Rebekah Staggs

The phrase “The glory of” has caught my attention lately and got me to thinking.

1. In the end all things pass through man to bring glory to God.
2. We don’t have a lot of control over growing our own glory.

Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

Children are born into the glory of their father’s reputation. Granted this isn’t that big of a deal these days with unwed/single mothers and all, but this used to mean something. That is why so many surnames mean “Son of” some progenitor’s name or what he did.

Proverbs 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.

This one is interesting because you can do a lot to build your strength, but there are things that can steal that strength away from you. In the end that strength fades as we age.

Psalms 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

There are a lot of verses talking about the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man

 Man is just one of them and woman is the glory of man. What awesome responsibilities this image represents.

1 Corinthians 11:15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
Our glory is our long hair.

And our glory is in our long hair…

The more I am around (the majority of) women the more I prefer the company of men. What do I mean by that? Most men. Those that have not been feminized by public schools, psychology, medication, overbearing mothers or controlling wives:  

They say what they mean and mean what they say.
They don’t drop hints or expect you to read their minds. They say what they expect or want.
They don’t read extra meaning into the words you say. They accept them at face value.
They don’t get upset or offended just because someone holds a view contrary to their own. They don’t get angry just because you defend that view to them.
They don’t walk into a room, look every man over, and make sure they are the better dressed and better looking male in the room…and if they aren’t make sure their wife never leaves their side.
As far as I know, and I’ve been the only female in the group a lot of times, they don’t sit around eating chocolate and bashing the women in their lives.

And when you ask them if something is wrong and they say, “Nothing.” They really mean NOTHING is wrong…

Women on the other hand:
Say things they really don’t mean. To be nice or mean.
They drop hints or expect men to read their minds. Then get upset when they do/get the wrong thing.
They read “hidden” agendas and remarks into anything and everything.
Get very offended if someone thinks things other than they do because that has to mean they think they are doing wrong. (Notice a trend of circular thinking here?) 
They walk into a room and size up the competition.
I have never understood the habit of bonding over husband/men-in-general bashing that women do…

And when you ask a them if something is wrong and they say, “Nothing.” you had better be prepared to do some major grovelling or sleep in the dog house…

Now I am a woman and I’m not saying I’m perfect at avoiding these female tendencies or that men are without faults, but men are much more enjoyable for me to deal with. I know where I stand with them. I never know where I stand with another woman. And that can change from moment to moment anyway…

I find most women don’t like me. If you’ve read this far you’re probably thinking did you expect them to?

I could care less about fashion, weddings, jewelry, and who is dating whom.
I share interests with men that upset many of them: Computers, games, cars, guns, knives, and Sci-Fi.

And probably the main one that tends to be the kicker is I am a Biblical wife. (See th end of my post for a listing of verses.) My husband is the head of our home. It is my duty to honour, respect, obey, and love my husband. His word is law and final in our home. I believe this to be our God given role and I perform my duty willingly to the utmost of my ability. For some reason this seems to irritate, irk, offend and make many women quite hostile to me.

A lot of wives want their husbands to love them. Work. Provide. Care. Share. Give of themselves like they are called to do. However when it comes to that submission thing…any excuse will do.

 Our Duty as Christian wives to our husbands.

To love and obey them:
Titus 2:4-5  That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

To reverence them: 
Ephesians 5:33  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

To be subject unto them:
Ephesians 5:22-23  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Colossians 3:18-19  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

1 Peter 3:1-2  Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

Consider how muscle growth and strength comes from pushing the muscles, breaking down, destroying and rebuilding. So it is with other things in life.

Where does our peace come from? Are we promised life be easy? Who has overcome the world? Why in today’s world do WE try to overcome the world and expect life to be trouble free?

Just look at all the things Paul went through…

How did he deal with it? What did he learn through it?

I find that most issues with “depression” come from having an unrealistic view of how people THINK things should be. (Part of this is comparison to others…) And what people think they deserve/want.

Another unrealistic view that seems to add to this is that God is a “genie in a bottle” granting our wishes and prayers. He promises what we NEED, “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,”.

