Chapter I: TOLD you what sort of place a desert is, and how full it is of (3)

SOLOMON'S son was named Rehoboam. He was foolish and hasty; and when his father's wise old men gave him good advice he would not listen to them, but only cared for his young friends, who were as foolish as himself. So when the Israelites came to him to ask him not to be hard upon them, and make them bring him so much corn and so many sheep, the old men told him to answer them kindly and gently, but the young men said he had better be fierce and sharp. So he followed the young men's advice, and made a very unkind answer.

This made them all so angry that they said they would not have him for their king any longer; but they took Jeroboam, a brave strong man of the tribe of Ephraim, and made him their king. Only two tribes still held steady to Rehoboam. These were the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. God left him these, because of the promise that King David's sons should go on sitting on his throne. But ten of the tribes had made Jeroboam their king; so that now there were two kingdoms--a large one called Israel, and a small one called Judah.

This was because Solomon had let his heart turn away from God, and had not taken pains to keep his people holy, but had cared more for riches, and power, and glory. But Jeroboam did not take pains to serve God. He set up two calves, made of gold, for the Israelites to worship, instead of going to the Temple.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Solomon? 2. Who was his son? 3. Whom did Rehoboam like best? 4. What did his people ask? 5. What did the old men advise? 6. What did the young men advise? 7. Whose advice did he take? 8. What answer did he give? 9. What did the Israelites do? 10. Whom did they make their king? 11. How many kingdoms were there? 13. How many tribes made up Israel? 14. Who was king of Judah? 15. Who was king of Israel? 16. Why did not Rehoboam lose all? 17. What had God promised David? 18. Why did Rehoboam lose any? 19. What foolish answer did he make? 20. What idols did he set up?

SECOND READING.

"I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee."--_1 Kings 13:16._

IT is a sad story that you hear to-day. There was a man who was called a prophet, because God spoke to him, and used to send him to declare His will to the people.

Once God called this prophet, and told him to go to a place called Bethel, where the wicked king of Israel, Jeroboam, had set up a golden idol in the shape of a calf, and was teaching the people to pray to it, instead of going to the Temple at Jerusalem to worship. He was to tell the king of his sin, and how his idol should be overthrown and destroyed; and when he had done this, he was to come home at once, by a different way, and neither eat bread nor drink water, but come quickly back.

The prophet went to Bethel, and he spoke God's words to the king boldly; and when the king put out his hand to strike him God struck the hand, so that Jeroboam could not draw it back till the prophet prayed for him. Then Jeroboam felt God's power, and wanted the prophet to come to his palace with him. But the prophet said no; for God had commanded him to go home at once, without eating or drinking in that wicked place. So he set off.

He had so far done well; but before he had gone all the way he grew tired, and he sat down under an oak. It was a great pity that he delayed, for there was a bad man coming after him with a lie upon his lips. This man told the prophet that God had said he was to come back and eat and drink; and I am grieved to say the prophet listened, and turned back.

He ought to have known that God would have told him Himself if he was to go back; but he did not think--he did what pleased himself, not what pleased God; and he went back to feast with this stranger. But God's anger came upon him. When he went back in the evening, a lion came out of the wood and killed him.

The lion did not kill the ass he rode upon, nor tear the body, and the ass did not run away from the lion; but the lion and ass both stood by the dead prophet till--who do you think found him? The very man who had tempted him to do wrong! Must not that have been a terrible sight?

QUESTIONS.

1. What had God told the prophet to do? 2. What had He told him not to do? 3. What was the first wrong thing the prophet did? 4. What harm came of his lingering? 5. How did he disobey? 6. What was his sad end? 7. Who found him lying dead? 8. What were standing by him? 9. Why did he come to this sad death? 10. How did he fall in the way of the wicked man? 11. What is the way to fall in with bad people? 12. Then how should you always go on messages, or to school? 13. Is it enough to mind only half what you are told?

THIRD READING.

"The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth."--_1 Kings 17:14._

IT is very sad to say, but the Israelites went on getting more fond of idols, and would not worship God. They grew so wicked that at last He punished them, to teach them who sent the rain and did them good.

He would not let it rain for three whole years. No rain by day, no dew by night! The corn would not grow, the grass dried up, and all the streams were nothing but stones; so that there was nothing to eat or to drink, and everyone was in sad distress.

There was one good man, a prophet, called Elijah, and God took care of him. He sent him to a lonely place, by the side of a little mountain stream, where there still was water to drink; and every morning and evening there came two ravens, who were sent by God, to bring him bread and flesh. That was a great miracle, or wonder, which God worked to feed His prophet.

