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We also offer Click-and-collect where you can buy online and pick-up in store for even faster and easier shopping. Say how Say the conflict something was about the resolved. Fill in details: setting, people, specific actions. Make clear how the situation was resolved. Say something about the significance.
To read an example narrative, go to digital. In both cases, you go below the surface to deepen your understanding of how the texts work and what they mean. This chapter describes the key elements expected in most literary analyses and provides tips for writing one. Your thesis, then, should be arguable. You might argue, for example, that the dialogue between two female characters in a short story reflects current stereotypes about gender roles. Careful attention to the language of the text.
Attention to patterns or themes. Literary analyses are usually built on evidence of meaningful patterns or themes within a text or among several texts. When you write a literary analysis, you show one way the text may be understood, using evidence from the text and, sometimes, relevant contextual evidence to support what you think the text means. MLA style. Start by considering whether your assignment specifies a particular kind of analysis or critical approach.
Look for words that say what to do: analyze, compare, interpret, and so on. Choose a method for analyzing the text.
Trace the development and expression of themes, characters, and language through the work. How do they help to create particular meaning, tone, or effects? Explore the way the text affects you as you read through it.
Read closely, noticing how the elements of the text shape your responses, both intellectual and emotional. How has the author evoked your response? Read the work more than once. When you first experience a piece of literature, you usually focus on the story, the plot, the overall meaning. Compose a strong thesis.
Your goal is not to pass judgment but to suggest one way of seeing the text. Do a close reading. Find specific, brief passages that support your interpretation; then analyze those passages in terms of their language, their context, and your reaction to them as a reader.
Why does the writer choose this language, these words? What is their effect? If something is repeated, what significance does the pattern have? Support your argument with evidence. The parts of the text you examine in your close reading become the evidence you use to support your interpretation. Paying attention to matters of style. Literary analyses have certain conventions for using pronouns and verbs. Describe the historical context of the setting in the past tense. Document your sources.
To read an example literary analysis, go to digital. Lovers propose marriage; students propose that colleges provide healthier food options in campus cafeterias.
These are all examples of proposals, ideas put forward that offer solutions to some problem. All proposals are arguments: when you propose something, you are trying to persuade others to consider—and hopefully to accept—your solution to the problem. This chapter describes the key elements of a proposal and provides tips for writing one. Some problems are self-evident and relatively simple, and you would not need much persuasive power to make people act. While some might not see a problem with colleges discarding too much paper, for example, most are likely to agree that recycling is a good thing.
Other issues are more controversial: some people see them as problems while others do not. For example, some believe that motorcycle riders who do not wear helmets risk serious injury and also raise the cost of health care for all of us, but others think that wearing a helmet—or not—should be a personal choice; you would have to present arguments to convince your readers that not wearing a helmet is indeed a problem needing a solution.
A solution to the problem. Once you have defined the problem, you need to describe the solution you are suggesting and to explain it in enough detail for readers to understand what you are proposing. Sometimes you might suggest several possible solutions, analyze their merits, and then say which one you think will most likely solve the problem.
You need to provide evidence to convince readers that your solution is feasible—and that it will, in fact, solve the problem.
A response to questions readers may have. You need to consider any questions readers may have about your proposal—and to show how its advantages outweigh any disadvantages.
A proposal for recycling paper, for example, would need to address questions about the costs of recycling bins and separate trash pickups. A call to action. The goal of a proposal is to persuade readers to accept your proposed solution—and perhaps to take some kind of action.
You may want to conclude your proposal by noting the outcomes likely to result from following your recommendations. An appropriate tone. Readers will always react better to a reasonable, respectful presentation than to anger or self-righteousness. Choose a problem that can be solved. Large, complex problems such as poverty, hunger, or terrorism usually require large, complex solutions.
