himself to the work without delay. In the space of a few hours he destroyed Jehoram, with his mother Jezebel, and then mstantly set liimself to complete the work he had so prosperously begun. And it is worthy of observation, that in extirpating the family of Ahab, he succeeded by the very same means which Jezebel had used for the destruction of Naboth. He sent letters to the great men of Samaria, to whose care the seventy sons of Ahab were entrusted, and required of them to cut off their heads in one single night, and send them to him at Jezreel : and these elders, many of whom had doubtless concurred in the shedding of Naboth's blood at the command of Jezebel, now, at the command of Jehu, became traitors to their king, and murderers of all his family.
But, besides cutting off the posterity of Ahab, he proceeded also to execute judgment on all the worshippers of Baal. By a stratagem deeply laid, but ill according with truth or god- liness, he succeeded against these also in one day ; and entirely banished, as it were, the worship of Baal from the land, burning all his images with fire, and making his very temple a draught-house, or sink of all uncleanness.
In this conduct he gained the approbation of Jehonadab, whose pious character and zealous co-operation strengthened and encouraged him in this arduous undertaking. From God himself too did he obtain a decided testimony of appro- bation, together with a rich reward : for he alone of all the kings of Israel had the kingdom continued to his posterity of the fourth generation, or for so long a period of years.
Thus, it must be confessed, he appears to have been a distinguished servant of the Lord ; though, alas ! he was but partial in that obedience which he rendered.]
2. What he omitted to do —
[Against Ahab, whom it was his interest to destroy, and Baal, whom he had no wish to preserve, he executed ven- geance with zeal ; but against the calves of Dan and Bethel,
which policy required him to preserve , he raised not
up his hand. Nor indeed did he make the law of God the rule of his conduct : " he took no heed to walk according to that;" much less did he aim at it " with all his heart:" no; he both indulged in himself, and tolerated in others, much that was contrary to the di\'ine will ; and thus he manifested, that, notwithstanding all his outward obedience, his heart was not right in the sight of God.]
Such was his character, externally good, but inter- nally depraved. Let us proceed to notice,
II. The lessons to be deduced from it —
373.] THE CHARACtER OF JEHU. 525
Such characters as these are very instructive : they teach us,
1. That we may perform many outward duties, and yet have no vital principle of religion within us —
[The actions of Jehu, as to the matter of them, were good ; and therefore they were rewarded ; but in their motive and principle they were bad ; and therefore God afterwards visited them with a severe punishment^. This shews, that notwithstanding all he did for the Lord, he had not within him any principle of true piety. And thus it is with multi- tudes amongst ourselves : they are zealous against open vice and profaneness, yea active too in many works of benevolence, and yet appear evidently to be destitute of vital godliness : they have never been truly humbled before God, never fled to Christ for refuge, never given themselves up to God as his
redeemed people How much is it to be regretted that
such persons, who by their virtues have gained the admhation and love of the most pious characters, and even received a recompence from the Lord also, should yet, for want of a root of grace in them, never bring forth fruit unto perfection, and never obtain happiness in the eternal world ! Like the youth in the Gospel, or Nicodemus, or Paul in his unconverted state, they are zealous towards God to a certain extent, but without a new and spiritual birth must for ever perish. O that all who have a zeal for God in the performance of out- ward duties, would carefully examine the principles by which they are actuated, and never be satisfied with any action which has not a sense of redeeming love for its moving cause !]