2 Sam. x. 5 that it ha.d not been entirely the whole, it seems to be implied that Hiel uninhabited. Dnt the Are.b village we.a now knew of the threatening of Joshua, and converted into o. town with go.tee and bars] treated it with defiance. It has been sug- Jericho [We learn from Josh. xvili. 21 that gested that the rebuilding had really been Jericho then belonged to Benjamin. It ho.d instigated by Ahab, e.nd for his own pur- evidently passed, however, at this date into poses, hoping thereby to "secnre to himself the possession of Isre.el. It he.a been sng- the passage across the Jordan" (Keil), but gested that the transference took place in the text a.fiords but slight warrant for this the reign of Be.nshe. (Rawlinson). But it conjecture]: he laid the foundation thereof would seem that from the very fust, parts of in Abiram his llrstborn [i.e., at the cost of, Benjamin (notably Bethel, Josh. :xvili. 13) be- in the life of, Abiram), and set up the gates longed to the northern kingdom. Bee Ewald, thereof in his youngest son Segub, accord- " Hist. Israel," iv. 2, 3. It is not qnite clear ing to the word of the Lord [Josh. vi. 26], whether the rebuilding of Jericho is men- which he spa.ke by Joshua the son of Nun. tioned o.s a proof of the daring impiety of [The exact fulfilment of tho prophecy is that o.ge o.nd of the utter contempt with mentioned, as showing the.t even in those which the warnings of the law were treated, dark and tronblons times God did not leave or as showing the ignorance and conseqnent Himself without witness, and tha.t law could disregard of law which prevailed. But, on never be violated with impunity.)
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS.
Vers. 29-33; eh. xvii. 1.-Ahe.b represents the culminating point of the perversity of the kingdom of Israel. At once more e.ble and more profane than his pre- decessors, he fostered to an unprecedented degree the corruption of more.ls, private and public injustice, and idolatrous pre.cticas. Ahe.b, prompted by Jezebel, been.me the more dangerous enemy of the cause of God. At this period of the national history arose the greatest of the prophets, Elijah, who well bore ont his no.me-the strength of God-and who was the fe.it.hful type of J oho the Baptist, the immediate forerunner·of Christ. In the coming of Elijah at such o. crisis, wa have e.n illustration of a general and permo.nent rule of God's kingdom. The excess o! evil calls out the strongest manifestations of good. Never was the power of S:1to.n more rampant than at the time when the Son of God appen.recl upon eo.rth. So in the end of time, the day of Antichrist will be also the day in which Christ will intervene most directly in the great drama of history. Let us not, then, yield to a hopeless pessimism when the powers of darkness seem to be let loose, for the two following reasons : I. THE LETTING LOOSE OF EVIL BRINGS ITS OWN CONDEMNATION. By showing its true nature it passes sentence on itself, and brings to maturity all the seeds of death le.tent within it. Ahab, casting off all restraints and mshing recklessly on his ruin, writes his own condemnation. II. AN ABAD ALWAYS CALLS FORTH AN ELIJAH. Whenever the army of God seems on the verge of defeat, its Divine leader takes the direct command. Re- flections like these may reinforce our courage in view of the gio.nt evils of our owu day.-E. de P.