The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-10-10
A KING, SOME EXILES AND
HOMECOMING.

"A hlNG, SOhE EAlIfS AND "A
HOMECOMING.
The International Sunday School Les
son For October is Is THE Re
turn rom Captivity" Ezra 1: IL;
3: $40.
(By WILLIAM T. ELLlS)
One Persian monarch has been ns--
Uring in the or late, ana
he has presented rather an lgnobie
spectacle. Now a more interested
constituency-the twenty-eignt mil
lion members of the Sunday schoolS
of the World-will this week study
about another Persian ruler, known in
literature as 1.-The Great King Cyrus
the Great was one Of the half dozen
world rulers of all history. The
known earth was then IN VaSSalage
70 Persia. What a descent to the
weakness, anarchy and misery OF the
Persia of today.
The other nation that figures in
the story is the Jewish people: then,
as now, a nation despite their lack OF
king, capital and organized govern
ment. They were eXileS in BaDyiOnld
and Persia. An interesting analogy IS
the present-day fact that while many
nations are even more eager tnan
CYRUS to get rid of the Jews, they are
steadily increasing in Importance.
power, solidarity and national con-
seriousness. Even the Jews who nave
remained in Babylonia and Persia
INTO his day-and they number nun
dreds Of thousands-are beginning to
lift up their heads in neWness OF nope
and self-confdence.
The prophesied exile of the Jews
was almost over. The promised re-
turn had been permitted by CYRUS,
who had various reasons OF policy
for wishing to possess the loyalty oI
the Jews, and also to establish them
- 30 Srn nri 1:rnnC nf
his kingdom at Jerusalem. Back or
the Great King" of course, and NOV
ing mysteriOusly upon his Will, was
the King of Kings. The mightiest of
earth is only a ervan to do the Will
of the Most High. God shapes his
tory for His own sovereign
in the promotion Of His kingdom.
Behind the dim unknown,
Standeth Sod within the shadow.
Keeping watch above his own.
Taught by Trouble.
Experience is a schoolnaster who
always carries a rod. The Jews. I'M
willing to learn their lessons in any
softer school, had been sent into ex-
lie. The sole and avoWed purpose OF
the exile was to teach a Vagrant-
minded and instable-hearted people
the lesson of loyalty to God. They
had continually wandered after the
heather gods of their neighbOrs.
Now the great question was, had
they learned the lesson designed for
them In this severe school? To miss
the meaning of adversely is like re-
fusing a precious letter because one
does not like the postman's looks.
God sends no meaningless trials. But
it has made a preacher out Of YOU
said a close friend to a clergyman, re-
viewing a deep sorrow through which
%ho I ftnr nod noCcnl (nn of tho Syifol
books Of recent months is Early Let
tiers Of Marcus Dods,' which revea
the life Of the great neutrality-suspicious.
author during the six long years when
he was an unsuccessful candidate for
a first charge. A lesser soul would
have been embittered and spoiled by
that ordeal: it was the refining Of the
gold Of Dods' character.
Before I was afflicted I went
!: astray.
; But now / observe Thy Word
wrote the Psalmist. That was Israel's
experience. In exile It earned that
Jehovah alone is God. Never more
did its heart wander after idols. The
bitterness Of exile was Sweetened by
this fruit: the Jews learned to give
God His rightful place.
A Teller and a DOer.
"Gf which things also | vas a part
wrote Caesar in his account Of his
Gallo wars. Ezra is the scribe whose
writing we now study; he is the mar
Fator Of this record A historian. he
probably compiled several Of the sa-
cred books Of the Jews: and in a large
part of the volume which bears his
name he speaks in the first person.
His is the testimony Of an eye-wtt-
ness. He was a participant in the
scenes he describes. He was 8 doer
As we'll as a teller.
Down along the Tigris river below
Bagdad I saw q great shrine. which
was pointed out as Ezra S tomb. The
Jews believe that he returned to
Babyionia and was buried there. So
great is the esteem in which his mem
DRY is held that the Jews from a wide
region mad annual pilgrimages to
this shrine. Prayers for children espe-