Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-03-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Int national Sunday School Lesson
for March 31-RevieW.
BY REV. e. p. RODGERS, d. d.
From New York Observer.


Golden Text-"When they in their
trouble did turn unto the Lord God of
| Israel and sought him. he Was found ot
them II. Chron. 10: 4.
Central Truth-The Lori Furnishes the
perversr. but forgives the pcilitent.
The time which is embraced in the
lessons of he last three months, is about
three hundred and Ihirty.tilree years.
Ii begins about 975 b. c. a:lt ends 642 b.
C. Our lessons began with the history
of the Kingdom OF judah and have con-
tinued tn he end of rtle reign of Manas-
sch. During this time Judah had thir-
teen kings and one queen. OF these
kirgS seven were wise and good mon.
arcils, though they We're not all equally
pei feet. They were Abiiah. Asa, .jehos-
aphat, JOash. Amaziah, Jot;lam and
Hezekiah. The Other seven We're Reno
beam, JehOram, ,Ahaziah,Q Queen Athaliah,
| UZziab, Ahaz and Manassen. The relgns
OF The former were much longer tnan
those of the latter. showing that they
enjoyed the special favor of God.
| Ii is quite remarkable that OF the nine
treH kings who eigned over the king
dom OF Israel during the same time, not
one of them seems TO have walked in tie
way OF the Lord. Their history in this
respect seems 10 have been III marked
contrast to that of the kingdom Of Ju-
dail.
| In reviewing the lessons for these
three months We may divide tine history
OF Judah into four periods. The first
embraces the period of revival under
Asa. and extend, TO I!ie close OF the third
| lesson.
The second embraces the history OF
the repairing of the temple by Joash.
| md extends to tie close vi the 7th les
son.
| The third contains the history of HeZ-
ekiall's good reign, and the wonderful
prosperity of lis administration, and
! continues 10 the end of the 10th lesson.
The fourth period covers the his Org
of MaDaSseh, and goes TO the end OF the
| 18th lesson.
Inc reign OF Asa was Il bright spot in
The history OF t',e k.iig,!Om. Under his
able and piOus administration, both the
religious and 5 cuiar Interests OF the
people were greatly proSperc,i. Attack
ING boldly and vigorously the prevailing
idolatrie, Of the times, he restored The
worship OF the true GJd, and. as might
have been expected, the biessing OF the
God whom he honOred came upon his
lingd0n. Ill. had all the cha acteristicS
vi IL true rrfurtner. He was sound in his
theories, earnest III lis spirit and honest
| al las aims. Il Was net merely revOiu
tiOn at which he aimed, but reform
tie came 10 the throne ut a crisis Ia The
nations his, Ory. Both his father Abij ill
and his grandfather RehOboam liad iur-
saken the good ways or David, and tol
lowed Solomon rather in the Objeciiolla-
ble features OF his career. Had Asa fol-
lowed in the same path the nation wnul,
have gravilaied with fearful rapidity
during his long reign Of forty one year.
toward decentralization AMI ruin. Bul
from hi, history we learn what il Llessin.
Il good ruler is 10 Il ne, and how surely
God will honor aud bless Il people wht
honor Him and obey His laws.
| The history OF the reign vi JehOsaphat
ih' son OF Ass. is much OF the same SORT
lie was Il good son OF good father. liz
carried Oh tile reform so successfully i'll
auyurateu by Asa. Aud Gods blessing
came upon him AMI his people in won
deriul measure. He himself becain,
Very rich. but not aJ The expense of Iii.
people. They shared in hs prosperity
They revered and loved their monarch
il Nas ii beautiful pictlre-a good King
Il happy people. And still the leSsot
comes to us: righteousness eXalLeth
nation" Them that honor me l vii
honor"
AnOTher distinguished epoch in tn,
history of Judah WAS in the days OF 10
ash. He WAS the youngest of all TIN
: kings. coming to the lhrone at the age o
seven years. But he had a wise AMI guOt
counsellor III JelOiada, the high priest
who was Il dlscree: AMI faithful In IN. an,
) guided the youthful monarch very wise
| ly.
The great event of Joash's admiuistra
ton Was the resi- oraIion of the temple IL
II great cost, and with great thorOuyniIcs
and beauty. Aud The history teaches IL
that care Tor Coos house, al al the inst
tuiiols ana services OF religion, may wei
engage the attention of rulers, and ar,
closely linked with the true and perma
neat prosperity of a people.
The history OF Hczckiah is anOthe
brilliant era III the records of Judah. Ill
WAS one of the best monarchs of all tn,
|. jewish kings. worthy to be ranked Will
e ms Iiiustrlous predecessor David. He hat
a deep reverence tor Col. an eulightenet
Zeal Tor his service, patriotic and liberia
public spirit. ami we are told that sin
{ prospered in all his works. Very for
tuIaie WAS Judah in such IA monarch
Asa. Joash, JOtham and Hczekiah CAV
lustre to their age, and secured prOsprrii,
for their kingdom. Had our review ein
braced the .:isi Ory OF Only such rulers. i
e would have been splendid record
e But there is auo,her side To the his
$ tory. Reiioboam, Jehoram. Atialial
Ahaz anu Mali:lsseil, We re bad sovcreigls
aud the niger Of Cod attended their al
= mihi,tratiom. "fhey madr Israel 10 sin.
! and the dI:ine vengeance followed thei
| cts.
The central truth, which is placed a
the head OF this review. is IA undantly il
. Illustrated by tn. teachings OF these thre
months lessons: The Lord punisne
the perverse, but forgiyeS tue penitenl.
: Ii was so in every case. The good king
II rvigned longest and enjoyed "a goo
J measure OF wealth. power and h ppiies,
\ The atcrage duration 0t their reigns wi;
over twenty-five years. But the wick..
u kings. III tour cases, averaged only tou
i years OF power. and their history is OH
/. of defeat and sorrow. The inference
II irresistible that God will not bless wicl
ed rulers, and will not prosper a peopl
who disilonor and disobey Him.
> The sp' cial md practical differences /
be drawn from this review are:
!" l. That rulers do much toward dcrte
- mining The character of their people. III
Stream wall not rise higher than tile four
II tain We naturally feel the Influence
ID those who are in high places. and e,
D. allied station gilds even sin with a fal.
Il and delusive tut fas scin .ting lustre.
ie z. Men should not lose sight of IL
iiearfui responsibilities of rank, while VI