of humbly receiving the just punishment of their offence, were stung by it to the madness of making the rash attempt themselves. So Ahab, instead of meekly submitting to the displeasure of God for his late unjustifiable weakness, would brave that displeasure again by an act of equally unjustifiable rashnessin the very temper of a petted and froward child, who, when reproved for doing too little, thinks to show his spirit by instantly doing too much.

Still, however, though in breaking the peace or truce with which he is favoured, and venturing to provoke his perfidious and powerful foe, Ahab is acting without the warrant, nay, against the express warning of the Lord, he is not without his reasons, his plausible reasons, to justify the step proposed.

In the first place, it is in itself an act of patriotism and of piety; at least it looks very like it, and may easily be so represented. "And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is our's, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?" (Ver. 3.) The city unquestionably belonged originally to Israel, and the king of Syria had promised to restore it, along with his other conquests. It lay within the territory of the tribe of Gad. It was a city of the Levites, a city of refuge. It was a possession therefore, an important and indeed sacred possession of the Israelites. What harm, then, is Ahab doing? where is the injustice of his proceedings? Nay, is it not fair, reasonable, honourable, to attempt the recovery of his own and his people's rights? Is he not even consulting the honour of God, in seeking thus zealously the restoration of what is God's? Justice, duty, religion, appear to sanction his purpose.

Secondly, it has received the countenance of a friend. "And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses."-(Ver. 4.) And that friend is not a wicked man, but one fearing God, and acknowledged by God as righteous.

And, thirdly, it has obtained the sanction of four hundred prophets. "Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king."— (Ver. 6.) And these are not prophets of Baal: for his prophets had been lately dishonoured and alınost utterly destroyed, and Ahab could not venture to bring any of them forward before so pious a prince as Jehoshaphat. Ahab is at this time professing a regard to the true religion, and he keeps at his court and about his person many disciples of the schools of the prophets, who themselves hold, or are reputed to hold, the prophetic character. The most complaisant and courteous of their number would doubtless be his counsellors: the boldest, as we know, he imprisoned. Still the approbation of these four hundred prophets, such as they were, might well confirm his resolution.

Looking, then, at the act itself as an act of patriotic and pious zeal, encouraged by the consent of his friend and the concurrence of the prophets, Ahab, we may think, might well be misled. And we might pity and excuse him too, as one misled, did we not see him so willing to be so. Is he not all the while

deceiving himself, and that too almost wilfully, consciously? Is it not the truth-does he not feel it in his secret soul to be the truth-that it is no sincere regard to the honour of his God and the good of his people that actuates him, but pride, vainglory, ambition, and a spirit of impatience under God's rebuke? Is he not aware, that in the enterprise which he contemplates he has no call from Heaven, and no right to reckon on help from on high?-that instead of having any title now to attack his enemy and to recover his lost possession, he should be very grateful if he is not himself attacked, his own life and his people's having been declared to be forfeited? Then as to his friend's consent, has he dealt fairly with that friend? Has he stated to him all the circumstances of the case? And does he not see plainly his friend's desire to conciliate, or fear to offend? Is he not deliberately taking advantage of a good man's weakness? Lastly, as to the prophets, has he no cause to suspect flattery and falsehood? Is he not of free choice preferring their soothing lie to the honest truth? Does he not know that there is one prophet at least whom he dares not consult? And is not this of itself a proof that he is by no means himself satisfied that he is right; that, on the contrary, he feels or fears that he may be doing wrong?

O beware, ye pilgrims in an evil world, ye soldiers in an arduous fight, beware of your own rash wilfulness, of the weakness of compliant friends, and of the flattering counsels of evil men and seducers, who in the last times the last and critical stage of individual experience, as well as of the world's history-are sure to wax worse and worse! There is no design, no device, no desire

of your hearts, which you may not find some specious argument to justify, some friends to countenance, ay, and some prophet too to sanction. You scarcely ever can be tempted to take a single doubtful or dangerous step in life without having some plea of reason or religion to warrant it. It may be a step which God does not require you to take, and which he does not promise to assist you in taking. You may be putting in jeopardy your principles, and risking the very safety of your souls, by rushing needlessly and unwarrantably into the province of the enemy, and braving, or even courting, temptation-challenging, by invasion of its haunts, the seductions of an evil world-provoking the slumbering power of sin, of the very sin to which, by former concessions and compromises, you have given a fearful advantage over you. Ah! but Ah! but you have some good purpose to serve in thus exposing yourself—you have some important end to gain. You have to make up for past neglect; you have to repair past errors ; you have to win back to God some part of what the great adversary has conquered, which still you think might be cleansed and sanctified again; you have to assert Christian freedom and vindicate your superiority over the world, the devil, and the flesh. And you should go a step too far, and venture somewhat imprudently into the very midst of the strongholds of this world's god, you will surely, in consideration of the sincerity of your motives, be forgiven and protected. And then you can get good men, in their complaisance, to go along with you, and even some form, or feeling, or fashion of religion—some spiritual plea of gospel liberty or love-to consecrate the undertaking; and you may seem to have a very good cause, or at

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least a very fair excuse, for venturing, as you do, on the very margin of what is wrong.

Ay, but are you sure that, all this while, there is no guile in your spirit? Is there no consciousness of a selfish aim, no feeling that, in part at least, you are seeking to gratify your own pride and passion, as well as to advance the interests of righteousness?-that, not content with the security and peace which by God's special mercy you might enjoy, through simply believing in Jesus, hiding yourselves in him, and humbly keeping aloof from the evil one-you would risk a nearer encounter with the foe, and trust in your own ability to conquer? Are you not deceiving yourselves, and willing to be deceived? Is there no pious friend, to win whose approval you feel that you would need to state your case falsely, or partially? Is there no sound judgment that you fear to consult?—no eye of searching penetration and keen reproof to which you would not wish the whole purpose of your hearts to be unveiled?-no argument or expostulation to which you would not like to listen?-no prophet of the Lord whom you dare not send for?

-Oh, if there be, let this proof of a bad, or a doubtful cause, startle and alarm you! Doubt, deliberate no more, if you would not be lost. However innocent, however justifiable, the line of conduct in question may be-however plausible the arguments in its favour— however ready the consent of friends-however full the sanction of prophets, be sure it is the beginning of evil, the first step to ruin;-as it was in the case of Ahab.