This includes the various trials and valleys that we go through. If God is giving them to us for a reason then we need to learn from it… and grow from it…not wallow in it … and not medicate it away.

When we go through trials praising God and clinging to his word that is an example to others. Others see this and who knows maybe those others are the part of the reason you were blessed with this trial.

The Christian’s Silent Abortion Clinic
By Brandon and Rebekah Staggs
List of Links at Bottom of Page

The information you are about to read may shock you. This information is little known in most Christian and Pro-Life circles. The pill you take for birth control can and will cause you to abort your baby sometime in its use. (This is even more likely to happen using Norplant, Depo-provera and IUD’s.)

 Many couples will choose to close their eyes to the truth of this matter, preferring instead the ease, comfort and control of using the pill. Christian counselors today will actually suggest the pill to a young couple as a means of contraceptive, furthering the belief that it is safe, not knowing themselves that the pill can and does work as an abortifacient.

An average woman who is Pro-Choice might have 1-4 abortions in her lifetime. How many are we as Christians, using the pill, having in our own homes? Is it any wonder we can’t stop abortion clinics from murdering unborn children? Is the size of the baby what really matters or is it life itself we are protecting?

Life begins at conception. Its as simple as that. The egg is the woman’s, the sperm the mans. When the two join it becomes no longer his or hers, but both and all its own. Anything that stops that life from continuing from then on is abortion. The pill can change the lining of your uterus so that a fertilized egg can not implant, aborting your baby at about 1 week of age. 

We think it interesting to note here how much has developed by the time this happens. When the egg is fertilized it divides two, three, four times. The 16 celled solid ball drops into the uterus. Fluid enters the ball dividing it into to two, placenta and baby. Which then implants itself in the uterine wall. When the uterine wall is changed so it is unable to implant, the baby then dies. You never even knew you conceived a child.

How can this be so, you say? To answer that we need to take a little look at how the various birth controls work. Listed here are birth controls that CAN AND DO KILL the already forming life:

Abortion: Life has already begun. You already know and have tested positive that you are pregnant. It is murder, at any time in the pregnancy, plain and simple. End of story.

IUD: Intrauterine device. This is a small plastic or metal device inserted into the cavity of the uterus through the vagina. Does not prevent conception from occurring. It creates a hostile environment in the uterus preventing implantation. In addition the IUD has been known to cause infection, repeated miscarriages and sterility.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated in an official report that its effectiveness is “in direct proportion to the quantity and quality of the inflammatory response which it engenders.” The report summarizes the various types of IUDs and the various theories of action, and states that there “is one common thread…” They all ” interfere in some manner with the implantation of the fertilized ovum in the uterine cavity.” (Second Report on IUD’s, Dec. 1978 U.S. Dept of HEW, Food and Drug Administration Document 017-012-00276-5)

RU-486: The same as an abortion, only this time without surgical procedures…It is taken after the mother misses her period and the baby is at least two weeks old. It cuts off an essential hormonal nutrient, progesterone, and the baby withers on the vine, dies and drops off. It has been tried as a once a month menses inducer, but has caused such an upset to her cycle and body rhythms, and has not prevented pregnancies, that such use has been abandoned. (Santen & Haspels, “Failure of RU-486 as a Monthly Contraceptive,” Contraception, vol. 35, no.5, May 1987, p. 433)

The Morning-After Pill: A high dosage of synthetic estrogen. This can work in one of two ways depending on where a woman is in her cycle. If a woman takes it prior to ovulation, the high level of estrogen should block that ovulation, preventing fertilization from happening. If it isn’t in time to prevent ovulation the estrogen will also change the lining of the uterus preventing a fertilized egg from implanting.

Combination Pill: Estrogen inhibits ovulation by suppressing hormones, fooling the body into thinking its already pregnant, thus an egg is not released. Because high doses of estrogen have caused medical problems, lower and lower dosages of estrogen are being used in pills today. The lower the estrogen, the more likely you are to have breakthrough ovulation. Progesterone inhibits ovulation, thickens cervical mucus impeding the travel of sperm to the uterus. If this were the only way the pill worked it would indeed be a contraceptive and not an abortifacient. But, the third way it works is changing the uterine lining so implantation of the fertilized egg into the endometrium does not occur.

