presented it to the Rechabites, they refused his offer, alledging for a reason, that it was contrary to their institution, which they had never yet violated. The prophet, after due commendation of their obedience, turned it upon the Jews, and reproached them, who were God's peculiar people, for being less observant of his laws, than the poor Rechabites (who were not of the stock of Israel) had been of the injunctions of their ancestor.

But this had no effect on the depraved Jews, who still gave a loose to their wicked inclinations, in which, indeed, they were encouraged by the king after his return from captivity. To strike, if possible, some impression on them, Jeremiah prophesied many dire calamities and woeful desolations that would fall on them if they did not repent; more particularly, that Nebuchadnezzar would again come against Judah and Jerusalem, that he would lay waste the country, and carry the people captive to Babylon, where they should continue in that situation for the space of seventy years. But this likewise was so far from making the least impression on the people, that it only enraged and exasperated them the more against the prophet, insomuch, that thinking himself in danger from their malicious and wrathful indignation, he, for some time, concealed himself, and that so privately, that though diligent search was made after him, he could not be found,

While Jeremiah was in this state of seclusion, he received a message from God, commanding him to collect together, and digest in a book, all the prophecies which he had given him, not only against Israel and Judah, but likewise other nations, from the time that he first began to prophecy (which was in the thirteenth year of the good king Josiah) that, by the people's hearing all his judg ments summoned up together against them, they might be brought to some sense of their transgressions, and repent of those evil deeds they had so long and so strongly imbibed.

In obedience to the Divine orders, Jeremiah employed Baruch,* his amanuensis, to write down what he should

* Baruch, the son of Neriah, and grandson of Maaseiah, was of an illustrious birth, and of the tribe of Judah. Seriah, his brother, had a considerable employment in the court of king Zedekiah, but himself kept close to the person of Jeremiah, and was his most faith

dictate, the whole of which formed an accurate list of the various prophecies Jeremiah had received, at different times, from God. This being done, he ordered Baruch to go to the temple on the day of Expiation, and there read the contents of it in the hearing of all the people. Baruch strictly followed his master's instructions, and after reading the book first to the people who were in the courts below, he next repaired to the secretary's chamber, where he again read it in the presence of the princes and elders. As soon as the latter heard the contents, they advised Baruch immediately to depart, and, with his master, to secrete themselves till they should know the king's pleasure concerning it, when they would apprize them of the issue. In consequence of this advice, Baruch departed, leaving the book in the custody of the princes and elders of the people.

It was not long before Jehoiakim was informed of what had passed, and that the prophecies of Jeremiah had been read in the temple, not only before the people in general, but likewise in the hearing of the princes and principal men belonging to the court. Being unacquainted with the contents, he sent one of his attendants for the book in which they were contained, who, having brought it, he commanded him to read it. The attendant obeyed the royal orders; but he had not gone far, before the king, disgusted at hearing the judgments denounced against him and his people, snatched it out of his hand, and, notwithstanding the importunity of his nobles to dissuade him from his intentions, he first cut the book to pieces, and then committed it to the flames. Having done this, he im

ful disciple, though his adherence to his master drew upon him several persecutions, and a great deal of bad treatment.

The book called Baruch is introduced with an historical preface, wherein it is related that Baruch, being then at Babylon, did, in the name of the captive king and his people, draw up an epistle, and afterwards read it to them for their approbation; and that, together with it, they sent a collection of money to the high-priest at Jerusa lem for the maintainance of the daily sacrifices.

Of the whole of this book there are but three copies; one in Greek, and the other two in Syriac, whereof one agreeth with the Greek, though the other very much differs from it; but in what language it was originally written, or whether one of these be not the original, or which of them may be so, 'tis next to impossible to tell.

mediately dispatched officers to apprehend the prophet and his amanuensis, but, agreeable to the advice of the princes, they had both withdrawn, nor could the least tidings be heard of them.

In consequence of the destruction of this first book, Jeremiah was commanded to make another of the like nature; and to it were added some farther denunciations against Jehoiakim and his house, which, in a short time, began to take effect.

Jehoiakim had lived in subjection to the king of Baby. lon for three years, during which he had punctually paid the tribute levied on him by Nebuchadnezzar, when he restored him to his liberty. But Jehoiakim now determined to throw off the yoke, and, therefore, not only refused to pay him any more tribute, but, as a mark of his intentions to make all the opposition that laid in his power, formed a confederacy with Necho, king of Egypt, the professed enemy of Nebuchadnezzar.