Most of the time, focusing on a smaller problem or a limited aspect of a large problem will yield a more manageable proposal. Rather than tackling the problem of world poverty, for example, think about the problem faced by people in your community who have lost jobs and need help until they find employment. Most successful proposals share certain features that make them persuasive. Explore several possible solutions to the problem. Decide on the most desirable solution s. One solution may be head and shoulders above others, but be open to rejecting all the possible solutions on your list and starting over if you need to, or to combining two or more potential solutions in order to come up with an acceptable fix.
Think about why your solution is the best one. What has to be done to enact it? What will it cost? What makes you think it can be done? Why will it work better than others?
Ways of organizing a proposal. You can organize a proposal in various ways, but you should always begin by establishing that there is a problem. You may then identify several possible solutions before recommending one of them or a combination of several. Sometimes, however, you might discuss only a single solution. Identify possible Propose a Call for action, solutions and solution and or reiterate consider their pros give reasons your proposed and cons one by one.
Anticipate and answer questions. To read an example proposal, go to digital. Such essays are our attempt to think something through by writing about it and to share our thinking with others. A reflective essay has a dual purpose: to ponder something you find interesting or puzzling and to share your thoughts with an audience. Whatever your subject, your goal is to explore it in a way that will interest others.
One way to do that is to start by considering your own experience and then moving on to think about more universal experiences that your readers may share.
For example, you might write about your dog, and in doing so you could raise questions and offer insights about the ways that people and animals interact. Some kind of structure. A reflective essay can be organized in many ways, but it needs to have a clear structure. Whether you move from detail to detail or focus your reflection on one central question or insight about your subject, all your ideas need to relate, one way or another.
The challenge is to keep your readers interested as you explore your topic and to leave them satisfied that the journey was interesting and thought-provoking.
Every now and then someone will cheer her on. Details such as these will help your readers understand and care about your subject. A questioning, speculative tone. So your tone will often be tentative and open, demonstrating a willingness to entertain, try out, accept, and reject various ideas as your essay progresses from beginning to end, maybe even asking questions for which you can provide no direct answers.
Choose a subject you want to explore. Make a list of things that you think about, wonder about, find puzzling or annoying. Explore your subject in detail. Reflections often include descriptive details that provide a base for the speculations to come. Back away. Ask yourself why your subject matters: why is it important or intriguing or otherwise significant?
Your goal is to think on screen or paper about your subject, to see where it leads you. Think about how to keep readers with you. Reflections must be carefully crafted so that readers can follow your train of thought. Ways of organizing a reflective essay. Reflections may be organized in many ways because they mimic the way we think, sometimes associating one idea with another in ways that make sense but do not necessarily follow the kinds of logical progression found in academic arguments or reports.
Here are two ways you might organize a reflection. To read an example reflective essay, go to digital. You may be assigned to create annotated bibliographies to weigh the potential usefulness of sources and to document your search efforts. This chapter describes the key elements of an annotated bibliography and provides tips for writing two kinds of annotations: descriptive and evaluative. Doherty, Thomas.
Unwin Hyman, A historical discussion of the identification of teenagers as a targeted film market. Foster, Harold M. An evaluation of the potential of using teen films such as Sixteen Candles and The Karate Kid to instruct adolescents on the difference between film as communication and film as exploitation.
They are often helpful in assessing how useful a source will be for your own writing. Gore, A. An inconvenient truth: The planetary emergency of global warming and what we can do about it. New York, NY: Rodale. It centers on how the atmosphere is very thin and how greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide are making it thicker. The thicker atmosphere traps more infrared radiation, causing warming of the Earth. He includes several examples of problems caused by global warming.
Penguins and polar bears are at risk because the glaciers they call home are quickly melting. Coral reefs are being bleached and destroyed when their inhabitants overheat and leave. For example, many highways in Alaska are only frozen enough to be driven on fewer than 80 days of the year.
In China and elsewhere, recordsetting floods and droughts are taking place. Hurricanes are on the rise. It is useful because it relies on scientific data that can be referred to easily and it provides a solid foundation for me to build on.
