LIGHTS AND SHADOWS.

2 CHRON. XXI, 1.

"Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his father in the city of David; and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead."

Such was the conclusion of the life of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, who was the fourth in lineal descent from Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat. Scripture biography supplies a great variety of characters. Some are, as it were, incidentally mentioned, others are traced through the vicissitudes of human life, in order that succeeding generations may receive benefit and instruction from their history. The character of Jehoshaphat is delineated at some length, and I design to make a few observations upon some of the most prominent features therein.

I. He was the son of Asa; and doubtless he owed much to the example and instruction of such a father, who, in the early part of his reign, "did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God." How incalculable are the advantages of early moral training. The gentle admonitions and circumspect conduct of pious parents should always be kept in remembrance; but they may for a time be stifled and neglected; they cannot, however, be entirely forgotten. They gave the right direction to the early life of Jehoshaphat, and the result was great peace and prosperity. "The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim, but sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in His commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore, the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance; and his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord; moreover, he took away the high places and groves out of Judah;" chap. xvii, 3-7.

sury.

II. He caused the law of the Lord to be taught amongst the people, and the consequences were the moral elevation of his subjects, and the respect and admiration of the surrounding nations. He sent forth princes, 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." Here is a salutary example for all governors and heads of families. Ignorance may enslave the mind to a gloomy, passive obedience, but true and spontaneous loyalty, and cheerful acquiescence in wholesome laws and regulations spring from light and information, and especially from a correct and thorough knowledge of the law of the Lord. This is the foundation of all that is excellent in the British Constitution; and this is the reason why it is so much respected among the nations of the earth. The conduct of Jehoshaphat procured for him the esteem of the adjacent people, preserved him from war, and enriched his trea"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. And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles and cities of stone;" chap. xvii, 10-13. Here we have exemplified the truth of the following declarations of Scripture:-"When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him;" Prov. xvi, 7. "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come;" 1 Tim. iv, 8. I would not exhort persons to enter upon a godly life merely with a view to promote their temporal interests; but certainly, in every aspect of it, godliness with contentment is great gain. To them that love God, all things work together for good, even tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in the

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heart by the Holy Ghost which is given unto them. III. The next scene that we have in the career of Jehoshaphat is not so favourable. It is true that his worldly prosperity continued and increased, for he continued to have riches and honour in abundance; but he "joined affinity with Ahab," the idolatrous king of Israel. From motives of worldly policy, he married his son Jehoram to Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab. Jehoshaphat seems to have been of an easy and flexible disposition; and there appeared very plausible reasons for his promoting this alliance, and by this means uniting the two kingdoms, and securing the succession to his heirs for ever. But in this affair he had not sufficiently inquired of the Lord, but trusted too much to his own judgment; and the unhallowed connexion became a snare to him, for he was led to join Ahab in an expedition against the Syrians, in which his life was in imminent danger, and his example very injurious to his subjects. "After certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead. And Ahab, king of Israel, said unto Jehoshaphat, king of Judah,Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead ?' And he answered him,-'I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war.' Surely the king of Judah had forgotten his high vocation, or he would not have compared himself with the apostate and idolatrous Ahab, and have said,— I am as thou art. But yet the Lord had not departed from him, neither had he forgotten his God. He felt the need of Divine direction, and therefore said to Ahab, -"Inquire, I pray thee, at the Word of the Lord today." And Ahab assembled four hundred prophets, and they all gave flattering answers. Jehoshaphat heard, and saw, and felt, that they were but sycophants, upon whom there could be no dependence; and he called for a prophet of the Lord. Only one could be found; and his answer being unfavourable, he was cast into prison; and the two kings and their armies went forth to the battle, the king of Israel in disguise, but the king of Judah in his robes, according to previous arrangement

proposed by Ahab.

"Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying,-'Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel.' And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, 'It is the king of Israel;' therefore they compassed about him to fight; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him." The king of Israel, however, notwithstanding his disguise, was accidentally and mortally wounded, but Jehoshaphat returned in peace to Jerusalem; chap. xviii.

IV. In this affair there was much of human weakness and worldly policy, but there was not much of moral turpitude. Jehoshaphat had not forsaken the Lord, neither had he forgotten Him; but he had not been sufficiently firm in resisting the temptations. A prophet is therefore sent at once to admonish and encourage him, and the king humbly listens to the Divine message, and hastens to repair the injury that his people had sustained by his precipitate conduct. Upon his arrival at Jerusalem, Jehu, the son of Hanani the seer, went out to meet him, and said unto him,-"Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord; nevertheless, there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God." And Jehoshaphat immediately went out again through the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them to the Lord God of their fathers; and he sent forth into the land, judges, and Levites, and priests to execute judgment, and to maintain righteousness, and truth, and the fear and love of God; chap. xix.

V. But the effects of his imprudent alliance with Ahab in the expedition against the Syrians overtook him, and he was threatened with an invasion; but in his perplexity he flies to the Lord for refuge, and, causing a fast to be proclaimed in the land, he and his people humbly and successfully seek, by prayer and supplication, the Divine protection. "There came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying,-There cometh a great multitude

:-'Be

against thee from beyond the sea, on this side Syria; and behold, they be in Hazaron-tamar, which is Engedi.' And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah; and Judah gathered themselves to ask help of the Lord." And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and earnestly prayed for Divine interference. "And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children." And while the king was engaged in prayer, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziah, a Levite, and he said,-"Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou, king Jehoshaphat; thus saith the Lord unto you :not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's; ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed; to-morrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you.' And the king believed the Lord, and His prophet, and he "bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord." And early in the morning they went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa to meet the armies, praising the beauty of holiness as they went, saying,-"Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, and Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah, and they were smitten; for the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them; and when they had made an end of the inhab itants of Seir, every one helped to destroy one another." This was a complete deliverance, effected without an engagement; and such was the abundance of riches and precious jewels which they found amongst the spoils, that Jehoshaphat and the men of Judah were three days in gathering them;" chap. xx. What a striking instance of Divine interference, vouchsafed in consequence of humiliation, prayer, and faith on the part of the king,