In time the brook dried up, and then God sent Elijah to a town called Zarephath. There Elijah saw a poor woman gathering sticks, and he asked her to give him a bit of something to eat. But the poor widow woman said she had nothing for herself and her son but a handful of meal and a little oil, and she was going to make a cake of it, and bake it with a fire of her sticks; and that was the last she could get, so they must die of hunger after they had finished.

But Elijah still told her to make him a little cake first, for he said, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth."

And the woman believed him, and gave him a bit of her last cake. And it was as he said. There was always meal and oil enough to feed them day by day: the widow, and her son, and the prophet, went on living on the meal every day, for God fed them.

At last the child fell sick and died; and his mother grieved for him. But Elijah laid the child on his bed, and prayed to God to have mercy on the widow: and God had mercy. The little child's soul came back, and he was alive again; and Elijah gave him to his mother.

Are not these three great wonders of God's goodness? God does not let us see miracles now, as He did in those times, because we are taught to believe in Him without them. But He still takes care of us. He takes care that if we trust to Him, and pray to Him, we shall have our food every day. And if we are ready to give what we want ourselves away to one who needs it, He will make it up to us, and take care of us all the more. And though no one is brought to life now who has died, yet God often gives us back our friends when they have been very ill; and we know that we shall all rise up from the dead and live with God for ever, at a greater call than Elijah's.

QUESTIONS.

1. What is a miracle? 2. How many miracles have you been hearing of? 3. For whom were they worked? 4. Who worked them? 5. What were the three miracles? 6. Why was it a miracle that the ravens fed Elijah? 7. Why did the ravens bring Elijah the food instead of eating it themselves? 8. What was the next miracle? 9. How came the widow always to have enough? 10. How did she show that she was worthy to have a wonder worked for her? 11. Why was God pleased with her? 12. What more did God do for her son? 13. Who prayed for him? 14. How could you try to be like the good widow? 15. What is the way to be helped? 16. What do you ask God to give you every day?

Twenty-seventh Sunday.

_ELIJAH AND AHAB._

FIRST READING.

"The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God."--_1 Kings 18:39._

YOU heard last Sunday how sadly the Israelites were behaving when they prayed to a golden calf. They had a still worse idol afterwards. His name was Baal; and they wanted to worship him instead of the true God. To-day there is a beautiful chapter that I hardly like to put into my own poor words. Listen to it well in church, and you will hear how wonderful it is.

There were four hundred prophets, as they called themselves, who worshipped Baal, and only one real prophet who worshipped the Lord God. This prophet was named Elijah. He called all the people to a high mountain, and said they should see who was the true God. He said he would build one altar, and that the four hundred prophets should build another; they should each offer a sacrifice, and each should pray to his god, and the God that sent fire to burn the sacrifice would be the true God.

The prophets of Baal tried first. They built their altar and put wood on it, and killed a bullock and cut it up, and they prayed to their god Baal to send fire down. But he was no god--he was nothing at all; and though they cried and shouted, and leaped about, and even cut their own flesh in their rage, not a spark of fire came.

Then Elijah made his sacrifice. And he did a strange thing; for he had water poured all over it, till all the wood was streaming wet--and you know water always put out fire--so how was it ever to be burnt? He even made a trench round, and filled that with water too. Then he knelt down, and prayed that the Lord God in heaven would show His power, and make the people know that no one else was God.

And down from heaven came the fire! It was not stopped by the water! No, it dried that up in a moment, and burnt the wood, and consumed the sacrifice! And all the Israelites fell on their faces, and cried out, "The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God!" For only the Lord God is Almighty, and can do wonders.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who is the prophet we read of to-day? 2. What wicked thing were the Israelites doing? 3. What is the First Commandment? 4. What was the name of the false god? 5. How many prophets were there for Baal? 6. Who only spoke up for the true God? 7. What did Elijah say they would try? 8. How would they know which was the real God? 9. What happened when Baal's people prayed to him? 10. Why did not Baal send them any fire? 11. What did Elijah do to his sacrifice? 12. Whom did he pray to? 13. What came down from heaven? 14. What became of all the water that Elijah had poured out? 15. Why did not the water stop the fire? 16. What did all the people cry out? 17. What word in the Belief means that God can do everything?

SECOND READING.

"A still small voice."--_1 Kings 19:12._

AFTER the Israelites had called out, "The Lord, He is the God!" and owned that Baal was nothing but an idol, God had mercy on them, and sent them rain again; and their famine was over.

But King Ahab's wife, whose name was Jezebel, was a heathen woman, and she would worship Baal, and did not choose to believe in the true God. And she was very angry with Elijah, and sent men out everywhere to put him to death. Elijah was obliged to flee far away for fear of her; and he went out into the wilderness, and sat down under a juniper tree; and there he was so sad, to think that all he had done was of no use, that he requested for himself that he might die, for he could do no more good with these wicked people.