“In a natural cycle, the uterus lining thickens under the influence of estrogen during the first part of the cycle, and then matures under the influence of both progesterone and estrogen after ovulation. This development sequence is not possible during a pill cycle because both progestin and estrogen are present throughout the cycle. EVEN IF OVULATION AND CONCEPTION DID OCCUR, SUCCESSFUL IMPLANTATION WOULD BE UNLIKELY” (Felicia Stewart, M.D.;Felicia Guest; Gary Stewart, M.D. and Robert Hatcher, M.D..; My Body, My Health, Consumers Union, pgs. 169,170).

Mini-Pill: Contains progesterone only. Inhibits ovulation, thickens cervical mucus, changes the lining of the uterus so that implantation does not happen should conception occur.

According to “Maternity & Gynecologic Care: The Nurse and the Family” by Irene M. Bobak, (RN,MS,PhD, FAAN, Professor Emerita, San Francisco State University), and Margaret Duncan Jensen, (RN,MS, Professor Emerita, San Jose State University: “Oral progestins. The mini-pill of 0.5 mg or less of a progestational agent daily presumably impairs fertility. Ovulation may occur. Progestational impact on cervical mucus decreases sperm penetration and alters endometrial maturation to discourage implantation should conception occur. (Fifth ed., published by Mosby, 1993, page 1313.)

Depo-Provera: Injectable form of Progestin taken every 3 months. (see Mini-Pill)

Nor-plant: Progestin Implant can be left in up to 5 years. (see Mini-Pill)

Don’t believe me? Try finding the little piece of paper that came with your birth control or looking it up in a Physician’s Desk Reference. How does your birth control work?

There are links to other Christian and the Pill web pages below. It is interesting to note that most of the information I have found has not been put out by Born Again Christians, but for the most part by Catholics. There are few Christians who are aware of this subject or who take a stand on it, but we need to learn and speak out for those who can’t.

This is something all Christian couples need to seriously consider and pray over. If this hasn’t convinced you this is something to talk about and pray over, then we’ve done all that we can. The choice to continue or stop must be yours.

It is impossible to tell or say how often which mechanism works in any given cycle. Or how many times breakthrough ovulation occurs, conception takes place, and implantation is stopped. The risks are higher the lower the estrogen dose or with the progesterone only forms. Is there an amount of risk you are willing to take? Even if its just a risk, is the life of your child really worth playing with just to make your life easier?

If this has convicted you then pray. Get right with God, seek His forgiveness, and forgiveness from the little one(s) you may have already unwittingly allowed to die. It is painful to think you may have killed your own child, but remember this verse: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” – 1 John 1:9

Please share this with other couples you know. Its a difficult subject to talk about, but it needs to be talked about. Christians must become aware of this.

Wither you choose to use a form of birth control is between you as a couple and God. If not getting pregnant right now is what you choose then its important that you pick a contraceptive that prevents contraception not just pregnancy. Here are birth control methods that DO NOT KILL an already forming life:

Barrier Methods:

Condom (male or female): Placed over the penis or inserted into the vagina, before sex, prevents sperm from reaching the egg and conception from occurring. Can be used with or without spermicide and are available at almost any store.

Vaginal foams, creams, suppositories: Placed into the vagina before sex, spermicides immobilize or kill sperm. In some cases it creates a barrier preventing sperm from reaching the egg. Can be bought at almost any drug store.

Diaphragm: Placed into the vagina before sex it covers the cervix preventing sperm from reaching the egg.
A spermicide must be used in addition with the diaphragm for it to be effective. Must be fitted by a Doctor.

Cervical Cap: Placed over cervix works in the much the same way as a diaphragm. Like the diaphragm spermicide must be used in addition to the cap for it to be effective. The Cap also must be fitted by a Doctor.

Sterilization: Tubal Ligation or Vasectomy. Operation performed on the female or the male. Considered permanent.

Natural Family Planning:

Rhythm:  A women charts her past history of menstrual cycles to predict future cycles, judging which days are fertile days you might get pregnant from sex. And which days are non-fertile where pregnancy would be unlikely to occur. This doesn’t always work due to irregular cycles.

