signed to them for their portion, occupied it as nomads, living in tents, and shifting from pasture to pasture, as need or inclination led them.*

A son of Ishmael (as it has been conjectured)† had found his way into one of these shepherd hordes, attracted perhaps by what he had learnt of the true God, through the traditions inherited from their father Abraham, which the Ishmaelites are said to have retained longer than other heathens. Whether by the word of the Lord coming direct to him in his highland haunts, or by tidings being brought him by true servants of God, who fled to those wilds either to be out of reach of persecution, or in shere abhorrence of the impieties and impurities they must witness if they remained in the cities of Israel-in some such way or other, the spirit of this

* See "Smith's Dictionary of the Bible," art. "Gilead." † See "Keil's Commentary on Kings."

sojourner in Gilead was deeply moved within him, and he felt himself summoned to bear his testimony for the living God to the very capital of the Israelitish monarchy; yes! and to the very face of the Israelitish king. More than anticipating the call of the Gentiles, he, a Gentile, resolves to be himself the caller instead of the called-the caller of the true seed of Abraham (he himself belonging to the rejected seed), to remember their privileges, and be ashamed of their ungrateful and impious abuse of them.

From what St. James says in the text, we may suppose that, by inspiration from above, the sojourner in Gilead divined in what way it would be best that the case should be dealt with. He was guided to believe that his own protests and expostulations would be of no effect, unless supported by some signal and unmistakable manifestation of Divine power and Divine wrath. It was

suggested to his thoughts of what kind that manifestation might most fitly be; and grasping the idea, he laid it before the Lord in prayer, with such result as emboldened him to set out, probably quite alone, upon his extraordinary enterprise.

If the name of "Elijah" signifies one who has God for his strength, we may now use it, with a sense of its entire appropriateness, of him who is to be the subject of our contemplations during the present Lent. If the designation, "prophet," describes one who, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, not only foretells the future, nearer or more remote, but also interprets and declares the mind of God in instructing, exhorting, reproving, encouraging, threatening, and promising, our Ishmaelite from Gilead may henceforth claim of us that designation, with as valid a title to it as any one of the goodly fellowship, from Isaiah to Malachi.

The first appearance of Elijah in the sacred page is such as affords scope for, while it tempts, the freest indulgence of the imagination. It cannot fail to remind us of the significance which is attributed in the Epistle to the Hebrews to the absence of any genealogical addition to the name of Melchisedec. "And Elijah the Tishbite"-in our ignorance of the true meaning of this word "Tishbite," I shall pass it over without comment "Elijah the Tishbite, which was of the inhabitants of Gilead"-" without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life"*" said unto Ahab, 'As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand"-stand habitually in prayer, and as a servant waiting his master's bidding -"there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."

Was this the first communication that

* Heb., vii., 3. Chrysostom speaks of him as undéпw και νῦν τετελευκώς.

the speaker had ever had with the weak and wicked king? or was it the climax of many previous expostulations? What

was the scene, and what were the circumstances of the interview? Did it take place, like that of "the man of God from Judah" with Jeroboam, upon a public occasion? while Ahab was assisting in idolatrous rites? Or did the prophet make his way into the king's presence when the latter was alone? Standing before him, like an apparition—the tall, athletic frame, girt with the leathern girdle or apron, and the short, sheepskin cloak (probably its only other covering) tied rudely on the shoulders-the whole figure, fresh from the wilderness, in strange contrast with those ordinarily met with in kings' houses-did he speak abruptly, indeed, and briefly, as the sacred historian seems to represent, but with the awakening effect that heavenprompted words, however few, will some