Then he went to sleep; and when he woke an angel was by him, with a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water; and the angel bade him rise and eat, for the journey was too great for him.

It was a great journey, for he was to go all the way to the Mount of God, where God had spoken to Moses. And there he stood in a cave; and a voice came and asked, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" Then he told how the Israelites had forsaken their God, and killed the prophets, and "I, even I only, am left," he said; "and they seek my life to take it away." Then God showed him His wonders.

First a great strong wind came rushing by--but the Lord was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, that broke the rocks in pieces--but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire--but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still small Voice.

Then Elijah wrapped his face in his mantle, and stood in the entrance of the cave, to hear what God would say to him. And God told him he was not all alone, as he thought; for there were many good men still left who had never bowed the knee to Baal, nor deserted the God of their fathers. And God sent him back to return to his work among the people of Israel, and not to think that there was no hope because he could not see it; nor to think he was left alone because he had no friends near him that he could see.

QUESTIONS.

1. How long was there no rain in the land of Israel? 2. Why was there no rain? 3. Who told the Israelites of their wickedness? 4. What wonder showed who was the real God? 5. What did the Israelites cry out? 6. Who was the Israelite king? 7. Who was Ahab's wicked wife? 8. What did she want to do to Elijah? 9. Where did Elijah flee to? 10. Who came to feed him? 11. Where did he go? 12. What had been given on the Mount of God? 13. What was said to Elijah? 14. Why was Elijah so sad?

THIRD READING.

"He laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread."--_1 Kings 21:4._

YOU learn in the Catechism to say, "Thou shalt not covet." Coveting means wishing very much for what we ought not to have; and God tells us not to covet, because all faults begin in bad wishes. Now you shall hear what shocking sin one wish led to.

King Ahab had a grand garden, and he wanted to make it bigger; but the next piece of ground belonged to a poor man named Naboth. Ahab asked Naboth to sell him his ground; but Naboth said it had come to him from his father, and must go to his son, and he could not sell it. Then Ahab coveted, and lay on his bed and would not eat--caring for nothing but the bit of ground he could not get.

Now Ahab had a cruel, wicked wife; and when she saw her husband grieving about Naboth's ground she was determined to get it for him. So she had two very bad men set on to say that poor Naboth had been wicked, and must be put to death.

They bore false witness against him, and broke the Ninth Commandment when they did so; and then, worst of all, this poor innocent man was really put to death for the crime he had never done--and that was murder, which breaks the Sixth Commandment. Then Jezebel called Ahab, and told him he might go and take possession of the ground that he wanted: there was nobody to hinder him. But he never had any pleasure in it.

When he went to it, there stood God's great Prophet Elijah, ready to meet him. And Elijah told him how very angry God was with him and with Jezebel, and that they should be terribly punished for their cruel behavior to this innocent man. Then Ahab was sorry, and wept and grieved for the cruel thing that had been done; but all his sorrow could not bring Naboth back to life again. And oh! how grieved he must have been that he had not kept his wishes in order!--for almost all our faults begin in a wish.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who is the king we hear of to-day? 2. Who is the bad queen? 3. Who is the poor man? 4. What did Ahab want? 5. Why should not Naboth let Ahab have the ground? 6. How did Ahab behave when he could not get the ground? 7. Who said he should have it? 8. How did Jezebel get Naboth put to death? 9. Who met Ahab? 10. What did Elijah tell him? 11. What had Ahab done wrong? 12. What Commandment tells you not to covet? 13. What is coveting? 14. What Commandment tells us not to tell untrue things of other people? 15. Say the Ninth Commandment. 16. What Commandment was broken by putting Naboth to death? 17. How many Commandments were broken?

Twenty-eighth Sunday.

_ELIJAH AND ELISHA._

FIRST READING.

"A certain man drew a bow at a venture."--_1 Kings 22:34._

WHEN Ahab had let Naboth be stoned that he might get his vineyard, the Prophet Elijah said that Ahab would be greatly punished, and that where the dogs licked up Naboth's blood there they would lick up Ahab's; and that cruel Jezebel should be eaten up by dogs, so that no one could say, This is Jezebel.

Some time after, Ahab went out to fight a battle. He was afraid, because his conscience troubled him, and he thought he should be safer if he did not go out to fight dressed like a king, for he knew the enemies would all come and try to kill him if they saw him in his robes. But he dressed only like a common captain, and thought they would take no notice, and he would be safe. He forgot that if the enemy did not know him God knew him, and that God could see it was Ahab just as well in his common dress as in his robes and crown.

