Οταν εὺτυχήσωμεν τότε χαίρειν παρέσταὶ.Sophocles,Electr.1299.When we shall succeed, then is the time to rejoice.1. Neither impotent nor lame.2. Each to his own place.3. By way of Jesus.4. Home.
Οταν εὺτυχήσωμεν τότε χαίρειν παρέσταὶ.
Sophocles,Electr.1299.
When we shall succeed, then is the time to rejoice.
Were it not for a most conspicuous example, now and then, of large success in committing an enterprise to God and then mightily trusting His Providence, faith would lack a very desirable inspiration.
In the case of our Chaldean friends, the success was very large indeed. As we all soon come to know, many good enterprises end in complete failure. Only a few attain complete success, and realize all they proposed to themselves. Still fewersurpasstheir aim, and accomplish far more than they expected or ventured to hope. Yet such was the enterprise of Cimon and Aleph in Alexandria.
What had they proposed to themselves? To investigate Malus, and bring him to justice; to gather reliable information concerning Him who was born king of the Jews and to whom the miraculous star had guided the Magian sovereigns; to broaden and enrich the education of Aleph, not only by giving him a wider outlook on the world and humanity, but by throwing him, divested of all the insignia and glamour of his rank, entirely on his own resources for guidance and help in dealing with men in new and difficult circumstances. All these objects had been accomplished.
Within a few days from the close of the trial the authorities had placed in the hands of Cimon the full amount of his claim against Malus, together with interest on all delayed payments. This, in itself, was not sufficient to ruin the rogue financially. But he had already drawn considerably on his resources in his attempt to bribe the judges and secure the countenance of other influential people: for they had not hesitated to take silently his gifts though no equivalent was rendered. But the greatest drain upon him came from another quarter. Other victims of his rapacity, encouraged by the result of Cimon’s suit, attacked him successfully; and before long it seemed as if there would be no end to the suits. Under these circumstances, Alexandria was not much surprised, one fine morning, to hear that Malus (latterly they had fallen into the way of calling him Pessimus) was nowhere to be found—nor any of his remaining assets. The guard set upon him was not incorruptible, and he had disappeared between two days. No one knew where he had gone. Some said to Ethiopia; some said to Spain; some said to Marseilles in Gaul; and some would have it that he had taken to the desert with Draco. A few declared that he had committed suicide. This last supposition, however, was considered extremely improbable, on the ground that so shrewd a person would not take the trouble to carry away with him goods which he did not mean to use. There is no use for current money of the merchant in Hades. Whatever supposition was correct, it is certain that Malus never reappeared in Alexandria.
But our friends had a still more important object in coming to the commercial metropolis of the West. Itwas to learn about Him who was born king of the Jews. Some things they already knew from the Magi—that his coming was divinely heralded and accompanied by supernatural events, that his mission was a great and glorious one, having significance for all nations. What had they learned in addition? That the life which had opened so grandly amid the ministries and songs of angels, and the worship and gifts of star-led pilgrims, had come to a still grander sequel—that into the glowing dawn had at length come the sun in his strength; a mingled glory of miracles and character and teaching such as never before gathered about a single life—that Jesus is surely the Messiah of the Sacred Books and their sufficient credential—that this Messiah is not, as has been commonly supposed, a secular warrior, conqueror, and king; but a spiritual monarch ruling over willing hearts in the interest of truth and righteousness, and whose victories are salvations—that his mission in the world is one of humiliation instead of exaltation, of suffering instead of pleasure, of death instead of life; and that in dying he completed a vicarious sacrifice for the sins of the world—also, that to express the dignity of his being both the prophets and himself use language which exalts him far above angels and claims for him a Divine nature. To know all this was a great gain, more than they had ventured to hope. And if, on their way home, they should be able to see the Messiah with their own eyes, witness personally some wonderful work, and obtain for themselves and theirs his personal benediction, they would feel that their way had been wonderfully prospered.
And then the educational object which the father of Aleph distinctly proposed to himself—was that objectwell secured? How well Aleph carried himself when thrown on his own resources for guidance we have seen; and my belief is that when his parents come to see him and to hear the report of Cimon, they will be quite satisfied with their experiment. They will realize that the promising bud has beautifully flowered, that the rare plant which had started and grown so thriftily in their sheltered and sunny conservatory was now hardy enough to be transplanted into the open field, and even to the windy summits of life.
