Ahab, as we have seen, was a man very esaily influenced either to good or evil: when Elijah reproved him, he repented, for the time, of his sins; and, like Herod under the rebukes of John, did many things, which he was commanded, gladly. But when Jezebel was by his side, there was no superstition, no cruelty, no violence, of which he was not capable; and the good advice, which he had received from the prophet, and the good resolutions, which he had made during his presence, were scattered like a morning dream.

This conduct is notoriously common with irresolute sinners; and it springs, in all of them, from too great regard for their present ease or gratification, and from too little attention to past resolutions or to future consequences. And the cure for this is, whenever we are tempted to do that of which our conscience secretly disapproves, first, to consider immediately what our thoughts will one day be on the subject, when we are called to the judgement-seat of Christ, to give an account of our works; and secondly, to endeavour to drive out the fear of present trouble or self-denial, by the far greater and more reasonable terrors of future torment without end.

But further, Ahab, it is evident, was a man completely devoted to his own selfish gratification; and who could not therefore endure to

have his wishes crossed in the smallest trifle. We have seen how he took to his bed in despair, on being refused permission to purchase a garden of herbs for his palace: and there is no doubt, that the envy and evil passions, which he thus indulged, had as natural a tendency to make him wish at least for Naboth's death, if not to murder him, as a drop of rain has, in falling on the ground, to return to the sea, from which it first evaporated. Since, therefore, a love of trifles may lead to such grievous crimes, we shall do wisely often to practise self-denial in small matters; and so to keep our hearts in check by due self-government, and so to occupy our attention with our lawful business, and with acts of piety and charity, as that our self-gratification shall have no room to grow into a weed so formidable as to choak up and overshadow all the better seeds around it. Selfishness is the child of idleness. Had Ahab governed Israel himself, and paid due attention to the business of his station, instead of committing all to Jezebel, he would have had other things to think of, than a new place for his garden of herbs.

Thirdly, it may be worth our notice to consider the manner in which Jezebel begins to persuade him to consent to the means, however wicked, which she might use to obtain for him the object of his desires; it is the

artifice, by which, of all others, a weak and selfish mind is assailable that of persuading him, that others will despise him for his tameness, if he did not, in such affairs, insist on his own way."Dost thou not govern Israel?" If I were king, would I suffer an insolent subject to cross my royal pleasure? Shall Naboth mock his sovereign to his face; and shall not that sovereign dare to revenge himself?

Had Ahab been a wise man, had he been a good or a firm man, he might have answered, "I should not be worthy to govern Israel, if I did not govern my own selfish passions. Verily I will govern Israel; and in governing it, I will govern both myself and thee!" This he might have said; but, instead of this, he took the very surest way to prove that he did not govern Israel, when he gave up, to be revenged on Naboth, his royal seal and royal authority, into the hands of a malicious woman.

But it may be of use to all of us, if we observe, that he, who, in persuading us to adopt any line of behaviour, persuades us by an appeal to our wicked passions, our pride, our resentment, our covetousness,-we may be sure, by that very circumstance, is not our real friend, and is not advising us for our advantage. And if we are desired to act thus, or thus, because a different conduct will appear too weak, too religious, too just, or too gentle, this very argument is a

sufficient reason to examine with greater jealousy the advice which is given, lest it should lead us into some grievous sin.

Fourthly, We may remark, that, though Ahab did not himself contrive or execute the death of Naboth, yet, by taking advantage of this foul murder, and by keeping possession of the vineyard thus acquired, he made the guilt of it as much his own, as if he had, with his own hands, sent the victim of his avarice to the grave. Accordingly, we are bound to restitution of every thing which has not come fairly into our possession; whether it be derived from our own sins, or from the sins of other men ; whether we have ourselves obtained it by deceit, or it have descended to us from a wicked ancestor. Till restitution is made, the ill-gotten property will be a curse on ourselves and on our posterity; and though our sorrow may, like that of Ahab, induce God to indulge us with a little longer time for repentance; yet, if this repentance proceeds no further than the outward signs of grief,- than rending our clothes, and wearing sackcloth, and fasting, and going softly, if we do not put away the accursed thing from us, and give it up to the rightful owner, or to the poor,-the curse of Naboth the Jezreelite will cleave, we may depend on it, to us and to our posterity; till our houses

are like the houses of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and of Ahab the son of Omri.

But lastly,

With Ahab, the root of all his offences lay deeper far, than in this unsteadiness of conduct which I have described. He was a man of no religious principle. He appears, indeed, to have believed in God; but he appears to have cared so little about the matter, that he served Baal, or Ashtaroth, or any other idol, which the bloody superstition of those around him might recommend.

Let it be remembered, then, that he, who does not love God above all things, will never love his brother properly: that, where we are wanting in our obedience to the first commandment, all the rest of the ten are likely to be disregarded. And that no resolutions of repentance or virtue can be availing or constant, which are not laid in faith unfeigned, and in earnest and continued prayer. That God may hear us, and help our endeavours, may He grant for the sake of His dear Son Jesus Christ our Saviour!