Princess Elizabeth of the Palatinate - Part 3

During the Thirty Year's War the Elector had begun appointing Reformed princesses as abbesses, and so now appointed her. This appointment relieved her from being a pensioner on any of her relatives, and also gave her standing in the German empire. She was authorized to send a deputy to its diets, and required to furnish one horseman and six foot soldiers for the imperial army. She also had to preside over a court of justice, and exercised authority over about seven thousand inhabitants. Her territory was small and her income therefore limited, but she exercised great ecconomy and banished all luxury from her little castle. Her chief diversion was knitting, and on Saturdays she sat as judge. Here her patience and justice were admirable, being tempered with mercy, and she often adding religious instruction. Here this cultivated princess lived, surrounded by rude, ignorant country-folk, and yet she enjoyed it, for she was able to relieve distress and better their condition. She gathered around herself in the castle a company of like-minded souls. The highly gifted Anna Shurman eagerly accepted an invitation to visit Elizabeth, so like her in intellectual and religious tastes. Both had been disciples of Descartes, but Anna was the more enthusiastic and visionary; Elizabeth the more profound and fonder of abstractions. She also threw open her land to all who desired refuge. It was this liberal spirit that brought her providentially into contact with the pietism of Labadie and also led to her association with William Penn. Labadie and his congregation from Holland having left the State Church were looked down upon as separatists; for at that time the idea of a free Church, independent of the State, was not dreamt of, and many of the separatists were fanatics. So when they came to settle in her land (1670), its inhabitants, the magistrates and the Lutheran ministers rose against their coming and appealed to her. As she did not grant their wishes, they appealed to the Elector of Brandenburg, asking that these strangers should be ordered out of the land. But the Elector at first permitted them to stay, as he saw Elizabeth wished by it to spread the Reformed faith, although he urged Elizabeth to be watchful over them. She graciously protected them against their enemies, and gave to the world an illustration of the beautiful principle of religous toleration. She was in turn affected by their earnestness and zeal, for it is evident, that as she became older, she was deepening in spirituality. She had to endure a good deal of ridicule for thus protecting the Labadists, even from some of her own noble relatives. Thus her sister, the beautiful Duchess Sophia of Hanover, visited her and tried to laugh at the religious earnestness of the followers of Labadie. But although she remained friendly to them, she was not able to give them an asylum for more than two years, for the other governments compelled her to send them away. But in it all she showed her love of religous liberty.

Her treatment of the followers of Labadie called the attention of William Penn to her. He, too, was about to lay out a colony in the western world, called Pennsylvania, for which her little land of Herford set the example of religious liberty.

Penn's visit to her at Herford, 1677, is quite interesting. He stayed there three days. On the first day at 7 a.m. he called on the princess, and was surprised to be recieved with such warm expressions of welcome. He said the conduct of persons in such an exalted station confirmed his hopes that the day of the Lord was approaching. He therefore took courage and began preaching. And they had a religious service which lasted from 7 to 11 o'clock. In the afternoon Penn and his companion returned to her castle, and found the princess had invited her intimate friend, the Countess of Horn, and several others to the service. He held services there till 7 p.m., and all, both preachers hearers, were deeply affected. The next day being the day when the princess recieved audiences and petitions, they did not get to see her till 9 a.m., but then all the inferior servants were also present. In the afternoon he fulfilled his promise made to her in the morning and narrated the story of his conversion to the Quaker faith, together with the persecutions he had suffered for it. His story was interupted by supper. He then took supper with her, and afterwards again continued before them the story of his conversion. This lasted till 11 o'clock, p.m., when they returned to their lodgings. On the next day, the last of their stay, not only the residents of the castle, but also the inhabitants of the town, were present. The service began with much prayer. Penn says of this meeting:

Yea, the quickening power and life of Jesus wrought and reached them; and virtue from Him, in whom dwelleth the Godhead bodily, went forth and distilled upon us His heavenly life, sweeter than the pure frankincense, yea, than the sweet-smelling myrrh which cometh from a far country. And as it began, so it was carried on, and so it ended.

After the meeting was over, the princess gave him good-bye, and was so overcome by her feelings that she could hardly give expression to her words. And as she bade him farewell, she most earnestly begged him to come again.