So a man drew his bow, not shooting at anybody in particular; but God's will guided the arrow, and it wounded Ahab so badly that he desired to be taken out of the battle, and he died before he could be carried home. His chariot was full of his blood, and his servants washed it in the place where Naboth had been stoned to death; and the wild hungry dogs came and licked up the blood, just as they had licked up Naboth's blood. So you see no hiding could get away from God.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did God say was to happen to Ahab? 2. What was to happen to Jezebel? 3. What did Ahab go out to do? 4. How did he dress himself? 5. Why did not Ahab dress like a king? 6. From whom did he want to hide? 7. But who knew him all the time? 8. How was he wounded? 9. Did the man mean to hit Ahab? 10. How came Ahab to be hit? 11. What was done with him? 12. Where was his chariot washed? 13. What licked up his blood? 14. Who had said the dogs should lick his blood? 15. Why? 16. Why did Ahab let Naboth be killed? 17. Who was angry with Ahab? 18. Can we hide from God's anger?

SECOND READING.

"My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof."--_2 Kings 2:12._

THE time had come when God was about to call away His great Prophet Elijah. And it was not as other men are taken from this earth, by dying and being buried, while their souls go away to the God who gave them. No; Elijah went out and visited all the schools, where young men and boys were being trained to sing God's praise; and Elisha, who was his scholar and his friend, went with him.

When they came to the bank of the river Jordan, Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the waters of the stream with it, and they parted, and left a way for Elijah and Elisha to go over dry-footed. Then Elijah said, "Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee." And Elisha said, "I pray thee, let a double portion of thy Spirit be upon me."

And while they were talking together, there came a great wonder from heaven: a chariot and horses, all bright and glowing like fire; and Elijah was parted from his friend, and went up into heaven upon a whirlwind. Elisha stood watching, crying out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof;" as if he knew not what he said. And Elijah, as he went up, threw down his mantle; and Elisha took it up and went his way, much wondering, and full of awe.

And when he came to the river Jordan, he took the mantle, rolled up, and smote the waters, and they parted again, so that he went through with dry feet. And when the young men in the school of the prophets met him, they saw in his face and manner that the same Spirit which had been on Elijah was on him, and they bowed themselves before him.

Only one other man was ever taken up to heaven without dying, and he was Enoch, who lived before the Flood. Our blessed Lord ascended into Heaven; but He went up, He was not taken, and it was after He had died and risen again.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Elijah? 2. Who was his friend? 3. Where did they go together? 4. How did they get across the river? 5. What did Elisha ask? 6. What appeared to them? 7. What happened to Elijah? 8. What did he let fall? 9. Who was to be prophet in his stead? 10. What did Elisha cry out? 11. What did he do with Elijah's mantle? 12. What other man was taken up like this? 13. When did Enoch live? 14. Who only ascended into heaven?

THIRD READING.

"It is well."--_2 Kings 4:26._

ELISHA was the prophet for Israel instead of Elijah. Now there was a good woman who saw him go by, and she said she would make a little room for him by the wall of her house, and put in a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a lamp, so that he could go and rest there whenever he pleased. When Elisha saw it he was pleased, and told her that if she wished for anything very much he would pray God to give it to her. She answered that she dwelt among her own people, and wanted for nothing. But she had no child; and Elisha prayed for her, and God blessed her for her kindness to His servant, and by-and-by she had a son.

But when he had grown into a boy, he went into the fields with his father to see the harvest, and the heat of the sun struck on his head so that he cried out, "My head, my head!" And his father said, "Carry him to his mother." But she could do him no good; he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

She did not stop to weep; she had her ass saddled, and rode away to seek for the man of God. And by-and-by she met him on the way, and she knelt down before him and held him by his feet. Then he knew how it was, and he bade his servant Gehazi take his staff, and hasten on, and never rest till he had laid it on the child's face. Gehazi did so, but there was no voice nor any answer. So he went back and met his master, and said, "The child is not awaked."

Then Elisha came in, and found the child lying dead on his own bed. Then he stretched himself on the boy, and prayed to God that the soul might come back to the little one. And at last God granted the prayer, and the child's flesh grew warm; and Elisha prayed again, and the child sneezed seven times as his breath came back, and he opened his eyes! Then the mother was called, and the child was given back to her; and she bowed herself to the ground, and gave thanks to God and His prophet.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was prophet instead of Elijah? 2. What had become of Elijah? 3. Who made a room for Elisha? 4. What did she put in it? 5. What joy did God give to her? 6. What great grief? 7. What caused the boy's death? 8. What did his mother do? 9. What order did Elisha give? 10. Could Gehazi do anything? 11. What did Elisha do? 12. How did God show His mercy? 13. How did the mother thank God?

