The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-03-23

world people Of God Salvation for
the Individual and for the human race
The united kingdom did a great work
In this direction. But the time came
when there was danger of its failure
Hence came the divided kingdom,
through which there was double ex
pertinent in the development OF the
kingdom Of God.
The period covered was about 90 years
3. C., 9S2 to S93. Thecountry was Pales.
tine, within It's usual boundaries. Tho
course Of development runs in two
lines: The royal, the course as repre-.
sented by the kings, the civil history,
and the religious development repre-.
sented largely by the prophets.
The kingdom Of Judah was about half
as large as Israel It's capital was Je-
rusalem, and the temple was the re.
ligious center. Large numbers Of tho
more religious people camo to Judah
from Israel. Judah was sheltered
from attack on the north by Israers
being between them and the nearest
and most dangerous enemies. while a
desert was a great defense on the
south. This position also saved them
from close contact with heathenlsm
and its degredatlons.
The leading kings were Rehaboam.
II years; Asa, 40 years; Je.
boshaphat, 25 years. Under Asa
and Jehoshaphat there were great
religious royivals and religious
reforms, alternating with declines.
Here was great struggle between
good and evil, and the good seems 10
have gained. In a few cases there
were revelations from God. lie did
everything he could to keep the people
obedlent to his laws. and train them
In the religious life, that they might
be the kingdom OF God to bless the
world. There were few prophets
OF whom little is known save their
names. The conflict Of religion with
evil in Judah though not ending in
complete victory, made a decided gain
for the right.
Why do we celebrate and praise our
forefathers? Not simply because they
were stout hearted. Many freeboot.
or and many a soldier of fortune has
been that It is because they were
stout hearted for an ideal. their ideal
and ours, civil and religious liberty:
and whenever and wherever men
and women thus devoted them
selves to ideal and not ma.
terial things, there the worlds heroes
are born, and born to be free.
Some blessings come to us, not in
spite Of, but Just because Of. our hos.
tile environment The stimulus Of
hostile climate produces the robust
race. Where nature always smiles and
everything is friendly there is no such .
thing as benencent discipline. and
soft, languid race is perpetuated. The
man Of the temperate zone owes his
superior physical vlgor, his koener
mental capacity, his alertness, his In .
ventlveness, very much to the climatic
conditions under which he lives. He .
is forced to activity and so he quickly
outstrIps his laRguid neighbor OF the
tropics.
II is only when man or a nation,
or an Ideal Is opposed that we dis.
cover It's real worth. Truth can only
be won by freedom and the uses Of
freedom. Truth is to be found by
approaching 1t from all sides. b. gen.
erous rivalries, by the Christian con.
1ict Of differently constituted minds.
II life were oil a smooth road, would
we not all grow sleepy? People who
take passage through the world in easy
chairs, II they avoid some of the trou.
bles. miss also most OF the toys of
living.
The kingdom OF Israel contained
9,40O square miles. II was a much
more fertile country than Judah. Its
territory lay between Judah and Syria,
so that II was in close contact on
three sides with heather nations, who
had the activity and physical qualities
OF tribes which loved excursions into
other countries for booty. or the nine
kings parallel with the four kings OF
Judah. II is worth while to remember
Jeroboam. 22 years; omrI, l2; Ahab,
%. Jesebel. Ahab's heathen queen.
was the most influential factor In the
decline The kingdom was
subject to revolutions, and the nine
dngs OF this period belong to fve dy.
lasties.
The stories OF these hero prophets
should become familiar In their main
Incidents to all the children, who can
tee what brave, heroic men can do,
when they are In earnest for the right.
elijah preached God Almighty, his
ruth. his laws, his power to help, and
he absolute necessity OF being loyal
o him, II the individual or the M ion
would prosper by a life worth the liy.
ng.
For all the children the teacher can
make a most profitable review by a
Dlan used by a successful friend. He
ook large sheet Of heavy paper, say
2 by 10 inches, and drawing line
own the center on tho left hand side
wrote series Of questions In letters
o large as to be easily seen by all the
lass. On the right side Of the line he
'rote the answers, These questions
'ere given to the class, and they read
he eanswers twoor three times. Then the
aper was folded in the middle, so that
he answers were out OF sight, whllo
he questions were stlll before the
lass, and they wero TO show how well
hey had learned the lesson. Such a
eview can be made very effective.