The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-05-31
The Sunday school.
r. Jonas an i.is.

Asses W May Ids birthplace, 8cf
koa was about twslye niles sasth east
81 Jefuaalem. lie tkereforc belonged
70 he king3on II Jsdab. Bas bic pro-
phslie mission was largely concerned
via tie daager. tie 3gly, Aad ,he aes-
tIniea e he kingsion q IsrAe he
appears b havo origiaatei fran What is
termed ,Ae nl53ie class 10 society lie
was II ibe common people. lie says
of hlmeeli ihal be was a gashcrey Tor
culsiyaiogl of sycamore fruit. Kind q
lrui, which ihc rich would have lis
daiael The whole coaaiIy about To
kos, says IN. Thompson. is deserted.
except by tbo Arabs, who pasture their
socks on those barren hills. He VS. 20
SOP d prophet lie had received no
education 10 any Of The prophet col
legps His vocation was thai Of shep.
herd until called by the resistless voice
81 inspiration within him to bis great
public ministry The shepherds life
Afforded much opportunity for refiec.
ton. Doubtless bis mind bad brooded
over tie sias Of the guilty tribes Until
Code message Of warning aud cali to
repentance was Gre shut up 10 his
bones, While he unused The fire burned
Amos lived about s25.Isl Uzziah was
king 81 Judah and Jcroboac. ii king
81 Israel He appears TO have been
possessed o. an absolute courage 10 re-
boking the sins Of all classes high and
low. kings, princes, priests aud PEG.
pie, had flashed before their startled
attention the hateful picture Of their
sins, aud the certain consequences Of
them. The high ecclesiastical digni.
taries were especially angcred tsee
vii ;l0.l7 He distinctly predicted the
captivity Of Israel. Outwardly the
kingdom Of Israel was when he visited
4 il. prosperous, time Of peace and
plenty. But inwardly the fruit Of the
/ prevalent civilization was as rotten as
outwardly II looked fair Idolatry,
immortality, injustice, fraud, bribery,
extortion, were everywhere dominant,
AMOS As REFoRMER The great
task before the prophet was, therefore,
equally religious and civil. He was
called to be religious reformer; nor
less a oiyil-seryiee reiormer. He was
mo believer in tho notion that religion
and politics should have nothing to do
with each other. Religion, real religion
was vital TO right living, in private OF
10 public OF course he was not popu-
lar. There is tradition that he was
put 10 death by bis eountrymen He
was man Of great and intense sympa
/ thy-as all great reformers arc. In the
FIRST place he was il sympathy with
/ God. lie felt in all his soul that the
law Of the Lord is holy, just aud good
He felt the debt Of love the people
owed Him who had called them to be
bis peculiar people, had rescued then
from bondage--had borne them as on
eagles wings, given to them the lane
Of promise, furnished them with all thu
advantages Of the law and the prophets
who had planted the heavens ant
laid the foundations Of the earth FOL
, them, thus making possible for them {
national prosperity aud blesscdness in
conceiyably desirable. To reject Hi
law and worship, after all this, he fel
TO be ingratitude most base-a cours,
Of folly most pcrvene. Yet lie pitie,
the people. How often would / hav
gathered them as a hen gathereth he
brood under her wings and ye woul,
not The burden Of his messages was
that while God is no respeetor of pei
sons, be is infinitely, respector q
character. Say ye unto my people
I II shall be well with the righteous
shalt be i'll with the wicked. He wa
: emphatieally the voice Of one crying
s the wilderness among the surroundin
e nations. warning them TO make hast
70 repent. and bring forth the aetui
/ fraits Of repentance. The thunde
J storm rolls successfully over Syria, th
, Pbilistines, Tyre, lEdom, Ammon, an
Ammon, and Moab. Judah does nc
\ escape But it bursts with all It's fur
ion Israel Ii ii: l6.) Israel is th
main subject, The people are rebuke
for manifold sins. Gil IS; vi:l4.) The
follows q series Of visions, or prophet
symbols, which are described and ia
iefpreted. tvii.ix.) The latest ute
!, fance Is not ono Of woe. The owe
throw Of Israel 10 certain. But n
house Of Jacob is act 70 be utterly d,
stroyed There was day coming
: which the fallen tabernacle OF Dayi
should be reared up again, and the pei
pie Of Israel ENJOY blessings far hight
aud mere enduring than had bee
J theirs ia their early history. That i
Z Al the close q his messages, his pr
8 pAeiic vision o'erleaped tho near futur
= aud ioresaw the day that Abraham sa
and was glad
" ANos A. WATEE His style Is il