AN
EXPOSITION,
W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E R V A T I O N
S,
OF THE SECOND BOOK OF
C H R O N I C L E S
This book
begins with the reign of Solomon and the building of the temple, and continues
the history of the kings of
Judah
thenceforward to the captivity and so concludes with the
fall of that illustrious monarchy and the destruction of the temple. That
monarchy of the house of David, as it was prior in time, so it was superior in
worth and dignity to all those four celebrated ones of which Nebuchadnezzar
dreamed. The Babylonian monarchy I reckon to begin in Nebuchadnezzar himself--Thou
art that head of gold, and that lasted but about seventy years; The
Persian monarchy, in several families, about 130; the Grecian, in their
several branches, about 300; and 300 more went far with the Roman. But as I
reckon David a greater hero than any of the founders of those monarchies, and
Solomon a more magnificent prince than any of those that were the glories of
them, so the succession was kept up in a lineal descent throughout the whole
monarchy, which continued considerable between 400 and 500 years, and, after a
long eclipse, shone forth again in the kingdom of the Messiah, of the
increase of whose government and peace there shall be no end. This history
of the Jewish monarchy, as it is more authentic, so it is more entertaining
and more instructive, than the histories of any of those monarchies. We had
the story of the house of David before, in the first and second books of
Kings, intermixed with that of the kings of
Israel
, which there took more room than that of
Judah
; but here we have it entire. Much is repeated here which
we had before, yet many of the passages of the story are enlarged upon, and
divers added, which we had not before, especially relating to the affairs of
religion; for it is a church-history, and it is written for our learning, to
let nations and families know that then, and then only, they can expect to
prosper, when they keep in the way of their duty to God: for all along the
good kings prospered and the wicked kings suffered. The peaceable reign of
Solomon we have (ch. i.-ix.), the blemished reign of Rehoboam (ch.
x.-xii.), the short but busy reign of Abijah (ch. xiii.), the long and
happy reign of Asa (ch. xiv.-xvi.), the pious and prosperous reign of
Jehoshaphat (ch. xvii.-xx.), the impious and infamous reigns of Jehoram
and Ahaziah (ch. xxi.-xxii.), the unsteady reigns of Joash and Amaziah
(ch. xxiv., xxv.), the long and prosperous reign of Uzziah (ch.
xxvi.), the regular reign of Jotham (ch. xxvii.), the profane and
wicked reign of Ahaz (ch. xxviii.), the gracious glorious reign of
Hezekiah (ch. xxix.-xxxii.), the wicked reigns of Manasseh and Amon (ch.
xxxiii.), the reforming reign of Josiah (ch. xxxiv., xxxv.), the
ruining reigns of his sons, ch. xxxvi. Put all these together, and the
truth of that word of God will appear, Those that honour me I will honour,
but those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. The learned Mr.
Whiston, in his chronology, suggests that the historical books which were
written after the captivity (namely, the two books of Chronicles, Ezra, and
Nehemiah) have more mistakes in names and numbers than all the books of the
Old Testament besides, through the carelessness of transcribers: but, though
that should be allowed, the things are so very minute that we may be confident
the foundation of God stands sure notwithstanding.
Contents
|
Next
Section
