and women ate their own children, according to the prediction of Moses.*

Q. What befel Jeremiah during the suspension of the siege?

A. He endeavoured to escape from the city, but the captain of the guard seized him, and charging him with falling away to the Chaldeans, scourged him and sent him to prison.† During his confinement he had several interviews with Zedekiah, but could not induce him to obey the commandment of the Lord. A. M. 3417. Q. How did the war terminate ?

B. C. 587. A. The city fell into the hands of the Nebuch. 19. Chaldeans, who made a dreadful carnage without regard to age or sex. Zedekiah, who had fled, was taken in the plains of Jericho, and carried with other prisoners before Nebuchadnezzar in Riblah. Enraged because of their perfidy, this prince slew the nobles of Judah, put to death the sons of Zedekiah before

* Deut. xxviii. 53-57. Lament. ii. 20. iv. 10. The like circumstance occurred at the siege of Samaria by the Syrians, and during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans.

+ Ebedmelech, one of the eunuchs, received a very gracious promise from God, because of his kindness to Jeremiah. xxxviii. 6-13. xxxix. 15-18.

The history of the Babylonish captivity closes the books of Kings and Chronicles, which appear to be but extracts of more detailed records. Thus the acts of David, first and last, were written by Samuel, Nathan, and Gad: those of Solomon, by Nathan, Ahijah, and Iddo: Rehoboam's, by Shemaiah: Abijah's, by Iddo: Jehoshaphat's, by Jehu son of Hanani: Uzziah's and Hezekiah's, by Isaiah: and part of Jehoiakim's and Zedekiah's, by Jeremiah.

their father's face, and after putting out the eyes of the unfortunate king, sent him in chains to Babylon. And on the tenth day of the following month, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, having plundered the temple, set the city on fire in several places, and brake down the walls.*

Q. To whom did Nebuchadnezzar commit the govern

ment of Judah ?

A. To Gedaliah, grand-son of Shaphan. This ap- pointment was very gratifying to the Jews, great numbers of whom returned "out of all places whither they had been driven," to Mizpeh, and placed themselves under the protection of the governor.

Q. What became of Gedaliah?

A. Ishmael, one of the seed royal, caused him and a great number of his friends, to be treacherously murdered in Mizpeh: after which he carried away all the Jews whom the Assyrians had left under the care of Gedaliah. On his way, however, to the land of the Ammonites, Johanan the son of Kareah, intercepted his

* Nebuzaradan arrived at Jerusalem on the seventh, and set the city on fire on the tenth day of the month, 2 Kings xxv. 8. Jer. lii. 12. The second temple is said to have been burnt by the Romans on the anniversary of the same day.

The iniquitous and idolatrous practices of the Jews are recorded by all the prophets, but more especially by Jeremiah and Ezekiel; and the awful judgments by which the Lord visited their transgressions, are pathetically described in the book of Lamentations. This overthrow is still remembered by the Jews in an annual fast.

troop, and recovered the captives; but Ishmael with eight men made his escape.

Q. What became of Jeremiah?

A. Being set at perfect liberty by Nebuzaradan, he placed himself under the protection of Gedaliah; but after the death of that governor he fell successively into the hands of Ishmael and Johanan.

Q. What line of conduct did Johanan pursue?

A. He enquired of the Lord by Jeremiah, and was assured that the divine favour would be extended to himself, to the captains of the forces, and to all the people, if they remained in Judea but that sword, famine, and pestilence should pursue them, if they sought refuge in Egypt. Nevertheless Johanan, pretending that Jeremiah spake falsely, "obeyed not the voice of the Lord," but went to Tahpanhes in Egypt, and took Baruch, Jeremiah, and all the people that had been left under the protection of Gedaliah, with him.

Q. What message was sent to them there by the Lord? A. Jeremiah was ordered to hide great stones in the clay of the brick kiln, near the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes,* in the sight of the Jews; and to declare that on these stones Nebuchadnezzar should spread his royal pavilion, and that he should desolate Egypt, break the images of their gods, and burn their temples.t

"Tahpanhes is Daphne, not far from Pelusium, the first city in Egypt, in the road from Judea, and, as it were, its key." -See Rev. T. STACKHOUSE'S Hist. of Bible, vol. iv. book 1.

+ As Egypt was overrun by the Assyrian monarch, agreeably to the word of the Lord by the prophets, we cannot doubt the

Q. Did these warnings produce any good effect?

A. No: the Jews began to worship the gods of Egypt, and especially "the queen of heaven,"* to whom they burnt incense, poured out drink-offerings, and made cakes; attributing to the neglect of this worship all their calamities: wherefore the Lord decreed their utter destruction.†

Q. To what trial were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego subjected in Babylon ?

A. To a trial of their faith in the God of their fathers. For Nebuchadnezzar having set up an image of gold in the plains of Dura, near Babylon, assembled by proclamation, all the princes of his realm, to its dedication; and required them, on hearing the sound of the music, to fall down and worship it, on pain of being cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who as governors of the province of Babylon were there present, refusing to comply, were accused to the king, before whom they boldly asserted their confidence in God, their firm assurance of his salvation, and their inflexible resolution not to worship the golden image.

Q. What was the consequence ?

A. The king was filled with fury; and having caused the furnace to be made seven times hotter than usual,

fulfilment of all these prophecies. Jeremiah is said by tradition to have been stoned there by his idolatrous and incorrigible countrymen.

* This idolatry had been common in Judah. Jerem. vii, 18. + Jerem. xliii. xliv.

ordered his mighty men to cast them, bound in their clothes, into the midst of the fire. This was immediately done; but to the astonishment of Nebuchadnezzar, though the scorching flame had slain the executioners, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were seen walking with an angel in the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Q. How did this affect the king?

A. Struck with so miraculous an interposition, he approached the furnace, and commanded them, in the presence of all the nobles, to come forth; and still more astonished that not a hair of their heads was singed, nor their coats changed, and that even the smell of fire had not passed upon them, he broke out in ascriptions of praise to the Most High, who had thus rescued his faithful servants ; and made a decree that every subject of his vast empire should reverence the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Q. Did he show any personal favour to these faithful

men ?

A. Yes: he promoted them in the province of Babylon. Q. What befel Nebuchadnezzar after this?

A. As the marvellous displays of divine judgment which he had seen, made no lasting impression on his mind, he was adjudged to a very singular punishment. Of this he was forewarned by a remarkable dream, which Daniel explained, recommending the king at the same time to avert, by a thorough reformation, the impending judgment. But he rejected this counsel; and at A. M. 3433. the expiration of twelve months," he B. C. 571. was driven from men, and did eat grass Nebuch. 35. as oxen, and his body was wet with the