the Lord, and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pronounced ?"

And now we will speak of Hezekiah's sickness. God visits him with a sore disease which brings him to the very brink of the grave. The great king is stretched on a sick-bed. And see how he shines in adversity!-how he comes forth as gold when placed in the furnace! He now feels the blessing and comfort of prayer. He once more spreads his case before the Lord. He turns away from the mourning attendants who crowd round his bed, and pours out his heart to that heavenly Friend who was ever near him. God is entreated of him, his earnest cry is heard, and an answer of peace is given him. A few more years are added to his life, and a miracle is wrought to strengthen his faith.

"Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me"-this was one of Hezekiah's prayers. And how much there is in that single petition! Are we at any time oppressed? Are we weighed down. by trouble and sorrow? Let us simply throw ourselves on God, and ask him to undertake our cause and deal with us according to his own will. Above all, if sin oppresses us, and we feel it to be a burden too heavy for us to bear, let us remember there is One who has "undertaken for us," and whose precious blood can wash away our deepest stains.

But little is told us of Hezekiah's death. We may conclude, however, that he departed in peace. God, who was with him as he journeyed through life, forsook him not as that journey closed. His memory, too, was honored. It is said concerning him that "he slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David. And all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death."

It matters not to a child of God how men may speak of him after his death; it signifies little to him whether his body is laid in the open field or finds its resting-place in a whited sepulchre ; but still, for the sake of others, he desires to leave a fair name behind him, and to be honored as a servant of God.

N

XXX

JOSIAH.

O king came so early to the throne of Judah as King

Josiah. At the tender age of eight years he found

himself the ruler of that great nation. His father, Amon, had been a wicked sovereign, and was so hated by his subjects that they conspired against him and slew him in his own palace.

Concerning the first few years of the young king's reign w are told scarcely anything, but the little that is said is enough to show us that even at this early age he gave proof of decided piety. We are told that "he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord." This seems to have been his determination through life, and a blessed determination it was. He had seen how wrongly his father had acted; and though he probably felt that he had a very difficult course to take, yet he was resolved to do right whatever it might cost him. He appears to have kept before his eyes the bright example of his ancestor David, and God enabled him to walk closely in his steps.

It is a goodly sight to see a man of any age giving himself to God's service and shaping his life according to his laws; but when we see this in a young person, it does indeed rejoice our hearts and fill us with special thankfulness. Josiah was young, very young, but not too young to be useful-not too young to be ranked among God's servants-not too young to be a great blessing to his country.

What a mistake it is to suppose that religion is only for those who are advanced in life, and that it is time enough to give our hearts to God when we have lost our relish for the world! Can we too soon begin to walk in the right way? Can we too soon enjoy the favor of our Father above? May not even children know the Saviour, and experience that peace which he has to give? If Samuel, Josiah and others could now speak to us, they would tell us that we cannot begin too early or too earnestly to seek the Lord.

During Josiah's boyhood he was probably under the guardianship of those who undertook his education; but when he reached his sixteenth year, he began to act for himself. He had looked with sorrow on the sad state of things in Judah and Jerusalem; he saw the land filled with the temples of Baal, and his people more or less given up to idolatry; and now he longed himself to serve God, and to lead those committed to his care to serve him also.

One of his first acts was to get rid of the heathen temples and to establish a purer worship throughout the country. This was, of course, no easy matter. Idolatry had got root in the nation, and it was difficult to pluck it up. Here one and there another violently opposed him, but his fixed determination to "do that which was right" carried him through. He felt as a man always does feel who is doing God's will-he felt sure that God would be with him and that God would help him.

But it was not enough to put down idolatry. Josiah did not stop there. He was anxious not only to restrain his people from doing what was wrong, but to lead them to do what was right. The temple, the Lord's house, had long been utterly neglected and had been allowed to fall into ruin; so he at once encouraged those who were well disposed to assist him in raising money to repair it, and the carpenters and the masons were forthwith set to work in earnest. In a short time all was ready for the service of God, and Josiah had the happiness of seeing the Lord's

house and the Lord's service once more honored as they should be.

And now an important discovery is made. Hilkiah, the high priest, on looking over some of the papers which had probably been laid by in the temple, finds a copy of the Book of the Law. This book had been written by Moses, and most likely had been lost or hidden during those years when idolatry prevailed. This was indeed a most valuable discovery, and he at once carries it to the king.

A discovery somewhat like this was made in later years, at the time of the Reformation. In a convent in Germany there was a certain monk who could find no peace in the false doctrines of the Church of Rome, to which he belonged. This was Martin Luther. One day, when he was in the library of the convent, among a heap of books he happened to find a solitary copy of the word of God. There it had lain neglected and unread. But now he found that he had indeed discovered a treasure. That book was the means of opening his eyes, and led him to go forth and preach the glorious doctrines of the gospel.

And so, too, the discovery of the Book of the Law was of great importance to Josiah, and greatly helped forward his work. He had not, as Luther had, the books of the prophets and of the New Testament, for these were not yet written; but he had enough to show how greatly his people had offended God by their neglect of him, and how his worship might be restored.

Picture to yourself Shaphan the scribe hastening to his royal master with the precious treasure in his hands, and then reading it out before him. It is said, "When the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes." And why so? Because it showed him even more plainly than he had seen before how grievously his people had departed from the good and right way, and how the whole nation had called down the Lord's anger upon them.

He immediately calls together the priests and others, and

desires them to go and lay the matter before a certain prophetess named Huldah. She was, no doubt, a holy person, whom Josiah respected, and he was anxious to have her counsel and advice.

Huldah returned a faithful answer by the hand of these messengers. She did not shrink from announcing the truth, however unwelcome it might be. She plainly declared that God's wrath would come down upon the people of Judah, according to his word, but that during the good king's life he would mercifully spare them.

And now what was to be done? How was Josiah to act? Must he give up all in despair? Must he content himself with empty complaining? No; he determined to do the thing that was right. Down went the few remaining idols in the land. The groves and temples of Baal disappeared; they were all swept away. Then the king gathers all the chief men together, and goes with them into the house of the Lord. He himself stands against one of the pillars, reads to them the book which had been found, and persuades them, one and all, to join him in making a solemn covenant that they would henceforth faithfully and truly serve God.

Such were the steps taken by this good king to restore true religion among his subjects. "Like unto him there was no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him."

There were troubles soon coming upon Judah; but God, according to his promise, withheld the storm during Josiah's lifetime. The reign of this prince was "like a gleam of light cast from the burning sky before it bursts with the tempest." There was a little time of peace and prosperity for the Jews as long as he lived; but no sooner was he gone than they fell back into their evil ways, and the wrath of God came upon them.