Middletown transcript., 1898-12-17
-n.-lsr,uoo,vp vpssCDr
Sun Ia = ~ Sy'rz = q .

International Sunday School Lesson for
Dec. IS. 1898. The Captivity of Ju-
dab. Jer. 50: Ill. Head the whole
s Chapter. Golden Text-"Ye shall
seek Ne, and find Me, when ye shall
search for Me with all your heart"
Jer. 20: Is.
The evil king of Judah, Manasseh,
filed Jerusalem with innocent blood;
which the Lord would not pardon. And
in tie reign of another evil king Jehoia-
kim, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
took Jerusalem, but after three years
the Jews rebelled against him.
Then king Jeconiah did evil in the
sight of the Lord, according to all that
his father had done; and Nebuchadnez.
Ear besieged Jerusalem again, and took
the king and his officers captive to
Babylon. He took also all the treas
ures of the temple and the kings house
and cut in pieces all the beautiful veg
sells of gold which Soloman had made
in the temple of the Lord as the Lord
had said by jeremiah. He took away
10, 900 captives, and all the craftsmen
and smiths; none remained, but the
poorest sort of the people Of the land.
And NebuchadneZzar made Jacon-
iah's uncle Zedekiah king over Jerusa-
lem. In the ninth year of his reign
NebuehadnezZar again besieged erusa-
lem for two years. And they built foIts
against IL. and famine prevailed in the
city, and there was no bread for the
people of the land. Then the city was
broken up, and the soldiers fed by
night, and Zedekiah was overtaken,
and all his army was scattered from
him.
Then the sons of Zedekiah were kill
ed before his eyes, and his eyes were
put out, and he was bound with chains
and carried to Babylon.
The captain of the guard of Babylon
burnt the house of the Lord, and the
kings house, and the houses of Jerusa-
lem; and the army Of the Chaldeans
that was With him broke down the
walls of Jerusalem. The rest Ct the
people that were in the city he carried
away, but left the poor of the land to
be vine-dressers and husbandmen. The
Cbaldeans broke in pieces the beauti-
full pillars of the temple, and with all
the vessels of brass, took them away.
The captain of the guard took the cost
ly furniture and vessels of gol1 and
silver, exceeding many, and too great
to be weighed. He to,k the priests
who had done evil, and the officers,
and brought them to Babylon, and the
king of Babylon slew them.
"Thus Judah was carried away cap
tive out Of his own land To full
fill the word of the Lord by the mouth
of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed
her sabbath: fer as long as she lay des-
olate she kept sabbath" And to this
day Judah mourns the desolation of the
and in which they are aliens, and God
has declared, "And if ye will not yet
for all this hearken unto Me, then l
will punish you seven times more for
your sins. :. But 1 will for their
sakes remember the covenant of their
ancestors, whom brought forth out Of
the land of Egypt in the sight of the
heather, that might De their God: |
am the Lord" "The Redeemer shall
come to Zion:" "Come, Lord Jesus"
international Sunday School Lesson
for Dec. 25, 1893. Review. Golden
Text" Return un you, saith the
Lord of Hosts" Nal. 81.
The Father complains of His cG il
dren, "Hear, o Heavens, and give ear,
o earth: for the Lord hath spoken; l
have neurished and brought up child
rem and they have rebeled against Me.
The OK knoweth his owner, and the ass
his masters crib: but Israel doth not
know. My people doth not consider"
The word of the Lord, by many pro-
phets, had entreated Israel ard Judah,
Oh, earth, earth, earth, hear the word
Of the Lord: Come now and let US rea-
son together, saith the Lold: though
your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as
white as snow: though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye
be willing and obedient, ye shall eat
the good of the land: but if ye refuse
and rebel, ye shall be devoured with
the sword"
The word of Him who cannot lie was
pledged, ''Hear, o earth: behold I will |
bring evil upon this people, even the |
fruits of their thoughts. because they |
have not hearkened unto Ny words, nor
to My law, but rejected it." And Is
rael went into captivity and was lost to
the world to this day, and Judah was
taken captive to Babylon to return to
their land for time. and to become a
byword, Kissing and reprUach, until
the Messiah shall come back to earth
to fulfil His promise, "SiDg and rejoice,
Q daughter of Zion: for, 10, I come,
and | dwell in the midst of thee, saith
the Lord. And the Lord shall in
herit Judah bis portion in the holy land
aud shall choose Jerusalem again."
Hear the lamentations of the prophet,
''How doth the city sit solitary that
was full of peoplel how is she become a
widowl she that was great among the
and princes among the provin-
ces, how is she become tributaryl' Hear
the lsmentation of their King, Elbow
often would I have gathered thy chill
1ren together. as hen doth gather her
brood under her wings, and ye would
not.n
And hear the Holy Spirits lament,
sG Vo Itovn MT hooouoo No aeiy ,ok 3, |