Baruch, the son of Neriah. Jehoiakim sent Jehūdi to bring the roll. Jehoiakim commanded Jehudi to read it. Jehudi read the roll in the ears of the king and of his princes. When Jehudi had read three or four leaves, Jehoiakim took the roll from him, cut the roll with a penknife, and cast the roll thus cut into a fire on the hearth before him. Elnathan, and Delaiah, and Gemăriah entreated the king that he would not burn the roll. Jehoiakim would not hear them. Eliakim_ordered the immediate arrest of Jeremiah and of Baruch. They escaped. The Lord hid them. Baruch wrote a new roll from the mouth of Jeremiah, containing all the words in the former roll. "And there were added besides unto them many like words."

"Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah, of a priestly family, and a native of Anathoth, in the tribe of Benjamin."-Jer. i. 1. "The place of Jeremiah's death is uncertain. Several of the ancients maintain that he was put to death at Taphnis, in Egypt, by the Jews, who were enraged at his menaces and reproaches. They explain Heb. xi. 37 ("They were stoned") as relating to the death of Jeremiah. Some think that he returned into Judea. Others think that he died in Babylon."-Calmet.

The fate of Jehoiakin, the son of Jehoiakim, is truly melancholy. "In the thirty-seventh year of his captivity, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month (B.c. 562), Evil-Merōdach, king of Babylon, in the year in which he began to reign, did lift up the head of Jehoiakin, king of Judah, out of prison, and spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. Evil-Merodach changed the prison garments of Jehoiakin, and Jehoiakin did eat before Evil-Merōdach all the days of his life. And his allowance was a continual allowance, given to him by Evil-Merōdach, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life."

After the death of Jehoiakim, the king of Egypt, Pharaoh-Necho came no more out of his own land, for Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had taken (the territory) from the Nile to the Euphrates. In a word, the king of Egypt lost what he had obtained in war. Jehoiakim was slain. His son, Jehoiakin, succeeded his father by the appointment of Nebuchadnezzar. Three months afterwards, Jehoiakin was a prisoner in a prison house in Babylon, and remained in this miserable condition for the period of thirty-seven years. He would then be fifty-five years of age. The compassion of Evil-Merōdach released Jehoiakin from his miserable condition, and placed him in a state of dignified dependence for the remainder of his life. What a scene in "the changing scenes of life." Nebuchadnezzar had died, and Evil-Merōdach had come to the throne. B.C. 588. Two years after this event, Evil-Merodach was slain by conspiracy, and it is supposed that Jehoiakin was slain with his friend, Evil-Merōdach. Now, if Jehoiakin were eighteen years old when he began to reign, and when he was led into captivity; if he passed thirtyseven years in a dungeon or prison in Babylon before

he was released, and if he lived two years after his release, and then fell a victim to the conspiracy which deprived of life Evil-Merodach, who gave to him liberty-then the years of his life may be thus stated: Jehoiakin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and when he was made a captive and a prisoner in Babylon; be was fifty-five years of age when he was released from prison by Evil-Merodach, and he was fifty-seven years old when he is supposed to have perished in company with Evil-Merodach, by the hands of conspirators.

CHAPTER III.

In reviewing the origin of ancient history, as the narrative is traced from Genesis to the end of the Books of Kings and of Chronicles, the dreadful acts of murder fail not to arrest the attention. The most remarkable of these wholesale executions are:

1. Exodus xxxii. 28.-In the matter of the golden calf: "And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses, and there fell of the people that day three thousand men."

2. Leviticus x.-Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, took each his censer, put fire therein, and offered strange fire before the Lord which he commanded them not to do: "And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord."-Verses 1-2. Also Numbers xvi.

3. Numbers xvi.-Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. (1) Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi; and (2) Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliah, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, formed a conspiracy which had in it two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation or assembly, men of renown. They rebelled against Moses and Aaron: "The earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the men, the women, and the children who formed the families supporting the rebellion; whilst a fire came out from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense."

4. Abimelech, the illegitimate son of Gideon, slew twenty persons, sons of his father, legitimate sons, in his father's house, at Ophrah, on one stone; except Jothan, who foretold the fate of Abimelech, in his parable of the trees, which went out to choose a king. Judges ix. 7.

5. Doeg, the Edomite, obeyed Saul (to whom he had given information of David's visit to Nob), when Saul commanded Doeg (Saul's servants having refused to execute his cruel_command), "Turn thou and fall upon the priests. Doeg, the Edomite, turned. and fell upon the priests, and slew, on that day, fourscore and five persons, who did wear a linen ephod."-1st Samuel xxii. 18.

6. Elijah, at Carmel, slew, by divine command, four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.-1st Kings xviii.

7. Elisha, by divine command, anointed Jehu

two children of them. He went thence to Mount Carmel. Thence he returned to Samaria.

