caters are come
into my soul. I sink in deep mire, achcre there
is no Standing: am come into deep scaters,
aohere tie foods OrerJloO me."-PsALM Xix
l, 2.
The roads in the east are often through
marshes and swamps, which during the rainy
season are generally overfown with water.
Passing through these the traveller has often
cause to say, 81 sink in deep mire where
there is no standing: am come into deep
waters" They are intersected also with
streams, over which there are no bridges,
through which it is always difficult and often
dangerous to pass. On the banks of these
waters, persons station themselves to con-
duct travellers through them. If mounted,
they conduct them by taking hold of the
horses bride; if on foot they carry them
on their shoulders. have been often car
ried Through the waters" in both of these
ways. What the guide does for the traveller
in passing through these waters, God pro-
misses to do for the traveller heavenward,
when passing through the waters of aflic-
ton, and the River of Death.
.'Gise, ag,d = sb4H be gjren unto9.ou good
measure, pressed ao,ca,r and shaken together,
and running orer, shaH mea gire into your
bosom. For rCih the same measure that ye
mete ,vithal, 1t stall be mcasured-sO you again.
LUKE vi SO.
Instead of the fbula that was used by
the Romans, the Arabs join together with
thread, or with wooden bodkin, the two
upper corners of this, garment; and after
having placed them first over one of their
shoulders, they then fold the rest of it about
their bodies The outer fold serves them
frequently instead of an apron, in which
they carry herbs, loaves, corn and other ar
tcles, and many illustrate several illusions
made to it in Scripture: thus, "One of the
sons of the prophets went out into the field
to gather herbs, and found wild vine, and
gathered thereof wild gourds, his lap taH."
And the Psalmist offers up his prayer, that
Jehovah would ''render unto his 'neighbors
seven-fold into their bosom, their reproach." "
The same allusion occurs in our Lords di-
rections to his disciples: "Giye, and it shall
be given unto you; good measure, pressed
down, and shaken together, and running
over, shall men give into your bosom" 1t
was also the fold of this robe which Nehe-
miah shook before his people, as a signifi-
cant emblem of the manner in which God
should deal with the man who ventured to
violate his oath and promise. to restore the
possessions of their impoverished brethren
''Also, | shook my lap, and said, So God
shake out every man from his house, and
from his labor, that performeth not his pro-
mise, even thus be he shaken out and emp
tied" ."-PartOn.
"Bm phiie men Slept, his enemy came and
so,ced tares among the wheat and went his
oCay."-MATT. xiii: 25.
Strange as it may appear, this is still lite
rally done in the east. See that lurking
villain, watching for the time whenhis neigh
Dor shall plo,c his field; he carefully marks
the period when the work is finished, and
goes in the night following, and casts in
what the natives call the pandinellu; that is
pig paddy: this being of rapid growth,
springs up before the good seed, and scat
ters itself before the other can be reaped
so that the poor owner of the field will be
for years before he can get rid of the trou-
blesome weed. But there is another noisome
plant which these wretches cast into the
ground of those they hate, called peram-pi-
randi, which is more destructive to vegeta.
ton than any other plant. Has man pur.
chased field out of the hands of another
the offended person says, 81 will plant the
perHm-pir0ndi in his grounds" ."--Roberts.
1t is the grand comfort of Christian tC
look often beyond all that he can possess
or attain here; and as to answer others
when he is put to it concerning his hope, SC
to ans1ccr himself concerning all his present
griefs and wants: II have a poor traveller
lot here, little friendships and many straits
but yet | may go cheerfully homewards
for thither | shall come, and there have
riches and honor enough, palace and {