Billings Ovulation Method: A woman not only observes when she is bleeding, but the secretions from her cervix. Cervical mucus is hostile to sperm, until it changes right before ovulation so that sperm can pass through the cervix to meet with and fertilize an egg. Using this method a woman will know when she is likely to be ovulating or not. With daily charting and the guidance of a qualified teacher, a woman can become quite accurate at predicting her fertile times.

Sympto-Thermal Method: Using the Billings method the woman also, checks the positioning of her cervix and charts her daily Basal Body Temperature. (This is the reading you get upon first waking in the morning.) Cross checking this with your body’s other readings allows for better determination of the fertile and non-fertile times.

Withdrawal: Can have a high effectiveness rate if done correctly. (This is actually more of a barrier method than an NFP method.)

Abstinence: We believe this to be wrong for the Christian :

1 Corinthians 7:3-5 “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not authority over her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not authority over his body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”

Our Note on this: All of these methods have the added benefits of being completely natural with no side effects and can be used in the opposite way to achieve a pregnancy. Properly taught and implemented NFP can have an effectiveness rate the same as the pill without the possibility of harming a child. Your effectiveness with these methods is directly related to how much you want to risk pregnancy on the unsure fertility days. NFP can be used intermixed with barrier methods to be effective and provide a choice other than abstinence.

For your comparison, below is the approximate method effectiveness (percentage of couples of normal fertility who go one year without getting pregnant, using each method properly.)

No Birth control method 20%
Rhythm 87%
Withdrawal 91%
Billings 96%
Sympto-Thermal 99.8%
Condom 99%
Diaphragm w/ spermicide 97%
Foam (suppositories) 97%
IUD 99%
Pill 99.7%
Tubal Ligation 99.6%
Vasectomy 99.85%
Castration, removal of ovaries, abstinence 100%

This data was reported by the U.S. Dept. of HEW, and various respected medical journals. The references are in “The Art of NFP” book.

Other Links About Birth Control and Abortion
Prolife Pill Warning
Vital Signs Ministry: Gambling with Life by David Stern MD, Gina Sterns RN, and Pamela Yaksich 
THE PILL AND EARLY ABORTION by John F. Kippley
The Pill: Abortifacient or Contraceptive? A Literature Review by Nicholas Tonti-Filippini, BA, MA
Understanding “Birth Control” What Every Christian Counselor Should Know

American Bioethics Advisory Commission: When do Human Beings Begin? Scientific myths and scientific facts The question of when does life begin answered by human embryologists.

We support and suggest Natural Family Planning/Fertility Awareness Methods using Barrier Contraceptives during fertile times for Christian married couples that feel the need to use a form of Birth Control.

 A wife is good and from the Lord:
Ge 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Pr 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

Pr 19:1 4 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Marriage at a young age:
Pr 5:18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

1Ti 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

One flesh:
Ge 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Mt 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Mr 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

The roles of the husband and the wife:
Ge 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

1Co 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
1Co 7:3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
1Co 7:4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

Wives submit to your own husbands. Husbands love your wives:

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Col 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

1Pe 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Tit 2:2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

The Perfect woman and the not so perfect woman.:
Pr 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

1Ti 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Pr 9:13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
Pr 11:22 As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.
Pr 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.
Pr 14:1 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
Pr 19:13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.
Pr 21:9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.
Pr 21:19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

Rules for husbands that are bishops or deacons (and the wife of one):
1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Ec 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

——————————————————————————–

Some words used in this study:
*BENEV’OLENCE, n. [L. benevolentia, of bene, well and volo, to will or wish. See Will.]
1. The disposition to do good; good will; kindness; charitableness; the love,of mankind, accompanied with a desire to promote their happiness.
The benevolence of God is one of his moral attributes; that attribute which delights in the happiness of intelligent beings. “God is love.” 1 John 4.
2. An act of kindness; good done; charity given.
3. A species of contribution or tax illegally exacted by arbitrary kings of England.
*CLAMOROUS, a. Speaking and repeating loud words; noisy; vociferous; loud; turbulent.

