Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-28

veh. In spite of the protestations of
Isaiah, an embassy was sent from Judah
down to Egypt. Sennacherib, however, was
strong enough for all his enemies. He
routed the Babylonian rebels, and drove
their King and leader into the hiding
places of the desert and the marsh. And
then he turned toward Egypt, and on his
way he punished the rebellious provinces Of
Palestine. Thus it came about that the
great Sennacherib laid siege to the little
city of Jerusalem.
Book in the British Museum.
The march of the invading army is de-
scribed for ms by two contemporary writers
in whose record we may have confidence.
One is Isaiah, the other is Sennacherib
himself On pages of clay, after the book
making fashions of Nineveh, Sennacherib,
at the hands of some scribes of his, set
down the whole story of his invasion. The
books which were once in the Imperial
library of Assyria are now in the British
Museum. And the two sides of the story,
the version of the beseiged and the version
of the beseigers, lie before us.
The army marched across the wide plains
that separate Assyria from the sea, and fell
first upon the province OF Phenicia, attack
ing Sidon. Thence they turned south
against Philistia. The beleaguie ed provinces
sent for help to Egypt, and an Egyptian
army tardily came, and was at once turned
back again defeated. The victorious As
svrians thus came in all their strength upon
the two Kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
But the kingdom of Israel had already been
plundered from the East, and its inhabitants
carried into captivity. Judah alone re-
manned
The armies of Assyria swept like q pes
thence, like tornado, over the towns of
Judah. Forty-six strong cities did Sen
naeharib take, and 200, 900 people did he
make captives. King Hezekiah ne shut up,
he says, like bird in cage From
Lachish he sent to Jerusalem summons to
surrender.
sennacherib Made Hard Bargain.
have seen picture of Sennacherib.
which ought to be good one, for he sat for
it himself 1t is cut in stone, and repre-
sents him as he sat upon his throne at
Lachisb, receiving the homage of these
Jewish captives. King Hezekiah sent to
Lachish to purchase safety And Sem
nacherib made hard bargain with him.
Hezekiah had not onlv to empty all his
treasure chests to the last farthine, but even
to pull off the golden covering of the great
doors of the Temple
And yet, no sooner had the Assyrian
turned again toward Egypt, with the money
OF Jerusalem clinkiDg in his purses, than
for some reason he repented him of his
forbearance. He got word that Egypt was
stronger than he thought. He feared, per-
haps, to leave this fortified city behind
him. He had already possessed himself of
the wealth of Jerusalem, now he would take
Jerusalem also. He stopped, accordingly,
and sent demand for unconditional sur
render. Over from Lachish came his officer,
the Rabshakeh, and large attachment Of
men came with him. The people of the
city watched them from the walls Out
came the city officials to meet them. In
loud voice, so that all the terrified listeners
on the walls might hear, and in the Ian
guage of the Hebrews, so that all the hearers
might understand, the ambassador of the
Assyrian king recounted the long list of his
Isaiah's Predicted Crisis Came.
Where had there been found nation that
could stand before him? The frightened
officials rent their garments Hezekiah
took Sennacherib's letter, and fastening with
it into the holy Temple spread it out there
in prayer before the Lord, crying out: ''See
this, and help usp' But how could help be
possible Outside the walls was the ever
victorious army of Assyria; and within all
hearts failed for fear. The crisis which
Isaiah had predicted had arrived.
In the presence of this crisis let Us note
its grave Importance. 1t is not only the
fate of that little city that depends upon its
issue. We ourselves are very seriously
concerned in it. 1t is such moment as
came again at Thermopola. 1t is the dam
ger which Charles Martel faced when be
met the vanguard of the Mohammedan SOL
1iers invading Central Europe. Shall the
wild armies of the East overrun the West?
Shall the lower civilization stamp out the
higher? Shall the superstitions of Assyria
triumph over the true religion of Judea?
1nr own civilization, our own religion,
'eem to wait upon the outcome of this
'iege-
A Turning Point of History.
We make great mistake if we think
that this is but bit of old dead history,
which can be shut up between the pages OF
The Bible, and treated as a matter Of no
concern to u.s. The chances are that if
had destroyed Jerusalem that
lay, there would never have been any such
,ity as Pittsburg here at the meeting of tho
rivers, nor any such government and nation
IS the United States of America. Our place
S up on that old wall, looking over at the
ines of scarlet shields, and praying for the
lelp OF God against the perils of the NOR
.ow.
There was only one man who met this
;risis with serenity. That was Isaiah.
From the beginning he had declared the
iure defeat of the Assyrians. As their
lrmy grew nearer and fercer, Isaiah grew
more full of joy and confidence. Every
,ody else was in despair, crying, 'Iet Us
at and drink, for tomorrow we die"
Isaiah alone kept steadfast heart. Isaiah
lot only prophesied defeat for Sennacherib,
,ut he declared that that defeat would be
udden, strange, wrought by the hand Of
Ioj. This foresight Of Isaiah, this singu-
ar prediction in the face of all probability,
5 one of the remarkable facts of history.
he army of Assyria, he said, shonld Be
estroyed in night
The Miraculous Deliverance.
And that happened. The day came upon
7hich Sennacherib should make his great
ttack. His stout hand was uplifted for
he mighty blow. But the blow came not.
Without an effort on the part of Isaiah
-ithout even the beginning of battle, that
reat army of besiegers fell into wild con-
lsion. The King commanded retreat.
Jack they went to Nineveh. The fields
ehind them were covered with priceless
ooty which they had abandoned, and with
cad bodies left unburled.
Was it as the Egyptian records say, that
n army of field mice gnawed the
owstrings of the archers, and set
ne host into a panic? Or was it, as the He
rev story seems to hint, a sudden pesti-
.nce? We know not. Only this we know,
nat Sennacherib abandoned his campaign;
nat he went with all haste out of those
,asts and betook him to his own city, and
ne soldiers of Assyria were seen in those
arts no more forever. The invasion of
ennacherib broke against the walls of the
emple of the most high God as q wave