"a. porter towards the ea.st," i.e. keeper of the king's gate on the eaAt Aide of the temple. (2) 'l'he assistants, six in number, named Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariab, 11nd Shecaninh, resided in the cities of the priests in different parts of the country. 2. Tlte distribution. (1) Kore distributed to those priests and Levites who served in the temple, first of such things as were required for the maintenance of themselves a.nd the m11le children over three years of age who accompanied their parents (beincr priests) to Jerusalem when the turn came for these to serve, and secondly of such things as were necess11ry for any portion of their temple service. The distribution to the priests was according to fathers' houses (vor. 17)-so much for every house, accord- ing to its size; that to the Levites was to individuals from twenty yearA old and upwards, according to a carefully prepared register. (2) The assistants distributed necessary portions to those priests and Levites who resided in the priests' cities, not being at the time engaged in active duty at the temple, and to the families of these as well as of those who were engaged (vers. 15-19). Both parts of this work were per- formed with scrupulous fidelity (ver. 18); the distributors "acted in a. holy manner with the holy gifts," distributing them "impartially and disinterestedly to all who had any claim to them" (Keil). Learn: 1. 'l'he duty of Christ's people to support the ministers of religion. 2. The voluntary character of all acceptable payments towards religion. 3. The necessity of order and system in Church finance. 4. The excellence of Christian liberality.-W. Vers. 20, 21.-The secret of prosperity. I. A LOFTY CONCEPTION OF WHAT TRUE PROSPERITY IS. 1. Negatively. It is not personal, material, and temporal aggrandize- ment, inasmuch as one might gain the whole world, and yet lose his own soul (Matt. xvi. 26); thus seeming to succeed, but in reality only gaining a disastrous failure. 2. Positively. It is working that which is good, right, and faithful before the Lord as Hezekiah did-constructing a life in harmony with the Divine ideal of what a life should be, viz. (1) good, such as God can approve, admire, and pronounce excellent (Gen. i. 31); (2) right, according with the law of duty prescribed for God's intelligent creatures; and (3) faithful, in the sense of proceeding from a spirit of fidelity towards God. A life fashioned after this model is prosperous, no matter what its external environment may be. II. A RIGHT IDEA OF HOW TRUE PROSPERITY SHOULD BE SOuGHT. 1. Generally, by seeking God. Only in the knowledge and service, favour and fellowship of God, can the ideal of life above outlined be realized. 'l'o designate that career successful which has never proposed for its aim, and consequently never reached as its end, a personal acquaintance with God-which has never occupied itself with either ascertaining or doing God's will-is simply to misapply language. 2. Particularly, by rendering to God acceptable worship and true obedience. To worship and obey God the chief end of man. No life can be successful which offers its homage and service to another than God, or offers only homage self-devised, and service self-directed. Both in worship and in duty the Law of God, with its specific commandments, must rule. III. A CORRECT METHOD OF PURSUING AFTER TRUE PROSPERITY, It must be sought after: 1. .Always. Hezekiah kept the above aim before him "in every work that he began." Mere occasional efforts after goodness will result in nothing but failure. 2. Earnestly. Hezekiah sought it with all his heart. Half-hearted endeavours can only terminate in feeble achievements. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do," etc. (Eccles. ix. 10) ; "This one thing I do" (Phil. iii. 13). 3. Religiously. Whatever worlts Hezekiah engaged in were done "before the Lord bis God," as in his sight and for his glory. So should it be with Christians. "Whether therefore ye eat or drink," etc. (1 Cor. x. 31); and "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord," etc. (Col, iii, 23).-W.
EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XXXII. 37; and by Isa. :uxvi., xuvii. Our chapter Thie chapter of thirty-three verses is gives, os might be anticipated, but a very paralleled by the sixty-one verses that begin parti11\ and somewhat broken account, there- with 2 Kings :uili. 13 and end with xix. fore, of this stretch of Hezekiah'~ career, 882 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [on, xxxn. 1-83,