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HANNAH.

COLLECT.

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking; we beseech Thee to have compassion upon our infirmities; and those things, which from our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us, for the worthiness of Thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I Sam. i. I-IO.

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his

wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: but unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons? So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

HERE we read the account of a wealthy Israelite, named Elkanah, a native of Beth-lehem, and a Levite, that is, one of the tribe appointed to be ministers of God. He was a good man, but had, in one thing, fallen into sin or rather folly, before God-he had married two wives. For although 'bigamy' was permitted in those early Hebrew days, 'for the hardness of men's hearts,' it was not approved by God, and was contrary to His ordinance from the beginning it was not so.' As was ever the case, wherever this error, this unhallowed custom is mentioned in the Scriptures, there was great unhappiness in the home. The names of his wives were Hannah and Peninnah. 'Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.'

Among the Israelites this want was felt to be a great and sore privation, not only because they loved their little ones, if possible, more intensely than did the mothers of any other nation, but also because each hoped to be the mother of the promised Messiah who, according to God's promise, was to be the 'seed' of Abraham. In spite, how

ever, of Hannah's great misfortune, Elkanah dearly loved, and clave tenderly to, his first wife. This caused great and bitter jealousy in the heart of Peninnah, of whom we are told that she was Hannah's adversary, and 'provoked her sore to make her fret.' What a woman was this! A wife trying to hurt the feelings of another, and to wound her upon a point, on which she felt so deeply, so sadly.

How unamiable, how unkind, how heartless, was her conduct! Now, mark, how Hannah behaved under this constant worrying trial. She never retaliated, or returned evil for evil! Her love of God had already taught her to 'endure grief, suffering wrongfully.' Moreover, though Elkanah did not conceal that he loved Hannah more than he did her rival, yet we never find that Hannah resented Peninnah's conduct toward herself by reminding her of this on any occasion. No, Hannah had 'the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price.' And God helped her to bear those sufferings, and mockings, and comforted her under them, as we

shall see 'He resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.' *

There was no king in Israel' in those days, and 'every man did what seemed right in his own eyes.' The worship of the Almighty was therefore greatly neglected by all classes. But even those who were disposed to it, were discouraged and hindered by the wickedness of two of the priests, the sons of Eli the High-priest of that day. Nevertheless we find that Elkanah went up three times a-year to Shiloh to worship the Lord his God, and to offer sacrifices.

But we read that Elkanah not only went to Shiloh himself, but his wives and his children. He not only served God himself, but took care that as far as in him lay, his family should serve Him also he cherished family religion. : Like Abraham, he commanded his children and his household after him that they should keep the way of the Lord. Every father and mother should go and do likewise; they should look well to the ways of their home in this as in other matters, with the resolve of Joshua in their heart, 'As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.'

When the children of Israel offered a 'peaceoffering,' the fat (as being the best) was burnt on the altar to the Lord, a certain portion was given to the priest, and the remainder was eaten by the offerer and his family or friends. In Elkanah's

* I Pet. v. 5.

distribution of the meat of his peace-offering we discover his love and fondness for Hannah, for we read, 'Unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion.' This little act of preference kindled in the heart of Peninnah raging jealousy, for we are told, 'She provoked Hannah, so that she wept and did not eat.' Her tender husband noticed this, and in gentle words, asked the cause of her unhappiness, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee, than ten sons?' The good woman for his sake makes an effort, and tries to cast aside her sorrow, and takes food. 'So Hannah arose after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk.'

But she did more than this. Eli, the priest, we read, was sitting upon a seat by the Temple, and Hannah was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. Although Hannah would not speak against Peninnah to her husband, she had one compassionate Ear, ever ready to listen to the cry of the sorrowful and heavy laden; to pour out her sorrows to her Heavenly Father, she went up to the Sanctuary.

Here is a good and useful lesson for us all to learn, dear friends. I have often heard the remark, 'I could not go to Church, I felt too sad.' What a great mistake this must be ! The good men of old time thought very differently. David when perplexed and troubled 'went into the Sanctuary

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