Nebuchadnezzar, not being at leisure* himself to chas tise the insolence and disobedience of Jehoiakim, sent orders to all his lieutenants and governors of the respective provinces belonging to his dominions, immediately to march with their forces into Judea, and, without hesita tion, lay siege to Jerusalem. These orders were obeyed,

What detained him from going in person against Jérusalem we are not told; only it appears, that, in the tenth year of Jehoiakim, he was engaged in an arbitration between the Medes and Lydians, the occa sion of which was this:- After the Medes had recovered all the Upper Asia out of the hands of the Scythians, and again extended their borders to the river Halys, which was the common boundary between them and the Lydians, it was not long before there happened a war between these two nations, which was managed for five years together with various success. In the sixth year, intending to make one battle decisive, they engaged each other with their utmost strength; but, in the midst of the action, and while the fortune of the day seemed to hang in an equal balance between them, there happened an eclipse, which overspread both armies with darkness; whereupon they desisted from fighting, and agreed to refer the controversy to the arbitration of two neighboring princes. The Lydians chose Siennesis, king of Cilicia; and the Medes Nebuchadnezzar (who, by Herodotus, lib. i. is called Labynetus) king of Babylon, who concluded a peace between them, on the terms, that Astyages, son of Cyaxares, king of Media, should take to wife Ariena, the daughter of Halyattis, king of the Lydians; of which marriage, within a year after, was born Cyaxares, who is called Darius the Mede, in the book of Daniel.

and Jehoiakim, for some time, held out with great resolution, till at length, from the great number of parties which had formed a confederacy against him, he was reduced to the necessity of shutting himself up in the city. Here, however, he did not continue long, for the enemy pressing hard, he made a sally in hopes of saving himself, but was taken prisoner, immediately put to death, and his body thrown in the highway, not being allowed even common interment. Thus in the eleventh year of his reign, was completely fulfilled the prophet's prediction concerning this wicked prince: He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.*

On the death of Jehoiakim, his son Jehoiachin (who is likewise called Coniah) succeeded to the throne; but, in the little time that he continued thereon (which was only three months) persisting in his father's impieties, he drew upon himself a bitter declaration of God's wrath, which was delivered to him by the prophet Jeremiah in these words: As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, wore the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee hence: And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.f

It was not long before these threats (owing to Jehoiachin's continuing his impieties) were carried into execu-. tion. Within three months after his father's death, Nebuchadnezzar came in person with his royal army to Jerusa lem, and immediately caused the place to be attacked with a close siege on every side. Jehoiachin was so terrified at this, that without making the least attempt to defend himself, he took his mother, his princes, and chief ministers out of the eity, and quietly delivered himself and them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, who, though he

* Jer. xxii. 19.

↑ Jer. xxii. 24, &c. VOL. ii.

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thought proper to save his life, sent him, and those who were with him, prisoners to Babylon.*

Besides, these, Nebuchadnezzar, at this time, carried away with him a prodigious number of other captives, among whom was the prophet Ezekiel. He not only took with him all the mighty men of valor, but likewise all the most useful artificers, to the number of ten thousand men, together with the greatest part of the treasures out of the templet and the royal palace. The people he left in Jerusalem were the poorer sort, over whom he appointed Mattaniah (uncle to Jehoiachin) king. Before he left him, he compelled him to take a solemn oath to be faithful and true in his obedience to the crown of Babylon; and to bind this engagement the stronger, he changed his name to Zedekiah, which, in the Hebrew language, signifies, the Justice of the Lord; intending thereby to remind him of the vengeance he was to expect, should he violate that fidelity he had so solemnly engaged to preserve.

* Jehoiachin continued in prison till the death of Nebuchadnezzar; but when Evilmerodach, his son, succeeded to the throne, he not only released him from his imprisonment (which had continued thirtyseven years) but treated him with great humanity and respect, allowing him an honorable maintainance, and giving him the precedence of all other princes in Babylon. The prophecy of Jeremiah, however, was amply fulfilled, he spending the remainder of his days in the place of his captivity.

+ Nebuchadnezzar carried away the treasures and rich furniture of the temple at three different times: First, in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, when he first took Jerusalem, he carried half of the vessels of the house of God away into the land of Shinar, and put them into the house of his god, Dan. i. 2. These were the vessels which his son Belshazzar profaned, Dan. v. 2. and which Cyrus restored to the Jews, Ezra i. 7. to be set up in the temple again when rebuilt: Secondly, in the reign of Jehoiachin he took the city again, and cut in pieces a great part of the vessels of gold used in the temple service, and which by some chance or other had escaped his former plunder. Thirdly, in the 11th year of Zedekiah, he pillaged the temple once more, when he broke in pieces the pillars of brass, &c. and took along with them all the vessels of silver and gold that he could find, and carried them to Babylon. It is something strange that among all this inventory, no mention is made of the ark of the covenant, which of all other things was held most sacred. But it is very probable that it was burned together with the temple in the last desolation; for what some say of its being hidden by the prophet Jeremiah in a certain cave in mount Nebo, is certainly a mistake.