Jehoram, son of Ahab, began to reign over Israel, in Samaria, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. He reigned twelve years. He wrought evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not act so wickedly as his father, Ahab, and his mother, Jezebel, had acted. For he put away the image of Baal which his father had made. Yet he clave to the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. He departed not from them.

Jehoram made preparation against Moab. Jehoshaphat agreed to support him in the invasion of Moab. They agreed to pass through the way of the wilderness of Edom. The king of Edom joined them. Thus three kings and three armies were marching in union to invade Moab. The armies and the cattle which followed them had no water. Jehoram said, "Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab." Jehoshaphat inquired for a prophet of the Lord. One of Jehoram's servants said, "Here is Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah" that is, who was Elijah's servant. Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the Lord is with him." The three kings went down to him.

(4.) Elisha asked Jehoram, "What have I to do with thee?" He directed him to consult the prophets of his father, and the prophets of his mother. The king of Israel reminded Elisha of the present danger. Elisha replied, "As the Lord of Hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee nor see thee."

ye

"But now, bring to me a minstrel." The minstrel played. The hand of the Lord was on Elisha. He said, "Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches." "For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that ye may drink, both and your cattle, and your beasts." This is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will deliver the Moabites also into your hands." 'And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city; and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones." This was the prophecy. Was it fulfilled? It was fulfilled. The Lord did speak by Elisha. The fulfilment of the prophecy was the proof of the inspiration of Elisha.

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In the morning, when the meat offering was offered, water came by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. The Moabites had assembled their forces and were encamped on their border. When they arose early in the morning, they saw the water on the other side of their border as red as blood. They said, "This is blood." "The kings are surely slain. They have smitten one another. Now, therefore, Moab to the spoil." They found their mistake. The Israelites were prepared. The Moabites were disorganised. The united armies fell upon the Moabites, smiting them even into the country

of Moab. The invaders did all the injury to the cities, to the land, to the wells of water, and to the trees, according to the word of the Lord, by his servant Elisha. Only in Kirharaseth, the royal city of the Moabites, they did no injury, except what was done by the slingers, who went about the city and smote it. The king of Moab took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, intending to break through the ranks of the besiegers, and to come to the king of Edom. The king of Moab failed in this effort. He was repulsed. In his distress he was informed by some superstitious adviser, that the Israelites owed all their success to the piety of their forefather, Abraham, who offered his son in sacrifice to God. In his despair, the king of Moab took his eldest son, who should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. The consciences of his invaders upbraided them. Judah and Edom threw the blame upon Israel. There was great indignation against Israel. "Edom and Judah departed from Israel, and returned to their own land." This appears the natural interpretation. I quote the following passage from Dr. A. Clarke's commentary on the words" There was great indignation:" "The Lord was displeased with them for driving things to such an extremity; or, the surrounding nations held them in abomination on the account (of their extreme measures); and they were so terrified themselves at this most horrid sacrifice, that they immediately raised the siege and departed."

In cases of great extremity, it was customary in various heathen nations to offer human sacrifices, and to devote to the infernal gods the most precious or excellent thing or person they possessed. This (custom) was frequent among the Phoenicians, Romans, and Greeks; and it was the natural fruit of a religious system which had, for the objects of its worship, cruel and merciless divinities. How different the Christian system! "Wilt thou that we shall bring down fire from heaven and destroy them? as Elijah did. Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of: the son of man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." (Luke ix. 56.)-See Dr. A. Clarke.

The phrase used here refers, in every other place where it occurs, to the wrath of God; (See Num. i. 53, xviii. 5; Josh. ix. 20, xxii. 20-22; 1st Chron. xxvii. 24; 2nd Chron. xix. 10, xxiv. 18, &c.); and some so understand it here, but most moderns understand the wrath of man to be meant: "Either that the Israelites were indignant with themselves, or that the Jews and Edomites were indignant at the Israelites for having caused the pollution of this sacrifice, and so that the siege was relinquished. Of these two explanations the latter is preferable."-The Speaker's Bible.

"Only in Kir-Haraseth."-Kir-Haraseth, called also, Kir-Hareseth (Josh. xvi. 7), Kir-Haresh (lib. ii.) and Kir-Moab (lib. xv. 1), is identified, almost certainly, with the modern Kerak, a strong city on the high land immediately off the southern part of the dead sea. It was the great fortress of Moab, though not the capital, which was Rabbath or Rabnah.

and obtained from him a delay of his sentence of death, and a time for consideration. Daniel, after praying to God, as did also his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, by Daniel's advice, found an answer from the Lord. Daniel rejoiced, and returned thanks to God who had made known to him the dream and the interpretation thereof. Daniel told to Arioch that he was prepared to appear before the king. Arioch brought Daniel into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar, and said, "I have found a man, of the captives of Judah, who will make known unto the king the dream and the interpretation."