For example, it explains how carbon dioxide is produced and how it is currently affecting plants and animals. This evidence could potentially help my research on how humans are biologically affected by global warming.
It will also help me structure my essay, using its general information to lead into the specifics of my topic. For example, I could introduce the issue by explaining the thinness of the atmosphere and the effect of greenhouse gases, then focus on carbon dioxide and its effects on organisms.
A concise description of the work. Relevant commentary. If you write an evaluative bibliography, your comments should be relevant to your purpose and audience. To achieve relevance, consider what questions a potential reader might have about the sources. Consistent presentation. All annotations should be consistent in content, sentence structure, and format. If one annotation is written in complete sentences, they should all be. Decide what sources to include.
Though you may be tempted to include every source you find, a better strategy is to include only those sources that you or your readers may find useful in researching your topic.
Is this source relevant to your topic? Is it general or specialized? Are the author and the publisher or sponsor reputable? Does the source present enough evidence? Does it show any particular bias? Does the source reflect current thinking or research? Decide whether the bibliography should be descriptive or evaluative. Read carefully. To quickly determine whether a source is likely to serve your needs, first check the publisher or sponsor; then read the preface, abstract, or introduction; skim the table of contents or the headings; and read the parts that relate specifically to your topic.
Research the writer, if necessary. In any case, information about the writer should take up no more than one sentence in your annotation. Summarize the work. Sumarize it as objectively as possible: even if you are writing an evaluative annotation, you can evaluate the central point of a work better by stating it clearly first. You may find, however, that some parts are useful while others are not, and your evaluation should reflect that mix.
Ways of organizing an annotated bibliography. Depending on their purpose, annotated bibliographies may or may not include an introduction. State scope. List first List second List third List final alphabeti- alphabeti- alphabeti- alphabeti- cal entry, cal entry, cal entry, cal entry, and anno- and anno- and anno- and anno- tate it.
Sometimes an annotated bibliography needs to be organized into several subject areas or genres, periods, or some other category ; if so, the entries are listed alphabetically within each category. Category 2 alphabetically, and annotate them. List entries Explain category 2. To read an example annotated bibliography, go to digital. You may be required to include an abstract in a report or as a preview of a presentation you plan to give at an academic or professional conference.
This chapter provides tips for writing three common kinds: informative, descriptive, and proposal. That one paragraph must mention all the main points or parts of the paper: a description of the study or project, its methods, the results, and the conclusions. Here is an example of the abstract accompanying a seven-page essay that appeared in in the Journal of Clinical Psychology: The relationship between boredom proneness and health-symptom reporting was examined.
The results suggest that boredom proneness may be an important element to consider when assessing symptom reporting. Implications for determining the effects of boredom proneness on psychological- and physicalhealth symptoms, as well as the application in clinical settings, are discussed. They usually do not summarize the entire paper, give or discuss results, or set out the conclusion or its implications.
The findings and their application in clinical settings are discussed. You prepare them to persuade someone to let you write on a topic, pursue a project, conduct an experiment, or present a paper at a scholarly conference; often the abstract is written before the paper itself. Titles and other aspects of the proposal deliberately reflect the theme of the proposed work, and you may use the future tense to describe work not yet completed.
Here is a possible proposal for doing research on boredom and health problems: Undergraduate students will complete the Boredom Proneness Scale and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. A multiple analysis of covariance will be performed to determine the relationship between boredom-proneness total scores and ratings on the five subscales of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist ObsessiveCompulsive, Somatization, Anxiety, Interpersonal Sensitivity, and Depression.
An informative abstract includes enough information to substitute for the report itself; a descriptive abstract offers only enough information to let the audience decide whether to read further; and a proposal abstract gives an overview of the planned work.
Objective description. Abstracts present information on the contents of a report or a proposed study; they do not present arguments about or personal perspectives on those contents. Unless you are writing a proposal abstract, you should write the paper first.
