Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1900-10-27

make queens turn pale, some Joash t(
demollsh idolatry and strike for the
kingdom Of heaven. There are sleep
ing in your cradles by night, there are
playing In your nurseries by day. lmpe
rial souls waiting for dominion. and
whichever side the cradle they get out
will decide the destiny of empires. Fol
each one of those children sin and holi
ness contend Athaliah on the one side
Jehosheba on the other. But | hear
people say: whats the use Of bother
ing children with religious instruction
Let them grow up and choose fol-
themselves. Don't interfere with their
volition." Suppose some one had said
to Jehosheba: Don't interfere with
that young JOash. Let him grow up
and decide whether he likes the palace
or not, whether he wants to be king or
not. Don't disturb his volItion." Je-
hosheba knew right well that unless
that day the young king was rescued
he would never be rescued at all. |
tell you, my friends, the reason we
don't reclaim all our children from
worldllness is because we begin too
late. Parents walt until their children
lie before they teach them the value Of
truth. They wait until their children
swear before they teach them the I'M
portance of righteous conversation.
They wait until their children are all
wrapped up In this world before they
tell them Of better world. Too late
with your prayers. Too late with your
discipline. Too late with your benedic-
tlon. You put all care upon your chill
dren between II and lS Why do you
not put the chief care between and 9?
1t Is too late to repair vessel when 1t
has got out OF the drydocks. 1t is too
late to save JOash after the execution
ers have broken In. May God arm US
all for this work of snatching royal
souls from death to coronation.
subIimest of All Work.
Can you imagine any sublimer work
than this soul saving? That was what
flushed Paul's cheek with enthusiasm,
that was what led Munson to risk his
life amid BornesIan cannlbals. that
was what sent DIR. Abeel to preach un-
der the consuming skies OF China. that
was what gave courage to Phocas In
the third century. When the military
officers came to put him TO death for
Chrlst's sake. he put them TO bed that
they might rest. while he himself went
out and In his own garden dug his
grave and then came back and said. Il
am ready" But they were shocked at
the idea Of taking the life Of their host.
He said. at is the will of God that |
should die" and he stood on the mar
gin OF his own grave. and they be-
headed him. You say II Is a mania, a
foolhardIncss. n fanaticism. Rather
would call 1t glorious self abncga-
ton, the thrill Of eternal satisfaction,
the plucking Of Joash from death and
raising him to coronation.
The third thought hand to you Is
that the church of God Is good hiding
place. When Jehosheba rushes into
the nursery Of the king and picks up
Ioashs@ what shall she do With himf
Shnll she take him to some room Ia the
paiacef No, for the official desperadoes
will hunt through every nook and cor
ner of that building. Shall she take
him to the residence Of some wealthy
No. That citizen would not
dare to harbor the fugitive But she
has to take him somewhere. She
hears the cry of the mob In the streets,
she hears the Shrek Of the dying no.
bIllty, so she rushes with Joash unto
the room Of the temple. into the house
Of God. and there she puts him down.
She knows that Athallah and her wick
I'd assassins will not bother the temple
4 great deal They are not apt to go
very much to church, and so she sets
down Joash In the temple. There he
will be hearing the songs of the wor-
shippers year after year. There he will
breathe the odor Of the golden censers.
In that sacred spot he will tarry. Sc
,reted until the six years have passed
md he come to enthronement
The Best Hiding Place.
Would God that we were all as wise
Is Jehosheba and knew that the church
)f God Is the best hiding place! Per-
laps our parents took us there In early
lays. They snatched us away from
he world and hid us behind the baptis-
nal fonts and amid the Bibles and
psalm books. o glorious lncloSurel We
nave been breathing the breath Of the
golden censers all the time. and we
nave seen the Lamb on the altar. and
We have handled the Walls in which are
he prayers Of all saluts. and we have
iwelt under the wings Of the cheru-
,im. Glorious lnclosure When my
'ather and mother died and the prop
,rty was settled up. there was hardly
anything left. but they endowed us
With a property worth more than any
arthly possession. because they hid us
n the temple And when days Of
emptation have come upon my soul
rave gone there FOR shelter. and when
Lssaulted Of sorrows have gone there
or comfort. and there | mean to live.
want, like Joash. to stay until coro-
nation.
o men of the world outside there,
caricatured and cheated Of
he world, why do you not come In
through the broad, wide open door Of |
Christian communion? l wish | could
let the part Of Jehosheba today and |
teal you away from your perils and |
llde you In the temple. How few of |
is appreciate the fact that the church |
# God is a hiding place. There are |
many people who put the church at so
ow a mark that they begrudge 1t ev
'rything, even the few dollars they
live toward 1t. They make no sacrl-
Ices. They dole little out Of their
They pay their butchers
ill, and they pay their doctors bill,