Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-06-20

i
possible. So that it has been truly said, 81
was as fortunate as great and COED"
: SABBATH READING.
EAHAsH, THE ANNoNIrE; Or. JABEsH-GILEAI
+ rag BEsIBGED.
BIZ REv. EDWARD JoEEs, A. n.
= From the Philadslphis EvennE Builstin
mis- interesting narrstvs stsnds r,co ced samuel
chsp la verse.
GA mans foes shall be they OF his ow
householi," says our divine Redeemer, wit
foreeful truth hence, the Jewish nation suffer
cd as much from nations allied to them by an
; cestra affinity those entirely foreign in thsi
origin. From Lot, the nephew Of Abrsham %
descended the Ammonites. Hence, towards th
1 Jews, the iineal posterity Of Abraham, the
should have manifested a most neighboriy 10
teTest and fellowship. Their incursions, bow
ever, were frtqnent and oppressive, and thci
exaetions emsnating from pure mslignity 0
feeling, were characterized by the sternes
barbarity. And when finally the Jews wer'
carried into captivity, so great was the Joy a
the calsmitous event, that H. prophet wal
called upon BY the Almighty to rebdke such
scandslous hilarity snd siRfni rssfriment, ant
pronounce the imPendiRg doom Of the reeresni
Aumonites- In the narrative before US, Ma.
bash is represented ss eEesmping against
Jabesh- Gilesd, a city belonging TO the tribe OF
Msnssseh, and situated very nicturesqnely al
the foot Of Mount Gilesd. Suffering too close
siege, and thinking that discretion was the
better part OF valoT, the Inhabitants soon man.
ifested a willingness TO cspitulate, and prom
ised Submission TO the Invaders, IL BY covenant
treaty their security would be guaranteed. But
the gentle and lnresisting character Of the
! Aanassltes only put sharper edge on the vim
dietiyeness OF their sssailsnts, and they pro-
possd to thrust out the right eyes OF the help
less people, as a condition Of the pacific settle
Dent Of the dispute now pending. Il was an
( atrOcity so cold-blooded even in its conception,
I that The Jews night naturally have thought
that Nshasb was playing on their servile fears
By 80 nonstTous proposition. They appear,
however, to have known that Nahash conten-
| plated the eonsummstion of the act, and that
his purpose was not so much their simple van
/ quisbment, as their snuihilation.
Invoking few days respite, they promised
/ In case no su-cor arrived from the coasts of
| Israel, to submit TO the ignominy proposed
I without a murmur. We may naturally think
that Nahash believed the diffusion OF such an
item Of intelligence would so far from stimu-
lating the activities Of the other tribes, rather
I depress them, and that drawing terrific pic
ture OF the doom awaiting them il parties to
1 the strife, they would recede from any connec-
| tion with It, and remain neutral in the encoun-
ter. Such, obviously, was his train Of reason
ing, or he would not have granted this respite.
As il was, the lion, however impetuous, could
afford to daily with the lamb, and allow his
sanguinary paw to have a fathers lightness
for brief interval, when anticipating the final
descent Of its crushing weight in the issue.
The messengers sailed forth, spurred on by
self-imposed enthusiasm, and wherever they
went arose the cry of anguish. Arriving at
Gibeah, the paternsl residence of Saul, they
rehearsed with fattering tongue the same ter
rific narrative, and the same food Of tears be-
tokened the grief Of the listeners, as-over-
whelmed with a sense Of their incapaeity-
their faculties seemed stupshsd by despair.
