Happy the man, and happy sure he was, So wedded. Hurdis.
The residence of the first Governor of Connecticut, was at Blackhall, near Long Island Sound. While British ships were lying at anchor in these waters on a certain occasion, a party of marines in pursuit of his Excellency, presented themselves at the door. It being impossible for him to escape by flight, his affectionate and thoughtful wife secreted him in a large new meat barrel or tierce — for although he was somewhat corpulent, he could not vie in physical rotundity with the early and honored Knickerbocker magistrates. He was cleverly packed away in the future home of doomed porkers, just as the soldiers entered and commenced their search. Not finding him readily, they asked his quick-witted wife one or two hard questions, but received no very enlightening answer. The Legislature had convened a day or two before at Hartford, and she intimated that he was or ought to be at the capital. Unsuccessful in their search, the soldiers took their boat and returned to the ship. Before they had reached the latter, his unpacked Honor was on a swift steed, galloping to Gubernatorial head-quarters
______ Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women (Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls) Edited by J. Clement —— With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney Illustrated BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851, by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York ______
My second, third, and fourth Bible readthroughs were in the New Living Translation(NLT) Chronological Bible. A chronological Bible differs from a traditional one in that, instead of following the standard book order, it arranges events in the order in which they occurred—or as closely as theologians can determine.
This particular combination of translation and timeline was a revelation to me. Though my second readthrough took a year, the third took three months, and the fourth only six weeks. I was like a child who had just discovered the joy of real food; I couldn’t get enough.
The New Living Translation spoke to me in a way I understood and, to this day, it remains my favorite for everyday reading. However, where my suddenly open eyes were concerned, chronology was key.
The Bible is often referred to as the greatest story ever told. I hesitate to use the word “story” because many associate it with fiction, but the idea of a grand narrative fits in this case.
This collection of 66 books is packed with the most awe-inspiring and life-changing accounts ever recorded. When rearranged into historical order, your experience with the text shifts. Rather than reading 66 individual books, you engage with one epic account, where each event leads into the next. Your eyes widen as you make connections you had never imagined. For example, by the time I reached the end of Leviticus in my 90-day readthrough, I understood its purpose like never before.
Leviticus was the book where I had previously stumbled in my attempts to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Now, I grasped the necessity of its detailed laws and instructions. The Israelites, though enslaved for hundreds of years, were destined to become a mighty nation. Leviticus served as their crash course in how to function as a healthy, well-governed people. Of course, there is much more to Leviticus, and I have come to genuinely love it, but at that point, I was simply grateful to understand at least one reason why it was included in the Bible.
The Bible is available in chronological order in several translations. The one pictured here was actually my ninth readthrough Bible, structured with selections that, if read without stopping to study, would take about 15 minutes a day. Regardless of the translation, this remains true—you can read through the Bible in a year by consistently committing even that small amount of time.
Now that we’ve covered chronology, let’s talk about translation. The New Living Translation is a thought-for-thought or dynamic equivalence translation. This means it focuses on conveying the meaning behind sentences and paragraphs rather than adhering strictly to a word-for-word approach. By allowing the original thought to guide the translation, the NLT stays true to scripture’s meaning while making it more accessible to contemporary readers. Idioms and cultural expressions that were clear to the original audience are rendered in ways we can better appreciate today.
Here’s an example of the difference between the King James Version (KJV) and the NLT:
Proverbs 26:18-19
KJV: As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?
NLT: Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.”
I had growing boys when I first read this verse in the NLT, and the words hit me hard. How many times had I heard my sons do exactly this—lie to one another and then try to smooth it over by saying, “I was only joking”? I had never seen these verses in such a light before, nor realized how dangerous and damaging such lies could be. The phrases “deadly weapon” and “only joking” resonated deeply, slipping into my heart in a new way and affecting my parenting.
And isn’t that what the Bible is meant to do? It changes us and how we interact with those around us. If it doesn’t, we’re missing something and I try hard to avoid that mistake. When reading the Bible, I strive to remain open to anything the Holy Spirit wants me to see and to be quick to put it into practice in my life.
Were I the monarch of the earth, And master of the swelling sea, I would not estimate their worth, Dear woman, half the price of thee. Geo. P. Morris.
