Third scholar, ver. 17.-" Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them."

Teacher.-You see there was no Jehoiada standing behind the throne, to whisper into the young king's ear, My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not." Jehoiada was now dead, and what think you would have been his wisest course, when these flatterers came around and tried to beguile him unto idolatry?

Second scholar.-To have prayed.

Teacher. And where shall we find a prayer which would have suited so perilous a situation? Let us look into the 51st Psalm, and the latter part of the 12th verse.

Third scholar." Uphold me with thy free spirit." Teacher. And what prayer is there, very frequently used in our days, which would have suited such a case still better?

Fourth scholar." Lead us not into temptation." Teacher.-Yes, take heed, my boys, the next time an evil companion comes and whispers into your ear some scheme of sin, some plan of sabbathbreaking, or play-going, or thieving. Though Jehoiada will not be near you, Jehoiada's God will; and the only safeguard against falling is, His preserving grace. Remember the prayer, "Lead us not into temptation." You remember

the account of the pilgrims, as related in Pilgrim's Progress, going through Vanity Fair, as they went down the long row of stalls, they cared not so much as to look upon them. And if the keepers of the stalls called upon them to buy, they would put their fingers in their ears and cry, "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity," and look upwards, signifying that their trade and traffic was in heaven. Mark how they acted in temptation. But what does Joash do?

Fourth scholar.-It says he hearkened.
Teacher.-Yes, and then?

Fifth scholar, ver. 18.-" And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem, for this their trespass."

Teacher.-Yes; and now if you turn to the account of the first sin, 3rd chap. Genesis, verse 1-5, you will find what it arose from.

Sixth scholar.-"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die."

It was through listening to the devil.

Teacher. So it ever is; first a sinner listens, and then he falls. If the ears are open, sin will find a passage through the ears into the heart; and if the eyes are open (as in David's case,) sin will even enter into the heart through the eyes. "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Observe the conduct of Joash,-the light is fast sliding:- -watch its course a little farther.

What is the first open sin into which Joash falls?

Third scholar.-Idolatry.

Teacher.-Idolatry would appear to be the sin which he was least likely to commit; can you tell me why?

No answer.

Teacher.-In the year 1806, Henry Martyn went to India, to persuade Hindoos to leave off murdering their children, to cease bowing down to gold and silver images, and to begin to worship the only true God; and in the year 1814, Samuel Marsden sailed to the other side of the world, just beneath our feet, to teach New Zealanders to turn from their fierce wars and idol worship, and embrace the religion of Jesus Christ. Now, what sin, of all sins, would you have been most surprised to have heard that Henry Martyn and Samuel Marsden had fallen into?

No answer.

Teacher. Suppose an English captain coming from India, had said that Henry Martyn had become an idolater, should you not have wondered? Boys.-Yes.

Teacher. And why?

First scholar.-Because he went abroad to teach that idolatry is wrong.

Teacher.-And now, will you tell me why it is more strange that Joash should have fallen into this sin than into any other?

Boys.-Because he had repaired the house of God, and tried to stop idolatry.

But observe God's

Teacher.-Yes, it was so. mercy; he is slow to anger; he did not at once execute judgment upon this guilty rebel. Read

on.

Second scholar, ver. 19.-" Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord: and they testified against them: but they would not give ear."

Third scholar, ver. 20.-" And the spirit of God came upon Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you."

Teacher. And why did not Joash listen to the voice of God's prophet?

Second scholar.

him not.

Because his friends persuaded

Teacher. I think it very likely. Sometimes you know a little bird will perch upon a bough and sing, close to a mill stream. Passers-by hear the dashing of the water, but the thrush is unnoticed-its notes are drowned in the roar of the torrent. It was so here. The world's roar—its company, its sins, its amusements, drowned the voice of God's prophet. His voice was scarcely heard amid the clamour of Joash's friends. And yet there would be times when Joash would think. When would this be?

Second scholar-At night, perhaps.

Third scholar.-When he was alone.

Teacher.-Yes, possibly it was so. When the palace music was hushed, and the palace windows were closed, and the palace company gone, it may be that the past would rush across the king's mind with frightful reality; but the din of the morning's business, and the racket of the evening's company, would stifle his conscience again, and Zechariah's warning voice would again fall feebly upon his ear. But look at the fearful end!

Fourth scholar, ver. 21.—“ And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the Lord."

Teacher. And now, observe what hearkening has led to?