THE FALL OF JUDAH. 299

The idols they looked on as something between them
and Jehovah. These nations who now inhabited Samaria
were entirely ignorant of the true God, and shewed their
ignorance by speaking of Him as the God of the land.
They sent to tell the king what a grievance the lions
were to them—what terror they kept them in—and
what havock they had done. They said that they
knew these lions had come upon them because they
knew not how to serve the God of the land. They
wished the king to send a priest to teach them to wor-
ship him. Here was a people sunk in debasing idolatry
seeking to be instructed in the truth. Let us learn
from them to value the instruction with which we are
favoured, and try to extend the knowledge of the true God
to those who as yet know Him not. The king of As-
syria, agreeably to the request of his people, sent a cap-
tive priest to teach the Samaritans to worship the God of
Israel. They attended to the teaching, and did homage
to the Lord, but not as to the one living and true God.
They worshipped him along with their own false gods.
It was long before their idolatry was entirely overthrown,
but in the end it was so. Two hundred years after, the
Samaritans no longer worshipped idols. Josephus tells
us that when the Jews were prosperous these people
claimed kindred with them, but they were careful to
deny all connection with them when they were in a low
state.

Marianne. That is very bad, if it is true. Are there
any of these people now ?