the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.

15 And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

16 ¶ At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him.

17 For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away 'captives.

18 The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.

19 For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD.

20 And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

21 For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him

not.

22 ¶ And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.

23 For he sacrificed unto the gods of 'Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jeru

salem.

25 And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.

26 ¶ Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

27 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusa

IN some of the foregoing characters we have seen the case of good men with many faults; real religion with many defects; and sincere servants of God with many sad failings. We have now to consider the case of a wicked man, under every aggravating circumstance, without any one favourable symptom, or any extenuating point. Such a character as this is written as with a sunbeam, that all may observe and take warning.

Ahaz was the son of Jotham. He was young when he began to reign; but he soon took an evil course, and was decided therein. "He did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father" (v. 1).. That is, he did every thing which David would not have done; every thing which no man, who fears the Lord, would ever think of doing; and every thing that was abominable and hateful in the sight of God. He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He made molten images for Baalim. He burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom. He burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen. He sacrificed also, and burnt incense, in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree (v. 2-4). What a list of abominations is here! How much wickedness

may some men commit in a short time! In how many ways may sin be committed and God provoked! When a man once gives himself up to sin, who can tell to what awful lengths he may be carried, or where he may stop? What loads and loads of guilt lie upon some men's souls! What an awful condemnation must ultimately sweep them away, unless they repent!

The consequence of pursuing these wicked ways was, he was soon brought into trouble. God made him to feel, what an evil thing it is to sin against him. Enemies came upon him; and God delivered him into their hand (v. 5). Can you expect to prosper in evil ways? Will not sin eat out all your

peace and prosperity; and make you wretched and miserable? Cannot God blast your prospects, and wither your happiness? Who hath hardened himself against God and prospered? Who can rush upon the thick

bosses of his buckler with impunity? Oh! sinner, look to this matter. Thine own ways are the cause of all thy misery. Thine own doings make thee wretched here, and will sink thee down into utter misery hereafter, unless those repent and believe the gospel. (Ezek. xxii. 31.)

Do we hear of any symptom of repentance or amendment? When the Syrians smote him, was he humbled? When the Philistines brought him low, is he alarmed? When the king of Assyria distressed him, does he think of his ways, or cry for mercy, or amend his doings? Nothing of the kind is here recorded. He sinned yet more against the Lord. He provoked the Lord yet more and more to anger. He sacrificed even to the gods of the countries which smote him. The very vessels, which had been dedicated to the service of God, he converted unto idolatrous purposes! In every street of Jerusalem he built these abominable altars. And, as the climax of his unheard-of impieties, he shut up the house of the Lord, and thus put an end to the public worship of God throughout his kingdom! Well might the Spirit of God stigmatise this most abandoned sinner with these words, "This is that king Ahaz!" (v. 22—25.)

Is not this an awful character? Does not the course of this wicked man speak with loud voice to all? When men go on from one wicked way to another; when they add sin to sin; when they set God at defiance; when they thus provoke him from day to day; when there is no symptom of repentance; no alarm; no sense of danger; no cry for mercy; what must the end of such a course be, but endless misery? Will not the wicked be turned into hell, and all the kings, as well as nations, that thus forget God? The conduct of the victorious Israelites is delightful, in regard to the restoration of the captives, contrasted with the evil course of this wicked man (v. 6-15). But they who harden themselves in their sins, only harden their hearts to their eternal ruin.

CHAPTER XXIX.

1 Hezekiah's good reign. 3 He restoreth religion. 5 He exhorteth the Levites. 12 They sanctify themselves, and cleanse the house of God. 20 Hezekiah offereth solemn sacrifices, wherein the Levites were more forward than the priests.

HEZEKIAH began to reign when he was reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. five and twenty years old, and he And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

3¶ He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.

4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,

5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.

6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and 'turned their backs.

7 Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.

8 Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.

9 For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.

10 Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.

11 My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and 'burn incense.

12 ¶ Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the Gershonites; Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah:

13 And of the sons of Elizaphan; Shimri, and Jeiel and of the sons of Asaph; Zechariah, and Mattaniah:

14 And of the sons of Heman; Jehiel, and Shimei and of the sons of Jeduthun; Shemaiah, and Uzziel.

15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD.

16 And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

17 Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: So they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.

18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof.

19 Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.

20 ¶ Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD.

