Page images
PDF
EPUB

pure. The following lines, which refer to our Lord's words, that as the Son of man He was "in heaven" while he lived upon earth, form a very beautiful and suitable prayer for those who desire to be heavenly minded:

"The Saviour while he dwelt on earth,

As God in heaven had his abode;

So let me by a heavenly birth,

Live in the world, yet dwell with God.""

HELP TO PRACTICE; OR, BIBLE APPLICATIONS.

PORTION.-Mark vii. 34.

E.

BEFORE Jesus spoke the word which relieved this poor man, "looking up to heaven he sighed." There was more in this sigh than the mere drawing of his breath;it was the only expression which He gave to the inward prayer, which went up from his heart to his heavenly Father. The same Greek word is used to express this sigh which is also employed to express those " groanings which cannot be uttered," with which "the Spirit itself maketh intercession" for the people of God. In that passage of St. Paul where it occurs, we are told that "he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit;" and we also learn that, when such sighs are really the groaning of the Holy Spirit, they express a prayerful intercession which is "according to the will of God." The same word is also used to express the earnest desires of the Israelites in Egypt under their distress, which God said He heard. This prayerful sigh then of our Lord, which He breathed before He relieved the afflicted man, may well teach us to remember the constant intercession which He exercises for us on high, and which is attended with so many proofs of his merciful power in continually relieving his people, for whose infirmities He sighs.

But, moreover, a comforting application of this circumstance may be made to the case of those who, though sincere and earnest in their desire to make use of the privilege of prayer, are oftentimes unable to find words to express the feelings of their hearts. Such persons are occasionally discouraged by the thought that they cannot pray, because they find that they cannot always speak

prayer. But from this instance in our Lord, and from the prayerful breathings, which cannot be uttered, spoken of by St. Paul, they may learn that such earnest efforts at prayer, which (though they fail of producing words) lead our hearts to sigh deeply on account of our infirmity, so far from being in vain, are in reality the working of the Holy Spirit within us; while our hearts are laid open to the sight of God, and are humbled" according to his will." This should encourage us to persevere in our endeavours to obtain a more perfect communion with God in prayer. No sigh however can make up for the wandering thoughts which often waste the time, when we are upon our knees and seem to be engaged in prayer. It must be the expression of a sincere regret for those infirmities which make our intercourse with God to be so difficult to us; and unless it is this, we can have no reason to consider it among the breathings of the Spirit which cannot be uttered. Rev. A. D.

HARD WORDS IN THE BIBLE.

If we ought to understand thoroughly any book in the world, that book is the Bible. We cannot be willing to leave any part of it without at least attempting to comprehend the meaning, and using every means within our reach, in order to get a full and precise understanding of it. In another part of this present number we have been shown the necessity of a divine teaching from God, to enable us to receive the spirit of his word. That teaching is the chief thing required. But, at the same time, since the Bible is a book written in sentences and words like other books, it also requires that we should know the principles of language, that is, the letters, the spelling, the stops, and other things, without which we cannot read any part of it by ourselves. But there is also much besides which is necessary before we can understand the Bible, even in its common sense and meaning. In order to have the "spirit" we must have the "letter" also, although the "letter" alone will be of no profit. And to attain the knowledge of even the letter of the Bible, we must get to the knowledge of the meaning of all the words contained in it as far as we can. Now there are many words there

of difficult meaning, many which do not occur in common talk, nor in common books; and therefore many persons among our readers are no doubt puzzled by meeting with them. Such words sound strange to their ears, and bring no clear sense to their minds. Perhaps a little help on this point may be therefore acceptable to them, as leading them to comprehend, as far as may be, every word they meet in the Scriptures. We intend to put before them a little Dictionary of the hard words used in the Sacred book, with a short explanation of the senses in which they are used: and as it will be somewhat long, it must occupy a part of several numbers in succession. It will only be necessary to take those words which are not likely to be well understood, or frequently used, by our cottage readers; all those which they may be supposed to know can be left out, in order to make the Dictionary as short as possible. And for this purpose we shall only think it necessary to insert the principal words themselves, from which others are taken or made up, because the sense generally, or always, remains the same. For example, when we have given the meaning of the word "abase," we need not give that of the word "abased," because it is only another part of the same: and again, when "exalt" or "justify" has been explained, there will need no mention of the sense of "exaltation" or "justification." They are words taken or derived from the first, and therefore their meaning may be easily discovered by any thinking person. Wherever, indeed, the meaning is different, which sometimes is the case, then the different sense shall be put down, to prevent any mistake as far as possible.

