As for the king of Judah, although he seemed to show a promising disposition, by acquiesing in the determination of the Supreme Governor of Israel, to deprive him of a large proportion of his dominions, yet his allegiance continued but three years: after which, during a reign of seventeen, the worship of images prevailed throughout Judah.

These provoking transgressions were visited by an invasion from Shishak, king of Egypt, who came with an immense army, took several of the strong cities of Judah, and plundered both the palace and the temple of Jerusalem, of the splendid furniture with which Solomon had enriched them. Further punishment was suspended, on their repentance-yet they became tributary to Egypt, Abijah, the son of Rehoboam, having a martial disposition, made a spirited effort in his short reign of three years, to bring back the Israelites to the house of David; and, although disappointed in his ultimate design, some of their best cities were reduced, and five hundred thousand of their chosen troops fell in battle. Asa, his successor, pursued a more promising way to the welfare of the state, by forbidding the abominable rites of the heathens to be seen in any part of his dominions, and resolutely destroying every symbol of their superstitions: not even sparing his own mother, who refused to concur in the pious work; but cutting her idol in pieces, with more than common marks of indignation, he deposed her from the royal station she held, that none of inferior note might hope to disobey with impunity.

- Asa reigned forty-one years, respected by his subjects; and was embalmed and buried with great pomp in a sepulchre which in his life-time he had prepared-and pro

bably in one of those immense structures which are shown at this day near the fallen city of Jerusalem, and still bear the name of "the sepulchres of the kings." We see, too, by the instance of Asa, that the custom of embalming the bodies of great men, which the Israelites brought with them from Egypt, still prevailed. Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, went still further in the work of reformation, for he not only discountenanced idolatry, but sent out Levites to instruct the people in the laws of Moses; and commanded the governors of the provinces to aid them by their authority. Nor did he rest here; but went himself throughout Judah, exhorting the judges by every honourable and religious consideration, to be firm in the impartial administration of justice. His kingdom was highly prosperous during his whole reign. The adjacent nations feared him, and again brought their presents and their tributes, so that he became exceedingly rich. Yet he, too, erred: for he united with the degenerate king of Israel, in building a navy at Ezion-geber, to trade to the wealthy port of Tarshish for gold; but his fault was reproved, by the destruction of all their ships in a storm.

The history of the Israelites, from the revolt of Jeroboam, is a history of alternate crime and calamity. Though repulsive, it is full of instruction, because it marks the steps by which they travelled to their own destruction. Continually embroiled with their neighbours, and with the sister state of Judah, the story is somewhat intricate; I shall not, therefore, be very particular in the detail, but endeavour to lead you through the most prominent and entertaining events, to the natural result of their apostacythe fulfilment of the prophecies against them.

The royal line of Israel, as contra-distinguished from

that of Judah, did not produce one righteous prince, but every succeeding one plunged more deeply than his predecessor, in vices the most inveterate!

CATHERINE. In such a state of things, were they not wholly abandoned by the great Supreme, whom they thus ungratefully deserted?

MRS. M. Though God is just, my dear, he is long suffering. He bore long with his apostate children, before he cast them off visiting them with threatening and exhortation by his prophets, and deferring their final sentence whilst there appeared the smallest prospect of their return; for there were yet faithful individuals in the reprobate land, and, for their sakes, occasional mercies were bestowed. The celebrated prophet, Elijah, and Elisha, were commissioned to this division of Israel, and performed their miracles amongst them!

Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, succeeded his father to the throne of Israel, and following his evil example, was slain by Baasha, a man of Issachar, who put the crown on his own head, and afterwards fulfilled the judgment that had been pronounced against the house of Jeroboam, by putting them to death!

ven,

These atrocities, however, did not secure the succession to his family; for his wickedness was so offensive to heathat a sentence of extermination, complete as bad been that of Jeroboam, was passed upon him. His son Elah was slain whilst he was revelling in his palace at Tirzah, by Zimri, a "captain of his chariots," and the whole house of Baasha was destroyed. When the news of Zimri's having cut off the royal house, and set himself on the throne, reached the army, which at that time was besieging the Philistines in Gibbethon, they proclaimed Omri, one

of their officers, king; and marched directly to attack the usurper in the capital. Zimri, finding his opponent too powerful, threw himself into the palace, and setting it on fire, there ended his short reign of seven days! The people, notwithstanding his death, divided in favour of the two pretending families; Omri's party prevailed; he himself reigned twelve years, and left the crown to his son Ahab, the most abandoned prince who had yet possessed it. Ahab's wife was the daughter of the king of Sidon, a woman remarkably insolent and cruel, by whose means idolatry was extended to a degree beyond any former example.

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In this melancholy state of Israel, the celebrated prophet Elijah, an inhabitant of Gilead, was commissioned to go to the wicked Ahab, and tell him, that neither rain nor dew should descend upon his dominions for three years, and the inhabitants should be grievously afflicted by famine. To establish his own confidence in the divine origin of his mission, the prophet was directed to repair to the brook Cherith, which falls into the Jordan, where he should be fed miraculously by ravens! In this retirement he remained, receiving daily the promised sustentation, until, for want of rain, the brook was dried up. Another message then directed him to go to Zarephath, a city of Sidon, where a widow woman was prepared to entertain him. At the gate of Zarephath, Elijah found the poor widow he was seeking, collecting a few sticks to dress her last handful of meal!

CATHERINE. You seem to intimate, that the Sidonians felt the effects of a famine, which was sent to punish Ahab; but they were not his subjects.

MRS. M. As it very naturally happens in the common

course of events, that the innocent must suffer by the vices of their immoral associates, the Sidonians might have participated in the famine inflicted on a country adjacent, and with which they had much intercourse, had they themselves been a virtuous people; but it was far otherwise with Sidon.* Having a fine port on the Mediterranean, she had become wealthy by a flourishing trade with many nations, and vice, too frequently the offspring of excessive affluence, had contaminated every fibre of her body. Ahab had married the king's daughter, and, at her instigation, altars were erected in Samaria to Baal, the god of the Sidonians, and a multitude of priests were maintained for the ministration of his profane rites. Thus obnoxious to divine wrath for the guilt of their own sins, and their exaınple and influence in corrupting Israel, we need not wonder that they should share in the distress of that unhappy country. And how severely it was felt, we may imagine from the answer of the widow of Zarephath to Elijah, when he applied to her for a little water and a morsel of bread : "As the Lord liveth," said she, "I have but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse, and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it and die !" But how was her despair converted into joy, when he directed her to go first and prepare him a cake, and after that make some for herself and son; for the barrel and the cruse should not fail until the Lord should send rain upon the earth!" Trusting in the gracious promise, she did as she was commanded, and received the reward of her faith in a continued supply for herself-for her son-and for the pro

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* So called from Sidon, the grandson of Ham, from whom descended the Canaanites.