inclination, to support him, and the people looked tamely on. Idolatry was already regaining its influence He fled, and did not pause in them. among his flight, not only before he quitted the land of Israel, but not even before he had reached Beersheba, the southernmost extremity of Judah.Throughout the land of the people of God there was not a resting-place for the weary sole of the foot of the prophet of God. He had formerly taken refuge among the heathen, but now he fled from man altogether, and dismissing his servant, advanced a day's journey into the wilderness. There he took up his lodging under a juniper-tree, and gave vent to his indignation and despondency at the unthankful conduct of his countrymen, requesting God that he might die, and crying out, "It is enough now, O Lord! take my soul, for I am no better than my fathers." Meaning, that there was no reason that he should still be kept living, when his fathers had died at a like age, or under like circumstances. This prayer can scarcely be altogether the product of human weakness. Against weariness and unworthy treatment indeed, no child of Adam is proof. Jonah made a similar request from wounded feelings'. But the ensuing conduct of Elijah shows that it was shame and indignation at the thankless unbelief of his countrymen, which was vexing his righteous soul. He was, therefore, unburdening his soul before God, and confidence in him caused him to open all his heart to him, to whom all good men confess all their hopes and fears, and cast down the burden

1 Jonah iv. 3.

of their uneasiness in his presence. They have exceeding comfort in making him their only friend, a witness to their thus divesting themselves, and as his presence is full of all good things, they take up these instead. If they express their fear, it is but to fling it away, and take up courage in him. If they vent their despair, it is but to have hope instead. If they come to the heavenly vestry clad in the sable garment of mourning, what is it for, but to put on the snow-white robes of joy? If they enter his courts in chains and show them, what means it, but that they know that he can and will deliver them. All this is very different from the idle complaints of the distrustful in God. And God was not regardless of his faithful and much-enduring servant. He sent an angel to feed him, and in the strength of this angelic food he went forty days and forty nights until he reached the awfully sacred spot of Mount Horeb. Thus God threw a glorious dignity around him. The great lawgiver had so fasted in this very mount before him, and so the Son of man fasted in the wilderness after him. Here he took up his lodging in a cave, and was honoured with a manifestation of the glorious presence of the Lord, similar to that which Moses had witnessed. A great and strong whirlwind, followed by an earthquake and fire, shook the mountain, and brake it in pieces before the Lord. After this was heard a still small voice, which Elijah, recognising as the divine oracle, and covering his face with his mantle, as before the tremendous presence of God, stood forIward in the entrance of the cave. The voice demanded, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" And he

answered, "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenants, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword: and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life to take it away." The Lord comforted him by telling him that he had left yet 7000 men in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal, and assured him of his life by bidding him go, and return on his way to the wilderness of Damascus, and anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, Jehu over Israel, and Elisha as his own successor. Thus it is that the faithful ever obtain a still higher trust from God, and he who is faithful with ten talents, is set over ten cities. To all human appearance, Elijah's influence was gone. He was even out of remembrance, neither eye saw him, nor ear heard him. At best he was thought of as a miserable exile, fleeing from desert to desert, and from cave to cave. Yet all at once he reappeared charged with a higher office from God. The persecuted of kings had commission to pull down and raise up kings. He seemed powerless. Yet with a palmful of oil he was destined to overthrow monarchies. He was met going solitary, and surrounded with perils, while he was on his journey to depose the family of the very king who was seeking his life. He was met posting on his way with staff in hand, weary, dusty, and in mean attire, and none knew upon what errand he was bound. And so it often happens with God's embassadors in their journey through this life. Their mighty commission is not disclosed until after they have gone. None suspect their extraordinary charge. None

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see the inward working of God. The world disregards them. They appear poor and mean, and ridiculously inadequate to the mighty effects which follow. Yet after many days their work appears, and their commission is read in tottering churches and reeling empires. The world sees not the fermenting of their work until it burst forth in flames above the level of society, and soar above the heads of nobles and princes. Then the scroll of their high commission is unrolled, and men read and tremble. These are the men that change the face of the world, these men of the sword of the Spirit, and not of the sword of the flesh, these spiritual vanquishers, and not earthly conquerors. Thus was Christianity, the

greatest change which was ever wrought on earth, established by the poor and ignorant fishermen of Galilee. And thus their successors, however overlooked by a giddy world, are working still, and will work until all be finished, anointing to themselves successors to carry on the holy work unto the end of the world. Elijah shortly performed one part of his commission. In his way he found Elisha ploughing, and threw his mantle upon him. The youth only asked to bid farewell to his father and mother, and then followed him. Thus he gave the example to all who have since forsaken father and mother for Christ's sake.

We lose sight of Elijah for a time. Scripture breaks off its narrative of him in order to relate another signal mercy of God to his people, whose repentance so lately effected, but of so brief an existence among the multitude, he was not yet weary of rewarding. Ahab gained a signal victory

over the Syrians, who had besieged him in his capital of Samaria. Benhadad their king was taken prisoner. God's interference was manifest through one of his prophets, who brought his especial orders to Ahab. Yet notwithstanding this the weak and wicked Ahab persisted in his course. And lest for a moment his inclination to iniquity should slumber, the execrable . Jezebel was always at hand to arouse it into fatal activity. In order to gain so trifling a point as the coveted possession of a vineyard, he compassed, at her suggestions, the judicial murder of its owner, Naboth. In the very moment of his taking possession, in the midst of the revelry of his joy of occupation, on the spot of his bloody usurpation, he was surprised by the unwelcome appearance of the long lost Elijah. He knew too well the meaning of the visit. He knew that the word of God had found him out to denounce him. It intruded rudely upon his fancied security, when he thought that he had put it quite out of sight. The long labour of his iniquity was lost. In his perplexity of mingled rage and fear, he exclaimed, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" "I have found thee," answered the prophet, taking him up in his own words, with the stern and authoritative address of a messenger of God to a sinner. And he followed up the words with God's dreadful denunciation against his house, and against Jezebel. Ahab (whose weak and passive character depended much on the persons around him, and the circumstances of the moment) could not withstand the horror of this fearful sentence. In the boldness of Elijah, he recognised the authority which had so lately discomfited the prophets of idolatry before