Mr. Ralph Izard, a true “liberty man,” resided, during the struggle for Independence, near Dorchester, in South Carolina. He was for awhile aid-de-camp to the commander of the Light Troops, and was an especial object of British hatred. On one occasion, while at home, he came very near falling into the hands of the enemy. A number of British soldiers surrounded his house, and on discovering them he hid himself in the clothes-press. They were confident he was in the house, and having instituted a thorough but ineffectual search, threatened to burn the building, unless his wife would point out his place of concealment. She adroitly evaded answering directly all queries respecting his quarters. They next robbed his wardrobe; seized all the better articles they could find in the house, and even tried to force off her finger-rings. She still remained composed and courageous, yet courteous and urbane, knowing that much, every thing, in fact, depended on her self-control. Her calmness and apparent unconcern led the marauders to conclude that they had been misled in supposing Mr. Izard was in the house; and at length they departed. He then sprang from his covert, and, rushing out by a back door, crossed the Ashley river and notified the Americans on the opposite side, of the state of things.
Meantime, the ruffians returned to the house, and, strange to say, went directly to the clothes-press. Again disappointed, they retired; but they were soon met by a body of cavalry, handsomely whipped, and all the fine articles belonging to Mr. Izard’s wardrobe and house were restored.
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Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women (Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls) Edited by J. Clement —— With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney Illustrated BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851, by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York ______
True fortitude is seen in great exploits That justice warrants and that wisdom guides Addison.
The good alone are great. Beattie.
On the morning of July thirtieth, 1770, Esther Gaston, afterwards the wife of Alexander Walker, hearing the firing at the battle of Rocky Mount, took with her a sister-in-law, and, well mounted, pushed on towards the scene of conflict. They soon met two or three cowardly men, hastening from the field of action. Esther hailed and rebuked then, and finding entreaties would not cause them to retrace their steps, she seized the gun from the hands of one of them, exclaiming, “Give us your guns, then, and we will stand in your places.” The cowards, abashed, now wheeled, and, in company with the females, hurried on to face the cannon’s mouth.
While the strife was still raging, Esther and her companion busied themselves in dressing the wounded and quenching the thirst of the dying. Even their helpless enemies shared in their humane services.
During the battle of Hanging Rock, which occurred the next week, Esther might be seen at Waxhaw church, which was converted for the time into a hospital, administering to the wants of the wounded.
As kind as patriotic, with her hands filled with soothing cordials, she was seen, through all her life, knocking at the door of suffering humanity.
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Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women (Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls) Edited by J. Clement —— With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney Illustrated BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851, by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York ______
Many years ago, when it first became fashionable for men to get ear piercings, I was told it was an ungodly practice because, “In the Bible, only slaves got their ears pierced.” I don’t remember having had an opinion one way or the other at that point, but once the Bible had been brought into the conversation so definitely, I decided to check it out for myself. What I found was truly fascinating.
This person was correct about the piercing of the ear marking someone as a slave, but their surface level interpretation was lacking. In Exodus 21:2-6 we learn what it meant to become a permanent slave or bondservant. One who had worked his full six years as a slave would be set free in the seventh year. However, if this man loved his master and wanted to continue serving him permanently, he could choose to do so. When he did, he was taken before the judges to testify to his wish and then his ear was pierced as a permanent mark of his freewill choice.
So yes, his ear was pierced to mark him as a slave or bondservant, but it was by choice and a decision made out of love for someone he wanted to devote his life to. This all reminded me of New Testament authors referring to themselves as slaves or bondservants of Jesus Christ. Thinking back to the person’s statement, I had to laugh because, by their reasoning, every man who has genuinely committed to serve Jesus should be required to get his ear pierced.
No, I did not seek them out to correct their wrong assumption. It seemed pointless.
So fast forward to today, or recently when I began reading from Rick Renner’s new offering, the Renner Interpretive Version: James & Jude. If you’re unfamiliar with Renner and this first step towards a complete Renner Interpretive Version of the New Testament, know that this man has a firm grasp not only on the Koine Greek, but on the cultural significance and application of the original language. Where I could technically look up the Greek word and its literal meaning, Rick Renner’s knowledge goes deeper, into how the original reader would have received the words.
