The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-07-01
The Mission Of Judaism.
Hebrew Leader.

| Hebrew Leader. u
tits impossible to interpret the pro-
found historic interest which attach
es to the Jewish name. except on the
ground of a special and grand desti-
ny in the purposes of Almighty
Providence. Four thousand years
ago the Jews were a nation. and they
constitute distictly recognized ma
tion at this day, though without po-
litical organization. For two thous-
and years they have been dispersed
over all quarters of the globe. and
have many times been pursued with
merciless hostility. But they have
not yet perished, have not been sWai-
low ed up by surrounding populations
not been slowly fused down and rem
dered indistinguishable from thss
inassed on every side. After -FOUR
thousand years of existence and two
thousand of persecution. they remain
Il distinct, recognized people, haying
preserved their language, laws, and
worship to this day, The fact is per-
fectIy alone in all history. Not
another such example can be point
ed out in the entire annals of the
world.
! The key to the Interpretation ofall
the peculiarities of ancient Judaism
lies here, as we venture to judge. An
ignorant and barbarous people were
to be disciplined for lofty and God
like mission, of the real nature of
which, its mystery and grandeur,
they were unaware. BY means of a
stringent form of worship. which af-
fected every hour of tine day and
every aspect of their life, they were
brought in peculiar relation with the
true God. and taught to believe that
they were His people: By success
sion of never ending sacred rites,
every one of which they had to OBJ
serve scrupulously, they were not on
! ly habituated to the thought Of God,
but inspired with profound awe of
Him, and educated in the conviction
OF His constant presence. His unce Ie-
ing observation, and the perpetual
reverence which He demanded.
From age to age heroic souls were
born among them to govern; deliver,
rebuke or punish them, and 20 reform
their institutions and manners.
Gifted sages were raised up to inspire
them with exalted and pure concep-
tions OF Jehovah. Holy men of God,
historians, and psalmists ard pro-
phets and seers uttered the divine
messages through the length and
breadth of the land. 70 the Jews as
to no other people Under Heaven,
were committed the bracles Of God.
Without philosophy Withoutscience,
without literature, except Of a sacred
kind, the writings of theit inspired
men contain for the world the largest
amount anywhere to be fotrnd OF W hat
the world acknowledges to- be the
best and truest in divine religion.
During the present century, ana IN;
creasingly as the century has ad-
vanced enlightened research has been
laboriously directed to the Yedas and
Pusans and Shasters of India, and to
the Aresta and Zend-Aresta OF Persia.
There are Divine passages in these
ancient writings! There are beauti-
full and pure and true sayings. But
impartial scholars will not dispute
that these are few and short, and are
found in Che midst of mass of what
can be called by no filter name than
Pagan rubbish: Scarcely have we
been touched by some sentence Of
elevated and holy thought, than we
are dragged down to stupid, childish,
legendary tales, or to what is as cor.
rupt as it Is puerile, and they form
the staple and substance OF the sacred
books. The Jewish scriptures on the
other hand, are not only more simple
and more clear, bat their teachings
persistent and uniform. With a con-
stant voice they proclaim. sometimes
in simple terms, but often in language
of surprising magniffcence and SUBJ
Unity. the eternity. the omnipres.
ence. the spirituality. the holiness
and the wisdom Of the true Jehovah.
And above all. in passages without
number, and in forms the Inost ten
der and the most touching, they
consistently proclaim the forgiving
mercy Of the holy God.