The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-05-02

the brief chronology of the 80 kings of
Israel and Judah, the sacred writer
never neglects to name the royal moth
er.
The text Will forclbly illustrate tho
great Importance of maternal influence.
King Ahaziah had u good grandfather,
whose only mistake lay In permitting
his son, Jehcram. to marry Athaliah,
the daughter of the VIGOROUSLY wicked
Jezebel. The result of this ill-fitted
and Inflated marriage is briefly told:
"Jehoram walked In the ways of Ahab
because he had the daughter of Ahab
to wife" Finally King Jehoram comes
TO a loathsome end and his son Ahazi-
ah ascends the throne. HE also
walked in the ways of the house of
Ahab," says the sacred writer, for his
mother was his counsellor to do wick
edly." And in less than Il year Ahaziah
ends his Yretched rule in Il violent
death.
In sharp contrast with the inglorious
and ignominious reigns of Jehoram
and Ahaziah is that of HeZekiah, who
sat upon the same throne 100 years
later. His father Ahaz was a most
corrupt king. Likewise the grandson
of Ahaz, Manasseh, was noted for his
-wickedness and idolatry. How, then,
do we explain this extraordinarily good
reign of Hezekiah between the reigns
of two extraordinarily bad kings? The
answer is found in HeZekiah's mother.
Her name was Abijah. She was not
the daughter of a heather king or an
INSCRIPTIONS woman Her father was
Z|echariah, whom, we are told. was the
good counsellor of King Uzziah and
largely instrumental for his good reign.
Thus we can clearly see the tremen-
dous influence of a mother net only
upon an individual but also upon a ma
ton. Truly the hand that rocks the
cradle rules the world, and the name of
a good mother is of more consequence
than that of the ccnqueror of a king
dom.
The biggest place in the world today
is that which is filled by the people
who are in close touch with youth.
What u nation will be % years hence
depends upon the mothers whose chill
dren will be the moving factor of that
day. Being a king or a president is
Insignificant compared with filling the
place of a mother. Commanding an
army is little more than sweeping q
street compared with the training of a
boy or girl. To teach a child to love
truth, and hate a lie, to love purity
and hate vice, is greater than to invent
an airplane. Wait until we reach the
mountain of eternity and we shall see
the names of mothers In Gods hall of
fame. As never before we will under
stand how the holding of the child life
was the shaping Of . character and the
determining Of a destiny.
The influence of a good Hlother can
never perish from the face Of the
earth. An unknown mother in England
poured forth her prayers for her dlssi-
pated son. This wretched wreck, by
the grace of God, became John Newton.
the eminent minister Of London. John
Newton was instrumental in convert
Ing Thomas Scott, the celebrated com
mentator. Thomas Scott in turn was
used Of God to bring to Christ William
CoWper, the great poet, and William
Wllberforce. the distinguished states
man. All this endless, indescrlbable
good was brought about by the prayers
Of a humble, unheralded mother.
The influence OF a good mother car
ries men from this world to the next.
Almost the last words of Henry Clay.
as he lay dying, were Mother Moth.
err Mother !" The great statesman
must have beheld her loving face
amcng the waiting angelic hosts. The
little son of Marie A|ntOlnette was sep
arated from his mother during the ter
rible days of the French Revolution.
After a years confinement he was
brought out to die. "Oh. ' said he.
1.-THE music, the music, how fine! All!
that IS mothers voice singing now"
And with these words he went to Join
her whom at that time he did not know
to be dead.
Mother, dear mother, come back ON
this, your day, and take your place In
the old home. open the old Bible you
used to read. Kneel in the same old
place where ycu used to pray. Kiss
us goodnight ono more. But no! you
must not come back. You have fin
lshed the course, and kept the faith.
Wait for US, mother. Your prayer
shall be answered. We will join you
over yonder.