to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake."

In the mean time Sennacherib had met the forces of the king of Egypt, and had routed them with immense slaughter. Flushed with this fresh triumph he returned towards Jerusalem, firmly determined to destroy the city and put all the inhabitants to the sword; but in his way thither, during the very night after the prophet had giver. Hezekiah the assurance of Divine protection, "the angel of the Lord went out, and smote, in the camp of the Assyrians, an hundred and eighty-five thousand." This exhibition of Divine vengeance so terrified Sennacherib, that he immediately hastened, with the remainder of his army, home to Nineveh, and was there soon after slain by two of his sons while he was worshipping in the temple of Nisroch, the principal idol of the Assyrians. The parricides fled for safety into Armenia, and left Esarhaddon, their younger brother, to succeed to the throne. While these memorable events were passing in and around Judah, Hezekiah was suddenly prostrated by illness, and was warned by the prophet Isaiah to prepare for death. Upon receiving this startling warning, the king at once turned to "Him with whom belong the issues from death," and in the most fervent manner offered up the following brief supplication: "I beseech thee, O Lord, remember how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight." This prayer proved so effectual, that the prophet, before he had passed the middle court of the Temple, was directed to return and inform Hezekiah that his prayer had been heard, and his tears witnessed; and that the Almighty had determined to add fifteen years to his life. To assure him, at the same time, that his recovery was, indeed, miraculous, and not "by chance,'

and to give him confidence in the promise, God directed that the shadow upon the sun-dial of Ahaz should go backwards ten degrees.

The fame of this cure, and of the miracle that attended it, extended even to Babylon; and Merodach-baladan, the governor, sent ambassadors to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery, to inquire into the attendant miracle, and to form an alliance of friendship with him. Flattered by such an embassy from so distant a quarter, Hezekiah did not, on this occasion, observe his usual discretion; and, therefore, to convince the ambassadors of his importance, and that he was a desirable ally, he made to them a very ostentatious display of his strength and treasures. For indulging in this vain glory, instead of referring all his power and greatness to the Divine protection and favor, the Almighty was displeased with Hezekiah; and the prophet Isaiah was therefore commissioned to humble him with the intimation that the day was not far distant when all the treasures which he and his fathers had laid up, should be spoil for the Babylonians, and when his descendants should be servants in the palace of their king. To this severe admonition Hezekiah meekly replied: "Good is the word of the Lord, which thou hast spoken. Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?"

The remainder of Hezekiah's life and rcigr. was passed in peace and prosperity; and his dear occurred 696 A. C., when he was in the fifty-fifth year of bis age, and thirtieth of his reign. He was buried wit's great solemnity, in the most honorable place among the repulchres of the sons of David.

SECTION IV.

MANASSEH :- -His Idolatry-His Captivity-His Repentance, and Restoration to his Throne-AMON--JOSIAH-His early Piety, and Reformations throughout his Kingdom-BooK OF THE LAW discovered, and deposited in the Ark--Josiah's death and burial-JEHOAHAZDeposed by Necho, and sent in chains to Egypt-JEHOIAKIM-His Idolatry reproved by JEREMIAH-JEHOIAKIN-Jerusalem taken by Nebuchadnezzar-End of the KINGDOM OF JUDAH.

MANASSEH, the son and successor of the excellent Hezekiah, ascended the throne of Judah when he was only twelve years of age. Though so young, still he must have been familiar with the happy measures pursued by his father; but it was his misfortune to fall into the hands of such guardians and chief ministers as were ill-affected to Hezekiah's reformation. They embraced every opportunity, therefore, to instill into him a strong aversion to it, and to corrupt his mind with the most pernicious principles, both religious and political.

The efforts of the guardians and counsellors of Manasseh proved entirely successful. In the course of a few years, all that had been done by Hezekiah was entirely overthrown; and those abominable practices which had called down the vengeance of Heaven upon the Israelites, were, in every particular, followed by him. He not only worshipped idols, restored high places, and erected altars unto Baal, but even profaned the Temple itself, by taking out the Ark of the Covenant, and putting an idol in its place. These, and other abominations, such as compelling his children to pass through the fire to Moloch, were accompanied by the most cruel persecutions of all who would not follow his wicked apostacy. In the midst of these scenes of violence, Isaiah, the greatest of the prophets, was, by his order, sawn asunder.

These horrid impieties were so offensive to the Almighty that he proclaimed by his prophet, "Because Manasseh,

king of Judah, hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Ammonites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah to sin also with his idols: therefore, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I will bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle." Notwithstanding this awful denunciation, Manasseh persisted in following his iniquitous ways until the twenty-second year of his reign, when Esar-haddon, king of Assyria, having overcome Palestine, removed the remnant of the people which still lingered upon the mountains of Israel, and then ordered his generals to march against Jerusalem. Manasseh left the city and advanced with his army to meet the enemy; but being overcome in battle, he was taken prisoner and sent in chains to Babylon, and there cast into a dungeon.

In this deplorable situation, Manasseh soon became sensible of his heinous offenses against God; and with deep humiliation and unfeigned penitence, he, in the most fervent manner, implored the Divine forgiveness. The Almighty was pleased to listen to his prayer, to forgive his sins, and to incline the heart of the successor of Esarhaddon to release him from bondage and restore him to his kingdom.

Conscious that his restoration was attributable exclusively to the Divine favor, Manasseh now made the most strenuous efforts to atone for his former crimes. He repaired and fortified the city of Jerusalem, consecrated the Temple anew, and made it the chief business of his life to manifest his gratitude towards his Divine protector. He was not satisfied with his own personal reformation; but, sensible that his former guilt had been the cause of the miseries which his people had endured, he endeavored, both by his example and his authority, to effect a reforma tion among them also.

Thus occupied, Manasseh, in peace and prosperity, passed the remainder of a reign of fifty-five years-longer than that of any other king of either Judah or Israel; and at his death, which occurred 643 A. C., he left a flourishing kingdom to his son Amon. The wickedness of the early part of his life deprived him, however, of the honor of being buried in the royal sepulchre; and his remains were, therefore, deposited in a grave made in the garden of Uzzah, adjacent to his dwelling.

AMON, the son of Manasseh, succeeded to the throne in the twenty-third year of his age. Although his entire life had been passed during the penitent and prosperous part of his father's reign, yet in his conduct he imitated the worst and most disastrous. His impieties soon provoked the Almighty to shorten his days; and he, therefore, permitted two of his own domestics to murder him, after a brief reign of two years, 641 A. C. His murderers were, however, punished with death, and he himself was buried by the side of his father, in the garden of Uzzah.

JOSIAH, the son of Amon, ascended the throne of Judah when only eight years of age. He possessed, naturally, an amiable and virtuous disposition; and as he advanced in years, his wise and judicious conduct excited the universal love and respect of his subjects. He was, at this time, under the guardianship of the high-priest, who bestowed upon him an education worthy of his exalted station.

JOSIAH had scarcely reached the twelfth year of his age before he gave proof of his pietv by commencing the purification of Jerusalem. He extirpated the impious worship of idols, and restored the worship of the true God: he abolished such ordinances of his predecessors as were injurious in their tendencies: such as were expedient, he retained; and he made such improvements in those which