And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, and the king,
and the people, that they should he the Lord's people; between
the king also, and the people.—2 Kings xi, 12, 17.
In this text of Scripture you have the solemn enthronizing of Joash, a young king, and that in a very troublesome time; for Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, had cruelly murdered the royal seed, and usurped the kingdom by the space of six years. Only this young prince was preserved by Jehosheba, the sister of Ahaziah, and wife to Jehoiada, the high priest, being hid with her in the house of the Lord, all that time.
Good interpreters do conjecture, though Joash be called the son of Ahaziah, that he was not his son by nature, but by succession to the crown. They say, that the race of Solomon ceased here, and the kingdom came to the posterity of Nathan, the son of David, because, 'tis said, "the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom;" which they conceive to be for the want of children in that house, and because of the absurdity and unnaturalness of the fact, that Athaliah, the grandmother, should have cut off her son's children. I shall not stand on the matter, only I may say, if they were Ahaziah's own children, it was a most unnatural and cruel act for Athaliah to cut off her own posterity.
For the usurpation, there might have been two motives. First, It seemeth when Ahaziah went to battle, Athaliah was left to govern the kingdom, and, her son Ahaziah being slain before his return, she thought the government sweet, and could not part with it, and because the royal seed stood in her way, she cruelly destroyed them, that she might reign with the greater freedom. Secondly, She was earnest to set up a false worship, even the worship of Baal, which she thought could not be so well done, as by cutting off the royal race, and getting the sole power in her hand, that she might do what she pleased.
The business you are about this day, is not unlike: you are to invest a young king in the throne, in a very troublesome time, and wicked men have risen up and usurped the kingdom, and put to death the late king most unnaturally. The like motives seemed to have prevailed with them. First, These men by falsehood and dissimulation, have gotten power in their hands, which to them is so sweet, that they are unwilling to part with it; and because the king and his seed stood in their way, they have made away the king, and disinherited his children, that the sole power might be in their hand. Secondly, They have a number of damnable errors, and a false worship to set up, and intend to take away the ordinances of Christ, and government of His kirk: all this cannot be done, unless they have the sole power in their hands, and this they cannot have until the king and his posterity be cut off. But I leave this, and come to the present solemnity; there's a prince to be enthroned, good Jehoiada will have the crown put upon his head.
It may be questioned why they went about this coronation in a time of so great hazard, when Athaliah had reigned six years. Had it not been better to have defeated Athaliah, and then to have crowned the king? Two reasons may be rendered why they delay the coronation. (1) To crown the king was a duty they were bound to. Hazard should not make men leave their duty; they did their duty, and left the success to God. (2) They crowned the young king, to endear the people's affections to their own native prince, and to alienate their hearts from her that had usurped the kingdom. If they had delayed (the king being known to be preserved), it might have brought on not only compliance with her, but also subjection to her government, by resting in it, and being content to lay aside the righteous heir of the crown.
The same is observed in our case; and many wonder that you should crown the king in a dangerous time, when the usurpers have such power in the land. The same reasons may serve to answer for your doing. (1) It is our necessary duty to crown the king upon all hazards, and to leave the success to God. (2) It appeareth now it hath been too long delayed. Delay is dangerous, because of the compliance of some, and treachery of others. If it shall be delayed longer, it is to be feared that the most part shall sit down under the shadow of the bramble, the destroying usurpers.
I come to the particular handling of the present text: and, to speak from it to the present time, I have read the twelfth and seventeenth verses, because of these two which meet together in the crowning of a king, and his renewing the covenant. Amongst many particulars which may be handled from this text, I shall confine myself to these five, 1. The crown, "He put the crown upon his head." 2. The testimony, "He gave him the testimony." 3. The anointing, "They anointed him." These three are in the twelfth verse. As for that which is spoken of the people's joy, we shall give it a touch when we come to the people's duty. 4. The covenant between God and king and the people; "Jehoiada made a covenant between God and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord's people." 5. The covenant between the king and the people; "between the king also and the people."
I. The First thing is the crown is put upon his head. A crown is the most excellent badge of royal majesty. To discourse on crowns in a state way, I shall leave unto statesmen, and lay only these three before you of the crown.
I. In putting on of the crown, it should be well fastened, for kings' crowns are oftentimes tottering, and this is a time wherein they totter. There are two things which make kings' crowns to totter, great sins, and great commotions and troubles; take heed of both.