seats himself at the close of the day under a juniper-tree, and humbly confessing his own unworthiness, supplicates the relief of death; " It is enough: now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers." As if he had said; I have sufficiently displayed thy power, by the miracle performed on Mount Carmel. The malignant rage of idolatry still burns to destroy me. I am in no respect more worthy than the other Prophets, who have already suffered death. I commit myself into thy hands.' Thus Moses, irritated by the repeated provocations of the Israelites, fervently entreated God to take away his life: "If thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, and let me not see my wretchedness."

This prayer, however, must not be attributed to a spirit of impatience or discontent. It may rather be considered as an earnest request, that God would be graciously pleased to deliver him from his affliction. Diodati has remarked, that

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Elijah, entertaining a strong presentiment of his destined translation to heaven, might pray to God to take him to himself in the usual manner by death.'

The Prophet was, undoubtedly, subject to the infirmities of human nature. Even the best of men are not exempted from a temporary depression of spirits. For this the Psalmist prescribes the sovereign remedy:

"Why shouldest thou be cast down, O my soul? And why shouldest thou be disquieted within me? Wait patiently

For thy God; for I shall still celebrate him,

Who is the support of my countenance and my God.'

In this attitude of woe, sleep overtakes him: during which, an angel of the Lord injoins him to recruit his wearied body by partaking of the repast which was prepared for him. He arises, and beholding a supply of bread and water near the stone upon which he reclined his head, eats, and is again overtaken by sleep. The angel a second time commands him to return to the repast, that he may be enabled to pursue his journey through the desert." Thus miraculously strengthened, he travelled forty days and forty nights without farther refreshment, till he arrived at Oreb, the mountain formerly distinguished by the delivery of the Law to Moses. Thus was it proved, that man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Here a striking resemblance in the lives of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus Christ engages our attention. As Moses fasted in the desert forty days before he gave the Law, so did Elijah, the Restorer of the Law; and so did Christ, the Abolisher of the Law, when he entered upon his ministry.

A doctrine full of consolation may, presumptively, be deduced from this part of Scriptural his

tory;-the ministration of angels in the government of this lower world. That these benevolent beings are ever watchful to protect the good, is highly probable. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show themselves strong in the behalf of them, whose heart is perfect toward him.

And is there care in heaven, and is there love
In heavenly spirits to these creatures base,
That may compassion of their evils move?

There is: else much more wretched were the case
Of men, than beasts. But O th' exceeding grace
Of highest God, that loves his creatures so,
And all his works with mercy doth embrace;
That blessed angels he sends to and fro,

To serve to wicked man, to serve his wicked foe!
How oft do they their silver bowers leave,

To come to succour us that succour want?
How oft do they with golden pinions cleave
The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant,
Against foul fiends to aid us militant?

They for us fight; they watch and duly ward,
And their bright squadrons round about us plant;
And all for love, and nothing for reward!

O why should heavenly God to man have such regard?'

Thus we behold Elijah, an inhabitant of a cave, again devoting himself to the cultivation of holy affections and to happy converse with his God. And now how terribly magnificent was the revelation of divine glory, which was granted to the Prophet! Concealed in the obscurity of a cloud, as he appeared to Moses and Ezekiel,

the Lord came to him, and said unto him; "What doest thou here, Elijah; when the times require thee to exert thyself in a more active scene of employment?" And he said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, 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." And he said, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord:" and behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire, a still small voice.

This still small voice is beautifully emblematical of the tender compassion of God, ever ready to extend his goodness to the human race.

It is remarkable, that the usual process of nature is here observed. An earthquake, the dreadful instrument of celestial vengeance, is often preceded by a hurricane, and followed by an eruption of fire. The Lord maketh the winds his messengers, and the flaming fire his ministers. In the sublime passage before us, the aweful majesty of heaven is ushered in, first by a wind that rends

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the mountains, and breaks in pieces the rocks: then the earth trembles, and is shaken; and the fire rushes forth. But in none of these tremendous appearances is God disclosed. For, last of all, a still small voice is heard, and in that voice are conveyed his consolatory words. Like Moses, when he came near to the burning bush, Elijah with his face wrapped in a mantle, tremblingly advancing to the entrance of the cave, again declares how exceedingly earnest he had been in his zeal for the divine honour; and is commanded by God to proceed to Damascus, and there to anoint Hazael King of Syria, and Jehu the son of Nimshi King of Israel. He is, also, commissioned to anoint Elisha, the son of Shaphat, as his own successor in the prophetic office. It is farther intimated to him that, however degenerate the children of Israel may be deemed, there are many among them who have preserved their religion unspotted amidst the general contagion; even seven thousand, who had not bowed the knee to Baal, or kissed his image with their mouth. And here a remark offers itself to our notice. If one of the greatest of the Prophets was so egregiously mistaken in his judgement, surely we have strong reason to suspect the accuracy of our opinions upon the merit or demerit of our fellow-creatures. Yet, in the language of the heathen philosopher, we rashly exclaim, that