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of the victory which was also promised. It is supposed that on this occasion the water miraculously sprang from some of the fountains of the great deep (the ABYSS, which is thought to be in the centre of the earth,) which, like the waters above the firmament, are under the controul and direction of the GREAT CREATOR.

It is observable, that this relief came just at the time of offering the morning sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem. There was in those days a fixed hour of prayer; and it seems to have been the custom of those amongst Gon's faithful people, who were at a distance from the Holy Altar, to present their petitions to the ALMIGH TY at the same hour; by which means they, in a spiritual sense, joined the congregation.

The Moabites knew the valley was a dry one, and as there had not been any rain, they had no thoughts of its being full of water; and as they were not only unjust in their revolt from Israel, but contemners of God's holy religion, they were permitted to deceive themselves to their destruction.

The action of the king of Moab, in sacrificing the eldest son of the king of Moab, fills us with horror*. It is supposed that he did it to obtain the favour of Chemosh, his idol.

SECTION LXVI.

THE CONCLUSION OF THE REIGN OF JEHOSHAPHAT KING OF JUDAH.

From 2 Chronicles, Chap. xx.

Ir came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other besides the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

* See Amos Chap. ii. ver. 1.

Then

Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria, and behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar, which is in En-gedi.

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

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And Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, and said, O LORD GOD of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven; and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen; and in thine hand is not their power might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

and

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? And they dwell therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, If when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then. thou wilt hear and help?

And now behold the children of Ammon, and Moab, and mount Ser, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do ; but our eyes are upon thee.

And

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And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little

ones, their wives and their children.

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Then upon Jahazel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation: And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat. Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed, by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but GoD's.

To-morrow go ye down against them; behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz, and he shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed to-morrow go out against them; for the LORD will be with you.

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

And the Levites of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD GOD of Israel with a loud voice on high.

And they rose early in the morning, and went forth, into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood, and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your Gon, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets,, so shall ye prosper.

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, that should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and Praise the LORD; for his endureth for ever.

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And

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD şet ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir every one helped to destroy another.

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And when Judah came toward the watch-tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and be hold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in ga thering of the spoil: it was so much.

And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah: for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.

Then they returned every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the fore-front of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy: for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies,

And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets, unto the house of the LORD.

And the fear of GOD was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.

So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet for his GoD gave him rest round about.

And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah : he was thirty VOL. III.

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and

and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD.

Howbeit, the high places were not taken away; for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the GOD of their fathers.

Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

Before Jehoshaphat went with Jehoram king of Israel on the expedition against the Moabites, he had taken great pains for the reformation of his own people, and the due administration of justice in his kingdom: and we have reason to believe, that he renewed his attention to these important objects when he returned to Jerusalem, and it is likely, that he expected the usual blessings of peace and prosperity; but he was threatened with a powerful invasion from the Moabites, who in revenge for his assisting Jehoram, had collected a confederate army, and marched within a few miles of his capital before he had notice of their design. Jehoshaphat's conduct on this occasion was truly consistent with his · duty as king of Judah; for he did not begin with warlike preparations, but was solicitous first to secure the favour of GOD by humiliation and prayer. The people readily assembled to join with him, earnestly seeking the aid of the LORD.

The prayer which Jehoshaphat offered up on this

occasion

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