the kind skill of the gentle doctor. 3. Asa erred, as the Hebrew construction implies, in his not owning the Lord through the physician. The doctor may have been magician as well as physi- cian. In some way Asa's eye was off the Lord. 4. "Asa s l e p t" and they laid him in a bed of wondrous ' spices, made by the art of the apothecary. But more fragrant was the memory of his character and reign. Such odors as this, and the precious balm of Mary, Matt. 26:13; the mites of the poor wid- ow, Luke 21:1-4; the grace of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:30-37; the charities of Dorcas, Acts 9:39, are richer and sweeter than those of the apothecary's art, and must make a fragrant couch for one s last sleep. II. Asa's Successor. 1. A change of administration is a critical point in na- tional life. Much hangs on the charac- ter of the succession for good or bad. A Jehoshaphat, or an Athalia, à Lin- coln or a Douglass! A settled govern- ment and a settled policy will neVër be till Jésus comes. " His kingdom is ever- lasting, ana His dominion shall never e n d : "' After that there will be no fluctuating securities, but à steady mar- ket; and the peace and prosperity will be largely due to that, when, the Prince of Darkness falls and the Prince of Peace reigns " i n his s t e a d ." Have you met that crisis? 2. "Jehoshaphat, his son, reigned in his stead." The longest, happiest, most useful life must end. Others will come in our stead. Ours to see, each in his sphere and oppor- tunty, that such are- fitted to succeed us, and that all is in good shape for their coming. Asa did the latter, and we think the former. Jehoshaphat was a father-made man. Happy Tudah!—I there was no change in the policy of the godly kingdom. 3. Jehoshaphat, too, was a man who did things. Doubt it? Read the printed lesson. The verses are as full of action as an egg of meat. Piety and business .are by no meàns antagonistic. Note: (1) Jehosha- phat's Loyalty, (2) Royalty, (3) Re- ward. We follow this order, not the order of the verses. (1) His Loyalty. All kings are vice-
gerents, vice-kings. This was emphat- ically true of the Hebrew monarchs. There is but One King, and loyalty to Him is the principle and power of all authority. Neglect to acknowledge this primal trtuh is the cause of the egreg- rious failure of all human government to this day. The tendency of today is to lapse further from the recognition of it; to disown authority in boastful re- liance on Human self-sufficiency. This augurs against hope of betterment. If " K i n gs and all that are in a u t h o r i t y" were but loyal to Him who legislates for us .in. the Inspired Word! His su- premacy was emphasized in ths David- line. Solomon "sat upon the throne of Jehovah," I I Chron. 29:23, and the Jewish kings were good or bad, and their reigns beneficient or ruinous, ac- cording as they were loyal to "the King Eternal Invisible." In the begin- ning of the kingdom the House of Saul was deposed for disloyalty; and David chosen as " a man after God's own h e a r t " on this very ground that he took no step toward the king- dom and few in it save as he waited on Jehovah for instruction, for his,- charter was, "Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted above a l l ." » It was to exemplify this to the world that kingship in Israel was founded. In this Jehoshaphat "wa l k ed in the ways of. his father David.>' He was enthusiastic in loyalty. ' | His heart was lifted' up in the ways of the Lord. " r. His heart was lifted up to uplift the banner of the King. It is a great up- lift to lift up one's heart in the Lord. We are " K i n gs . . . unto Go d ," Rev: 1:6. We are over a federation of king- doms. a. Our bodies, I Cor. 9:27; b. our minds, Phil. 4:8, " M y mind to me a kingdom i s , " . s a ys a poet; c. Our spirits, Prov. 16:32; d. Our homes, I. 3:4; e. Our business, Matt. 25:23; f. The world, I Jno. 5:5. To rule this em- pire is nore than Czar or Caesar has done. To submit it to Christ and rule loyal to Him is the only success. (2) His royalty. Not blood, nor crown, nor scepter, nor popular acclama- tions constitute royalty. Royalty, the thing itself, is in the man himself; and his kingliest act is crowning Christ Lord of all. The Spirit of Christ is
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