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The Elect Lady
The Elect Lady

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Elect Lady is here in full — 63 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DAWTIE.
Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!
The Church is God's elect, and yet you can not believe in three holy children!
Do you say: Because they are represented as beginning to obey so young?”
Then,” I answer, there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Elect Lady

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Elect Lady is here in full — 63 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DAWTIE.
Line 2
Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!
/ɪz nɑːt ðə tʃɜːrtʃ səˈpoʊzd tuː biː meɪd ʌp ʌv ɡɑːdz ɪˈlekt ənd jet moʊst ʌv maɪ ˈriːdərz faɪnd ɪt hɑːrd tuː bɪˈliːv ðer ʃʊd biː θriː ˈpɜːrsənz soʊ rɪˈleɪtɪd huː əˈɡriːd tuː æsk ʌv ɡɑːd ənd tuː æsk ˈniːðər ˈrɪtʃəz nɔːr lʌv bʌt ðæt ɡɑːd ʃʊd teɪk hɪz oʊn weɪ wɪð ðem ðæt ðə ˈfɑːðər ʃʊd wɜːrk hɪz wɪl ɪn ðem ðæt hiː wʊd tiːtʃ ðem wʌt hiː ˈwɔːntɪd ʌv ðem ənd help ðem tuː duː ɪt/
Line 3
The Church is God's elect, and yet you can not believe in three holy children!
/ðə tʃɜːrtʃ ɪz ɡɑːdz ɪˈlekt ənd jet juː kæn nɑːt bɪˈliːv ɪn θriː ˈhoʊli ˈtʃɪldrən/
Line 4
Do you say: “Because they are represented as beginning to obey so young?”
/duː juː seɪ bɪˈkɔːz ðeɪ ɑːr ˌreprɪˈzentɪd æz bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ tuː oʊˈbeɪ soʊ jʌŋ/
Line 5
Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

arbitrary adjective US /ˈɑːrbətreri/

based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice

From this reading ““Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.””

babes noun US /beɪbz/

plural of “babe” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading ““Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.””

elect verb US /ɪˈlekt/

select by a vote for an office or membership

From this reading “Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!”

perfecting verb US /pərˈfektɪŋ/

-ing form of “perfect” — make perfect or complete

From this reading ““Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.””

preference noun US /ˈprefərəns/

a strong liking

From this reading ““Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.””

recipients noun US /rɪˈsɪpiənts/

plural of “recipient” — a person who receives something

From this reading ““Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.””

revelation noun US /ˌrevəˈleɪʃən/

the speech act of making something evident

From this reading ““Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.””

riches noun US /ˈrɪtʃəz/

an abundance of material possessions and resources

From this reading “Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!”

All words in this reading · 93

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

arbitraryadjectiveUS /ˈɑːrbətreri/

based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Do you say: “Because they are represented as beginning to obey so young?”

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Do you say: “Because they are represented as beginning to obey so young?”

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

babesnounUS /beɪbz/

plural of “babe” — a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

BecauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Do you say: “Because they are represented as beginning to obey so young?”

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading Do you say: “Because they are represented as beginning to obey so young?”

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading The Church is God's elect, and yet you can not believe in three holy children!

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading The Church is God's elect, and yet you can not believe in three holy children!

ChurchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

DAWTIE

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading DAWTIE.

divineadjectiveUS /dɪˈvaɪn/

emanating from God

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

electverbUS /ɪˈlekt/

select by a vote for an office or membership

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

exercisenounUS /ˈeksərsaɪz/

the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

God'snounUS /ɡɑːdz/

possessive form of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

holynounUS /ˈhoʊli/

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading The Church is God's elect, and yet you can not believe in three holy children!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

mouthnounUS /maʊθ/

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

obeyverbUS /oʊˈbeɪ/

be obedient to

From this reading Do you say: “Because they are represented as beginning to obey so young?”

occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/

occurring from time to time

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

perfectingverbUS /pərˈfektɪŋ/

-ing form of “perfect” — make perfect or complete

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

personsnounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/

plural of “person” — a human being

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

praisenounUS /preɪz/

an expression of approval and commendation

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

preferencenounUS /ˈprefərəns/

a strong liking

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

principlenounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

prudentadjectiveUS /ˈpruːdənt/

careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

readersnounUS /ˈriːdərz/

plural of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

recipientsnounUS /rɪˈsɪpiənts/

plural of “recipient” — a person who receives something

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

relatedadjectiveUS /rɪˈleɪtɪd/

being connected either logically or causally or by shared characteristics

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

representedadjectiveUS /ˌreprɪˈzentɪd/

represented accurately or precisely

From this reading Do you say: “Because they are represented as beginning to obey so young?”

revelationnounUS /ˌrevəˈleɪʃən/

the speech act of making something evident

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

richesnounUS /ˈrɪtʃəz/

an abundance of material possessions and resources

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Do you say: “Because they are represented as beginning to obey so young?”

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

spiritualadjectiveUS /ˈspɪrɪtʃuːəl/

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

sucklings

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

supposedadjectiveUS /səˈpoʊzd/

required or under orders

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

teachverbUS /tiːtʃ/

impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Do you say: “Because they are represented as beginning to obey so young?”

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

wiseadjectiveUS /waɪz/

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading “Then,” I answer, “there can be no principle, only an occasional and arbitrary exercise of spiritual power, in the perfecting of praise out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, or in the preference of them to the wise and prudent as the recipients of divine revelation.”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Is not the Church supposed to be made up of God's elect? and yet most of my readers find it hard to believe there should be three persons, so related, who agreed to ask of God, and to ask neither riches nor love, but that God should take His own way with them, that the Father should work His will in them, that He would teach them what He wanted of them, and help them to do it!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading The Church is God's elect, and yet you can not believe in three holy children!

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Do you say: “Because they are represented as beginning to obey so young?”

Chapter 13 of The Elect Lady by George MacDonald holds 63 sentences, grouped into 13 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 13 of The Elect Lady contain?

Chapter 13 holds 63 sentences of The Elect Lady, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of The Elect Lady by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 63 sentences, grouped into 13 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 13 of The Elect Lady?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Elect Lady

Common questions about reading The Elect Lady by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Elect Lady?

Yes. All 3543 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8944 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Elect Lady is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8944, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Elect Lady take to read?

About 295 minutes of reading across 709 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Elect Lady section by section

How to work through The Elect Lady section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 37 chapters of The Elect Lady to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Elect Lady

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Elect Lady, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Landlord's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Elect Lady; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Daughter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Elect Lady; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tenant's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Elect Lady; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kitchen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Elect Lady; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.