_And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah._ DARK SHADOWS ON A BRIGHT DAY We have here shown the necessary connection between God’s service and human weal. I. The awful apostasy. Turning away. 1. Practical atheism. “Without the true God.” 2. Deprived of priestly function. 3. Prevalence of moral... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now for a long season._ THE SCHISM OF THE TEN TRIBES These words-- I. Suggest a warning. A land “without teaching priests” soon realises the rest of the text by becoming “without the true God, and without law.” II. Give encouragement to send “teaching priests” on their holy mission to bring the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Be ye Strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak._ RELIGIOUS RESOLUTION I. That resolution is necessary in promoting the cause of religion. Resolution is the essence of that mental strength which gives energy to all the powers and faculties of body and mind. It is composed of love, zeal, an... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers._ THE COVENANT RENEWED “Entering into a covenant” is what we name “a revival”; they made it a national act, we separate it entirely from political affairs. I. The preparations for revival. 1. The persons who led. A faithful... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was perfect all his days._ SPIRITUAL BACKSLIDING We learn from the text that we cannot always infer the state of the heart from external symptoms. I. You may have the appearance of something wrong while the heart is sound. This was Asa’s case. II. Conversely you m... [ Continue Reading ]