Daniel appeared before Nebuchadnezzar, and assured the king that no human wisdom could perform the task which he gave to his wise men. However, "there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets." This great being, the God of the captive Jews, had made known to Nebuchadnezzar, in a dream, "what shall be in the latter days." Daniel told to Nebuchadnezzar the dream which the king failed to remember, and then gave to the king the interpretation of the dream.

Daniel ii. 31-43.—(a.) The dream.-The king saw an image of terrible form, and of excellent brightness, stand before him. The image had a head of fine gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, feet, part of iron and part of clay. A stone, cut without hands, smote the image upon its feet, and brake them in pieces. All the parts of the image were broken, and became as the dust of the summer threshing floor. The stone which smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

(b.) The interpretation.-1. The head of gold Nebuchadnezzar and his empire. 2. The breast and arms of silver-Medo-Persian empire. 3. The belly and thighs of brass-the Grecian empire. 4. The legs of iron-the Roman empire. 5. The feet, part of iron and part of clay-the mingling of the barbarous invaders of the Roman empire with the government of the Roman empire. 6. The stone cut without hands, which broke the image to dust, and became a great mountain-the kingdom of Messiah, who must reign till all his enemies become his footstool.

Was this interpretation fulfilled? It was. Then the fulfilment is evidence of the truth of the dream, and of the interpretation, and of the inspiration of the Almighty who gave the dream to Nebuchadnezzar, and who caused him to forget it, and to seek to bring back the dream to his mind, that he might know it and its interpretation. The fulfilment of the interpretation is a proof of the divine inspiration of Daniel, to whom God, in mercy, made known both the dream and the interpretation thereof.

Micah, B.C. 750, Nahum, B.C. 713, Habak-kuk, B.C. 626, predict the downfall of the Babylonian empire, and the changing scenes of the world's future history. Zechariah, B.C. 520, describes a vision of horses, ch. i. and ch. vi. In ch. i. Zechariah saw a red horse, the emblem of war and bloodshed. In ch. vi. Zechariah saw four chariots come out from

between two mountains of brass. The first chariot

(was drawn by) red horses, the second by black horses, the third by white horses, and the fourth by grizzled and bay horses. The angel informed Zechariah that these four horses and chariots are, or represent, the four spirits of the heavens which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

1. The black horses go forth into the north country. 2. The white go forth after them. 3. The grizzled go forth to the south country. 4. The bay horses went forth to walk to and fro through the earth.

The chariots and horses represent the four ancient monarchies. This is a repetition of the prediction in ch. i., in the vision of the four horns. The mountains of brass represent the barriers of the divine purposes, which restrained these powers within the times and limits appointed by Jehovah. 1. The first chariot, drawn by red horses, means the empire of the Chaldeans, which overthrew the empire of the Assyrians. 2. The second chariot, drawn by black horses, means the empire of the Persians, founded by Cyrus the Elder, which destroyed the empire of the Chaldeans. 3. The third chariot, drawn by white horses, means the empire of the Greeks, founded by Alexander the Great, which destroyed the empire of the Persians. 4. The fourth chariot, drawn by grizzled and bay horses, that is parti-coloured horses (pie-bald), or with horses, some grizzled and some bay, means the Greek successors of Alexander, and the Roman empire, in succession. Alexander's successors finally divided into two races of kings: 1. The Lagidæ, who attacked, subdued, and governed Egypt. 2. The Seleucidæ, who subdued Syria, under Seleucus. Thus Lagus and Seleucus established their names and their families in the countries which they conquered.

Verse 5, ch. vi.: "The angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth." In verse 6 the angel does not mention the "red horses," because the Assyrian empire, meant by the "red horses," had ceased to exist. The "red horses" signify the cruelty of the Chaldeans towards the Jews. The "black horses" signify Cyrus the Elder at the head of the Persians and Medes, bringing death upon the Chaldean empire, called "the North," in many parts of the holy scriptures. The "white horses" signify Alexander the Great, splendid in victory, mild to the vanquished. The "grizzled horses" signify the Lagidæ, or Ptolemies, who founded an empire in Egypt. Of these kings some were good, some bad, some despotic, some moderate, some cruel, and some mild, represented by the parti-coloured horses. The "bay horses" went forth, signifying the Seleucidæ, and their ambitious efforts to obtain universal empire. Some believe that the Romans are more particularly intended in "the walking to and fro in the earth," given as a description of the action of the bay horses.

