ELIJAH AND THE EARTHQUAKE, No sooner had Elijah slain the prophets of Baal than intelligence of it was conveyed to the implacable Jezebel, who vowed an immediate and sanguinary revenge, of which she sent him word. The prophet in consequence quitted the dominions of Ahab, withdrew into the wilderness a day's journey from Beer-sheba, a town situated at the southern extremity of the Holy Land, and bordering upon the desert. Having walked all day, towards evening, overcome by fatigue and depressed at the melancholy prospect before him, he cast himself under a juniper tree. Here he fell asleep, when he was awaked by a messenger from Heaven, who invited him to arise and refresh himself. Upon looking round him he saw close at hand a baked cake, and a cruse of water. Having partaken freely of this welcome repast, his strength was so renovated, and all his faculties so miraculously fortified. that "he went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights," without requiring any further nourishment until he arrived at Mount Horeb. Here he entered a cave, in which he lodged, and where the Almighty, by several emblematical displays of his power, made him not only sensible of his omnipotence, of which he was already fully assured, but gave him to understand that he would not fail to take vengeance After upon the house of Ahab for its abominable idolatries. the prophet had expressed his sore regret at the iniquities of God's people, the Lord 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. *" The print represents the prophet upon a ledge of the mountain, and before him the mighty wind is rushing, which rends asunder the rocks and cleaves the solid earth. The earthquake has already begun to give its awful warning of succession, but the man of God calmly stands awaiting the consummation of the Divine intention, which was ultimately revealed to him by the still small voice that followed the several manifestations of Almighty power, exhibited in the wind, the earthquake, and the fire. |