So let’s look at the first part of James 1:1. In the King James, it reads, “James, a servant of God…” But in the RIV we get…
I am James, first, foremost, and forever a completely committed, lifelong servant of God. As is the case with all such servants, this means my life is dedicated exclusively to doing His will and to faithfully carrying out any assignment He will ever entrust to me.
I only thought I understood what it meant to be a bondservant when I read Exodus 21 all those years ago. I mean, I did understand it in a sense. Everything James says here is included in what I had learned intellectually. I knew it was the servant’s choice. I knew it was a lifelong commitment. I also knew such a servant had one primary purpose in life, and that was to fulfill the will of his master. Seeing it expressed in such a new way, however, and from James, who didn’t believe his brother’s claims until after the Resurrection, hit me firmly in the heart. Can I say the same? Could I honestly speak the words James penned?
I’ve maintained for years that for a man to call himself a Christian while living a life that is not truly dedicated to Christ is a violation of the commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” Looking at Christianity in light of the way this version presents this verse makes my conviction even stronger. Let’s break it down.
first, foremost, and forever
Is my commitment to God, to Jesus, the first thing I think about? Is it always foremost in my mind, and what inspires all my actions? Is it unconditionally forever? Absolutely yes to the last question; I’m in this for eternity! However, I must really examine myself when it comes to “first and foremost.” I say God is my #1 and He is, but I would be lying if I implied that my flesh doesn’t rise up on occasion, that self never demands to be first in line. Unfortunately, I’m not perfect and I battle self on an ongoing basis. When I lose the battle what do I do? Repent, and determine to do better next time.
a completely committed, lifelong servant of God
I am committed. I am completely committed to squash self and the flesh. I sometimes fail, but the commitment is there, and it is eternal. As we’ve already established, my heart is set to serve God throughout this life and forever.
Next he goes deeper. “As is the case with all such servants,” he says, “this means…”
my life is dedicated exclusively to doing His will
Here we go. All bondservants choose in advanceto dedicate their lives to doing the will of their master and only the will of their master. There is no picking and choosing. I can’t say, “God, that other thing you told me to do? I am all in on that, but please don’t expect me to do this!” Well, I can say it. In fact, I have said it during some of our honest and occasionally gut-wrenching conversations. It’s at times like this that I truly appreciate the fatherhood of God, because He has an ability to be loving and merciful while also being decisive and firm that earthly fathers could really learn from. Generally, He sets me right and, when I obey, I see joy in that obedience. When I don’t obey, that’s when He calls me to repentance and, occasionally, gives me an opportunity to make things right. (At other times, I have to face the natural consequences of my disobedience, but that’s a topic for another day.)
and to faithfully carrying out any assignment He will ever entrust to me
I really appreciate the way this is phrased, because it reiterates the fact that I made the decision in advance when I chose to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. As my Lord, He has the right to give me any assignment, to tell me to do anything. As one who has, of my own free will, accepted His lordship, I have the responsibility to do anything He ever asks of me at any point today or in the future. In thinking about this, I’m reminded of Abraham’s reaction when God told him to go to the mountain and offer Isaac up as a sacrifice. Talk about a stomach-churning command! But Abraham had already established his relationship with God and wasn’t about to disobey. God, of course, provided the substitute sacrifice once Abraham demonstrated his commitment – and this proved to be a foreshadowing of what would transpire later at Calvary. What would have happened if Abraham had refused?
So yes, I too am a servant of God, a bondservant of Jesus Christ. An imperfect servant? Oh yeah, but I strive to keep my heart right at all times and I look forward to an eternity of carrying out any assignment He will ever entrust to me.
What about you?
Celebrating Jesus! Tammy C
You may wish to read my review of the Renner Interpretive Version: James & Jude.
Who shall find a valiant woman The price of her is as things brought from afar. Proverbs.
‘T is the last Duty that I can pay to my dear lord. Fletcher.
The wife of Colonel William Fitzhugh, of Maryland, while he was absent at one time during the Revolution, was surprised by the news that a party of British soldiers was approaching her house. She instantly collected her slaves; furnished them with such weapons of defence as were at hand; took a quantity of cartridges in her apron, and, herself forming the van, urged her sable subalterns on to meet the foe. Not looking for resistance, the advancing party, on beholding the amazon with her sooty invincibles, hastily turned on their heels and fled.
