could not too soon return to repair the mischief they had done!

Such, I have no doubt, my child, were the feelings of many a pious Jew, when he heard that his people were at libe ty to return to their own land: therefore, though numbers lingered behind, we still read of nearly fifty thousand persons who accepted the offer of King Cyrus, and went out from the land of their captivity.

E. How long do you think it took them, mother, to travel from Babylon to Jerusalem ?

M. It seems to have taken them about four months. Then two months more were spent in settling themselves in their different cities, according to their tribes; and at the end of seven months the whole of them gathered themselves together in one body at Jerusalem. And here the first thing they did was to build up again the altar of burntofferings, that they might begin the worship of God at once and they offered burnt-offerings to God. *every day, morning and evening. Here we see how sincere the Jews were in their repentance; they might have said, We cannot begin the worship of God till we have raised up the walls of his house, and set every thing in proper order. But instead of that, they begin at once the performance of their religious duties, as if they were fully convinced that this were the only way to prosper in their work.

E. And then did they begin to build the temple directly, mother?

M. They began immediately, Edward, to make preparations for it, by collecting together, to the

VOL. III.

utmost of their power, all kinds of material proper for the work; they engaged also the masons and carpenters that they wanted, and they persuaded the people of Tyre and Sidon to bring cedar-trees for them from Lebanon to Joppa, as they lad done for King Solomon, when the temple was first built.

E. I remember very well, mother, how Hiram, king of Tyre, helped King David and Solomon, and what precious things he sent them for the temple ; I am very glad the people of that country were still so kind to the Jews. And now did they begin to

build?

M. All these preparations took them a full year, but at length they were ready to begin, and their hearts being most anxiously set upon the work, the foundation of the temple was soon laid. They laid it too with all possible solemnity, the priests assisting in their holy garments, and the Levites with instruments of music, singing together in turns, praising and giving thanks unto the Lord, saying, "for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever towards Israel." And all the rest of the people shouted with great shouts of joy, while the stones were being laid. But there were old men there, many of the priests and Levites, and chief of the fathers, who could not join in the rejoicings of the rest. They were ancient men, who had seen the first house; they remembered Solomon's temple in all its glory, adorned with all the treasures which he and his father, two of the richest kings that had ever lived, had been able in their love to the Lord to collect for it; and they grieved to think, that after

all which they could do, the house which they were about to build would never be worthy of being named with the one they had lost; therefore, while the young men, who had never seen the former temple, shouted for joy, "the old men wept with a loud voice, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people."

And now, Edward, the work of the temple would have gone on rapidly, had not the poor Jews been sadly troubled and hindered by a people called Samaritans, who were very unfriendly towards them, and did all they could to prevent them in their work.

E. Who were the Samaritans, mother?

M. They were people who had been brought into Judea by Shalmaneser from Babylon and other places, and settled in those parts of the country which had before been inhabited by the ten tribes of Israel. They were called Samaritans, because Samaria was one of their chief cities. These people had now enjoyed the land so long, that they were unwilling that the Jews should return to it again, fearing thereby some harm to themselves; and therefore they tried to do all they could to hinder the building of the temple. They could not altogether put a stop to it, because Cyrus was the friend of the Jews, and favourable to their undertaking, and it would have been very foolish to set themselves openly against him; but still, as they were so close to the Jews, they found many ways of annoying and disturbing them, so that the building of

the temple went on but slowly for several years. It was then that a hatred was begun between the Jews and the Samaritans, which lasted even in our Saviour's time, and which we find mentioned, as you will see by-and-by, in the Gospels.

Thus things went on with the afflicted Jews during the reign of King Cyrus; and after his death, which happened when they had been returned to Judea seven years, it was worse still for them. Cyrus was succeeded by Cambyses, who is called in Scripture Ahasuerus. This king was not

favourable to the Jews, and he took no interest in the work in which they were now engaged, but out of respect to Cyrus, his father, who had encouraged it so greatly, he would not interfere to put an end to it, although the Samaritans wished him to do so.

E. Then they still went on with the temple, mother?

M. Yes; notwithstanding all the difficulties they met with, these pious Jews persevered in the holy work which they had taken in hand: and thus gave a most convincing proof that their repentance had not been the feeling merely of a season, but deep, sincere, and lasting; and that their faith was strong, not such as could be shaken, as it had once been, by every momentary disappointment, but a faith which could enable them to struggle through years of difficulty and affliction, bearing with every an noyance which it pleased God that they should meet with, and waiting patiently for the time when he should enable them again to prosper in their work.

We can scarcely believe that these are a part of that same nation whom we used to see so rebellious whenever they met with any contradiction to their wills and wishes. Surely they have reason to bless God for their captivity, which, though exceeding grievous for the time, had had so happy an effect upon their minds.

At this part of their history we will break off for to-night, my child, but next Sunday I hope to tell you a great deal more about the building of the second temple.

SIXTY-SIXTH SUNDAY EVENING.

THE SECOND TEMPLE.

M. I WISH, Edward, I could begin with more cheerful accounts of the Jews to-night, but you must be prepared to hear of more disappointments before you will find the temple growing up as you could wish.

Hith

The trials of the Jews were not over yet. erto they had been able to go on with their work, though but slowly, and each stone that was added to their temple helped to revive and cheer their drooping spirits. But Ahasuerus died, and Artaxerxes, who succeeded him, did not feel the same unwillingness to interfere with the building of the