You can then use the finished work as the guide for the abstract, which should follow the same basic structure. Copy and paste key statements.
Copy and paste those sentences into a new document to create a rough draft. Pare down the rough draft. Introduce the overall scope of your study, and include any other information that seems crucial to understanding your work.
Conform to any length requirements. In general, an informative abstract should be at most 10 percent as long as the original and no longer than the maximum length allowed. Descriptive abstracts should be shorter still, and proposal abstracts should conform to the requirements of the organization calling for the proposal. Ways of organizing an abstract [An informative abstract] State conclusions of study. State Summarize nature of method of study.
State implications of study. To read an example abstract, go to digital. We read cookbooks to find out how to make brownies; we read textbooks to learn about history, biology, and other academic topics. And as writers, we read our own drafts to make sure they say what we mean. In other words, we read for many different purposes. Following are some strategies for reading with a critical eye. It always helps to approach new information in the context of what we already know.
List any terms or phrases that come to mind, and group them into categories. Then, or after reading a few paragraphs, list any questions that you expect, want, or hope to be answered as you read, and number them according to their importance to you. Finally, after you read the whole text, list what you learned from it.
Preview the text. Start by skimming to get the basic ideas; read the title and subtitle, any headings, the first and last paragraphs, the first sentences of all the other paragraphs. Study any visuals. Think about your initial response. Read the text to get a sense of it; then jot down brief notes about your initial reaction, and think about why you reacted as you did. What aspects of the text account for this reaction? Highlight key words and phrases, connect ideas with lines or symbols, and write comments or questions in the margins.
What you annotate depends on your purpose. One simple way of annotating is to use a coding system, such as a check mark to indicate passages that confirm what you already thought, an X for ones that contradict your previous thinking, a question mark for ones that are puzzling or confusing, an exclamation point or asterisk for ones that strike you as important, and so on.
You might also circle new words that you need to look up. Play the believing and doubting game. Analyze how the text works.
Outline the text paragraph by paragraph. Are there any patterns in the topics the writer addresses? How has the writer arranged ideas, and how does that arrangement develop the topic? Identify patterns. Look for notable patterns in the text: recurring words and their synonyms, repeated phrases and metaphors, and types of sentences. Does the author rely on any particular writing strategies?
Is the evidence offered more opinion than fact? Is there a predominant pattern to how sources are presented? As quotations? In visual texts, are there any patterns of color, shape, and line? Consider the larger context. What other arguments is he or she responding to? Who is cited? Be persistent with difficult texts.
For texts that are especially challenging or uninteresting, first try skimming the headings, the abstract or introduction, and the conclusion to look for something that relates to knowledge you already have. As a critical reader, you need to look closely at the argument a text makes. Does his or her language include you, or not? Hint: if you see the word we, do you feel included? So learning to read and interpret visual texts is just as necessary as it is for written texts.
Take visuals seriously. When they appear as part of a written text, they may introduce information not discussed elsewhere in the text. It might also help to think about its purpose: Why did the writer include it? What information does it add or emphasize? What argument is it making? How to read charts and graphs. A line graph, for example, usually contains certain elements: title, legend, x-axis, y-axis, and source information.
Figure 1 shows one such graph taken from a sociology textbook. Other types of charts and graphs include some of these same elements. But the specific elements vary according to the different Legend: Explains the symbols used.
Here, colors show the different categories. X-axis: Defines the dependent variable something that changes depending on other factors. Women in the labor force as a percent of the total labor force both men and women age sixteen and over. For example, the chart in Figure 2, from the same textbook, includes elements of both bar and line graphs to depict two trends at once: the red line shows the percentage of women who were in the US labor force from to , and the blue bars show the percentage of US workers who were women during that same period.
