The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-29
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "How a Kings Life Was
Saved" Preached in Paris, France.

subject: HOW hlnSs Lille " as
Saved" Preached in Paris, France.
TEXT: ".Jehosheba, the daughter OF King
.Toran, sister of AHaziuh, took Joash tho
SON of Ahazidh, and stole hin, from among
the Kings sons aUhich Were slair; and they
hid him, cuen hin, and his nurse, in the bed
chamber from Athaliah, so that he aoas not
sIain And he 1UdS 1Uith her hid in the house
of the Lord sin yeurs.'-IT Kings, Ii, 2,3.
Grandmothers are more lenient with their
children's children than they were with their
own. At forty years of age, if discipline be
necessary, chastisement is used, but at sew
enty, the grandmother, looking upon the
misbehavior Of the grandchild, is apologetic
and disposed to substitute confectionery for
whip. There is nothing more beautiful than
this mellowing of old age toward childhood.
Grandmother takes out her pocket haudker-
chief and wipes her spectacles and puts them
on and looks down into the face of her mis-
chievous and rebellious descendant, and
says. 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: II suppose they
ought to be disciplined, but I can't do it.
Grandmothers are not fit to bring up grand
grandmother of different hue.
I have within a few days been at Jerusa-
lem, where the occurrence of the text took
place, and the whole scene came vividly be-
fore 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
was King. Her husband was King. Her
son was King. And yet we find her plot
ting for the determination of the entire royal
family, including her own grandchildren.
The executioners knives are sharpened. The
Princesses. On all sides are shrieks, and
hands thrown up, and struggle and death
groan. No mercyl KILL Kill! But while
the ivory floors Of the palace run with earn
age, and the whole land is under the
shadow of q great horror feet footed
woman, q clergyman's wife, Jehosheba
by name, stealthily approaches the i'm
perial nursery, seizes upon the grandchild
that had somehow as yet escaped massacre,
wraps it up tenderly but in haste, snuggles it
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 as quick as you can, for she carries
precious 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 mill
tary come and take possession of the temple,
swear loyalty to the boy Joash and stand
around for his defence. 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 yociferation of his admirers, is brought
fourth in full regalia. The scroll Of authority
is put in his hands, the cornet of government
is put on his brow, and the people clapped,
and waved, and huzzaed, and 'trumpeted.
"What is that?" 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't you
heard? You thought you had slain all the
royal family, but Joash has come to light"
Then the queenly murderess, frantic with
rage grabbed her mantle and tore it to tat
ters, and cried until she foamed at the
mouth: "You have no right to crown my
grandson. You have no right to take the
government from my shoulders. Treason!
freasonw 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 military fell on her
in the barn yard, and for many day, when
the horses were being unloosed from the
chariot, after drawing out young Joash, the
fiery steeds would snort and rear passing the
place, as they smelt the place of the carnage.
The first thought hand you from this sub
ject is that the determination of righteous
ness is an impossibility. When woman is
good, she is apt to be very good, and when
she is bad, she is apt to be very bad, and
this Athaliah was one Of the latter sort. She
house of David, through whom Jesus was to
come. There was plenty of work for en-
balmers and undertakers. She would clear
the land Of all Ged fearing and God loving
people. She would put an end to everything
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 apart
ment are wrapped the cause Of God, and the
of the house Of David; it is Joash, the Chris
tian reformer: it is Joash, the friend of God;
it is Joash, the demolisher of Baalitish
ldolatry. Rock him tenderly; nurse him
gently. Athaliah. you may kill all the other
children, but you cannot kill him. Eternal
defenses are thrown all around him, and
this clergyman's wife, Jehosheba, will snatch
him up from the palace nursery, and will
run up and down with him into the house of
the Lord, and there she will hide him for six
years, and at the end Of that time he will
come forth for your dethronement and OBJ
liberation.
Well, my friends, just as poor botch does
tho world always make Of extinguishing
Superstition rises up and
says: II will justput an end to pure religion"
Domitian slew forty thousa nd Christians,
Diocletian slew eight hundred and forty-four
persecution has been swung through all the
ages. and the flames hissed, and the guillotine
chopped, and the Bastile groaned; but did
the foes of Christianity exterminate it? Did
they e1terminats Alban, the first British
sacrifice, or Zuinglius, the Swiss reformer;
or John Oldcastle, the Christian nobleman;
or Abdallah, the Arabian martyr; or Anne
Askew, or Sanders, or Cranmer? Great work
of determination they made Of it. Just at
the time when they thought they had slain
all the royal family of Jesus, some Joash
would spring up and out and take the throne
of power, and WELD very scepter of Chris
tian dominion.
Infidelity says: "rn just exterminate the
Bible, and the Scriptures were thrown into
the street for the mob to trample Oh, and
they were piled up in the public squares and
set on fire, and mountains Of indignant con-
tempt were hurled on them, and learned uni
yersities decreed the Bible out Of existence.
Thomas Paine said: I'm my Age Of Rea'
som have ann :lilated the Scriptures. Your
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