***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEACON LIGHTS OF HISTORY, VOLUME II***

      E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Charlie Kirschner,
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 LORD'S LECTURES

 BEACON LIGHTS OF HISTORY.

 BY JOHN LORD, LL.D.

 AUTHOR OF "THE OLD ROMAN WORLD," "MODERN EUROPE," ETC., ETC.
     
 

 VOLUME II.

 JEWISH HEROES AND PROPHETS.

 CONTENTS.

     ABRAHAM.
     RELIGIOUS FAITH.
     Abraham the spiritual father of nations
 General forgetfulness of God when Abraham arose
 Civilization in his age
 Ancestors of Abram
 His settlement in Haran
 His moral courage
 The call of Abram
 His migrations
 The Canaanites
 Abram in Egypt
 Separation between Abram and Lot
 Melchizedek
 Abram covenants with God
 The mission of the Hebrews
 The faith of Abram
 Its peculiarities
 Trials of faith
 God's covenant with Abram
 The sacrifice of Isaac
 Paternal rights among Oriental nations
 Universality of sacrifice
 Had Abram a right to sacrifice Isaac?
 Supreme test of his faith
 His obedience to God
 His righteousness
 Supremacy of religious faith
 Abraham's defects
 The most favored of mortals
 The boons he bestowed
 

     JOSEPH.
     ISRAEL IN EGYPT.
     Early days of Joseph
 Envy of his brethren
 Sale of Joseph
 Its providential results
 Fortunes of Joseph in Egypt
 The imprisonment of Joseph
 Favor with the king
 Joseph prime minister
 The Shepherd kings
 The service of Joseph to the king
 Famine in Egypt
 Power of Pharaoh
 Power of the priests
 Character of the priests
 Knowledge of the priests
 Teachings of the priests
 Egyptian gods
 Antiquity of sacrifices
 Civilization of Egypt
 Initiation of Joseph in Egyptian knowledge
 Austerity to his brethren
 Grief of Jacob
 Severity of the famine in Canaan
 Jacob allows the departure of Benjamin
 Joseph's partiality to Benjamin
 His continued austerity to his brethren
 Joseph at length reveals himself
 The kindness of Pharaoh
 Israel in Egypt
 Prosperity of the Israelites
 Old age of Jacob
 His blessing to Joseph's sons
 Jacob's predictions
 Death of Jacob
 Death of Joseph
 Character of Joseph
 Condition of the Israelites in Egypt
 Rameses the Great
 Acquisitions of the Israelites in Egypt
 Influence of Egyptian civilization on the Israelites
 

     MOSES.
     JEWISH JURISPRUDENCE
     Exalted mission of Moses
 His appearance at a great crisis
 His early advantages and education
 His premature ambition
 His retirement to the wilderness
 Description of the land of Midian
 Studies and meditations of Moses
 The Book of Genesis
 Call of Moses and return to Egypt
 Appearance before Pharaoh
 Miraculous deliverance of the Israelites
 Their sojourn in the wilderness
 The labors of Moses
 His Moral Code
 Universality of the obligations
 General acceptance of the Ten Commandments
 The foundation of the ritualistic laws
 Utility of ritualism in certain states of society
 Immortality seemingly ignored
 The possible reason of Moses
 Its relation to the religion of Egypt
 The Civil Code of Moses
 Reasons for the isolation of the Israelites
 The wisdom of the Civil Code
 Source of the wisdom of Moses
 The divine legation of Moses
 Logical consequences of its denial
 General character of Moses
 His last days
 His influence
 

     SAMUEL.
     ISRAEL UNDER JUDGES.
     Condition of the Israelites on the death of Joshua
 The Judges
 Birth and youth of Samuel
 The Jewish Theocracy
 Eli and his sons
 Samuel called to be judge
 His efforts to rekindle religious life
 The school of the prophets
 The people want a king
 Views of Samuel as to a change of government
 He tells the people the consequences
 Persistency of the Israelites
 Condition of the nation
 Saul privately anointed king
 Clothed with regal power
 Mistakes and wars of Saul
 Spares Agag
 Rebuked by Samuel
 Samuel withdraws into retirement
 Seeks a successor to Saul
 Jehovah indicates the selection of David
 Saul becomes proud and jealous
 His wars with the Philistines
 Great victory at Michmash
 Death of Samuel
 Universal mourning
 His character as Prophet
 His moral greatness
 His transcendent influence
 

     DAVID.
     ISRAELITISH CONQUESTS.
     David as an historical study
 Early days of David
 His accomplishments
 His connection with Saul
 His love for Jonathan
 Death of Saul
 David becomes king
 Death of Abner
 David generally recognized as king
 Makes Jerusalem his capital
 Alliance with Hiram
 Transfer of the Sacred Ark
 Folly of David's Wife
 Organization of the kingdom
 Joab Commander-in-chief of the army
 The court of David
 His polygamy
 War with Moab
 War with the Ammonites
 Conquest of the Edomites
 Bathsheba
 David's shame and repentance
 Edward Irving on David's fall
 Its causes
 Census of the people
 Why this was a folly
 Wickedness of David's children
 Amnon
 Alienation of David's subjects
 The famine in Judah
 Revolt of Sheba
 Adonijah seeks to steal the sceptre
 Troubles and trials of David
 Preparation for building the Temple
 David's wealth
 His premature old age
 Absalom's rebellion and death
 David's final labors
 His character as a man and a monarch
 Why he was a man after God's own heart
 David's services
 His Psalms
 Their mighty influence
 