On a subsequent occasion, a detachment of soldiers marched at midnight to Colonel Fitzhugh’s house, which was half a mile from the shore, and near the mouth of the Patuxent river, and knocked at the door. The Colonel demanding who was there, and receiving for reply that the visitants were “friends to King George,” told the unwelcome intruders that he was blind and unable to wait upon them, but that his wife would admit them forthwith. Lighting a candle and merely putting on her slippers, she descended, awoke her sons, put pistols in their hands, and, pointing to the back door, told them to flee. She then let the soldiers in at the front door. They inquired for Colonel Fitzhugh, and said he must come down stairs at once and go as a prisoner to New York. She accordingly dressed her husband – forgetting meanwhile, to do as much for herself – and when he had descended, he assured the soldiers that his blindness, and the infirmities of age unfitted him to take care of himself, and that it could hardly be desirable for them to take in charge so decrepit and inoffensive a person. They thought otherwise; and his wife, seeing he must go, took his arm and said she would go too. The officer told her she would be exposed and must suffer, but she persisted in accompanying him, saying that he could not take care of himself, nor, if he could, would she permit a separation.
It was a cold and rainy night, and with the mere protection of a cloak, which the officer took down and threw over her shoulders before leaving the house, she sallied forth with the party. While on the way to their boat, the report of a gun was heard, which the soldiers supposed was the signal of a rebel gathering. They hastened to the boat, where a parole was written out with trembling hand, and placed in the old gentleman’s possession. Without even a benediction, he was left on shore with his faithful and fearless companion, who thought but little of her wet feet as she stood and saw the cowardly detachment of British soldiers push off and row away with all their might for safety.
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Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women (Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls) Edited by J. Clement —— With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney Illustrated BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851, by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York ______
I’ve been waiting years for Rick Renner to release his interpretive version of the Bible, and at last we have James and Jude. I am thrilled!
For those unfamiliar with him, Rick Renner is not only an anointed Bible scholar and teacher, but he also has a tremendous grasp of Koine Greek, which was the form commonly spoken pretty much everywhere in the Roman Empire in Jesus’ time. Add to this technical knowledge his understanding of the culture of the New Testament period, and you have someone uniquely poised to help readers better comprehend this part of the Bible as its original readers would have.
This isn’t a task he took on of his own volition. It developed out of him exegeting the Greek New Testament for himself so that he would understand it better. Not surprisingly, God didn’t let him stop there and even today he’s working on expanding on and sharing what he’s learned. The result, which we have a small part of here, is the Renner Interpretive Version (RIV). Here’s an excerpt from page 1 to help you better understand the book’s intent.
The RIV is a conceptual interpretation of the New Testament that draws on concepts in the Greek language and brings them into the text in a contemporary way to provide a broader comprehension of what is being communicated through Scripture. To be clear, the RIV is not meant to be viewed as a word-for-word translation, but, rather as a conceptual interpretation of the Greek text.
If you are one who generally skips all front matter in favor of leaping directly into a book, I highly suggest you alter your actions for this one. “A Word About the Renner Interpretive Version” not only shares the hows and whys, but also pulls together some facts I’ve never considered before. One paragraph I have highlighted, on page 6, points out that Jesus came at a unique time in history when the Gospel would be able to be preached with relative ease throughout the known world. Why? Because, thanks to the Romans, Koine Greek was spoken by pretty much everyone at least as their second language. As Renner points out, this was the first time since the Tower of Babel that such communication was possible.
Now to the primary text.
Renner starts by introducing James, which lays a foundation for our reading. He then moves on to a parallel of the KJV and RIV, accompanied by extensive footnotes. I kid you not; James 1:1 affected me so deeply that I had to stop and head to my journal to record my thoughts. And then I couldn’t go on any further until I came here to share with you.
Yes, I’m writing this review even though I’ve not even read past page 18! This is unheard of for me, but I don’t want you to have to wait on me and this is a book with which I plan to take my time.
See for yourself.
So we have James 1:1 in the KJV, and immediately below it, shaded in blue, the first part of verse 1 in the RIV. As you can see, Renner has gone to great lengths to share helpful background information in this book. In his more than 1,200 footnotes, the man leaves me feeling like he’s sitting here talking directly to me.