It is hoped that this may be useful for many persons to refer to when they are in a difficulty, and have not got a regular dictionary to look at. We intend to confine ourselves chiefly to words used in the Bible and Prayer-book, but may occasionally explain some others which commonly occur in this and most books.

Whenever two senses of a word are put down, the reader must take that which seems to suit best with the meaning of the sentence; generally nothing but a minute's thinking will be required to show the right one.

The accent or comma (') over each word, is to show

[ocr errors]

upon what part of the word the strongest force is to be

laid, in speaking.

DICTIONARY OF HARD WORDS 4.
A

Abáse; to bring low; to cast down.

Abáte; to lessen; to grow less.

A'bba; a Syrian word, meaning Father.

Abhór; to hate very much; to neglect; to cast off.
A'bject; good for nothing; despised,

Ability; power to do anything.

Abólish; to do away; to put an end to.
Abominable; that which should be hated.
Aboúnd; to have in plenty; to be in plenty.
Abridge; to make shorter.

Abrúpt; broken; sudden.

A'bsent; not present; not near.

Absolve; to loosen; to forgive; to set free.
A'bsolute; complete; certain.

Absolútion; forgiveness of sins.

Abstaín; to deny oneself; to keep from.
A'bstinence; fasting; refusing anything.
Absúrd; contrary to reason; foolish.
Abúse; to make bad of; to treat rudely.
Abyss; a depth without bottom.

A'ccent; the manner of speaking; the sound of a syllable.

Accépt; to receive favourably; to "accept persons" is to regard one with more favour than another. A'ccess; freedom of approach.

A'ccident; something unforeseen; what seems to happen by chance.

Accommodate; to supply; to make to suit.

Accómpany; to be with another as companion.

Accomplish; to perform or bring to pass.

Accord; will or desire.

Account; a narrative; a reckoning; value;

account; to esteem; to reckon; to explain. Accúmulate; to heap together.

to

A Dictionary is a book containing the words of any language, with their meaning or explanation; a word-book.

Accúrse; to condemn to misery.

Accúse; to charge with a crime; to blame.

Acknowledge; to own or confess; to approve of.

Acquaint; to get to know; to teach.

Acquire; to gain; to obtain.

Acquít; to set free; to clear; to absolve.
Activity; the habit of being busy.
A'ctual; real; in act, not only in thought.
A'damant; a stone of very great hardness.
Adápt; to fit; to suit.

Addict; to devote; to give oneself up.
Addition; something put on to another.

Adjúre; to charge earnestly; to bind under a curse.
Administration; the managing of any employment.
Admirátion; wonder; the act of wondering at.
Admít; to let in; to allow or grant to be true.
Admónish; to warn of a fault; to reprove gently.
Adópt; to make him a son who was not so by birth.
Adóre; to worship.

Adórn; to dress; to make beautiful.

Advance; to bring forward; to raise.

Advantage; gain; profit; victory.

A'dvent; coming; the coming of Christ.

Adventure; to dare; to try the chance.

A'dversary; an enemy; one who fights against us.

Advérsity; affliction; misery.

Advertise; to give notice.

Adúlt; grown up; past the age of childhood.
A'dvocate; one that pleads the cause of another.

THE TOWER OF LONDON.

THIS ancient building is one of the most interesting in England, if we regard the connexion it has with many of the most important events and periods of the history of our country. It was built at the time when English history began to take a more regular form, after the Norman conquest; and it remained through all the reigns of our kings, from William the Conqueror to Queen Victoria, always serving the most important purposes of state, and looked up to as one of the most venerable remains of ancient times, as well as one of the principal of our

« EelmineJätka »