21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

22 So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.

23 And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them :

24 And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

25 And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.

13

31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings.

32 And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.

33 And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.

34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites "did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.

35 And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.

36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.

of good and bad, in the characters brought before us; the bad very bad; and the good only comparatively so. But now we come to the reign of a king, who is spoken of with the highest commendation. May we be the followers of those, who have been, in their several day, the most devoted servants of Christ! May we avoid their faults; take warning by their defects; and aim to exceed their excellences!

The course of that wicked man Ahaz being terminated, Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead. Now what sort of man was Hezekiah? Was he like his wicked father? Did he walk in his father's steps? Did he imitate his example? On the contrary, he was a totally different character. "He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done" (v. 2). Observe this testimony. He did not according to what Jotham, or Uzziah, or Amaziah, had done. They had done many things right. They had also done many things wrong. They did not follow the Lord fully; nor, as in the case of Joash, continually. But Hezekiah did as David had done. For nearly three hundred years before he came to the throne, there was but one king in Judah spoken of with David's commendation, namely, Jehoshaphat; and he only in regard to the first ways of David. Hezekiah did according to all that David his father had done. Jehoshaphat formed sinful alliances with Israel. Hezekiah kept clear from that idolatrous connexion, and clave unto the Lord his God. How delightful is this change in the state of the nation! A really pious king is sent in mercy for the good of the people, as well as for the glory of God.

Mark his proceedings. A godly Christian can never hide his light under a bushel. The light of a godly king will shine in his elevated influence, authority, and example, before all around. The first thing Hezekiah did was to open the house of the Lord, which Ahaz had shut up. This he did in the first month of the first year of his reign. There was no delay. Then he repaired it, and set every thing in order for the service of God. Then he exhorted the priests to prepare for their sacred duties, and to discharge them faithfully. God gave them a mind to do so;

blessed the effort, and crowned it with success. The service of the house of God was thus set in order; and Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared them for it; for the thing was done suddenly (v. 1-36).

Now, what are we hereby taught? When God has great work to be done, he will raise up suitable instruments for effecting it. He will prepare their hearts, and strengthen their hands for doing his will. He will open the way, and make all things concur for bringing it to pass. Thus it was in the days of Hezekiah. Thus it was in the era of the glorious Reformation. Thus it was when our own happy land shook off the papal yoke, and boldly avowed the gospel of Christ. Thus, too, it has been, from time to time, ever since, as God has been pleased to pour out his Spirit upon us, and to revive the work in the midst of the years. And so will it be, till the earth shall be full of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

Again, let us observe where this blessed work generally begins, and by what means it is generally promoted. Sometimes the weak and base things of the world are chosen to confound the strong and mighty. The fishermen of Galilee shook the empire of idolatry to pieces, and planted the standard of the cross in all lands. But this is not always the rule. When God touches the heart of a king, a nation may soon be brought to feel the effect. When the Lord pours out his Spirit upon the ministers in a church, or the heads of a family, the truth may rapidly spread among the members. And when the heart of a nation, or people, is touched in the same manner, glorious changes may take place suddenly. So it was here. The heart of the king, priests, and people, felt a divine power. Then all set to the work; and all prospered therein. May the Lord thus touch all our hearts, and give us all such success in his service, and such zeal for his glory!

Once more, in devising and executing such designs, let us improve the advantages arising from mutual consultation and advice. What a lovely instance of this kind have we in the chapter before us! (v. 4-11.) It is difficult which to admire most; the piety of the king, or the willingness and unanimity

of the people. "In the multitude of counsellors there is safety." Where all are of one mind, and all desire to do what is right, it is a pleasing proof that God hath touched the hearts of men, and that he will crown their endeavours with an abundant blessing.

CHAPTER XXX.

1 Hezekiah proclaimeth a solemn passover on the second month for Judah and Israel. 13 The assembly, having destroyed the altars of idolatry, keep the feast fourteen days. 27 The priests and Levites bless the people.

A

ND Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel.

2 For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.

3 For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

4 And the thing 'pleased the king and all the congregation.

5 So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written.

6 So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.

7 And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.

8 Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but 'yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.

9 For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and

merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

10 So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.

11 Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.

12 Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.

13 ¶ And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.

14 And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.

15 Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.

16 And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.

17 For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.

18 For a multitude of the people, eren many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every