The Two Bears, and Other Sermons for Children

He went up from thcDce unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him. Go up, thou bald head, go up, thou bald head.

“And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.” — 2 Kings ii. 23, 24.

DEAR Children, — Did you ever see a bear? Perhaps not. There are no bears wild in this country now. There are some kept fastened up in wild-beast shows, or carried about in cages. But there are none loose in the woods and fields. So perhaps you never saw a bear. A bear is a large, shag, ^a.N^^t^^^^^’^^^^ with great teeth and claws, and very strong. It will kill sheep, and lambs, and calves, and goats, and eat them. When it is very hungry it will attack men, women, or children, and tear them to pieces. She-bears that have little cubs are particularly fierce and cruel. How thankful we ought to be, that we can walk about in England without fear of being caught by a bear!

Now I am going to tell you a story about a good man, two bears, and some children. It is a story out of the Bible, and so you may be sure that it is all true. Stories in other books are often only “make-believe,” and tell us things that never really happened. Stories out of the Bible, you must always remember, are true every word. Never forget that!

Once on a time, about twenty-seven hundred years ago, there lived a good man whose name was Elisha He was at first servant to a famous prophet of God named Elijah. After Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire, Elisha was appointed tp be prophet in his place.

From that time to his death he was a very great and a very useful man. He did many miracles. He used to go up and down the land of Israel, teaching people how to serve God, and reproving sinners. In some places he kept up schools, called “schools of the prophets.” In this way he became famous all over the country. All people knew Elisha, and all good people loved him.

One day, not long after Elijah had been taken up to heaven, Elisha went to a place called Bethel, where there was a school. I dare say he went to see how the school was getting on, and whether it was doing any good. All schools need looking after and examining; and it does them good to be examined. It is only bad boys and girls who dislike being asked what they have learned.

Now as this good old man Elisha got near Bethel, a very sad thing happened. A great number of little children came out of the town, and behaved extremely ill. They began to mock Elisha, and called Yimkx TL-axsi^. »s5^^»^ of respecting him, and bowing to him, like good children, they made game of him, and said silly things. — “Go up, thou bald head,” they cried, “go up, thou bald head.” — They called him “bald head,” I have no doubt, because the good prophet was bald with age, and had no hair on his head. — They said, “Go up,” I suspect, because his master Elijah had lately gone up to heaven, as everybody knew. And they meant that Elisha had better go away after his master, and not trouble them any more with his teaching. It was as much as saying, “Be off and begone! It is high time for you to go up, as well as your master.”

Just think for a moment how wicked these children were 1 They lived in a town where they might have learned better things. There was a school of prophets at Bethel. But I am afraid they had not used their opportunities, and had loved play better than lessons. — They had no business to mock at Elisha, and treat him so Ifsdljr. He had done them no harm, and had never been unkind to them. He was a good man, and one who was their best friend. — Above all, they ought not to have said, “Go up, and get away.” They ought rather to have saidp “Stay with us, and teach us the way to heaven.” — Truly it is sad to see to what lengths of wickedness even little children may go. It is sad to see how corrupt boys and girls may become, and what naughty things they will say, even when they live close to a school!

But what did Elisha do when these children behaved so ill? We are told that he “turned back and looked on them” with sorrow and displeasure. They had probably often done the same” thing before. It had become a habit with them which could not be cured. The time had come when they must be punished. And then we are told that “he cursed them in the name of the Lord.” That does not mean, you may be sure, that Elisha flew into a passion, and swore at the children, as some bad old men might have done. He wa“a ivo. !clfc lsaxx.^ that! It only means that he solemnly pronounced God*s anger and displeasure against them. He gravely told them, “in the name of the Lord,” that God would certainly punish them, and that it was his duty as God’s servant to say so. No, indeed! Elisha did not speak in passion or ill-temper. The Judge at the Assizes is not angry with the prisoner when he sentences him to be put in prison. When Elisha pronounced God’s curse on these wicked children, he did it as God’s appointed servant, firmly and faithfully, but in sorrow. God told him no doubt what to do, and like an obedient servant, he did it.

And what happened as soon as Elisha had spoken? At once there came forth out of a wood close by, two she-bears, which rushed upon these wicked children, tearing and killing all they caught. — Think what an awful surprise that must have been! How dreadfully frightened these children must have felt! What running, and. screaming, and tumbling over one another, and crying for help, there must have been! How sorry and ashamed of themselves they must have felt! But with many it was too late. Before they could get within the walls of Bethel the bears had caught and killed no less than forty-two little children. Forty and two little boys and girls that night never came home to Bethel alive. Forty and two little suppers were not eaten! Forty and two little beds were not slept in! Forty and two little funerals took place next day! Many children, I cannot help hoping, got home safe, and were not hurt But I am sure they would never forget what they had seen. They would remember the two bears as long as they lived.

Now, dear children, this is a sad story. But it is a very useful and instructive one. Like everything else in the Bible, it was written for your good. It teaches lessons which boys and girls ought never to forget. Let me tell you what those lessons are.

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