*CONTENTION, n. [L. See Contend.]
1. Strife; struggle; a violent effort to obtain something, or to resist a person, claim or injury; contest; quarrel.
Multitudes lost their lives in a tumult raised by contention among the partizans of the several colors.
2. Strife in words or debate; quarrel; angry contest; controversy.
Avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law. Titus 3.
A fools lips enter into contention. Proverbs 18.
3. Strife or endeavor to excel; emulation.
4. Eagerness; zeal; ardor; vehemence of endeavor.
This is an end worthy of our utmost contention to obtain.

*DOUBLE-TONGUED, a. Making contrary declarations on the same subject at different times; deceitful.

*LU’CRE, n. lu’ker. [L. lucrum.] Gain in money or goods; profit; usually in an ill sense, or with the sense of something base or unworthy.
The lust of lucre, and the dread of death.
A bishop must be blameless – not given to filthy lucre. Titus 1.

*NOV’ICE, n. [L. from new.]
1. One who is new in any business; one unacquainted or unskilled; one in the rudiments; a beginner.
I am young, a novice in the trade.
2. One that has entered a religious house but has not taken the vow; a probationer.
3. One newly planted in the church, or one newly converted to the Christian faith. 1 Timothy 3.

*OBE’DIENT, a. [L. obediens.] Submissive to authority; yielding compliance with commands, orders or injunctions; performing what is required, or abstaining from what is forbid.

*PRU’DENT, a. Cautious; circumspect; practically wise; careful of the consequences of enterprises, measures or actions; cautious not to act when the end is of doubtful utility, or probably impracticable.
The prudent man looketh well to his going. Prov.14.
A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself. Prov.22.
1. Dictated or directed by prudence; as prudent behavior.
2. Foreseeing by instinct; as the prudent crane.
3. Frugal; economical; as a prudent woman; prudent expenditure of money.
4. Wise; intelligent.

*REV’ERENCE, v.t. To regard with reverence; to regard with fear mingled with respect and affection. We reverence superiors for their age, their authority and their virtues. We ought to reverence parents and upright judges and magistrates. We ought to reverence the Supreme Being, his word and his ordinances.
Those that I reverence, those I fear, the wise.
They will reverence my son. Matt. 21.
Let the wife see that she reverence her husband. Eph. 5.

*SO’BER, a. [L. sobrius.]
1. Temperate in the use of spiritous liquors; habitually temperate; as a sober man. Live a sober, righteous and godly life.
2. Not intoxicated or overpowered by spiritous liquors; not drunken. The sot may at times be sober.
3. Not mad or insane; not wild, visionary or heated with passion; having the regular exercise of cool dispassionate reason. There was not a sober person to be had; all was tempestuous and blustering. Not sober man would put himself in danger, for the applause of escaping without breaking his neck.
4. Regular; calm; not under the influence of passion; as sober judgment; a man in his sober senses.
5. Serious; solemn; grave; as the sober livery of autumn. What parts gay France from sober Spain? See her sober over a sampler, or gay over a jointed baby.

* SUBJECTION, n.
1. The act of subduing; the act of vanquishing and bringing under the dominion of another.
The conquest of the kingdom and the subjection of the rebels–
2. The state of being under the power, control and government of another. The safety of life, liberty, and property depends on our subjection to the laws. The isles of the West Indies are held in subjection to the powers of Europe. Our appetites and passions should be in subjection to our reason, and our will should be in entire subjection to the laws of God.

*VIG’ILANT, a. [L. vigilans.] Watchful; circumspect; attentive to discover and avoid danger, or to provide for safety.

*YOUTH, n. Yuth. [G.]
1. The part of life that succeeds to childhood. In a general sense, youth denotes the whole early part of life, from infancy to manhood; but it is not unusual to divide the stages of life into infancy, childhood, youth, and manhood. In this sense the word can have no plural.
Those who pass their youth in vice, are justly condemned to spend their age in folly.
2. A young man. In this sense it has a plural.
Seven youths from Athens yearly sent–
3. A young person, male or female.
4. Young persons, collectively.