How do you worship?

A godly man dare not vary from the pattern which God has shown him in the Scripture. This is probably not the least reason why David was called "a man after God's own heart", because he kept the springs of God's worship pure, and in matters sacred did not add anything of his own devising.

Use: By this characteristic we may test ourselves, whether we are godly. Are we careful about the things of God? Do we observe that mode of worship which has the stamp of divine authority upon it? It has dangerous consequences to make a medley in religion.

1. Those who will add to one part of God's worship will be as ready to take away from another. "Laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men" (Mark 7:8). They who will bring in a tradition, will in time lay aside a command. This the Papists are very guilty of; they bring in altars and crucifixes, and lay aside the second commandment. They bring in oil in baptism, and leave out the cup in the Lord's Supper. They bring in praying for the dead, and lay aside reading the Scriptures intelligibly to the living. Those who will introduce into God's worship that which he has not commanded, will be as ready to blot out that which he has commanded.

2. Those who are for outward mixtures in God's worship usually disregard of the vitals of religion—such as living by faith, leading a strict mortified life; these things are of less concern to them. Wasps have their combs—but no honey in them.

3. Superstition and profanity kiss each other. Has it not been known that those who have kneeled at a pillar, have reeled in drunkenness against a post?

4. Such as are devoted to superstition are seldom or never converted: "publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you" (Matt. 21:31). This was spoken to the chief priests, who were great formalists, and the reason why such people are seldom wrought upon savingly is because they have a secret antipathy to the power of godliness. The serpent has a fine color—but it has a sting. So outwardly men may look zealous and devout—but retain a sting of hatred in their hearts against holiness. Hence it is that they who have been most hot on superstition have been most hot on persecution. The Church of Rome wears white linen (an emblem of innocence)—but the Spirit of God paints her out in scarlet (Rev. 17:4). Why is this? Not only because she puts on a scarlet robe—but because she is of a scarlet dye, having imbrued her hands in the blood of the saints (Rev. 17:6).

Let us, then, as we would show ourselves to be godly, keep close to the rule of worship, and in the things of Jehovah go no further than we can say, "It is written".

(The Godly Man's Picture, by Thomas Watson)

A Vindication of the Rights of Women - Introduction

Although I'm only at the very beginning of the book, I'm fascinated by it. That's not to say I agree with 100% of what it says, but I think that if I did, I wouldn't find it to be as interesting.

Right at the beginning, Wollstonecraft states as one of her grievances the poor standard of education available to most women up to and during her time, keeping them, as she puts it, "in perpetual childhood"- just an example of the attitude that women are not merely weaker in body, but weaker in mind, unable to mentally process deeper subjects or think deeply and clearly for themselves. You can see the vicious cycle this created: Women, their studies being restricted merely to the arts and household management, will therefore amuse themselves with lighter and more frivolous entertainments; men seeing this will consider their theory correct; men continue to withhold secondary level education from females.

Although she was what we might consider an early feminist, Wollstonecraft would have probably frowned upon our modern day ones - she clearly states that women are designed to be physically weaker than men, and disapproved of them taking place in strenuous activities. At this point, she is simply arguing for woman's intellectual equality. So far, so good.

I agree with her fears of the dangers presented because of this treatment of women. She argued that by keeping women in this state of existence, they function as being merely ornamental. By the time they reach middle age, and their bloom has left them, they have no reason for staying alive. But I also fear the end that one might reach if you carry her ideas further, perhaps, than she originally meant for them to go; we all know what that is - you don't even have to bother looking around you for it; feminism has a way of forcing entrance into all our lives, whether we like it or not.

So, at this point in the book, I *generally* agree with what it says. But, things can always change, and Maddie has made me fearful that they probably will. :-)

Sorry....

Yes, I know I didn't write about The Vindication of the Rights of Woman yesterday......I just uh, got distracted by To Kill a Mockingbird. Tomorrow I'll try to write something coherent, but in the meantime I'll leave my 3 readers with this great quote by Thomas Watson ~

Question: What is it, to walk with God?

Answer: Walking with God imports five things:

1. Walking as under God's eye. Noah reverenced God. A godly man sets himself as in God's presence, knowing that his judge is looking on: "I have set the Lord always before me" (Psalm 16:8). David's eyes were here.

