service. Those who know the value of gospel privileges, and the excellency of religion, will not grudge any prudent expense for the support of God's worship, to encourage his priests, as Josiah did, v. 2. and to provide for the necessities of the poor. This gives religion reputation, and is happy both for the donor and receiver.

3. There is no knowing good or evil by any thing under the sun. Good Josiah was slain in battle. Probably few of the people were slain then, though most of them were hypocritical, and disliked his reformation. God's providence is a mighty deep. He has various ways of taking good men out of this world; but they all die in peace; and verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.

4. The death of pious and useful men is much to be lamented. Many who have no piety themselves, will, as in the case before us, bear testimony to the worth and excellency of upright and zealous men, and do them honour at their death, though they may neither imitate them nor love them. This should recommend religion and zeal for the glory of God and the support of his cause, that it makes men truly honourable. Good and bad men will join to honour real worth; the memory of the just shall be blessed.

CHAP. XXXVI.

Jehoahaz succeeds Josiah; is deposed by Pharaoh ; Jehoiakim reignė ing ill, is carried to Babylon; Jehoiachin succeeds him; and Zedekiah's evil reign.

1

TH

HEN the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusa2 lem. Jehoahaz [was] twenty and three years old when he be3 gan to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

5

Jehoiakim [was] twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did 6 [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD his God. A gainst him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and 7 bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. Nebuchadnez

zar also carried off the vessels of the house of the LORD to Ba8 bylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they [are] written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

9

Jehoiachin [was] eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and 10 he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD. And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and 11 Jerusalem. Zedekiah [was] one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD his God, [and] humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet 13 [speaking] from the mouth of the LORD. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord Gop of Israel.

14

:

Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in 15 Jerusalem. And the Lord GoD of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up by times, and sending; because he 16 had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose 17 against his people, till [there was] no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age, he gave [them] all into his hand. 18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all [these] he brought to Babylon. 19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and des20 troyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the king21 dom of Persia; To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth

22

of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: [for] as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil three score and ten years.

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD [Spoken] by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his king23 dom, and [put it] also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord GOD of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah: who [is, there] among you of all his people? The LORD his God [be] with him, and let him go up.

REFLECTIONS.

DMIRE the tender compassion of God to a very provok

Ains people, it was therefore he delayed vengeance so

long, and sent his prophets, rising early, and sending them, with diligence and earnestness. His word, and promises, and warnings, and ministers, are all instances of divine compassion, and show that he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2. Observe how God resents the affronts and contempt offered to his ministers. This is given as a principal reason why he brought destruction upon them, they treated his prophets as enemies, because they told them the truth; they despised their words, and made a jest of their sermons. God will resent any thing that is said or done to make faithful ministers despicable, or to vex and discourage them: He that despiseth you, despiseth me, saith Christ.

3. See the sad consequences of rebelling against God, and refusing to hearken to his word. Zedekiah would not take warning, though it was frequently and solemnly given him by Jeremiah: the Israelites likewise would not hearken, but went on in their wicked ways; till at length Jerusalem, the joy of the whole earth; God's temple, the glory of their city, their nation, and the world; were utterly destroyed. The terrible calamities of the people are most pathetically described in the Book of Lamentations. How righte ous and faithful, how awful and terrible, is God in his judgments. No word of his falls to the ground; when he judgeth he will overcome. External privileges are of no avail without real religion; they will not prevent God's judgments, but hasten them. May the inhabitants of Britain take warning by this awful story; all thing have happened to them, for ensamples or admonitions to us.

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