Page images
PDF
EPUB

discourse to my soul, that he may know that his labour was not in vain in the Lord.' And," continued my thoughtful caller, "hearing you were sick, and fearing you might feel low-spirited in being unable to discharge your accustomed duties, I felt it my duty to ride over and deliver my message now, hoping it would cheer you in your afflictions."

"My word shall not return to me void," says Jehovah. Toil on with courage, all you who cultivate the harvest-field of the Gospel here. In a world of clearer light you shall reap in joy.

JEHOSHAPHAT AND AHAB;

OR, UNHOLY AFFINITIES AND THE LYING SPIRIT.

(2 CHRONICLES XVIII.)

IN former times the history of nations was, to a far greater extent than now, the history of the kings that governed them. Especially was this the case with the children of Israel, who seem to have followed blindly, like flocks of sheep, wherever their rulers led ;-to the pasture or to the slaughterhouse, to the arts of peace or to the field of blood, to the temple of Jehovah or to the altar of Baal. Their inspired annals, called in one series, "The Book of Chronicles," are entitled in another, "The Book of Kings."

For the most part, these records are gloomy enough. Of those names that receive the condemnation, " And he did that which was evil in the eyes sof the Lord," the preponderance is very great over those introduced by a more promising announcement. In the apostate house of Israel there are none to be cast into the other scale. The example, not wholly faultless, of David met with imitators both of its brighter and darker sides: the unrelieved gloom of Jeroboam's reign was reproduced with unvarying fidelity. "Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints." And let us remember who holds the balances and weighs the characters of the men here described, even He by whom "kings reign and princes decree justice." Many who might have passed with credit at the bar of human opinion are excluded from honourable mention through their unfaithfulness to God. And however the standard here raised may exceed in its requirements that which secular historians have hitherto attained, it will not be found too high when the elevating influences of Christianity have performed their predestined work; it will not be found too rigid when universally applied to practice, and tested by its bearing on the true interests of men; it will not be found too pure when its scriptural sanction is countersigned at His dread tribunal by the King of kings and Lord of lords.

In the chapter before us opposite characters and principles are seen to blend for a common object. In no case was ever such a blending beneficial, The same wisdom that forbade Judah's endeavours to reclaim Israel from

recession also forbade her encouragement of the friendly advances of the idolatrous sister. It is not, therefore, with any increase to the satisfaction we derive from the perusal of the preceding chapter that we encounter the opening statement of this: "Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab."

It is necessary to examine briefly the previous history of the monarchs who thus "joined affinity." This chapter is in substance the same with the twenty-second of the first Book of Kings. In the Kings it succeeds the account of Ahab's antecedents; in the Chronicles it follows the summary of the acts of Jehoshaphat's early reign.

Jehoshaphat inherited the throne and the good name of Asa his father. At the very outset he exerted himself vigorously for the welfare of his people. His piety was undoubted; for "the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David." His policy toward the rival kingdom was at first bold and prudent: "He placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken." Besides this, he augmented his military strength until he had at his command more than a million of men ; the whole nation becoming disciplined as a vast body of volunteers. His religious reforms were wide-spread and thorough. The idols had been abolished in the previous reign; but what his father Asa and Abijah before him had failed in, was accomplished by the zeal of Jehoshaphat; for “he took away the high places and groves out of Judah." His views of social economy were worthy of a more advanced age than that in which he lived; for he deemed the improvement of his people an object not unworthy of pursuit by princes as well as priests. "He sent to his princes... to teach in the cities of Judah. And with them he sent Levites......and priests. And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people." His aims were practical as well as pious; for " he built in Judah castles" (or palaces) "and cities of store: and he had much business in the cities of Judah." His influence among surrounding nations was greater than that of any monarch since the days of Solomon; and this not political merely, but spiritual; an influence, moreover, which not only restrained them from making aggression, but also constrained them to render homage." And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat. Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and tribute silver; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred he-goats." The secret of all this greatness is thus stated: "His heart was lifted up," i. e., exalted, "in the ways of the Lord.”

