The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-09-21
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Review OF the Third Quarter.

! y
Z These stories open the domestic.
official, and religious life of two
millenniums and halt age, but we
find it strangely like current life.
JOYS and sorrows, victories and de-
feats, and the respective causes of
the same are all one and alike.
Rome was only.a century and a
half old when this old, but lively,
narrative begins. Kings had al
ready ceased in Greece. Assyria
was the supreme world-power.
The kingdom of Israel (the upper
kingdom) had passed out of exist
ence through the Assyrian con-
quest. Aside from the Scripture
of the Hebrews the age would be
dim indeed But fresh light and
confirmation of the sacred record
has lately come through he dis
covery of the royal library at MIN
eveh, with its ten thousand in
scibed tablets.
Sennacherib, the wonld-be con-
| querOr Of the world, is on his way
to attack the Land of the Pyra-
mids to his throne. He must
needs pass through the tiny realm
of the Hebrews. Nothing there
can prove more than momentary
impeachment. SO thought h e
Ninevite. He was emitting, how
ever, one 1nvincible factor in his
calculations; namely, the religious
faith Of the people. One courage
Gus, patriotic soul stood out against
the threatening tide Of invasion.
It was Hezekiah, the king. He
put his capital in condition for de-
Tense and infused his spirit into
the garrison. The precise way in
which the city was delivered and
the invading host destroyed may
never be known, but the fact is
indubitable.
The good king was in the very
midst of reforms which seemed to
demand his person and presence
when he received the curt mes
sage, Set thine house in order,
for thou shalt die and not live. j"
The suffering king turned his face
to the wall in prayer, not in de
spalr. Before the prophet had
crossed the palace courtyard the
the prayer was heard and the
prophet hidden to return and mod
1ty his message. The significant
sign Of the receding shadow was
given, and the king breaks out in
an lmprovised hymn of praise.
Isaiah's fadeless portraiture of
the suffering Savior comes next.
This poem is written in praise of
suffering, proverbially odious to
the Oriental mind. The life of
the supreme sufferer is made to
give the lie to the current philos-
ophy which afirms the disgrace
snd inutility of suffering.
In the ffty-third chapter the
prophet describes the great Shep-
herds method of recovering His
flock. In the 6fty-fourth chapter
he describes the new sheepfold-
the beauty, security, and capacity
of the Church. In the fifty-ffth
chapter he bursts out in joyous in
vitation to the human race to par
take of the benefits of the atone
ment and enjoy the security of the
Church.
Heathenism smoldered during
Hezekiah's good reign. Only a
spark oft remained at his death.
His son Manasseh might have
quenched it. Instead. he famed
and fed it. He was warned, but
was defiant. The glory of Divine
justice is that its penalties are not
inflicted in vengeance, but for ref
ormation. The penitent king was
restored.
1t was the hand Of a young man
that loosened the pendul um of ma
tional life from the magnet of hea-
thenism to which it had swung.
The young King Josiah was not
merely negatively good; he was
aggressive against evil, His first
effort was destructive. Down came