Twenty-ninth Sunday.

_ELISHA'S MIRACLES._

FIRST READING.

"Wash and be clean."--_2 Kings 5:13._

THERE was a poor little girl who was stolen away from her own home in Israel by Syrian soldiers, and carried far from her mother and friends, to be a slave. It must have been very sad and lonely; but God lets nothing happen but for good, and so this poor little captive maid did great good. Her master was named Naaman. He was the captain of the army--brave and strong; but he fell ill of a disease that no doctor could cure, and which would go on getting worse till he would die of it.

The little maid was sorry for him; and though she was all alone in a heathen land, she had not forgotten about God and His prophets, and she told her mistress that at home, in Israel, there was a prophet who could cure her master by God's power.

So Naaman set out in his chariot, and came to the prophet's door. He thought the prophet would come out, and strike his hand over the place, and cure him directly--all the more because he was such a great man. But, instead of that, the prophet sent out word to him that he was to wash seven times in the River Jordan, and he would be well.

This made Naaman very angry. He thought the bathing in Jordan would do no good, and that the prophet made light of him; and he turned and went away in a rage. Then his servants persuaded him. They said, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?"

Naaman was wise enough to listen to them. He did go and wash in the River Jordan, as the prophet bade him; and God gave the water the power to make him quite well again. Then he came back and thanked the prophet, and said he would never pray to any god again but to the One true God, who had healed him.

So you see the little maid did great good to her master, both to his body and his soul, because she was good, and remembered her God, even when she was far away from home.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who is the great captain we hear of to-day? 2. What was the matter with him? 3. Whom did Naaman go to to cure him? 4. From whom did he hear about the prophet? 5. How came the little maid into Naaman's house? 6. Who made the prophet able to cure people? 7. Had Naaman been brought up to worship God? 8. What did he expect the prophet to do to him? 9. What did the prophet tell him to do? 10. Why did he not like this? 11. Who persuaded him to try? 12. What did they say he would have been ready to do? 13. Don't we sometimes wish to do something grand, rather than just what we are told? 14. But what have we got to do? 15. What came of Naaman doing as he was told? 16. To whom did Naaman say he should always pray?

SECOND READING.

"They that be with us are more than they that be with them."--_2 Kings 6:16._

THE great enemies of the kings of Israel were the Syrians, who lived at Damascus; but whenever the Syrians made a plan to come and fight with the Israelites, God made it known to the Prophet Elisha; and he told King Joram, so that the Israelite soldiers were always ready before hand to fight with the Syrians. The king of Syria began to think one of his own men must tell Joram; but they said it was the Prophet Elisha who told the king of Israel what was said in the most secret chamber of the king of Syria. Then the Syrians sent an army of men to take Elisha at Dothan, and kill him.

They came by night, and when Elisha's servant looked out in the morning, he saw horses and chariots all round the place. He was afraid, and cried out "Alas, my master! how shall we do?" But Elisha said to him, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." And he prayed that the young man's eyes might be opened that he might see: and so they were--to see the whole mountain round about full of chariots of fire and horses of fire; many, many more than the Syrians had, and all come to take care of Elisha.

And God made the Syrians unable to see that Elisha was before them, and he led them all the way to Samaria, and put them before King Joram as his prisoners. Joram wanted to put them to death, but Elisha would not let him, and they were all sent safe home, and did not come back as enemies for a long time. And we know that, though we cannot see them, God's angels are still in great armies encamped all round about those who fear Him, to deliver them.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who were the enemies of the kings of Israel? 2. Who always told the plans of the Syrians? 3. How did Elisha know? 4. What did the king of Syria want to do? 5. When did his army come? 6. Who was frightened? 7. What did Elisha say? 8. Who were those who were with them? 9. Who are always round about those who fear God? 10. Why, then, need we never be afraid? 11. What happened to these Syrians? 12. But were they killed? 13. Why not?

THIRD READING.

"This day is a day of good tidings.--_2 Kings 7:9._

IF King Joram had been good he would have had no troubles; but he would let his mother Jezebel worship her false gods, so God sent the Syrians against him again. And they came all round Samaria, and shut it in so close that nobody could get out; and all the food was eaten up, so that even such food as a donkey's head was so dear that hardly anybody could buy it, and everyone was getting starved. Joram was so angry, that he said at last, in his wickedness, he would cut off Elisha's head the next day.

But Elisha said quietly that to-morrow there would be quantities of food in the city, so that it would cost almost nothing. One of the king's lords laughed, and said, "If the Lord should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?" "Thou shalt see it with thine eyes," said Elisha, "but shalt not eat thereof."