So all the ends proposed in the visit of our friends to Alexandria were accomplished—and more. For these unknown men had been the means of introducing not only a loftier moral element into the student life of Alexandria, but had so drawn upon Cornelius and Metellus, who had specially attached themselves to them, that they had begun to study the Septuagint, to frequent the services at the Diapleuston, to admire the sublime monotheism and hopes of the Jew, and finally to give sure token of becoming, the one the devout Cornelius of the Acts of the Apostle and the other one of those Christians saluted by Paul as belonging to “Aristobulus’ household.”
But the influence of Aleph on Sextus Flaccus was still more remarkable. His frequent interviews with that penitent man ended not only in his thorough reform, and in his renouncing idolatry, but also in his accepting Jesus as a Divine sacrifice for sin.
And it was on this wise. The young Roman at first was terribly oppressed with a sense of sin. He could hardly say too much against himself. His misdeeds and follies haunted him like ghosts, and hunted him likethe Eumenides. Their horrible faces scowled at him, their serpent-hair hissed and leaped at him, their clenched hands shook themselves at him from behind almost every object he saw. Sometimes in his sleep he would see a mountain, traced all over in fiery characters with the names of his sins, moving swiftly toward him; and he would wake drenched in sweat and terror as the ponderous masses came rushing in upon him and buried him thousands of feet beneath their munitions of rocks. At other times he dreamed that, like Andromeda, he was chained to a rock at the ocean’s edge, and that great storm-billows in long succession were sweeping in upon him, and that on the crested summit of each a great sea-monster with lurid eyes and open jaws came rushing and shriekingSin,Sin, SIN. He shrieked as loudly—and awoke in despair.
It was in this state that he first sent for Aleph. His first sense of relief came when Aleph told him the story of Jesus, and suggested the idea of a Divine incarnation and atonement for sin. The wretched man clutched the idea as a drowning man does a plank. Here was something solid to rest upon. Here was a sufficient sacrifice for even his enormities. The weight began to lift from his oppressed breast. At last one day as Aleph was reading to him the sublime description which Isaiah gives in his 53d chapter of Him on whom “were laid the iniquities of us all,” a mighty deliverance came. Suddenly all his doors and windows sprang open musically to welcome Jesus as the Lamb of God. The sense of need opened them. From that day the sick body mended wonderfully; and soon the streets of Alexandria saw a new man under an old name. The name continued to be SextusFlaccus, but it stood for a very different person. It stood for the first Roman Christian of rank who dared to avow himself. Paul on his arrival at Rome some years later found him a member of Cæsar’s household, and ready to help him with all his influence in founding the first Roman church.
This was a great and unexpected success. But, in addition, our eastern pilgrims, with nothing but their cultured manhood to show, had found other friends such as they had never counted on finding—friends well worth the having, even by a prince; friends whose friendship was for themselves and not for their rank; friends among whom was one—but I must not anticipate. Nay, I must go back a little.
Though Alexander had reached home early in the evening before the last trial, it was very late before he could get to his rest—he had so much to tell and so much to hear. And this was what he had to tell. He had succeeded in both the objects for which he had hastened to Rome. Of course, one of these objects was to prevent the disturbance at the Diapleuston from being misrepresented to the emperor as a personal affront. It was not reported at all. For some reason Flaccus had not thought it best to say anything about the matter in his dispatches. Probably he thought that some of the circumstances would not bear telling; and then the presence of Alexander at the ear of the emperor was in itself a caution to be prudent. So Flaccus was dumb.
The other object which Alexander had in view was really to find out some safe way of declining the marriage proposals in behalf of the Cæsar.