Both trends are shown in two-year increments. To make sense of this chart, you need to read the title, the y-axis labels, and the labels and their definitions carefully. Research Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose. We search the web for information about a new computer, ask friends about the best place to get coffee, try on several pairs of jeans before deciding which ones to buy.
Will you need to provide background information? What kinds of evidence will your audience find persuasive? What attitudes do they hold, and how can you best appeal to them? If so, which media will best reach your audience, and how will they affect the kind of information you search for? Is there a due date? The lessons are free and you may make as many copies as you would like. Written by Gordon Churchyard.
The Book of Enoch contains many dreams and visions. Find out more information. Over 50, words of in depth discovery questions, teaching points, and applications cover each chapter in 23 lessons. The Advanced Search lets you narrow the results by language and file extension e. PDF file size: k. Coffman's Commentaries. The Rashi commentary and Metzudot commentary are the major commentaries for the Nach. Them and will the macarthur bible red letter for its message that. For the countless billions of humans past, present and future who live a physical life without a full chance at understanding the gospel, who never are "enlightened" and "taste the good Word of God" Hebrews - 5 1.
Aiming to be fully understood by everyone, including those with no experience in biblical languages, this series is easy to understand, but it also digs deeply into the text.
God's not done; the story is not over. There are two major approaches to the study of, and commentary on, the Tanakh. Some commentators who suggest that Theophilus was a believer include D The People's Bible Commentary covers the whole Bible with an approach that presents scholarly insights in straightforward terms, aiming to instruct the head but also to warm the heart, and pointing to how the truths received can be applied personally.
Paul Center for Biblical Theology. In the Jewish community, the classical approach is a religious study of the Bible, where it is assumed that the Bible is divinely inspired. This site offers no restrictions, easy access and no registration needed for all your eBooks, PDF books and Audiobooks for free to be read online or to be downloaded later to be read. Offline, No download required. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient The Rashi commentary and Metzudot commentary are the major commentaries for the Nach.
Spence and Joseph S. In my pursuit for doctrinal clarity and purity, I will put unity in the Church above nonessential disagreements during any Church bible study classes. Agape Bible Study, in depth Catholic Scripture Study of both the Old and New Testaments, catecism of the catholic church, bible study,commentaries, ancient catholic scholars, contemporay catholic scholars, biblical history, salvation history, fathers of the church.
Tony Evans. The following steps will be helpful in getting the most from your Bible Study of Acts. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. Patriarchal History — A. Sunday, April 27, , is from. A new Hebrew commentary on the whole of the Old Testament has been since in progress under the editorship of A.
It also has links to bible verses provided in the context of what you are reading. These were very popular several years back and many of you have requested copies of these timeless treasures.
This prestigious commentary series of more than 80 volumes represents the pinnacle of biblical scholarship, drawing from the wisdom and resources of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish scholars from around the world. Produced for pastors and scholars trained in the original languages and in advanced exegetical skill, this commentary series has been regarded as a cutting edge resource for many years. Though terse, it provides something good on almost any passage, phrase by phrase and is to some degree critical in nature.
It is evangelical Especially in its multi-volume form this is one of the old evangelical works that offers fairly solid though brief help on many verses. Things have changed greatly since this assessment! It is primarily of help to pastors and lay people looking for quick, though usually somewhat knowledgeable treatments on verses.
Spurgeon - A really standard work. We consult it continually, and with growing interest. John Cereghin - A conservative exposition. Contains clear reflections of the doctrinal and ecclesiastical views of his circle. The difficulties of these epistles are dealt with in a clear and conservative manner. The author's death terminated the exposition of the second epistle at An Introduction to the New Testament. Hiebert - Brief discussion of introductory problems.
A thorough exposition of the epistle, with a new translation of Hebrews by the author. Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. D Edmond Hiebert on Fronmuller - Prints author's own translation. An exhaustive exposition by a conservative interpreter which has stood the test of time.
