3. How amiable and lovely is a generous concern for the honour of God, and the support of his house and worship! Princes and people cheerfully brought in supplies; the workmen were diligent and honest; all contributed their part. What a lovely sight! We should show such zeal ourselves; excite it in others, and stir up our acquaintance to such labours of love.

4. How much is it to be wished that all who are employed in public affairs should show such integrity as these workmen did. They were so faithful that they never neglected their work; there was no occasion to examine their accounts. A good conscience is éspecially requisite in laying out public money, and the more so when the deceit is not likely to be known. Such persons are pecul iarly criminal in the sight of God when dishonest and unfaithful. Those that think it no crime to cheat their king, the church, or their country, as Mr. HENRY observes, will be of a different mind when God sets their sins in order before them.'

5. See how much the public often loose by the death of good Then, though past the active scenes of life. Thus, while Jehoiada lived, he kept things in order, supported the worship of God, and prevented idolatry. Zeal and piety seemed to go with him. We should value such while they live, and lament them when they die, It is a peculiar honour to have done good to God and his house; and it is to be wished their spirit may remain with survivors, that instead of the fathers there may be the children to serve the Lord.

6. See the danger which men, especially great men, are in from flatterers, v. 17. After the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. He had lost his counsellor. These men made a fine speech, and he hearkened to them. Many young people are ruined by being told how clever and how wise they are. This encourages their folly, and teaches them to laugh at the counsel of their friends. A faith ful regard to conscience and to the word of God would prevent such danger, for the word of God flatters no man,

7. God is a witness of our conduct, when those whom we reverenced are removed. Joash thought when Jehoiada was gone he might act as he would; but God knew him, and sent prophets to reprove him. Let young people, when their parents are dead, or when removed from under the eyes of their masters or parents, remember that God knows the way they take; and though they now walk in the way of their hearts, and in the sight of their eyes, yet for all these things God will bring them into judgment,

8. Reflect on the sad consequences of apostasy, and the miserable state of those whose heart is not right with God. Joash set out well, quickened the priests, was intent upon repairing the temple; but all this was by the force of education, or regard to the high priest, without any real principle of religion. So far men often go; but the mask quickly drops, and, like this unhappy prince, they form wicked alliances, and are undone. There are many, like him, who set out well; their friends have agreeable hopes; they begin in the qirit, but end in the flesh. Such should remember God's judgment

upon Joash; after all these pleasing prospects, he died miserable. Let those who forsake God after having known him, and for a while walked in his ways, remember that their guilt is peculiarly aggravated, and their plagues shall be great and wonderful. Let all, especially those who are young, and are now hopeful, beware, lest they draw back to perdition. May they believe, and persevere to the end, that they may be saved.

CHAP. XXV.

The reign and death of Amaziah.

MAZIAH, the son of Joash, [was] twenty and five

years old [when] he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart, not 3 like king David, as it is expressed in 2 Kings xiv. 13. Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father; as they were persons of considerable eminence at court, he durst not 4 do it till he was settled. But he slew not their children; this was commendable, notwithstanding there was danger of their raising a faction and revenging their father's death; but [did] as [it is] written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for their fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

5

:

Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of [their] fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin; all of one family he put under the command of one of that family and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice [men, able] to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield; they were sadly diminished since Jehoshaphat's time, when they 6 were about four times that number. He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver. This was wrong, because they were idolaters God had determined that the kingdoms should be kept distinct, and 7 had forbidden any alliance between them. But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD [is] not with Israel, [to wit, with] all * the children of Ephraim, because they are idolaters. But if thou wilt go, do [it,] be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy; thou shalt have no success, all shall be in vain: for God hath power to help, and to cast down. And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?

must I lose the money which is already paid? And the man of God answered, The LORD is able to give thee much more than 10 this, if thou wilt obey him, and trust his goodness. Then Amaziah separated them, [to wit,] the army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in great anger, resolving to be revenged for this insult.

And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people against the Edomites, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir, ten thousand; and, as we find in 2 Kings xiv. 7. he took Selah, or Petra, the capital of the country, the chief 12 city of Arabia the stony. And [other] ten thousand [left] alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.*

13

14

But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, took the advantage of his army being gone against Edom, and fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil, which was a punishment to Amaziah for joining with those idolaters.

Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, which he ought to have burned, and set them up [to be] his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and 15 burned incense unto them. Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine 16 hand? And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that [the king] said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel ? dost thou presume to give advice without a commission? not regarding the commission he had from God: forbear; why shouldst thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare; he determined to say no more, but denounced sentence against him, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.

