Lesson II. was industrious, he made him ruler. Rz. I have sinned. p. xxviii. FOR Solomon went after Ashtoreth over all the charge of the house of David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. Ry. And it came to pass. p. xxxv. Lesson III. Α ND the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD GOD of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake. Ry. I took thee. p. xxvii. AN WEDNESDAY. Of the 1st Book of Kings. Lesson I. Chap. ii. ND Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and. Solomon seeing the young man that he Lesson II. AND it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Je rusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: and Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: and he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee. Ry. Thou hast heard. p. xxviii. SOLOMON sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead. R. Hearken. p. xxix. Of the 1st Book of Kings. same, and spake unto Rehoboam, I aying, Thy father made our Toke grievous: Low therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father. and Lis Leary yoke which he paiAND the Loan said unto Ahijah, upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. ky. Prepare. p. xxvi. Lesson II. AND the people departed. And Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman. And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings. king Rehoboam consulted with the old men that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him. Ry. God is the hearer. p. xxvi. Lesson III. AND the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him: and spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, "What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Јевѕе. Ry. The LORD that. p. xxvii. Ry. Saul hath slain. p. xxvii. LORD GOD of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes; but hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back. Ry. Ye mountains. p. xxvii. Lesson III. THEREFORE, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat for the LORD hath spoken it. Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. Ry. I took thee. p. xxvii. SATURDAY. Of the 1st Book of Kings. Lesson I. Chap. xviii. AND Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long_halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be GOD, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD: but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Ry. I have sinned. p. xxviii. Lesson II. LE Ry. Thou hast heard. p. xxviii. AND Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud. R. Hearken. p. xxix. EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. FIRST NOCTurn. Here beginneth the 2nd Book of Kings. Lesson I. Chap. i. THEN Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a GOD in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. Ry. Prepare. p. xxvi. Lesson II. ND Elijah departed. And when A the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back? And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a GOD in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. Ry. God is the hearer. p. xxvi. Lesson III. AND he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of GoD, the king bath said, Come down And Elijah, answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of GoD, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. By, The LORD that. p. xxvii. SECOND NOCTURN. A Sermon of S. Augustine the Bishop. Lesson IV. Sermon 201 on the Seasons. IN the lessons which are read to us in these days, dearly beloved brethren, I have often warned you that we are not to follow the letter that killeth, and forsake the spirit that giveth life. For thus saith the Apostle: The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if we choose to understand no more than the literal meaning, we shall receive small, or rather no edification from the divine lessons. For all the things which are there recited were the type and image of things to come; they were prefigured in the Jews, and, by the grace of GoD, they are fulfilled in us. Ry. Saul hath slain. p. xxvii. Lesson V. THUS, the blessed Elias exhibited a type of our LORD and Saviour. For as Elias suffered persecution from the Jews: so the true Elias, namely, our LORD, was set at nought and rejected by the same Jews. Elias left his nation, and CHRIST left the synagogue, Elias departed into the desert, and CHRIST came into the world. Elias was fed in the desert by the ravens that ministered to him; and CHRIST is refreshed in the desert of this world by the faith of the Gentiles. Ry. Ye mountains. p. xxvii. Lesson VI. FOB those ravens, which, at the command of the LORD ministered to blessed Elias, were types of the Gentile people, wherefore also it is said of the Church of the Gentiles: I am black but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem. How can the Church be called black, but comely? Black by nature, comely by grace. Whence black? Behold, I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin hath my mother conceived me. Whence comely? Thou shalt purge me with shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter hyssop, and I shall be clean; Thou than snow. Rz. vi. I took thee. p. xxvii. MONDAY. Of the 2nd Book of Kings. Lesson I. Chap. ii. AND the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. Ry. Remember. p. xxviii. Lesson II. AND Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be So. Ry. Thou hast heard. p. xxviii. Lesson III. AND it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan. Ry. Hearken. p. xxix. TUESDAY. Of the 2nd Book of Kings. Lesson I. Chap. iii. AND king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses. And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom. So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them. Ry. LORD, if Thy people. p. xxxiv. AND the king of Israel said, Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab. But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah. Ry. And it came to pass. p. xxxv. ND the king of Israel said unto nor see thee. A him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab. And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him. And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand. Ry. I took thee. p. xxvii. WEDNESDAY. Of the 2nd Book of Kings. NOW there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead: and thou knowest that thy servant did |