Notwithstanding the fears of his daughter, he hadnever been so much attracted by the offer of an imperial alliance as were some of his Jewish friends. He had been too much behind the scenes at the Palatine. He knew too much of Tiberius and Cæsarism. He knew nothing to the disadvantage of Germanicus and much to his advantage; but he also knew that Tiberius as a young man had won golden opinions; also, that to be the nephew and heir apparent of the jealous and capricious emperor was very far from being foreordained to empire. So one of his objects in going to Rome was, not to see whether the proposals were desirable, but to see how they might safely be declined. That was a hard problem. But Providence favored him. He found that Germanicus, who had never seen Rachel, had many times seen Agrippina, the granddaughter of Augustus, and to very good purpose. The growing intimacy and attachment between the young people which he was not slow to discover he promoted to the utmost. And when the matter was ripe he found means of bringing it to the knowledge of Sejanus, the emperor’s favorite, and of so enlisting him in its support that under his influence Tiberius began to regret his Egyptian proposals, and to seek some excuse for recalling them. “He did not know, when they were made, of the situation at home. It had only just come to his knowledge. He was sorry; but he hated to break young hearts.” Alexander allowed that it would be a pity. The emperor also thought that, inasmuch as Germanicus and Rachel had never met, it might not, after all, be a very hard matter for the fair Alexandrian to have the matter dropped in such a quiet and honorable way as could easily be devised. Alexander candidly allowed that the fact which his majesty had stated was a weightyone. In short, Tiberius receded from his proposals; and, to soften the supposed disappointment to the mighty banker for whom his treasury had so much use, he sent him home in the imperial galley with new guaranties and privileges for the Jewish community in Egypt, and with a broad hint to Flaccus to let it be known that the honor of the imperial alliance had been declined from religious considerations which the emperor felt bound to respect. The Alabarch expected nothing less than that early the next morning all Alexandria would be in possession of the news, and would be wondering how he could so rebuff the emperor and yet stand higher in his favor than ever.
This, for substance, was what Alexander had to tell. Of course Rachel was vastly delighted at her escape; and showed that she was by flinging her arms about her father’s neck and rapturously kissing him.
But the father wanted to hear as well as to tell. Something of what had transpired had reached him by letter; but he wanted to know all. And Seti rehearsed all that had happened since that memorable Sabbath at the Diapleuston. Rachel sat uneasily silent, leaning against her father and toying with the splendid jewelled badge of the Order of the Golden Eagle which Tiberius at parting had, with his own hands, fastened on his breast—listening with burning cheeks as her grandfather in his graphic way reproduced the events and expressed the confidence and admiration with which Aleph had inspired him. Every now and then she stole an anxious look at her father’s face; not quite sure how the shrewd man of affairs, professionally accustomed to deal with men on a principle of suspicion and abundant caution, would view the eulogiums of the priest and philosopher,founded on so brief an acquaintance. When Alexander had heard all, he said slowly:
“If I had never seen the young man, nor known Seti so well, I might have challenged the sobriety of the account I have just heard. But, having seen him twice, and you a thousand times, I have nothing to say, save that I wish he was emperor of the West, or at least the Cæsar. In that case, perhaps, I would not take so much trouble to keep the Cæsar at arm’s-length, as I have been lately taking in another quarter”—and he nodded smilingly at Rachel. “But who can he be?”
“No matter who he is,” returned Seti with emphasis, “since he is aMan, a sovereign man. He has a broader empire within him than Tiberius sees without him; an empire of which no caprice of fortune can rob him. And his body is as sovereign as his soul. He needs no herald to go before him and cry,Make way, for the king is coming. Men know it as soon as they see him.”
To such words Rachel could have listened all night. But she wondered whether they would have been spoken had father and grandfather known what she knew. She had not yet mustered courage to speak to Seti of her new relation to Aleph; in fact had about made up her mind to leave all explanations to Providence and Aleph. So both Seti and Alexander remained ignorant of that wonderful conversation between the young people which I have lately recorded till Aleph the Chaldean had become Aleph the Prince, and had asked leave to substitute for the proposals of Tiberius certain proposals of his own. Then the whole matter came out. The Alabarch found that his daughter had no serious objection to being a princess provided the prince was of the right sort. Hewas in very much the same mood himself. Indeed, he went so far as to say that he would not have refused his daughter to Aleph had he always remained simply Aleph the Chaldean, of unknown birth and fortunes: how much less could he do it now that the young man stood revealed a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a descendant of Daniel the illustrious statesman and prophet, and the heir of the stablest and choicest, though not the largest, sovereignty of the age!
