September 11

And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber, that was in Samaria, and was sick. - 2 Kings 1:2.

THE Bible abounds with biography. We do not, indeed, meet with many full-length likenesses, but we have many sketches of characters which enable us to distinguish them, accompanied with facts the most interesting, instructive, and profitable. The Scripture not only encourages, but warns; not only records good examples, but evil; and he who said, “Remember Lot’s wife,” calls upon us this morning to remember Ahaziah. Ahaziah was the son of Ahab and Jezebel. Where both parents are wicked, and notoriously wicked, as in this case, what depravity may be looked for from their united example, authority, and influence! “One sinner destroyeth much good;” and although his course was short-for he filled the throne of Israel only two years, but during these two years what guilt did he contract, and what misery did he produce!-we have here his affliction. This was two-fold. First, national. Moab, who had been tributary to the king of Israel, now rebelled against him, and thus his revenue was curtailed. And, secondly, personal; “he fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber, that was in Samaria.”

To how many evils are we exposed! How much do we owe to the providence of God as the preserver of men! There are many who think they are only in danger when they travel by land or by water, in winds, or tempests, or in hurricanes; but we are daily and hourly, yea we are always in danger, when we are walking in our gardens, and in danger even when we are walking in the rooms of our dwellings. His affliction was the result of accident, that is, as to the sufferer himself; but “shall there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it.” Though his providence is never to be blamed, it is always to be owned and acknowledged; and of every affliction we may say, as our Saviour did to Pilate, “Thou couldst have no power at all against me, unless it were given thee from above.”

He was also sick, but whether from the fall and the fright, which was probable, or whether it was an addition to the accident, cannot be determined; but he was sick. Afflictions seldom come alone. The clouds return after the rain. But as God “doth not willingly afflict, nor grieve the children of men,” why is this? He himself asks the question: “Why should ye be stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more.” “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” And we often speak as if they were peculiar to the righteous, whereas Paul says to the Corinthians, “There has no temptation befallen you but such as are common to men.”

Yea, there are some troubles and sufferings from which religion secures its possessors. Though afflictions be the effect of sin, according to Isaiah, “they are the fruit to take away sin,” they are designed for our profit. Yet they could do little of themselves. When they find principles in us, they can actuate those principles, but they cannot produce them. Seed, sun, and showers may cause vegetation, but where nothing is sown nothing can be brought forth. It is well when chastening and teaching go together. As David says: “Happy is the man whom the Lord chastens, and teaches him out of his law,” and which was his own experience; “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.” But how seldom is this the case! How many there are concerning whom we exclaim with Jeremiah, “Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved. Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return.” And this was the case with Ahaziah under all his complicated afflictions; on his bed of languor and pain he is devising mischief, and seeking to work wickedness.