eubterra.nean gra.na.riee, wells, and old a token of the righteous judgment of God hewn stones, nothing of ancient Tirzah that t!,e so.me prophet who announced rema.ins in Talftse." Conder recognizes the Jeroboam's exaltation predicted his fa.II.] name iu the modem Te-i8.air-a village near Ver. 19.-And the rest of the acts of Jezreel, in the Great !'lain-which "con- Jeroboam, how he warred [see ver. 30; tains the exact letters of the Hebrew 2 Chron. xoii. 2), and how he reigned, be- word, though the two last ra.dicals are hold, they are wrttten 1n the book of the interchanged in position." "The beauty chronicles of the kiilgs of Israel [ As to of the position, . . . the ancient remains, this work, see Introduction, Section VI. and the old main road from the place to The exact title is "the book of the words Shechem seem to agree well with the idea (or matters) of the days," i.e., the record of of its having once been e. capital" (" Tent- daily occurrences. J work," p. 67). Some of its "numerous Ver. 20.-And the days which Jeroboam rock-cut sepulchres," he thinks, may be the reigned were two and twenty years [Bahr tombs of the early kings of Israel. It was remarks that the exploits of this long reign famed for its !Jee.uty (Cant. vi. 4), and for find no mention in Scripture; the historian this reason, perhaps, among others (see on dwells exclusively on the sin, the conse- ver. 1) was selected by Jeroboam for his quences of which were of so much greater residence. It is not certain that it had moment] : and he slept with his fathers to.ken the place of Shechem as the political [Jeroboam's end would appear to have been capital] : and when she came [the Hebrew is untimely. After his defeat by Abijah, we much more graphic. " She came to . . . are told, "the Lord struck him, a.nd he and tho child died "] to the threshold of died," which may either mean that he died the door [Heb. house], the child died. [This by e. lingering disease (2 Chron. xxi. 18, 19) statement seems at first sight to contradict or more suddenly (2 Sam. :xii.15), but which that of ver. 12, which says the child should certainly implies that he died "by the die as she entered the city. But the palace visitation of God." I have suggested else- may have been on the edge of the city where (Hom.il. Quart. IV., p. 257) tha.t the (Rawl.), or the " city" may have been little " stroke " we.a not improbably his son's more than the po.lace.] death, which was at once so tragical and Ver. 18.-And they buried h1m [see on such a bitter foretaste of judgment to come. ver. 13] ; and all Israel mourned for h1m, He may have " warred and reigned" (ver. according to the word of the Lord, which 19) after this event. He may also have he spake by the hand [see on eh. ii. 25] of steadily drooped to his grave], and Na.dab his servant Ah.lJah the prophet. [It was his son reigned 1n his stead.
HOMILETICS.
Vera. 1-20.-.Abijah and .A1,,ija1,,. Perhaps there is no single section of this book more full of lessons, and lessons of the most varied kind, than this. Let us try to gather something of what God has strawed with so liberal a hand. 1. "At that time (ver. 1) "-the time of eh. xiii. 33, The sickness of the child distinctly connects itself with the father's persistence in sin (see Deut.. vii. 15 ; xxviii. 22, 61). The hard and impenitent heart treasures to itself wrath (Rom. ii. 5). Warnings (eh. xiii.) have been unheeded: it is now the time for juclgment. "If we sin wilfully," &c. (Heh. x. 26, 27). Deus habet suas horaa et moras. As "the fulness of time " gave us a Redeemer, so it will give us a Judge. 2. "Abijah, the son of Jeroboam, fell sick" (ib.) Observe-(1) The pious son sickened, and died; the impenitent father and the worthless brother lived." Then sickness is no invariable proof of God's displeasure. " Behold, he whom thou lovest is sick" (John x:i. 3; cf. Heb. xii. 6). "Whom the gods love, die young." The fable of Ganymede is full of significa.noe. "Te rapnit coelum, tales nam gaudet habere Illustres animas degeneresq ue fugit." " Tia ever thus, 'tis ever thus with all that's best below, The dearest, noblest, loveliest are always first to go ; The bird that sings the sweetest, the pine that crowns the rock, The glory of the gnrden, the flower of the flock. 318 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS, [OB. XIV, 1-20,
"'Tis ever thus, 'tie ever thus with creatures heavenly fair, Too finely frn.med to bide the brunt more ee.rth.ly creatures bear ; A little while they dwell with us, blest ministers of love, Then spread their wings we had not seen, and seek their home,above."