Then they send fire. Then Elijah told Baal's prophets to take their bullock first. So they took it, and killed it, and put it on an altar with some wood : but they put no fire to the wood. began to pray to their God to They cried, "O Baal, hear us." on calling out, "O Baal, hear us," till twelve o'clock: and they jumped about the altar, as they used to do when they prayed to him. They went How tired they must have been after calling out so long, "O Baal, hear us!" At last Elijah said to them, "Cry louder. Perhaps your god is talking, or perhaps he is hunting, or perhaps he is taking a journey, or perhaps he is asleep, and you must awake him." Was Elijah speaking in earnest? O no: he knew that Baal was nothing at all: only those foolish people said that there was a god called Baal, and made images that they said were like him. Still the prophets of Baal went on praying for fire; and at last they cut themselves with knives, and made their blood flow, because they thought it would please Baal; they thought he was a cruel god that liked their blood. So they went on till three o'clock in the afternoon: but no fire came from heaven. Then Elijah said it was time to ask his God to send fire: so Elijah built an altar with twelve stones, and he laid some wood on the altar, and he laid a bullock on the altar: and then he desired the people to throw twelve barrels of water over the altar. There was a river just at the bottom of the hill, where people could fetch the water: Elijah made a ditch all round the altar, and this ditch was quite filled with water, and the altar was quite wet. Why did Elijah desire the water to be poured over the sacrifice? To show the people that he had not hid any fire in the altar, or near it: for if he had the water would have put it out. Then Elijah began to pray to God. All the people were standing round, while he prayed before the altar. This is what he said, "Lord God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, (or Jacob,) let it be known this day, that thou art God, and that I am thy servant. hear me." Hear me, O Lord, Did God hear Elijah? Yes; the fire came from heaven, and burnt up the bullock and the altar; yes, the fire burnt the stones, and even the water that was in the ditch. How surprised the people were at this sight! They fell on their faces, and said, "The Lord he is the God; the Lord he is the God." Now they saw that Baal was not the true God. So Elijah desired the people to take hold of the wicked prophets of Baal, and to bring them down to the river at the bot. tom of the hill, and to kill them with swords. So the blood of these prophets was mixed with the water in the river. These prophets had taught the people to worship Baal, so God chose that they should die. Did the people leave off worshipping Baal? Did they mind what Elijah said, and pray to his God? We shall soon hear what they did. How much they wished that God would send rain! They must have felt sure that if God could send fire, he could send rain. He sends down rain to make corn grow for us, dear children, does he not? O what a great God he is! He could send fire to burn us; but instead of that he is kind to us. To Carmel's hill, at break of day, And those who worship gods of stone; They come to know who is the Lord, To those who cry, and leap, and bleed? And will the Lord again display O yes. He hears Elijah pray, And flakes of fire the stones devour The people on their faces fall, And own that God is Lord of all. ́Elijah orders in that hour The wicked prophets to be slain, And now let Israel fear his name, Who sends soft showers, and dreadful flame. CHILD. 'Tis time that I should make my choice, And say what God I will obey. O Lord, I still expect a day When fire and brimstone will descend, Who have not Jesus for their friend : What other hand could save me then, Shouldst thou my wretched soul condemn! CHAPTER LXVI. ELIJAH, OR THE RAIN. 1 Kings xviii. 41 to the end; xix. 1—8. You have heard, dear children, how the prophets of Baal were killed. Now Elijah knew |