51 Q. What was the Character and the Government of his Son Manaffeh? A. He forfook the good ways of his Father Hezekiah, he brought in Idolatry of many Kinds; he worshipped the Sun, Moon, and Stars; he made his Son pafs through the Fire; he used Enchantments, and fhed much innocent Blood, 2 Kings xxi. 2. 2 Chron. xxxiii.

52 Q. How were his Tranfgreffions punished? A. The Captain of the Hoft of Affyria came up against Manaffeh, took him among the Thorns, bound him with Fetters, and carried him to Babylon, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 11.

53 Q. How did Manaffeh behave in his Affliction? A. He humbled himself greatly before God in Prayer, whereupon God reftored him to his Kingdom, where he wrought a great Reformation, ver. 12-16.

54 Q. What is written concerning Amon the Son of Manaffeh? A. Amon reftared the Idolatry which Manaffeh had once fet up, but he never repented, or returned to God, as his Father had done, and he was flain by his own Servants, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 20-25.

55 Q. What is worthy of Notice in the Reign of Joliah the Son of Amon? A. At eight Years old he began his Reign, at fixteen he fought after God, and at twenty he deftroyed the Altar and Idols which his Father Amon, the Son of Manaffeh, fet up, 2 Kings xxiii. 3-14. 2 Chron. xxxiv. I-7.

56Q. How did he carry on this Work of Reformation? A. He repaired the Temple, and reftored the Worship of God; and finding a Book of the Law of the Lord by Mofes, he rent his Cloaths, and mourned to think how little this Law had been obferved, ver. 18, 19.

57Q. What further Ufe did he make of this Book? A. He read the Words of it in the Ears of all the Elders of Judah, and the People, the Priefts, and the Prophets, and made a Covenant with the People of Judah, to perform what was written in this Book, 2 Kings xxiii. 2, 3.

58Q. Did he make alfo any Reformation in Ifrael? A. The Kingdom of Ifrael being now deftroyed by the King of Affyria, Jofiah spread his Influence over those who remained in the Land, and many of Ifrael, as well as of Judah, came to keep the Paffover, 2 Chron. xxxv. 17.

59. Were not many of Ifrael prefent also at Hezekiah's Paffover? Wherein then did this Paffover of Jofiah exceed that in the Days of Hezekiah? A. In the exact Conformity of it to all the Rules appointed by Mofes, fo that no fuch Paffover had been kept fince the Days of Samuel the Prophet, 2 Chron. xxxv. 18.

60 Q Did Jofiah deftroy all the Remainder of the Idolatry of Ifrael, which Jeroboam fet up at Dan and Bethel? A. Yes; and he flew the Priefts of the High Places, and burnt the Bones of the Priefts that had been buried there, upon the Altar, according to the Word which the old Prophet fpake to Jeroboam, 2 Kings xxiii. 15—20. 1 Kings xiii. 2.

61 Q. How came Jofiah by his Death? A. He went out to fight with the King of Egypt without the Direction of God, and he was flain, and great Lamentation was made for him, 2 Chron. xxxv. 20-25.

62 Q. Who fucceeded Jofiah in the Kingdom? A. His Son Feboahaz, who when he had reigned three Months, was put in Bonds by the King of Egypt, was carried thither, and there he died, 2 Kings xxiii. 31-34.

G 3

63 Q

63 Q. Whom did the King of Egypt make King in his room? A. Eliakim his Brother, and gave him the Name of Jehoiakim, 2 Kings xxiii. 34.

64 Q. What fort of Governor was Jehoiakim, and what was his End? A. He did evil in the Sight of the Lord, feveral neighbour Nations befet him round about, and Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, fent up his Forces against him, took fome Captives, bound the King in Fetters, and he died in Shame, his dead Body being caft without the Gates of Jerufalem, and without a Burial; and his young Son Jehoiachin reigned in his stead, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 5-8. Dan. i. 1, 2, 3. Jer. xxii. 18, 19.