And now what need was there that this glory should so soon be overcast? Was it not possible, we are ready to say, for one king to walk without stumbling in wisdom's ways? Jehoshaphat had "riches and honour in abundance:" what need was there that he should "join affinity with

[ocr errors]

Ahab?" Not surely because there was any affinity in their characters and dispositions.

Ahab came to the throne three years before Jehoshaphat; and we are prepared for the vile career he ran by this estimate of his demerits, that "he did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him." He commenced by an unlawful alliance with Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians. Under the dominion of this imperious consort he reared an altar to Baal,—a greater abomination than Jeroboam's to the golden calf; for the latter king, under this symbol, professedly worshipped the true God still; but the former openly encouraged the abominable incantations of those who worshipped devils and not gods. In the midst of this extraordinary wickedness an extraordinary agency arose to counteract it. The two most eminent of all the prophets from the days of Moses were raised up within the borders of the rebellious kingdom, and during the reign of this rebellious king ;-the one from the village of Tishbe, Elijah by name; the other from the wilderness of Damascus, Elisha his servant and successor. But their signs and wonders only hardened Ahab's heart. The miracle of mercy by which the Syrians were delivered into his hand caused some relenting; the miracle of judgment that commenced with the three years' famine, and concluded with the slaughter of the priests of Baal, had a like temporary effect upon his timid and irresolute spirit: but the spells of Jezebel were strong upon him, and the cruel and cowardly destruction of the innocent Naboth is his last recorded action before the events that more immediately call our attention.

The affinity here alluded to was the marriage between Jehoshaphat's son and Ahab's daughter, an unequal, unholy, and unfortunate match. Warnings have not been wanting of the sin and danger of such unhallowed commerce, between the church and the world, since the days before the flood, when the sons of God made alliances with the daughters of men; since the days of Lot, when he and his daughters escaped with their lives from the punishment of Sodom; since the days of Solomon, whose strange wives turned away his heart. To these examples of the "little folly" of “him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour," which the last-named royal penman, in his later confessions, compares to the "dead fly" in “the ointment of the apothecary," must be added that of Jehoshaphat, who, by giving his son to an idolatrous woman, became responsible for the mischiefs of the three succeeding reigns. Nay, it is well if he can be held guiltless of having dealt at the root of his kingdom as deadly a blow as any of the monarchs who contributed to its ultimate ruin,-a ruin that was not to be averted by the faithfulness of Hezekiah and Josiah. Such were the comments long before the time, and there have been many since, on that apostolic admoaition, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”

It is less, however, of the distant than of the immediate consequences of this affinity that we have now to speak. It followed, as of course, that Jehoshaphat should occasionally visit the court of Samaria. It was upon

one of these occasions that Ahab said, "Wilt thou go up with me to RamothGilead?"

This was a challenge likely to appeal to his sense of honour. The master of a million men, all trained for battle,—should he shrink from a proposal to contend in arms? There was also a show of religion in the project, Ramoth-Gilead having been at one time a city of the Levites; and for what purpose was Jehoshaphat endowed with might and prowess, if not to extend the boundaries of Israel beyond the limits of its former possessions even to the extent of ancient prophecy? Ahab's cupidity, scarcely appeased by the robbery of Naboth's vineyard, doubtless gloated over the prospect of this bigger morsel; but to Jehoshaphat it might seem a generous action to aid his neighbour in recovering the patrimony of their common ancestors. But against all this there lay the fatal objection, that he was thereby propping up a kingdom which had departed from the true God, and whose prosperity could only widen the breach already made, while it would endanger the interests of the tribes who still worshipped at Jerusalem.

