The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-05-15
SKETCHES ILLUSTRATIVE OF
BIBLE HISTORY.
AND HANNAH.


stained face to the priest, who looked
down pityingly upon her.
Gods law is holy, my child-you
must not, for a moment, doubt that.
But your husband is a sinful man, he
has became infatuated with another
woman, and proved false to you, the
wife of his youth. Gods law allows
him to take this new love as his wife,
only to avoid a greater evil:-the evil
of flooding the land with out-cast
women"
The woman still sobbed convulsiyely,
and the priest added, Would you
wish to bind him to you after his heart
is gone ?-after his love is no longer
yours?"
"Oh no! oh no - she cried, throw
ing out her hands with an expression of
agony, mot for worlds, i only wish
to die"
"Thyt is not right either, my daught-
err said he, you must live to serve
your God, as He sees best"
But surely God does not require me
to live with my husband and his new
wife, l should go mad"
1.-The divine law requires no wife to
live with any husband who fails in his
duty as a husband. If he diminishes
aught in his tenderness towards her, or
in his provision for his maintenance.
she is free"
"Then | am free!' said Hannah.
with an angry expression of triumph.
"Elkanah provides for me as abundant
ly as ever, but half the time which he
used to devote to me, is now given to
Peninnah. Oh, say that | am free,
Holy Father!" she continued, c~lasping
her hands in entreaty.
Il cannot doubt your word,' an
swered the priest, II know you to be
incapable of falsehood, and l pronounce
you free. But, my poor child, my ad
vice to you is to remain where you are.
God will give you strength to do your
duty"
But surely--I understood you to
say that l was free. l am released
from all duty to Elkanah.'
The lao no longer binds you to
Elkanah, since he has failed in his duty
t you. That is you can not be punish
ed ifyou leave him. Exodus 81, IO.)
But you are his true wife-the other is
his guilt and his shame. Because he
has been tempted by her to fail. in his
duty to you, he loses the high position
which he held as an liable man. govern
ing his own rassions-as a 'God-fear-
ing man-and as a imam of truth
All these qualifications are necessary
for any man who expects to bear even
the lowest office in the government of
Israel. EXODUS Is, 2l.) He cannot
hold SO much as the Office of ruler of
ten"
He looked with surprise at the effect
of this announcement upon Hannah.
She ceased to weep, and her eyes shone
with something like indignation. Sore
of heart as she was. and willing to die
rs she was, to escape her present suf-
tering, she still, with a true woman's
instinct, wished to shield the man she
loved from the consequences of his sill.
"Elkanah is a good man." she said.
'IIe has been tempted by a beautiful
woman, and he has yielded to this tenn,
tation, but in all else, he is a righteous
man.
God can, and | doubt not uU foi-
give him. answered the priest gently,
but he grants as, the opponents of his
law, no power to forgive. We n4,st
follow his lcvea.ed will.
Inc wi,o.e current Of her thoughts
aud feelings took a new cour.e. She
did not think Of her own suffering, of
her own descrtion: she U-Iy thought of
Eikanah's degradation.
Does the law OF Israel require men
10 be perfect then? she asked, be
fore they can bear rule =
Nay, nay, my child not reriect-we
arc ali sinlul and faulty. But, by the
help ofGoJ, we can avoid great crimes.
Fal~ehood and treachery and INDUCED
netousnes ale not mere faults-they
ar,. crime. Those who commit them
mast not, at least, bear rule in a gov
eu.nu.ent which is divine. Gods Wis