him on his recovery, and to inquire, particularly, concerning the prodigy of the sun's retrogression. This impolitic action was succeeded by a message from God, importing, that those very men, who had been now entertained with the sight of all his wealth and grandeur, should in a short time return to plunder the kingdom of all its orna ments, and even carry away some of the royal family, as captives, to their master. A denunciation which, convicted the king so fully of his error, that he acknowledged the mercy of Heaven in permitting him to die in peace.

After a pious and equitable reign of twenty nine years, Hezekiah expired in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and was buried with extraor dinary pomp in the grandest sepulchre of the sons of David.

B. C.

Manasseh, his son and successor, was 698. but twelve years old when he ascended the throne, and from his unfortunate acces sion' we may date the downfal of the kingdom and religion. Whether he were naturally vicious or deluded by the artifices of profligate coun sellors, cannot now be easily determined; but his diabolical actions, and horrid sacrilege, exceeded those of his most wicked predecessors, and he justly delineated in history as one of the most infamous and sanguinary tyrants, that ever dis honoured the titles of royalty. Not contented with worshipping Baal, erecting altars to the sun, moon, and stars, and encouraging his subjects to sacrifice their harmless infants to the idol Moloch, he introduced the vilest idolatries into the temple. and set up a graven image in the most holy place as if he desired to drive the God of Abraham from his habitation, and to disclaim all the blessings

blessings that had been promised to humble and obedient worshippers.

Several of the prophets undertook to reprove these abominable crimes, and boldly asserted, that both king and people would be chastised with the most exemplary rigour; but their predictions only served to exasperate Manassch against them, and induced him to add the most infamous cruelties to his former wickedness. As many as presumed to express the slightest discontent under his government were instantly doomed to death; and Jerusalem was literally deluged with the mingled blood of prophets, priests, and nobles: till Providence put a stop to his tyrannical proceedings, by delivering him info the hands of the Assyrians, who loaded him with chains, and carried him to Babylon, where he was thrown into a dungeon by order of Esar-Haddon, king of Assyria, who had some years before obtained possession of Babylon, and was now ole monarch over both empires.

This melancholy reverse of fortune produced genuine repentance in the breast of the king of Indah, whose heart-rending sighs, and earnest pplications for mercy, obtained a happy deiverance from that God who "delighteth not in he death of a sinner." How long his imprisonnent continued, and by what means his freedom as obtained, are now unknown; but it appears, hat from the greatest sinner he became the most rumble penitent, and one of the best of moarchs.

On his return to his metropolis he exerted him If to remove all cause of complaint from his bjects, by cleansing the temple, restoring the cient service, fortifying the city, and demolishin

Q2

molishing the idols, groves, and altars, which he had reared in open defiance to the Divine law. Having effected this needful reformation, he enjoyed the regal dignity thirty-three years after his emancipation from captivity, and died peaceably in the sixty-seventh year of his age. His remai were interred in his own garden, probably by hi command, as his former atrocities had render d him unworthy of the sepulchre of his ancestors.

B. C.

At the accession of Amon, the worsh 643. of God was performed with its pristine splendour and purity, and the generalit of the people had triumphed over the demolition their senseless idols; but so infatuated was th. young prince, that he gave himself up to all ti gross impieties of the heathen, and exhibited son convincing proofs, that he designed to surpass the early debaucheries of his father; on which a count, some of his chief officers assassinated bir in the palace, before he had reigned two year The citizens, however, rose in arms to reveng his murder, and bestowed the crown upon ... son Josiah.

The universal depravity, which had overrun t kingdom during the short reign of Amon, r quired no less than a miracle to reform it, whe Josiah, who was but eight years old, took t reins of government. But as he had been p: mised, above three hundred years before, to we.. a greater reformation than had been ever effect in the land, the most sanguine expectations we conceived by the true worshippers of God respec ing the effects of his administration.

B. C.

Having advised with his pious couns 633. lors concerning his great design, and t most prudent method of accomplishing

he issued out orders, in the sixteenth year of his age, for the destruction of all idols, and the pollution of all places, where his deluded subjects had offered incense contrary to the law of Moses. The graven images, altars, and other objects of superstition, were accordingly burnt to ashes, or thrown into the river Kidron: the groves and high places were strewed with dead men's bones; and all the priests who had assisted at any unlawful ceremony were for ever excluded from their former functions and privileges. The king, havng witnessed the execution of his orders in Jesalem, repaired to the Mount of Olives, where e demolished the altars that had been erected by is predecessors, together with those in the valley f Hinnom. Thence he proceeded to Bethel, nd destroyed the golden calf, which Jeroboam, the irst king of Israel, had set up. In short, he made circuit through both kingdoms, and returned to is métropolis with the satisfaction of having horoughly purged them from every kind of unleanness.

He then exerted himself to repair, in the most xpeditious manner, the dilapidations of the temle; commanded the celebration of the Passover be observed with the utmost solemnity; expelled wizards and necromancers from his dominions; stituted courts of judicature in every convenient lace; and strictly charged the magistrates, priests, d Levites, to enforce obedience to the divine vs, both by precept and example.

Josiah had swayed the sceptre over Judah thirtyne years in profound peace, when Pharaoh cho advanced against the Babylonians, as far the city of Carchemish upon the Euphrates.

The king immediately assembled a powerful army, and marched to the valley of Megiddo. Here the Egyptian endeavoured to dissuade him from his rash enterprise, by disclaiming the idea of committing any hostilities on the Jews; but Josiah, unmindful of his remonstrances, immediately commenced an attack, and received a wound, of which he died at Jerusalem in the thirty-ninth year of his age.

Jehoahaz, the youngest son of Josiah, being exalted to the throne by a powerful faction, began to give such early proofs of his iniquitous intentions, that the prophet Jeremiah was sent to warn him of an awful chastisement, which would assuredly follow his continuance in impiety. This timely intimation, however, was totally disregarded, and the thoughtless prince persisted in his folly, till Pharaoh-Necho dethroned him, in the third month of his reign; and, having transferred the sceptre to his elder brother, on condition of receiving an annual tribute, carried him into Egypt, where he ended his days according to the prediction of Jeremiah.

This signal proof of divine displeasure did not deter Jeboiakim from treading in the steps of his unfortunate brother, or the people from imitatip: his reprehensible conduct. Jeremiah was therefore commissioned to denounce the most sever: judgments against the kingdom, unless they inmediately acknowledged and reformed their abominable practices. But instead of profiting h his counsel, the ill-judging multitude seized bin as a sower of sedition, and one who was guilty c death. This malicious accusation, however, w:. set aside by the nobles; and the prophet found. powerful patron in Ahikam, the son of Shaphar