Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-01-17

SERMON OF THE BROOKLYN DIVINE
PREACHED SUNDAY, JAN. IL.
Tile Test OF the Disc curse was Found in
Second Kings ri, =, . and Here is n Re-
port in Full -''iiow Al Kings Lie
Was Saved "

WtNch ne expects TO reaCl Ill Tue edIiS p'Vd
of February. DR.. Talmage's text was: "Je-
hosheba, the daughter of King Joran, sister
of Ahaziah, tool, Joash the son of Ahazah,
and stole him from among the kings Sons
which were slain; and they hid him, even
him and his nurse in the bedchamber from
Athaliah, so that he was not slain. And lie
was with her hid in the house of the Lord
six wears I'll Kings, XII, 2, 3. He said:
Grandmothors are more lenient with their
children's children than they were with their
own. AT forty years of eye, if discipline be
necessary chastisement il used, but at seven
", the grandmother, looking upon the mis-
behavior of the grandchild, is apologize and
disposed to substitute confectionery for whip.
There is nothing more beautiful than tins
melowing of old age toward childhood.
Grandmother takes out her pocket handker-
chief and wipes her spectacles, and puts
them on, and looks down into the face of her
mischievous and rebellious descendant and
saws: 81 don't think he meant to do it; let
him off this time; I'll be responsible for his
behavior in the future" My mother, with
the second generation around her-a bolster
Gus crew-said one day: Il suppose they
ought to be disciplined, but | can't do it.
Grandmothers are not fit to bring up grand
chidren.n But here, in my text, we have a
grandmother of u different hue.
| have within a few days been at Jerusalem,
where the occurrence. of the text took place,
and the whole scene came wildly before me
while | was going over the site Of the ancient
temple and climbing the towers OF the kings
palace. Here in the text it is old Athaliah,
the queenly murderess She ought to have
been honorable. Her father king Her
husband was a king. Her son was king.
And yet we find her plotting for the extermi-
nation of the entire royal family, including
her own grandchildren. The executioners'
knives are sharpened. The palace is red with
the blood Of princes and princcsses. On all
sides are shrieks, and hands thrown up. and
struggle, and death groan. No mercy! KILL
Kill But while the ivory floors of the palace
run with carnage, and the whole land is under
the shadow of great horror, feet footed
woman, clergyman's wife, Jehosheba by
name, stealthily approaches tue imperial
nursery, seizes upon the grandchild that had
somehow as yet escaped massacre, wraps it up
tenderly but in haste, snuggles 1t against her,
flies down the palace stairs her heart in her
throat lest she be discovered in this Christian
abduction. Get her out of the way quick
as you can, for she carries precious burden,
even young king. With this youthful prize
she presses into the room of the ancient tenn
pie the church Of olden time uuwraps the
young king and puts him down, sound asleep
as he is, and unconscious of the peril that has
been threatened; and there for six years he is
secreted in that church apartment. Mean
while old Athaliah smacks her lips with salts
faction, and thinks that all the royal family
are dead.
But the six years expire, and it is time for
Young Joash TO come forth and take the
throne, and to push back into disgrace and
death old Athaliah. The arrangements are
all made for political revolution The mill
tary come and take possession of the temple,
swear loyalty to the boy Joash and stand
around for his defense. See the sharpened
swords and the FURNISHED shields Every
thing is ready. Now Joasb half affrighted
OF the armed tramp of his defenders, scared
at the vociferation Of his admirers, is brought
forth in full regalia. The scroll of authority
is put in his hands, the coronet of govern
ment is put on his brow, and the people
clapped, and waved, and huzzaed, and trump
eted. "What is thati" said Athaliah
What is that sound over in the temple ?
And she flies to see, and on her way
they meet her and say: "Why, haven
you heard! You thought you had slain al
the royal family, but Joash has come t.
light" Then the queenly murderess, frantic
with rage, grabbed her mantle and tore it tC
tatters, and cried until she foamed at The
uCulu. i gu lldNe no DuSiuSSo W VI OWu III.
grandson. You have no right to take thu
government from my shoulders Treason
Treasonl" While She stood there crying
that, the military started for her arrest, anC
she took a short cut through a back door o
the temple, and ran through the royal stables
but the battle axes Of the military fell on he
in the barn yard, and for many day whel
the horses were being Embossed from the char
lot, after drawing out young Joash, the fer,
steeds would snort and rear passing the place
as they smell the place of the carnage.
The first thought hand you from this sui
ject is that the determination of righteous
ness is an impossibllity. When a woman i
good she is apt to be very good, and whel
she is bad she is apt to be very bad, and thi
Athaliah was one of the latter sort. Sh
would exterminato The last scion of the hous
OF David, through whom Jesus was to come
There was plenty of work for embalmers an
uudertaNers sac would clear the land c
all COD fearing and God loving people. Sh
would put an end to everything that coul
in anywise interfere with her imperial GRIN
inalitY She folds her hands and says I'm
work is done: it is completely done" Is il
IN the swaddling clothes Of that churc
apartment are wrapped the cause OF Goo
AID the cause OF good government. That
the scion of the house of David; it is Joasi
the Christian reformer; it is Joash, the trlen
oil God; it is Joash, the demoralzer of Baal
fish idolatry Rock him tenderly; nurse hiI
gently. Athaliah, you may Kill all the othe
children, but you cannot kill him. Eternt
delenses are thrown all around him, and thi
clergyman's wife Jehosneba, will snatch hil
up from the palace nursery, and will ru
down with him into the house of the Lore
and there she will hide him for six years, an
at the end OF that time he will come fort
for your dethronemeut and obliteration.
Well, my friends, just poor botch dot
the world always make of extinguishin
righteousness Superstition rises up an
says: 81 will just put an end to pure religion
Domitian slew forty thousand Christian
Diocletiau slew eight hundred and forty-foL
thousand Christians And the scythe Of pc
seaution has been swung through all tho age
and the flames hissed and the gulliotir
chopped, and the Bastile groaned; but di
the foes Of Christianity eKterminate iti ID
they exterminate Alban, the first BIRTHS
sacrifice; or Zuingiius the Swiss reforme
= ba Christian nOhama