Josiah's wise and devout concern, when he discovered the Word and knew more fully the will of God, was to communicate 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 with 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.

I. OUR DUTY TO COMMUNICATE DIVINE TRUTH. When we consider:

1. How essential to life and all that life includes is the familiar knowledge of the will of God.

2. 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.

II. OUR DUTY TO SECURE IT SO FAR AS 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 be the avowed disciples of Christ. It is our sacred duty, it is our high privilege, it will prove a service rich in the best reward, 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. This is ground on which we must exhibit both understanding and earnestness, both sagacity and self-sacrifice. There are 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 against them - we must go further than that; we must do anything and everything that is needful to get the temptation as much out of the path of our neighbours as the 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 particular occasion, but frequently and regularly. For much fellowship with Christ and much hearkening to his voice as he speaks to us in the sanctuary will give strength unto the soul. - C.

I. That God takes notice of every good thing His children do and rewards them for it even in this life.

II. How the Spirit of God in common matters doth raise up the soul to think highly of them. It sweetens death with the phrase of "gathering."

III. That death is nothing but a gathering.

IV. That the changes of God's children are for the better.

V. That burial is a comely and honourable thing.

VI. That death is less miserable than the ill which a man may live to see in this life

VII. That our times are in God's hands.

VIII. That it is the sight of misery which works the deepest impression.

IX. That those which be dead in the Lord are freed from seeing of any evil or misery.

X. Another conclusion, that takes away their invocation of saints.

XI. That the lives of God's children do keep back judgment and evil from the place where they live, and their death is a forerunner of judgment. Because —

1. Gracious men do make the times and the places good where they live.

2. Gracious men do bind God by their prayers.

XII. THAT THE EVILS WHICH WE SUFFER ARE FROM THE EVIL OF SIN.

XIII. THAT GOD WILL GIVE GOOD MEN FAITHFUL SERVANTS THAT SHALL DEAL FAITHFULLY WITH THEM. The messengers dealt faithfully with Josiah.

XIV. THAT THE CARE OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND OF THE CHURCH IS A DUTY.