formation alfo in the latter days of Hezekiah; but it was not a covenanted reformation: Hence the vengeance was only deferred, fo that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah; but it was still reserved, and not averted. Now, it was proper for the Church, in Jofiah's days, to reform in the way of covenant-renovation, as ever they would avoid that horrid fin of ingratitude, with which Hezekiah is justly blamed.

3. THE reformation which Hezekiah had fo happily begun in his younger years, and which continued, in fome meafure, all his days had been destroyed by the dreadful wickednefs of Manaffeh and Amon. Manaffeh feems to have exceeded Ahaz himself in wickedness. He built the high-places which his father had broken down, and reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the hoft of heaven, and ferved them. He carried his idolatry to fuch a height, as to fet up his altars in oppofition to God's altar, in his very prefence, and in the house called by his name: And, to finish his wickedness to a degree unknown to his ancestors, he ufed witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards; and, not content with the practice of idolatry himself, he caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerufalem to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before

*

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the children of Ifrael. And fuch as complied not with the times fell a facrifice to the rage of his idolatry: "Manaffeh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerufalem from one end to another."-And, though there was great reformation in the latter end of Manaffeh's reign, yet the people did not return unto the Lord by covenant-renovation: Wherefore, it was proper to put hand to that work which Manaffeh had neglected. It must also be observed, that, though this method of reformation was effayed, yet there was a great defect in it, as Jofiah and the rest of the reformers did not make a thorough fearch into the iniquities of their fathers, nor yet a fuitable acknowledgment of them; especially the fin of blood-shedding in the days of Manasseh. Hence we find God himfelf profecuting the quarrel in after generations. He ftirred up the Chaldeans to avenge this quarrel: "Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his fight, for the fins of Manaffeh, according to all that he did: And alfo for the innocent blood that he fhed (for he filled Jerufalem with innocent blood), which the Lord would not pardon *."

4. JOSIAH had begun a reformation from the idolatry and fuperftition into which his

* 2 Kings xxiv. 3, 4.

fore

fore-fathers had been plunged. This reformation had been advancing for eighteen years; and, while the priests were removing the rubbish which had been caft into the most holy place, they found that copy of the law which was kept in the temple: This book they car ried unto the king, who, upon hearing the curfes of it read in his ears, rent his clothes, in token of his fear and fincere repentance. And, that the whole congregation might be affected in the fame manner, this excellent prince called together a folemn affembly of the elders and people unto Jerufalem, and caufed the book of the law to be read in their audience, as a neceffary preparative for folemn covenanting. The pieces of reformation which Jofiah had accomplished, previous to his finding the book of the law, were various; and it was proper to take the congregation engaged, by covenant, to each of them. This good king took the adminiftration of his kingdom into his own hand when he was only fixteen years

of

In

age: And, even previous to that period, he walked in the way of David his father. the twelfth year of his reign, he began to 'purge Judah and Jerufalem from the highplaces, and the groves; and to break down the altars and images of Baalim, as well as to burn the bones of the priests upon their altars. On the other hand, he spared no expenfe that was requifite for repairing the temple of the Lord

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Lord. Like Hezekiah, and other reformers who had gone before him, he was equally careful to restore the worship of the true God as to destroy every monument of idolatry. There is one thing which ought by no means to be omitted, The neighbouring country of Ephraim and Manaffeh, being under the dominion of the king of Affyria, but inhabited partly by fome remnant of the ten tribes, Jofiah carried his reformation thither likeways; and, in particular, he demolished the altar and the highplace at Bethel, which Jeroboam erected to make Ifrael to fin. Thus the Lord accomplished his prediction, which he gave out as early as the days of Jeroboam himself; and glori fied his faithfulness by raifing up Jofiah for that purpose *.

5. THE canon of Scripture was greatly enlarged by the infpired prophets: Now it was fit the Church fhould receive and observe every notification of the divine will; as well as keep pure and entire all the ordinances which are appointed by it. There were two reafons for the cnlargement of the facred canon at this time, in fubordination to the fovereign pleasure of God: First, to fupport the Church, and true believers in her, under fuch particular trials as exercised her faith and patience: For example,

* 1 Kings xiii. 2.

the

the prophefies of Ifaiah were given to fupport her under the fevere trials fhe felt by reafon of Ahaz's apoftacy, and Sennacherib's invafion. And various other prophets prophefied for the fame purpofe; fuch as Micah and Hofea. The prophet Habakkuk probably prophefied in the dark night of Manaffeh's reign in like manner. Secondly, To prepare the children of God for fuch afflictions as were before them. The inspired history exhibited to them a ftock of experience, the experiences, as well as the falls of eminent faints: And the prophefies prefented them with great confolation, in the promife of the coming of the Meffiah, and the prefervation of the Jewish monarchy until that happy time, on the one hand; and the certain profpect of their enemies deftruction on the other For, while the prophets announced the vengeance of God against the finally impenitent, by means of the Affyrians and Babylonians; they, at the fame time, held up, in their typical glafs, the deftruction of thefe empires. Thus, faith might look through the dark night of the Babylonifh captivity, and contemplate, with pleasure, the reformation which fhould enfue on the back of it.

FOURTHLY, I fhall now fubjoin a few REFLECTIONS on the whole.