The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-11-15

| (t,x xx, 1D BY these every relation In
life was covered, and all the interests I'm
family and society were fully guarded.
The excellence of that code, confessed by
| eminent jurists of all after centuries Is
shown by the fact that, as Blackstone de-
clares In his Commentaries on the Laws
| OF England. IL has entered largely into
| There was thus presented the beautiful
| spectacle of more than three millions of
| souls living peacably and happily In the
valleys and on the hillsides. loyal to their
| King. the Almighty. This delghttul con-
dition continued through the life time Or
Joshua and OF those fathers VINO had VIII
| messed the displays or God = power.
| THE TRANSlTION.-lNers s, y. loO :
| one by one these venerable men passed
away, gathered unto their Fathers. joshua
! reached the good age OF 1lO years. iJosh
XNiN I'D He had been the cohiidentiai
friend of Moses from the time the Red
sea was crossed, the leader OF lsrnei IN
the battles of defense and conquest Josh
VIII, u, and the wise ana honored head
| OF the nation after the settlement IN 'he
| new possessions. lie was buried III ianu
| that had come to him In partition OF inc
| country Josh. xix. 5O, In the city OF
Timnah- -Serah of the tribe of Ephiain
TO which he belonged. tNumb. XIII, 81
HIS long service had given him ~ warm
place in the hearts of his countrymen,
ing reverence. Some of the old men who
had been associated with nm fingered
FOR time, and then they too disap-
| peared. A new generation having no per-
sonal knowledge of the early times came
upon the stage OF action.
THE REVOLT.-lNerses II, l., iii
Ihe orientalists from the most ancient
lines nave enJoined reverence LOT the
fathers. rms spirit was one OF the pasai
principles IN the laws or the decalogue'
ZEN. NX, I'd 1t was believed that the
early institutions of people ought to be
perpetuated-theN were 1ndeed neiu 10 pe
sacred, as divinely ordained. COnserVat-
ism tended to stability. ana that 10 Sc
curity, and in those days men reared
changes as involving peril. But the new
Israel forgot the fathers ana rejected the
rensious customs ana ordinances "hich
We're their most precious inheritance.
Casting off the service of JehoVah, whc
the gods or the Land. rms may nave re-
suited from desire TO be irienuiS WIN
the natives among whom they dweit. OF
from conviction then common that
there were local deities VINO presided over
certain sections Oh the country, OF lt may
be that pure monothelsm oiu not quite
meet the needs of their intellectual and
social life
THE DEtEAF.-tNerses Ii and lo)-
Men forgot that in the turning away
from the LORD they FORFEIT HIS protecting
care. One of the plainest promises made
to Israel was that God would be in their
midst to deliver them from enemies lDeut.
KILL l4), conditioned only upon their 10y
atty to Him. History had recorded in
stances or defeat solely because or SIN,
as in the case of All Josh. vii. %. and
these ought to have been warnings to all
after generations sufficient to prevent any
departure from the path of rectitude. But
the new Israel forgot these things also.
The Canaanites were not their only enc
mies-the Lord himself fought against
according to declaration made long time
ago. Q.ev. NXri. 10 1t was Gods meth
cd of chastising His people, making them
to feel the need of Him, to realize their
sin and turn from it. severe but salu-
tary measure for reformation
THE JuDGES.-CNe Verses III and Id
While distressed in TINS manner Israel was
not wholly forsaken God did not cast
off His chosen as lie might justly have
done He had a great work to accom-
plsh through these descendants of Abra-
ham Gen. Xii. y. the fulillment of
the welfare of the race. Hence His heart
was filled with pity and after sufficient
punishment had been meted out at the
hands or their enemes' after there We're
some signs OF repentance and REFORM
God raised up man who stood for Him
ana VINO united all the tribes III success
men called Judges the defenders of the
land, the administrators of justice, who
sought TO fehablltate the old institutions,
ana reklndle the flres OF patriotism and
loyalty to COD. These men came at H.
tervals ana rendered valuable service for
n time, ana then there would be an inter-
regnnm. But so wayward was Israel that
even these divinely commissioned men
were not regarded.
THE DELlNItRANCE.-(Ne Isl
LORD was mefciful ana faithful notWith-
standing the sins of Israel He beheld
the people in their sin and sorrow. He
heard their sroanlnSs by reason of op-
preston There is no more pitiable condi-
ton than that OF those who by sinful
deeds are plunged into trouble, who cause
their own misfortune. And the divine
heart was moved with compa ssion for
the suffering inhabitants of the land. and
by the hand of the judge whom He raised
respite from the vexations OF enemies. It
was hot pSSohot VI dlS utStIt VI Ildil
hut because of the infinite mercy of the
Almighty Critus, iii, % that the tide of
battle was turned and Israel gained the
victory in struggling against her foes
Then peace and rest came to the land
and rejoicing far and wide filed all the
hearts.
THE IDOLATRY- -(Verse 19)-But
these gracious interpretations were speed
lily forgotten. AS soon as the man was
dead through whom they We're wrought
the people returned to their old ways and