in the age and country-a practice from which their royal rank did not exempt even captured monarchs" (Ilo.wlinson, • Egypt and Babylon,' p. 27). The 'Annals of Assur-bani-pal' speak of twrJ Cimmerian chiefs whom Gyges King of Lydia," in strong fetters of iron and bonds of iron, bound and with numerous presents caused to bring to his (Assur-bani-pal'e) presence" (' Records,' etc., i. 70). (4) The destination of Me.ne.sseh's deportation-Be.bylon instead of Nineveh, e.s one might have supposed-is exple.ined by the circumstance the.t Ese.rhaddon e.nd Assur-bani-pa.l both assumed to themselves the title of "King of Assyria and Babylon," e.nd instead of governing Babylon by meo.ns of a. viceroy, themselves resided there a part of the year in a pa.lace bc.ilt by the former (Sayce, 'Fresh Li~ht,' p. 152; Rawlinson, 'Egypt and Babylon,' p. 25; Smith,' .Assyrie.n Discoveries,' p. 316; Schrader,' Keilinschriften,' p. 368). II. lTs AOOOMPANYINO SIGNS, 1. Humility. "He humbled himself greatly before the Lord God of his fa.there" (ver. 12). This grace, beautiful in all who come before God (Job xxv. 6, 6; Eccles. v. 2), is absolutely indispensable to a penitent (Job xl. 4; Isa. vi. 5; Rom. vii. 18), and is the certain highway to spiritual promotion (Prov. xv. 33; Isa. !xvi. 2; Luke xviii. 13, 14). 2. Prayer. "He besought the Lord his God" (ver. 12); "he prayed unto him" (ver. 13)-no doubt with the language and feeling of (1) confession, acknowledging his trespasses (Job vii. 20; Ps. xxxii. 5; Ji. 3; Isa. lix. 12; Ezek. ix. 6; Dan, ix. 6); (2) submission, owning the just judgment of God upon himself and his people, without which no repentance can be sincere (Ezek. ix. 13; Ps. Ii. 4; Dan. ix. 7); (3) supplication, entreating J ehovah's favour and for- giveness, and in proof thereof restoration to his land and kingdom ( compare Manasseh's prayer in the Apocrypha). III. ITs CONSEQUENT FRUITS. 1. .Acceptance. Jehovah" was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom" (ver. 13). So God still listens to the cries of sincere penitents when they call upon him for forgiveness and salvation, for emancipation from the condemnation of the Law and the enslaving yoke of sin (Job xxxiii. 27, 28; Isa. Iv. 6, 7; lvii.15; Jer. iii.12-14; Luke xviii. 14; Jas. iv. 8). '!'hat Manasseh should have been restored to his throne and kingdom harmonized well with the mild character of Esarhaddon, who appears from the monuments to have accorded similar treatment to a son of Merodach-Baladan, and to an Aramiean chief of the Gambalu, both of whom on submitting to his authority were forgiven and reinstated in their former positions (Rawlinson,' Egypt and Babylon,' pp. 27, 28). Like clemency was extended by Assur-bani-pal to the King of Arvad's Yakinlu's sons, who, on kissing the great king's feet after their father's death, were favourably received-Azibahal the eldest being appointed to the kingdom of Arvad, and the others presented with clothing of linen and bracelets of gold (' Records,' etc., i. 69). Tammaritu King of Elam likewise experienced the great king's favour on making hum hie submission and acknowledgment of his offence (ibid., p. 78). 2. Illumination. "Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah he was God" (ver. 13). (1) 'l'he discovery Manasseh made was true even before he made it, at the very time when he thought it to be false. That Jehovah alone was God had been distinctly claimed by Jehovah himself (Exod. ix. 14; xx. 3), by Moses (Deut. iv. 35), by Hannah (1 Sam. ii. 2), by David (2 Sam. vii. 22), by 12.olomon (1 Kings viii. 23, 60), and by Isaiah (xlv. 5, 6, 21). So the fact that men may sometimes say or think there is no God (Ps. xiv. 1) does not prove that there is none. (2) The ignorance of this sublime truth of the unity aud soleity of Jehovah lay at the basis of Manasseh's devotion to idolatry. So the" Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minds . . . through the ignorance that is in them" (Eph. iv. 17, 18). (3) Manasseh's apprehension of this truth was rather the result than the cause of his repentance. Manasseh turned to God when in distress out of a seuse of sin, with an earnest desire after mercy, and (it may be assumed) with a sincere resolu- tion after new obedience. It is not certain that at that stage he realized the theological fact that Jehovah alone was God. This dawned on him first, it would seem, in all its clearness when, in answer to his pre.yer, he became a conscious recipient of the Divine mercy. His experience in dealiug with Jehovah-so different from that he had been acquainted with in serving idols-convinced him that these were nothing, and th,,t Jehovah alone was God; and the discovery of this truth rendered his relapse iuto idolatry impossible. So men never clearly know God till they become participants of his mercy. B. Reformation. "He took away the strange gods, e.nd the idol out of the house of 412 THE SECOND BOO]{ OF THE CHRONICLES. tou. xxxm. t-2tl,
the Lord (ver. 7), and all the altars that he bad built in the mount of the house of the Lord, . . . and cest them out of the city" (ver.15). Compare the earlier reformations of Joash (eh. xxiii. 17), and HezekiRh (eh. xxxi. 1), and the later of Josiah (eh. xxxiv. 3, 4). So in every case of true conversion there must be a putting away of known sin (Isa.\· 16; Iv. 7; Matt. iii. 8). 4. Sepai-ation .. The people continued ~o sacrifice on the high places, though only nnto the Lord thmr God (ver. 17). On their part it was e. compromise. Willing to advance half-way on the path of reformation, they wonld not mitke a clean l'everance between themselves and idolatry. Manasseh did not RO, 5. Oonsecratfon. " He repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings" (ver. 16). So far as he himself was concerned, he was done with the high places; and his regal authority, backed up by his personal example, he faithfully employed to induce his subjects to have done with them also. LESSONS. 1. The benefits and design of affliction. 2. The value and use of prayer. 3. The graciousness of God towards penitents. 4. The marvellous illumination that comes with the new life. 5. The certainty that holiness will flow from a personal experience of mercy. 6. The intermixture of imperfection with the best services of 11&ints.-W.