Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/344

 to take  with  him  the  gall  of  the  fish,  because  it  would  be very  useful.

Meanwhile Anna  sat  daily  beside  the  way  on  the  hill-top; and while  she  watched,  she  saw  him  coming  far  off. When she was sure  that  it  was  her  son  coming, she  ran  to  tell  her husband. She had  scarcely  done  so  when  the  dog  which  had accompanied her  son  on  the  journey,  running  before,  reached the house,  wagging  his  tail  and  jumping  for  joy,  as  if  he  had brought the  news. Thereupon, the  elder  Tobias,  blind  as  he  was, groped his  way  and  went  out  to  meet  his  son. And they  all wept for  joy.

Young Tobias  then  rubbed  his  father’s  eyes  with  the  gall of the  fish,  and  he  saw ;  and  the  old  man  exclaimed:  “I  bless Thee, O Lord  God  of  Israel,  because  Thou  hast  chastised  me, and Thou  hast  saved  me,  and,  behold,  I see  Tobias,  my  son!” Seven days  after,  Sara  and  her  retinue  arrived,  and  completed the joy  of  that  favoured  and  happy  household.

Then the  son  related  to  his  parents  all  the  benefits  he  had received from  the  young  man,  his  guide. He said  they  could never repay  him  for  all  he  had  done  for  him,  but  asked  his father’s permission  to  give  him  one  half  of  the  money  he  had received from  Gabelus.

The father  willingly  consented,  and  they  pressed  the  young man to  accept  the  money. But the  heavenly  messenger  said  to them:  “Bless  ye  the  God  of  heaven,  and  give  glory  to  Him  in the  sight  of  all  that  live;  because  He  hath  shown  His  mercy  to you. Prayer is  good  with  fasting  and  alms,  more  than  to  lay  up treasures  of  gold. When thou  didst  pray  with  tears,  and  didst bury the  dead,  I offered  thy  prayer  to  the  Lord. And because thou wast  acceptable  to  God,  it  was  necessary  that  temptation should prove  thee. The Lord  hath  sent  me  to  heal  thee,  and  to deliver  Sara,  thy  son’s  wife,  from  the  devil. For I am  the  Angel Raphael, one  of  the  seven  who  stand  before  the  throne  of  God.” Hearing this,  they  were  seized  with  fear,  and  all  fell  prostrate