So, before many days (but not until the arrival of Rachel’s mother from Jerusalem, and her express sanction, and even her joyful confession that Aleph was a very welcome substitute for even so good a Cæsar as Germanicus) a formal betrothal took place; and all Alexandria took to busily talking over the gracious ceremonial. Now they understood why Germanicus had been respectfully declined. The ground had been pre-empted. Another prince had spoken, and spoken in person. “And no wonder,” said they, “that he was successful; for never did we set eyes on a goodlier person or a princelier.” So Alexandria was in excellent humor; and for once all the five quarters of the city ceased their mutual wrangling and railing and consented to say the same complimentary things. Even the elders of the Diapleuston who so much wanted to see a second Esther on the imperial throne were by this time ready to allow that Rachel had chosen very happily for herself, if not for the Jewish public. They offered congratulations. They sent in rich presents—especially Ben Simeon, who, from the first, had been so drawn to Aleph, and was now in charge as consignee in the place of Malus. But the richest and most valued presents that Rachel received on thatauspicious day were two—from opposite quarters. One was a copy from the Septuagint of all the Messianic prophecies in their order, beautifully done on vellum margined with jewels—this came from Aleph. The other came from Flaccus, in the name of his son Sextus, and was no less than the Setian palace on the Nile which has had so conspicuous a place in this narrative. Some damage had been done to it by Draco and his band in their orgies and final rummage for concealed treasure: but he had been so thoroughly frightened by what he had done to Sextus, as well as by the escape of Aleph and the numerous foot-prints found about the premises early the next morning, that his search was very hasty and ended in the whole gang betaking themselves precipitately to the desert—to the great misfortune of the desert and travelers, but without much damage to the stronghold they had left. It was soon put in prime condition by Flaccus, and then, in an elaborate communication, presented to Seti for Rachel and Aleph as an “Egyptian home to which his excellency hoped they would very often return.” It was a question in the mind of Seti whether a man could give what does not belong to him; but this question, wise man that he was, he kept to himself, and was very glad to have the ancient heirloom come back in any way into his family.
And these were the ulterior arrangements. Cimon and Aleph would return home at once by way of Palestine, with the hope of falling in with the Messiah ere his return heavenward. Then, as soon as possible, Aleph would come again with his father’s formal sanction to claim his bride; and then her father and mother and dear mother-father would take a long vacation and accompanyher and Miriam (henceforth inseparable) to their new home. Alexander even went so far as to intimate that, mindful of the uncertainty of the imperial favor and of the Jewish position in Alexandria, he was thinking seriously of transferring the bulk of his fortune to a safer region; and to facilitate this had already arranged to open a branch banking house at Ecbatana, where converged many routes of commercial travel. By all means do this, O great financier, and tarry not in the doing; for the times in the west are threatening, and Rome is a volcano that may at any moment send streams of lava farther than Alexandria. Plant thy family and fortunes amid the safe Chaldean mountains, hard by the tombs of Daniel and Esther in Eden; and, looking calmly forth from your impregnable observatory, see distant Cæsars rise and fall, see distant legions march and counter-march, and, above all, see the friendly star that offers to guide your faith and gifts to Jesus the King. Then push out the antennæ of commerce vigorously into all lands, and gather the spoils of peace wherewith to decorate the Prince of peace. It is your mission. You have a genius for honorable money-making. Use it vigorously. It is as sacred as a genius for eloquence, or a genius for science.
A brilliant caravan files through the gate of Canopus. Our friends are moving homeward. They came by the way the Magian fathers returned; they are returning by the way those fathers came. They have just said farewells to Shaphan and Nathan: a little before they had said still more tender ones at the palace of Alexander.Flaccus had insisted on sending with them an escort of cavalry as far as the frontier; and Alexander, and Seti, and Cornelius at the head of a large delegation from the University, will go with them a day’s journey.
Wewill not go with them even that distance, though we would be glad to do so; but will say our farewells and godspeeds just here before the khan where Shaphan and Nathan once reluctantly parted with the Divine Child. Our parting, too, is reluctant. We are vastly sorry, O wise men of the East, to say good-bye to you, though it be for only a few moons. It is not often that such as you have crossed our path, or any path. But partings must be; and so, comforting ourselves with the expectation of seeing you again when all Alexandria is ablaze with that rare thing, a royal marriage made in Heaven, we gather courage to sayAdieu! May the Father above prosper your way to the father below. We foresee that He will. You and yours are well mounted; and though only Aleph has a Parthia beneath him, there can be but a few days of travel between you and the Messiah. The longings of your hearts will be gratified. You will reach Galilee in season. There, on a certain mountain, with more than five hundred fellow disciples, you will see with your own eyes Him in whom you have blessedly believed without seeing; will be welcomed by Him for the fathers’ sake as well as for your own; will perhaps see some of the “many other signs which are not written in this book”; and, finally, in the early morning, as you resume your journey and are taking a look backward on the city of so many sacred memories, you will see over the Mount of Olives a human form slowly rising through the air with outstretched hands of benediction. The sonof Daniel will need no interpreter. Behold the Heavenly King going to his home even as you are going to yours! And you will worship and go on your way rejoicing; bearing to your Chaldean home such news that all its silver trumpets will sound as it exclaims:
Thank God! ye, too, have been star-led pilgrims.
