LECTURE XV.

LYDIA, THE WOMAN OF BUSINESS.

'HE story of Lydia is an interesting one.

THE

She

was a native of Thyatira, a city of the province of Lydia, in Asia; from which circumstance some have supposed that the name Lydia was appellative--that the sacred writer meant to say that she was a Lydian, or woman of Lydia. The majority of authorities, however, think that Lydia was her proper name. Lydia was a name often borne by women of that day, just as Florida, Alabama, Virginia, Missouri, etc., are names borne by ladies in this country. While she was a citizen of Thyatira, she was, at the time the apostle visited the place, a resident of Philippi, in Macedonia, where she was a "seller of purple."

Paul, who had been laboring at Troas, had a vision, in which a man appeared who said to him, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us." In this, as on other occasions, he was not "disobedient to the heavenly vision," but took his companion, Silas, and went. When he reached that heathen city there was great excitement, and the people heard them eagerly, that they might learn what strange religion they taught. Down at the riverside, "where prayer was wont to be made," Paul addressed a large number

of women, among them Lydia, "whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things that were spoken of Paul."

In summing up the strong points of her character, I remark, first, that she was a woman of business. While the business of the world seems to be given up to men, yet in a quiet way multitudes of women in all lands pursue an active business life. There are women farmers, women manufacturers, women merchants, women mechanics, women agents, women lawyers, physicians, etc. Indeed, it is difficult to think of a single calling in which women do not somewhere and sometimes take part. I have never heard of a female blacksmith, nor of a female carpenter, nor of a female railroad conductor, or sailor, but even the exception, if it exists, proves the rule that women can successfully prosecute a business calling. Lydia's was a very honorable and extensive calling. She prosecuted that calling, which was as great a staple among her people as growing cotton is in the South. She was "a seller of purple" clothing, or vests and other garments dyed with purple, and perhaps sold the dyes also. The trade in purple dates back thousands of years. Some place its origin in the reign of Phoenix, second King of Tyre, and others at the time that Minos reigned in Crete. The person to whom the majority ascribe it (says Kitto, from whom I quote) is the Tyrean Hercules, whose dog, it is said, instigated by hunger, broke a certain kind of shell fish on the coast of Tyre, and his mouth becoming stained of a beautiful color, his master was induced to try its

properties on wool, and gave his first specimen to the King of Tyre, who admired the color so much, that he restricted the use of it, by law, to the royal garments. This incident leads to the remark, that "the dye called purple by the ancients and its various shades were obtained from many kinds of shell fish. The juice is said to be perfectly white, while in the vein, but upon being laid on linen it soon appears first of a light green color, and if exposed to the air and sun soon after changes into a deep green, in a few minutes into a sea green, and in a few more into a blue, then it speedily becomes a purple red, which upon being washed in scalding water and soap, turns into a most bright and beautiful crimson which is permanent. The ancients applied the name purple not to one color only, but to the whole class of dyes manufactured from the juices of shell fish." This purple brought a great price, as we learn from its use. It was one of the colors of the curtains of the tabernacle. The Babylonians arrayed their idols in it. It was worn by kings and people of great wealth, such as the "rich man clothed in purple and fine linen." Pliny says it was worn by Romulus and the succeeding kings of Rome. Suetonius says Julius Cæsar prohibited its use by Roman subjects except upon certain days, and Nero forbade it altogether upon pain of death. The use of it was bestowed by kings upon favorites.

Like everything else, substitutes have been found for the magnificent dyes of ancient times. Vegetable dyes have taken the place of the juices of the shell fish, such as indigo and cochineal, which make the

purple of to-day; and something else has been proposed of late years to take the place of the vegetable dyes, namely aniline colors, under which general term are embraced the varied and brilliant coloring and dying materials now manufactured chemically from the several products resulting from the dry distillation of coal tar, viz.: aniline, naphthalin, phenol, and anthracene. I found four large establishments in Basle, Switzerland, engaged in this industry, the annual product of which was four million dollars. But Lydia dealt in the original shell-fish article, or garments dyed with it, and it is supposed was a woman of great wealth.

Secondly, while Lydia was a woman of business, she found time to worship God. Men in business are continually making the excuse that they have no time to attend to religion. This is the excuse made by thousands of tradesmen and mechanics. They should ask themselves what time was made for? Was it given that they might buy and sell, sow and reap, and then lie down in the sleep of the grave? Ah, no! Time was given as the season in which to prepare for eternity, and so long as this preparation is neglected, time is wasted. They should not have time to attend to anything else, until their peace with God is made. A little boy asked his mother if she thought his father would ever enter heaven. "I hope so," said the mother, "but why do you ask the question?" "Because," said he, "I am afraid he couldn't leave the store." There are too many people who neglect their souls rather than their stores or shops. Now Lydia