A. He commanded Baruch the scribe to write the words of his prophecies from his mouth, in a volume of a book, and to read them in the ears of the people in the temple on a fast-day, Jer. xxxvi. 1-10.

18 Q. What effect had this upon Jehoiakim the king?

A. When he heard of it he sent for the volume, read a little of it, cut it with a pen-knife, and burnt it in the fire, and then sent to seize Jeremiah and Baruch but God by his kind providence kept them hid from the king, ver. 20-26.

19 Q. What was the next message from God to Jeremiah?

A. That he should take another volume, and that Baruch should write over again from his mouth the same words, and many others of the same import, ver. 27-32.

20 Q. What did Jeremiah prophesy concerning Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah king of Judah, who is here called Shallum?

A. That he should die a captive in the land of Egypt, Jer. xxii. 11, 12. 2 Kings xxiii. 31-34. 21 Q. What did he say concerning Jehoiakim his brother?

A. That he should die unlamented, and be buried like an ass, drawn and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem, Jer. xxii. 18, 19.

22 Q. What did he pronounce concerning Jehoiachin, who is also called Jechoniah and Coniah?

A. That he should die in a strange land, and none of his seed should sit on the throne of Judah, Jer. xxii. 24-30. and he accordingly was carried to Babylon, and lived long there, and there he died. Jer. lii. 31.

23 Q. What advice did he give to Zedekiah king of Judah?

A. To submit willingly to the yoke of the king of Babylon, that both he and his people might meet with better treatment, Jer. xxvii. 12. 18.

24 Q. How did the false prophet Hananiah oppose Jeremiah?

A. He took the yoke from the prophet Jeremiah's neck, which probably he had worn for some years; and as he brake it, he declared, the Lord would break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar in two years from the necks of the nations, Jer. xxviii. 1-11.

25 Q. How did Jeremiah answer him?

A. That God had appointed yokes of iron instead of yokes of wood, for all the nations to serve the king of Babylon; and that Hananiah should die in that year for his falsehood; which came to pass in two months after, ver. 10-17.

26 Q. Among all these predictions of distress, did not Jeremiah prophesy any thing comfortable to the nations of Israel ?

A. Yes, he foretold the return of the Jews to their own land with joy, after seventy years' captivity; and he encouraged their faith and hope by many gracious promises of the Messiah who was to come, chap. xxv. xxix. xxx. and xxxi.

27 Q. How did king Zedekiah deal with Jeremiah the prophet when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem?

A. He shut him up in the court of the prison which was in the king's house, because he foretold that Jerusalem should be taken, and that Zedekiah the king should not escape, but be carried to Babylon, Jer. xxxii. 1-5.

28 Q. What did Jeremiah do in prison to assure them that the Jews should return from captivity, and possess the cities of Judah again?

A. By express order from God he bought a field of his cousin Hananeel, paid him the money, sub scribed the evidence, and sealed it before witnesses, as an emblem and pledge of what should be done in Jerusalem hereafter, ver. 6-16. 44.

29 Q. What did Jeremiah do when he was at liberty?

A. He endeavoured to flee out of Jerusalem, but he was seized by the guard upon suspicion of falling away to the Chaldeans, and he was thrust down into a dungeon by the princes, because he prophesied the destruction of the city, chap. xxxvii. 11-16. and xxxviii. 1-6.

30 Q. What relief did the prophet find here?

A. When he sunk in the mire, Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a servant in the king's house, drew him up with ropes by leave from the king; and he remained in the court of the prison till the city was taken, ver. 7-14.

31 Q. What favour did God shew to Ebedmelech on this account?

A. He assured him he should not die by the sword, but his life should be given him, because he trusted in the Lord, Jer. xxxix. 16-18.

32 Q. When Zedekiah the king sent for Jeremiah what message had he from God?

A. He repeated his advice to the king of Judah, to go forth and submit to the king of Babylon, in order to save himself and the city, Jer. xxxviii. 17.

33 Q. Did the king hearken to his advice?

A. No; he did not obey the prophet; so the city was taken and burnt, the princes of Judah were slain, and the king's sons were put to death beforè his eyes then the king had his eyes put out, and he was carried in chains to Babylon, and died there. Jer. xxxix. 1-10. and lii. 8-11.

Note, Then was fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel concerning Zedekiah, chap. xii. 13. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

34 Q. What became of Jeremiah after the city was taken?

4. Nebuchadnezzar gave order to the officers of his army to take care of him; and give him his liberty

to go where he pleased, Jer. xxxix. 11, 12, and xl. 4, 5.

35 Q. Whither did Jeremiah choose to go?

A. He chose to continue in the land of Israel, and put himself under the protection of Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land, ver. 6, 7.

36 Q. Did Jeremiah continue under his protection? A. Gedaliah was quickly slain by a faction raised by Ishmael; and Ishmael also was put to flight by another faction under the command of Johanan, Jer. xli. 2. 11-15.

37 Q. What did Johanan do with Jeremiah?

A. He carried him and a multitude of the people into Egypt, in direct opposition to the advice which Jeremiah gave him from the Lord, chap. xlii. and xliii.

38 Q. What did Jeremiah do in the land of Egypt? A. He severely, reproved the Jews for their idolatry there; he denounced ruin upon them; he took great stones and hid them in the clay at the entrance of Pharaoh king of Egypt's palace, and foretold, that Nebuchadnezzar should conquer Egypt, and should set his throne upon those stones, Jer. xliii. 9, 10.

39 Q. Among the several prophecies against the nations round about, did not Jeremiah foretel the destruction of Babylon?

A. Yes, he pronounced the severe judgments of God against Babylon, who had plundered Jerusalem in a notable and dreadful manner, as Isaiah did before him; all which were eminently fulfilled, partly when Cyrus the Persian took the city of Babylon, and partly in following times, Jer. 1. and li.

40 Q. What emblem or pledge did Jeremiah give of the accomplishment of the prophecy?

A. He wrote in a book all these threatenings, and bid Seraiah, one of the Jewish captives, read it when he came to Babylon, then bind a stone to it, and cast it into the river Euphrates, and say, thus shall Babylon sink, and shall never rise again, Jer. li. 59-64.

CHAPTER XVII.

The History of Daniel.

1 Q. WHO was Daniel?

A. A young man of the tribe of Judah, who was carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, in the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Dan. i. 1-6.

2 Q. How was he disposed of in Babylon?

A. Daniel and his fellows, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were appointed to be nourished by the king's provision, and to be trained up in the learning of the Chaldeans, that in three years time they might stand before the king, ver. 5, 6.

3 Q. And did they, being Jews, eat of the king's provision, which was prepared after the manner of the heathens?

A. No, they chose to be fed with pulse and water, rather than defile themselves with the king's meat, ver. 8-14.

4 Q. How did they thrive by it?

A. Their countenances appeared fairer, and their aspect was better approved by Melzar, who took care of them, than the rest who fed on royal dainties, ver. 15.

5 Q. How did they approve themselves when they were called before the king?

A. The king found them far wiser and better than all the astrologers and magicians in his kingdom, ver. 20.

6 Q. What was the first special occasion of Daniel's advancement at court?

A. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream which much troubled him, yet he forgot it in the morning; and sent orders to destroy all the wise men and astrologers, because they could not tell him both the dream and the interpretation thereof, Dan. ii. 1-13.