aloud, that it was in their imprisonment, or place of exile, on the lonely couch of sickness, or in the days when they were disowned and forsaken of men, and cast off by the world, that they first entered rightly into their own heart, and sounded the true state of their soul to the bottom; that it was then that the leaven of the Pharisees (which is hypocrisy) was forced out of their tempers, and a Saviour desired who was no longer a dream of the fancy, so that to struggle in good earnest after close communion with him then began; and a cleaving to his side; and a Jacob's wrestling with him till the dawn of day, which they had known before only in word, became a real palpable fact of personal history, and entered into the soul and marrow of their own experience; and a hundred other matters of vital Christianity, of which they had till then only speculated, became experimentally true in their own life. There also were they for the first time brought into the number of those sheep who hear his voice, and became inwardly persuaded, as never before, that he really lives and converses with his children face to face as a man with his friend, and has a personal walk and communion with them; and never did they experience so strong, immediate, and indubitable tokens of his unwearied and tender care, and gracious presence, as even then, when their path was solitary and over the desert, and they were obliged to be with their Lord alone in the wide world. Be comforted, then, ye that dwell by the brook Cherith, and in the wilderness, for God's dew can drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness, as David sings; the pastures of the wilderness are rich in blessings, and even its thorns must bear figs, and its thistles grapes for God's children.

"Thou shalt drink of the brook, and the ravens shall feed thee there." Thus spake the Lord: and, however wonderful and unheard of it might sound, Elijah bowed his head and believed the promise; and his faith did not deceive him. All that the Lord had spoken was yea and amen, and "not one good word failed." It was not long till the whole land was like a heath, and field and wood as

if wasted by fire; one spot alone remained cool and green, the rocky vale of the prophet. Every fountain was exhausted; every rushing woodland brook dried up by the parching heat; only one brooklet continued to murmur, the little brook Cherith, and it remained as cool and clear, as fresh and full, as if no drought were in the land. The ravens too fulfilled their office. How wonderful! this ravenous and insatiable bird, unclean according to the law, and so voracious and unfeeling that it would let its own brood die of hunger, if God did not interpose, as he speaks in Job xxxviii. 41, "Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat" —those creatures here meet us engaged in services of the most unselfish love, as if dead to the natural instinct of their species, coming and going at God's bidding, denying their own appetite, and bent on the kindest office to man. When the grey dawn looks over the parted rocks, their cry is heard in the trees, and when Elijah awakes, he sees his store of provision for the day lying at his feet; and at fall of evening, they are there again, the black messengers, richly laden with meat and bread; and hungry as each may be, none dare yield to his appetite. And this takes place not once merely, but a whole year round, twice a day, without intermission. O foolishness of God, how precious art thou I let the world fashion to itself what stately gods it will, who rule only by grand and general laws! We adhere to the God of Elijah, and rejoice in the minute care of his providence.

And this God still liveth, a living Saviour, who can be felt and found, whose delights are with the sons of men, and about whose servants and handmaids a mighty army ordained to wait; who says, "Come," and they come; and "Go," and they go; who regards not the wisdom or art of the world, but makes dogs the physicians of his servants, and ravens their ministers, as he pleases; who mocks the proud, and sports as it were with his children; and of whose wonders there is no end to this day. What other was it than the God of Elijah, who lately in our neighbourhood

delivered a poor man so kindly out of his distress, not indeed by a raven, but by a poor singing bird. The man was sitting early at his house door, and his eyes were red with weeping, and his sighs rose to heaven, for he was expecting a visit from the officers of justice to distrain him for a small debt, from which no one could be prevailed on to save him by a loan; and, as he sat there with a heavy heart, there flew a little bird through the street, that fluttered in distress up and down as if it could find no rest, till at last, quick as an arrow, it flew over the good man's head into the cottage and perched upon an empty cupboard. The good man who little dreamt who had sent him the bird, hastily shuts the door, catches the bird, and puts in a cage, where it presently began to sing very sweetly, and it seemed to the man as if it were the tune of a favourite hymn. "Pear thou not when darkness reigns;" and he listened gladly, and his heart caught up the sentiment. Suddenly there came a knock to his door. Ah! the officers of justice, thought the poor man, and was sore afraid. But not it was the servant of a respectable lady, who told him that the neighbours had seen a bird fly into his house, and that he wished to know if he had caught it. "O yes," replied the man, "there it is," and the bird was carried away. After some minutes, however the servant returned," You have done my mistress a great service," said he, "the bird which flew away from her was worth its weight in gold. She is much obliged to you, and requests your acceptance of this trifle, with her thanks." It was neither more nor less than the sum he owed. And when the officers came he said, "Here is the amount of the debt; leave me now in peace: my God hath sent it me."

