I AM going to take you a long way off t day, dear children-to a very large and fi city many miles from Jerusalem. This ci was called Babylon; and, as I told y before, it was situated in the land of Assyr It was surrounded by great walls, ve thick, and very high. It had a hundr gates, and these gates were made of bras Inside the gates, within the city, we houses, and gardens, and palaces, and ter ples, all very beautiful and magnificen which had been built by the differe sovereigns who had reigned in Babylo Through the city flowed a noble rive you ought to remember its name, for have mentioned it more than once before it was called the Euphrates. Babylon w

TY OF BABYLON.

were

off to

divided into two parts by this river; so, in some places, there were bridges, by which to pass over from one part to the other; and there were flights of steps leading from the river to gates which opened into the different squares and streets of the city.

Babylon was a very large place; it measured about sixty miles in the extent of its walls. It was square; so each side was about fifteen miles long. And what sort of people lived there? They were very rich, very great, and very powerful; they had all kinds of fine things brought from other parts of the world, to beautify their city; and it was called "the glory of kingdoms; the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency." (Isa. xiii. 19.) And yet, notwithstanding their greatness, the people of Babylon were not a happy people. Why not? If you had walked through their fine city, and gone into their temples, I think you would have been able to tell why. You would have found out that God was not worshipped there. You would have seen idols of gold, and silver, and brass,

take you a long way en-to a very large and fine from Jerusalem. This city lon; and, as I told you ated in the land of Assyri ed by great walls, very high. It had a hundred gates were made of bras: within the city, ns, and palaces, and temautiful and magnificen built by the different nd reigned in Babylan flowed a noble river; ember its name, for I more than once before phrates. Babylon w 172

and wood, and stone; but no holy temp -no altars raised for the true Godsacrifices offered to him; and, therefor there was no blessing upon Babylonhow could the people be happy?

And now you may fancy yourselves, man long years ago, wandering about this gre city, and admiring its beauty, and mournin At last you come to over its idolatry. large building, strongly barred, and guard on all sides; it is the great prison-house Babylon. Will you ask the guards to op those great gates, and to let you in? Mar poor captives are there; but there is o whom you will pity, perhaps, more tha There he sits, bound all the others. fetters of brass, in his lonely prison. Lo at him; he cannot see you. He rolls h eyes around, and sometimes he seems shudder with horror, as though some drea ful sight were before him; but no, he se nothing he is quite, quite blind. Who he, and how came he here? I will t you. That poor captive was once a ki reigning over God's chosen people in Jer

TY OF BABYLON.

salem, in the very same city in which David, and Solomon, and Hezekiah, and Josiah reigned. His name was Zedekiah; and if he had loved and served God, as those good kings had done, he might have lived happily, and died peacefully, as they did. But no; Zedekiah did not worship God, nor read his word, nor honour his commands, nor keep his covenant. We are told that "he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning to the Lord God of Israel." (2 Chron. xxxvi. 13.) And when the good prophet Jeremiah warned him, and advised him, he would not repent, he would not receive instruction. And so God sent upon him, and upon his people, all those evils which he would not suffer to come in the time of Josiah.

tone; but no holy temple d for the true God-no to him; and, therefore, essing upon Babylon-so ople be happy? ay fancy yourselves, many andering about this great gits beauty, and mourning At last you come to a ongly barred, and guarded the great prison-house of ou ask the guards to open and to let you in? Many there; but there is one ity, perhaps, more than There he sits, bound in his lonely prison. Look see you. He rolls his sometimes he seems to , as though some dread e him; but no, he sees e, quite blind. Whois he here? I will tell ptive was once a king chosen people in Jeru

Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon, came against Jerusalem, and besieged the city, and broke down the walls, and destroyed the temple; and took the king, and his princes, and his nobles, and his treasures, all away to Babylon. Many of the people of Judah he killed with