Now, that night the Lord made the Syrians hear a great noise, as if an army was coming up to help the Israelites. And they were so frightened, that they all fled away in the night, and left all their tents standing, and their armor in them, and their stores of food.

In the early morning, three poor leprous men, who could not get any food in Samaria, crept down to see if the Syrians would give them anything, or they thought if the Syrians should kill them, that would be better than being starved. But when they came to the camp there was nobody there--no soldiers, no horses, only tents full of rich dresses, and fine armour, and, best of all, plenty of food. The hungry lepers went and ate, and then they thought they ought to go and tell the people in the town that all the Syrians were gone.

So the king sent out to see, two men upon lean, starved horses. They found it was all true, and everybody went rushing out to get food. The king sent the lord who had laughed at Elisha, to stand in the gate to keep order; but the people were so very hungry that they did not mind him, and he was knocked down and trodden upon, and trampled to death: and so it came to pass that he saw the plenty, but did not eat of it, because he had mocked at the word of the Lord.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was king of Israel? 2. Who was prophet? 3. What was the chief town in Israel? 4. Who tried to take it? 5. What was the sad distress in Samaria? 6. What had they to eat? 7. Whose fault was it? 8. But whom did Joram want to punish? 9. What did Elisha promise? 10. Who laughed at him? 11. What did Elisha say? 12. What happened in the night? 13. What became of the Syrians? 14. Who found it out? 15. What did the lepers see? 16. Whom did they tell? 17. What did all the people do? 18. What became of the man who laughed at Elisha? 19. What is it that makes God angry?

Thirtieth Sunday.

_THE RUIN OF AHAB'S HOUSE._

FIRST READING.

"What hast thou to do with peace."--_2 Kings 9:18._

THE Sunday before last you heard how King Ahab was killed in battle, though he had fancied that he could hide from God. His wife, Queen Jezebel, was left; and she had always been worse than he was, and she had brought up her son Joram to be very wicked too. When Joram had reigned as king for twelve years, God told His Prophet Elijah to send a young man to anoint a captain called Jehu to be king instead of Joram. So the young man took some oil, and went to the town where Jehu was, and said, "I have an errand to thee, O captain." Then he poured the oil on Jehu's head, and told him that God made him king of Israel.

The other captains were glad to make Jehu king, and they made him sit on the top of a flight of steps, and blew with their trumpets, and shouted, "Jehu is king." Then they all set out to conquer King Joram.

Joram had his chariot made ready, and went out in it to meet Jehu; but, as soon as they came in sight of one another Jehu shot an arrow, and it struck Joram, so that he sank down in his chariot and died.

Then Jehu went on into the town; and Jezebel thought she would still try to make friends with the people; so, instead of mourning for her son, she painted her face, and put on a headdress, and looked out at a window. Jehu said, "Who is on my side? who?" And some of the servants looked out. He said, "Throw her down." So the servants threw Jezebel out of the window, and her blood sprinkled on Jehu's horses. But he went on, and went into the palace, and was made king, and had a feast.

Then he sent out, and said that he would have Jezebel buried, for she was a king's daughter. However, when his men went out to look for her, they found that the wild dogs that ran about the streets had eaten up every bit of her, so that there was nothing left of her but her skull and her feet, and the palms of her hands.

You remember that God's prophet Elijah, had told Ahab that the dogs should eat Jezebel, because she was so cruel. She worshipped idols, and killed God's prophets, and had poor Naboth put to death that Ahab might have his vineyard. So God punished her. People need not hope that God will not punish what they have done wrong, for He will be quite sure to punish unless they are very sorry, and pray to Him, to pardon them for Jesus Christ's sake.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Ahab? 2. Who was Jezebel? 3. What wicked things had they done? 4. What had the prophet told them? 5. What had become of Ahab? 6. Who was king after Ahab? 7. How long was Joram king? 8. Whom did God choose to punish Jezebel and Joram? 9. Who was sent to tell Jehu? 10. What is anointing? 11. Who did you hear of before who was anointed? 12. What did the other captains do to Jehu? 13. Who came out to meet him? 14. What did Jehu do to Joram? 15. What did Jezebel do? 16. What became of Jezebel? 17. What was left of Jezebel? 18. Why did she come to such a shocking end? 19. What does God do to sinners? 20. Does He always punish them at once? 21. Does he forget? 22. What must be done if we would not be punished?

SECOND READING.

"Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel."--_2 Kings 10:28._

WHEN that fierce soldier, Jehu, was made king, the men of Israel cut off the heads of all Ahab's sons and grandsons, and made them up into two heaps at the city gates; and all the people who worshipped Baal were shut up in his temple, and every one of them killed. It is very sad and terrible; but God had commanded that people who prayed to idols should not live, because they taught the rest of the Israelites to be wicked too. When we hear about it, we must recollect that it is a fearful thing to turn away from serving God, and that He is sure to punish those who will not worship Him.

You are not likely to pray to an idol; but I hope you do say your prayers night and morning, and mind them as you say them. Not saying our prayers, and not going to church, is turning away from God; and it would be very sad and ungrateful to do that, for God has done much more for us than He did for the Israelites, and we know more about Him than they did.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who came to punish them? 2. What was done with the heads of the princes? 3. What was done to the worshippers of Baal? 4. Why were they put to death? 5. What Commandment did these worshippers of Baal break? 6. What is the First Commandment? 7. Whom must we worship? 8. When do we worship Him? 9. Must we go without saying our prayers?

THIRD READING.

"The arrow of the Lord's deliverance."--_2 Kings 13:17._

ELISHA grew to be a very old man, and when at last he fell sick and was near his death, the king of Israel, whose name was Joash, came and kept by his bed-side.

Elisha said, "Open the window eastward;" and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot;" and Joash took his bow and shot an arrow. And Elisha said, "The arrow of the Lord's deliverance." Then he said, "Take the arrows; smite upon the ground."

Joash struck three times on the ground, but he did not go on striking, for he did not think enough of God and His prophet to understand that if he obeyed Elisha God would bless him. So Elisha told him if he had struck many times, he would have had a great many victories over the Syrians, but as he had only struck three times, he would only have three victories. For it is when people begin by obeying in little things that God gives them a great deal.

Then the great Prophet Elisha died, and was buried; and Joash beat the Syrians three times, but no more, because he had not believed and obeyed.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was dying? 2. Who came to see Elisha? 3. What did Elisha tell Joash to do? 4. What did he call the arrow? 5. What did he bid Joash do then? 6. How many times did Joash strike the ground? 7. What ought he to have done? 8. Why did he not? 9. What did Elisha promise him? 10. Why did not he have more victories? 11. If we want to do great things, how must we do little things?

Thirty-first Sunday.

_HEZEKIAH AND JOSIAH._

FIRST READING.

"He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord."--_2 Kings 18:3._

YOU have heard of many bad kings. There is a good king to tell you of at last--good King Hezekiah. He cared for nothing so much as to please God. He would not have any idols, but he cleared them all away, and had the holy Temple all set to rights, and made beautiful as God had commanded; and he had all the services at the Temple at the right times, and used to go and pray there himself constantly. And he did all he could to make his people good too.

But there came a great danger. There was a king of Assyria named Sennacherib, who had quantities of soldiers and horses and chariots, and he used to conquer towns, and carry all the people in them away to live far from home. He thought he would seize Hezekiah and his people in this way, and he did come and do much harm all over the country.

He did not come at once to Jerusalem; but he sent three boasting men, with an army, to stand outside the walls, and call out to the people inside, that Sennacherib was coming to conquer them and carry them away, and that they need not believe their king Hezekiah when he said that God would help them, for no god had ever yet saved a country from Sennacherib.

Hezekiah's people were terribly afraid. Some wanted him to get help from the king of Egypt; but Hezekiah knew that God had forbidden him to have anything to do with the Egyptians. He knew that God could help him, and that the way to be helped was to do just what God told him. So, though Sennacherib had so many men, and he had so few, and the Egyptians had plenty of soldiers and horses, he made sure that God could save him much better than any Egyptian of them all.

Next Sunday morning you will hear what happened.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who is the good king we hear of to-day? 2. What did he clear away? 3. What Commandment did he keep? 4. Where did he go and pray? 5. Who was his enemy? 6. What message did Sennacherib send to the people of Jerusalem? 7. Where did the people want Hezekiah to send for help? 8. Why would not Hezekiah send for help from Egypt? 9. To whom did he trust?

SECOND READING.

"Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: Thou hast made heaven and earth."--_Isaiah 37:16._

HEZEKIAH was king of Jerusalem. He was very good, and always served God and prayed to Him. But a great fierce king named Sennacherib brought an army into his land, and ruined all his towns and villages except Jerusalem, and shut up Hezekiah in his town, so that his people could not dare to come out.

And Sennacherib wrote a letter to tell Hezekiah that it was no use to hope to escape, he was coming to take away the Jews and ruin Jerusalem; and this wicked man even said that Hezekiah need not think that his God would save him, for no nation had ever yet been saved by its gods, so the God of Hezekiah could not help him.

HEZEKIAH'S PRAYER.