     SOLOMON.
     GLORY OF THE MONARCHY.
     Early years of Solomon
 His first acts as monarch
 The prosperity of his kingdom
 Glory of Solomon
 His mistakes
 His marriage with an Egyptian princess
 His harem
 Building of the Temple
 Its magnificence
 The treasures accumulated in it
 Its dedication
 The sacrifices in its honor
 Extraordinary celebration of the Festivals
 The royal palace in Jerusalem
 The royal palace on Mount Lebanon
 Excessive taxation of the people
 Forced labor
 Change of habits and pursuits
 Solomon's effeminacy and luxury
 His unpopularity
 His latter days of shame
 His death
 Character
 Influence of his reign
 His writings
 Their great value
 The Canticles
 The Proverbs
 Praises of wisdom and knowledge
 Ecclesiastes contrasted with Proverbs
 Cynicism of Ecclesiastes
 Hidden meaning of the book
 The writing of Solomon rich in moral wisdom
 His wisdom confirmed by experience
 Lessons to be learned by the career of Solomon
 

     ELIJAH.
     DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM.
     Evil days fall on Israel
 Division of the kingdom under Rehoboam
 Jeroboam of Israel sets up golden calves
 Other innovations
 Egypt attacks Jerusalem
 City saved only by immense contribution
 Interest centres in the northern kingdom
 Ruled by bad kings
 Given to idolatry under Ahab
 Influence of Jezebel
 The priests of Baal
 The apostasy of Israel
 The prophet Elijah
 His extraordinary appearance
 Appears before Ahab
 Announces calamities
 Flight of Elijah
 The drought
 The woman of Zarephath
 Shields and feeds Elijah
 He restores her son to life
 Miseries of the drought
 Elijah confronts Ahab
 Assembly of the people at Mount Carmel
 Presentation of choice between Jehovah and Baal
 Elijah mocks the priests of Baal
 Triumphs, and slays them
 Elijah promises rain
 The tempest
 Ahab seeks Jezebel
 She threatens Elijah in her wrath
 Second flight of Elijah
 His weakness and fear
 The still small voice
 Selection of Elisha to be prophet
 He becomes the companion of Elijah
 Character and appearance of Elisha
 War between Ahab and Benhadad
 Naboth and his vineyard
 Chagrin and melancholy of Ahab
 Wickedness and cunning of Jezebel
 Murder of Naboth
 Dreadful rebuke of Elijah
 Despair of Ahab
 Athaliah and Jehoshaphat
 Death of Ahab
 Regency of Jezebel
 Ahaziah and Elijah
 Fall of Ramoth-Gilead
 Reaction to idolatry
 Jehu
 Death of Jezebel
 Death of Ahaziah
 The massacres and reforms of Jehu
 Extermination of idolatry
 Last days of Elijah
 His translation
 

     ISAIAH.
     NATIONAL DEGENERACY.
     Superiority of Judah to Israel
 A succession of virtuous princes
 Syrian wars
 The prophet Joel
 Outward prosperity of the kingdom of Judah
 Internal decay
 Assyrian conquests
 Tiglath-pilneser
 Fall of Damascus
 Fall of Samaria
 Demoralization of Jerusalem
 Birth of Isaiah
 His exalted character
 Invasion of Judah by the Assyrians
 Hezekiah submits to Sennacherib
 Rebels anew
 Renewed invasion of Judah
 Signal deliverance
 The warnings and preaching of Isaiah
 His terrible denunciations of sin
 Retribution the spirit of his preaching
 Holding out hope by repentance
 Absence of art in his writings
 National wickedness ending in calamities
 God's moral government
 Isaiah's predictions fulfilled
 Woes denounced on Judah
 Fall of Babylon foretold
 Predicted woes of Moab
 Woes denounced on Egypt
 Calamities of Tyre
 General predictions of woe on other nations
 End and purpose of chastisements
 Isaiah the Prophet of Hope
 The promised glories of the Chosen People
 Messianic promises
 Exultation of Isaiah
 His catholicity
 The promised reign of peace
 The future glories of the righteous
 Glad tidings declared to the whole world
 Messianic triumphs
 

     JEREMIAH.
     FALL OF JERUSALEM.
     Sadness and greatness of Jeremiah
 Second as a prophet only to Isaiah
 Jeremiah the Prophet of Despair
 Evil days in which he was born
 National misfortunes predicted
 Idolatry the crying sin of the times
 Discovery of the Book of Deuteronomy
 Renewed study of the Law
 The reforms of Josiah
 The greatness of Josiah
 Inability to stem prevailing wickedness
 Incompleteness of Josiah's reforms
 Necho II. extends his conquests
 Death of Josiah
 Lamentations on the death of Josiah
 Rapid decline of the kingdom
 The voice of Jeremiah drowned
 Invasion of Assyria by Necho
 Shallum succeeds Josiah
 Eliakim succeeds Shallum
 His follies
 Judah's relapse into idolatry
 Neglect of the Sabbath
 Jeremiah announces approaching calamity
 His voice unheeded
 His despondency
 Fall of Nineveh
 Defeat and retreat of Necho
 Greatness of Nebuchadnezzar
 Appears before Jerusalem
 Fall of Jerusalem, but destruction delayed
 Folly and infatuation of the people of Jerusalem
 Revolt of the city
 Zedekiah the king temporizes
 Expostulations of Jeremiah
 Nebuchadnezzar loses patience
 Second fall of Jerusalem
 The captivity
 Weeping by the river of Babylon