river Jordan, according to the word of the Lord, under the command of Joshua, prepared to drive out the nations that had possessed the land promised to their fathers. This they performed in the course of six years, with various fortune, having crossed the river 1451 years B. C., and having rested from their warlike labours 1445 B. C. The chief thing worthy of remark, in these exterminating battles with the inhabitants, is, that as long as the Israelites were obedient to the voice of the Lord, followed his directions, and relied upon his aid, so long they were successful and prevailed against their enemies; but when they forgot the Lord, he also forgot them, withdrew his succour from them, and forced them to turn their backs upon their adversaries. But their defeat had the effect upon them that afflictions and calamities usually have in the world, to make men reflect and enquire after God; so that through God's especial help they finally subdued their enemies, and the promise was fulfilled which had been given again and again to their fathers, that their posterity should dwell in their own land. After the death of Joshua, Judea was governed by Judges; until, from feeling the effects f

bad government, or from ambition, supposing that a king would raise them in the scale of nations, they besought the Lord to grant them a king, and God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, who began to reign over Israel 1095 B.C., and reigned 40 years. The exaltation of his successor, David, to the throne, was interesting and extraordinary; and we are taught, in every part of scripture, to believe that he was placed there by the express ordinance of God. The Psalmist, speaking of him in highly poetic strains, says "He (God) refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, even the hill of Sion, which he loved. And there he built his temple on high, and laid the foundation of it, like the ground which he hath made, continually. He chose David also, his servant, and took him away from the sheep-folds. As he was following the ewes great with young ones he took him, that he might feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he fed them with a faithful and true heart, and ruled them prudently with all his power. "*

*Palms lxxviii. 68-73.

The

The successor of David was his son Solomon, who built a magnificent temple to the Lord, which was celebrated over the world. temple was dedicated 1004 years B. C. Solomon reigned over the children of Israel forty years; and these three kings-Saul, David, and Solomon-were the only kings that reigned over the whole body of the Israelites, for on the death of Solomon the ten tribes revolted, under Jeroboam, whilst the tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained under the government of Rehoboam, Solomon's son. And this division of the nation was ordained by God himself, and foretold to Solomon, because he had forsaken the Lord, and turned unto idols. Accordingly the prophet Ahijah found Jeroboam in the way as he went out of Jerusalem, "and he had clad himself with a new garment, and they two were alone in the field; and Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces, and he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces, for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee. -Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the

Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose because he kept my commandments and my statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen to place my name there."*

From this time the ten tribes were separated, under Jeroboam and his successors, from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who possessed Jerusalem and the neighbouring country; but neither of the kingdoms, neither Judah nor Israel, with their kings, were careful to observe the command of God to abstain from idols, but turned to idolatry, so that after a series of pro

* 1 Kings xi. 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36.

phets, mercifully sent to warn them of their danger, in no great number of years the threatened chastisement fell on them. And first the Israelites were carried into captivity by the Assyrians, 740 years B. C.; twenty years later Samaria was taken and destroyed by Shalmanazer; and about fifty years after the deportation of the whole of the ten tribes. took place by Assurbaddon, so that they were no more a nation. The captivity of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin soon followed; 606 years B. c. Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, and in a few years destroyed the city, and carried the people into slavery in his own city, Babylon. This portion, however, of the former Israelitish nation, after seventy years captivity, returned in great numbers to their own country. Cyrus issued an edict, 536 years B. C., that they should return into their own land, and gave them facilities to rebuild their city and temple; these were improved, from time to time, by succeeding governors, and greatly enlarged and beautified by Herod the Great, who is signalized by the cruel act of murdering the infants when the Messiah was born.

As it is clearly shown that the Israelites