just what we should expect from a murderer and conspirator?

MARY. Yes! he seems to have been very similar in disposition to Hazael, and did the same shocking things.

MAMA. Who first invaded Israel in this reign?

MARY. The king of Assyria, Mama; but Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver, and he turned back.

MAMA. Yes, for a little while, my dear; but you see, in the very same chapter, he came back again, and took a number of cities. These sinful expedients of bribing away invaders (either as Menahem did here, by oppressive taxes on their subjects, or, more criminally still, by robbing God's house of His dedicated treasures, instead of propitiating Him who could alone have defended them), never did the kings who practised them any permanent good. Henceforward Assyria never ceased harassing Israel, till at length it fulfilled God's vengeance, and swept it away altogether. Its monarch is indeed thus addressed by the Lord of Hosts in Isaiah, "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger! I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge; to take the spoil and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets." We shall see this

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threatening ere long dreadfully fulfilled; in the mean time we can gather, from even the sickening record of murders and conspiracies which closes our chapter, that a people so degenerate and distracted were ripe for judgment and captivity. You see the King of Assyria had already begun to carry away the inhabitants of several cities.

Think what a course of iniquity it must have been that provoked God to remove ten of his chosen tribes for ever from the country He himself had given them, and to make them exiles and outcasts (even from their brethren) as they are at this day! When we hear of these sweeping judgments, let us "not be high-minded, but fear;" and lay to heart the warning addressed by St. Paul to the Christians of his day: "If God spared not the natural branches (that is Israel, his own chosen and peculiar vine), take heed lest he also spare not thee !”

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MORNING TWENTY-FOURTH.

LESSON.-2 Kings, Chapter xvi.

MAMA. We have, in this chapter to-day, Mary, and still more strongly in the corresponding chapter of Chronicles, to which we shall have occasion to refer, a confirmation of my yesterday's remark, respecting the impolicy as well as impiety of the compacts with heathen princes, entered into by the kings of Judah and Israel, to purchase temporary security; instead of imploring from the God of their fathers the succour and protection he was ever ready, when thus besought," to afford. That Israel, which had, as we observed, been long "joined to idols," and therefore forsaken of the Lord, should resort to such expedients, is less wonderful; but that the descendants of David, spared and upheld for his very sake, and not entirely forgetful of Jehovah (though they insulted him by setting up rival altars), should in their distress have recourse to "the arm of flesh," might surprise us, did we not consi

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der that such is often the practical impiety of many of the professed servants of God in our own days. We have the same, nay greater encouragement than even the Jews had, to "call upon the Lord, in the day of trouble" or difficulty; yet it is seldom till all else fails,―till the "reed on which we leaned" has pierced us, and " the princes and men's sons," in whom we trusted, have deceived us, and the spiritual enemy whom we bribed with the "things that are God's," has returned with seven other spirits more wicked than himself,” to annoy us; that we at length feel that there is a "lie in our right hand," and "lay our help (where God himself hath laid it) upon One who is mighty to save!" Was Ahaz, the King of Judah, of whom we here read, better or worse than his predecessors ?

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MARY.

Worse, Mama; " he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel."

MAMA. Have you ever thought, Mary, while reading this oft-repeated phrase, what an awful thing it is for a people, or race, or individual, to have their ways" thus sufficient, when barely mentioned, to express all sorts and degrees of desperate wickedness? We never hear now of the "ways" of the kings of Israel, without having idolatry, impiety, and murder, and a whole catalogue of enormities, before us. The reason we

must learn from an Apostle.

They did not choose to retain God in their knowledge, so he gave them over to work all kinds of uncleanness with greediness!"-in short, to what is elsewhere expressed by the awful term, "a reprobate mind." This seems to have been the case with their imitator Ahaz. What was the first special “abomination of the heathen" chargeable upon him?

MARY. "He made his son to pass through the fire."

MAMA. Do you understand the import of these horrible words?

MARY. Not exactly, Mama.

MAMA. Look into the 28th chapter of Chronicles, and see what it says.

MARY. It says, "he burnt his children in the fire." How dreadful! Were they really burnt to death?

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MAMA. Yes, my dear, and in the most shocking manner. The idol to whom these horrible sacrifices were chiefly offered was Moloch," into the arms of whose huge heated brazen figure deluded parents cast their innocent children, while with shouts and the noise of musical instruments their cries were drowned in the ears of men. But they ascended not the less to their "Father who is in Heaven." Let us hear how God says,

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