the persons who conceive evil designs, but must have toe,ls to execute them. There is no solidarity among those who are confederates in wickedness. We hear of "honour among thieves;" hut it is often "conspicuous by its absence." Monarchs engnged in plots denounce and disgrace their agents, when the plots fail, even sometimes prrrnittin" their execution ; ministers are conveniently oblivious of the services rendered by thos; who win elections by intimidation and bribery; even "head-centres" are apt to look coldly on the work done by "ratteners" or "moonlighters," and, instead of commend- ing and rewarding them, are rather anxious to disclaim all complicity in their actions. If the poor tools knew beforehand how little benefit they would derive from their wicked violence, what Bmall thanks they would get from those who set them on, and how ready these last would be, on any difficulty arising, to leave them in the lurch, they would scarcely lend themselves to the purposes of their instigators. It is one of the weaknesses of the kingdom of evil that its agents do not keep faith one with another. It would weaken the kingdom still more if the conviction were general that this is so, aud that the subordinate agents who work out an end have little to look for in the way of reward or encouragement from their employers. Vera. 15-23.-Jehu and Jehonadab-the man of the world and the recluse ascetic. Worldly policy often finds it advisable to call to its aid the sanctions of religion, and the support of those who stand high in popular estimation as religionists of more than ordinary strictness and sanctity. It is comparatively seldom in the East that a political revolution is effected without the assistance of a dervish or a mollah of high reputation for strictness of life, who throws over a questionable movement the halo of bis reputed holin(•ss. In the present instance we have, on the one hand- I. JEHU, THE MAN OF THE wonLD, versed in the ways of courts, experienced in affairs both civil and military, a good general, popular with his brother-officers, prompt in action, decided, not overburdened with scruples, and at the same time subtle, inclined to gain his ends by cunning and artifice rather than by force. Circumstances have brought him to the front, and put the direction of a politico-religious movement into his hands; but the situation is not without its risks and dangers. Jebu, if b11 does not absolutely require, cannot but welcome, and feel his position strengthened by, any spiritual support. From the time that he took action, he had not received, and he did not dare to invite, the co-operation of Elisha. He could not expect that Elisha would approve the proceedings on which he was bent, involving, as they did, a large amount of falsehood and dissimulation. All the more, therefore, must he have rejoiced when help appeared from another quarter-help on which it is scarcely possible that he can have reckoned. Over against Jehu stands- H. JEHONADAB THE SON OF RECHAll, a chiet whose position is abnormal and peculiar. 'l'he tribe of the Rechabites, whose sheikh he was, was a branch of the Kenites, Midianitish Arabs apparently, settled at the time of the Exodus in the Sinaitic peninsula. The Kenites, or some of them, had accompanied the Israelites during a large part of their wanderings in the wilderness, and had been of great assist- ance to them (Numb. x. 29-32; 1 Sam. i:v. 6); in return for which they were allowed to settle in Southern Judrea (Judg. i. 16) and other parts of the Holy Land (Judg. iv. 11). 'l'hey retained, however, their nomadic habits, and were a waudering people, like our gipsies, in the midst of the settled inhabitants of Palestine. When the Rechabite tribe fell under the chieftainship of Jehonadab, he appears to hn.ve bound them down by stricter rules than they bad previously observed, and to have required of them an austerity of life whereof there have been few examples in the history of nations (Jer. xxxv. 6, 7). They were to dwell in tents, avoid cities, drink no wine, end cultivate no land. Jehonadab must himself have been a recluse and an ascetic, or he would never have instituted such a "rule." He had probably the rnme sort of reputation as now attaches to a Mohammedac. santon or fakir, and represented to the mind of his tribe, and even to numbers among the Israelites, the strict devout 1·eligionist, whose accession to o. party or a cause stamped it at once with a high moral and religious character. Jehu needed Jehonadab; but there was not much to attract Jehonadab to Jehu. He would seem to have lent Jehu his countenance simply from a l'egnrd for the honour of Jehovah, and a detestatiou of the Baal-wor- ship. But he would, perhaps, have done Jehovah more honour had he held bimseU 218 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. CoH, x.1-38.
aloof from the orafty schemer who disgra.ced tho cause of true religion by lies and treachery.