The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-11-01
REV. DR.. TALMAGE
DISCOURSE BY VIE EMINENT Dy
VINE LAST SUNDAY
Subject A Precious Burden-Scion of the
House of David in Jehosheba's Arms
Lesson From the Slaughter of the
Princes-Lead Children TO Christ.
tCopyrig hit 1900. |

| Lesson From the Slaughter of the
Princes-Lead Children TO Christ.
copyright 1901
| WASHINGTON, D. C.-In this discourse
| on a neglected incident Of the Bible DR..
| Talmage draws some comforting lessons,
and 81. WIS that all around us are royal ma
| lures that we may help deliver. The text
is ii. Kings xi, 2. 8: "Jehosheba the
daughter of King Joram, sister of Aha
ziah, took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and
| stole him from among the kings sons
which were slain, and they hid him, even
him arl 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 lenient with
their chdrens children than they were
| with their own. At forty years of age If
discipline be necessary chastsement is
| used, but at seventy the grandmother,
looking upon the misbehavior of the grand
child is apologize and disposed to sub
| nothing more beautiful than childhood.
| Grandmother takes out her pockethand
| kerchief and wipes her spectacles and puts
| them on and looks down into the face of
| her mischievous and rebellious descendant
and says: Il don't think he meant to do
| it. Let him off this time. I'll be response
| BILE for his behavior in the future" Nv
|
her, e boisterous crew, said one day: 81
suppose they ought to be disciplined, but
| / can't do it, Grandmothers are not fit
to bring up grandchildren" But here in
my text we have a grandmother of a diff
| ferent tyne.
| [ have been at Jerusalem, where the oc-
| currence 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 king. Her son
was a king. And yet we find her plotting
| tor the determination OF the entire royal
family, including her own grandchildren.
| The eXecutioners knives are sharpened.
The palace is red with the blood of princes
and princesses. On all sides are shrleks
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 feet
| footed woman, clergymans wife. Jeho
| sheba by name, stealthily approaches the
| imperial nursery, seizes upon the grand
| child that had somehow as yet escaped
massacre, wraps it up tender'v but in
haste, snuggIes it against her, flies down
| the palace stairs her heart in her throat
/
ate abduction. Get her cut Of the way as
| quick as you can, for she carries a 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 un-
| conscious of the nerl that has been threat
ened, and there for six years he is secretcd
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
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 DO
litical revolution. The military come and
take possession of the temple, swear 10y
atty to the boy ,Ioash and stand around
for his defense. See the sharpened swords
and the FURNISHED shields Everything is
ready. Now Joash, half affrighted at the
armed tramn OF his defenders, scared at
forth in full regalia. The scroll of author
ity is put in his hands, the coronet of gov
eminent is put on his brow, and the peo-
pie clapped and waved and huzzaed and
trumpeted. "What is that" said Atha-
lah. ''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 royal muir
| deress. frantic with rage. grabbed her man
tie and tore it to tatters and cried until
she loaned at the mouth: You have no
right to crown my grandson. You have
no right to take the government from my
shoulders. Treason. treason!"
While she stood there crying the mill
tary started for her arrest, and she took
short cut through a back door of the
temple and ran through the royal stables,
but the battleaxes of the military fell on
her in the BARNARD. 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 passing the place as they smell the
place of the carnage.
The first thought I hand you from this
subject is that the determination of right
eousness is an impossibiltv. When a
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 under
takers. She would clear the land of all
God fearing and God loving people. She
would put an end to everything that could