found, representing the kings in their war-chariots, occupied in besieging a town, which show us how well these men understood the nature of war, and what immense riches they possessed.

THE KING HUNTING.-(From Sculptures at Nineveh.)

Such was the town to which Jonah was sent. Suppose that one of you, even the one who has the greatest courage and love for souls, received all of a sudden an order to set out for some great city, or even for some little neighbouring town, and that you had to tell the inhabitants, including rich, and poor,

that in forty days their town would be overthrown; how do you think such a message would be received? Alas, we know but too well how the Holy Bible is received in our land, though it tells of pardon and love, and implores men to be saved. But Jonah's mission offered difficulties of peculiar magnitude; he was to go to a very great distance from his own country, to a cruel and powerful people, full of pride and contempt for strangers, and on his arrival in their capital he was to declare God's judgments on them. Nahum, Amos, and Isaiah had certainly prophesied against Nineveh, but it was from a distance; Jonah had to go into the very midst of their city, and to cry out against them.

And there was another thing which made his work very difficult. Even if we do not allude to the dangers he risked, we must remember that he did not understand perfectly the mercy of God. We know how great was the hesitation that the apostles felt, even after the day of Pentecost, in acknowledging that it was their duty and privilege to go forth and preach to the Gentiles, and that it was to be their joy to see them share in the blessings of salvation. This fact seems strange to us, for we read in Scripture that "all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God," and that "He shall be great unto the

1

1 Isaiah lii. 10.

C

ends of the earth," 1 but evidently the saints of old times did not comprehend the meaning of these words.

Arise," said Jehovah to His prophet; as though He had said, "Do directly what I command thee; do not lose a moment-carry My message quickly."

So we must accustom ourselves to obey God's orders instantly. Satan destroys more souls by delays than by open refusals. You remember the parable of the two sons, one of whom said to his father, who had desired him to work in his vineyard, "I will not go," while the other said, "I go, sir;" and how finally it was the one who delayed who never went, though the other repented and obeyed. There are few persons who say, "I will not listen to God's Word, I will not obey Him;" almost all say, "I will attend to it to-morrow, I will repent by-andby:" they delay, they procrastinate, and so the time passes away. The Holy Spirit says to the sinner, 'Arise;" and the prodigal son in the parable replics, "I will arise, and go to my father;" and he sets off without delay. So David exclaimed, "I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments." 2 And the apostle reminds his brethren of those words of Moses, "To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." 3

We have a very beautiful illustration of prompt

1 Micah v. 5.

2 Psalm cxix. 60.

3 Hebrews iii. 8.

Think of the

obedience in the history of Abraham. command he received. How easily he might have been tempted to reply, "Is it possible that God has really told me to sacrifice Isaac? What! a father kill his son ?-no, it cannot be. I will wait till God explains this order to me; I cannot obey it yet. Besides, it was God Himself who promised me this son, and who told me that his posterity should be blessed and a blessing. Can He wish me to plunge a knife into his heart?" But, instead of thus hesitating, how does Abraham act? He rises "early in the morning;" he sets out to obey God without delay, without even mentioning his intentions to his wife; without looking to the right hand or to the left, and without stopping one moment.

We must, however, return to Jonah, and to the great difficulties of his mission. "Cry against this city, for their wickedness is come up before Me.” They were not ordinary heathens; they were people whose iniquity was at its height; the cry of it had come up before God, as that of Sodom had done long ago; the measure was full, and "wrath had come upon them to the uttermost," as St. Paul afterwards says of the Jews.2 God is patient; but there comes a time when He will wait no longer, and this was why He once said to Abraham, "The iniquity of the 1 Genesis xviii. 20, 21.

2 1 Thess. ii. 16.

Amorites is not yet full." We have, in this instance, a fresh proof of His patience and long-suffering: He sent a prophet two hundred and fifty leagues from his people to preach repentance to a heathen city; and what does He say on the subject? "The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here." There is only one way of being saved, and that is faith: but if men are to believe, the truth must be preached to them; and so, though the prophets of old were specially sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, still God sometimes sent them to carry the word of salvation to strange nations. But poor Jonah had not courage to carry out this great mission it startled him; he drew back, he hesitated; and so he became unhappy, though he was a truly good man, as you will see as we proceed. He yielded to temptation, and then he could no longer remain in the midst of objects which recalled to him his neglected duties and his cowardice. He wished to flee from his conscience, and to distract his mind. by travelling in other countries, an expedient which many try who have no true peace in their hearts. Jonah wished to flee from himself and from God. Unhappy Jonah!