Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-14
Josiah's Good Reign
Sermon by
REV. FLOYD w. TOnIKINS.
Texts III. Chronicles Nxxiy. LIB.

"im after he had reigncd two years
nc was succeeded by his son Josiah.
"ho was only eight years old. 1t
nEH'hs strange to think of such child
ling made king. OF course. there
zero guardians and teachers who told
"lih what TO do. and yet in those days
"i which the old Testament tells the
'puhi' seemed to have unusual power
u nhk"s US think OF the prophecy con-
"erhing our Lord. "a littIc child shall
iead trcm" Usa. xi, 60. And there is
"'"ething so dear In children that I
,hlhi we often feel that they have a
hh""iecse greater than that which any
human experience can bring. Who can
ialnom The wisdom speaking from the
eyes even OF babe? l confess to a
ieeiing OF awe when little blue-eycd
child looks directly at me- There is,
as ~ were. message spoken from
iieaVch, repetition Of the dear Lords
words. Except ye become as little
chiidren ye shall no; enter into the
hinEdom Of Heaven"
josiah roisned thrty-one years. and
nc was n great religious rcformcr All
the idols and the false worsl In were
destroyed. the Temple was purified and
600 was honorcd. 1t vas q great reign
anu inc last good reign. for few
years later tho people were taken cap
i've and the king dom never rose again
90 its former glory. The history Of
josiah. therefore, is like the bright
shining OF a light before It nnallv r"es
out and leaves darkness behind IT,
MANY INTERESTING THINGS
TO LEARN FROM JOSIAH
We have many interesting Things 10
ichrn from Josiah. In the FIRST place,
"hiie he was yai young, ne bc.an to
seek AFTER God. II was a case Of youth
ini conversion. Some peopi. arc afraid
OF early conversions. thinking shat chill
dren cannot understand what Chris.
'ahi'y means. But the normal life is
one tAat knows and loves God from
ne very FIRST years, as mother or
i1ther teaches him TO pray TO Christ
ana tciis him the story OF Gods love
nc iai'h or children is inspiring The
rove or children is withou, partially
ana therefore pure. And the hope OF
'i.'oreh IL very part Of their ma
'ufe' ana so they have The three cle-
ments OF perfect lifc-fai.h. hone
and love. The public confession of
christ should also come while Tho
chiio is young. He may no; understand
Ri that the Christian life means IN,
IL ne ioFcs Christ and knows tina, Christ
ASKS us TO confess before the world
mat We love Him. then he is ready 70
De lu!l member OF the church W.
may wen be glad that so many OF our
ch!!orcn. Our sunday schools are urc-
e,h'nenty FOR children our Junior
r!s'ian Endeavor. our junior mission.
airy bands our Junior hro;herhoods al,
nave great work 10 do for the King
ana when tho young are strong IN =,
church then tho church IS strong.
ACTIONS INSPIRED OTHERS
TO do TIE RIGHT THING
IKE me way ynung Josiah re-
P're" ana aenu'i'"d the temple Ana
evidently ). Inspired nth",v Z, fo r,rh,
:n' We are ;oid in ia. Rock OF t,i,c,
mat there Was no reckoning made
Wl'A the cnr"cnt"rs and builders ~
me money that was delivered into
their hand because they dealt faItb-
iui'y il is blessing when non ,re
Interested IN Gods house and keen t,
ia repair. Tho church ought 20 bc the
pest building in ~" town or CITY
40 not mean tn. most ornate or az,
travaEant. FOR tn. Lord loves SI,,ni.
thines: but Il should I've real rich
beautiful and well fitted for the wor
snap OF our God To see q church
ouildinE which is shabby. run down
and ih-kcpt Is to find the measure NJ
the devotion OF it's members. Pconla
may he poo-. hut they can keen Gos.s
house In repair and make IL clean and
attractive. And all can haze n share
In this work II they will. How is /,
with your church, Is the sidewa,i,
Kept clean Are tho seats aud the
pulpit always busted" IF thcr. arc
grass and trees about the building ara
they kept trimmed? We should love
to help care for the church always
envy the work OF n church sexton. and
i am glad there is an association Of
sections in Philadelphia David in tn.
EiEhty-fourth Psalm declares he would
rather ne a sexton than n rich man
n mr. n dyt-o ttar ~, l..
While working in the temple the men
found the Book of the Law-that Is.
the hrst part OF the Bible written nv
Moses at Gods command and by His
inspiration In all the years OF the
neglect. and PROCLAMATION Of the Temple
this law had been hidden aud neglect
ed They brought IL TO Josiah and
read 1t TO him--all those wonderful
words OF Lev!ticus and Deuteronomy.
No wonder the king was startled. for
none of those things which God had
commanded were now observed In
the name of the people he rent his
clothes and commanded the I,eyites 10
inquire of the Lord what he should
do. wonder if we value the Bible
much larger and fuller revelation of
Gods will than Josiah had? Do we
know what il contains? Is il dear to
us. our companion and guide? Or is 1t
covered up and lost in the rush and
crowding OF many things? Do we read
1t daily? And do we know that Gods
Word never passes away. and that its
precepts and promises are as true to-
day as when they were first written?
SHOULD GIVE MORE TINE
TO READING BIBLEl
I wonder how much time is given
to the reading of the Bible in our
churches. 1T Is far more important
than the sermons we ministers preach,
and yet fear it is no. read as largely
and as distinctly as it should be. There
was 4 time when people could not read
and when they heard the Bible read in
church IT was all they knew about its
message. Now we can all read. and all
OF us can have Bible in the home
This makes our responsibility greater.
we have :. curious statement i'm the
story OF the finding of the Book Of
the Law. The priest IIilkiah. by the
Kings command. sought for prophet
to declare Gods will. and instead Of
.ophct they found n prophecies.
ss,td?h, who lived In Jerusalem. and