The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

56 SERMOlrt.three years had elapfed fince this union of the twocroM^ns ; and yet it feems the ten tribes were ftill confideredas being in fome fort a dillindt kingdom fromthat of Judah^ " And Rehoboam went to Shechem-;for all Ifrael were come to Shechem to make himking." Rehoboam went to Shechem : all Ifrael, thatis, the heads of the tribes, delegates from all Ifrael,were there before him -, they had met in Congrefs atShechem to make him king, not with power unlimited: From their regard to the family of David, theydeii red to make him king; they had come to Shechemin that view ; but it was upon the conditionswhich they exprefsly mention : for, as was natural,the regard they had to their own intereft was llrong-a little before his death gave to his fon Jofeph.Jofeph's bones were buried ; here was Jacob's well,er than their attachment to David's family.Shechem: At this ancient towai many public meetingswere held. It Was in the tribe of Ephraim, andftood on the brow of a hill, at the fide of that beautifulvaRey which lay between Mount Ebal and MountGerizzim, from which two mountains, the bleffingsand curfes, mentioned in Deuteronomy, were pronounced.It was in the parcel of land which JacobHereneaj:. which our Saviour had the converfation with the.woman of Samaria, mentioned in John's gofpel. Shechemwas at firft built by Hamor, and fo called afterthe name of his fon. The mention of this place isintroduced in fcripture with a very tragical ftory ;Dinah, Jacob's daughter, had gone out to fee thedaughters of the land ; that is, as if fome unwaryyoung woman fhould go to feme diflant fait cr market,where ihe is a ftranger , or, as one in fafliionablelife goes unguarded to wafte her time at a play,or anocturnal card-aflembly, or a mafquerade : She wasfair ; ihe was in danger ; Shechem faw her, and difhonouredher ; but, being fick, and defperately in lovewith her, he would have given all he had in the world