Isaiah 66:13 As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. The Rev. John Watson (In Maclaren) — he told me the story himself — was once in a Roman Catholic church in Italy. Before the altar to the Virgin knelt a woman, her lips moving devoutly- in prayer, her eyes alight with wondering worship and love. As she was making her way to the door, after ending her devotion, Dr. Watson asked her in Italian some question about the points of interest in the building. The woman seemed pleased to find an English visitor (or perhaps I should say a Scot) who could converse in her own language, and the two fell to chatting about the scenery and show-places of the neighbourhood. By and by the conversation turned upon the differences between the Roman Catholic and Protestant religions, especially in regard to the fact that Protestants do not address prayers to the Virgin. "Don t you ever pray to the Mother of God?" she asked. "No," said Dr. Watson, very gently, "for it seems to me that all you find which is holy and helpful and adorable in the character of that. most revered and beautiful of women — all that, and infinitely more, I find in her Divine Son." "Yes, sir," she said,, wistfully. "I understand that for you, but you see you are a man, and you don t know how a woman needs a woman to pray to." "And although I should be the last man in the world ever to become a Roman Catholic," said Dr. Watson, when telling the story, "you'll believe me when I assure you that I hadn't the heart to add another word." (Coulson Kernahan.) Parallel Verses KJV: As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.WEB: As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted in Jerusalem." |
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