the one true God to whom they owed every thing they possessed, and give themselves up to worship idols; forsaking him who had kept their ancestor, Jacob, alive in famine; who had protected Joseph when in Egypt; who had brought them up from the land of their captivity; and who had daily kept them alive since.

We might wonder how they could show such ingratitude, did we not remember that man is of himself much inclined to do wrong, and apt to be led into temptation. Let us, before we condemn this people, ask ourselves whether we are, in reality, much less to blame than they were; whether we do not possess the same obstinate spirit of disobedience, causing us to disobey our parents, or teachers, which prompted them to rebel against the Lord.

Although we call him our God, and pray to him daily as our heavenly Father, do we not often forget him, and prove by our actions, that the Lord is not in all our thoughts?

Let us never be willing to blame others, or confident in our own strength, for it is only as we trust in God, and pray to him to enable us to do what is right, that we can hope to conquer our evil tempers, and walk in the ways of the Lord.

Humility is very pleasing in the Divine sight; the proud heart God will bring low, but the humble he will teach of his ways.

ABOUT THE PROPHET ELIJAH.

THE Almighty does not appear to have forsaken his people, even when they had wandered so far from the right path as to call the idol Baal their god; for we read of his sending his prophets among them.

One of these, whose name was Elijah, was sent by his God to king Ahab, to prophesy that there should not be any dew or rain upon the earth for several years, as a punishment for the sins of the people and their leaders.

At this, Ahab was very angry, and sought after Elijah to take away his life; but the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 'Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.'

The prophet did as he was commanded, and sought for shelter by the little brook, which gave him drink when he stood in need of it; and God did not let him want for food, for he was fed by the ravens, who brought him bread and meat morning and evening.

Thus, although he had brought upon himself the anger of the king, and was obliged to hide himself to avoid his

fury, yet the Lord did not forsake him, because he had done his duty without fear.

We should never let the fear of man prevent our doing what we know to be the will of our heavenly Father.

We are told, in the New Testament, not to fear those who, after they have killed the body, can do no more, but to fear that great God who has power to cast both soul and body into hell.

Had Elijah been afraid to go before the king, and tell him the will of God, he would, most likely, have displeased his Maker, and might have perished in the scarcity which was brought on by the absence of rain and dew. But we find that God condescended to work a miracle, that the life of his faithful servant might be saved; for after Elijah had been some time hidden by the little brook, it dried up, 'because there had been no rain in the land; and the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 'Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.'

The prophet did so; and when he reached Zarephath, he saw the woman by the gate of the city, gathering sticks. Here we see that it was one of the lowly in the land that the Lord had chosen to shelter his servant: and Elijah

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called to the woman, and said, 'Fetch me, I

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Then the poor widow woman told him that she had not a single cake of bread in her house,—nothing but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: she was, therefore, just going to gather two sticks, that she might dress this last mouthful for herself and her son, that they might eat it, and die; for when this should be finished, they knew not where to look for more.

But, although she was expecting to die of hunger, the Lord was near with help, and the poor woman's heart must have felt glad when Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and thy son for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.'

The woman had faith to believe what the prophet said to her, and she went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she and her house did eat many days, and the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.'

While the prophet staid in the house of this poor woman,