The Grenada sentinel., 1903-04-04

i MM ~ ing the prowess
lC-74N of the great gen.
eral who has led
it to victory,
kHX~ IT, sound forth from
MT = the 46th Psalm,
: which was writ
ten supposedly in commemoration OF
the great deliverance of Jerusalem
from the mighty Assyrian army. 1t
was during the reign of the godly
King Hezekiah that these remarkable
events transpired. They are full OF
thrilling interest. Following the vig-
orous religious and POLITICAL reforms
with which Hezel>iah inaugurated his
reign, he boldly threw off the yoke
of the Assyrian king and refused Ion
ger to pay him tribute. Later the
northern tribes of Israel were taken
captive and their country laid waste
by the Assyrians, and this exposed
Judah to fresh attack. Many of her
strongholds were taken and the vast
Assyrian army under Sennacherib
came and encamped against Jerusa-
lem. The city was ordered to sur
render in the most insulting and
blasphemous language. The God of
Judah was defied as being unable to
save them from the iron hand of the
great conqueror. In the hour OF
peril and desperate need Hezekiak
lays the matter before the Lord and
obtains word through the Prophet
Isaiah that the Lord has heard his
prayer and will deliver the city out
of the hands of the enemy. "And it
came to pass that night that the
angel of the Lord went out and smote
in the camp of the Assyrians an
hundred four score and five thou
sand: and when they arose early in
the morning behold, they were all
dead corpses."
G o MUCH for the historical facts
~ which probably furnished some
devout Jewish poet with his inspira-
| ton for the Psalm. In the eleven
short verses Of this paean of praise the
words of our text are repeated twice,
echoing the thought in the opening
verse, and furnishing the key to the
whole. The sound of the words
comes with the reassuring calm of
the "Peace, be still" which hushed
the raging sea of Galilee to rest. 1t
is a confident boast which swells and
| throbs all through the Psalm and re-
veals the glory which comes from the
linking of the Divine power with hu-
man weakness, bringing victory in
the face of mighty foe. What must
these words have meant to those
helpless Jews shut up in their
city and unable of themselves to
strike single effective blow al
the enemy which threatened their
homes and their loved ones? To-day
the Assyrians are seen to be drawing
the lines closer about the city and
| preparing to make the final assault
upon the city's walls. Darkness
closes in upon the city and the en-
camped enemy. What the morrow
may bring forth fills the people with
anxious dread. But Hezekiah anC
Isaiah have placed the matters at is
sue in the hands of a mighty ally
and, while the besieged city waits
Gods angel goes forth and smites the
Assyrian army with the scourge o:
death. The morning light as it breaks
over that troubled and anxious city
reveals to the wondering eyes of th'
people heaps of dead instead of a,
onrushing and conquering army, ant
in the distance the remnant of Sen
nacherib's army can be seen retreat
ing, leaving behind its ifeless war
riors. It is no idle boast which echoe
throughout the city. They can sa.
in truth: "The Lord of Hosts is will
US: the God of Jacob is our refuge.
GTWAs a great thing for King Heze
- kiah to be able to claim the Lor'
as his ally. It is the greatest boas
which any soul can make. Japan :.
few years ago was proud to claim a
her ally the British nation with he
powerful fleets. Cuba more recentl
was made strong and confident in tn
knowledge that the United Stste
stood behind her in sympathy IN
was ready to help strike the blow TO
liberty.
Napoleon's boast that God was wit
the heaviest artillery sounds well, an
has echoed and reechoed on the lips o
men in self-assuring confidence eve
? since, but we dare to claim it is no
true. We would like to recast it an
say: "God, with the artillery, make
it the strongest" The imputation tha
God is always looking for the bigges
army and the, heaviest guns, SO as
be on the winning side, is worse tha
blasphemy. God is always with th
right, and whether it has the heavies
guns or not it wins gloriously in th
end. Surely it was not because Hez,
kiah had the heaviest fighting fore
which made God his ally and secure
: for him the victory. Follow throug
!, the pages of sacred history and it wi
8 be seen that with God it was not a que
| tion of the largest army and be.
!, equipment, but was always an issu
between right and wrong; the deli