17

Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the face; encouraged by his victory, and vexed at the injury the returning Israelites had done him, v. 13. he sent him a challenge, and hoped now to reduce the king

This was barbarous treatment, but very common, especially among the Romans. We find in 2 Kings that he called the city Joktheel, or, obedience to God, because he thought this victory was a reward for his obedience in sending back the hired Israelites.

Had he thrown them from the rock, instead of the soldiers, he would have shown a much more pious and compassionate spirit. Nothing more need be said to convince him of his stupidity. It was much wiser couduct in Fabius, the Roman governor, who, when he had Laken Tarentum, and was asked what they must do with the gods? answered, let them alone, they are good for nothing, since they could not defend their worshippers.

He had probably here a reference to Zechariah, who was put to death in the former reign for his faithful reproof, ch. xxiv. 21.

is dom of Israel to David's family again. And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, in a most scornful and mortifying manner by a parable, The thistle that [was] in Lebanon, sent to the cedar that [was] in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that [was] in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle; a thistle, because it had drawn blood of some poor traveller, thought it might claim an alliance with the cedar, and was as goodly a tree as that; so, because Amaziah had beaten the Edomites, he thought he might conquer the Israelites; but Joash let him know that he and his men would tread him down, as easily as a wild beast does a thistle. J9 Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast abide now at home; why shouldst thou meddle to [thine] hurt, that thou shouldst fall, [even] thou, and Judah with thee? Be content with the victory already gained, and be quiet at home, or else it will end in thy 20 ruin. But Amaziah would not hear; for it [came] of God, that he might deliver them into the hand [of their enemies,] 21 because they sought after the gods of Edom. So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, [both] he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which 22 [belongeth] to Judah. And Judah was put to the worse before 23 Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jeru salem, his own capital, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cu bits; that if they did not fulfil the condition he might the more ea24 sily chastise them. And [he took] all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, one of his posterity, to whom the care of them was committed, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, the chief persons of the city, and returned to Samaria; he did not leave a garrison there, because he had work enough with the Syrians at home.*

25

And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the 26 death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, [are] they 27 not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; seeing the country spoiled, their city dismantled, their sons or relations car ried away as hostages, and all this owing to his pride and rashness, they conspired against him; and he fled to Lachish but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there; they sent a detachment of soldiers, and it seems to have been the act of all

• This probably is the desolation referred to in the first chapter of Isaiah's prop hecy, VOL. III.

28 the people, who were vexed to suffer so much by his folly. And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers ⚫ in the city of Judah.

1. WE

REFLECTIONS.

E are taught hence, that it is not sufficient to act in religion as our forefathers have, unless our hearts are right with God. Amaziah did what was right in itself, but not like David. It is not sufficient to worship in the same place with our fathers; to adhere to the interest they promoted, without their integrity and zeal. Unless the heart is right, all is vain and hypo

critical.

2. The allsufficiency of God should encourage us, whatever we may lose for a good conscience, v. 9. And Amaziah said to the man of God, but what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. This is a very common objection in quarrels about money matters; we are loth to yield; to give up sinful branches of trade which are profitable; or to leave off selling on the Lord's day. We are ready to ask, What shall we do for the money? But it is below a good man to ask such a question, in cases where duty and conscience are concerned. The belief of God's allsufficiency is an answer to a thousand such trifling objections. He can make up every loss. Let us often think of this when we are called upon to part with any thing for God and religion. So Paul urges to charity, God is able to make all grace abound to you.

3. See the miserable condition of that man to whom the word of the Lord is a burden and reproach. v. 16. Then the prophet said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to my counsel. Young and headstrong people are willing that ministers should always prophesy smooth things. They are angry at them, and at parents and friends, because they reprove and admonish them; and are glad when they give over. But that is a sign of impending ruin. We may certainly say in such a case, I know God is determined to destroy thee ; for the word of God declares, he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy, Prov. xxix. 1.

4. Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Amaziah, hotheaded and flushed with victory, would defy the hosts of Israel; and this was because his heart was lifted up. This is the cause of many disorders. It is not men's substance, their honours, or their victories, which do them mischief, but their pride; their hearts are lifted up. Proud men, upon every little success or gain, think themselves superior to every body, and fit for any thing. But they often, as it is here said, meddle to their hurt. He that is

* See a Kings xiv. 23, to the end, which should be read in this connection.