THE VAUDOIS (WALDENSIAN) MISSIONARY
"0 Lady fair, these silks of mine
Are beautiful and rare--
The richest web of the Indian loom,
Which Beauty’s self might wear.
And these pearls are pure and mild to behold,
As with radiant light they vie;
I have brought them with me a weary way:
Will my gentle lady buy?"
The lady smiled on the worn old man,
Through the dark, and clustering curls
Which veiled her brow, as she bent to view
His silk and glittering pearls:
She placed their price in the old man’s hand,
And lightly turned away;
But she paused at the wanderer’s earnest call--
"My gentle lady, stay!"
"Oh, lady fair, I have yet a gem
Which a purer lustre flings
Than the diamond flash of the jeweled crown
On the lofty brow of kings:
A wonderful pearl of exceeding price,
Whose virtue shall not decay;
Whose light shall be as a spell to thee,
And a blessing on thy way!"
The lady glanced at the mirroring steel,
Where her youthful form was seen,
Where her eyes shone clear, and her dark locks waved
Their clasping pearls between;
"Bring forth thy pearl of exceeding worth,
Thou traveler gray and old,
Name but the price of thy precious gem,
And my pages shall count thy gold."
The cloud went off from the pilgrim’s brow,
As a small and meagre book,
Unchased with gold or diamond gem,
From his folding robe, he took:
"Here, lady fair, is the pearl of price--
May it prove as such to thee!
Nay, keep thy gold--I ask it not--
For the Word of God is free."
The hoary traveler went his way,
But the gold he left behind
Hath had its pure and perfect work
On that high-born maiden’s mind;
And she hath turned from her pride of sin
To the lowliness of truth,
And given her human heart to God
In its beautiful hour of youth.
And she hath left the old gray walls
Where an evil faith hath power,
The courtly knights of her father’s train,
And the maiden’s of her bower;
And she hath gone to the Vaudois vale,
By lordly feet untrod,
Where the poor and needy of earth are rich
In the perfect love of God!
-John Greenleaf Whittier
15, 1727--Jonathan Edwards is ordained to the Gospel ministry. He is 24 years of age.
15, 1742--The 900 people in the town of Cambuslang in Scotland have been fed the Word of God by their faithful pastor McCulloch. Moved to pray for revival, the Cambuslang revival begins.
17, 1759--George Whitefield preaches his first open-air sermon to 200 coal miners who have assembled. He will become known as the Father of Modern Day Open Air Preaching.
17, 1912--John Hyde, missionary to India, has contracted Tuberculosis. He has returned to New York City where today he will die. He has been given the name of "Praying Hyde."
18, 1546--Martin Luther dies. He is a renowned hymn-writer, a stalwart preacher of righteousness, and a man of God. Before he passes away, he can be heard to pray,
"0 my Heavenly Father, my eternal and everlasting God! Thou hast revealed to me Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ! I have preached Him! I have confessed Him! I love and worship Him as my dearest Saviour and Redeemer! Into Thy hands I commit my spirit."
Dr. Jonas can be seen bowing over him,
"Reverend father," he addresses him, "will you stand steadfast by Christ and the doctrine you have preached?"
"Yes," comes the distinct answer from his dying lips. This is the last word he is heard to utter as he sinks into the arms of Christ."
23, 1685--George Frederich Handel is born in Halle, Germany. He will become known as the "Father of the Oratorio."
*25,26--This 14th and 15th day of the 12th month called Adar, did Mordecai set forth as a yearly feast to celebrate the days "wherein the Jews rested from their enemies" in the days of Ahasuerus, King of Persia, for wicked Haman had sought to exterminate the Jews in all 127 provinces of the Persian empire.--(Esther 9:20-22)
Even today, whenever Haman’s name is mentioned in a Jewish synagogue, all stand and cry out, "Let his name be blotted out!"
*Due to the variance in the Jewish calendar, these days may be as much as two weeks off.