feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and then she took up her child, and went out of

the room.

Was not this a great wonder that Elisha had done?

Elijah once made a widow's child alive again; and Elisha made a child alive again; for Elisha was such a prophet as Elijah had been, and could do wonders like him. God had promised that he should be like Elijah, if he saw him taken up to heaven : and God kept his promise.

Ought not the people of Israel to have minded all that Elisha said, when they heard of the wonders that he did? They might be quite sure that Elisha was a true prophet.

:

Does God now make little children alive when they die? No: he waits till the last day then the trumpet shall sound, and all the children's bodies shall rise from their graves, and the bodies of holy children shall be taken up to heaven, but the bodies of wicked children shall be burned in hell.

Elisha oft the kindness shar'd

Of one, who lands possess'd;
A little chamber she prepar'd,
Where safely he might rest.

The prophet soon implor'd his God
Her kindness to requite;
And God a little child bestow'd
In whom she took delight.

This little child one summer morn,
Into the field was led;

And as he stood amongst the corn,
He cried, "My head, my head!"

The father bade a lad convey
The child unto his home;

Upon his mother's knees he lay,
And died when noon was come.

The mother laid him on the bed,
Within the room she built,

And to the place with haste she sped,
Where good Elisha dwelt.

From far Elisha saw her come,
And long'd her grief to know;
He bade Gehazi quickly run,

And hear her tale of woe.

And did the woman say,

"'Tis well,"

Nor murmur with her tongue!

Though mothers' hearts alone can tell,

What grief her bosom wrung.

In this distress she plac'd her trust
In God's great love and power.
She knew that He, who gave him first,
Could now her child restore.

Ah! soon to heal the mother's pain,
To God the prophet cries;

The child grows warm, and once again,
He opes his infant eyes.

CHILD.

No prophet lives that can perform
So wonderful a deed;

No clay-cold flesh shall now grow warm,
Although the righteous plead.

This is the time to pray for souls,

That they may pardon'd be ;

For rapid as a river rolls,

So hours and minutes flee.

I'll ask the righteous for their prayers,

And I myself will pray,

"For Jesu's sake, behold my tears,

And wash my sins away.”

CHAPTER LXXIII.

ELISHA, OR THE LITTLE MAID.

2 Kings v.

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THERE were a great many heathen people, who lived outside the land of Canaan. know, my dear child, that people who worship idols are called "heathen." Some of these heathen people used often to come into Canaan, and rob them, and hurt them. Why did God let the people of Israel be robbed and hurt? Because they did not obey him,

or mind what Elisha taught them.

Once some of these heathen people came, and took away a little girl out of the land of Israel; and they sold her for a slave to wait on a rich heathen lady in a country a great way off. The lady's husband was called Naaman, and he was a great captain, and could fight well in battle.

But Naaman was very unhappy, for he

had a very dreadful disease, called the leprosy. He had very sore white places on his body. He could not find anybody who could cure him of his disease. No doctors could cure him; nor could any of the prophets of his idols save him. Now the little girl who waited on his wife, had heard of the wonders that Elisha did, and she felt sure that he could cure her master, and she said, "O that my master were with the prophet that is in my country, for he would cure his leprosy." Do think that Elisha could cure Naaman? Yes, God often helped Elisha to do wonders.

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Somebody heard what the little girl said, and went and told Naaman. Naaman wished very much to be made well, and so he determined to go to the land of Israel, and to ask Elisha to make him well.

Now Elisha heard that he was coming, and Elisha knew that God would help him to make Naaman well: and he hoped that when Naaman was made well that he would worship the true God, who could do such wonders: for Elisha did not wish people to praise him, he wished them to praise God.