ourselves, and examine carefully that there be not in us an evil heart of unbelief? For although unbelief cannot be punished by men, and is often thought lightly of in the world, we may be sure that it is highly offensive in the sight of God: for what would become of religion without an humble faith in God's Word?

Take care, then, that you never allow yourself to think or speak lightly of what God has said by his prophets or apostles. Remember the punishment of the unbelieving lord of Samaria, for mocking at the words of Elisha.

FIFTY-FOURTH SUNDAY EVENING.

THE HOUSE OF AHAB PUNISHED.

E. MOTHER, you did not tell me the name of that king of Israel who was besieged in Samaria.

M. His name was Jehoram, or Joram; he was one of the sons of Ahab and his wicked queen Jezebel. You will think, perhaps, that after suffering so much, and being so graciously delivered in so extraordinary a manner, that his heart would have been softened and brought to repentance, and that he would no longer have departed from the Lord: but this does not seem to have been the case. We soon after read of his being deprived both of his

crown and of his life. But this is a remarkable part of the history, for now was fully brought to pass that prophecy which was spoken by Elijah against the family of Ahab, at the time that he took the vineyard away from Naboth.

You remember how very wicked Ahab and Jezebel were; you remember how God declared evil against them and their children, by the lips of his prophet. You remember how he told Elijah to anoint Jehu to be king of Israel, and Hazael to be king of Syria, that they might bring upon this impious family the vengeance which he had spoken against them.

I will now try to show you how all these things were brought to pass.

E. Was queen Jezebel alive still?

M. She was, and probably expected no evil: she was the mother, you know, of Jehoram, the reigning king, and as such was most likely treated with great respect by all around her; the punishments which God had declared against her did not at all disturb her peace: she most probably cared not at all about them, not believing in the true God; or she thought that the time was gone by, and that she was now quite safe. Unhappy woman! though she was quite blind to her miserable state, her judgment was fast approaching. But before I speak any more of her, I must tell you how Hazael became king of Syria, and Jehu king of Israel.

Not very long after the siege of Samaria, the prophet Elisha went to Damascus. While he was there, Benhadad, king of Syria, fell sick, and the

physicians of his own country were not able to cure him. One of his servants, however, told him that the great prophet of Israel was in Damascus; that very Elisha who had healed his servant Naaman, and who wrought so many wonderful escapes for the king of Israel before his eyes. Benhadad was

rejoiced, as you may suppose, to hear that one so able to help him was nigh at hand; he hoped that Elisha would raise him up from his sick bed; and he sent Hazael, one of his chief generals, to the man of God to inquire of him, saying, "Shall I recover from this sickness?" Hazael departed, and took with him, by the desire of his master, forty camels loaded with all the good things of Damascus, as presents for the prophet: and he came and stood before him, and said, "Thy son Benhadad, king of Syria, hath sent me to thee, saying, shall I recover of this disease?"

E. What answer did the prophet give him, mother?

M. He told him to tell his master, that he might certainly recover from this sickness, as it was not at all of a dangerous kind; but at the same time, he told Hazael that the Lord had made known to him that the king should surely die. When the prophet had said these words, he fixed his eyes gravely on Hazael, as if he would read the inmost thoughts of his heart, and when he had looked at him for a little while, the man of God wept.

E. What did he weep for?

M. His tears fell for his country, for unhappy Israel: he knew that Hazael was a wicked and

cruel man, and that he was soon to be king of Syria, and to bring great miseries upon the children of Israel he saw beforehand all that was to happen, and when Hazael said to him "Why weepeth my lord?" his answer was, "Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong-holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children against the stones."

Hazael was shocked at the words of the prophet, for he was blind to the wickedness of his own heart, and he said, "Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this thing?" he then thought it impossible that he should ever be guilty of such brutal crimes; but sin is a deceitful thing; if once it is allowed to dwell in the heart, there is no saying into what enormities of wickedness it may some day break forth. Hazael little thought that all he wanted to make true the prophet's words was the power to perform those great acts of cruelty of which he spoke and this power he was soon to possess. The only answer which Elisha made to him was, "The Lord hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria."

And now the wickedness of Hazael began to work in his mind; he departed from Elisha, full of the thought that he was to be the head of that kingdom in which he was now only a servant, and instead of waiting patiently to see how the words of the prophet were, by God's providence, to be brought to pass, he immediately murdered Benhadad his master with his own hand, while he lay still on his sick bed. For he took a thick cloth and dipped

it in water, and spread it on the king's face, so thai he was smothered, and died. Then Hazael reigned in his stead, and became, as we shall soon see, the minister of Divine justice against the family of Ahab. But here I must not forget to tell you, that immediately after Hazael became king of Syria, Jehu was anointed by the prophet Elisha to be king of Israel; being expressly told at the same time, that the Lord had placed him on the throne of Israel, that he might smite the house of his master Ahab, that he might avenge the blood of God's servants the prophets, so many of whom had, as you may remember, been put to death by the order of Jezebel, and that he might cause that wicked queen and the whole house of Ahab to perish.

E. Was Jehoram alive then, mother?

M. He was; and had lately been wounded in a war with Hazael, king of Syria, and had come to Jezreel to be healed of his wounds. And while he still lay sick in that very palace of his father Ahab, which joined the vineyard of Naboth, he was told that Jehu and a great company were approaching the city, driving very furiously.

Now when Jehoram heard this he was greatly alarmed, for he thought that Jehu could not be come there with any good intention. He arose, however, from his sick bed, made ready his chariot, and went to meet Jehu, hoping to come to some peaceable agreement with him; and he met him in the field of Naboth. You remember, Edward, the prophecy which Elijah had spoken to Ahab when he met him in the vineyard of Naboth, just as he