Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-11
JOSIAH'S GOOD REIGN,
II Chronicles. 54:1-13.
Golden Text: Remember now
thy Creator in the days of thy
youth -Ecclesiastics. 121.
By Rev. H. T. Stevenson.

By Rev. H. T. Stevenson.
Manasseh failed to eradicate the faint
of idolatry from his own family. Anon,
who succeeded him. during his brief
reign of two years tried to undo all
the reformatory efforts of Manasseh's
last DAYS. He practiced all the various
forms of iniquity that marked the
earlier portion of his fathers admin
istration. He recovered all the craven
images. which his father had discarded
in his later days, and replaced them
within the shrines and restored their
worship in place of Jehovah's.
Although palace intrigue cut short
his reign at the end OF two years there
Is a special interest attached to his
name. because lie appears in the genoa
logical table of the house OF David,
and in that of the ancestry of the Lord
Jesus. The people brought to justice
the conspirators who were responsible
for Amon's death and placed his youth
full son. Josiah, upon the throne. His
thirty-one years of devotion to God
checkered career of his grandfather
during his reign of ffty-five years
Probably Josiah had been influenced
by the religious zeal Of his grandfather
and those who surrounded ManaSSeh in
the closing days of his reign, so that
the reactionary party that had domj
mated Anon failed to influence Josiah
or turn him from his early decision to
serve Jehovah with all his heart. His
early conversion endowed him with the
spiritual power that gave him a noble
character. so that he mastered the han
dicaps of vicious ancestry and the
! environment of a heather home. Josiah
by keeping Gods law from his youth
II, Il
la Dor to Gods standards. for he salts
fled the requirement of Jehovah by
following the statutes of David in his
consistent career as man and ruler. His
right start is the explanation of his
success in undoing the work of his
father and restoring the temple and the
worship of God.
Josiah became the most beloved king
next to David-who ever ruled Jul
dab because that while he was yet
of David. his father" His father had
made right decision quite difficult. but
through the grace of God the boy king
developed into a strong character. His
conversion calls attention to the con-
version of the child life of the world
which offers the most promising field
for Christian endeavor. The average
child is naturally full of faith and
ready to accept the gospel. The largest.
quickest and best returns result from
work among children. The church finds
that the Sunday school furnishes her
the largest number of recruits for the
army of the Lord Jesus. The CONVEX
sion of the child opens the way to reach
the ungodly parents. In saving child
you not only save 4 soul. but you save
a life. which gives the best opportunity
for the development of character.
Josiah owes his early religious life
largely to the influence OF Pedidah. his
beloved mother. who directed his edu-
cation along religious lines that caused
the young king to commence TO serve
God while he was still a boy. The
strong men. whose leadership in the
worlds great battles and triumphs
have given them a permanent place in
the annals of men, have placed the
trophy Of their glory upon the brow
of their mothers. The combination of
priests prophets and people that placed
Josiah upon the throne Of Judah CO.
operated with his mother in her efforts
! to have him ovecome the power Of
blood of his immediate evil ancestors
Every teacher and parent ought TO re-
joice in the inspiration furnished by
the example of Josiah and the eucour-
agement given by the Lord who not
only placed the child in the midst of His
quarreline disciples as the greatest in
the kingdom of God but made the
spirit of the child the basis of entrance
into the kingdom
He decided to enter upon religious life
when he was sixteen. which recent in
Vestigation has proved TO he the aver
age age Of conversions The wonder
| full period OF adolescence i- the normal
| time for a boy girl to enter into fell
| lowship with God. Midway between
childhood and manhood is the hour
when the Holy Spirit reveals 20 them
their personal need sinners. and
!, how the Lord Jesus died to save all
who would believe in Him as their per
i conal savior. The hour of conversion
may come earlier to some than sixteen.
Many of the leading psychologists pla ce
the period for the determination of the
dominant tendency before the age of
fourteen. The kings of Judah were
considered minors until they were
thirteen. but Josiah waited until he
was twenty years of age before he
took up the work of religious reforma-
ton.
| Every one who accepts Christ finds
/ that he has a duty to perform. The
Lord saves men SO that they they may