The Washington herald., 1922-04-08
World Needs Christ More
Than Ever, Asserts Bryan
No PARKWAY God Back Of Electrons, But Per-
sonal One, Near Enough to Hear Prayer,
Is Vital Necessity.

Ny talk today is based on tive
passages from the Scriptures.
one from the ofd Testament. the
other containing one OF the
New Testaments most beautiful
Easter lessons.
The Old Testament passage.
from the 18th chapter OF Sec
ond Kings, deals with the love
manifested by Judah's King
Joash for the house of Jehovah.
1t Is not unnatural that he
should have been attached to the
once splendid temple that Solo
mon had built. II had been his
hiding place In his childhood
when his idolatrous grand
mother, Athallah, reigned q
usurper In Jerusalem after hav-
Ing slaughtered all the seed
royal but him. His aunt, at risk
of her own life. had saved him
from the fate OF his brothers
and smuggled him. a babe in
arms. into the> sacred place and
given him into the protection OF
his uncle, the high priest. who
doubtless lost no opportunity to
cultivate in the heart of his
royal charge a love for Gods
house. And In the temple, at the
tender age OF Z, with the sup
port OF the high priest and the
army. he had been brought be-
fore the people, crowned, and
accepted by them as their right
full king.
The First Contribution Box.
Now, in the twenty-thIrd year
of his reign. finding that the
temple was not being put In re-
pair, he directed that all the
voluntary offerings OF the peo-
pie should be saved up for that
purpose. So Jehoiada, the high
priest. took a chest, and bored
a hole in the lid OF It, and set
IL beside the altar. on the right
side as one cometh into the
house OF the Lord"-in all like
lihood the original contribution
box. And when the chest was
filled with money II was counted
into bags and paid out to them
that wrought upon the house Of
the Lord.
The details OF the collection
and disbursement of this repair
money are not the important
lesson taught in this bit Of
Old Testament history, although
there Is one significant state
ment that should not be over
looked. In distributing the
money for work done no ac-
counts were kept, which indi-
Gates a confidence in those who
had charge of the expenditures.
Indeed. the historian plainly
states that the men who were
given the money to pay the
workmen dealt faithfully"
Regard for House Of Worship.
1t is not always wise, how
ever. to ignore the matter of ac-
count, for even good men have
sometimes been made careless by
the suspension OF the ordinary
rules of business in handling
church funds. Careful expendi-
ture and accounting, according
to the rules of good business,
often mean the difference be-
tween a successful and a strug-
CLING church.
But the main impression gained
from Joash's repair OF the tenn
pie is regard for the house OF
worship.
II one visits the great churches
and cathedrals OF Europe. he can
not fail to be impressed by the
lofty conception that planned
them and by the deep consecra-
tfon or those who supplied the
money. Gods temples lowered
above the stateliest mansions OF
those who designed and erected
the places Of worship and used
them for religious assembly.
There waj a striking contrast be-
tween the poverty of the people
and the magnihcence OF these
temples dedicated to Jehovah.
When one thinks of the archi-
tects immortalized in the build
ing and OF the unrecorded null
titude who Joined their labor in
erecting them. ne is reminded OF
the words of John Boyle O'Refl-
ly. The dreamer lives forever.
while the toiler dies in a day."
Selfish Indulgence.
1t does not speak well for the
religious attitude OF Christians of
the present day when the inter-
est is shifted from the temple
OF the Almighty to the dwelling
place OF the individual.
We have now magnificent es-
.tates and costly palaces in which
the rich dwell. while places of
worship are less pretentious. II
the money were being spent in
the extension OF Gods kingdom
and in the carrying OF His Cos
pei TO those who know II not. no
criticism could be offered. but in
most cases that Is not the rea-
son for the relative difference in
the amount expended on personal
comfort and religious worship. II
is too often a proof OF selfish
indulgence that not only bespeaks
decreased reverence for God, but
produced Decentralization in those
reared IN luxury.
Churches should not be so ex-
travagantly built or so exquisite
ly adorned as to make the poor
feel out of place in them, but
the temple of worship should be
proof of profound respect for God
and of a deep interest in His
house.
Joash Sets Example
II the tithing system were en-