that thoy might bo partrikers of his holiness (Lam. iii. 33; Heh. xii. 10). Jn the case of sriints H hns this for its primary end (Heh. xii. 11); but even in the cnse of sinners this end is not neglected or overlooked. Calamity may fall on them directly as punish- ment; yet it always aims at their arrestment, reformation, and conversion. 2. Ie frequently succeeds when every other means of improvement fails. In the case of Manasseh nothing uppeared potent enough to arre11t him on his mad career-not the momory of his good father or of his pious mother, not the infinite folly of the idolatries he was keeping up, not the shame in which his immoralities involved him before the people, not the blood of his innocent victims, not the mourning and lamentation of his bereaved subjects, not the feelings of his own parental bosom, not the reproofs of Jehovah's prophets, not the terrors of bis own conscience. Not until God put a hook into his nose and led him off to captivity in Babylon did be pause and begin to reflect on bis wickedness. And the same function is performed by affliction yet. God frequently employs it to pull up those whom he perceives rushing headlong to perdition, when other and milder methods have been used in vain. Ill, A SPLENDID ILLUSTRATION OF THE FREENESS AND THE POWER.OF DIVINE GRACE. 1. The 6teps of Manasseh's recovery. (1) Penitence. He was awakened to a sense of bis by-past ungodly career, and filled with sincere and heartfelt contrition on its account. (2) Prayer. He was moved to cry for mercy from that God against whom he bad offended. (3) Pardon. 'l'he Lord was entreated of him, and be was forgiven. He was restored to bis kingdom. 2. The ground of Ma1111,sseh's recovery. (1) Certainly not good works in the sense of meritorious actions, because penitence and prayer are both good in the sense of being commanded duties. (2) Solely the grace or loving- kindness of God, which besides was magnified in pardoning so great a transgressor. IV. NECESSARY INSTRUCTION AS TO THE ONLY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF CONVER- SION AND SALVATION. 1. fllumination. "Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God." This was true all the same, whether Manasseh knew it or not, and all the while Manasseh was doing bis best by the worship of idols to show that be believed the opposite. That which convinced him of bis error was his experience of the Divine clemency. Whereas bis service of idols had not been able to prevent his deportation to Babylon, no sooner had be transferred his allegiance to Jehovah than bis captivity was ended. This sufficed to draw the veil from Manasseh's eyes. So men never re:llly come to know God till they have been made partakers of his mercy in Christ. That which renders nugatory and worthless much of present-day objection to God and Christ, the Bible and the gospel, is that it commonly proceeds from them that know neither the one nor the other. 2. Reformation. Manasseh's conversiou was authenticated by change of behaviour as well as change of mind. He took away the foreign gods out of the house of the Lord, and removed from both the temple and the city all the altar!! he bad built for their worship. He repaired also the altar of the Lord, and com- manded his subjects to serve the Lord God of Israel only. So in all cases of true con- version there must be the putting away of every known sin, the consecration of every individual power, and the performance of every known duty.-W. Vera. 21-25.-Manasseh and Amon-father and son: a parallel and a contrast. I. MANASSEH AND AMON RESEMBLED EACH OTHER. Both were: 1. Men. No higher dignity attainable on earth than that of manhood ; higher than any purely temporal or social distinction is that of having been made in the Diviue image. 2. Kings. Though often desecrated and abused, the position of a sovereign is one of great honour and responsibility. As vicegerents of Jehovah, the theocratic potentates of Israel and Judah stood upon the highest possible pinnacle of kingly renown. 3. Idolaters. Amon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his father (ver. 22). "Like father, like son," is the common experience-the exceptions only proving the rule. 4. Sufferers. Manasseh taken captive by Esarhaddon or Assur- bani-pal; Amon conspired against and killed by his own servants. II. MANASSEH AND AMON DIFFERED FROM EACH OTHER. They contrasted in : 1. Names. Manasseh was so called (probably, at least) after an Israelitish tribe (see homiletics on vers. 1-20); Amon was named after an Egyptian god. 'l'he first was most likely traceable to Hezekiah's piety; the second due to Manasseh's impiety, ~- ~,cigns. Ma!lasseh ruled Judah for fil'ty-fivo years; Amou fol' two. God determinell 4.14 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [ea. xxxrv. 1-83.
to nRtions nnd ind)vidnnls, to king~ nnd subject~, the bounds of their habitntions nnd t,he length of their days (Acts xvii. 26). 3. Careers. Mana,sseh repented, turned to Jehovah, and liven; Amon died R.S he had lived, an insensate idolater and hardoued transgressor. 4. Ends. Manasseh died a natural, Amon a violent death. Learn (1) the resemblances and (2) the differences which exist between man i.nd man, in the home, in the world, in the Church.-W.