The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-07-25

j 'fjf 4 1T
MOSQUE OF Omar. Jerusalem. and that
Temple area. is still a realm OF mE;-l
terry and possibility to thte Scnoi%r
with a spade. 1t even yet yields great
surprises, as in the day of klnS 10
sian.
The better ever leads to the best. Jo-i
sian was repairing the temple. a good
deed. and he came upon a long hidden
and forgotten copy of the Law. me
scroll was at the bottom of a chess oil
temple one The money was of less
importance than this greater treasure
which it concealed. For many ears
the services in the temple had been
neglected. and what religion renamed
was largely traditional. That ancien:I
Gange1 is an ever present one. Each
gene. alton must nave its own book
TIE same Bible in all cases. but made
new for each individual by pers"nai
discovery. Traditional religion is m
sufficient. To be a Christian merely
from habit. and the influence ofCen-
vironment. is to run the risk OF nav
ing no vital Christianity at all with
Which to withstand the shock OF unex-
pected assaults and temptations.
A Book rs Power.
1t is a great day for any young per-
son when. like Josiah, he discovers
this book which gives life to nations
and individuals. There is no other
source Of power equal to it. Or.
rather, it is the medium through
which the other sources OF power
work. "Wherewithal shall a young
man clease his way" BY taking heed
thereto according to Thy word. Thy
word have | hid in my heart, that [
may not sin against thee The Word
that armed Jesus in His battle with
the tempter is still the best weapon
for the person who is in the great bat
tie with sin.
While this age can scarcely imagine
the conditions obtaining in J~Osiah's.
time, it may be more easily under
stood in the land where this history
was made and written. The liter
airy possessions of the region east OF
the Jordan. and all through the Ara
bian peninsula, are almost negligible.
One may meet whole villages or tribes
withOu a book. The MoSlemS Of
Kurdistan. and the regions lying along
the Tjgris-;are illiterate to an almost
incredible degree. Such was the con-
ditiOn obtaining in Europe in the Mid
die Ages. Martin Luther was twenty
years Ole before he ever say a Bible.
Now one of the hopeful characteris-
tics of our modern educational life is
the prevalence of Bible study. The
college Young Mems and Women's
Christian Associations have done
praiseWorthy work in the p~opulariza-
ton of Bible study. There is not
an educational institution of any
standing which does not ave many
of these voluntary Bible classes, and
the old Indictment against the average
students knowledge of the Bible
should no longer hold good, The
unique characteristic Of this Boo is
that it has power to change the ives
Of men. 1t grips c~onsciences. 1t
m u EnS bod man ~nn1 "oak ~
strong. ignorant men wise. Selfish
men are set to pursuing lives of un-
selfishness, indolent men become dill
gent in w~ell-dOing. No other book SO
takes hold of human lives and makes
them over: no other book so touches
the very springs Of character
First the Book. Then the Deed.
King Josiah did not find the Book
of Law merely to deposit it in a royal
museum. He Dund out what mes
sage it had for him and his nation.
Then he called a solemn conclave of
the leaders of the people and resolved
upon the practical measures to be
adopted. There IS always something
to do after reading the Bible. The
result was a great assembly of the
people was called at the temple, and
the Book was read in their hearing.
The dramatic discovery of this lost
Book was ~rehearsed. and the peoples
hearts were stirred TO self-examina-
ton.
Then, in royal state and with royal
purpose, Kink Josiah himself stood up
and made a solemn covenant to obey
the words of the Book. He pledged
himself to this as his life work. The
most sacred words he could use were
TAX Ell up his lips, as he made this
vow for himself and for the nation.
1t was a sort of Christian EndeaVor
conservation meeting. The pledge led
to performance. Whenever anybody
vitality yields to a religious
results are bound to follow. And the
record. full of meaning for the life of
~preSent-day nations and individuals,
concludes With the words, and Jo-
siah took away all the denominations
out of all the countries that pertained