Yet he answered, "I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses." Surely he knew not how degrading such language was. What Ahab's people were to him may be judged from his treatment of Naboth they were the prey of his ungovernable passions. The very horses were of more account with him than the men; for during the great drought what said he to Obadiah?—"Go into the land, unto all fountains of water: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts." But we hear of no provision for the widows who were baking their last cake, and draining their last cruse of oil. And it is to this monarch that Jehoshaphat, the ruler of a prosperous, free, and happy country, addresses himself in these terms: "I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses." The private union bore fruit in the political combination: the domestic alliance brought on the military league.

There was scruple enough in the good king's breast to render him unwilling to proceed upon this doubtful enterprise without the counsel of Heaven. The one king having lain long in the "snare" of "the man who devoureth that which is holy;" the other, distracted by the opposite principles of the fear of God and the fear of man, had now fallen into that of him who desires "after vows to make inquiry." But what difficulties at the outset crowd round the path of departure from the living God! There was no temple at Samaria in which, like the good Hezekiah, he might spread his petition for success. There was no high-priest at whose mouth, like David, he might hear the word of the Lord. Ah! to what straits do God's people reduce themselves when they begin to please the world! How hard is it then to please God too!

But conscience speaks out,-" Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to-day." Now Ahab himself is in difficulties. The prophets of the Lord, whom Jezebel had slain, rose before his trembling imagination. Should he seek to the ashes of these holy men for a response? The prophets of

Baal,-the choicest of them Elijah had slain at Carmel, and the testimony of those that were left would avail nothing with Jehoshaphat; nor even with his own people, who had been witnesses of their powerlessness in Elijah's presence, and sharers in the slaughter of their brethren. There remained a third resource, which might conciliate all parties.

(To be continued.)

CONQUESTS OF RUSSIA.

THE Conquests of Russia within the last sixty years are equal to all that she possessed in Europe before that period; her acquisitions from Sweden are as large as all that remains of that kingdom; the territory taken from the Tartars is equal in extent to Turkey in Europe, with Greece, Italy, and Spain; the portion of Turkey in Europe annexed to Russia is as extensive as Prussia without the Rhenish provinces; her conquests in Asiatic Turkey comprise as much territory as is contained in all the smaller German States; from Persia she has taken a country as large as England; and her portion of Poland is equal to the whole of the empire of Austria. On examining the composition of her population, it will be found to consist of 2,000,000 of Caucasian tribes; 4,000,000 of Cossacks, Kirghs, and Georgians; 5,000,000 of Turks, Mongols, and Tartars; 6,000,000 Swedes, Finlanders, and Uralians; 20,000,000 Muscovites of the Greek Church; and 23,000,000 Poles of either the Catholic or Russian national religions: in all, 60,000,000. The population of Poland forms two-fifths of the whole number, and is contained on one-eighth of the entire territory. These different populations have, during the last century, been undergoing a denationalization which, we repeat, if it could be realized, would be one of the most considerable conquests ever made by any nation. The above refers to the past. Supposing, for the future, that Russia would be satisfied with completing the union of the Sclave populations, which she has partially conquered, with the Tartar nations, of which she possesses a portion, and the populations of the Greek Church, the protection of which on the Danube and in the Ottoman Empire she claims, her increase would be as follows:-In addition to the 60,000,000 souls above enumerated, she would have the Sclave populations of the Austrian empire, 15,000,000; the Sclave populations of Prussia, 2,000,000; the Roumain and Servian nations of the Greek Church, 7,000,000; and, lastly, the peoples of Turkish and Tartar origin and others, 20,000,000. The whole would form a population of more than 100,000,000 inhabitants, which she would hold at her disposition, supposing, we repest, that she should think fit to limit herself to completing the conquests commenced, that is to say, those of the Sclave, Greek, and Tartar elements. France, in 1853, by throwing herself between Nicholas I. and the pretended "dying man," who still lives, efficaciously delayed the completion of the conquest of the Greek and Tartar nations. By these present events in

« PreviousContinue »