Ill. INTENSE GRIEF IS NATURAL ON THE DLIGRTING OF A SUPREME ROPE. Every one must see the naturalness of Hannah's gTief. The ordinary course of nature fosters hope; it is the basis of reasonable expectations. A well-balanced mind lives !n stron_g sympathy _with n~ture's way~, for ~hey are _of God, and nlwnys beneficent m final issue. God 1s not displeased with grief, not discontent, when it comes in the order of Providence, even though the grief rise from a wish that he had ordered otherwise. Tears ha,·e been consecrated by Christ. The wail over Jerusalem wns not unconnected with blighted hope. But so far as men are concerned, the roots of their sorro~• frequently lie in their ignorance of God's times and methods. He doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. There is some undeveloped pur- pose for their good which will yet vindicate his goodness. ,.. IV. To have a deep and SACRED GRIEF INTENSIFIED DY UNMERITED AND CONTINUOUS REPROACH is the climax of domestic suffering. The griefs of private life are sacred. The _woun_ded spirit shuns ..the inquisiti~e eye. Sorrow often seeks 'sad comfort in self-1solat10n. The cruel Jibes of her rival were agony to Hannah!s gentle spirit. So the Man of sorrows felt the bitter reproach of his own people as a most painful addition to that secret sorrow he ever carried in his heart. In many an unhappy home there is _yet to be found a meek, loving soul grieving over deferred hope of a husband or children saved, and compelled also to bear scorn, and perhaps ill-treat- ment, from those most dear. A patient, Christlike spirit is the Divine counterpoise of such suffering. V. LONG YEARS OF MEEKLY-EXDURED TRIAL MAY BE THE DIVINE TRAINING for subordinati11g natural gratification to high spiritual ends. Completed history gives the clue to the enigmas of its early stages. Posterity has seen that the long trial of Hannah was not without its blessed uses in sublimating her hopes, and deepening her piety. It is a first principle that trial to the devout is essentially a good. The spirit of the sufferer has to grow up to the Divine intent by meek ,submission. Like many mothers, Hannah might have rested in the simple joy of bearing off- spring had not a merciful God prepared means for directing her desires to a higher goad. When sympathy with the holy purposes of Christ is developed in the soul, natural desires will fall into harmony with his will, and be laid at his feet. And the deepened piety of a mother tells most powerfully on the subsequent nurture of her child. VI. It is possible for HIGH RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS TO BE (1) embittered by the pre- sence of wicked jealousies, (2) marred by an outburst of pent-up grief. The holy sanctuary is frequented by the devout and the profane, and the longing heart of a Hannah is fretted by the unkind expressions of a Peninnah. Side by side before the holy throne may be found men and women embittered by the very presence of each other. Divine worship and hallowed festivities should be the occasion when all animosities and vexations of spirit are lost in the calm, holy joy of God's favour. But when the wounded heart is pierced afresh in the house of God, or amidst Zion's rejoicings, the very joyousness of the occasion makes sorrow more sorrowful. Many are the tears shed in the sanctuary I The heart speaks its woes the more that joy becomes the place. VII. INDISCREET FAVOURS IN A HOME ONLY ADD TO TROUBLE. Monogamy is the dictate of religion and of philosophy. Trouble must arise in society by departure from the prime law. Elkanah's troubles were his own seeking, and no amount of affection ostentatiously bestowed availed to cover the original error, or to lessen the inconveniences of it. Persons committed to conflicting domestic obligations, ancl beset with difficulty need to exercise more than ordinary discretion in the expression of their feelings. Even in properly-constituted homes, unwise preferences lay the foundation for alienation and strife. VIII. MEN OF TENDEREST AFFECTION AND ORDINARY GOODNESS MAY.DE INCAPABLE 01!' FULLY APPRECIATING THE GREAT SORROW OF THEIR HOME. With all his kindness, Elkan ah was unable to enter fully into the grief of his wife. N~tures move i_n diverse spheres. Some lack responsiveness to the deepest experiences of their kindred and friends, or they have not the spiritual insight to recognise more th<in secular elements in trouble. The full bliss of one is not o standard for another, There are incommensurable joys, and joys inconceivable. A husband's love is ll OJI, J. 1-8.] THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL.
oerfcct, be11utiful thing. A wife's joy in holy offspring is also perfect and beautiful. 'I'he presence of the one blessing may console, but cannot compensate for the absence of the other. The "woman of sorrowful spirit" yearned to be the means of advancing Messiah'e kingdom, and mourned that the joy was not hers; no assurance of affection could satisfy such an unrealised yearning. And so, good as the love of friends may be, it can never give full rest to the souls that peer into the future, anrl long to have the bliss of contributing their beet to the Redeemer's glory. Hence the Practical suggestions :-1. Be not hasty in forming a judgment on thP course of Providence. 2. Cherish sympathy with those whose hopes are deferred. 3. Be careful and sow not in the home, by some irrevocable action, the seeds of permanent discord. 4. Avoid partiality where vows and relationships demand eqn, treatment. 5. Adore the wisdom that can out of our failings and errors elicit ,,.. future blessing.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS.