II. CovETOUSNESS LEADING TO DISCONTENT. "He laid himself down upon his bed, n.nd turned away his face, and would eat no bread." Disappointed of that which he coYeted he couM find no pleasure in that which he already possessed. Show how easily a discontented habit of mind may be formed, aud how it embitters e,erything. Thankfulness, gladness, and hope &.re strangled by this serpent sin. The necessity of watching against the rise of this in our children, III. DISCONTENT LEADING TO EVIL COUNSEL (ver. 7). Ahab was just in the right condition to welcome anything bad. On an ordinary occasion he might have repelled this hideous suggestion. Satan watches hiR opportunity. His temptations are adapted to our age, our social position, our mood of mind. W11at would fail to-day may succeed to-morrow. What the youth would spurn the olcl man may welcome, &c. "\Vatch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.'' It is an evil thing to have a bad counsellor always near you. Let that thought guard llS against unholy associates. IV. EVIL COUNSEL LEADING TO Lms (ver. 10). The fast was a hypocritical device to prepare the minds of the people for the death of N aboth. Its appointment pre• supposed that there was a grievous offence committed by some one, which the community was to mourn. Their suspicions would be ready to fasten on any man who was suddenly and boldly accused by two independent witnesses. The scheme was as subtle as it was sinful. Give examples of the use of deceit and lies in modern life for the purpose of making money, advancing social interests, &c. Show the sinfulness of this. V. Lms LEADING TO MURDER (ver. 13). Not only was Naboth killed, but his children also (2 Kings ix. 26). Hence thd property would revert to the king. It was a cold-blooded murder. Few worse are recorded in history. Seldom is this most heinous crime committed until the way has been paved for it, as here, by lesser sins. Exemplify this. VI. MUBDRR LEADING TO RETRIBUTION. Read Elijah's bold and terrible denun- ciation of the crime on the very soil of the coveted vineyard (vers. 20-24). Retribution may linger long, but it comes at last. In the light of many a startling discoveTy we read the words, " Be sure your sin will find you out.'' CONCLUSION.-" Cle:mse thou me from secret faults: keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins,'' &c.-A. R. Vers. 27-29.-Pantial Penitence. Buch was the effect of Elija.h's mess11ge delivered in the vineya,rd of Ne.both. The fearless courage of the prophet had again asserted itself, and once more the king quailed before his terrible ~ords of denunciation. The subject is the more worthy of study because the deceitfulness of the human heart is here laid bare by " the searcher of hearts.'' li we under- stand Ahab, we shall better understand ourselves. I. THE DECEITFUL NATURE OF Alull's HUMILIATION. We shall show that there was a mixture of the good and evil, of the true and false. 1. It originated in a true message. No phantom of his own brain, no utterance of a false prophet misled Ahab; but the declaration of a man who, as he knew by experience, spoke truly, and spoke for God. He dared not refuse credence to the message, but that his heart was unchanged was shown in his continued hatred to the messenger (1 Kings xviii 17; xxi. 20). In all ages the word of God has been" as a fire," and as e, "hammer" (J er. xxiii. 29). Give examplee. The Ninevites, the Jews at Pentecost, &c. It has "pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe." 2. It asserted it8elf in fasting and tears. These would be natural signs of distress. In themselves they were no evidence of sincerity. It is easier to put on the outward than to experience the inward. There is always danger of letting the visible supersede the invisible, though it is only of value as the honest expres~ion of conviction. Leaves and blossoms may be tied around a dead branch, but that does not make it live. (The perils of Ritualism.) Even under the Old Dispensation this was understood. Samuel said, "To obey is better than sacrince,'' &c. David exclaimed, "Thou desirest not sacrifice," &c. (Psa. li. 16, 17; s00 also Micah vi. 8; Isa. i. 11). Compare the words of our Lord, "Moreover when ye CII, XXI, l-2!'J.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 527
fast, be not o.s the hypocrites, of a sad counteno.nce; for they clisfigure their faces tho.t they me.y e.ppear unto men to fast." 8. It consisted in terror, not in turning'. Ahab we.a thoroughly o.larmed, but ime.gine.tion re.ther than conscience was at work within him. He did not forso.ke his iclols, nor give up No.both's vineyarcl, nor abo.nclon his self-confidence. See next cho.pter, which narrates his dealings with Micaiah. Evidently there was no change of heart or of life; nor had his present feeling any abiding influence. He was like those who o.re alarmed at the thought of hell not at the thought of sin. They shrink from pnnishmcr.t, but not from guilt. 'Examples. The drunkard weeping maudlir. tears over his poverty ; the detected wrong-doer thrown out of employiµent; the sinner who believes himself to be at the point of death, &c. True repentance mn.k.es us feel e.nd act differently towards sin and towards God. II. THE DIVINE NOTICE OF AHAB'S HUMILIATION. 1. It did not escape the Divine search. God looks clown from heaven to see if there were e.ny that do good. Ho rejoices to :find not the evil that must be punished, but the feeble germ!! of good that may be encouraged. (Compare Psa. xiv. 2.) Even such a sinuer as Ahab (ver. 25) we.a not disregarded when he showed the faintest signs of repentance. God would foster them lovingly, as He fosters the seed sown in the warm earth. The prodigal is seen "when yet a great way off." Even the first beginnings of 1·ighteoUEmess were commended by our Lord: "Jesus, beholcling him, loved him,'' &c. 2. It led to the mitigation of the Divine punishment. Ahab's feeling we.s real as far 11,s it went. The postponement of punishment was to give opportunity for more genuine repentance. Had that revealed itself, t.he juclgment w,mld havo been averted. Compare this with our Lord's washing the feet of Judas, though He knew he WlloS about to betray Him. "The goodness of God lee.deth to reprntance." See how ready God is to meet those who may return to Him (Acts ii. 38; Joel ii. 12-14). [NoTE.-We ought to notice and encourage what is right even in those who are not what they should be, commending it whenever it is possible.] 3. It failed to win a reversal of the Divine judgment. A tomporary repent£1uce may be followed by e. temporary reprieve; but final salvo.tion must be preceded by true repentance. If the heart is not turned from sin, it cannot be turned from hell. 11 Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of; but the