Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1907-04-05
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DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.
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By A. Lincoln Moore,

beheld the city and wept over it.
Luke XIX, Al.
This outburst of grief occurred as
Jesus rode down the leafy slope of
Olivet. Jerusalem in all its glory
burst full upon His view. Below Him
in the deep valley rolled the Kedron,
cleaning in the gray sunbeams like
sheet of FURNISHED gold Right IN
front, cutting the western sky and
crowning the steep crest of Morlat
with white and gold, rose the magnifi-
cent temple, which had been enlarged
and completed by Herod the Great.
To the southwest, the highest of the
four hills on which the city lay, tow
cred the rocky Zion, bearing upon It's
rugged shoulders the royal palace. To
the north appeared the bold brow Of
Acre, bearing the gardens and palaces
of the upper city. A panorama Of in
describable loveliness spread out be-
fore the Savior's view, and he could
not have been insensible to its surpass
Ing beauty.
But the sentence of doom has been
traced by a mysterious hand upon the
city. This sight of Jerusalem affected
Christ's heart, and through His tears
He sobs out the words Of lamentation
and judgment:
"If thou hadst known, even thou Mt
least in this thy day, the things which
belong unto thy peace But now they
are hid from thine eyes. For the
days shall come upon thee that thine
enemies shall cast trench about thee,
and compass thee around, and keep
thee in on every side and shall lay thee
even with the ground and thy children
within thee; and they shall not leave
in thee one stone upon another; be-
cause thou knowest not the time of
thy visitation
Jerusalem had neglected the day of
her visitation. Impending doom hung
over the city. "He wept over it,"
When Christ's grief was greatest at
the grave Of Lazarus He wept in 81
lence, but now He sobs aloud In His
agony. These stars are more eloquent
than speech; they tell us better than
words of the extreme agony Of mis- soul
for the doomed city. He wept because
of the sin and iniqulty of the people
In rejecting proffered salvation.
Neglecting salvation always brings
Judgment upon individuals aud ma
tions. 1t did upon Jerusalem. In less
than forty years all that JESUS fore
told came to pass. Titus, in command
of the Roman army, besieged and cap
tured the city.
During the siege Of ninety days
100000 Jews perished and $1,000
were taken prisoners Some were sent
to toll in the mines of Egypt, others
were kept to grace in captive bonds
the chariot wheels of their mighty con-
queror in the triumph accorded him at
Rome and to amuse their cruel cap
tors by entering into gladiatorial con-
tests in the arena to make Il Roman
holiday.
What a fearful retributon for that
mad cry uttered some thirty-seven
years before at Pilates judgment hall.
His blood be upon us and orr chill
dren!" What vindication have we
here of Gods truth.
When God says a thing He will sure
ly bring 1t to pass. He Is never at q
loss for instruments to fulfill his de-
crees. He maketh the wrath Of men
to praise Him. Many persons seem to
think and act as though God would not
prove true and faithful to His promises
Of blessing, but that He will fail to
perform His words Of threatening and
doom.
His judgments are not utterances Of
passion, soon to pass away, as the
storm from the bosom of the Deep lie
would cease to be the faithful God, the
same yesterday, to-day and forever, IL
He fulfilled them not The very same
principle which binds Him to be true
to His promise compels Him to perform
His words of judgment.
You think of Christ on the Mount of
Olives, overlooking Jerusalem. He Is
attended by jubilee throng. He Is
giving pardon and life eternal to all
who believe in Him. 81 give unto them
eternal life and they shall never per-
ish," and you say, that Is just like Je-
sus. God is faithful Who has prom
ised"
You behold Him weeping over the
city and calling down divine Judgment
upon 1t. "Thlne enemies shall cast
trench about thee and lay thee even
with the ground, and not leave in thee
one stone upon another" You behold
the city encircled by the Roman army
as in the tolls of mighty serpent.
Then famine, pestllence and bloodshed.