The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-10-12

chanting to the accompaniment of
taboret and flute:
when Jehovah led back the cap
tives of Zion,
We were like them that dream"
They went laden with the spoi1s
of Babylon, as their I forefathers
did with the booty OF Egypt, and
guarded with a cavalcade of
thousand horsemen.
The decree which made the
journey possible is one of the mar
vels of history. A State paper un-
rivaled in the archives of nations.
1t can not be accounted for sufici-
emily by the mere intrinsic nobili-
ty of Cyrus's character. 1t in
volved the manumitting of cap
tives whose labor added to the
wealth of the empire, while their
superior intelligence and morality
exalted its civil service; it also in
cluded the surrender of priced
trophies Of conquest, besides a
generous appropriation from the
royal treasury. The losses incur
red so far offset any possible gains;
| as, for example, the erection of a
fortress upon the frontier of the
empire, etc, that we are at loss
to account for this instance of uu-
rivaled imperial se1f-denial, unless
we fall back upon the simple state
nent of the inspired historian
that "the Lord stirred up the spirit
of Cyrus"
The response of the Israelites
is almost as surprising as the de
cree itself. The present genera
ton had been born in Babylon.
Like the canary in its cage, they
rather liked and felt safest behind
the gilded bars Of a congeniel serf-
dom. They had built houses and
planted gardens for themselves.
There were seven hundted miles
of bedouin-infested desert between
them and Palestine, involving at
least one hundred and twenty DAYS
toilsome marching. And when
they should arrive, what would
they find but heaps Of ruins, afford
ing hiding places for their heredi-
tary and ever-alert foes? That, in
spite of all this, fifty thousand
Jews instantly responded to Cy-
russ decree, can only be account
ed for by the further declaration
Of the scribe; namely, that God
raised Same word as that trans
lated stirred" in the case of Cy-
rus) their spirit to go up to build
the house of the Lord. There
was a double stirring up, first of
Cyrus to issue the decree, and then
of the people to obey it.
The return from Babylon was
diamond-point of destiny. The
history of the world turned upon
it. Had it not occurred Judah
would have been as certainly alb
sorbed by the heather empire of
the Euphrates as the lost tribes
ever we're. The Hebrew Scriptures
and ritual would have persisted
from the earth. The ruling idea
Of the Jewish faith, the person and
Office of the Messiah would have
faded from the minds ofmen. The
Jewish returned from exile was
therefore no inconspicuous episode
of local and ethnic religion.
1t was an event in which all ma
tions and all ages were concerned.
AS i'll all providential junctures,
the men who contributes to this
end built larger than they knew.
This does not, however, discount
their fortitude, piety, and patriot
ism. They were immortal heroes.
The unnamed rank and file of
them, as we'll as their well-known
leaders.
Analysis and Key.
l. Return from Babylonian exile.
Great event.
II. Cyrus's decree. Marvel Of
history.
Truly accounted for.
Lord stirred Cyrus"
III. Hebrew response surprising.
Reason for Contertr,ant -,