æras, and a fucceffion of happier occurrences than what had diftinguished former days. The juft and gentle spirit of the prince infenfibly ftole into the breafts of the people.The men of Judah turned their fwords into plowfhares, and their fpears into pruning. hooks. By industry and virtuous labour they acquired, what by spoil and rapine they might have fought after long in vain.-The traces of their late troubles foon began to wear out. -The cities, which had become ruinous and defolate (the prey of the famine and the fword) were now rebuilt, fortified, and made populous.-Peace, fecurity, wealth, and profperity, feemed to compofe the whole hiftory of Afa's reign.-O Judah! what could then have been done more than what was done to make thy people happy? What one bleffing was with-held, that thou fhouldft ever with-hold thy thankfulness?— That thou didst not continually turn thy eyes towards heaven with an habitual sense of God's mercies, and devoutly praise him for fetting Afa over you. Were not the public bleflings, and the pri vate enjoyments, which every man of Judah derived from them, fuch as to make the continuance of them defireable?-and what other way was to effect it, than to fwear unto the Lord, with all your hearts and fouls, to perform the covenant made with your fathers?to fecure that favour and intereft with the Almighty Being, without which the wisdom of this world is foolishness, and the best connected fyftems of human policy are fpeculative and airy projects, without foundation or fubstance. The history of their own exploits and establishment since they had become a nation, was a strong confirmation of this doctrine. But too free and uninterrupted a poffeffion of God Almighty's bleffings, fometimes (tho' it seems strange to fuppofe it) even tempts man to forget him, either from a certain depravity and ingratitude of nature, not to be wrought upon by goodness, or that they are made by it too paffionately fond of the present hour, and too thoughtlefs of its great Author, whose kind providence brought it about.-This feemed to have been the cafe with the men of Judah:-for notwithstanding all that God had E e done for them, in placing Abijah, and Afa his fon, over them, and infpiring them with hearts and talents proper to retrieve the errors of the foregoing reign, and bring back peace and plenty to the dwellings of Judah;—yet there appears no record of any folemn and religious acknowlegement to God for fuch fignal favours. The people fat down in a thankless fecurity, each man under his vine, to eat and drink, and rose up to play ;-more folicitous to enjoy their bleffings, than to deferve them. But this scene of tranquillity was not to subfift without fome change;-and it seemed as if providence at length had fuffered the stream to be interrupted, to make them confider whence it flowed, and how neceffary it had been all along to their fupport.-The Ethiopians, ever fince the beginning of Abijah's reign, until the tenth year of Afa's, had been at peace, or at least, whatever fecret enmity they bore, had made no open attacks upon the kingdom of Judah.-And indeed the bad measures which Rehoboam had taken, in the latter part of the reign which immediately preceded theirs, feemed to have faved the Ethio · pians the trouble.-For Rehoboam, though in the former part of his reign he dealt wisely; yet when he had established his kingdom, and ftrengthened himself,-he forfook the laws of the Lord;-he forfook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counfel with the young men, which were brought up with him, and stood before him.-Such ill-advised meafures, in all probability, had given the enemies of Judah fuch decifive advantages over her, that they had fat down contented, and for many years enjoyed the fruits of their acquifitions. But the friendship of princes is feldom made up of better materials than those which are every day to be seen in private life, -in which fincerity and affection are not at all confidered as ingredients.-Change of time and circumstances produce a change of councils and behaviour.-Judah, in length of time, had become a fresh temptation, and was worth fighting for. Her riches and plenty might first make her enemies covet, and then the rememberance of how cheap and eafy a prey fhe had formerly been, might make them not doubt of obtaining. -- By these apparent motives, (or whether God, who fometimes over-rules the heart of man, was pleased to turn them by fecret ones, to the purposes of his wisdom) the ambition of the Ethiopians revived, with an hoft of men numerous as the fand upon the fea-fhore in multitude. They had left their country, and were coming forwards to invade them.—What can Judah propofe to do in fo terrifying a crifis?-where can she betake herself for refuge? -on one hand, her religion and laws are too precious to be given up, or trusted to the hands of a stranger;-and on the other hand, how can fo fmall a kingdom, juft recovering ftrength, furrounded by an army of a thoufand thousand men, befides chariots and horfes, be able to withstand so powerful a fhock. -But here it appeared that thofe, who, in their profperity, can forget God, do yet remember him in the day of danger and distress; and can begin with comfort to depend upon his providence, when with comfort they can depend upon nothing elfe. For when Zerah, the Ethiopian, was come into the valley of Zephatha at Maretha, Afa, and all the men |