The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-04-24

@~ the account given, in
II Chroni eles, 34th
chapter, of the life of the good king Josiah:
'In the eighth year of his reign, which was
only the sixteenth year..of his life, while he
was yet young, he began to eek after the God
of his father David.n
One of the most deplorable signs of the
times is seen in the feeble grip that religion
and religious things have upon growing boys.
There must be something radically wrong
with the training of the boys when we see so
few young men growing up in the fear Of
God. There is no question with which the
church has to deal which is more important
than the question how to hold our boys for
God and the church. We see our churches
thronged with women but where are the
men? 1t cannot be that woman is by nature
more religious than man. / think it grows
partly out of the difference in their home
training. Things are winked at in boys that
are frowned on in girls. We often expect
more of girls than of boys and without any
show of justice. God has set up not two
standards of conduct but only one, and by
that single standard all must be judged.
Religion is intended not only for m and
girls but for all.
1t is worthy of remark that Josiah was the
son of a very wicked man. The greatest
curse a boy can have is a wicked father-un.
less it he a wicked mother. But the world too
often forgets that it is the wickedness Of
fathers which is usually to blame for the
wickedness of mothers. The children Of
wicked parents often are regarded as hope
less. They are made to feel that goodness is
not expected Of them. And from what we
hear of heredity we might think that many
religious teachers have more faith in it than
in divine grace and religious training. But
Josiah shows that in spite Of wicked parents
and vicious example a boy who makes up his
mind to be good can succeed. If the facts
were known l believe they would show that
some of our best and most useful men have
been sons of wicked parents. We hear much
about the sons of the COED turning out badly
but very little about the sons of the had who
turn out we'll. But there are doubtless a
dozen of the last for one of the first of these
classes. Josiah's grandfather, Mauassah, was
the most abominable king Judah ever had,
but he was the son of the good Hezokiah.
These things show that piety is not the gift
of father to son.
Josiah, as king, had every opportunity to
do wrong, but he chose to do right. He not
only decided to do right but in spite of all his
obstacles he actually dill right. So can you.
He who says he annot do right in his present
circumstances is a coward and unworthy the
name of q man. No one need be a victim of
circumstances. Josiah learned to be good
under very unfavorable circumstances and
then set about improving them. So that from
the child of a wicked father he became one
of the most eminent for goodness of all the
kings of Israel.
The secret of his goodness was that he be-
gan to seek the Lord while he was yet young.
Church going is well enough but we have no
right to make even the church a substitute
for God. We see thousands of church goers
who are grossly immoral The church is of
value to us only as it brings us to God who is
our help. The Misunderstanding power of
the church is the full measure of its value.
If il makes me no better it does me no good.
Only God can make us good by the gracious
operation of His spirit working in us that
which is well pleasing in His sight through
Jesus Christ. And the church is the channel
through which he usually dispenses his saw
ing grace. You may not sit upon a throne
nor command the allegiance of a nation but
remember; "Greater is he that ruleth his
own spirit than he which taketh a city" !
There is no eminence to be compared with
goodness.