2. The familiarity and intimacy which the soul has with God. Friends walk together and console themselves with one another. The godly make known their requests to God--and he makes known his love to them. There is a sweet fellowship between God and his people: "Our fellowship (koinonia) is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).

3. Walking above the earth. A godly man is elevated above all sublunary objects. The person who walks with God must ascend very high. A dwarf cannot walk among the stars, nor can a dwarfish, earthly soul walk with God.

4. Visible piety. Walking is a visible posture. Grace must be conspicuous to the onlookers. He who reveals something of God in his behavior, walks with God. He shines forth in biblical conduct.

5. Continued progress in grace. It is not only a step--but a walk. There is a going on towards maturity. A godly man does not sit down in the middle of the way--but goes on until he comes to the "end of his faith" (1 Pet. 1:9). Though a good man may be out of the path, he is not out of the way. He may through infirmity step aside (as Peter did)—but he recovers by repentance and goes on in progressive holiness: "The righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger" (Job 17:9).

Princess Elizabeth of the Palatinate - Part 2

After that she was wedded to philosophy, and gave up the thought of marriage. Descartes was introduced to Elizabeth and the Palatinate family by the Count Dohna, an adept in the Cartesian philosophy, and became her teacher. He was soon delighted and surprised to find in her a scholar so capable of exploring with him erudite questions and of comprehending sublime truths. This appointment of Descartes as her tutor proved very helpful to him. For in this noble family he first found the supporters necessary to help him on to fame. He, therefore, in order to be near them, lived at Eyndegeest, about a mile and a half from Rheten, for two years. And when he went to North Holland afterwards, he continued his correspondance, especially with Elizabeth, and would often visit the Hague, so as to meet his favorite pupil. This little court of the Palatinate family, although in exile, thus became famous for its beauty and learning, so that it was called "the home of the muses and graces." Among them all, Elizabeth had the greatest talent for learning. Bromley says that "of the three illustrious sisters of that family, Louisa was the greatest artist, Sophia the most perfect lady in Europe, but Elizabeth was the most learned." She made such progress in philosophy, that she became famous as "the Star of the North." In order to appreciate the greatness of this, it is to be remembered that up to that time women had taken little part in learning. For it was supposed that it was above the sphere or power of woman to excel in philosophy. So her learning astonished the world. It happened, too, just at that time, that another woman appeared as a great thinker, Anna Schurman. And yet, although Schurman was talented with both the chisel and the pencil, Madame de Guebriant confessed that she was inferior to the Palatinate princess, Elizabeth. Elizabeth continued her correspondance with Descartes, and in their letters they discussed the deepest questions of philosophy and theology, such as the union of soul and body, God's omnipotence and omniscience, and man's free agency and virtue. Descartes dedicated his leading philosophical work, "The Principles of Philosophy," to her. She would often in her letters express doubts as to his positions and offer criticisms, while he on his part was not backward in reminding her when she seemed to him to be wrong in her ideas, yet the correspondence was mutually agreeable and helpful. Thus when in 1645 her younger brother went over to the Romish faith and she was by it thrown on a bed of sickness, Descartes criticized her for her want of liberality toward the Catholics.

In 1647 she left Holland for Brandenburg, where at the court of her uncle, the Elector of Brandenburg, she seems to have found quite a congenial home. She soon gained fame among scholars there, through a disputation that she had with the celebrated Thomas Kresbesch, which revealed her ability and gained for her great applause. She, too, succeeded in disseminating Descartes' books to some extent in Eastern Germany, where as yet he was comparatively unknown. She thus perhaps scattered seed that harvested itself afterward in the new university of Duisburg, whose first professors were followers of Descartes. It was while she was staying there that she learned of great sorrow of the death of her teacher Descartes in 1650. True to him in her friendship, she, however, had never allowed his philosophy of doubt to undermine her faith, but she rather sought to utilize what was good in it to strengthen her faith in religion and in God. Had the rationalists of the next century used Descartes' principles thus, they would never have landed in the maelstrom of thought that had threatened to shipwreck them.

