The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-08-26
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
Incre dible Things orLife

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Her natural Notifications and artificial
works precluded the possibility of her
destruction by enemies.
God bad so watched over her and had
so highly favored her chat it did not
enter their minds that she should ever
be brought low So she reveled III sin
and vas stepped in iriquity until the
odlum of her pollution rose uD before
the Almighty and His judgments were
poured out upon her Then the horrors
witnessed there were such as the world
has never seen. The temple, her glory
and protection, was demolished. Princes
and priests were abused and trampled
upon. Children were starved for want
OF bread, or forsaken by mothers who
could do nothing for them. Poverty
! like an armed man took possession Of
the homes Of the rich and noble and
those who Jared sumptuously every day.
who walked on velvet and were clothed
in scarlet, were left to wander about
the streets, desolate.
Jerusalem came down by a slow and
lingering death, until she witnessed
such horrors as may not be depicted and
saw atrocities such as language cannot
describe.
When we look at the history of that
awful seige we can but blush with
shame as we witness the depth Of de-
pravity to which sin may bring the
human race, and we turn away in dis
gust.
The judgment of the Lord, however,
We're complete. He poured out the
vials Of his fury to the very dregs and
the Holy City was consumed. Not a
mark Of its former greatness was lett.
She was proud, but pride goeth be-
fore destruction and a naughty spirit
before fall.
Ii any place had right to be proud
she had. Her temple was her honor
and pride She had her great walls
and mighty gates. Round about were
the mountains like diyinely appointed
sentinels She appeared to be more
impregnable than the Notifications OF
Gibraltar to day and so she could, from
her walls, hurl the scornful taunt
against her come up and we
will show you thing or two"
From the king on his throne to the
humblest man, but one sentiment pre-
vailed, they would not believe that it
was possible for the adversary and
enemy to enter the gates Of Jerusalem.
They were like the proud lord Of
Samaria, who would not believe the
words of the prophet that plenty sud
denly existed in the minst of famine.
They did not so much as imagine
that it was possible for the walls of
that great city to be RACED. We may
wonder atfne stupidity and shortsight-
edness Of those Jerusalem sinners, yet
We are acting Just as they did. every
day of our lives We calculate that
certain things will or will not come to
pass, yet how often we are surprised
to find our reckonings wrong. The
Lord in many ways shows US that we
know very little
4 man says that such and such a
thing is true, but mis- oath is turned to
folly before shutdown.
One gives the most 8olmen assurances
ana with the greatest emphasis that
certain things can meyer come to pass
and yet those things may occur before
his eyes, ere his vehement assertion
has died on his lips
Men learn slowly. We are loathe to
learn wisdom. 1t is much easier to be
proud than to be humble, but with the
experience of the ages and the knowl-
edge of centuries We ought to learn
wisdom. The universal sentiment was
that Jerusalem could not be taken. but
what was her fate.
Her inheritance was turned to strau-
gers and her house to aliens. Servants
ruled over them and none could deliver.
Her Ylsage was blacker than the tents
of hldar by reason of the famine.
1t is not safe to boast for we know
not what day may bring forth. The
mighty city had disregarded the COM
| rnands Of Jehovah and had broken with
impunity the divine iaws and because
| she had multiplied iniquities she was
driven out Of her position, brought low
by sin, the greatest leyeler in the
world History repeats Itself, yet we
turn from It's pages as if they had no
reference to US
The world OF today ought to be very
wise for 1t has been full Of tragedies.
warnings. eXhortations, entreaties and
experiences. We constantly see oc-
currences which would not be believed.
Life is full Of incredible things. Men
will not believe that sin has been the
| cause of all our woe. The idea that a
little act of disobedience on the part of
one pair, should entail suffering on the
race is preposterous. They regard sin
| as a misfortune rather than as some
thing that is odious in Gods sight and
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