To be near unto God - pagina 435

ing heat such as in the desert of the East can prostrate life. And see, quietly and with majesty, a thick cloud passes over the desert levels, and sunlight no more blinds, and sunheat no more burns, and the traveler breathes again, refreshed and restored by the Divine shadow from above. Shade sons of the West do not know the glory of With this short word to the man in the East. the exception of dog-days, the sun is no fierce tyrant to us, to make life a burden. To us the sun is a lovely something, which we seek. The love his light. sun refreshes and cherishes us. But in the land where prophets prophesied and psalmists sang, where Jesus walked about with his disciples, everyone seeks by means of thick walls, heavy hangings, high trees and long white garments, to escape the fierce tyranny of the sun. In hot seasons everything there burns, glows, and is And in level deserts man and beast scorched. are helplessly surrendered to the heat of the sand and the scorching rays from above. Everything And all this, applied calls and prays for shade. by metaphor to the struggle of. God's people, and to the battle of life of his servants, inspired both prophet and Psalmist to refresh Israel with the The Lord thy God glorious word of comfort: I

We

We

is

thy Shade!

Thy shade

against what? Against the heat of the day metaphorically descriptive of the burden of the daily task, of the heat and fierceness with which startling opposition, adversity and persecution overtake you. The, Lord is thy Shade is allied with the other image: the Lord is thjShield, but has another tendency. When you have to do with an enemy, a persecutor, whom 431

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