The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 414

view tho rcvenled will of God and the cl11ims of men (see 2 Tim. ii. 5). 2. Actin~ with e11rnestness; not )11nguidly and listlessly, but devotedly and energetically. 3. With patient, persevering effort; not daunted by the first nor by the fiftieth difficulty thrit presents itself, not silenced by clamour, not forsaking the path of holy service boc11use prosperity seems long in corning; but calmly, patiently, thoroughly proceeding with and completing our work; holding on and bearing up until we can say, thank- fully and roverrntly, "It is finished," ' JI. WHAT INDU0EMENTB WE HAVE TO BE FAITHll'UL rn OUR WORK. 1. Our Lord requires it. "It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor. iv. 2). "Be thou faithful unto death," says the ascended Lord with commanding voice. There were "overseers," our text says, to "set forward" the work in which these artificers were engaged. We have one great Divine Overseer, who is ever looking on and taking account, desiring of us that we "do the work faithfully," and it behoves us to do everything we undertake, both that which does and that which does not directly belong to the affairs of bis kingdom, "as ever in the great Taskmaster's eye." 2. By so doing we talce rank with the best of the sons of men. Of Moses we read that "he was faithful in all his honse" (Heb. iii. 2). He did not seem to be remarkably success- ful; probably in the eyes of his contemporaries he appeared positively unsuccessful. But when he lay down to die on Nebo he could feel that he had done his work faith- fully. And thus with Paul. And so with the best and worthiest of Dill' race. To be faithful in our work is to stand with the best of men, 3. Thus only can we secure the approval of our own conscience. But thus we shall; and how great a victory it will be to be able to feel as Paul felt when his course was run, "I have fought a good fight, .. , I have kept the faith"! 4. We shall receive a large reward. If we are but faithful in a few things here, we shall be rulers over many things hereafter (Matt. xxv. 21). If faithful unto death, Christ will give us "a crown of life" (Rev. ii. 10). Life in all its glorious fulness, in all its perfect blessedness, will be ours for ever.-C. Vere. 14-28.-The hidden treasure. Whether this "book of the Law of the Lord" was indeed the original copy in the handwriting of Moses is a matter of sacred curiosity; but it is nothing more than that. The slll'prising and all but incredible thing is that Judah should have been reduced to any one copy of the "Law of the Lord." This discovery of Hilkiah and the Slll'prise and the eagerness it occasioned speak to us of- I. '!'HE GUILTY NEGLIGENCE OF WHIOH NATIONS AND MEN ARE 0APABLE. Judah had been concerning itself, had been "careful and troubled" about many things, but it had not thought it worth while to multiply copies of the "Law of the Lord," of its own sacred books; so negligent had it been that when one is accidentaUy discovered its warnings are read for the first time by its own sovereign in his manhood! Of what great and guilty negligence are we capable I We may be spending our time and strength, we may be exhausting ourselves and endangering our health and life in all kinds of unprofitable occupation, in fruitless labour or in amusement which begins and ends in itself, and all the time may be neglecting that one study or that one habit in the pursuit of which "standeth our eternal life." There are many men in Christian countries who expend their substance upoa, and occupy their very life with, horses, or dogs, or guns, who do not afford even a few hours a year to the serious study of the will of God as revealed by his Son and recorded in his Word. The treasure which cannot be estim(Lted in gold or silver lies untouched, as much buried from sight and •ise as if it had been hidden in some crypt of the temple. It may not be our deeds. but our negligences, that we shall most fear to face in the great day of account. II. THE MELAN0HOLY USE WE MAY MAKE OF DIVINE TRUTH. In that book of !he Law of the Lord there were instructions and admonitions which, if duly heeded, would have ensured abiding peace and honolll' to the inhabitants of Judah. These had been waywardly and flagmntly disregarded. And now the time for employing them had well-nigh gone. What_ was left _was the. sad opportunity ?f verifying by bitter experience the truth of its threatenmgs. This was tbe alternative now open to Judah. Let us take care lest, by our disrel/:ard of the promises, we bring upon ourselves the warnings of the Word of God. " If we will not be ruled by the rudder, we must be i-uled by the rock." If we will not take advl\Dtage of the beneficent laws and the  4~0 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [011. n:xrv. 1--83.