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A DISCOURSE, &c.

2 KINGS Xvii. 21.

And they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king; and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord.

IN reading the history of nations we commonly meet with some memorable events, which had peculiar influence upon their rise, progress, declension, and final ruin. Such events, whether recorded in sacred or profane history, are of all others the most entertaining and instructive. The first memorable event in the history of the Jews is the calling of Abram the father of the nation. The second memorable event is the descent of Jacob and his family into Egypt. The third memorable event is the return of the children of Israel to their own land. The fourth memorable event is the introduction of kingly government, under Saul the son of Kish. And the next memorable event is the ACCESSION of Jeroboam the son of Nebat to the throne of Israel. This strange and deplorable event laid the foundation for a train of national calamities, which have continued from that day to this; and how much longer they may

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continue we pretend not to be able to determine, For the admonition and instruction of all future ages God has been pleased to record the character and conduct of Jeroboam, together with the fatal consequences of his impious reign, with great particularity and plainness. The sacred historian never loses sight of the baneful effects of his administration, from the twelfth chapter of the first book of Kings to the seventeenth chapter of the second book of Kings, which contains the words of our text. Here, his history terminates with the account of the captivity and dispersion of the once happy people whom he corrupted and destroyed.

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It is the design of the present discourse,

I. To draw the character of Jeroboam before he was king.

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II. To represent the state of the nation when they made him king.

III. To inquire how it came to pass that they did make him king.

IV. To show what methods he employed, after they had made him king, to drive them from following the Lord.

I. The character of Jeroboam, before he was king, deserves particular attention.

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He early discovered some of those distinguishing natural and moral qualities, which formed him for the extraordinary part which he finally acted on the stage of life. His natural genius was sprightly, bold, and enterprising, which he evidently culti

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vated, notwithstanding the peculiar disadvantages and embarrassments which attended his education. Though he lost his father in his youth, and was left to the care of his mother, who was a widow; yet, by the mere dint of his brilliant talents and close application, he recommended himself to the notice and patronage of his wise and sagacious sovereign. We read, "Jeroboam was the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour; and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the house of Joseph." His appointment to such an office, by such a penetrating prince, is an infallible evidence of his popular talents and pleasing address. These excellent and amiable accomplishments, had they been properly directed to the public good, would have rendered him a great blessing to the nation.

But it appears from his history, that a base, turbulent, ambitious spirit led him to prostitute his fine abilities to the vilest purposes. Whether his ungovernable disposition were owing to the unhappy circumstance of being deprived of paternal instruction and restraint, or to a native malignity of heart, it certainly prompted him to disturb the peace of society, and oppose the best form and administration of government. For, though Solomon highly favoured him, and put him into a lucrative office in one of the principal tribes of Israel, yet he con

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spired against his royal master, and became a ringleader in sedition. His business of collecting the public taxes in the tribe of Ephraim and Manassah gave him a peculiar opportunity of tampering with the people, and of instilling into their minds the most absurd prejudices against the king and his public measures. He could easily persuade the unthinking multitude that they were unreasonably loaded with taxes, and that they ought to do themselves justice, by overturning the government. Having, in this or some other way, widely diffused a disloyal and rebellious spirit among the people, he presumed to throw off the mask, and appear in open opposition to the best of princes. It is expressly said, "He lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father." Here it is strongly intimated that Jeroboam complained of oppression, and that he made this complaint with a view to destroy his sovereign, and eventually seize his throne. This was a most bold and daring attempt in a young man, for which he deserved to be treated as an ungrateful and detestable traitor. Accordingly the king" sought to kill Jeroboam;" but, by some means or other, Jeroboam fled into Egypt, and remained there until the death of Solomon.

This seems to have been the most fatal period in Jeroboam's life; for whilst he lived in that land of idols he totally apostatized from the religion of his

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country, in which he had been early initiated, and became a gross idolater. He was certainly of the seed of Abraham, and probably born and educated in Jerusalem, where he received the seal of circumcision, and usually attended all the religious institutions which God had appointed. These things must have made deep impressions on his young and tender mind, which he could not easily nor instantly eradicate. It must have required strong and repeated efforts to disbelieve what he had once firmly believed, and to despise what he had once inwardly revered. Hence it is to be presumed that he gradually apostatized from the religion of his country. Whilst he lived in Jerusalem, where all the tribes of Israel statedly repaired to worship the only living and true God, it is probable he treated sacred and divine things with apparent decency and respect. But after he removed from the seat of true religion, to take the charge of the house of Joseph, he had a fair opportunity of neglecting those religious duties, and of renouncing those religious principles, which laid a painful restraint upon his corrupt inclinations and pursuits. He was, no doubt, an infidel at heart, while he was sowing the seeds of sedition, and plotting to ruin his king and country; but, for political reasons, he might not openly avow his infidelity until he fled into Egypt, to escape the hand of public justice. Having taken this desperate step, and exchanged a land of moral light for a land of moral darkness, neither his interest nor his

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