After the Thirty Year's War was over, she went to the old family home at Heidelberg, which she had left when four years old. Here her philosophical tastes and literary talents brought her into intimacy with the professors of the university, especially with Professor John Henry Hottinger. He compared her to Olympia Morata, who had come to Heidelberg university in the preceding century, and who was a great scholar and correspondant of Melanchthon. Through a relative she was also made acquainted with the celebrated theologian, John Crocius, whose broader theological views suited her taste. But her stay at Heidelberg became uncomfortable for her, for her brother's parsimony made it unpleasant. And when her brother put away his wife, Princess Charlotte of Hesse Cassel, and married the Raugrafin Louisa of Degenfeld, she sympathized with Charlotte and aided her to escape; and so felt the disgrace of her brother, that she left Heidelberg (1662) and went to Cassel, where she lived with her sister-in-law. In 1667 she was very fortunate in recieving the appointment from the Elector of Brandenburg as abbess of Herford. This had been an old Romish abbey, which had become Lutheran in the Reformation.

Why I love Sundays.......

As Christopher Wordsworth put it:

O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright;
On thee the high and lowly,
Through ages joined in tune,
Sing Holy, Holy, Holy,
To the great God Triune,

On thee, at the creation,
The light first had its birth;
On thee, for our salvation,
Christ rose from depths of earth;
On thee our Lord, victorious,
The Spirit sent from heav'n;
And thus on thee, most glorious,
A triple light was giv'n.

Thou art a port protected
From storms that round us rise;
A garden intersected
With streams of Paradise;
Thou art a cooling fountain
In life's dry, dreary sand;
From thee, like Pisgah's mountain,
We view the promised land.

Today on weary nations
The heav'nly manna falls;
To holy convocations
The silver trumpet calls,
Where gospel light is glowing
With pure and radiant beams,
And living water flowing
With soul-refreshing streams.

New graces ever gaining
From this our day of rest,
We reach the rest remaining
To spirits of the blest.
To Holy Ghost be praises,
To Father and to Son;
The church her voice upraises
To thee, blest Three in One.

Does anybody get this??

Nothing in the cry of cicadas suggests they are about to die.

Matsuo Basho, a Japanese poet guy

I was delighted with this saying on the daily literary quote gadget on my iGoogle. Hmmm....I'm sorry, this is like those paintings that are entirely white with a tiny dot in the corner. Why bother?

While I'm at it......why does every techno-gadget thing have to have "i" in front of it? iLaptop, iClock, iShock Collar....

I tell you, I'm a person from at least 200 years ago stuck in the 21st century.

The Junto

A while back, some of my friends and I read the Autobiography of Ben Franklin. Maddie & I in particular were struck with an idea that Franklin had come up with - a literary/improvement-of-the-mind society in which a group of people read an appointed book - usually something on history, religion, philosophy, etc. - and discussed it on (I believe) Friday nights. Every few months each of them was required to write an essay on any particular subject and share it with the group. The group was called the Junto. So, as enamored as we were at the idea, we were also rather bummed that there weren't too many others who would want to do it with us. Until now......maybe. Except this time the Junto is going to be blog-based. We're keeping the name because, 1. It has a great historical significance, being the name that Ben Franklin called his, and 2. We couldn't think of anything better. But we came up with a motto: Non Solum Scientiam, Sed Sapientiam Petimus - We seek not only knowledge, but wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10) Each Monday, we'll write a post on the book we're reading together. We're starting off with A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft. If any of my 5 readers has a blog, and would like to join us, feel free to do so. You can leave a comment on this post letting us know.

Real Worth

So I turned to consider wisdom, madness and folly; for what will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done? And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness And yet I know that one fate befalls them both. Then I said to myself, "As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me Why then have I been extremely wise?" So I said to myself, "This too is vanity." For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten And how the wise man and the fool alike die! So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:12-17

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Men are taken up with the things of this life, and "what profit has he who has labored for the wind?" (Eccles. 5:16). Can the wind fill? What is gold but dust (Amos 2:7), which will sooner choke than satisfy? Pull off the mask of the most beautiful thing under the sun—and look what is inside. There is care and vexation! And the greatest care is still to come—and that is to give account to God. Worldly joys are as fleeting as a bubble floating down the stream.

