guilty of continual idolatry, in opposition to the many precepts and warnings of God, by the writings of Moses, and the voice of all the prophets, ver. 7-23.

49 Q. What became of Samaria, and the other cities of Israel, when the people were driven out of them?

A. Several of the heathen nations were placed there, and each worshipped their own gods and idols; wherefore the Lord sent lions amongst them, and destroyed many of them, ver. 24-31.

50 Q. What was done upon this occasion to appease the anger of God, and save the people from the lions?

A. The king of Assyria sent a Jewish priest thither, to teach them the worship of the God of Israel, ver. 27. 51 Q. What was the effect of this conduct of the king of Assyria?

A. These nations feared the God of Israel, and yet they could not lay aside their own idolatries, for they continued to serve their own graven images also in many following generations, ver. 41.

52 Q. But did they always continue in this mixec kind of religion?

A. In process of time they forsook their idols, worshipped the true God only, and submitted themselves to the Jewish religion, so as to receive the five books of Moses; they had a temple of their ow built on Mount Gerizim, and in the New Testamen are called Samaritans.

CHAPTER XII.

OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH.

1 Q. How many kings and rulers reigned over Judah?

A. Twenty; namely, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Je

hoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, the queen, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah.

2 Q. Were all these rulers of Judah also great sinners as well as the kings of Israel?

A. A few of them were very religious, some very wicked, and others of an indifferent or mixed cha

racter.

3 Q. What fell out in Rehoboam's reign, after the ten tribes had made Jeroboam their king?

A. When Rehoboam raised a great army out of Judah and Benjamin to recover the ten tribes, God, by his prophet, forbade them to proceed, 1 Kings xii. 22-25.

4 Q. Were there no wars then between Judah and Israel?

A. Yes, In the following times there were bloody wars between them.

5 Q. How did the people of Judah behave themselves under the government of Rehoboam?

A. They fell into idolatry and shameful sins, whereupon God was angry, and Shishak, king of Egypt, plundered the temple and the king's house of their treasures, in the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign, 1 Kings xiv. 25, 26. So short-lived was the supreme grandeur and glory of the Jewish church and state!

6 Q. Did Abijah, the son of Rehoboam, do any thing remarkable in his reign?

A. He made a speech, and pleaded against Israel, when Jeroboam led them to war against him; he reproved them for their departure from the true worship of God, and from the house of David: and when they would not hearken, but set upon him in battle, he and his army cried unto the Lord, and shouted, and slew five hundred thousand men. A striking example of divine success! 2 Chron. xiii. 4-17.

7 Q. What is recorded concerning Asa, the son of Abijah, the king of Judah?

A. That he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and destroyed the idols which had been set up in the land, 2 Chron. xiv. 1-5.

8 Q. What token of favour did God show him?

A. When he called upon the Lord, and trusted in him, he defeated the army of the Ethiopians, who came against him, though they were a thousand thousand, ver. 9-15.

9 Q. Did Asa continue all his days to fear the Lord?

A. In his old age he fell into distrust of God, and he gave the treasure that remained in the house of God, and in the king's house, to the king of Syria, to guard and help him against Baasha, the king of Israel; and he imprisoned the prophet who reproved him for it, 2 Chron. xvi. 1--10.

10 Q. What is remarkable in Asa's death?

A. That in the disease of his feet (which is supposed to be the gout) he sought not the Lord, but only to the physicians; "and he slept with his fathers," ver. 11-13.

11 Q. How did his son Jehoshaphat behave himself in the kingdom?

A. He walked in the first and best ways of his father David, and God was with him, 2 Chron. xviii. 3.

12 Q. Wherein did Jehoshaphat more particularly discover his piety and goodness?

A. He appointed Levites and priests throughout all the cities of Judah, to teach the law of the Lord; and he set judges in the land, with a solemn charge to do justice without bribery, 2 Chron. xvii. 7-9. and xix. 5-11.

13 Q. Wherein did God manifest his special favour to Jehoshaphat?

A. God gave him very great treasures, and the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms round about Judah, so that for many years they made no war upon him, 2 Chron. xvii. 10-19.

14 Q. Wherein did he offend God?

A. In joining in alliance with Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, whereby he was in great danger of being slain in a battle against the Syrians, 2 Chron, xviii. 1, 31, and xix. 2.

15 Q. When Moab and Ammon joined their force s against Jehoshaphat, how was he delivered from them?

A. He proclaimed a fast through the land, and in the midst of the people he prayed earnestly to the Lord, and when he went out to battle, he appointed the singers before the army to sing praises to the Lord, 2 Chron. xx. 1—21.

16 Q. What was the effect of this pious practice? A. When they began to sing and to play, his enemies fell upon one another till they were all slain. 22.-29.

ver.

17 Q. Did Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, imitate his father's government in piety?

A. By no means; for he slew all his own brethren, he walked in the ways of Ahab, king of Israel, and took his daughter Athaliah to wife, 2 Chron. xxii. 1-7.

18 Q. How did God testify his displeasure against Jehoram?

A. He smote Jehorain with such an incurable distemper, that his bowels fell out, and he died of sore diseases, ver. 15-19.

19 Q. Who succeeded Jehoram in the kingdom? A. Ahaziah, his youngest son, for all his eldest were slain in the camp by the Arabians, 2 Chron. xxii. 1. 20 Q. What were the behaviour and the fate of Ahaziah king of Judah ?

A. He followed the evil practices of the house of Ahab, by the persuasions of his mother Athaliah, who was the grand-daughter of Omri: and when he went out with Jehoram, the king of Israel, against Jehu, he was slain by Jehu, 2 Chron. xxii. 1–9.

21 Q. Who succeeded to the throne of Judah when Ahaziah was dead?

A. Athaliah his mother seized the kingdom, and destroyed all the seed-royal of the house of Judah,

except Joash, the son of Ahaziah, an infant of a year old, who was hid in the temple, 2 Chron. xxii. 2, 10

-12

22 Q. How did Athaliah reign?

A. As she counselled her son Ahaziah before, so she herself practised the idolatry of the house of Ahab, 2 Chron. xxii. 3. and xxiv. 7.

23 Q. How was Athaliah deposed?

A. Jehoiada the high priest stirred up the captains of the army, the Levites, and the chief of the people against her: he set Joash on the throne when he was seven years old, anointed and proclaimed him king, then ordered the guards to slay Athaliah, and destroyed the worship of Baal, 2 Chron. xxiii. 1-15.

24 Q. What was the conduct of Joash in his government?

A. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest, who was his uncle; he repaired the temple, and the vessels thereof, and restored the worship of God, 2 Chron. xxiv. 1-15.

25 Q. How did Joash behave after Jehoiada's death?

A. He was persuaded to change the worship of God for idols, and most ungratefully slew Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, because he reproved the idolatry of the people, 2 Chron. xxiv. 17-22. Mat. xxiii. 35.

26 Q. In what manner did God punish him for his crime?

A. He sent an army of the Syrians against him, who pillaged the country; he smote him with sore diseases, and at last his own servants slew him on his bed, 2 Chron. xxiv. 23-26.

27 Q. How did Amaziah the son of Joash reign?

A. At first he seemed to work righteousness, and hearkened to the voice of God and his prophets; but afterwards gaining a victory over the Edomites, he learnt to worship the gods of Edom, 2 Chron. XXV. 1-16.