The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-04-14

the work. nor Jehoiada, nor Athaliah,
but Jehovah
Jehovah's word was at stake. He
| mad brought into existence the house
OF David, which. he declared, should
live forever. The last OF the seed Of
David to ascend the throne should be
Jesus himself, and his reign should
never end. BY no sort OF means there
| fore should the house of David be-
come extinct. 4Athauah might de-
Stroy all the royal seed but one, but
the babe that remained would be i'm
| mortal No power could have de-
| stroyed little Joash so long as the
| preservation OF the royal house OF
David depended upon his little life.
| When God speaks II shall be done
Whatever the world may decide II
shall DO done. Whatever plans the
| powers of darkness may make ta
thwsrt his design it shall be done.
1t makes no difference what the CTR
cumstances may be. It makes no
difference about the tendency OF the
times All Israel may forget God.
Inc whole land may be filled with the
stencil OF the vilest forms OF pagan
worship. Good men may utterly de-
SPAR. Good men may almost cease
to be. But whatever may happen
the word of the Lord shalt be per-
iofIHeu. mere never was a time
when 1t seemed more unlikely that
1oo word would be fulfilled than In
Athaliah's day. There was not a mil
iionth part of chance to all out
ward appearances. for the house OF
David TO return to the throne. In
single hour Athaliah was hurled from
her throne. ana member OF the
mouse OF David whose very existence
was unknown appeared and took her
place There is nothing too hard for
GOD. There will never come a time
when 1t VIII be hard for God to keen
ms WORD. There wiz never come
time when the wheels of fortune. the
tendencies OF the times, the noyers
OF darknss. visible or inyisibla en-
nave the slightest effect upon the
word OF God
What then? II God has declared
tnat His word shall endure forever.
IL VIII endure. If His word endures
forever and I am trusting in that
"ord ana walking according to that
word my present Is sure. my future liz
secure.
The Character of Joash.
"hile little Joash Is the most con-
splcuous figure in this picture he il
os no means the most important fig
Ire' me important figure In Jehof-
'NN~ Ipffta Rtui10 the f6ronA.
Joash was weak---decidedIy weak ria
was good king because in tho prov
ioence or God he was in the hand.
OF good man He did that which
was right because Jehoida was deter
mined that he should do thar which
was right So long as Jehoiada lived
ne ala well When he died and mon
OF another sort came To influence him
they round that 1t WAS as easy To get
MIN TO do ~lckedly as II had been
TO get him to do well Joasn IN nor
therefore an example to be SET he
iore our children. 1t ia not tina, which
boy does at the command of am
otner but that which he does on, Of
ms own hearts choice. that commits
'fnew "a man who Tor thirty ysars
or more lived an outwardly blame
Tess NE. lie was active in the church
IN the sunday school, and in every
sood WORK Ills wife died and In less
tnah year his friends noticed a
change. Within another year he was
serving a term In the State prIsou
All through his married life he had
oeen shielded. encouraged and led
along by pure, consecrated. stronr.
"iiled wife. She was his prop. fIe
mad lived. not by the strength Of God
but by the strength of his wife Ifa
had depended upon her. Whom she
was gone he knew not how To dene,5
upon God.