But godliness has real worth in it. If you speak of true honor, it is to be born of God; if of true valor, it is to fight the good fight of faith; if of true delight, it is to have joy in the Holy Spirit. Oh, then, espouse godliness! Here reality is to be had. Of other things we may say, "They comfort in vain!" (Zech. 10:2)

(Thomas Watson, The Godly Man's Picture pp. 204-205)

Princess Elizabeth of the Palatinate - Part 1

The most intellectual princess the Reformed church ever possessed was Princess Elizabeth of the Palatinate. She was the brightest light of the Palatinate house after the days of Elector Frederick III., who ordered the composition of our catechism. She was a pupil of Descartes and the correspondent of Leibnitz, the celebrated philosophers, and on intimate terms with other learned men of her day. She combined with her native ability the broad principles of the house of Brandenburg (in which her abbey was located), namely of religious toleration; for her home became the asylum of all refugees. And yet to all her learning she added piety, which beautified and sanctified it. She was the disciple of both the philosophy of Descartes and of the religious faith of the Pietists.

She was the eldest daughter of Elector Frederick V. and Princess Elizabeth of the Palatinate, and was born on December 26, 1618, at Heidelberg. Elizabeth suffered the sad fate of her father's family. When her father left Heidelberg to go to Bohemia to take the throne, she was left behind in the care of her grandmother, Electress Juliana. And when the coming of the Spaniards compelled her grandmother to leave the Palatinate and flee, she was taken along with her to Konigsberg, where she found an asylum. She remained with Juliana until she was nearly ten years old. It was the sublime faith and religious earnestness of her grandmother that early helped to lay the foundations for the serious thoughtfulness of Elizabeth. Then she was sent to the Hague in Holland, where her father's family were living quietly in exile in the little village of Rheten. And yet her sad reverses continued. Her dearest brother, next older than herself, and her playmate, was drowned. Then came her father's death, and with that her hope of worldly position faded away. And her mother seems to have failed to recognize her ability for a long while, so that there was a coldness toward her.

But she bore all these things philosophically, and her adversities turned out to be blessings in disguise. For her family, when driven to Holland, had settled in one of the most learned lands of Europe. Holland was at that time the home of painters, poets, and thinkers. She was the classic land of the Reformed theology of the seventeenth century. To this land of learning there came one of the greatest thinkers of modern times, Rene Descartes, who was ultimately to revolutionize men's methods of thought. Elizabeth had already made great progress in her studies before she met Descartes. She made no pretension to beauty, but had an expressive eye and a pleasing countenance. She had developed so quickly and brightly, that Ladislaus, the king of Poland, had sought her hand when she was only fifteen years of age. But the suit came to naught, because she refused to barter away her Reformed faith and go over to the Romanists.

The Pleasures of Religion

I dare appeal to those young people who have in a great measure neglected religion, given the reigns to their inclinations, and who have spent a great deal of their time in vain mirth and those diversions that are inconsistent with a serious religious, devout, and strict life. Judge and consider whether you have gotten anything by it, all things considered; have you enjoyed yourselves any better than if you had avoided all and maintained a strict conversation on Sabbath days and every other day?

The pleasures of religion are such as will not die with youth; with respect to this life and and its exercises and enjoyment, they shall not decay. Rather, their bloom and vigor will increase until they are perfected in glory.

Now, therefore, let me exhort and beseech you who are the young people of the congregation to walk in the ways of virtue and piety. Let this pleasant and beautiful sight be beheld in this town. It is pleasant not only in the eyes of men, but in the sight of angels and of God Himself.

This will be for the honor of the town of Northampton, and it will be greatly for your honor, and in every way for your good and prosperity. A life of virtue and piety is the way to be honorable; it is the way to be useful and a blessing to mankind; it is the way to be comfortable to parents and to all around you; it is the way for you to be a blessing in the world, and it is the way to be happy. In these things I dare to appeal to your own reason, as I am speaking to reasonable creatures.

Jonathan Edwards

(To the Rising Generation, pp. 137-138)

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Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them"

Ecclesiastes 12:1

What should be our attitude towards pleasure?

