the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written m 22 this book. And Hilkiah, and [they] that the king [had appointed] went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; Jeremiah and Zephaniah, being, probably, absent: (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college; where the sons of the prophets and the young priests and Levites used to meet for instruction and discourse) and they spake to her to that [effect.]

23

And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, 24 Tell ye the man that sent you to me, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, [even] all the curses that are written in the book 25 which they have read before the king of Judah :* Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched. God had determined to punish and 26 destroy the people. And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, So shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel [concerning] the words which thou hast 27 heard; Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; 28 I have even heard [thee] also, saith the LORD. Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. Because he was tender hearted, humble, and contrite, and trembled at God's word, was fearful of the divine displeasure, showed deep humility, and great concern to avert the evil, therefore he should die before these calamities came. So they brought the king word again.t

29

Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of 30 Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small; and he read in their ears all the words of the book 31 of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD. And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are. 32 written in this book. And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand [to it.] And the inhabitants

This confirms what was said before of that part which the king had been reading or bearing.

+ As a more particular account of the things related from v. 29 to the end, will be found in 2 Kings ch, xxiii, u. 1–28, it may be proper to read that next.

of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of 33 their fathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations out

of all the countries that [pertained] to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, [even] to serve the LORD their God. [And] all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

REFLECTIONS.

1.WE have here an eminent and lovely example of early

piety. When only eight years old, Josiah was very good; he turned not to the right hand nor to the left: when sixteen, he began to seek God more publicly; to set about reformation; and exerted himself with vigour in it: and he did all this, though his father was very wicked; though his court and nation were very corrupt. A noble example for the imitation of youth! Early piety is peculiarly honourable in all young people, especially in persons of rank and fortune; and above all, amidst the prevalence of degeneracy and impiety. When very young, bait eight years old, he began this work, and with growing years he pursued it. Let us go and do likewise ; for God loves them that love him, and they that seek him early shall find him.

:

2. We have great reason to thank God for the plenty of our bibles. It was a sad time in Israel, when scarce any copy of the law was found no wonder they were so degenerate and wicked. This was a happy discovery of the original, as it both directed and quickened them in the reformation of their worship and lives. The king valued it highly; he did not put it among his rarities, as a curiosity only; but read it, and took heed to it. Let us be thankful that they are not scarce among us; and that by the invention of printing, that noble and useful art, (which came from God) there is plenty of them; and so cheap, that the poorest may have them. Let us bless God for the holy scriptures, and let our delight be in the law of the Lord. We do the greatest honour to them, when we read and study them daily, and regulate our sentiments and lives by them.

3. We should cultivate that tenderness of heart which good Josiah manifested. Whenever we read the word, let us labour to have our hearts and consciences impressed with an holy fear of that wrath which is revealed from heaven: let our flesh tremble for fear of God's judgments, and be deeply humbled under a sense of our guilt and violation of God's holy law: let us desire to know and do our duty, as therein described; and do what we can to reform and save others. Then, whatever becomes of them, the consequence will be happy to ourselves: we shall come to the grave in peace, and go to a world of everlasting peace; for, thus saith the Lord, to this man will I look, and with him will I dwell, who is of an humble and contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

The solemn passover which Josiah kept; his death; and the greet lamentation that was made for him.

1

MOREOVER Joey killed the passover on the fourteenth

OREOVER Josiah kept a passover unto the Lord in

[day] of the first month, according to the law in Exodus xii. 6. 2 And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them 3 to the service of the house of the LORD, And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build ;* [it shall] not [be] a burden upon [your] shoulders serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel, 4 And prepare [yourselves] by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, 5 and according to the writing of Solomon his son. And stand in the holy [place] according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the 6 families of the Levites. So kill the passover and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that [they] may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses. Every family was to bring a lamb, and the priests were to be particularly careful, both to do honour to the law, and set a good example to others. And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, (for both might be used, Exodus xii. 5.) all for the passover of ferings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these [were] of the king's substance. These were to be offered on the seven days of unleavened bread following the passover the king furnished them at his own expense, and the chiefs of the priests and Levites 8 followed his example, and gave generously. And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Le vites Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred [small cattle,] and three hundred 9 oxen. Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nathaneel, his brethe ren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Josabad, chief of the Le vites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thous. 10 and [small cattle,] and five hundred oxen. So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment. 11 And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled [the 12 blood] from their hands, and the Levites flayed [them.] And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as [it is] written in the book of Moses. And so [did 13 they] with the oxen. And they roasted the passover with fire

