enemies, and is described as returning in the forefront of the triumph to Jerusalem, singing praises to GOD. And then came that wellknown act of his sending ships to Ophir for gold, but "they were broken at Eziongeber "an act so illustrious in the history of the Holy Land. His refusal to let the servants of Ahaziah, son of Ahab, go with his is remarkable.

After this the children of Moab and Ammon

came against Jehoshaphat to battle, on which occasion we have an account of the proclamation of a fast and a prayer offered by the King, which is among the most striking prayers in Holy Scripture, ending with the words, we know not what to do, but our eyes are upon Thee." And all Judah stood before the LORD with their little ones, their wives, and their children; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon a prophet, who declared GOD's intention to save them: Jehoshaphat expresses his firm belief in GoD's intention to preserve them, and said to the people,

"Believe in the LORD your God, so shall you be established; believe in His prophets, so shall you prosper." He then, after a consultation with the people, appointed singers to the LORD, who should praise the beauty of holiness.

ever."

And as they went out before the army they said, "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endureth for At the moment of the outburst of the song of praise GOD interfered with His promised help; and Jehoshaphat and the people took immense spoils, both riches and precious jewels, more than they could carry away; and they were "three days carrying away the spoils, it was so much." They then offered GOD special praise in the valley for the victory, and returned to Jerusalem with psalteries and trumpets to the house of the LORD.

It appears however that, in spite of these strikingly religious acts, the high places were not taken away because the people had not prepared their hearts to seek GOD. At the conclusion of his life in the book of Chronicles we are told, in connection with the expedition of ships to Ophir, that Jehoshaphat did join himself with Ahaziah in making ships, on which occasion Eliezer prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying," because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah the LORD hath broken thy work and the ships were broken, and were not able to go to Tarshish ;" and Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried.

This, then, is the striking summary of the life of one of the principal Kings of Judah,

whose circumstances are dwelt upon with a greater minuteness in the book of Chronicles than in the book of Kings. It would, indeed, appear that, with the exception of Solomon, he was the most important of all the kings, and may naturally be compared with him. In point of character and disposition he much resembles Hezekiah, especially in his love of magnificence, and his firm trust in GoD,so strangely set off against the inconsistency of his reliance on the human arm.

We may notice in passing, that there were many points of similarity among the kings of Judah; that the presence of the temple and its worship seems to have had a just influence in the formation of their characters; and that the absence of such external memorials of religion led to general declension of character in the Kings of Israel. Jehoshaphat himself seems to have been singularly favoured by GoD in point of circumstance. Victory ever attended his arms, and by his wars he won the homage of the neighbouring states. There is a pomp about his war which is highly interesting; he appears to have taken delight in military preparation; and was a monarch rejoicing in war.

3. One great feature which we notice in

him was his simple but yet profound reliance on GOD. The reference of everything to a particular Providence, and his continual remembrance of GOD in prayer and praise before and after his expeditions give a mark to his conduct. At the same time, though engaged so constantly in religious exercises and though referring everything immediately to God, he arranged matters for himself with the utmost care and plan, using all the means in his power to benefit the people and to secure their well-being and happiness by establishing judicial and ecclesiastical courts, and by sending forth missions to instruct them in the ways of GOD. Besides this he paid great attention to the efficiency of the army and the building of ships for commercial purposes. All these acts show him to have been a person keenly alive to the necessity of exercising the powers with which GOD had gifted him.

Of his power then there can be no doubt; but the remarkable thing is, to find, connected with this power, so much simplicity of character, and so much almost childlike religion, without any of that reserve which men of considerable energies are so wont to use. There is for instance, something singular in his im

mediate appeal to Ahab to send for a prophet of the LORD, before he would dare to go down to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, and his intuitive perception of the unreality of those prophets whom Ahab had collected. There are very few among the conquerors of the great kings of the earth, who, when surrounded by the pomp and glory of their martial preparations, would have boldly mentioned their resolve to appeal to the prophet of the LORD. Then too his earnest desire to instruct the people; his sending to them an especial minister of GOD; and his return from his last great conquest in the midst of heavenly psalmody, floating above the stormy music of the battle, are indications of a religious mind, exceedingly simple and childlike, and unspoilt by the possession of great powers. At the same time his faults partook of something of the same character. The unwillingness to offend others, and the wish to cement friendships and alliances with the powerful around him, even though they were wicked, are the properties of a mind that is, to a certain degree, simple and childlike.

4. The religion of most persons of great power and position-such as those possessed