The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 257

,he part of one prominent life, the wandering from God of one strong human spirit, may have the effect of bringing to nought the labour of more than one lifetime. How true tho proverb," Ono sinner destroyeth much good" I There are amongst us the names of men who have reached that poor and most pitiful notoriety of not having attempted to do any good, but of having dragged down with themselves their family, their Church, their community, to a dark depth of shame and ruin. III. THE EXPLANATION OF IT, Two factors were concerned in it and account for it. 1. The unwisdom of his father, J ehoshapha.t ma.de one of his serious mistakes-and ho made more than one-when he married his son to Ahab's daughter (eh. xviii. 1; ver. 6). Ho could not conceivably have taken a. more dangerous step; it was the very last thin" a faithful servant of Jehovah should have done. What was likely to happen when th~ daughter of Jezebel was presiding a.t the court of Jerusalem? Thus Jehoram's father, with a fatuity a.t which we can but wonder, introduced a. blighting influence into tho home and so into the heart of his son. 2. His own evil choice. These two thino-s- unhealthy forces acting upon us from without and our own false resolves-deter~ine our character, our course, our destiny. Let us be thankful for all holy influences; let us be most solicitous to bring all and only gocd ones to bear on those for whom we ea.re. Let those who a.re young set before them the honourable ambition of confirming the good work of their fathers; let them beware lest a. bad and selfish commencement lead down to a miserable and disgraceful end.-C. Vers. 19 (latter pa.rt), 20.-The trouble that is worse than sorrow. "His people made no burning for him; " he " departed without being desired." It is wise for us all not only to enjoy the present appreciation of our friends, which may be a.n expres- sion of their desire to stand well with us, but also to consider what will be- I. THE AFTER-ESTIMATE THAT WILL BE FOBMED OF us. Jehoram probably comforted himself while he lived with the approval of many of his courtiers. There a.re always found men mean enough to compliment the man in power, however they may despise him. But probably be did not foresee that his body would hardly be cold before he would receive marks of general dishonour, and that not one week would elapse before it would be signified to all the land that he was held unworthy to sleep with his fathers. It is surely the mark of a. very narrow and earthly mind not to ea.re what men will think of us when we are departed because it will make no difference to us then. That is not quite certain ; but if it were, it surely behoves us, a.s upright spiritual intelli- gences, to care much for our reputation when we have left these scenes. Sha.11 we not desire to enjoy " the memory of the just"? Shall it not be a. matter of moment to us that, when we are no longer here, those who remember us will think and speak kindly of us, as of men that played their part bravely a.nd faithfully, as of men that loved and helped their kind? If this be so, since this is so, let us reflect that after a. while our character will stand in its true colours ; that all our pretences will disappear; that men will know us to have been just what we are; that after dea.tb disguises fall a.way, and the man himself stands forth in his virtue or in his guilt, in his manliness or in his meanness, in his large-mindedness or in bis selfishness and smallness. We mll5t be right if we would be so regarded when death takes off the veil from our character. But we see here another thing worthy of our consideration. II. THE TROUBLE THAT IS WORSE THAN SORROW, 1. It is sad enough when a good man dies and is regretted. When some great gap is left; when from the home, or from the Church, or from the state there is taken one who had loved and been beloved, who had served well and been highly honoured ;-when such a one is borne to his burial, amid the tears and lamentations of many hearts, we feel that a. great affliction has befallen us, and we must bow in subjection to the Father of spirits. 2. But it is sadder !ar when a bad man dies unlamented; when, as with Jehora.m, no one cares to pay him funeral honours; when the Chronicler bas to say about him that he "departed without being desired." For of what does it speak? (1) Usually it speaks of the :1)ivi~e conuem- nation. 'l'he indignation of a people, especially of a. nation that has received 1_nst'.uc~1ou from God himself, is commonly a. reflection of the judgment of Heaven ; 1t s1gmfi~s that" the departed" is a man whose life the Holy One bas con~emned. _(2) ~way~ 1t speaks of the deliberate reprobation of man. For when a man dies, there 1s a d1spos1t10n to be lenient in judgment, to overlook offences and to magnify service and virtue; when, II, 0HR0NIOLEB, S  268 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [on. x:u. 1-20,