The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1900-10-26
LESSONS OF COMFORT.
DR.. Talmage Draws a Text from
Rescue of Joash.
The House of David Saved from Ex-
tinctiOn by JehOsheba's He
role Deed-WOrk of Soul
Saving.
- Copyright. 1900. by Louis Klopscn.1

1 M
| Washington,
In this discourse on a neglected in
cident of the Bible DR.. Talmage draws
some comforting lessons and shows
that all around us are royal natures
that we may help deliver. The text IS
| 2 Kings 11:2, 3: "Jehosheba, the
daughter of King Joram. sister OF
Ahaziah, took Joash, the son of Aha
ziah, 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 he was
with her hid in the house of the Lord
six years."
Grandmothers are more 1enient
with their children's children than
they were with their own. At 40 years
of age if discipline be necessary chas-
| tisement is used, but at 20 the grand
mother, looking upon the misbehavior
of the grandchild, is apologetic and
disposed to substitute confectionery
for whip. There is nothing more beau
tifuI than childhood. Grandmother
takes out her pocket handkerchief
and wipes her spectacles and puts
them on and looks down into the face
of her mischievous and rebellious de-
scendant and says: 'I 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, bois-
ferrous crew, said one day: II suppose
they ought to be disciplined, but 1
can't do it. Grandmothers are not fit
to bring up grandchildren" But here
in my text we have a grandmother. OF
different type.
l have been at Jerusalem, where the
occurrence of the text took place, and
the whole scene came wildly before
me while l 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 royal
murderess. She ought to have been
honorable. Her father was king.
Her husband was a king. Her son
was a king. And yet we find her plot
ting for the determination of the en-
tire royal family, including her own
grandchildren. The executioners'
hlIiNNS are SlIdI DCDCd 4AC PdAoSO AZ
red with the blood of princes and
princesses. 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 a great
horror a fleet-footed woman, a clergy
mans wife, Jehosheba by name,
stealthily approaches the imperial
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 compassionate abduction. Get her
out of the way as quick as you can,
for she carries precious burden, even
a 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 eecreted 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
1t is time for young Joash to come
forth and take the throne and to push
back into disgrace and death old Ath-
allah.
The arrangements are all made for
political revolution. The military 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! Everything 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 regalia. The scroll of au-
thority is put in his hands, the coronet
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
beard? You thought you had slain
all the royal family, but Joash has
come to light" Then the royal muir
deress, frantic with rage, grabbed her
mantle and tore it to tatters and cried
until she foamed at the mouth: ''You
have no right to crown my grandson.
You have no right to take the govern
ment 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 battleaxes of the
military fell on her in the barnyard,
and for many a day when the horses
were being unloosened from the chariot
after drawing out young Joash the
fiery steeds would snort and rear pass
ing the place as they smell the place of
the carnage.
The first thought hand you from
this subject is that the exterminatio
of righteousness 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 would
exterminate the last scion of the house
of David. through whom Jesus was to
come. There was plenty of work for
embalmers and undertakers She
would cleave the land of all God fearing
and God loving people. She would put
an ePd TO everything that could in any.