Marianne. The shepherd, you know, meant Ahab, and the prophecy said that he was dead, and his people left without a master. Tell on, grandfather; what did Jehoshaphat say?

Grandfather. He said nothing then, for Micaiah spoke again :-"Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him, on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead? And one said in this manner, and another said in that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: Go forth and do so." When Micaiah ceased speaking, Zedekiah the prophet, who had made the horns, rudely attacked him, struck him, and mocked him. Micaiah then foretold of him that when danger came he would be hiding himself in an inner chamber. The king of Israel then gave orders that Micaiah be taken into custody. "Put this fellow in prison," he said " and feed him with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, until I come in peace." Micaiah boldly replied, " If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me." He called on the assembled multitude, too, to take notice of his words. "Hearken, oh people, every one of you." The two kings then, with their armies, marched up to Ramoth-Gilead.

Marianne. Did Jehoshaphat go? He ought not to have gone after he had heard Micaiah's prophecy.

Grandfather. No, he ought not; he was too staunch a friend to the wicked Ahab. From the prophecy delivered by Micaiah we learn two things,-that there are always malicious spirits seeking to persuade us to do wrong, and that those who do not seek direction from God are justly left to the guidance of those evil spirits. Perhaps the prophecy had more effect on Ahab's mind than he chose to confess. At any rate, his courage failed when he drew near the place of danger. He fell on a plan, by means of which he thought the evil would come upon Jehoshaphat, and not upon him. He proposed to that king to enter the battle dressed in his royal robes, while he himself would go disguised.

George. Jehoshaphat would not do that, I think? Grandfather. The king of Judah was not a coward. He made no objection to agreeing to the mean and selfish proposal. Now the king of Syria gave this command to his captains, "Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel." When they saw Jehoshaphat, supposing him to be the king of Israel, they directed all their force against him. Jehoshaphat cried out, not to his enemies for mercy, nor to his friends for assistance, but to his God he cried; and did not cry in vain. Nor did the king of Israel save his life by his stratagem. A bow drawn at a venture smote him between the joints of his harness, and the wound was mortal. But he lived till evening,-lived

long enough to see the Syrians victorious, and long enough to hear the proclamation made, that the Israelites, having lost their master, might now return to their homes in peace.

Marianne. Did Jehoshaphat get home safe after the battle?

Grandfather. Yes; but he was met by a rebuke. Jehu, the prophet, came out to meet him and said, "Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?—therefore is wrath upon thee from the Lord." Jehoshaphat sincerely repented of his error, and endeavoured to do all the good he could to his people.

George. Was there any more war in his reign?

Grandfather. Yes; a foreign enemy came against him; but we must leave the consideration of that event till to-morrow, if we are spared.

Rehoboam did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord. Because of this, misfortunes came upon him,— Knowing this, what ought we to do?

When Asa was returning from the battle against the Ethiopians, the prophet Azariah met him, and spoke to him,-What are we taught by the words of the prophet on this occasion?

What do we learn from the cowardly reply of Ahab to Benhadad's insolent demand?

Benhadad's words were big, but his deeds were small,-What are we shewn by this?

Twenty-seven thousand were killed by the falling of the walls of Aphek after having escaped from battle,What do we learn from their fate?

At the idolatrous court of Ahab and Jezebel, Jehoshaphat openly shewed his reverence for the God of his fathers, and endeavoured to lead the king of Israel to do the same,-What does his example teach us?

From the prophecy delivered by Micaiah, what do we learn?

ELISHA.

"He seems a being who hath known
Communion with his God alone;
On earth by nought but pity's tie,
Detain'd a moment from on high;
One to sublimer worlds allied,
One from all passions purified;
Ev'n now half mingled with the sky,
And all prepared, oh! not to die;
But, like the prophet, to aspire
In heaven's triumphal car of fire."

Mrs HEMANS.

THE day that followed was the day of rest. The rain still continued. While we sat at breakfast George said, "We shall not be going to church to-day, gandfather; what shall we do ?"

Why do you think that we shall not go to church?" grandfather asked.

"Because it is a wet day."

"And is that a reason for staying away from church, George? If a week day happened to be wet and you had no meat in the house for dinner, would you do without any rather than send the servant out in the rain? And no longer ago than yesterday evening, it was your