The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1911-04-21

TIME-ln the tWenty-tHlrd year VI
Joash's reign. s64 B. c. (Beecher). S21 B.
n CHastings) Joash was slain in the
fortieth year of his reign. SAT Il. Z. tBee-
cher). 1903 B. C. dHastings).
PLACE-Jerusalem, and the Temple.
KINGS-Hazael Is king of Syria; Je-
hoahaz has succeeded Jehu in Israel; In
Assyria Shalmanezer II. has died and
shamash-ramman has come to the throne
Joash did that which was right in
the sight of the Lord while Jehoiada
the high priest was alive, but after
the death of that good man Joash al
lowed the people to become idolaters
again. Even during Jehoida's lie,
moreover, the worship at the high
places was allowed to go on. These
local sanctuaries were held to be con-
duciye to true religion. The Temple
was his boyhood home, his safe ref
uge for seven years from the murder
GUS cruelty of Athaliah. In the TEN
ple lived his best friends. There he
had been crowned No wonder he
came to love those courts, and to sor-
row over their dilapidated condition.
Joash called together the priests
and the Levites and babe them draw
from the regular funds for the Tenn
pie restoration. This money of the
dedicated things, the money conse-
Grated to religious uses by the people,
was obtained from three sources
Money of every one that passeth the
account; that Is the poll-tax of a half
shekel paid by every male Hebrew
above the age OF 20 whenever a cen
sus was taken Money that every
man is set at; All the assessments.
Money that cometh into any mans
heart to bring: The free-will offerings
of the people for this purpose, which
might be large
The church workers, even when
they take thought for the church.
have little heart in their work. The
facetious Sydney Smith had two
yokes of oxen on his little farm in
Yorkshire to which he gave the
names of Tug and Lug Haul and
Crawl These would be appropriate
names for large class of church
members who put no heart into their
Christian work II is mere tug and
toll and task to them.
There is a lack of cooperation. A
minister called upon a member who
had been neglecting the week-night
service and went straight up TO the
fireplace in the sitting room. and
with the tongs removed a live coal
from off the fire, and placed II on the
hearth then watched IT while II turn
ed from the red glow of heat to
black mass, The member in question
carefully observed the proceeding.
and then said, You need not say
single word, sir; I'll be there on
Wednesday night" No church fire
can burn brightly II the Goals are pull
ed apart.
Though many other reasons might
be given for the failure when church
work falls behind, 1t is all summed up
In one cause, the absence OF Christ.
Getting Christ into the people will
solve the problem Of getting people
into the church" and getting them TO
work when they are there. Said
Napoleon, In exile In St Helena: MY
armies have forgotten me even while
living, even as the Carthaginian army
forgot Hannibal Such Is our power.
A single battle lost brushes us. and
adversely scatters our friends The
progress of the faith and the govern
ment OF the church are a perpetual
miracle. Nations pass away. thrones
crumble, but the church remains"
That Is because Christ remains, the
living, glorious cause of all the
church's triumphs.
With the frankness and openness
with which all church matters should
be treated, Joash sent for Jehoida
and the subordinate priests and ask.
ed them with some indignation.
why repair ye not the breaches OF
the house,"
A very simple plan was adopted,
appealing directly to the religious
zeal of the people. A wooden chest
was taken, and a slit was made in the
I'd Tor the money to pass through
ald Joash's plan succeed? Admiral bly,:
II brought in much money. People
IKE to give directly to a cause. to
know Just how their money is spent
ihey are far more likely to respond
70 special than to general appeals.
Inc kings secretary and the high
priest went together to the chest.
counted the money. and put 1t up In
bags 1t was then given to the over.
seers OF the work, and they paid It out
20 the carpenters. builders, masons and
,ne men that furnished the timber.
neWh stone, and iron and brass. Moth
'Ns was spent on mere ornaments
e'erything was devoted to the solid
repair OF the fabric. In all church
, "ork progress is made only by fix.
.ns upon goal and allowing nothing