Something quite similar once befell another brother, who is perhaps here present, and can attest the circumstance. He was once in the deeply painful situation of seeing his children weep for hunger, while there was not a morsel of bread in the house, and not a farthing in his pocket; and his heart was like to faint with perplexity. He then retired into a solitary corner, and prayed with many tears to

God, who feeds the young ravens, and decks the lilies of the field, and presented the petition, "Give us this day our daily bread," in a way he had never done before; and, as he arose from his knees with a lightened heart, and stood by the door of his house, a dog came running along with a piece of flesh in his mouth, and, as he passed by the threshold of the poor man, he let it fall and hurried away. "That the Lord sends us," said the poor man, as he took it from the ground. "The faithful God," sighed he, as he brought it into the room; and when it was made ready and laid upon the table, and the hungry children gathered round, and the grace, "The eyes of all wait on thee," was over, the joy of all was as great as if the paschal lamb had lain before them.

Yes! The God of Elijah still lives. And in this chapter is found the counterpart of your experience also, ye dear friends, who have related to me that often in your bitter straits and perplexities a strange help has come to you, just from such people as were not only indifferent to you, but harsh also, and unkind; from unbelievers, who at other times could not endure the "quiet in the land."—Psalms xxxv. 20. But then it was suddenly suggested to one, he knew himself not how, that he should send you this or that; while another had his night's rest broken by the thought that he had not done some particular thing for you; and as they strove to banish these ideas from their minds, they could not succeed in kicking against the pricks. Yes! He who turneth men's hearts as the rivers of water, he impelled them to be your helpers; and he is not to be resisted when he has a purpose to fulfil. What they did to you they did not because they intended it, but from a higher necessity; and thus you have found that the God of Elijah, who can feed his servants even by the ravens, still lives.

Let every child of his then be strong and of a cheerful courage. Believe, only believe, ye who are at the brook Cherith, and in the wilderness; for faith can supply the want of all things temporal, and is the grave of care; and know also, my dear friends, that it is vain for you to rise

early and sit up late, and eat the bread of carefulness; for as David says, "He gives it to his beloved sleeping."⁕ May that God who giveth songs in the night teach us all the strains of the royal psalmist, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety." Psalms iv. 8.

III.-THE DEPARTURE FOR ZAREPHATH.

When the children of Israel once did evil in the sight of the Lord, he sold them into the hand of the Midianites, a fierce and warlike people, that they might drive back the strayed sheep into the fold of the chief Shepherd.

At that period the misery of Israel was great. A considerable portion of the nation left house and home, fled to the forests and mountains, took refuge in dark dens and caves in the rocks; and some intrenched themselves in solitary mountain fortresses, and, as soon as Israel sowed the fields, the Midianites came down like a mighty cloud of locusts upon them, and destroyed every green thing from the land, and "left no sustenance for Israel, nor sheep, nor ox, nor ass."

This sharp scourge did not fail of its effect. Israel knew their guilt, and smote upon their thigh, and all hands were stretched forth to God in the caves and rocks around,— "Return, return to thine oppressed heritage." The faithful God heard them, and took measures for their relief.

In the field of Ophra stands a solitary oak, and near it there is a threshing-floor, in which a young husbandman is at work; and ever and anon he looks around him with anxious eye, for he fears an inroad of the Midianites, from whom he seeks to save the corn. His name is Gideon. And, as the excellent youth is thus so busily employed, a stranger unexpectedly enters, of high and noble aspect, and upon whose countenance there sits a sun-like radiance. He seats

* German Version.