• Amon probably removed it, to make room for his detestable idols.

according to the ordinance, (Exodus xii. 8, 9.) but the [other] holy [offerings] sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided [them] speedily among all the people, that they 14 might give supplies to so great a multitude. And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron [were busied] in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for them15 selves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron. And the singers the sons of Asaph [were] in their place, according to the com mandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; the music and singing continued all the time they were offering the sacrifices; and the porters [waited] at eve ery gate; they might not depart from their service; they took care that none withdrew before the service was ended; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them, and brought them what 16 was necessary. So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of 17 king Josiah. And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread sev 18 en days. And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and 19 the inhabitants of Jerusalem.* In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept; thirteen years before his death.

20

After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, and every thing seemed to promise peace and happiness, all their hopes were blasted at once, for Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemesh by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against 21 him.t But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? [I come] not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from [meddling with] God, who [is] with me, that he destroy thee not; intimating that it was contrary to justice, for he had no quarrel with him; it was contrary to piety, for God had commanded him to go up and make haste; and that it was contrary to policy, for he might come 22 off with the worst. Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of And the 23 God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. archers shot at king Josiah; notwithstanding his disguise, they

This was a most extraordinary passover; none had been celebrated with such great preparations, with such solemnity, and with such great joy. It had been kept in Hezekiah's time; but they were not properly purified, and Josiah was more liberal in proportion to his abilities.

The king of Babylon had conquered Assyria, and Pharaoh Necho, or the wounded Pharaoh, went against Carchemish, a city on the banks of the river Euphrates.

perceived he was the commander, and therefore attacked him ;* and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am 24 sore wounded. His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, one that was ready in case of accidents; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in [one of] the sepul chres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

25

26

And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah; no wonder the good prophet was much affected, it was a sad calamity, especially considering the character of his successor; and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel, that the memory of this event might be kept up: and, behold, they [are] written in the lamentations.t

Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, accord. 27 ing to [that which was] written in the law of the LORD, And his deeds, first and last, behold they [are] written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.t

REFLECTIONS.

Tis the duty of every pious mind to observe all divine institu tions. Josiah was zealous against idolatry, and as zealous for keeping the passover. This suggests a good lesson to us, to observe and keep whatever God commands us. The Lord's sup per succeeds to the passover; it is a memorial of a great sacrifice and deliverance, and a means of supporting christian piety in the world. Notice is several times taken that all was done according to the law; which may intimate, that we are more acceptable to God in our religious services, when we keep closest to his word. 2. Generosity in persons of plentiful circumstances, especially for the support of religion, is highly commendable. Josiah, the chief priests, and the Levites, all furnished oxen and lambs for this

I find all the commentators think this was rash and presumptuous conduct in Josiah, and disobedience to God. I own I cannot see it in this light. Had he died in an act of disobe dience, Jeremiah would not have lamented him, nor would they have made it an ordinance in Israel to do so. The case seems to me to be this: Manasseh was tributary to Babylon, and probably to Amon and Josiah; there was a league between them, which included a promise or oath to assist or defend him against his enemies. For this purpose Josiah probably had a considerable part, if not all the land of Israel given him, as he went through it to destroy its idolatry. We find two of his successors were bound by the king of Babylon; and probably he was the same; therefore as a faithful ally, he could not but resist the king of Egypt. What Pharaoh says of God's commanding him, seems only an artifice. Hearing that Josiah was a prince of great piety, he thought this would prevent his opposing him. But there is no intimation that he meant the true God. The word is not Jehovah, which is always used when an express command from him is referred to. Had there been any doubt in the case, he would certainly have consulted Jeremiah or Zephaniah; but if he was bound by an oath, it would have been an affront to God to have consulted him whether he should break it; and God was highly offended with his brother's son and successor Zedekiah for breaking his oath with the king of Babylon. It is therefore evident to me, that he was in the way of his duty; and his violent death was designed as a punishment for the people, though undoubtedly it was happy for him.

↑ The funeral poem is lost; it could not be Jeremiah's Lamentations, for they lament the destruction of the city, and the captivity, not the death of the king.

After this chapter, 2 Kings, chap. xxii, beginning at the middle of v. 30, to the end of the book, may be properly read