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but the Lord has showed me that
Hie shall surely die.” Hazael won-
dered at this message; and he
looked at Elisha, and saw that the
prophet was weeping. Then Hazael
wondered still more, and asked,
“Why weepeth my lord?” Elisha
answered, “Because I know what
evil thou wilt do to my people
Israel, thou wilt destroy their
houses, and kill them with the
sword.” Hazael looked very much
astonished, and said, “ What, can I
do this great thing?” Then Elisha
answered, “The Lord has told me
that thou shalt be king of Syria.”
So Hazael went home to Damascus,
but he did not forget what Elisha
had said. Hazael was a very am-
bitious man. He wanted to be king,
though he had no right to the king-
dom; and God, who knew Hazael’s
heart, knew that very soon he would
make himself king. Hazael, per-
haps, had thought of this a long
while; and now the time was
coming when he could do it. He
went home, and found Ben-hadad
still very ill. The king called Ha-
zael, and asked him, “ What did
Hlisha say?” Then Hazael de-
ceitfully answered, “He told me
that thou shalt surely recover.”
Ben-hadad was pleased to hear this.
He began to think, perhaps, of all
the things he would do when he
was well again; he did not care
now to prepare to die. He did not
know how very near death was; for
Hazael did not tell him all that
Elisha had said. Hazael told Ben-
hadad only half of Elisha’s message,
and kept the rest to himself. All
that day, dreadful thoughts were in

BEN-HADAD’S DEATH.

Hazael’s heart. What were those
thoughts? He was thinking how
he could kill his master, and make
himself king of Syria. When Hazael
began to be ambitious, and to wish
for the kingdom, he did not think
of doing what was so very wicked.
But Hazael did not try to conquer
his sinful ambition, and it grew
stronger and stronger, and, at last,
he was tempted to murder. The
next day, when his master was in
bed and asleep, Hazael took a thick
cloth, and dipped it in water, and
laid it upon Ben-hadad’s face; and
the king was suffocated and died?
Hazael had his wish now; he was
made king of Syria. But could
Hazael be happy? No; he could
not have God’s blessing, and with-
out that none can be happy. Riches,
and possessions, and honors, can-
not give happiness.

Hazael was a very wicked man;
but remember, that our hearts are
like Hazael’s, before they are made
new by God’s Holy Spirit. We are
all, by nature, proud, and ambitious,
and covetous; and if God’s grace
prevent not, Satan may tempt us to
do things as wicked as Hazael did.
Hazael did not at first think of
murdering his master. He began
by being only ambitious and covet-
ous. Little sins will grow greater
and greater, if we do not pray to
God to subdue them. Satan will
tempt us more and more, if we do
not fight against him in God’s
strength. But if we do pray for
help, God promises to give it. He
says, He will “subdue our iniqul-
ties,’ and give us the victory over

sin and Satan.