THE NIGHT OF ISRAEL. 293

and they left them not till they were safely delivered to
their own people. Let us imitate their example.
Marianne. But how can we imitate their example ?
Grandfather. We do not need to go far to seek for
the ignorant, the poor, and the erring. As we ask
mercy for ourselves, let us shew mercy to others.
Pekah, king of Israel, was not the only enemy who
annoyed the king of Judah at this time. Rezin, king
of Syria, smote him: the Edomites had carried some of
the people into captivity, and the Philistines had taken
possession of several cities and villages in the country
of Judah, and dwelt in them themselves. Ahaz, instead
of seeking help from God, sought it from the king of
Assyria, and this unworthy descendant of David and
Solomon called himself the servant and the son of that
heathen monarch. But debasing himself was not
enough: he knew that there was no use in asking a
favor without paying for it, so he emptied the temple
and the palace of the gold and silver that were in them,
and sent a present to Tiglath-pileser. No objection
was made by the king of Assyria to receiving the present,
or to doing what was asked of him. He went up
against the Syrians, took Damascus their capital, and
slew Rezin their king. Yet Ahaz was not the better
of him. _Tiglath-pileser established himself, with his
soldiers, in the land of Judah. They impoverished it—
they were insolent to the king, and vexed him greatly.
So this degenerate prince had little comfort in his allies.
In the kingdom of Israel there were still worse doings.