There are so many ideas about what pleasure really is, and what we should do about it. In the realm of philosophy, there's the Epicureans, who taught that our entire lives ought to be devoted to the pursuit of it. In religion, Buddhism teaches the opposite - the only way we can lead a fulfilling life is to loose ourselves from the clutches of pleasure and desire; if we don't want anything, we wont be disappointed when we don't receive it. But what is a balanced position?

As Christians, we need to begin by figuring out what righteous pleasure is. The Bible makes it clear for us: the only true, lasting, and fulfilling pleasure in existence is the pursuit of God. When God regenerates us, taking away our sin natures (a miracle in itself) and transforming them into new ones which seek to be more like Him, our desires and pleasures are also changed. Studying the Bible, praying, partaking in true fellowship with other Christians (not mere small talk, but worthwhile discussions about God and His work in our lives) become our pleasures. That isn't to say that everything else doesn't matter; these are simply what are most important to us. Plainly put, it comes down to this: Devote your life to the pursuit of the pleasures of God, and in the end you will be rewarded.

Pleasure Contrasted

What is worldly pleasure?

I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility. I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?" I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men--many concubines. Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

What is right pleasure?

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.

Psalm 119:14-16

With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O LORD;
Teach me Your statutes.
With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts
And regard Your ways.
I shall delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word.

Psalm 119:10-16

Electress Elizabeth of the Palatinate - part 4

Here one trial after another seemed to come upon her. The Dutch populace called her and her husband "royal beggars." In 1628 she lost her oldest son, a brilliant boy, the heir to the throne, who went with his father to Haarlem to see the Dutch fleet return after its capture of the silver fleet of the Spaniards. The young man was drowned before his father's eyes, crying out, "Father, save me." There came a ray of joy to her when Gustavus Adolphus gained his victories. But this was taken away by the absence of her husband, who went to meet Gustavus. And next year Gustavus, who had been a sort of guardian angel, was killed. A few days after, came the news of her husband's death. Her previous calamities were trivial compared with this. She showed, as a writer says, "marvellous grief." Yet she confessed in a to the Dutch States that "her first great resource was heaven." Spanheim, her biographer, says: "Her letters are admirable for the strength of judgment, and for their dignified resignation and touching piety."

She seemed to be left alone, without husband or country, with none but her children. And these gave her increasing anxiety. One son was defeated and another captured by the emperor. Then came the death of the Duke Bernard of Weimar, who had been a guardian to her after her husband's death. Then came the bitter woe of a son and a daughter going over to Romanism. Her brother, King Charles I. of England, was beheaded. And yet her life was not entirely hopeless. She found at the Hague the society of cultured people. The Reformed ministers showed her much kindness. She lived quietly for many years at a country villa at Rheten. Here she pursued her favorite sport of the chase. Here she educated her children. Her house was called "the mansion of the muses and graces," because of her fair daughters. For there the great philosopher Descartes taught her daughter Elizabeth. But alas! her troubles were not yet past. The close of the Thirty Year's War gave back the Palatinate to her family, but only added to her discomforts. For as her son, the Elector Charles Lewis, did not care for her as he should, she suffered with increasing want. At length, bereaved of every object that endeared Holland to her, she accepted an invitation in 1661 to return to England. How different her return from her departure many years before. No shouts go up from assembled crowds, nor does any homage come from the nobles. She who had once been a power in the negotiations of nations and a queen of beauty in society, was forgotten. After living a short time quietly, she died February 13, 1662. "She was a princess of talents and virtues not often equalled, rarely surpassed." Her beauty and her tact made her a power in history. Brave men, as Gustavus Adolphus and Lord Craven, like the knights of the middle ages, were led by her beauty to take up her cause. Thus Duke Christian of Brunswick snatched a glove from her hand, kissed it, struck it into his hat as a plume, and then drawing his sword, took a solemn oath never to lay down arms until she was again on the throne of Bohemia. He placed as his motto on his flag: "For God and for her."

THE END

What is true wisdom?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.

Thomas Watson on Wisdom/Knowledge

What pains men will take for the achievement of natural knowledge! Many spend years, searching out the knowledge of an earthly trifle. What pains, then, should we take in finding out the knowledge of God in Christ! There must be digging and searching for it, as one would search for a vein of silver: "If you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:4-5).

