land was in a calamitous condition, for she had resigned all hope of any further means of life. (The miracle of the meal and oil, and the restoration of the widow's son.) It would seem that he remained at Zarephath till the end of the three years and six months; he abode "in a loft," we are told, (1 Kings xvii. 19) a most humble apartment, we may be sure. There were spacious, and sumptuous, and magnificent abodes in the land, but hither was sent to dwell -the person that was to go off from the earth in "a chariot of fire." And here, doubtless, he received visits which well comported with such a destiny. Our imagination can easily represent the nature of his thoughts and exercises, but cannot rise to their devotional exaltation and solemnity. The utmost efforts to find him out were made by the king of Israel. Was it in pure hatred and revenge, -and in order to destroy him? Much more probably it was as believing that, in some way or other, the continuance or removal of the dreadful calamity materially depended on Elijah. Ahab regarded him as having pronounced a sentence which no one else could set aside; as a being who had absconded with the key of the great storehouse of nature. But, what should Ahab have thought of all his prophets, when they could give him no assistance towards discovering Elijah? while neither could they bring down one shower, one drop, of rain!

The state of the land and its inhabitants was by this time extremely dreadful. What a picture might have been exhibited, if the sacred historian, like other historians, had been disposed to amplify for the purpose of a striking effect! Great numbers must have perished; the rest were in a deplorable state. It is doubtful whether much assistance could be obtained from the neighbouring regions; for the country of Tyre and Sidon was equally afflicted, for Zarephath was there. The cattle were nearly

all destroyed, as appears from Ahab's orders to Obadiah. The king himself went out, to survey a part of his desolate, miserable realm, and dying population. At every step he saw the effects of his abominable idolatries. It was, in truth, one vast sacrifice which he had made, and was making, to Moloch; a nation of human victims offered, with all the brute tribes in addition. For, since they perished expressly on account of the false gods, they might justly and strictly be accounted as sacrifices; and himself was the royal high-priest. But no indication appears of repentance or remorse.

Obadiah would behold the scene with very different emotions. He "feared the Lord greatly;" had rescued one hundred of the prophets (probably pupils of the prophets) from Jezebel's massacre. No doubt, it was just for the purpose of such beneficent services to the faithful, that a man like this was preserved, by a very special providence, safe in such a station. We may be sure he was proved to be of high worth and integrity in his office; but he had what would be accounted the most odious of all qualities in that court-fidelity to God.

This man was suddenly encountered by the very last person he could expect to see. Elijah had been commanded away from his obscure retreat. And he was coming again into action in a manner that was worth having remained in devout contemplation so long. Obadiah's plea to excuse himself is overruled. But, why was not the prophet's course directed to meet the king himself, in the first instance? No doubt it was that the monarch might be compelled to go to meet him, as an homage to the prophetic character, and the divine authority. They met ;-knew each other well.-Ahab attempted a display of spirit by beginning with a reproachful salutation; but, this was not the time. Elijah's manner and aspect overbore him. The

reproach was returned, not in the way of altercation,-but of dignified authority, and with a truth that smote on conscience; followed by a command to the king, to call together his subjects and his prophets. It does not appear that he even explained for what purpose. He was not sent to talk to one man alone, even though a king.

As to the prophet's deportment in this interview,—we may observe, that his solemn direct commission from the Almighty placed him on a ground above the minor relations of governor and subject. In ordinary circumstances, he would have been sensible of whatever respect was due to the ruler of the people, if any respect was due to a man who exercised that very office for the most wicked and pernicious purposes; who promoted, and shared, and surpassed, the depravity and impiety of his people. But here the prophet had a high independent capacity to maintain; he was commissioned to speak and act in character of judge and dictator. And, we may believe, was far above the meanness of any miserable pride in doing so. That which he was invested with, in the special capacity of a prophet, was in no sense his own. It was not a talent, nor a merit. It was an official capacity, of which the dignity, or virtue, belonged most simply and entirely to him that conferred it. It was something extraneous to the man himself; might be conferred, or taken away, in a moment, and at any moment. Of all this, the prophets appear to have been kept perfectly sensible; accordingly, it was personal arrogance, when they assumed a commanding manner and language.

Ahab felt it to be something more than a mere command of Elijah that he should assemble the people at Mount Carmel. Therefore he instantly complied, though, doubtless, not without internal mortification and refractory feeling. "All Israel," it is said, meaning, of course, a good proportion of them, from all parts, so as to represent the whole.

But literally all the avowed priests of idolatry, eight hundred and fifty. Their patroness, the queen, would concur in ordering them thither. It was coming to a question whether she should maintain her dominion, with respect to religion, in the kingdom. The whole assembling multitude (as soon as Elijah was heard of) may be supposed to have surmised that it was to be some grand question concerning religion. And it would be a matter of most lively interest to all,-if they believed that the dreadful visitation of the famine was implicated with it.

Could the idolatrous part of the multitude expect rain, and bread, from gods that for so long a time could not, or would not, give them any? There is, indeed, no indication that they had at all repented of their idolatry, but this experience would surely make them less attached to it. The seven thousand faithful would wish to hope that something would be done to shake the horrid and cruel domination of false religion. And this might be the wish, also, of numbers who had, through fear, yielded to practise its rights,—with inward shame and self-reproach. But think of the eight hundred and fifty priests of idolatry, conspicuously prominent on the appointed ground, in the garbs, and with the ensigns, of their deities, bearing evidence of being well fed "at Jezebel's table!" Many of them might be real dovotees, with heart and soul; some, mere professional officiators, not much thinking or caring about the religion itself. Some might be (as in the Romish church) little better than atheists, conscious deceivers of the people, but delighting in both the domination and the emolument. On the whole, there might be great confidence among them that they could not have much to apprehend from a rencounter with the single, proscribed prophet Elijah. Presumption is a characteristic attendant on false religion, and on a falsification of the true, for it inspires a high self

valuation. But these men really had a great deal to sustain

their presumption.

The trial, however, was now at hand. "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, follow him." "And the people answered him not a word." Was this silence right, on the part of the faithful adherents? We think not; for Elijah's address was plainly an appeal to their present convictions,antecedently to any proof which he might be about to give. (Where was Obadiah in this juncture?) Did they think it would be an ill-timed ostentation, an irreverent disturbance of the solemnity of the scene ?—They would plead so afterwards, no doubt; would say, "they had been quite certain of the result of the prophet's proceedings,—and therefore it would have been but an affectation of zeal and courage to have declared themselves previously." All expressed approbation of the grand test which he proposed. The proposal was too sudden, and too immediately to be executed, to allow those wicked men any time for artful contrivance; else, certainly, it would have been attempted, though in that case frustrated.

It was proper that the idolaters should make the experiment first, and most ample time was given them. Some delay of their success might even have been of service to their cause. Contemplate this immense legion of priests calling on Baal, before the waiting, gazing multitude!— Behold a sample of that human reason which has itself been idolized, solemnly, perseveringly, furiously, invoking-a non-entity--a vain creation of fancy-and fashioned by that fancy in the most hateful character! Baal, and Baalim, are very indefinite denominations, being given to a great diversity of pagan deities. It is supposed that the chief Baal of Palestine was nearly the same as the Jupiter of the Greeks and Romans; but with a confused participation of