ment of a murder (cf. John viii. 44). "What sllall be given unto tllee, or wllat sllall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?" (Ps. cxx. 3.) Let us take care lest we destroy with our meat one for wllom Christ died (Rom. xiv. 16). Let us remember- " What guilt, what grief may be inou1Ted By one incautious, hasty word." Now let us turn to the MAN OF GoD. Observe- !. The man of God beUeves every word. He was not altogether without exou.se. False prophets were not as plentiful as they afterwaa·ds became. He was unpre- pared for such unblushing deceit. We should probably have done the same. Yet we have had manifold warnings (Matt. vii. 16; xriv. 11.; Acts xx. 29 • 1 John iv. 1 ; 1 Tim. iv. 1, &c.) We have been taught that if "an angel fro~ heaven preach any other gospel unto us,'' it is at our peril we listen (Gal. i. 8). We have been reminded that " Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Cor, :ri. 14). 2. The man of God i.s deceived by lies. It is a fo.vowite device of the enemy, He is the "father of lies" (J olm viii. 44). It was thus he deceived our first parents. That weapon has answered so well that he plies it again and again (cf. 2 Cor. iv. 4; 2 Thess. ii. 11). 3. The man of God goes back to Bethel. This faithful and courageous servant, who had defied the king, who had refused his dainties and rewards, &c., does not endure to the end. "Let him that thinketh he standeth," &c. "Whosoever shall keep the whole law and offend in one point he is guilty of all," because he is guilty of disobedience. "Evil is wrought by want of thought." The commands of God must be kept in their entirety. 4. The man of God is denounced by the prophet. Those who lead us into sin are the first to tax us with it afterwards. The deceiver turns upon his victim. We get scant comfort from companions in sin. "What is that to us ? See thou to that" (Matt. xxvii. 4). 5. The man of God hears his doom in silence. "He was speechless.'' " I be- came dumb and opened not my mouth, for it was thy doing." "Being convicted by their own conscience" (Jolm viii. 9). 6. The man of God dies without mercy. Though a prophet, the teeth of an evil beast avenge his disobedience. Judgment begins at the house of God (1 Pet. iv.17). The teacher shall receive the greater condemnation (James iii. 1). " Many stripes" are for those who knew and did not. "The wages of sin is death." 7. Yet his corpse iB not mangled or dishonoured. It was partly for our admoni- tion that he died. He was ordained to be a sign to that generation. Therefore, though deceived, he was not forsaken. The lion and the ass keep watch over his remains. " Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." "A bone of him shall not be broken." "Let no man move his bones" (2 Kings :uiii. 18). His honourable funeral (cf. Isa. liii. 9; Matt. xxvii. 60) and the respect subse- quently paid him show that he was no castaway. And now that we have considered the prophet of Bethel and the prophet of Judah separated by deceit and death, let us see them for a moment reunited. 1. In their testimony. For to the witness of the man of God against the o.ltar of Bethel was added the unwilling, and therefore powerful, witness of the old pro- phet (ver. 32). Jeroboam has gained nothing by the death of the man who had denounced him and his rites. Though dead, he speaks, and speaks as he could never have done in life. And now "one of themselves, even a prophet of their own," has been constrained to echo and enforce his testimony. The king has now the tesiiwony of two unimpeachable witnesses against his impious proceedings. 2. In their grave. "Lay my bones beside his bones.'' Like Balaam, this old prophet would "die the death of the righteous.'' " Gather not my soul with sin- ners'' (Psa. xxvi. 9) is his cry. "Bit anima mea cwm illo." He will take his chance with the man of God rather than with the king. "I had rather be," says one," with Origen wherever he is than with Justinian and Theodore.wherever they are.'' '' In death they were not divided." 011, XIII, 11-84,] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS.
But how different their lot in life. The deceived dies ; the deceiver lives. The lion which slew the comparatively innocent man of God would not touch the lying prophet. Though old, he is spared to grow older, while the other's sun went down at noon. What an illustration this of the strange confusion of this present life (cf. Pss. lxix., lxxiii., &c.) ; what a proof of e, life to come, where each shall receive his just recompense of reward I To the Jew, suckled in a creed of temporal rewards, &o., this history would present some anxious problems, all of which are clear since our Prophet, Priest, and King " brought life and immortality to light."