268 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

Johnnie. But what good could that do him, grand-
father ?

Grandfather. Tt made the Israelites raise the siege,
for they were shocked at having driven them to such
an extremity.

Marianne. But it was not their fault, grandfather ;
they could not be blamed for it.

Grandfather. True, they could not be blamed for it,
and yet they had caused it. Their conduct in this
teaches us that we ought to alter our line of action, if
by it we have been even the innocent cause of others
having erred.

George. Was there any more war in Elisha’s time ?

Grandfather. There was. The king of Syria pre-
pared an expedition against Israel. He meant to fall
upon them unawares; but, to his surprise, the king of
Israel was made acquainted with all his plans. Not
once only, nor twice, did this happen, but again and again.
The king of Syria was greatly distressed. He called
his people together, and spoke to them thus :—“ Will
ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel ?”
“None, my Lord, O king,” one of his servants replied ;
“but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the
king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bed-
chamber.” So were these heathens obliged to confess
that to the God of Israel all things were known. “Go
and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him,”
said the king, when he was told who was the informer.
When he found out that Elisha was in Dothan, he sent