grn~ious overtures ?f God, we must "show forth" ~he severity of those righteous lawa which attach sulfenng and shame to vanity and gmlt. Jil. THE UBGENT ?.'EED OF KEEPING AN OPEN MIND AND A SENSITIVE BPIRIT, We are almost startled when we read of Josiah's vehemence (ver. 19). 'l'hcse solemn threats do not affect us in that degree. Dut we have to consider that he waa hearing them reRd for the first time; to him they were new and fresh, and therefore striking and forcible. Here lies one of our great perils. Familinrity covers the truth of God with its own veil, so that we do not see what we are looking at. We want to read the words of Jesus Christ, to listen to the story of his great sacrifice, to hearken to his words of gracious invitation, as if we had 'II ever met with them before; we want to bring to them all the force of e.n unclouded intelligence, of an undullod interest. .And so with the warnings as well as with the promises of Scripture. IV. 'l'HE ATTENTION Gon PAYS TO INDIVIDUAL SOULS. (Vers. 26-28.) Wrath was to be poured out upon Judah, but Josiah was to be treated mercifully because he had acted rightly. Whatever penalties arc due to our country, however we may be, as we are, suffering as the members of a guilty race, we may be quite sure that God has regard to the life we are living, to the choice we are making. If our heart is tender and if our will is obedient and submissive, we also shall find mercy of the Lord. God has his dealings with communities and with Churches; but his most constant relation is with men, with individual souls. "The Lord looketh upon me;" "Christ died for ?1W;" "'What wilt thou be.ve ?7W to do?" And according to our individual choice will be our destiny. "Every man must bear his own burden."-C. Vers. 29-33.-0ommunication and continuance. J osiab's wise and devout concern, when he discovered the Word aud knew more fully the will of God, was to communi- cate his own earnestness to others, and to secure for future years this new and good departure. He took the most natural and wise measures to attain his object. 1. He summoned all the elders in particular and all the people who could meet together, and made known to them in its fulness the truth that had been revealed to himself (vers. 29, 30). 2. He pledged all those who were wit.h him, and who represented the nation, to continuance in the service of Jehovah (vers. 31, 32). 3. He took away the standing temptation from the path of the people. He thus made obedience easier while he made the sense of obligation firmer_ L Oun DUTY TO COMMUNICATE Drvn.'E TRUTH. When we consider: 1. How essential to life and all that life includes is the familiar knowledge of the will of God. £.. How possible and how practicable it is for all who know the will of God in Jesus Christ to pass it on to others. 3. How willingly men will listen if we give them the simplest and best guarantee of our sincerity-consistency of conduct and excellency of spirit; we shall see how right and how urgent it is upon us that we should all "hold forth the Word of life," make known the goodness and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. IL Otra DUTY TO SECURE IT so FAB AB LIES IN OUR POWER. The text suggests three ways of doing this. 1. Pledge ourselves to abide in its light. Josiah covenanted for himself to "keep his commandments . . . with all his heart . . . to perform the words . . . written in this book." That was his first, plain duty. .And that is ours also; to undertake, solemnly and openly before God and his people, to walk in righteousness and in holy service; to "take the vows of the Lord" upon us. By so doing we give the strongest possible and the greatest practical encouragement to all others to come and "do likewise." 2. Induce others to enter into the same solemn undertaking. As the king with his countrymen (ver. 32), so we with our kindred and friends, with our fellow-worshippers and neighbours, should do all in our power to pledge them to the service of God. "Join us," we should say, "in taking a solemn and sacred pledge to live consciously in the presence and continuously in the service of the Divine Saviour." In every considerable company of worshippers there are those who are unpledged, but who, for their own sake and for that of others related to them, ought to l,c; the avowed disciples of Christ. It is our sacred duty, it is our high privilege, it will prove a service rich in the best _re"."ard, to speak the encouraging and inviting word which will lead them to take this important step. 3. Remove temptation from the path of those who might not be able to resist it. '!'bis is ground on which we on. XXXIV, 1-33.) THE SECOND BOOK OF '1.'HE CHRONICLES. 421
must exhibit both understanding nnd earnestness, both sagacity a.nd self-sacrifice. 'l'here a.re things which may be said to be "abominations" (ver. 33) because they prove to be irresistible and ruinous temptations to some sincere disciples. In these cases, it is not enough to warn ngainet them-we must go further than that; we must do nnything and everything that is needful to get the temptntion as rr.uch out of the pnth of our neighLoure ae tho images which were ground to dust (ver. 4) were removed from the way of the people of Judah. We may add a fourth measure which may be suggested by the twenty-ninth verse: 4. Prevail upon our friends to come into the near presence and under the power of the truth of God; and this not (as in the text) on one particulo.r occasion, but frequently and regularvy. For much fellowship with Christ and much hearkening to hie voice as he speaks to us in the sanctuary will give strength unto the soul.-O.