and his successors, was called the kingdom of Judah. The capital of the latter was Jerusalem; the capital of the former was Samaria, the principal city of the tribe of Ephraim, whence this kingdom is sometimes called the kingdom of Samaria, and sometimes the kingdom of Ephraim., Jeroboam was an opposer of the true God, and an encourager of the worship of idols; he set up two golden calves, and erected altars at Dan and Bethel, the two extremities of his kingdom; and ordered that his people should offer sacrifice to them, instead of going up to the temple of Jerusalem to worship God." There were frequent wars between the kings of Judah and Israel, and between them and the neighbouring kings. Among all the kings of Israel, from Jeroboam to Hoshea, there was not one entirely free from the sin of idolatry. It is said of all, that "they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and made Israel to sin." But it was not so with the house of David, who sat upon the throne of Judah. Many of the kings of Judah were remarkable for their piety and zeal for the honour of God, and obedience to his laws; but the nation, in general, gave themselves up to iniquity, although the everlasting goodness of God accepted their repentance, whenever they "called upon him faithfully." The kingdom of Israel was punished for its wickedness; the people were carried into captivity by Tiglath-Pileser, (or Arbāces,) king of Assyriathen by Salmanesar, and then Esarhaddon. About one hundred and fifteen years afterwards, the kingdom of Judah was invaded and taken by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The walls of Jerusalem were broken down by the command of Nebuchadnezzar; the temple, and all the buildings, were destroyed by fire; and this famous city became a heap of ruins, and nearly the whole nation was sent captive to Babylon. When the kingdom of Judah had been seventy years in captivity, and the period of their affliction was completed, Cyrus, who then possessed Babylon, issued a decree, permitting all the Jews to return to their own land, and to rebuild their temple at Jerusalem. This decree had been expressly foretold by the prophet Isaiah, who called upon Cyrus* by name, above an hundred years before his birth, as the deliverer of God's chosen people from their predicted captivity. After the Jews returned to their own country again, their first care was to build an altar for burnt offerings to God. Then they collected materials for rebuilding the temple; and, in the second year after their return, they began to build it upon the old foundations. The Samaritans offered to assist the Jews in this work; but their assistance was refused, and they then did all they could to hinder them; and this was the occasion of that enmity and jealousy which there was ever after between the Jews and the Samaritans. V. THE ESCAPE. To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor. SIR, If you think the following story worth printing, it is at your service, from A CONSTANT READER. Ir was a bright evening in autumn, when old Mary and her orphan grandsons were heavily loaded with what they had just gleaned from the fields of a liberal farmer, and gladly bore their burden home, knowing how much it would * Isaiah xliv. 28. lighten the wants of the winter. Thankfully was it added to the heap of the day before. The old woman had prepared the evening meal, and, taking up the stocking she was knitting for one of the children, had placed herself outside the cottage door, that she might catch the first view of her husband's boat, which was to return, with the tide, from a neighbouring town, where he sometimes went to sell the fish, caught in the fine river that flowed beneath the steep bank, on which their cottage stood. One of the boys was mending a net, whilst the other was running to feed a favourite hen. The boat soon appeared, and, the returning fisherman found all ready for his evening comfort; but, though he smiled when the children shewed him how much they had gleaned, and his wife drew his chair near to a cheerful blaze, he looked as if something had disturbed his mind; and, when the wind rose higher, and shook the old dwelling, his look was graver still, and he chid the boys for noticing the rattling in the chimney, and bade them go to bed, and sleep,-in a less kindly tone than usual. As soon as they had obeyed, the sorrow burst forth to his wife. He had that day seen the steward, who had told him he must prepare to quit the cottage before winter ; the old cottage, where his infant days, his youth, and manhood had been passed. His voice was choked, and his heart almost broken to think of it. His wife heard with as much wonder as grief. Their landlord, she said, was kind; and why should he order them to leave the place which they both loved so well? And her husband's reply scarcely satisfied her; though it stated that their safety was a chief reason for the removal; it being expected that the building could not stand the rough gales of winter. "It had lasted many sharp Decembers," she said; and, with a saddened heart retired to bed; but it was easier to talk than to sleep; and happy was it that night, that she had not closed her eyes; her words were broken by a startling sound, for she and her husband were only just in time to rouse the sleeping boys before the roof gave way, and the falling chimney buried the house under its ruins the moment they had left it. Assistance was soon obtained; a new dwelling was provided; and never did old Mary think of that awful night, without repeating, " I thank God for this lesson; that he often denies us our own wishes, to save us from danger, and to give us what is far better for us than. we could choose for ourselves; if we had not been in trouble about leaving the house the night it fell, our sound sleep would have caused our death, and our new dwelling have been the deep grave." ORIGIN OF NEWSPAPERS IN ENGLAND. WE cannot walk the streets of London without meeting newsmen every morning and evening, running in all directions loaded with papers; and we know that every mail-coach carries such collections of these every night from London, and spreads them with such rapidity throughout the country, that the whole nation is presently in possession of all that is going on. How strange it appears to us that there ever should have been a time when there was no such a thing as a newspaper in England! But it was even so, not longer back than the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The first English newspaper was published at the time when the country was threatened by the Spanish armada, as we may see from the following passage in Miss Aikin's Memoirs of Queen Elizabeth. "The intense interest in public events excited in every class by the threatened invasion of Spain, gave rise to the introduction in this country of one of the most important inventions of social, life; that of newspapers. Previously to this period, all articles of intelligence had been circulated in manuscript, and all political remarks which the government had found itself interested in addressing to the people, had issued from the press in the shape of pamphlets, of which many had been composed during the administration of Burleigh, either by himself or immediately under his direction. But the peculiar convenience, at such a juncture, of uniting those two objects in a periodical publication, becoming obvious to the ministry, there appeared, some time in the month of April, 1588, the first number of "The English Mercury;" a paper resembling the present London Gazette, and which must have come out almost daily; since No. 50, the earliest specimen of the work now extant, is dated July 23, of the same year. This interesting relic is preserved in the Britsh Museum." Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly." I. WHERE is the high and lofty One? His dwelling is afar, He lives beyond the blazing sun, And every distant star. .II. But God whom thousand worlds obey, Descends to earthly ground, And dwells in cottages of clay, If there his saints be found. III. Is not the heaven of heavens his own? Yes he is Lord of all And there before his awful throne, |