hang us burst in terror and woe, or whether you die ere God's sword awakes to avenge His quarrel against such a nation as ours, the period must come when you must stand in the presence of a Holy God; and oh, if then in your sins, unutterable everlasting woe will be your awful portion ; but if cleansed from sin in the precious blood of Jesus, if covered with His robe of righteousness, you will meet a Father's loving voice and smile of welcome to an everlasting heaven of high and holy joy. O child, may you feel from the moment you read this page never able to rest until you find rest under the shadow of the Redeemer's cross. There is but one place of safety, and that is Jesus. Oh, may you be "found in Him."

I am persuaded it is of importance to all to be well read in the Scriptures, and, having compiled from the Bible a declaration of the things which are coming upon the earth, I should like to see it placed in the hands of all my readers. I have, therefore, determined to send to any one who buys the GLEANER monthly, my little volume, called "The Things which shall be Hereafter," at halfprice, viz., One Shilling post free, instead of Two Shillings.*

The Lord bless you, dear young readers, is the sincere desire of

There is no art or science, no practice or faculty of which the human mind is capable, that demands for its acquirement so much time as a habit of prayer.

*Send for the book with twelve stamps to Miss Kent, Shefford, Beds.

HISTORY OF THE JEWS,

FROM NEHEMIAH TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. CHAPTER II.

OUR last chapter contained an account of the military exploits of Alexander, the rapidity of his conquests, and the splendour of his triumphs, and concluded by briefly stating his untimely end. Although a great warrior, and of intemperate habits, yet he possessed a filial affection worthy of imitation, which was strongly expressed upon receiving a letter from Antipater against his mother. He said, " Antipater does not know that one single tear shed by a mother will obliterate ten thousand such letters as this." We will now resume our history.

Jaddua the high-priest died, and was succeeded by his son Onias. After his decease, Simon his son succeeded him. From his exemplary conduct he obtained the name of Simon the Just. At his death he left a very young son, called Onias, on which account, Eleazer, Simon's brother, took upon him the priesthood.

Ptolemy, surnamed Soter, king of Egypt, being about to invade Cyprus, determined first to make himself master of Syria and Judea then governed by Laomedon. The Jews would not violate their engagements to their governor, though he was defeated by Ptolemy who was advancing into Judea. Enraged at their resistance, Ptolemy marched to Jerusalem, and seeing they were determined to defend it, he formed the siege, which would have given him much more trouble, had it not been for the Jews believing that if they defended themselves on a Sabbath-day, they should violate their law. Ptolemy was informed of this, and took advantage of it by making a general

assault on that day; the Jews scrupulously declining resistance, the city was taken without difficulty.

Ptolemy at first treated the Jews at Jerusalem, and in Judea, with great severity. He carried a hundred thousand of them captive into Egypt; but, on reflection, he was convinced that their steady adherence to their governors rendered them worthy of his confidence; therefore, he advanced thirty thousand of the most distinguished among them, to places of trust in his dominions. Thus you see that faithfulness will have its reward.

Ptolemy Soter was a great encourager of learned men. He founded the famous library at Alexandria, which with the additions that were afterwards made to it, amounted to seven hundred thousand volumes. Ptolemy Philadelphus, his son and successor, spared no expense to increase this treasury of knowledge. His librarian proposed to the king the translation and addition of the many volumes relating to the Jewish law; he acknowledged they would be difficult to translate into Greek, but said, “he believed it might be done, since his majesty would not think much of any expense." The king approved the proposal.

Aristeus, who was a favourite with the king, took this opportunity to solicit him to release from slavery all the Jews in his kingdom. Ptolemy, with a cheerful countenance, asked Aristeus how many thousands he thought there were whose liberty he desired. Andrew, a captain of the guard, answered, that there were a hundred and twenty thousand. The king replied, "Is this demand, Aristeus, a matter of small consequence ?" Two courtiers made answer that the king could do nothing more worthy of himself. Upon which, Ptolemy granted their request, and ordered the

ransom of the Jews, amounting to more than four hundred talents, to be paid out of his treasury.

The king then wrote to Eleazer, informing him that he had released from captivity more than a hundred thousand of his countrymen paying their ransom out of his own coffers: he concluded with requesting him to send six discreet and learned men out of each tribe, able to expound the same. Accordingly, Andrew and Aristeus were sent on this embassy with a present of a hundred talents of silver as the first-fruits of those gifts which the king intended to offer in the temple.

Andrew and Aristeus were well received at Jerusalem, and Eleazer, in compliance with the king's request, selected seventy-two elders, six out of each tribe, who returned with them into Egypt. They were no sooner arrived at Alexandria than the king ordered his ambassadors to introduce them. They accordingly presented themselves. with the original parchments, wherein the law was written in golden letters.* The king was much pleased at the sight. He expressed his gratitude to the elders for coming to him; but more espe cially he thanked God, who had inclined them to come. They were entertained by the king as his guests for twelve days, and were allowed to eat according to their own customs. Ptolemy gave each of them a present of three talents, and ordered them a retired lodging fit for study, where they completed the translation of the law. (Year of the world 3727.) This translation, for the sake of the round number seventy, is called the Septuagint.* The king was highly gratified, and gave them many costly tokens of his favour. He likewise sent very rich presents

* This account of the origin of the Septuagint has been subject to much modern criticism.-ED.

to the temple, and to the high-priest; besides which, he wrote to Eleazer, that if any of the people had an inclination to settle in Egypt they should find encouragement, for he highly esteemed the conversation of learned men. Thus did Ptolemy Philadelphus esteem the Jews.

Ptolemy Euergetes, his son, ascended the throne after his decease. In his reign Manasseh, who succeeded Eleazer, the high-priest, died, and that dignity descended to Onias, the son of Simon the Just. He was a man of a very different character from his father, and soon showed by his conduct how unworthy he was of the sacred office he filled. By neglecting to pay the usual tribute of twenty talents, he drew upon him the resentment of Ptolemy, who sent Athenion to demand all the arrears, and in case of refusal threatened to expel the Jews from their country, and divide it among themselves.

The alarm produced by these tidings was very great, every one being at a loss to know what measures could be adopted to avert the impending storm. Joseph, nephew of Onias, though young, was much honoured at Jerusalem for his wisdom and piety. He sharply reproved his uncle for retaining in his hands the money raised by tribute, to the imminent hazard of the destruction of his countrymen, recommending it to him to repair to the king, and try to reconcile matters. Onias repilied that he had rather give up the executive government, and, if it were possible, the priesthood, than appear before the king. Joseph then asked him if he would permit him, on the people's behalf, to go to Ptolemy, to which he readily ac

ceded.

Joseph summoned the people to a general assembly in the temple, where he addressed them in