KING UZZIAH.

Uzziah did many things in his
kingdom. He built towers, and
digged wells. He had very much
cattle; and a large army of soldiers
to fight his enemies, and shields,
and swords, and spears, and bows.
He made engines for shooting ar-
rows and great stones; and all the
people who lived near wondered
when they heard of his strength,
and riches, and power. All this
was very pleasant to Uzziah; but
his prosperity did him no real
good; it led him away from God.
Like Solomon, he grew forgetful of
God when he grew rich. He be-
came proud of himself, and of his
power, and his greatness; not re-
membering that all he had, God
gave him. Uzziah, in his pride,
thought he might do as he pleased ;
and he went boldly into the temple
of the Lord, to burn incense there.
This was very wrong. The king
was not the right person to burn
incense: it was the business of the
priests alone. When the priests
saw Uzziah going into the holy
place, they followed him, and said,
“Tt is not right for thee, Uzziah, to
burn incense. God has told the
priests, that they alone may burn

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incense; go out of this holy place;
do not disobey the command of
God.” Uzziah was angry with the
priests, and would not attend to
them: but God Himself punished
him for his sin. How did God
punish Uzziah? He smote him
with leprosy while he was in the
temple. The priests looked at the
king while he was standing by the
altar, and saw this dreadful leprosy
rising in his forehead; and then
they quickly took him out of the
temple; for no leper might stay in
that holy place. Uzziah himself
was in haste to go out, when he felt
how God had smitten and dis- °
honored him for his sin. He lived
in a house alone, and was not
allowed to come into the holy
temple. Uzziah had been very
proud; now God humbled him, and
made him feel how weak and help-
less he was. He could not judge
his people himself, nor attend to his
kingdom; his son Jotham did all
for him; and when Uzziah died,
Jotham was made king. Learn
what a sin pride is. Solomon says,

| Pride goeth before destruction,

and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Prov. xvi. 18.