Notwithstanding this, the religious sentiment was in them, as in all men, a constituent part of their natures; and this sentiment is here appealed to, and roused into excite- ment; and, ~ing excited, men ponre~ forth their treasures and employed their energies for the rcpamng of the temple. 'fh1s element in man often sleeps under the influence of depravity, but mountains of depravity cannot crush it; it lies in human Mture 111 the mightiest Intent force. Pet.er the Hermit, Savanorola the priest, Wesley the Met.hodist,_ and others in every age, have roused it into mighty action, even innongst the most ignorant and depraved of th.i race. Cunning priests and crafty kings have appealed to it as the strongest force that can bear them on to the realization of their miserable ends. The truly good and godly must appeal to it if they would accomplish nny great work for mankind. By its right action only can men rise; by its dormancy or wrong development men must inevitably fall. Y. THE POWER OF MONEY TO sunnUE ENEll[IES. "Hazael King of Syri& . , , set his face to go u,11 to Jerusalem. And Joash King of Judah took all the hallowed things t.bat ..• his fathers •.. had dedicated, . . . and all the p;old that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord, ... and sent it to Hazael King of Syria : and he went away from Jerusalem." Here is a man, a proud, daring monarch, who was determined to invade Judll!a, and to take possession of Jerusalem, relinquishing his desi!!llS, What was the force that broke his purpose? Money. It is said that Jo11.~h s;'nt gold to Hazael, "and he went away from Jerusalem." Truly money answcreth for all things. Money can arrest the march of armies and terminat.e the fiercest campaigns. Aft.er contcr:ding armies have destroyed their thousands, it is money alone that brings the battle to a close. Money is the soul of all pacifying treaties. What fools the rulers of the people are not to employ money to prevent war and turn it away from their country! Enemies can be conquered by gifts. Evil can only be overcome by good. "If thine enemy hunger, offer him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head."-D T.
Vcrs. 1-3.-.A mixed character. The reign of Joash began with bright hopes. showed for a while excellent promise, yet ended ingloriously. To explain this we may consider- L JoASH's ADVANTAGES. L He had a pious education. As a child he was brought up by his aunt Jehosheba, who, with her husband the high priest, would instil into bis mind the principles of true godliness. In his strict seclusion he was kept free from sights of vice. Like 'l'imothy, he would be taught from a child to know the things that make wise unto salvation (2 Tim. iii. 15). 'l'o have an early training of this kind is an inestimable advantage. 2. He had a good counsellor. The early education of our own Queen Victoria was carefully conduct.ed with a view to the royal office she was afterwards to fill. It would not be otherwise with young Joash. Jeboiada would carefully impress upon his mind the principles of good government, and, after his coronation, this holy man continued to be his guide and counsellor. So it is said, "Jehoa.sh did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him." It is a happy thing when a king is willing to receive counsel from older and wiser heads than his own (cf. 1 Kings xii. 6-11). 3. He had an excellent opportunity. Joash start.ed with every advantage for reigning well. The people were animated with hatred of idolatry from the experience, they had had of it in Athaliah's reign; they were enthusiastic in their return to the wor~hip of Jehovah; they Lad inaugurated the restoration of the line of David by a new covenant with God, and by zealous acts of reform. The tide was with Joash, if he had shown strenl?-th of character sufficient to avail himself of it. II. JoAsH's WEAKNESS. Circumstances test men, and it was to be proved that, with all his advantages, Joash was a weak king. 1. He lucked independence of jwigment. Whether the early seclusion of bis life had anything to do with this, we cannot tell ; but it seems plain that he was not a king accustomed to think and act for himself, but one who was easily influenced and led by others. His nature was passive clay, on which the judgment of others stamped itself. While Jeboiada lived, he allowed himself to be led by him; and when this good priest and counsellor died, he allowed himself as readily to be turned into evil courses by the wicked nobility (2 Chron. xxiv.17, 18), ~- He lacked fi,f"l1Vtlas of will. '!'his defect flowed from the feeble11ess of judgment now OR, XII, 1-21.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 257
indicated, Joaeh knew the right, but he had not the courage or persistence to do it when preesuro was brought to bear on him in an opposite direction, His life thus proved at last a wretched failure. Notwithstanding Jehoiada'e kindness to him he was betraye~ at length into shedding the blood of Zechariah, his benefactor's 'eon (2 Ohron. xx1v. 20-22). 3. He lacked true surrender of heart to God. This was the prime defect in his character. Hie goodness, such as it was-and for a time it seemed perfectly genuine-was the result of natural amiableness, of early training, of external influences; it did not spring from e. root of true conviction. Therefore, when the sun wae up, it was scorched, end withered a.way (Matt. xiii. 6). It was goodness like the morning cloud, and the early dew-unenduring (Hos. vi. 3). The lesson we learn is the need of e. radical change of heart as the foundation of true and enduring piety. III. JoAsa's IMPERFECT REFORMS. The one point noticed a.bout him at this stage is the.t, while reforming tho worship of the temple, the high places were not taken away e.s commanded by the Law. This was a reform, it is to be allowed, not easily achieved, but had Joash been e. man of more character he might have accomplished it., as Hezekiah did after him (eh. xviii. 4). The fact that he did not attempt it, though popular feeling was so strongly on bis side, is an evidence of that weak line in bis character which co.me more clearly to light when Jeboiada was removed.-J. O.