enemy, and dreads to receive a message from God. "Yes, replied the prophet," I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord." What a striking expression! "Sold himself to work wickedness." His life was one continued scene of wickedness, just as if he had literally sold himself as a perpetual servant or slave to Satan, to employ all his time and powers in wickedness against God; but mark what follows, "whom Jezebel his wife stirred up." It is a dreadful thing when the nearest relations, instead of being pious and prudent counsellors and help-mates in the ways of God, prove to be indeed the agents of Satan, the exciters and encouragers to every evil work: awful is the guilt, and awful will be the punishment, of all such. Under these denunciations, Ahab discovered some compunc tions of mind, and in some degree humbled himself before the Lord, in consequence of which the infliction of the evil threatened against his house was deferred to the days of his son.

After a peace of three years, hostilities were renewed between Syria and Israel. On this occasion Jehoshaphat the pious king of Judah was drawn into a confederacy with Ahab. Ahab proposed to go up and recover Ramoth-Gilead, a city which the Syrians had taken, and desired the aid of Jehoshaphat in the enterprise. Jehoshaphat had been used to acknowledge God in all his ways, and therefore he desired on this occasion to seek counsel of His prophets. Ahab brought forth the corrupt prophets, who, to

make favour with Jehoshaphat, pretended to prophesy in Jehovah's name, yet both in words and actions uttered lies, to flatter and encourage Ahab in the project on which they saw his heart was set. Jehoshaphat could not feel satisfied, and desired yet another, a prophet of the Lord. To this Ahab reluctantly consented, for, said he, "I hate this Micaiah, for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Wicked men hate faithful reprovers, and sin makes us reckon those our enemies who tell us the truth, for those who speak truth cannot prophesy good to the wicked, while the command of God stands, " Say ye to the righteous, it shall be well with him; but, say ye to the wicked, it shall not be well with him, for he shall eat the fruit of his doings." Micaiah was, however, summoned ; but the lying prophets endeavoured to persuade him to concur with the king's humour and their testimony; but as a true prophet of God he replied, "As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak." Accordingly, he declared that the intended expedition would issue in the death of Ahab, and that a lying spirit seduced him, by means of his false prophets, to his own destruction. The king, enraged, directed that Micaiah should be put in prison until he returned from his expedition in peace; and Micaiah, in presence of all the people, appealed for his prophetic integrity to the event of the battle. If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me.”

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According to the predictions both of Micaiah and

Elijah, Ahab was slain in the battle and buried in Samaria; and when they washed his chariot in the pool of Samaria, the dogs came and licked his blood from it, in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite. 897.-Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah. 1 Kings xxii. 51--53. 2 Kings i. 2 Chron. xx. 35-37.

Ahab was succeeded by Ahaziah, who reigned wickedly, disregarding the awful lessons that had been given him in his father's example: his reign was short, and we have few particulars concerning it. The chief are, that Jehoshaphat made a league with him for purposes of merchandise and traffic, which the Lord disapproved on account of the wickedness of Ahaziah, and the ships were broken, and the enterprize frustrated ;—and the circumstances connected with Ahaziah's death. He fell through a lattice in his upper chamber, and being severely injured sent his servants to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, the issue of his disease. How absurd, to ask this information of an idol! how weak to desire it at all! and how useless and injurious, if it could be obtained! The Bible teaches us all we need wish to know, viz. how to live, so that death may be always welcome. Elijah the prophet of the Lord, being divinely directed, went up to meet the messengers, and said to them, Is it because there is not a God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou