The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-03
<s<xesxeSS<Sxssx<sS<Sx<sx S<Sx<sSesS<AS<< ! INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Copyright, Davis W. Clark-) CHARACTERIZATION

reunion of the long -dismembered em-
 pire. This he could do without hay
 ing sinister motives ascribed to him,
 for the northern kingdom was all ready extinct. The kings carefully
 worded appeal was carried by flying postmen from Dan to Beersheba- It
 was treated just as the urgent gospel message of today is Some mocked; some humbled themselves. The latter were numerous enough to make great assembly. The simple, beauti- full, significant rite of the Passover was observed again, under happy, aus pices. A crusade against the false rites naturally followed the revival of the true. Altars and idols went down into that natural receptacle of the off, securing, the chasm of kidron.
 Mosaic from Commentaries Hezekiah the king: Hezekiah-- Jehovah makes strong: Counting Queen Athaliah, the thirteenth sover- eign of Judah. The most pious of
 kings, was confirmed by the noblest
 of prophets (Isaiah)-smith. His | reign the eliminating point in the
 history of the kings of Judah.-Stanley All the vessels cast away. All the ves-
 sels which King Ahaz had polluted
 and rendered abonniable by strange idols when he reigned in his trans gression against the work of the Lord we have collected and hidden and oth-
 CTS have we prepared to replace them, and they are now before the Lord
 Targum. Rose Early: As soon as he heard the temple was ready, he lost no time.-Henry. Good use was i'm mediately made of the cleansed tenn
 ple.-Ibid. Seven bullocks: For ri- tual of sin-offering. see Lev. iv. Sprink- led: Literally dashed. Bullocks, rams,
 lambs, he-goats: Seven of the four different sacrificial animals because
 not for an individual. but a whole na- tion.--Camb. Bib. Lord by prophets: Chronicler urges that David's arrange
 ments were by inspiration.-Camb. Bib. Cymbals. psaltries. harps. Reinstitu- ton of the Levitical service of music. -Pupit Com. Musical instruments well calculated to animate the devo- tions of the people.-J. F. B.
 The Teachers Lantern.
 The Jews, periodic neglect of their temple should not surprise us over
 much or seem incredible. Something not unlike it has occurred in Christian
 times. Milman tells us how. in the reign of Queen Elizabeth
 aisles of St. Paul, bargains struck.
 burglaries planned. and servants hired there.
 The state of a religious edifice in a given place is usually a faithful index to the state of religion itself. A we'll kept church as a rule indicates re- ligion dominant and vice versa. Hezekiah, with David and Josiah.
 are reckoned the three perfect kings
 of Judah. @ Kings xviii.5.) Hezekiah
 was pre-eminently pious- He stood for worship.
 It was a courageous thing for Hex
 ekiah to abruptly and completely re-
 verse his fathers policy both at home
 and abroad in matters of State and religion. It shows the strength and
 depth of his conviction. No more appropriate. text for a re-
 opening sermon could be found than
 the the Levites report to the king. We have cleansed all the house of
 Jehovah" and no finer example of an
 orderly, dignffied,. and inspiring re-
 ligious service can be found. It was
 national act of worship. unanimous, humble and joyous.