wards Him, a suitable reverence and godly fear. Study to adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour with all good fidelity, in all things; and, instead of starting aside from the only true way of His commandments, continue steadfast in it until your lives' end, with a view to inherit the blessing which He hath promised— even life for evermore.

SERMON XVIII.

2 KINGS Xxii. 11.

It came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

THE history of those godly men-whether kings, or inferior persons-whose praise is in the Old Testament, should be esteemed by us continually interesting and instructive. If we are possessing any spiritual discernment-any sense of, and pure affection towards goodness— their good examples will proportionably enliven, and refresh it. Also, in reading or hearing of them, we should consider, that, as living under a better covenant, and having inherited higher privileges, we may justly be required, not only to come up to, but to surpass them, " in "all holy conversation and godliness." Since stronger motives to repentance, and more abundant promises, and means of grace, are presented to us by the gospel, than by the law, our righteousness, it must be acknowledged, ought, accordingly, to exceed the righteousness of the Jews, or our shame and contrition should be more sincere.

However, in my text, and in the history connected with it, we have an account of a Jew, who appears to have greatly exceeded the generality of Christians in devotion and godly fear. It is recorded of king Josiah, that, upon hearing the words of the book of the law, he rent his clothes; so vehemently was he agitated by the convictions, which took hold on him, both of his own, and of his people's guilt. Now sin hath surely become more sinful, or rather, the sinfulness of it hath, in these latter days, been most affectingly declared by the sacrifice of the death of Christ; yet our prevailing habit is, frequently to look into, and lay aside, the same book, without any such distressing sensations. In order, therefore, to explain the causes of this too common indifference, and in a degree to remove, or diminish it, I design, my brethren, on this occasion, to set before you, first,—the case of Josiah rending his clothes; and then, secondly, our own comparative condition with respect to the holy law of God, and His gospel.

First, then, let me begin with stating, that Josiah was only eight years old when he began to reign, and that he had been born of idolatrous parents, and had been brought up in the midst of idolatry. Notwithstanding, however, such his birth and education, he began,

while he was yet young,-i. e. in the sixteenth year of his age, and the eighth of his reign-to seek after the God of David his forefather; and only four years later, he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and he brake in pieces, and made dust of, his images, and strewed it on the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them: and he burned the bones of the priests upon their altars; and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. Likewise, he cleansed a number of cities of the other tribes, going about, and cutting down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel; nor did he spare the altar in Beth-el, which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made. Moreover, six years afterward, he took measures to repair the house of the Lord his God, which the former wicked kings had suffered to fall into decay, to the intent that his people, whom he had deprived of their idols, might the better be inclined to render unto Jehovah, at Jerusalem, the honour due unto His name.Thus did Josiah exert himself to do right, from the early beginning of his reign. (2 Chronicles xxxiv.) Still, down to this period, he could have had but an imperfect apprehension of the

general corruption, and of the proper methods to be adopted for reforming his kingdom; he must have been rather seeking after the Lord, by the aid of human recollection and traditions, than following the authority, and clear directions of His word. For, besides the many great offences which, under preceding kings, the Jews had committed against the God of their fathers, they had, as it were to crown, and to perpetuate all, put His word away from them. It is immaterial, whether they had done this of a wilful purpose, or only of carelessness and neglect. No doubt, the word of God had seemed unpleasant, and distasteful to them, ere they lost it. They had probably for some time regarded it with hatred, as testifying, not good concerning them, but evil; (1 Kings xxii. 8.) and so, at the time when Josiah entered upon his reign, no true or uncorrupted copies of it were to be found.

Nevertheless, that pious king had done without delay what he could, towards rooting out idolatry from amongst his subjects, and bringing them back to serve the Lord their God. Of an honest and good heart, he had instantly acted to the best of his knowledge, hoping (be it supposed) that the God of all grace, who had called him to reign, and in whom alone he trusted, would not fail to shew him the secrets