At that particular juncture, Saul came in from
the field gith the herd Of cattle. He had been
buslly occupied during the day in bis custom
ary agricultural pursuits, and now, fatigued
with his labor, was returning in the evening
hour 70 his homestead to rest
True, be was even now the Anointed Of the
Lord, and had been designated by Heaven as
the sovereign Of a mighty land but subse-
quent to his conservation, be appears to have
gone back to his olden pursuits with a spirit
entirely free from elatiOn at the brilliant fu-
turs, whose inaugural be had passed. Now,
however, be had passed the Rub'c n. Hearing
anew the tale OF horror, ell he patriotic in
pulses Of bis soul were fired as with torch Of
magic, and be was no longer the herdman Of
Gibeah. His ploughshare leapei to sword
OF double edge, and under the full influence of
the Spirit, be hewed in pieces yoke OF oxen,
and sent them throughout the coasts Of Isare.,
imprecating vengeance on the man who failed
to respond heartily to the summons, and Join
the banners Of those who should retaliste
fearful wrong. How very suddenly and unex-
pectedly will all the integrity of manhood show
itself. Oae little kiGdling narrative Of wrong
listened to with avidity, has turned the whole
current Of the feelings, and a hero has been
chiseled at a single blow. What elaborate
training could never do, syllable has accom-
plished, and the mos. unpromising elements OF
character have been subliulted by one incl
dental circumstances in the personal history of
the individual. Saul, when sought for by the
prophet Samuel. on the day Of his conservation
10 The kingly ofi>e, moved by his native mod
esty, secreted himself behind the stuff, as the
Scripture expresses it. Now be emerges from
the strong bold Of his temporary obseuTity,
and launches out into the deep for a dfaugbt
of glory. Those slumhsring elements Of
mental grandeur now took form and pres-
sure, and when he assembled bis forces at Be-
eek, and reviewed upwards OF three hundred
thousand soldiers, an eager for the fray. be was
giant in purpose as be was in physical alti-
tade, and mind, and soul, and body were like
parallel forces moving TO one destined point
After making the necessary arrangements for
bis march, he despatched the messengers to
J Ibesb- -Gilead TO reasssre their dropping bosoms
with the promise Of advancing aid Then could
the hitherto detected Manassites tell King Ma
hash, that with the coming dawn they would
submit to his arbitrary stipulation. and be
mutilated to suit bis whim. Such promise
contained in Il the most essential irony, for
well they knew that within another four land
twenty-hours the legions Of Jehovah would be
pouring like bees upon the beleaguTed Amuon-
ties, and the newly-app0In captain Of that
host would fame like meteor be ore the van,
~
ing blow; and shouting hIs HatchwOrd till the
welkin had caught its eeno, and re-duplicsted
the stirring sound IsIt any wonder that God
induced His servant to revenge 10 his behalf 90
beartless purpose as was that Of Nahash.
Deliberate cruelty assmill.es man to the devil
so thoroughly, so utterly debases bis nature,
that the heart which can cherish it is pro-
nounced by God an outlaw. Animal passion
dsgrades, but pitiless tyranny unhunanIses the
heart, and be who escspeS In this world the
Judgments OF the Almighty for the systematic
manifestation of sanguinary disposition, will
but meet fearful reYersion Of accunulating
punishment Ia another state Of being. There
fore, Oh King OF Ammonl beWarei DOst thou
not see the cleaning of the battle axe? Does
not a thronging band Of spectral shadows
glide from the thiekets OF Mount Gilead, as the
prophetic pioneers of a sinewy host? Hark,
it is the wsr-cry Of Israel. The foe ls on
I tucts Ndlde14 ana now is l1y IlEQt eve
which shall be daTkeaed. With both ewes
those belesgured Jews shall Look on at thy
| calamity, and mock when thy fear eomsth.
Thou hast builded the altar, and thou shalt be
/ like the heath in the desert, and like a rolling
/ thing before the whiTlwind. Providence will
teach the that even meditated cruelty bears the
brand Of completed guilt. The panic shall be
transferred to thy own heart, and the FIRST blow
CT the farmer Of Gibesh shall make thee lick
kha 1wak - 49, Ts.e. e
strangely is man often led to neutralize bis
purposes, By adopting some modification of bis
/ original plan. thus Nshash designed doubt
less 70 matilate the Jews Of Jabesh Gilead at
once, but be was led to modify that intention
and grant respite, and this altered the complex
/ ion of the final event II is true that Nahash
I did not make an assault upon the city at first,
| but lay within his trenches; but that his object
vas to raze the city to the ground is obvious,
| both II N his character and the brilliant nu-
/ merical strength Of bis army. What to him,
/ therefore, was brief holidsy2 In that inter-
I val Of suspense himself would suffer no dan
ger. Il would be episode of Joy in the cam
Daign, while to the Manassites it would bring
suspense and anxiety in the commence msnt,
and infallible chagrin at the end when they
found no help advancing 10 their terrible exi-
gsnce. But this delay was overruled by prov
/ idence. In granting them time be granted them
I
value Of time in common instances, but there
are epoehs in the history of both persons and
nations when tine bss been a mighty boon. In
one week granted By court Of justice to sift
out testimony, apparent guilt has lost its pur-
ple dye, and innocence exulted In her snowy
/ robe.
"Hsve patience with me and win pay ycu
! ALP exclsi rs the anxious creditor, and With
/ the granted respite comes the fresh energy TO
secure the sum Of money bis Indebtedness re-
qnires. Time is money, says the adage. So
| Il 10, but smpiify the saying, and then, time is
knowledge, time is character, time is solvencv
and in the case Of the Manassitss with re-
morseess foe before them and mountainous
barriers in the rear, eHvironsd by Gordon OF
scorpions, each instant anticipating the en-
trance Of the sting. Time is deliveranee, yes
time was deliveranee to them. Al there was
a time when a greater than Nanasb invested
the universe with his legions Of fallen spirits