Important for the expositor of 1 Peter. A careful interpretation of these epistles with a mass of material of a practical and homiletical nature. James Rosscup - The treatments of books within this evangelical set Lange's Commentary vary in importance. Generally, one finds a wealth of detailed commentary, background, and some critical and exegetical notes.
Often, however, there is much excess verbiage that does not help particularly. On the other hand, it usually has something to assist the expositor on problems and is a good general set for pastors and serious lay people though it is old.
Spurgeon : "One of those great expository works with which the Scotch ministry has so frequently enriched the Church. We wonder if any one ever read this excellent exposition through; we should not like to be sentenced to do so.
Spurgeon : "One of the most judicious and solid expositions ever written. Spurgeon - A very learned Commentary, of which Bp. Ellicott speaks in the highest terms. Meyer must be placed in the first class of scholars, though somewhat lower down in the class than his admirers have held. Apart from scholarship we do not commend him. Alford was certainly no very rigid adherent of orthodoxy, yet he says of Meyer that he is not trusted where there is any room for the introduction of rationalistic opinions.
Whatever credit may be due to him for accurate interpretation, this is a terribly serious drawback. It is well to be warned. Cyril Barber - First published in , this is one of the most significant works to be reprinted in recent years. It treats concisely matters of introduction and then systematizes the theology of the epistle in light of God's covenants with Israel. James Rosscup - "Some regard this work rather highly for its exegetical excellence at times in the Greek.
A work of massive scholarship by a famous liberal scholar which espouses a non-Jewish background for the recipients of this letter. Valuable introduction and interpretative notes for the advanced student. Has a helpful section on the rhythmic cadences of the epistle. D A Carson writes "the book remains a collection of marvelously pious and spiritually-minded gems strung out on a string of abysmal exegesis. Rosscup writes - Kregel in Grand Rapids has a 1-volume abridgement that makes the comments more manageable.
Owen, a Puritan scholar, was voluminous on just about everything he wrote, and he did many masterful works. Here, the patient will meet with ponderous discussion of connections between New Testament fulfillments in Christ and Old Testament preparation for Him.
Much is rich and worthwhile if one has time to sort through the laborious discussions to follow through to what he can use. Theologically Owen has a lot to contribute. He has many points and sees things from various sides, reasons through views and arguments, and often is very helpful to the person who begins his study early enough to devote the time it takes.
In Hebrews 6 and 10, Owen decides reference is to mere professors who fall away or shrink back, never having been actually born again. Spurgeon : "Out of scores of commendations of this colossal work we select but one. Hiebert - A condensation of the eight-volume work on Hebrews links below are unabridged work on which Owens spent sixteen years of his life.
A valuable guide for the study of Hebrews under this noted Puritan theologian and preacher. Rosscup writes - This is a rich study of the English text with many suggestive channels of thought which help the student in preparing messages or lessons. Hiebert - An exhaustive exposition by a noted Calvinistic writer with a ready pen. A reprint of a series of expositions published over a number of years in the late author's magazine, Studies in the Scriptures.
James Rosscup writes that this work exhibits "Careful insight into the text and fine articulation of the meaning by a Hebrew Christian. Spurgeon : Mr. Saphir has always something to say worthy of the attention of spiritual minds.
His mind finds a track of its own, but he is never speculative. We always enjoy his remarks, though he is not specially terse or brilliant. Hiebert - Warm, expository studies by an accomplished Jewish Christian Bible teacher. Originally published in Spurgeon : We are constantly differing from Moses Stuart, but are bound to consult him.
He is one of the greatest of American scholars, and this is one of his best comments. Rosccup - This famous work discusses the Greek text and presents valuable studies on subjects related to it. Many have rated it as the best older commentary from the standpoint of dealing seriously with the Greek, so it offers substantial help.
