above ('l'er. 21). Yet our Septuagint hn,s selfish conduct of the king is clearly be- "kindled;" and also the parallel in the tokened in the course ho took, ns narrated Hebrew. The word "quenched," which here and in the eucceeding three vorees. imruedi1ttely follows, anits the word "kin- Ver. 30.-The Levites. The paullel dled," and what with the testimony of the mentions " prophets" and omits " Levites,'' Septuagint, both here and in ver. 21, and which latter our compiler is safe not to for- the Hebrew in both pMsages of tho parallel, get. When it is so.id in this verse, he ree.d, suggests that "poured" is the substitution, the meaning, of course, is " the priests" Ly some mi@hap, of a copyist-a mishap, for read (Deut. xx:r.i. 9). inetnnco, that might result from the copyist Ver. 81.-The king stood in his plaoe; i.e. writing from the speech of some one, and not simply1 in hie order, but upon his royal not from his own inspection. Exactly pedestal, or platform; possibly following e. similar mistakes may often be seen in our mere suggestion, originating with the word maps, where the spelling and misspelling used in the parallel, "by his pillar" (so of the name of some place seem only to be Revised Version). accounted for by the same supposition. The Ver. 32.-Some think the text here cor- catastrophe now foretold befell the nation rupt, both for the presence of the words, manifestly in the reigns of the succeeding and in Benjamin, and the absence of the sovereigns, whose de.ye were emphatically words, " in the covenant." Their case, how- both few and evil, viz. the two sons of ever, is scarcely conclusive (see 2 Kings Josiah, Jehoaha.z and Eliakim, whose name xxiii. 3). was changed to Jehoiakim; and the two Ver. 83.-The parallel (2 Kings xxiil. sons of this latter, J ehoiachin and Zedekiah 4-20) gives some eucoinct account of Jo- (&ecording to 2 Kings xxiv. 17, the same siah's remove.I of abominations, here glanced with Mattaniah, and son of Josiah). at so briefly. Ver. 29.-The we, religious, and un-
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-33.-The reign of Josiah-its unexpected boon, in a republication o/ revealed religion, with the legitimate and happy resulttJ following thereupon. In the reign and person of Josiah, once more and for the last time in the now numbered years of the kingdom of Judah, the light of piety and "goodness" flickered up in the socket. His reign began when his years numbered but eight; it lasted thirty-one years. Four reigns succeeded his to the date of the destruction of Jerusalem, but the four,together occupied but twenty-two or twenty-three years in all. The term of life is run, there- fore, within a very short length, and the pensive sadness of the coming end falls upon us before the horrors of the end itself overwhelm us. Josiah's care for the reformation of the national religion emulated, rather exceeded, that of any predecessor (2 Kings xxiii 22, 25). He boldly denounced and destroyed, enlisted help and spiritual sympathy, and reconstructed. And, both by word and deed, laid most solemn stress on the immaculate celebration of the sacred Passover. And explain it as we may, there was granted to him and his reign an opportunity, and it not neglected, which bid fair, going to the root of the matter, to promise brighter days-days of more lasting brir,htness for the welfare of the people, in the true security of religion. But the knell of doom was already clanging. To the piety of Josiah, it was not so much that respite of the drea.d sentence on Judah was given, but this was given, the condescend- ing information and merciful assurance that it was dated to a time when he would be "gathered to his fathers, and gathered to his grave in peace, and bis eyes not see all the evil" (vers. 27, 28). This, with some special emphasis, came true; for Josiah, thoucrh slain in battle, and so far not dying "in peace," did die in peace, so f11r as the end ~r captivity of Judah was concerned; and he was the last of the kings who received honourable burial in Jerusalem. Three of his successors and descendants died in captivity, and if Jeho~kim, t~e other of the f?ur last ki~gs, eyentua~ly •~ slept with his fathers" (2 Kings :x:x1v. 6), m the sense of his dust restmg with theJrB, 1t was not so at first (Jcr. xxii. 19; :xxxvi. 30; Ezek. xix. 8, 9). The remarkable opportunity already spoken of, which was granted to Josiah. in the interest of r~ligion ~or bis nation which came on him so unexpectedly, which made such deep 1mpress1on on him, ~d which be endeavoured with all his might to turn to the greatest and best advautage, ma.y be dwelt upon, ill all its lasting significance, for every time of da.y. ou. ux1v. 1--33.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 417