The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-21

Golden Text--R emeFuher now thy
Creator in the days Of Thy youth
lsscl IL T.
The Lesson Text in Everyday pre~s.
Josiah son ~ Amen came to N" /
throne al the tender age OF eight |
years Instead ~ yielding TO the /
corrupt Influences ut an idolatrous !
s,eurt sind walking In ssse footsteps
of his depraved father. he early chose (
the path ~ right. and Al the age of .
sixteen We find him definitely enlisted !
in the service q Jehovah. Al twenty /
he began "a crusade against Idol "of- /
shin This work Vas begun where 7
all reform should begin-at home
and vas carried ON under his per /
sonai super ision The affairs of the /
Raalfru were broken down. and in \
order to prevent their being used
again he deg3led them hy burning
--43.--- homes -iae4attous- priests !
upon them The images devoted TO /
the worship or the sun-god were de-
EtroVed The horses at the western |
entrance OF the temple which had
been dedicated to the sangod were
removed 2 Kings %; III and the
san chartots were broken M. The
wooden images devoted TO the "or-
ship of Astarte the Phocnician Venus,
were cut down and so were all other
images whether carved or nodded.
The crusade was carried on not only
In Jerusalem and Judah, but also far
beyond his domiuions from Naph-
tall In the extreme north TO Simeon
in the extreme south While this
work vas gong on arrangements
were made to repair the temple so
that the people who were deprived
Of the opportunity to worship idols
might have abundant opportunity 10
worship the true God. The Levites
were sent throughout the land to
collect money for this purpose and
In the eighteenth year Of Josiah
reign the work Of repairing was be
gun under. the superv ision Of Shap-
han thu state secretary. Maaseteh,
the mayor of Jerusa lem, and Juah,
The court Chronicler.
Questions 10 Bring Out the Neaniug.
Let us hook at this eight year old
boy as he ascends the throne Of Is
rael What is his name Who was
his father? Ills mother His grand
father His great grandfather What
are the chances that this boy viii
turn out WE'LL Note the things that
are against him l. He has II great
deal OF bad blood to overcome. as We
say. What do we mean by bad
blood ~ Can anyone be held respon-
sibte for his bad blood ? He has
been suddenly thrust into d position
where he has practically unlimited
power and may do as he pleases.
What are the chances OF Il boy turn
ing OUT well who Is allowed to do as
be pieases7 tThe same question may
he asked OF girl s, He is sur
rounded by a court that Is utterly
given over TO the most degrading
ssees. Almost every body around him
Is going to the dogs But are there
no good Influences Has he no wise
counseliors Possibly his mother
who by the way was not raised in
the corrupt atmosphere of Jerusalem,
is a good woman. Certainly there
are sevefal good men who have in
tiuence at court-aS Iilkiah the high
priest and Shaphan the royal seere-
tary, Possibly he has the good o0un-
sci Of IIuldah the prophecies also.
But do wise counseliors usually keep
boy from getting into sin WHO Il
surrounded by hundreds Of young
friends who are using every possible
means to Lead him sstray? t. He IL
situated that II he undertakes to
lead holy life he must go 10 work
TO change the moral atmosphere
around him. Bal. H. NOT this AN. easy,
thing for II king to do 40. 1t is
never easy FOR king To turn
whole people from their religious
customs or from their sinful ways
With all these things against him,
what does Josiah determine to do
How old is he when he begins to
seek after the Coo OF hfs father Da-
vid? Does this mean that up To his
sixteenth year he has not been a
good boy. or only that he now comes
out definitely and publicly on Jeho-
! sahs aide, IL he content 10 serve
God by himself How does he under
lake 10 win his people 10 the service
of the Lord also Note that he first
cieanses the land OF idols In other
words, he removes the things which
have tempted the people 10 sin and
which they have used In their sin
II 3 drunkard would seek God he
must first put the bottle from HIS lips
He need not seek God FIRST with the
resolve TO put the bottle away after
wards. How far does he extend hts
work Why does he undertake TO
rid the whole land Of idolatry? Is
4 IT nor neGt,ssary that the temptation
70 Sin should be put just an far from
the people as posi- Bile? Is 1t not just
AS necessary that you and J should
keep 5ast az far as possible from
the temptations 10 which We have
yielded in the pastT May Ne expect
God TO Keep our minds from sinful
thoughts 80 long we allow the bad
books and Vile pictures which have
tempted 'f4s 10 sinf1If thoughts TO re-
main In our houses What else does
Josiah do? 1t Is not enough TO take
7 away from the people the tempta-
lions to false worship: he must give
them an opportunity To worship the
true God. This In the meaning OF
the repairing OF the temple.
Now let US ask ourselves, What was
Y The secret Of Josiah's success In life?
81 Suppose he had not given his heart TO
God while he was young Suppose
i he had allowed himself to be led nv
sAs the fast set of his fathers court?
" Suppose he had been content to wor-
d Zip Jehovah alone and had not spent
\ 0tS life actively in winning his people
n - Gsod
Tlae Heart Of tise Lesson.
s The best thing that is said OF Jo-
u a1ah In that while he MAS yet young
q ~ began to seek after the God of
n pAvid his father Think OF IL. Here
boy suddenly raised TO q posi-