65 Q. What became of this Jehoiachin, who is alfo called Jechoniah and Coniah? A. When he had reigned three Months, Nebuchadnezzar took the City of Jerufalem, and carried him to Babylon, together with ten thousand Captives, and rich Treafures of Silver and Gold that remained in the Temple, and in the King's Houfe, 2 Kings xxiv. 8-17, Jerem. xxii. 24―30.

66 Q. Was there any King in Judah after Jehoiachin? A. Yes, the laft King was Zedekiah, his Father's Brother, whom Nebuchadnezzar made King in Jerufalem, ver. 17, 18.

67 Q. What fell out in the Days of Zedekiah? A. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, to whom he had fworn Subjection by the Name of the true God, whereupon Nebuchadnezzar came up and took the City of Jerufalem again, after a Siege of two Years, 2 Kings xxv. 1-4.

68 Q How did he punish Zedekiah for this Rebellion? A. When Zedekiah fled from the City, he was feized by the Babylonians; Nebuchadnezzar ordered his Sons to be flain before his Face, then his Eyes were put out, he was bound with Fetters

of

of Brass, and carried to Babylon, and there was no more King in Judah, ver. 6, 7. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 13.

69 Q. What became of the City and the Temple at this Time? A. The King of Babylon burnt the Temple of the Lord, the Palace of the King, and all the Houses of Jerufalem; he brake down the Walls of the City, and carried away the reft of the People captive; together with all the Veffels of Gold, Silver, and Brafs, great and fmall, that belonged to the Temple, 2 Kings xxv. 8—17.

70 Q. But were the People punished thus for the Sins of their Kings? A. The Princes, and the Priefts, and the People, had a large Share in the common Idolatry and Wickedness, together with the Kings, and that in Oppofition to all the Warn ings of their Prophets, whereby God was provoked to punish them all, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 14—21.

71 Q Was there any Ruler of the fcattered People that remained in the Land of Ifrael? A. Gedaliah was made Governor by the King of Babylon, but he was flain in a little time by a Faction under Ishmael, one of the Seed-Royal; and there was nothing but Confufion and Disorder in the Land, 2 Kings xxv. 22, &c.

72 Q. What became of the People afterward? A. Jobanan, the Son of Kareah, one of the Captains under Gedaliah, routed Ishmael, and drove him out of the Land; yet being afraid of the Anger of the King of Babylon, and his Refentment of the Murder of Gedaliah his Governor, he was tempted to fly into Egypt, and to carry most of the People thither with him, where they were difperfed into several Cities, Jer. xli. 13-18. and

xli. and xliii.

73 Q Was this done by any divine Order? A. No; but directly against the Word of the Lord,

by the Mouth of Jeremiah the Prophet, who was left among them in the Land; and they carried him alfo into Egypt with them, Jer. xliii. 1-9.

74 Q. Did the Jews behave themselves better in Egypt after all their Afflictions and Diftreffes? A. They practifed Idolatry in Egypt with Infolence, in Oppofition to the Reproofs of Jeremiah the Prophet, Jer. xliv.

75Q Did they perish there or return? A. Jeremiah was ordered by the Lord to foretel the Deftruction of Egypt by the King of Babylon, and to denounce utmoft Calamities and Death, by Sword, and Famine, upon the Jews that fojourned there; and that but a very fmall Number of them should ever return to the Land of Judah, though he foretold the Return of their Brethren from their Captivity in Babylon, Jer. xliii. 9. and xliv. 11, 28, &c.

CHAP. XIII.

Of the Return of the Jews from Captivity in Babylon, and the Rebuilding the City of Jerufalem, and the Temple.

1Q. How long did the Nation of the Jews

continue in their Captivity, and their Land lie defolate? A. Though the Land lay not utterly defolate till the final Deftruction of Jerufalem, in the Days of Zedekiah, which was between fifty and fixty Years before their first Release; yet, from their firft Captivity by Nebuchadnezzar in former Reigns, their Land was in fome measure

defolate