of which the fruit is joy (Gal. v. 22; Eph. v. 18, 19; Phil. iv. 4; 1 These. v. 16; 1 John i. 4). IV. KING-ENTHRONING. (Ver. 20.) 1. Led by the priest. Having completed his arrangements for the restoration of the temple service, Jehoia.cla proceeded with what was st.ill needful to pel'fect the revolution. Lifting the boy-king from the plntform, he led him forth from the temple down the causeway which conducted towards the palace, 2. EsCIYT'ted by the pcop"le. As the crowd a little before had opened its ranks to let Athaliah pass to her destruction, so now it opens them again to let the young sovereign march to his regal residence. Probably preceded by the centurions, the princes, and the heads of fathers' houses, as in the temple he had been encompassed by the Levites, he is followed by the people of the land. 3. Conducted through the upper gate, This, called," the gate of the guard" (2 Kings xi. 19), was not a temple door (Keil), but an entrance into the palace (Bertbeau), perhaps the principal one, through which the royal guards were accustomed to pass. It was fitting that David's heir should publicly take possession of David's house. 4. Set upon the throne. This the natural termination of the ceremony. Joash was established upon the throne of the kingdom, the throne of his fathers, the throne which derived its authority from Jehovah alone. V. POPULAR REJOICING. (Ver. 21.) 1. The country was glad-that the queen was 1<lain. Her government bad been a usurpation and a curse. Nobody lamented her. If she had a. funeral, those who bore her to her last resting-place gave vent to their emotions, not in sobs, but in songs. If they shed tears above her sepulchre, these were tears of joy, not of grief. A terrible commentary on any one's life, that one's contem• pornries, whether equals or dependents, are glad to be rid of one-to see one's career ended, one's breath stopped, and one's carcase huddled out of sight I 2. The city was quiet-though the queen was slain. No one dreamt of drawing a sword to avenge her assassination. T.tiose who knew her best, who had most frequent opportunities of studying her character and observing her behaviour, had nothing to say in extenuation of her faults or in commiseration of her fate. The consciences of her people were satisfied that she had deserved her doom. Perhaps the pious among them added, "So let all thine enemies perish, 0 Jehovah" (Judg. v. 31). Learn : 1. That the secret of all true prosperity, for Church or state, for society or for the individual, is piety towards God and rectitude towards man. 2. That true religion can admit of no compromise with false religion, but must aim at its extermina- tion. 3. That in all matters of faith and practice, doctrine and duty, ritual and worship, the will of God, not the opinion of man, is the supreme rule. 4. That the enemy most requiring to be guarded against by God's worshippers is sin. 5. That the King's house for Christians is not the material temples in which they worship, but their own hearts, in which Christ desires to be enthroned. 6. That it is legitimate to rejoice over the destruction of the enemies of God and his people (Prov. xi. 10).-W.
EXPOSITION. and suggestive in the character of them. CHAPTER XXIV. These points will be marked particularly in This chapter contains the entire career of the notes underneath as they occur. Joash, and is answered to by the twelfth Ver. 1.-His mother's name . . . Zibia.h chapterof2 Kings. It tells of Joash's fidelity of Beersheba. We do not read, in the brief to God, and his worship and temple, while account of Abaziah, Joash'e father, whom Jchoiada's life le.ated (vers. 1-14); of b.iB be married. Nothing is as yet known of Zibiah, but there must be some significance departure from God and permission of underlying the mention of her name and idolatry afterwards (vers. 15-22); of the native place, or known place of residence. punishment he received at the hands of the '!'he references Amos v. 5 and viii. 14 may Syrians (vers. 23, 24); and of his miserable possibly contain the clue, in holding up end ( vers. 25-27). The differences between Beersheba as the most idolatrous of idola- trous places. Beersheba offers another refer- our chapter and the parallel, in respect of ence of unhappy associations (1 Sam. viii. 2). what it both omits and BUpplies, are much As a terminus of the land, "Dun to Ilecr- larger than usual, and are 'l"ery interesting sheba" (Judg, xx. I; 2 Sam. xxiv. 2; ,m. xxrv.1-27,) THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 283