312 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

Riblah, a town between Jerusalem and Babylon.
There the last sight that met the eyes of the captive
monarch was the slaughter of his children ; and, as
if to keep that doleful spectacle ever before his mind,
his own eyes were put out, and he was taken prisoner
to Babylon, where he died. Thus were the prophecies
of Jeremiah and Ezekiel fulfilled. The former of these
foretold that Zedekiah was to be taken to Babylon, and
the second, that he should never see that city, and so
it was. This is the end of the history of the kingdom
of Judah. The people would not obey God,—they
would not hearken to his servants the prophets,—there-
fore they were subjected to the power of a strange
king. Let us take warning by their fate. Let us hear
and obey while our day of favour lasts.

We then read the account of Hezekiah’s sin, and the
prophet’s rebuke of it, related in the thirty-ninth chap-
ter of Isaiah ; and grandfather remarked that it shewed
us the folly of having our treasure on this earth, and
how often it is that worldly riches are a temptation and
a snare,—a curse instead of a blessing to the possessor.

The heathen nations who inhabited Samaria sought
to be instructed in the truth,—What may we learn from
their example ?

What did Hezekiah do that was wrong ?

What in the conduct of his subjects was deserving of
punishment ?

Hezekiah spread the letter of Sennacherib before the