HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers, 1-8.-Damascus and Israel. The present oracle bids us turn to a different scene-to the famed city and territory of Damascus. It lies in the vast rich plain east of Mount Antilibanus, on the border of the desert. Through the plain flows the river Bara.da, probably the Abana in which Naaman delighted. "In the midst of the plain lies at your feet the vast lake or island of deep verdure-walnuts and apricots waving above, com and grass below; and in the midst of the mass of foliage rises, striking its white arms of streets hither and thither, and its white minarets above the trees which embosom them, the city of Damascus. On the right towers the snowy height of Hermon, overlooking the whole scene. Close behind are the sterile limestone mountains, so that you stand literally between the living and the dead" (Stanley). The river turns what would otherwise be a deso1t into a rich garden, full of walnuts, pome- granates, figs, plums, apricots, citrons, pears, and apples. I. HISTORY OF DAMASCUS, There were traditions of Abraham lingering from early times about the city. Eliezer of Damascus was his steward (Gen. x:v. 2). But the history is a blank till the time of David. He, being at war with Hadadezer, King of Zobah, encountered Syrians of Damascus, who came to succour his foe, and slew of them twenty-two thousand men. He then garrisoned the whole land with Isra~lites (2 Sam. viii. 6, 6; 1 Chron. xviii. 6). From Solomon's time we have hints of enmity between Damascus, whose king appears to have been titularly designated "Hadad," and Israel; also of Rezin, from Zobah (1 Kings xi. 23; xv. 19; 2 Chron. xvi. 3). The fourth Hadad, with thirty-two subject kings, marched against Ahab, and laid siege to Samaria (l Kings xx. 1). In the end, the invader became subject to Ahab (1 Kings xx.13--34). Three years later, Ahab was defeate,l and slain in his attempt on Ramoth- gilead (l Kings xxii. 1-4, 16-37). The Syrians of D,1mascus were encouraged to a 11econd invasion of Israel, and a second siege of s~maria, which was raised in a panic (2 Kings vii. 6, 7). A new page of history opens with the succession of Hazael to the rule of Damascus, and the struggle against the Assyrians. Prnbably the dread of the 294 THE· OOOK • OF 'CHE PllOPHE'l' ·ISAIAH. (cllt, xvu, 1.....14,
IRtter led to a.n 111\iance between Israel l\nd Damascus a century later, The march of flczin of Damascus and Pekah of Israel agiiinst Jerusalem brings us within· the soope of lsrncl'6 view (oh. vii.. 1-6; 2 Kings xvi. 6). Ahaz placed himself under. the protec- tion cif Assyria; Rezin was slain, his kingdom brought to an end, nnd Damascus destroyed, its people being carried captive to AAsyria (2 Kiugll xvi. 9; et: eh. vii. 8; Amos i. 5). • II. TUE PROPHET'ti DESCRIPTION OF ITS FATE, The fair city will be effaced from the number of those that exist, and will become n heap of fallen ruine. And Israel, which has hung her fortunes on those of Damascus, will share .her fate.., -The. ve~y sound of the word Aroer, reminding of the nature of bareness; nakedness,, ·.·had an ill omen. The strong places of Ephraim, i.e. of.Israel, are laid lo.w, and: Damascus ce.a.ses to exist as a kingdom. And the Aramreans who do not fall in: battle :are carried &way captive. The fate of Damascus is as pathetic as that of a distressed woma"'.l. Cities were in ancient thought generally seen under- the ideal .of the woman, \.heir beauty as her beauty, their sorrows as hers. Damascus waxes reeble and ;turns to flee, and fear -seizes on her; angui:ih and sorrow· have taken· her, as a ,,woman in trarnil. "The city of praise is gone, the city .of. my joy I" exclaims Jeremiah (~lix. 24-, 26). "Cities have been as lamps of life along the pathway of humanity.and religion. Within them science has given birth to her noblest discoveries. Behind their V!'alls freedom has fought it11 npblest batUes.. 'l'hey have stood on the:surface1of t-be earth like break waters, rolling back or turni,ng aside the swelling -tide of oppression. Cities indeed have been the cradle of human li..be1ty. I hies$ God for cities" (Guthrie). ill. A..F'FLICTION OF ISIUEL .um HER REPENTANCE,·,, (Vere. 4-8.) 1. Images of national decay. The glory of Jacob wastes; the: fat of his flesh grows thin. Necessaty and constant in tl>ought is the connection .between· the flourishing of B' IP.nd and. the blessing of God, the withdrawal of his blessing and the withering o[ its fruits, the failure of the supply of food. • We most believe in this connection without h 4stily presuming, as superstition does, to detect the exact sin,wh.iah has called down t)1e displeasure of God. Our poet Tennyson, in some dark pictures of superstition in his' Queen Mary,' represents the queen as saying that" God is hard upon the people" because Lhe nobles would not give the Church lands ·back. AA~ when _sp.e. ~x;cla.ims on the "harvestlesa autumn, horrible agues, plague," the king reJ>lies- . "The blood and sweat of .heretics at. tlie-'.etcike Is God's best dew upon the barren fiel~;'.' . Such are the reasonings of"bigotry and fanaticism. Then 'only do we make the proper application of the lessons of suffe_ring, w~en we' visit ciiir ?WD errors with self~ch~stise- ment, and stir up the neglected gift, the forgotten talent; m _our.selves •. A~other·1~a~e is that of the field of corn falling before the mower; Is~ael 1s r~e _fqr 3udg1Jlent;· A's':tbe field of corn for the re~per. On the broad vale of Repl1a1'm, ~lop1?g. dowrl _to Bcthl~heml only an ear or two will be seen scattered he~e ~nd there.. 'fha,t; vale may ~e "1ewee1 as symbolic of the great world, and that reapmg as ·prophet!~ of ,the day of Judgmen~, when on the white cloud sits one like the Son of man, having a golden crown· on his head, and in his hand a sh:i.rp sickle; and another angel comes _out of ~he· temple, ~nd cries with a loud voice to him that sits on the cloud, "Thrust ID thy sickle, nnd reap: for the time is come fur thee to reap; for the harves~ of the earth is ~ipe'' (~ev. xiv.). Few will escnpe the judgment, and yet a few_ ther~ will _be. At the olive beatmg, wh~n 0