This is the best knowledge. It as far surpasses all other knowledge, as the diamond surpasses a stone. No jewel we wear so adorns us as this: "she is more precious than rubies" (Proverbs 3:15). "But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth. It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed in silver. It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphires. Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold. The price of wisdom is beyond rubies." (Job 28:12-18). The dark chaos was a fit emblem of an ignorant soul (Gen. 1:2)—but when God lights up the lamp of knowledge in the mind, what a new creation is there! Here the soul sparkles like the sun in its glory.

Wisdom under the Sun - What the Bible has to say about it

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind. What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted. I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge." And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.

Ecclesiastes 1:13-18

But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.

Ecclesiastes 12:12

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Colossians 2:8

Let no man deceive himself If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God For it is written, He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS"; and again, "THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS." For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE."

1 Corinthians 3:18-20

Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach ^AV)">Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1Corthinthians 1:18-25

Why shouldn't we devote ourselves to the wisdom of the world?

The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 2:17

Electress Elizabeth of the Palatinate - part 3

But, like her husband, she soon found that heavy lies the head that wears a crown. She found it difficult to retain the adoration of the Bohemians. Her ignorance of the Bohemian language separated her from them as if by a Chinese wall. The customs of her court were so different from theirs. They were simple, rude country people, while her court had the levity of French manners. So social customs soon clashed. As an illustration of this, the story is told that soon after her arrival, the wives of some of the citizens of Prague presented her with a testimonial which consisted of some specimens of their baking, as cakes and bread. These they brought crammed rudely into a bag. The queen returned to them her thanks, but alas! her courtiers treated the kind givers with scant courtesy. A page mocked at the gift by seizing one of the loaves of bread and twisting it into fantastic shapes, and putting it on his head like a wreath. The rest followed his example, and the poor Bohemians went away with their feelings hurt. Her religious views also alienated some of them. Like the Reformed, she disliked crosses and crucifixes. Now the Bohemians had a great crucifix on the bridge over the Moldau, which they looked up to as a patron saint. She was charged with avoiding that bridge, so as not to pass the crucifix.

These troubles were but the preparation for darker days to follow. Her husband was called away to the army, which was to protect Prague. He soon saw the dangers that hovered over them, and wrote to her that if she felt afraid, she should leave Prague, but she nobly refused to leave him behind. Though heartsick and anxious, she had to preserve the mask of outward joy and pleasantry to her court and the people. Finally her husband's army was defeated on Sunday, November 8, 1621, just outside the city of Prague. She was attending church service, when the battle began, and the minister had just read, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's." etc., when the thunder of the canon shook the church, and the minister left the pulpit and with the congregation rushed to the city walls to view the battle. Frederick hastily put her in a carriage and sent her to the citadel for safety. And now began her woes, that like wave upon wave went over her. The next morning at nine o'clock he brought her carriage, that she might escape. As she entered it, never again to return to Prague, one of her admirers, the young Count Thurm, offered to defend the citadel for a few days, in order that she might make good her escape. But she nobly forbade this, saying, "Never shall the son of our best friend hazard his life to spare my fears. Rather let me perish than be remembered as a curse to this city."

Over terrible roads Elizabeth and her husband fled to Breslau. Sometimes the road became impassable and she had to get out and ride on horseback in the cold, wintry weather. A terrible snow-storm came up. Finally they arrived safely at Breslau, but the reception by the inhabitants was as chilly as the weather. It was evident she could not stay there, but where should she go for safety? She wrote to her father, King James of England, begging him for help, saying that if he forsook her, they would all be ruined; but he would not help her, although the Puritans of England were strongly in favor of aiding her. Where could she go? She finally found a brief resting place at the fort of Custrin, where the Elector of Brandenburg, her brother-in-law, allowed her to stay, but refused her any money. There she bore a son. She then, forgotten by her father and cast out by her brother-in-law, travelled westward toward Holland. How different her journey now from her bridal trip a few years before. Then all was gladness, now all is sadness. The Dutch government, however, recieved her as a queen, and kindly allowed her a pension. Here at last she and her husband found an asylum during the awful years of the Thirty Years' War.