Ror

JEHU MADE KING.

“ What hast thou to do with peace?” | I punish Ahab for shedding Na-

Then another messenger came to
ask, “Is it peace?” But Jehu an-
swered as before. The watchman
on the tower looked very attentively,
and said to Joram, “'The messen-
gers who went to meet the chariots,
do not return; and the man in the
chariot drives like Jehu, for he is
driving very furiously.” When
Joram heard this, he commanded
his servants to make his chariots
ready, and he and Ahaziah rode to
meet Jehu. When they came near,
Joram cried, “Is it peace?” But
Jehu answered, “What peace can
there be while thy wicked mother
Jezebel is living?” Joram began
to be frightened, and cried out to
his friend Ahaziah. But Ahaziah
could not help Joram now. ‘The
time was come when both these
wicked kings must be punished for
their sins, and none could save them.
Jehu drew his bow with all his
strength, and shot an arrow into
Joram’s heart; and the king fell
down dead in his chariot. This
happened in Jezreel, near the place
where Naboth’s vineyard was, and
where Naboth had been so cruelly
stoned. Then Jehu said, “Take
Joram’s dead body, and throw it
into the field of Naboth; for I re-
member that God said to Ahab,

when Naboth was killed, Here will |

‘a dreadful thing sin is!

 

both’s blood.” So they cast Joram’s
dead body into the field as Jehu
commanded.

Where was Ahaziah ? He did not
live long after his wicked friend’s
death. Jehu smote him in his
chariot; and the wounded king fled
to Megiddo, and died there. ~'This
was the sad end of these two wicked
kings. And why did they die in
this dreadful way? Because they
had sinned against God, and served
idols, and rebelled against His holy
laws. God had not forgotten Ahab’s
sins. He had not forgotten the
murder of Naboth. God cannot
forget sin which is unrepented
of. Ahab had not repented, Jo-
ram had not repented, Jezebel had
not repented; and, therefore, pun-
ishment came upon them all. What
And does
not God punish sin now? Yes;
not, perhaps, as He punished Ahab’s
sins. People may live many years
in wickedness, and die at last quietly
in their beds;—not as Joram and_
Ahaziah did. But has God forgot-
ten theirsin? No; He has written
all in His book of remembrance};
and, if not before, these wicked
people must be punished for their
sins when they die, and be cast away
from God for ever.