The Tupelo journal., 1911-04-21

xD-~>~t ~ ~ts&< tbCy $500
1 Chron. 2:9.
TIME-In the tw~enty-third year Of
Joash's reign. s4 B.. C. (Beecher). s21 B.
C. Hastings). Joash was slain In the
fortieth year Of his reign. SH B. c. CBee-
cher). sos b. c. (Hasungs).
Professionalism, and the Temple.
KINGS-Hazael In king Of Syria; Je-
hoahaz has succeeded Jehu In Israel; in
Assyria. Shalmanezer ii. has died and
6hamash-ramman has come to the throne
Joash did that which wal 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 % become idolaters
again. Even during Jehoida's life,
moreover. the worship at the high
places vas allowed to go on. These
local sanctuaries were held to be con-
ducive to true religion. The Temple
was his boyhood home, his safe ref
uge for seven years from the murder
u cruelty Of Athaliah. IL the Tenn
pie lived his best friends. There he
had been crowned. No wonder he
came to love those courts. and to o r
row over their dilapidated condition
Joash called together the priests
and the Levites, and babe them draw
from the regular funds for the TEN
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 90 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 a large class Of church
members who put no heart into their
Christian work. 1t 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 1t on the
hearth, then watched 1t while 1t turn
ed from the red glow of heat to a
black mass. The member in question
carefully observed the proceeding.
and then said, you need not say a
single word, sir; I'll be there on
Wednesday night" No church fire
can burn brightly If the Goals are pull
ed apart.
Though many other reasons might.
be given for the failure when church
work falls behind. it is all summed up
in one cause, the abseace 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 u 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 we 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
lid for the money to pass through.
This was set beside the altar. How
did Joash's plan succeed? Admirably:
It brought In much money. People
like to give directly to a cause. to
know just how their money is spent.
They are far more likely to respond
to special than to general appeals.
The kings secretary and the high
priest went together to the chest.
counted the money, and put It up in
bags. It was then given to the yer
seers Of the work. and they paid 1t out
to the carpenters, builders. masons and
the men that furnished the timber,
hewn stone, and iron and brass. Moth
ing was spent on mere ornaments
everything was devoted to the solid
repair of the fabric. In all church
work pfogress is made only by fix
ing upon a goal and allowing nothing
to turn one aside till the goal Is
reached.
The crown Of Joash's life was what
| he did for the house Of God. Such
work will be the crown Of any life
that undertakes it. There is room
In Gods house for all kinds Of work
ers and all degrees Of skill. Even
the youngest scholar in the Sunday
school can make q helpful contribu-