When forth the Tribes to Canaan went,In travel long and sore,What guide had they along the way,Save cloud that went before—Save cloud thatgoesbefore,And goeth evermore?And when the Wise Men of the EastA pilgrim banner bore,What guide had they along the way,Save star that shone before—Save star thatshinesbefore,And shineth evermore?And when the Wise Men of the West,Wise in a saving lore,Set forth through wilds to find the ChildAnd win the Golden Shore,That shineth evermore,And moveth nevermore;Some cloud from God will surely goTheir doubtful steps before,All through the light—and through the nightSome star its beams shall pour,Some star their path explore—Guide faileth nevermore.Who to the Lord his way commendsShall never lose his way,But ever find the Lord is kindTo lead from dark to day:Shall even find the Lord doth knowA way so kind that e’en the blindStraight to his mark can go—At leastHismark, which, kinder far,The daily cloud and nightly starGo seeking evermore,And missing nevermore.
When forth the Tribes to Canaan went,In travel long and sore,What guide had they along the way,Save cloud that went before—Save cloud thatgoesbefore,And goeth evermore?And when the Wise Men of the EastA pilgrim banner bore,What guide had they along the way,Save star that shone before—Save star thatshinesbefore,And shineth evermore?And when the Wise Men of the West,Wise in a saving lore,Set forth through wilds to find the ChildAnd win the Golden Shore,That shineth evermore,And moveth nevermore;Some cloud from God will surely goTheir doubtful steps before,All through the light—and through the nightSome star its beams shall pour,Some star their path explore—Guide faileth nevermore.Who to the Lord his way commendsShall never lose his way,But ever find the Lord is kindTo lead from dark to day:Shall even find the Lord doth knowA way so kind that e’en the blindStraight to his mark can go—At leastHismark, which, kinder far,The daily cloud and nightly starGo seeking evermore,And missing nevermore.
When forth the Tribes to Canaan went,In travel long and sore,What guide had they along the way,Save cloud that went before—Save cloud thatgoesbefore,And goeth evermore?
When forth the Tribes to Canaan went,
In travel long and sore,
What guide had they along the way,
Save cloud that went before—
Save cloud thatgoesbefore,
And goeth evermore?
And when the Wise Men of the EastA pilgrim banner bore,What guide had they along the way,Save star that shone before—Save star thatshinesbefore,And shineth evermore?
And when the Wise Men of the East
A pilgrim banner bore,
What guide had they along the way,
Save star that shone before—
Save star thatshinesbefore,
And shineth evermore?
And when the Wise Men of the West,Wise in a saving lore,Set forth through wilds to find the ChildAnd win the Golden Shore,That shineth evermore,And moveth nevermore;
And when the Wise Men of the West,
Wise in a saving lore,
Set forth through wilds to find the Child
And win the Golden Shore,
That shineth evermore,
And moveth nevermore;
Some cloud from God will surely goTheir doubtful steps before,All through the light—and through the nightSome star its beams shall pour,Some star their path explore—Guide faileth nevermore.
Some cloud from God will surely go
Their doubtful steps before,
All through the light—and through the night
Some star its beams shall pour,
Some star their path explore—
Guide faileth nevermore.
Who to the Lord his way commendsShall never lose his way,But ever find the Lord is kindTo lead from dark to day:
Who to the Lord his way commends
Shall never lose his way,
But ever find the Lord is kind
To lead from dark to day:
Shall even find the Lord doth knowA way so kind that e’en the blindStraight to his mark can go—At leastHismark, which, kinder far,The daily cloud and nightly starGo seeking evermore,And missing nevermore.
Shall even find the Lord doth know
A way so kind that e’en the blind
Straight to his mark can go—
At leastHismark, which, kinder far,
The daily cloud and nightly star
Go seeking evermore,
And missing nevermore.