Q04 COMFORT IN TIMES OF SORROW.

Israel attended to the good prophet, ,; Ahaz was pleased to have his people
and said to the soldiers, “ You shall | back again; and the kind princes
not bring the prisoners here. We/| and the good prophet must have
have sinned very much already; do | felt very happy too; for it is always
not let us sin still more.” So the! pleasant to do what is kind, and to
soldiers left the prisoners, and al] | make others happy. The Bible
the riches they had taken, before | tells us to love one another; to be
the princes and the people. Many | kind, and gentle, and forgiving,
of these prisoners were without | “God is love,” and He commands
clothes; and some were very weak | His people to live in love. He hag
and sickly; and all were hungry, | shown wonderful love to us in send-
and wanted food. But the kind | ing His dear Son to die for us, and
princes gave these poor people | “if God so loved us, we ought also
clothes, and shoes, and food, and | to love one another.” 1 John iv 11.
water. Then the princes took those} And Jesus Christ has shown won-
who were weak and sickly, and put | derful love to us in bearing the pun-
them upon asses, and gave them all} ishment of our sins, that we may
they wanted for their journey, and | be saved if we believe in Him.
sent them away. Where were they | Then let us walk in love, “as Christ
going? Home to Judah, to their | hath loved us,and hath given Him-
own country. The princes carried | self for us, an offering and a sacri-
all the prisoners as far as Jericho, | fice toGod.” Hphesians Vv. 2.

and then returned to Samaria. |

 

—r™

 

 

CLXXXIX.
COMFORT IN J IMES OF pPORROW.

HE troubles of Ahaz were) ruin people at last, if they do not
not yet ended. Many) repent, and turn away from it. But
more enemies came to); Ahaz did not repent, and turn from
fight against him, and his sins. He grew worse and worse.
Judah suffered verymuch.| He took out the holy vessels from

Why was this? The Bible tells us; | God’s house, and cut them in pieces;

because Ahaz “transgressed against | then he made new altars, like the

the Lord.” Punishment must al-| idol altars of Damascus, and offered
ways follow sin. Ahaz, in his trou-| offerings upon them, and burnt in-
ble, did not seek comfort from God. | cense to the gods of Assyria, and

He asked the king of Assyria to; shut up the holy temple of God in

help him, and sacrificed to the gods | Jerusalem.

of Damascus, and said, “ Perhaps} Had the people no good prophets

they will help me.” But Ahaz only | to teach them better? Yes, there

made God more angry by worship- | were many holy men in Judah then.
ping them. “They were the ruin | Hosea, and Micah, and Isaiah, were
of him and of allIsrael.” Sin must | living at this time. These good men