builded an altar there, and called upon the name of his God." Jacob too, after he had been delivered from the expected anger of his brother Esau, bought a parcel of a field, and erected an altar there, which he called El-elohe Israel-God, the God of Israel. The zeal which the Israelites in the wilderness manifested in this cause is declared in the 35th chapter of the book of Exodus-" Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying, Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord, whosoever is of a willing heart let him bring it, an offering of the Lord. And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation; and for all his service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought

bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered, offered an offering of gold unto the Lord. And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, brought them; and all the women that were wise-hearted, did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun both of blue and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses." And such was their devotion in the cause, that builders complained, that "the people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the Lord commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bring

ing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much." Joshua, too, who led the people into the promised land, built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal, and they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace-offerings. We read too in the book of Judges, of Gideon building an altar unto the Lord; and no sooner had the Lord given David rest from all his enemies, than the king said unto Nathan, "See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains ;" and although he was not permitted, on account of his numerous wars, to carry his design into execution, yet his conduct was approved, and God promised that his son. should build him an house: "He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever." When Solomon ascended the throne, he sent to Hiram king of Tyre, "Behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the Lord, as the Lord spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son,

whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name."

We find that, in a succeeding age, Joash was careful to have the temple repaired, and he made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring unto the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness, and that a blessing followed we have abundant proof; and of Hezekiah, it is expressly declared, (xxxi. 21,) "that in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered."

But the time came, when for their wickedness, and the neglect of the worship of the God of their fathers, the children of Israel were carried away captive, and their cities, and even the temple in which they worshipped the God of heaven, was destroyed. They neglected the worship of their God, and he delivered them into the hands of their enemies

round about. "They mocked the messengers of God," says the sacred historian, "and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Then he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword, in the house of the sanctuary; and all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof."

But in due time God heard their supplication and their prayer, and when threescore and ten years were accomplished, Cyrus, king of Persia, the conqueror of Babylon, made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing: "Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, all the kingdoms of