The standard, older commentary on this epistle, still valued for its wise comments. The additional notes offer much helpful material to the serious Bible student. Hiebert - A commentary on Hebrews, largely in the form of Greek word studies and an expanded translation. Designed to put the English reader into possession of the riches of the Greek text. The devil and his cohorts were devising plans to get people to reject the Gospel. Silence prevailed. Every devil knew that most people believe in a supreme being.
That was turned down, because men obviously have consciences which tell them that sin must be punished. But tell them there is plenty of time to decide the question. An incident from the American Revolution illustrates what tragedy can result from neglec t.
Colonel Rahl, commander of the British troops in Trenton, New Jersey, was playing cards when a courier brought an urgent message stating that General George Washington was crossing the Delaware River. Rahl put the letter in his pocket and didn't bother to read it until the game was finished. Then, realizing the seriousness of the situation, he hurriedly tried to rally his men to meet the coming attack, but his neglect was his undoing.
He and many of his men were killed and the rest of the regiment were capture. Nolbert Quayle said, "Only a few minutes' delay cost him his life, his honor, and the liberty of his soldiers. Adapted from Our Daily Bread. The Cost of Not Putting a Finger in the Dike - For most of the last decade, Chicagoans who worked in the Loop, the booming downtown business district, could easily ignore the city's budget crisis; Washington's cutback of aid to cities didn't seem to hurt business.
Last week, they learned one price of neglecting the underpinnings of all that economic growth. A quarter billion gallons of murky Chicago River water gushed into a mile network of turn-of-the-century freight tunnels under the Loop and brought nearly all businesses to a soggy halt.
From U. We often fail to consider the gradual, cumulative effect of sin in our lives. In Saint Louis in , an unemployed cleaning woman noticed a few bees buzzing around the attic of her home.
Since there were only a few, she made no effort to deal with them. Over the summer the bees continued to fly in and out the attic vent while the woman remained unconcerned, unaware of the growing city of bees. The whole attic became a hive, and the ceiling of the second- floor bedroom finally caved in under the weight of hundreds of pounds of honey and thousands of angry bees.
While the woman escaped serious injury, she was unable to repair the damage of her accumulated neglect. Robert T Wenz. A year-old woman, whose decomposed body was found in her dilapidated Houston home recently, was discovered frozen to death for five months.
She was forgotten neglected all winter and spring by neighbors and family members. Neighbors described her as someone who "didn't have anything to do with anybody, and nobody had anything to do with her.
She had two children, one of whom lived about 10 miles from his mother's house. Here is a poem that originally was written by Gloria Pitzer neglect has been substituted for procrastination …. Neglect is my sin It brings me naught but sorrow. I know that I should stop it In fact, I will… tomorrow! These are the words of Jesus quoted by the apostle from a prophetical psalm concerning Him. Praise is an element of the gospel. It entered essentially, if not prominently, into our Lord's personal life.
In all things Jesus was of a thankful, and therefore of a praiseful spirit. And so, my soul, should you be! You have everything to praise God for. There is not one announcement in the gospel to dishearten or repel a poor, penitent sinner. To such it is a 'joyful sound' without one jarring note, a salvation without a condition, a righteousness without a work, a pardon without money, a heaven without human merit or purchase--all the free gift of God's most free and unmerited grace.
Is not this sufficient to awaken the deepest gratitude and the loudest praise in your soul? And, O my soul! Can you think of Him for a moment, and not feel your whole soul thrilling with thanksgiving and tremulous with praise?
Oh, praise God for Jesus--for such a divine yet such a human Savior--for such a life, for such a death, for such a righteousness, and for such an Atonement as His. Is there no deep response of your heart to the thankful, praiseful words of the apostle-- "Thanks be unto God, for His unspeakable gift? Oh, what a wonder of sovereign grace that ever you were brought out of nature's darkness into God's marvelous light! That, ever divine power drew you, and divine love chose you, and divine blood cleansed you, and a divine righteousness was imputed to you!
