THE MOABITES

escape. ‘They could not run away,
nor defend themselves. They saw
that God honored Elisha; and they
felt how wicked they had been; but
it was too late to ask for forgiveness
now. There was no time to run to
Elisha, and tell him how sorry they
were, and ask him to pray to God
to forgive and spare them.

God looks upon children now.
He knows who try to love Him,
and who despise Him, and do not
care for holy people and holy things;
and He dose not love those who for-
get Him; His blessing is not upon

 

CONQUERED. R227

| them; they cannot have His smile,

and His love. Perhaps He may
soon strike them dead in their
wickedness, before they grow up to
be men and women. Perhaps they
may die in some dreadful way, with-
out having time to repent and turn
to God. He is willing to save them,
if they will come to Him. Jesus
says, “I love them that love me,
and they that seek me early shall
find me.” Proverds vill. 17. “Suffer
the little children to come unto
me” Luke xviii. 16.

iN

 

CLVIIL.

THE MoasiteEs PONQUERED.

ORAM, who was king of
Israel now, was a very
wicked man. He was
like his father Ahab, and
his mother Jezebel, and
his brother Ahaziah. The king of
Moab rebelled against Joram; s0
Joram went to tight against him,
and asked Jehoshaphat to go too.
Jehoshaphat, had done wrong be-
fore when he helped Ahab, and now
he did wrong again; for he said to
Joram, “I will go with thee.” The
Bible says, “If sinners entice thee,
consent thou not.” Proverbs 1. 10.
God’s people ought not to love the
company of the wicked. We may
be kind to them, and pray for them,
and try to do them good; but we
must not be too often with them.
Perhaps they may tempt us to for-
get God, and to love the world and
sin. We ought to try always to be
with good people, who will teach us
what is right. Jehoshaphat was a

 

 

weak man; and he forgot to ask
God to give him strength to resist
temptation.

Joram, and Jehoshaphat, and
their armies, began their journey,
and came into the wilderness of
Edom. But there was no water for
them in the wilderness; and soon
they all began to suffer from thirst
very much, and Joram said, “ We
are come here to fall into the hands
of the king of Moab!” Joram had
no friend to comfort him in his sor-
row: but Jehoshaphat remembered
that he had a friend in Heaven who
could help him in all his troubles.
Jehoshaphat truly loved God; and
now he remembered his sin, and
asked for pardon. And then Je-
hoshaphat gave very good advice to
wicked Joram. He said, “ Let us
ask one of God’s prophets what we
must do. God can help us in our
trouble.” One of Joram’s servants
said, “ Here is Elisha, the servant