The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-01-24
TALMAGE's SERMON.
Tho Dangers thst Surround the
Kingly Office Portrayed,
And Likenes to the Dangers Met and
Conquered by the LIeatenants OF
Christ - Though Many Fall
the King Still Lives.


nounced to deliver the following sermon
in Paris. on his return trip from the Holy
Land. His text was:
Jehosheba the daughter of King Joram.
sister of Ahazian, took Joash, the son OF
Ahaziah, and stole him from among the
Kings sons which were 5! ain; and they hid
him, even him aud his nurse, In the bed
chamber from AthalIah, SO that he was not
slain. And he was with her hhi In the house
of the Lord six vears.-H. Kings, xi, IA
Grandmothers are more lenient with
their children's children than with their
own. At forty years of age, if disci-
pline be necessary, chsstisement is used,
but at seventy the grandmother, look
ing upon the misbehavior of the grand
child. is apologetic, and disposed to sub
stitute confectionery for whip. There
is nothing more beautiful than this mel
lowing of old age toward childhood.
Grandmother takes out her pocket
handkerchief and wipes her spectacles
and puts them on, and looks down into
the face of the mischievous and rebel
ious descendant and says: 81 don't
think he meant 20 do it; let him off
this time; I'll be responsible for his be-
havior in the future" My mother, with
the second generation around her-a
boisterous crew-said one day: 81 sup
pose they ought to be disciplined, but 1
can't do it. Grandmo.hers are not fit to
bring up children" But here, in my
text, we have grandmother of differ
ent hue.
have within few days been in Je-
rusalem, where the occurrence of the
text toS;S place. and the whole scene
came wildly before me while l was 60
ing over the site of the ancient temple
and climbing the towers of the Kings
palace. Here in the text it is old Atha-
liah, the queenly muEieres5. She ought
to haze been honorable. Her father was
a King. And yet we find her plotting
for the determination of the entire royal
family, including her own granGchil
dren. The executioners' knives are
sharpened. The palace is red with
blood of Princes and Processes. On all
sides are shrieHs, 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, fieet-footed woman,
a clergyman's wife. Jehosheba by name,
etealthily approaches the imperial
nursery. seizes up the grandchild that
had somehow as yet escaped massacre,
wrapped it up teRderly but in haste,
snuggles it against her. flies down the
palace stairs, her heart in her throat
lest she be discovered in this Christian
a bducsion. Get her out of the way as
fAr
burden, even young King. With this
youthful prize she presses into the room
of the ancient temple. the church of
olden time, unwraps 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.
Meanwhile old Athaliah smacks her
lips with satisfaction, and thinks that
all the royal family are dead.
But the six years expire, and it is now
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 military come and
take possession of the temple. swear 10y
atty to the boy Joash and stand around
Tor his defense. See the sharpened
swords and the Furnished shields!
Every thing is ready. Now, Joash, half
affrighted at the armed tramp of his
defenders, scared at the vociferation of
his admirers, is brought forth IN full re-
gala. The scroll of authority is put in
his hands. the coronet of government is
orl . ha ~
and waved, ard huzzaed, and trumpeted
''What is that" said Athaliah. What
is that sound over in the tenple?"
And she flies to see, and on her way
they meet her and say: why, haven't
you heard? You thought you had slain
all they royal family, but Joash has
come to light"
Then she queenly murderess, frantic
with rage, grabbed her mantle and tore
lit to tatters. and cried until she foamed |
at the mouth:
''You have no right 10 crown nv
grandson. You have no right to take !
the government from my shoulders
Treason! Treason
While she stood there crying that. the |
military started for her arrest, and she |
took short cut through back door of
the temple and ran through the royal
stables; but the battle axes of the mill |
tary fell on her in the barn-yard, and |
for many day, when the horses were |
being ynloosed from the chariot after |
drawing out young Joash, the fiery |
steeds would sport and rear passing the |
place, as they smelt the place of the |
carnage.
The first thought / hand you from |
this subject is that the determination of |
righteousness is an impossibility. When |
a woman is good, she is apt to be very
good, ard when she is bad. she is apt to |
be very bad. and this Athaliah was one
of the latter sort She would extermi- |
nate the last scion of the House of |
David, through whom Jesus was to |
come. There was plenty of work for |
embaimers and undertakers. She would |
clear the land of al God-fearing and /
God-loying people. She would put an /
end TO every thing that could in anywise |
interfere with her imperial criminality. |
She folds her hands and says: THE |
work is done; it is completely done" Is |
it? In the swaddling clothes of that |
church apartment are wrapped the cause |
of God, and the cause of good govern
ment. That is the scion of the house |
of David; ii is Joash, the Christian re- |
former: it is Joash. the friend of God; |
it IS Joash, the demolisher of Baalitish' |
idolatry. Rock him tenderly: nurse |
him gently. Athaliah, you may kill all |
the other children, but you can not kill |
him. Eternal defenses are thrown all |
around him and THE u-;fo 4