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spirit of her whose value was never known until all other hopes had failed; and the same homes could bear witness to the solution of grave difficulties at the last moment by the ingenuity of the mother and the wife.

4. Such is woman's prerogative; such her peculiar characteristic. For though Deborah may be an exaggeration in a remarkable crisis of the characteristics of her sex, they nevertheless exist in more or less force in every representative of it. It is seemingly paradoxical, but no less true, that women should have the power of meeting imminent danger with a calmness and perseverance often denied to man. Let them view these gifts as the direct ordering of Heaven, and, while they glory in them as their heritage, let them cultivate and improve them as the talents committed to their trust. song of triumph-sung by the prophetess-is brilliant with sagacity and knowledge; and no unfit likeness of that which might be sung by thousands who, perhaps placed in less eminent positions, have nevertheless achieved equally glorious results.

The

LXIV.

JEROBOAM.

THE CHURCH SACRIFICED TO THE WORLD.

1 KINGS XIII. 33, 34.

"AFTER THIS THING JEROBOAM RETURNED NOT FROM HIS EVIL WAY, BUT MADE AGAIN OF THE LOWEST OF THE PEOPLE PRIESTS OF THE HIGH PLACES; WHOSOEVER WOULD, HE CONSECRATED HIM, AND HE BECAME ONE OF THE PRIESTS OF THE HIGH PLACES. AND THIS THING BECAME SIN UNTO THE HOUSE OF JEROBOAM, EVEN TO CUT IT OFF, AND TO DESTROY IT

FROM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH."

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1. JEROBOAM is put forward in a singularly awful aspect in Holy Scripture. He is not only described as himself a wicked man ; but especially as making others to sin with him. For this is evidently intended to be brought prominently forward, inasmuch as the addition to the mention of the name, almost always is, he "who made Israel to sin." As if to sin were terrible enough, and to die in sin exceeding awful, but to be pursued in the world of spirits by the

shades of those who are ever and anon added to the number and whom we have helped to everlasting ruin is dreadful beyond comparison.

2. But the features of Jeroboam's case are so melancholy, that they are worth consideration by all people who would think of GOD'S ways with mankind. It must arrest the attention even of a child, that this bad man was in a very special way chosen of GoD and appointed to his high office by the prophet himself, so that we are struck with awe at the thought that one who could act so daringly, might be able to say during his dark career from time to time, deceiving others and deceiving himself, "I was specially called of God; was placed in my present position by Him. I did not seek it-I have on me the print of holy hands, and carry with me the authority of the divine commission, therefore can I be a reprobate? or an outcast from GOD's favour ?"

The

apology might have seemed plausible for Jeroboam, nevertheless it was unavailing; for his receding spirit, as it passed from his connection with his earthly estate, was ever pursued and will be till time be no more, with the now well-known declaration, that "he was the man who made Israel to sin."

3. When Jeroboam is first mentioned, he is spoken of as a man of mighty valour in the reign of Solomon, being the son of Nebat an Ephrathite, Solomon's servant, and his mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman. It seems that he early entertained the idea of conspiring against the king, impelled by an interview he had with Ahijah the Prophet, when he was walking one day from Jerusalem. At this time he held a high place in Solomon's household, being ruler over the house of Joseph, and very industrious. The prophet in the interview made the following announcement :

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"And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces for thus saith the LORD, the GOD of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee (But he shall have one tribe for My servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel :) Because that they have forsaken Me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways, to do that which is right in Mine eyes, and to keep My statutes and My judg

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