New-York tribune., 1874-08-17
PULPIT LESSONS.
EARLY SEEKING AFTER CHRIST.
The Rec Dr. oJtason (Troy " Plymouth Church (con0r
11liOnal)

| gaiionaI)
The pulpit of Plymouth Church continues TO
be occupied by the Rev. Dr. Robinson OF Troy NJ T.
who preached yesterday morning from the teNt
a. While he yet young he began 10 seek aiter tue
God OF David his father" found in the H. Book OF
Chronicles xxxivth chapter 81 verse THIS uttcrahce
of King Josilh was made by the preacher he ground
work OF an interesting discourse aud an instructive one
through the clear aud detailed analysis OF the chapter
in which the text ia found
The words he said were tho remarkable consi-
derng Josahs age when he came into the Kingdom ana
the circumstances which surrounded MN. HIS roya'
grandfather had rebel against the law and VIII
of God had raised up heather altars and made DIS
children pass through the fire, had even set up an IDOL
ia the temple. Although late in life he. through sorrow
and aIcuon repented he was never able to undo the
evil OF hia hfe-which Is fearful thought-that no
matter how much may repent and live correctly III
the fear OF Cod cannot undo the evil we nave done
during our lives for that evil like crcling waves when
te Is disturbed. roll and outward beyond tue
otse OF It. 80 this king until at last his very
servants turned on him ard slew him.
II was ut Tbs time that Josiah was a child OF eight
yeuts When he was 10 ne gan seek after the God
rt DAVID his father, ancestor. Coming to the KING
jJ'0 ut his wild age amid all the evils which would sur
round young king servants ittor aud officials to
deoe,e aud lawn, everything around him which would
pander TO passion o1d pride in the Oriental form, it Is
remarkable that he should have taken firm stand
aganst these seductons and sought after God Let us
notice the steps he took in his search At first the ght
in MIN was like the early dawn of day In the northern
sky II was Just a conviction that Jehovah was better
tha Baa Perhaps some worshipful Psalm OF DAVID had
been chaned in his bearing but that was ALL for 1t was
four years after he began this search that the light
had grown that he could his way to the overthrow
of these craven images. Then he went through the
land regular icOnOcast destroying the idols ana the
neahen practices Then he turned his attention to the
house OF God, and replaced the things that had been
torn down and destroyed 1t was while clearing away
the ruins that Hkah the priest found the laws OF God
written by Moses. which had been long buried When
he told Josiah and showed him the manuscript the effect
upon the young king remarkable. H. rent MS
clothes and bewaed his sins. Then ne gathered inc
people together and read from this Bible and made
public covenant with God then and there TO walk with
Him and keep His commandments.
The first thought which direct your attention is,
the enduring character Of good mans testimony DAVID
had been dea more than 400 He had been man
OF war; had reigned with power and splenfor, was a
musician and poet, but his greatest influence was
through his gious character The abiding impression
which centuries could not chlce was that he was man
OF Cod It is not always true that the evil that men
do lives after them, but the good is oft Inferred with
their bones" wiser than Shakespeare has said that
good dies HOly life lived OUT III the rear OF
God sends beneficial nl fence onward forever ana
forever Josiah began groDng afar of m the twilight
tnat there was something beter lh1u tc
ening, ald the rrsit OF TINS was the I ~ H
idols. The second step was the repIraon OF the house
God In this ne took tho scroll OF Moses ana was
from reading this thlt he was ,ed 10 Tue thu
pentance and confession. L nave h.d man Ian
how wicked he had been ana say "If was as bad as
that man has confessed himself to be, would go ana
hang ms self" But he did not see Dis own heart ana
could not understand that OF his better holier nesnbOr
and theIe are many men who utterly fI 70 nhdeis'shu
chacacters ike those Isaiah DAVID ana JOshah or now
an fIn m @ Gln DC IT TO- m God Il is only by repentance
t,afV .arriv a a IN.
the fourth step of JOSIAH the puuc procession Oh ldu
in God, and determination 10 keep the Commandments
We see. first, the beautiful illustration OF that truth
aftcrward formulated by Chrst mat II any man .hdl
do His will lac shall know" Herein lies the germ OF the
Divine life Herein Is tne very beginning OF the
Christian lifc-a Willingness To do GOds VIII. lie may
not have much knowledge OF that wili. he may the
yere,t yrO in his familiarity with the doctrines o; Gods
word He ay never heard Of the Westminster cate
chi-mOr the Chicago Interpretation OF ~ ana yet nave
the very true light in him. The first thing Is willingness
The willing soul works out an experience 0t trun auu
God don't mean those VINO oelles1 ever
1uesou thIse who search and labor for the truth
true themselves in questioning true 10 GOd III Dehg
willing and anxious to serve HIM. / have more con-
ndeuce Christians OF ts DESCRIPTION than III thOse
who begin their Christian life by believing every thlnG
aud being ready to swallow every th!hS ~ oao si.p
nlnk they to be more oalthfu ana ROBUST III
class who are like chldcen that eat enormously aud
| never grow fat Part OF the strength and charm OF
Joslah's religious life lies in his growth First t6e
blade the and after that the full corn IN the
ear" SO it il with him ,.-,
symmetrical There is often an intensity andforce
in the religious life OF hun VINO has come OUT OF cohuct
with sin Some men pucked as brands from the burn
ing have led a seraphic and glowing life OF
I'm. hut tbere IL always some onesidedness in the har-
monous of the souls attributes. There are haunt
that cannot be botted out Then there IL the feeling
that 50 much Of life wasted many golden Opporu-
mites lost, when begins 10 serve Christ IN middle
| life It is only a half-used up life that he has
another G E' youth when on the contrary, youth is
unsulled youin-the whole life is made harmonious.
| | know there are men who suppose that man Is
green who Is not acquainted with the steps that lead
down hell but look at the symmetrical characters in
Bible, like David and Josiah, and Joseph, aud Dan
el. aud We see that they sought God early In youth
when they were pure and unsuled But while We
righteousness we should not exact 100 much OF them
We ertravagan in our demands as TO the type OF
chidrens pety that We often discourage them; and il
10 me IN the case OF josiah IL is shown how pa
God with those whom He lifts up at last Josiah
at the beginning OF his new life knew SO little OF God
with the law Of God that he would hardly have passed
mttees Now our parenthood ought have OF the
Divine patience In II, more OF the Divine helpfuness
encouratdng TO the growth OF childrens religious
life the atmosphere OF Spring is to the buds aud
| There are some church committees who hold them
selves toward applicants for church membership
toward pictures presented for exhibition They subject
them all possible tests. hold them up in all
able lights measure them by conventional standards,
and grayey retire 10 decide whether they are good
enough to be well hung in the eeclesastical gallery
ripe enough and he Is kept while outside OF fellow
ships and ordinances which have been SO helpful to
| themselves. some come to Christ as 10 hospital
where they can be guarded and kept ana nursed In
their surerng OF conscience 1t seems TO item as II the
| ayeuger OF unoridled passions Is upon them, ana
| they look TO the Church as TO a hospital where
they may nnd safety, quiet, and rest The Church
If deacons and elders never didaud 30 bar them out
What mistakes make in our idea Of the Church Of
Christ. Many poor Lazarus lying at the outer gate OF
the visible church earth has been borne into AOra
hams bosom, while his counterpart faring rcnly day
by day, has heart alien 10 God Our iSayl0rs idea OF
the Church Is the hospital idea. the saving idea
Another thought. Josiah the OF irrelgio
l md =