In his great distress Hezekiah went up to the Temple, and told God all his trouble. And he said, "Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: Thou hast made heaven and earth." He said he knew the gods of those nations could not save them, for they were no gods, only wood and stone; but he trusted that God would save him and his people, though they were far too weak to defend themselves against this terrible king and his people.

God heard the good king's prayer, and sent him a promise that his enemy should not even come before Jerusalem, nor shoot one arrow at it. And God kept His word. The fierce soldiers of Sennacherib all lay down to sleep one night, but they never woke up again. God sent His angel, with a deadly blast, and all the army that wanted to destroy His people died in one single night.

It was because they and their king had fancied God could not save His people, that they died. And it was because Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and tried to be good and holy, that no one could hurt him. Now try to do like Hezekiah. If you are vexed, or if you are afraid, tell God all about it, and ask Him to help you. And He will be quite sure to hear and help you, if you will only speak to Him and tell Him what is in your heart.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Hezekiah? 2. What kind of king was he? 3. Who wanted to hurt him? 4. What did Sennacherib mean to do? 5. What had he done to other cities? 6. What very wicked thing did Sennacherib say? 7. Where did Hezekiah go in his distress? 8. To whom did he pray? 9. Why did he say the other cities had not been saved by their gods? 10. What commandment tells us not to have gods of wood and stone? 11. What did Hezekiah ask God to do? 12. What did God promise? 13. And what happened to the soldiers of Sennacherib? 14. Who slew them? 15. Why were these people slain? 16. Why was Hezekiah safe? 17. What did he do that he might be saved? 18. How can you do like Hezekiah? 19. What may you tell God about? 20. What will He be sure to hear? 21. And if you pray to Him, what will He do for you?

THIRD READING.

"Like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might."--_2 Kings 23:25._

THERE is one more good king to tell you about, whose name was Josiah. He was great-grandson to good King Hezekiah. The two kings who had come between Josiah's grandfather and father, had both been very bad men. His grandfather repented when he fell into trouble, and God forgave him; but his father never repented, and died in his wickedness when Josiah was only eight years old. But Josiah was very different. He made his people break down their idols, and clear out the Temple of the unholy things they had brought in, and worship God rightly once more.

THE BOOK OF THE LAW OF MOSES.

While they were cleaning out the Temple, they found a book that nobody knew--the Book of the Law of Moses--that is, the first five books in the Bible. All the time of these two bad kings nobody had minded it, or read it; it had been lost, and everyone had forgotten all about it.

When Josiah knew what it was, and that it was the Law that God had spoken to Moses, he made the priests read it to him and all his people. They were very much frightened when they heard it; for they found they were doing all the very things that God had said He would punish them for, and turn them out of their good land.

So Josiah sent to a holy prophetess to ask her whether, if they left off their sins, and were very sorry, and prayed with all their might, God would still forgive them. But God told her to answer that the people had done so wrong, and grown so wicked, that now their punishment must come; but that, as Josiah's heart was tender, and he loved God, it should not happen in his time, and that he should be quietly buried with his fathers. And, after years of goodness, Josiah was killed in a battle, and all his people mourned over him.

But they had not been really good, they only pretended, just to please him, and went back to their wicked ways, in spite of all the pains he had taken with them; and his own sons were as bad as the rest. So the punishment was obliged to come.

What I wish you to mind to-day is how these people lost their Book of the Law for want of attending to it. If you have not got a Bible of your own, I dare say you soon will have one. And then, pray, do not do like these people of Israel. Do not let it lie by till you forget to look at it, and forget what is in it, and then forget even where it is. If you do, you will grow as bad as these people were, and God will be forced to punish you as He was forced to punish them.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was Josiah? 2. How many kings were there between him and Hezekiah? 3. What sort of kings were they? 4. What kind of person was Josiah? 5. How old was he when he began to reign? 6. What did he have cleaned out? 7. What did they find there? 8. Who gave the Law? 9. What was to happen if it was not kept? 10. How had it been lost? 11. What did Josiah cause the priests to do? 12. Why was he frightened? 13. What did he ask? 15. But why did the people deserve to be punished? 16. What did they do as soon as Josiah was dead? 17. What came of forgetting their Bibles? 18. Ought we to forget our Bibles? 19. If we never read them, can we be good? 20. And if we are not good, what must be done to us?

Thirty-second Sunday.

_JEHOIAKIM'S CRUELTY._

FIRST READING.

"I speak unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear."--_Jer. 22:21._

JOSIAH was the last good king. In his time God called Jeremiah, when he was only a young boy about twelve years old, to be His prophet; and all the time Josiah reigned Jeremiah was teaching the people God's will, while Josiah was doing all he could to help them to do right and serve the Lord.