That, ever you did hear the voice of Jesus, when lying in your blood, cast out to the loathing of yourself, saying to you, "Live! Praise, oh, praise Him loudly for that happy day when, having betrothed you in eternity, He savingly drew you to Himself, and you became His.
Can you recall the memory of that blissful hour, and not make the desert ring with your loudest, sweetest praise? My soul! It is a soul-purifying and a God-glorifying grace. It keeps the heart in perpetual bloom, and converts the life into a daily psalm! Praise God for all --praise Him for the blessings--of His providence, for the barrel of meal and for the cruse of oil that have not failed, for the providence that brightens, for the sorrow that shades, for the mercy that smiles, and for the judgment that frowns--for God's love breathing through all.
Thus shall you be learning to sing the 'new song,' and to unite in the never ending music of heaven, where— "Praise shall employ our noblest powers, While immortality endures. The following in an excerpt from the diary of James Smith September, I have been the subject of very powerful temptations, and have reason to mourn, that though kept from outward sin — I have felt my heart going out after secret evil. I as much need keeping now — as at any former period of my life!
The flesh is so powerful, that if God were to withdraw His hand — I would soon fall into gross sins! How difficult it is to reconcile what I feel, with a 'growth in grace,' or with anything like a deep work of inward sanctification.
Sin seems to lose all its deformity at such times, and appears to be a mere trifling act. O the self-deluding power of sin! If any of God's people ought to be humble — I ought to; and to lie lower before God than any of them. Still, pride works mightily in me. I strive to do good, my heart is set upon it — and yet at present, I seem to make very little progress. Scripture says of Moses, that "he endured as seeing Him who is invisible! That is, Moses always remembered that God was right beside him, his friend to help him — and this made him strong.
He did not actually see God — but it was as if he saw Him. That is, he realized the divine presence in all of his life. If you saw Christ standing beside you all the time — it would not be hard for you to keep sweet, to keep control of temper and speech. Well, Christ IS beside you — just as really as He was beside Mary when she sat at His feet in Bethany, or beside Peter and the other disciples as they walked together over the hills of Judea and Galilee.
What you need, is to realize this fact. We know that Jesus is present with us all the time, at every moment, by day or by night. He is closer than any human friend can be to us. Indeed, we are to practice His presence — that is, we are to live all the time, as if we actually saw Him! You must remember that Christ is always besides you, not only to see you — but to help you, as your truest and best Friend!
Home, sweet home! There is no place like home! The day of life with them is ended. Its duties are ended. Its responsibilities are past. Its hours are fled away. What a trying day some of them had! How stormy. How sultry. How often overcast. How gloomy. But it is now past — and past forever! The toils of the wilderness are over!
They had much to afflict and pain them. But now the wilderness is all behind them! The afflictions of the pilgrimage are terminated. Those sufferings were sharp, and some of them continued long. Many of them were endured in secret without sympathy, and without relief. They were soul sorrows, agony of mind — as well as sharp pains of body.
But however multiplied, however severe, however protracted those sorrows — they are past and gone, never, never to return!
The sweetest repose is now enjoyed. The poor tabernacle has been taken down, and is laid in a quiet resting-place, until the resurrection morning. The soul is gone to be with Jesus. It has traveled through the rough path of life — and is now in God's presence, where there is fullness of joy, and pleasures for evermore!
As Christians, we are going to the same place. The graves will soon be ready for our bodies — and the mansions of glory for our souls. We are going home! Home to our Father's house! Home where our hearts have long been. Home where all our prayers will be answered, and all our best desires will be gratified. A paradise without a tempting serpent! A paradise where all are holy, all are safe, all are happy. Those pure and perpetual joys, which are at God's right hand, await us!
We taste them now, and are delighted with a sip — but there we shall soon drink full draughts of eternal glory, eternal joy, and eternal blessedness!
Amidst present toils and trials, dangers and distresses — when wearied, way-worn, and tempted to fret — remember that you will soon be HOME!
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