It is an exquisite picture of Christ's tender grace as He stands to anoint and refresh the souls of believers when, weary and worn, they look up to Him in the gloaming of life's little day. No office which our Saviour performs is more precious and beautiful than this in which He touches His weary ones with balm, that they may retire with cool, clean souls to rest.
^ Horatius Bonar. ^ W. A. Knight, The Song of Our Syrian Quest, 19.
PSALM XXIII. 5 4^1
^ On August 18, 1887, Dr. Ullathorne writes to a friend as follows: I have been visiting Cardinal Newman to-day. He is much wasted, but very cheerful. We had a long talk, but as I was rising to leave an action of his caused a scene I shall never forget. He said in low and humble accents, " My dear lord, will you do me a great favour ? " " What is it ? " I asked. He glided down on his knees, bent down his venerable head, and said, " Give me your blessing." What could I do with him before me in such a posture ? I could not refuse without giving him great embarrassment. So I laid my hand on his head and said : " My dear Lord Cardinal, notwithstanding all laws to the contrary, I pray God to bless you, and that His Holy Spirit may be full in your heart." As I walked to the door, refusing to put on his biretta as he went with me, he said : " I have been indoors all my life, whilst you have battled for the Church in the world." i
^ There comes to mind a great educationist. In the realms both of secondary and of higher education, he was a master. He wrought out for and established in two Canadian provinces their splendid system of free schools. In a third province he gave great impetus to the thought that resulted in the creation of a vigorous Christian university. For a brief period he stood at its head. Then, realizing that his strength was broken, he suddenly stepped aside. With a single step he passed from noon to twilight. Those of us who knew him intimately knew that the pain of the twilight was acute in his heart. But the compensa-- tions were sweet and satisfying. The Master held out to him the brimming cup of joy.
Then purged with euphrasy and rue The visual nerve, for he had much to see.
And he told us what he saw in kindling speech. The fountain of song was unsealed within his heart. For the few years that were left to him he moved among us like a winged spirit. He was our nightingale singing in the twilight. He was our inspirationist, our prophet, our guide, philosopher, and friend. The beauty, the richness, the literary fruitfulness of those years were the marvel and delight of all who saw. In the twilight of his day God crowned him with loving-kindness and tender mercies ; He satisfied his mouth with good things, so that his youth was renewed like the eagle's.^
^ W. Ward, Life of Cardinal Newman, ii. 531. ^ J. D. Freeman, Life on the Uj^lands, 106. JOB-PS. XXX. — 31
482 ENTERTAINMENT, ENRICHMENT
2. But the thought is not less beautiful if we adopt the usual view of the structure of the 23rd Psalm, that at the fifth verse the figure of a shepherd tending his sheep is replaced by that of a host welcoming and entertaining a guest. Now, at their feasts, when they wished to express joyous welcome of a guest, they would anoint his head with a fragrant oil. When Jesus sat at meat in the house of Simon the Pharisee, He took note of the omission of this observance : " My head with oil thou didst not anoint," as men do to bidden and welcome guests. In ordinary cases, it was done by a servant, as the guest took his place at table ; in special cases, it was done by the master of the house himself. So it is here. Jehovah, as it were, pours oil on the head of him whom He has invited to His table, in token of His joyous welcome. I am received, not as with reluctant and half-com- pelled consent, but with all the joy of His gracious heart.
II Compared with us in the more sunless West and North, the old Hebrews had a much keener appreciation of everything fragrant, as we see in their plentiful use of incense and perfumed oils in their religious rites and services, and in all that we know of their social life. Even we can know the delightful charm of a clover field, or of a hillside covered with furze and heather, or of a garden in which a thousand flowers mingle and blend their perfume ; but still greater is the charm to the children of the sun, who live in regions where
Eternal summer dwells. And west winds, with musky wing, About the cedarn alleys fling Nard and cassia's balmy smells.
We have only to turn over the leaves of the Bible, and we find a thousand illustrations of this love of fragrant substances among the Hebrews ; — in the " sweet savour " that rose from Noah's sacrifice ; in the " smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed " ; in "the scent of waters"; in the "perpetual incense" offered every morning and evening in the tabernacle or temple ; in the •' oil of gladness " with which God has anointed the king ; in the " holy oil " poured upon " one that is mighty " ; in the " precious ointment " to which brotherly love is likened ; in the prayer " set forth before God as incense " ; in the " oil of joy " given for mourning ; in the " name as ointment poured forth " ; in the *' incense and a pure offering " that shall be offered to God's name