oYerthrow. It is most wise on the part of all of 118 to have in reserve a spiritual force that will sustain us if we "suffer the lose of all things" human and temporal. III. A YOUNG MAN OP.OOSING THE EVIL PATH, Of Jehoahaz, as well as of Jehoiakim and of Jehoiachin (see 2 Kings xxiii. 32, 37; xxiv. 9), it is recorded that" he did evil in the sight of the Lord," Thie ie peculiarly ead ae applicable to J &hoahaz. Considering the gracious influences under which he spent hie childhood and his boyhood at court, he ought to have done (as he must have known) better things. Instead of confirming and consolidating the glorious revolution effected by his father, he dissipated all good forces and broke up all good institutions. It is not in the power of most young men to work evil on such a sea.le; bnt who shall meaeure the good left undone a.nd the evil wrought when one. young man deliberately chooses the evil part? Within the compass of one human life large ea.pa.cities are included; how large only Omniscience can tell. Let the young man feel that not for his own sake only, but a.leo for the sake of a. very large number of other human souls, it is of the greatest consequence that he should walk in the ways of heavenly wisdom.-C. Ver. 8 (with Jer. xxii. 18).-An unlamented death. We learn more of this King of Judah in tb.e prophetic writings of Jeremiah tba.n in these brief a.nna.ls. There we learn that his foreign policy was not less condemnable than his condnct of home affairs. When his treasury was low by reason of heavy payments to the foreign powers, he must needs build for himself a splendid and costly mansion (Jer. xxii. 14), and in order to do this he ha.d to impress the labour of his subjects (Jer. x.xii. 13); he thus excited a strong feeling of just resentment and natural disaffection among them, and brought down upon himself the severe rebuke of the prophet of the Lord. We also learn from Jeremiah that the king acted in daring defiance ol God's holy Law, presum- ing to cut in1 two a.nd to burn in the fire the sacred roll (Jer. xxxvi. 23). By thi~ wanton and impious action he still further drew down upon him the wrath of Jehovah, and by that act he terribly prejudiced a.nd injured his country. How, then, can we wonder that the Chronicler writes, as in the text, of "the abominations which he did"? and how ca.n we wonder that his death excited so difl'erent, so opposite a. feeling throughout all his kingdom to that which the death of his father called forth (eh. xxxv. 24, 25)? We have in him a melancholy instance of an unlamented death (Jer. x.xii. 18). I. A LAMENTABLE ABSENCE OF BORROW. Let no man say lightly or cynically," I don't want any tears shed over my grave; I i;ha.11 be quite content to die without any one sorrowing on my account." There is no true unselfishness, but much thoughtless- ness, in such a sentiment. Any minister of religion who has stood a.t the grave-side, and has been unable to ask for God's comfort to be granted to those who are left behind, will know how little to be desired is the absence of grief a.t the death of a. man or woman. For what does it mean? It means that God gave to such a. ma.n all the opportunities for winning human love, and that he did not gain it; for doing service, and that he left it undone; for rendering help and blessing, a.nd that he did not render it; it means that a human life has been one long act of mean, barren, dreary selfishness, has been an utter failure, condemned of God a.nd ma.u I God forbid that any whom we love should die unlamented; with none to say, "Ah, my brother I a.h, my sister!" II. A SORROW MUCH TO BE DESIRED. 'l.'rnly there is sorrow enough and to spare in this world of sin and woe. But there is one sorrow that no wise or good man would wish for one moment to be spared. It is that which we feel when our kindred and • our friends a.re ta.ken from us by death. The hope we have concerning these may chasten and (in time) supersede it. But sorrow there must be and should be. And it is well with us and for us that the heart bleeds freely then. For such sorrow is: 1. The tender tribute we pay to the worth of the departed, to their affection and to their goodness. 2. The proof that this hardening world ha.s not petrified our spirit with its touch. 3. The share we have with all the best and truest of our race, enabling us to sympathize with them and to succour them. 4. The occasion which takes us often to the sympathizing Friend in elevating, chastening communion. 5. The unloosening of the ties which must soon be unbound to set us free.-0.
Ver. 17.-Stooping, "No compassion on him that stooped for age." There are 444 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [on. xxkvI. 1-28.