The white horses, the Macedonian empire; as the black horses, the Persian empire. 1, Persian, black; 2, Macedonian, white; 3, Roman, grizzled. The Romans were governed by-1, kings; 2, consuls; 3, decemvèrs; 4, military tribunes; 5, dictators; 6,

own people." She retired. Elisha asked Gehazi, "What is to be done for her?" Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old." Elisha said, Call her. When called, "she stood in the door." Elisha said, "About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son.' The woman said, "Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thy handmaid." Elisha told to her what did come to pass. She conceived, and she bare a son, at the season which Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. The child grew, and, in harvest time, he went out to his father to the reapers. "He said to his father, 'My head, my head.'" His father said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. The lad obeyed. The child was placed on his mother's knees, and died at noon. She went up, placed the dead body of her son upon the bed of the man of God, shut the door, and went out. She made the death of the child a secret. She did not tell even to her husband that the child was dead. She requested her husband to let her have one of the young men, and one of the asses, that she might visit the man of God, and then return. Her husband was surprised by her wish to visit the man of God, and asked her, "Why wilt thou go to him to-day? it is neither new moon nor sabbath." She replied, "It shall be well." This woman of Shunem had faith. She saddled an ass, and said to her servant, " 'Drive, and forward. go Slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee." She proceeded to the man of God, to Mount Carmel. Elisha saw her afar off. He directed Gehazi to run to meet her, and to ask her certain questions. Gehazi met the Shunammite and asked her, "Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child?" She answered, "It is well." She never murmured. She reserved her sad story for the ear of Elisha. She came to the man of God. She caught him by the feet. Gehazi came near to thrust her away. The man of God commanded, "Let her alone, for her soul is vexed within her, and the Lord hath hid it from me and hath not told me.

"Then she said, 'Did I desire a son of my Lord? Did I not say, do not deceive me?"" Then Elisha understood her trouble. He ordered Gehazi to gird up his loins, to take his (Elisha's) staff, to proceed with haste, to salute no person on his way, to answer no person who might salute him, and "lay my staff upon the face of the child." Gehazi proceeded on his journey. Elisha had no intention of leaving his home. The Shunammite would not leave Elisha. He yielded to her wish and accompanied her to Shunem. Gehazi arrived at Shunem, performed the service required by Elisha, and then went back to meet Elisha. He told to Elisha that he had laid the staff upon the face of the child, and then said, "The child is not awaked." Elisha came to his chamber and saw the child dead, and laid upon Elisha's bed. He shut the door upon himself and upon the dead child. He prayed to the Lord. He lay upon the child mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. The flesh of the child became warm.

Elisha returned to the house, and "walked to and

fro." He returned to his chamber. He stretched himself upon the child. "The child sneezed seven times. The child opened his eyes.' He said to "He called her." Gehazi, "Call this Shunammite."

She came. Elisha said, "Take up thy son." "Then she went in and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son and went out." (7.) Elisha came again to Gilgal.-He had been at Gilgal before, with Elijah, a short time before Elijah's translation. At this second visit there was a dearth in the land. The sons of the prophets were sitting before him. He said to his servant, "Set on the great pot, and make pottage for the sons of the prophets.' One went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, from which he gathered gourds, his lap full. He returned and shred them into the pot of pottage, for they knew them not. When the pottage was ready for use, they poured it out for the men, who began to eat, and soon cried out, "O thou man of God, there is death in the pot." "And they could not eat of it." Elisha said, "Bring meal." He cast the meal into the pot. He said, "Pour out for the people that they may eat." "And there was no harm in the pot."

(8.) A man came from Baal-shalisha." According to Eusebius and Jerome, Baal-shalisha was fifteen Roman miles north of Lydda, or Diospolis (city of Jupiter). This would place it in the Sharon plain, in the west of the highlands of Ephraim. It was apparently the chief city of the land of Shalisha, mentioned 1st Sam. ix. 4. Saul and his servant passed through the land of Shalisha in search of the asses which Saul's father had lost. From Baal-shalisha the man brought to Elisha, the man of God, bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husks thereof." Elisha said, "Give unto the people that they may eat." His servitor said, "What! should I set this before one hundred men ?" Elisha replied, "Give to the people, that they may eat; for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof." The servant set the bread, and loaves, and ears of corn before the one hundred men, the sons of the prophets. They did eat, and they left thereof, according to the word of the Lord.

in war.

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(9.) Naaman was captain of the host of Benhadad, king of Syria.-He was a great man with his master, and honourable (high in station), because by him the Lord had given deliverance to Syria. He had success He was a mighty man in valour. But he was a leper. The Syrians had gone out by companies to plunder in the neighbouring states. They made an inroad upon Israel, and brought away captive a little maid, and she waited on Naaman's wife. said to her mistress, "Would God my lord were with the prophet, who is in Samaria; for he would recover him of his leprosy." This saying of the maid was reported to Naaman. The king of Syria could not understand that the man of God could do any good service to Naaman. He was sure that the king of Israel might restore Naaman to health. Therefore, he wrote to Jehoram, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman, my

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