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E. Was that right, mamma?

M. Yes, my love, it was right, you may be sure ; the holy prophet of the Lord would not have stained his hands with blood if he had not been quite sure that he was doing the will of God.

E. Had God then told him to kill them?

M. The Bible does not tell us that he had any command from God at that time, though perhaps he might have had : but we know, that when God first gave his laws to the children of Israel in the wilderness, he particularly desired that all those who taught the people to be idolaters, and thus drew them away from serving the Lord, should be put to death without any pity. And so strict was this law of God, that no true Israelite. could spare even his brother or his wife, or his child, if they tried to lead him away from God; but with his own hand he was obliged to kill even those who were most dear to him upon earth. When we remember this, we shall no longer wonder, when we hear that Elijah put to death, without any mercy, all the prophets of Baal, who had led the people into so much misery and sin.

And here, my love, I must leave off for to-night; we have not time to talk any longer.

E. Just tell me, mamma, whether God sent the people any rain, after they returned to him?

M. Yes, my love. He had kept back the rain as a punishment for their idolatry; but when they turned away from Baal, he quickly showed them that he was as powerful to bless his servants as to punish them. For now. the heaven was again black with clouds and wind; and there was at length a great rain to refresh

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E. I dare say Elijah did not make himself unhappy about that wicked queen's message ; for God had never allowed either Ahab or her to hurt him..

M. I am not surprised that you should think so, my love: after hearing of the wonderful miracles which God had worked on purpose to preserve his servant's life, we expect, of course, to find him always happy, always trusting in the mercy of God. But for once we are disappointed even in Elijah. We are reminded, even from his story, of the solemn truth, which we learned very soon after we began to study the word of God, that the best men that ever lived, the most faithful servants of God, have not been quite free from sin. The nature of man is very far gone from what is holy and good; very much changed from what it was, when he first came from the hand of his Maker ; God then looked round upon all his works, and pronounced them all, even the heart of man, to be “very good.” But we forget the mischief that was done by sin; and when we read of the servants of God in old time, we expect to find them perfect, instead of wondering, as we may well do, that they ever became so holy as they were ; instead of admiring that Divine Grace, by which they gained such great victories over sin, and left us such beautiful examples of faith and goodness.

But we must return to the prophet Elijah. How changed shall we find him from what he has ever been before! The message of Jezebel has filled him with terror. Without waiting to ask God's will concerning him, he flies immediately for safety to Beersheba, in the land of Judah ; and then, going a day's journey into the wilderness, he throws himself down

under a tree, and begs the Lord to take away his life. Where now is all that holy courage which supported him on Mount Carmel? which helped him to stand alone amidst all the prophets of Baal? Where now that boldness in which he could say to the king, “I have not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy father's house?" Where now is the patience with which he staid God's time at the brook Cherith? and that humble, cheerful, thankful spirit, with which he then took his daily bread from the mouths of ravens ?

When we find Elijah weary of life, impatient under his sufferings, and unwilling to trust in God, we learn at once no longer to expect perfect holiness on earth; but to long more and more to be admitted into that blessed world above, where sin can never enter, to keep company with those glorious angels, who are always and unchangeably good.

E. Was the Lord much displeased with Elijah then, mamma?

M. The Lord was very gracious to him, my child. He knew all his love to his name; he saw that his heart was right before him, and that this was only a moment of weakness, of which he would soon be ashamed.

So dear, indeed, to the Lord, was the happiness of his servant Elijah, that he sent an angel to comfort him, and to give him food to eat. Of this he had great need; for, besides having already travelled a great way, he had another very long journey to go still, even unto Horeb, the Mount of God.

E. What! mamma, that same Horeb in the Arabian Desert, where Moses staid so long with God?

M. It was to that very same mountain that Elijah

was now to go. Forty days and forty nights the prophet travelled, supported by the food with which the angel had fed him: and at length he arrived at the mountain of God, and entered a cave, and dwelt there : that very cave, perhaps, where Moses had dwelt before, when he spent forty days and forty nights in the Mount with God.

E. Did God speak to Elijah there, mamma; and did he speak as if he was angry?

M. He spoke to him gently, my love, but so as to show him that he had not been quite pleased with his conduct in flying from the place where he had sent him, and where he had given him work to do. How did Elijah know that there was nothing more to be done for God in Israel? Why did he not enquire of the Lord, before he fled, what he would have him to do? I have no doubt, that when he came to think of all that had passed, he was displeased with himself, and far from happy; especially when the word of the Lord came to him in the Mount, saying, “ What doest thou here, Elijah ?”

E. How did he answer God, mamma?

M. He was ashamed to own to the Lord that he had fled from Jezebel, and, therefore, he said that he had been very much grieved with the children of Israel, who had forsaken God's service, thrown down his altars, and slain his prophets with the sword; and that he, even he only was left, and that they now sought his life to take it away.

There was something in this reply to God, which showed that the prophet was still discontented and impatient: he spoke as if he thought it was very

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