So what sent me to my journal in the middle of my reading? It was seeing, for the first time, the full impact of “servant of God” or, as Paul referred to himself, “bond servant.” I’ve known what it meant to become a bond servant. It’s beautiful, really. It was common for someone to sign a contract to serve a “master” for a set number of years. When that time was up, he was given his wages and was free to leave. However, if he loved his master and couldn’t imagine being happier anywhere else, he could choose to make a lifetime commitment, to bind himself to that master permanently. I, in similar manner, have chosen to bind myself to Christ. But look at how the significance of calling oneself His servant is expressed in the RIV!
…this means my life is dedicated exclusively to doing His will and to faithfully carrying out any assignment He will ever entrust to me.
Too frequently, we gloss over things we see all the time. We may know, on an intellectual level, what words like these mean, but how often do we stop and genuinely think about them as applied to the writers or, vitally important, to ourselves? The writers of the New Testament were deadly serious when they used these expressions. In truth, considering how most of them died, “deadly serious” is pretty literal. These men had committed their entire lives to putting His will before their own. There was no room for them to disagree with their Master or fail to carry out any assignment He gave them.
So yes, I “knew” all of this but, using his understanding of the nuances of the language as well as the culture of the original readers, Renner has crafted a version that forced me to halt in my tracks and think about it, to apply it to my own life. I want to be able to say these same words, that my life is dedicated exclusively to doing His will and to faithfully carrying out any assignment He will ever entrust to me. God is my number 1, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that too often self likes to slide up into that higher position, to nudge God to the side for just a little while.
So yes, I find that even in this tiny sample the RIV is proving to be every bit as powerful and impactful as I had expected it to be. James and Jude just became my next focus and this time around this book will be one of my primary references in my studies.
But that’s not all. One feature I very much appreciate is that Renner chose to include two versions of each book. The first is what I’ve described. Immediately following this heavily footnoted copy of James is another copy of the full text without footnotes. In my case, I will start by reading straight through the book of James in this second section, and then I’ll go back to the beginning for my in-depth study including all the footnotes. Once I’ve completed James, I’ll approach Jude the same way.
I’m a big believer in reading and referring to a variety of translations and paraphrases as I experience the Bible. It helps give me a fresh vision, eyes that see things from a different perspective. This book is definitely a treasure to add to my Bible shelf.
The Renner Interpretive Version: James & Jude is 7.28 x 0.91 x 10.24 inches, and 288 pages
Charity ever Finds in the act reward. Beaumont and Fletcher.
Several years ago, a poor widow had placed a smoked herring, – the last morsel of food she had in the house – on the table for herself and children, when a stranger entered and solicited food, saying that he had had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours. The widow unhesitatingly offered to share the herring with him, remarking, at the same time, “We shall not be forsaken, or suffer deeper for an act of charity.”
As the stranger drew near the table and saw the scantiness of the fare, he asked, “And is this all your store? Do you offer a share to one you do not know? Then I never saw charity before. But, madam, do you not wrong your children by giving a part of your morsel to a stranger?” “Ah,” said she, with tears in her eyes, “I have a boy, a darling son, somewhere on the face of the wide world, unless Heaven has taken him away; and I only act towards you as I would that others should act towards him. God, who sent manna from heaven, can provide for us as he did for Israel; and how should I this night offend him, if my son should be a wanderer, destitute as you, and he should have provided for him a home, even as poor as this, were I to turn you unrelieved away!”
The stranger whom she thus addressed, was the long absent son to whom she referred; and when she stopped speaking, he sprang from his feet, clasped her in his arms, and exclaimed, “God, indeed, has provided just such a home for your wandering son, and has given him wealth to reward the goodness of his benefactress. My mother! O, my mother!”*
* Abridged from Cyclopedia of Moral and Religious Anecdotes
______ Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women (Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls) Edited by J. Clement —— With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney Illustrated BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851, by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York ______
Judge me not ungentle, Of manner’s rude, and insolent of speech, If, when the public safety is in question, My zeal flows warm and eager from my tongue. Rowe’s Jane Shore.
