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and set Eliakim, a brother of the late king, upon the throne, and changed his name to Jehoiakim.

CHARLES. I do not see how the poor Israelites, so continually drained by their enemies, were yet able to bear such enormous impositions.

MRS. M. The public treasury was often exhausted— it seems now not to have been in a very flourishing state, for this tribute was raised by a rigorous taxation of all the inhabitants of the land.

The new king was altogether destitute of the talents and virtues of his father-the people returned to their accustomed vices, and the prophets admonished them in vain. Habakkuk flourished at this time, and declared the sad consequences of their sins in the most affecting terms. Jeremiah, especially, was commanded to go to the palace, and remind the king that his father acted uprightly, therefore it was well with him-and tell him, that unless he also did "execute justice and judgment," and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor-that he should be led away captive, and see his native country no more;" and afterwards, to go into the Temple, and declare to the hollow-hearted worshippers the judgments which their violence and injustice, their oppression of the stranger, the widow and the orphan, their contempt of the sabbath, their covetousness and pride were bringing down upon the land -entreating them to repent, and receive mercy and pardon whilst yet it was offered! But so long as they were not charged with profaning the Sanctuary, by setting up idols in the place of Jehovah, the priests considered immorality but a venial crime, and quickly pronounced a sentence on the man who had dared to devote that august edifice to

destruction. Undaunted, however, by their menaces, he told them he was in their hands, and they might do as it pleased them to him," but know ye, for certain," added he, "that if ye put me to death, ye shall bring innocent blood upon your heads, and upon this city; for of a truth, Jehovah hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.' Therefore, now amend your ways, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and he will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you." Several princes and elders, who, fortunately for the prophet, were present, interposed in his behalf-although, about the same time, they united with the reprobate king, in bringing back another prophet from Egypt, whither he had fled for security, and put him to death, for having declared the same things!

Nor was this faithful minister contented with revealing these general indications of the wrath of heaven against this obdurate people, but with a solicitude for his country, more ardent as they became more callous to his pathetic exhortations, and more obstinate in their sins, he told them that Jehoiakim, their king, should die without pity," and be cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem," without respect to his exalted rank, or the common decency of a grave! and, moreover, that his successor, with all his family, should be carried away to Babylon, and all Judah should go into captivity. Nevertheless, that the purposes of Providence, in the preservation of that" peculiar people" might be answered, he comforted the faithful few, with the assurance, that they should never be scattered amongst the nations, to the total destruction of their name -but should return to their own land after seventy years of correction for their sins.

FANNY. Did all this make no impression on this hardened monarch or his court?

MRS. M. No other than to provoke them to imprison the courageous prophet, on the accusation of favouring the king's enemies, and disheartening the people from defending the city against Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who, by the death of his father, had fallen heir to a vast empire, containing Chaldea, Assyria, Syria, and Palestine,* and having extended his conquests, and beaten the king of Egypt, was now invading Judea.

CATHERINE. The prophecies of Jeremiah, and Isaiah particularly, containing a great many separate predictions, could not all be delivered to the people at large-by what means then did they become acquainted with them?

MRS. M. After they had been orally delivered, the prophet himself wrote a copy, and put it up at a public gate of the temple, for the inspection of every passenger. Whiist Jeremiah was in prison, he was commanded by God to collect all that he had delivered from the commencement of his ministry, and copy them into one roll. Having done this, he sent Baruch, a scribe, to read it to the whole assembled people, on the annual day of atonement. The following year the city was taken, the temple plundered, and great numbers of people sent off to Babylon, amongst whom were several princes of the royal family, and the king himself was put in irons, but released, on his promise of fidelity to Nebuchadnezzar.

With the captives, an order was sent to Babylon, to select some of the most intelligent and handsome youths, for the personal service of the king, and immediately to com

* Pridcaux, vol. 1. p. 52.

mit them to masters of the laws and languages of the Chaldees, that they might be qualified for their distinguished lot.

The famous Daniel, and his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, more familiar to us under the names they received from their conquerors, of Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego, were amongst these favoured scholars, and this, together with other circumstances agreeing with the prophecies, which relate to the captivity of Judah, the seventy years predicted by Jeremiah, are dated from this first capture of the city, by Nebuchadnezzar.

CATHERINE. Did the prophet himself so explain these events to the king?

MRS. M. It does not appear that he did, but he continued his entreaties with both people and prince, to“ turn every one from his evil way," and avert the wrath of heaven from their afflicted country. And when we read over the eloquent pleadings of Jeremiah, to us they seem irresistible. But the corrupt habits of the Jews were too deeply rooted to be changed. They were willing, however, to pay a price for their darling indulgencies, and accordingly appointed a solemn fast, to deplore their calamities. The indefatigable pastor, now liberated from his prison, took advantage of another season of apparent humiliation, and, when a great concourse of persons were assembled, he sent Baruch up to the temple to read a second time, publicly, the awful judgments which threatened their devoted land, and the merciful invitations to return to their heavenly Father. Neither the king nor his counsellors were present, but they were speedily informed of what was passing in the court of the temple: the latter were alarmed, and summoning the orator into their chamber, respectfully

listened whilst he read the roll, and then advised him to conceal himself together with the prophet, until they should try its effect upon the monarch. It would seem hardly possible that Jehoiakim should yet be unmoved, by the events that had passed, and the yet more frightful aspect of the future. But so it was ;-hastening on his own ruin, indignation alone was excited, and the sacred roll was committed to the flames, by the hands of Jehoiakim himself, and an order immediately issued, for the apprehension of Jeremiah and his secretary; but already concealed by their friends, they escaped from his meditated violence.

The burning of the roll was but an aggravation of Jehoiakim's condemnation. To us the loss was made up by a second edition, dictated by the prophet, and written by his secretary, containing the same words, and also much additional matter. This second roll was laid up with the national archives, and is that book of Jeremiah, which has been handed down to us.

But notwithstanding all these convincing evidences of his impending fate, the king of Judah continued to harden himself in iniquity, and in three years, provoked Nebuchadnezzar to send another army against Judea, which, harassing them for three years, Jehoiakim was at length slain, and his dead body contemptuously cast out of the city gates without burial,* after a turbulent and inglorious reign of eleven years; thus fulfilling literally the prophecy of Jeremiah.

Jehoiachin, his son, ascending the throne, and the city being still more closely besieged, after having been three

"In the last year of Jehoiakim's reign, was born Cyrus, the famous founder of the Persian monarchy, and the restorer of the Jews to their country, their temple, and their state."---Prideaux.

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