The siege of Fort Henry, at the mouth of Wheeling creek, in Ohio county, Virginia, occurred in September, 1777. Of the historical fact most people are aware; yet but few, comparatively, knew how much the little band in the garrison, who held out against thirty or forty times their number of savage assailants, were indebted, for their success, to the courage and self-devotion of a single female.
The Indians kept up a brisk firing from about sunrise till past noon, when they ceased and retired a short distance to the foot of a hill. During the forenoon the little company in the fort had not been idle. Among their number were a few sharp shooters, who had burnt most of the powder on hand to the best advantage. Almost every charge had taken effect; and probably the savages began to see that they were losing numbers at fearful odds, and had doubtless retired for consultation. But they had less occasion for anxiety, just at that time, than the men, women and children in the garrison. As already hinted, the stock of powder was nearly exhausted. There was a keg in a house ten or twelve rods from the gate of the fort, and as soon as the hostilities of the Indians were suspended, the question arose, who shall attempt to seize this prize? Strange to say, every soldier proffered his services, and there was an ardent contention among them for the honor. In the weak state of the garrison, Colonel Shepard, the commander, deemed it advisable that only one person should be spared; and in the midst of the confusion, before any one could be designated, a girl named Elizabeth Zane,* interrupted the debate, saying that her life was not so important, at that time, as any one of the soldier’s, and claiming the privilege of performing the contested service. The Colonel would not, at first, listen to her proposal; but she was so resolute, so persevering in her plea, and her argument was so powerful, that he finally suffered the gate to be opened, and she passed out. The Indians saw her before she reached her brother’s house, where the keg was deposited; but, for some unknown cause, they did not molest her, until she re-appeared with the article under her arm. Probably divining the nature of her burden, they discharged a volley as she was running towards the gate; but the whizzing balls only gave agility to her feet, and herself and the prize were quickly safe within the gate. The result was that the soldiers, inspired with enthusiasm by this heroic adventure, fought with renewed courage, and, before the keg of powder was exhausted, the enemy raised the siege.
* We learn, from Withers, that Miss Zane has since had two husbands. The name of the second was Clarke, a resident of Ohio. She was living, not long since, near St. Clairsville.
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Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women (Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls) Edited by J. Clement —— With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney Illustrated BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851, by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York ______
How often has the thought Of my mourn’d mother brought Peace to my troubled spirit, and new power The tempter to repel. Mother, thou knowest well That thou has bless’d me since my natal hour. Pierpoint.
The mother of General Jackson had three children. Their names were Hugh, Robert and Andrew. The last was the youngest and lost his father when an infant. Like the mother of Washington, she was a very pious woman, and strove to glorify God as much in the rearing of her children as in the performance of any other duty. She taught Andrew the leading doctrines of the Bible, in the form of question and answer, from the Westminister catechism; and those lessons he never forgot. In conversation with him some years since, says a writer, “General Jackson spoke of his mother in a manner that convinced me that she never ceased to exert a secret power over him, until his heart was brought into reconciliation with God.” This change, however, he did not experience till very late in life – after he had retired from the Presidency. He united with the Presbyterian church near the close of the year 1839, then in his seventy-third year. Just before his death, which occurred in June, 1845, he said to a clergyman, “My lamp of life is nearly out, and the last glimmer is come. I am ready to depart when called. The Bible is true. . . . Upon that sacred volume I rest my hope of eternal salvation, through the merits and blood of our blessed Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.”
If departed spirits, the saintly and ascended, are permitted to look from their high habitation, upon the scenes of earth, with what holy transport must the mother of Andrew Jackson have beheld the death-bed triumph of her son. The lad whom she early sent to an academy at the Waxhaw meeting-house, hoping to fit him for the ministry, had become a man, and led the hosts of the land through many a scene of conflict and on to a glorious and decisive victory; had filled the highest office in the world, and was now an old man, able, in his last earthly hour, by the grace of God attending her early, pious instruction, to challenge death for his sting and to shout “victory” over his opening grave.
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Excerpted from Noble Deeds of American Women (Patriotic Series for Boys and Girls) Edited by J. Clement —— With an Introduction by Mrs. L. H. Sigourney Illustrated BOSTON: Lee and Shepard, Publishers Entered by Act of Congress, in the year of 1851, by E. H. Derby and Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the Northern District of New York ______
