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more. And all who look to the Lord Jesus, shall be brought home safely to that happy world, where there is no sin, or sorrow, or death.

We should look to him by faith and prayer. We should go on our knees, and say, Lord Jesus! I have sinned, and am lost!-I cannot save myself,-yet let me not die, and perish in my sins,-O save me,-I have heard the good news, that thou hast come into the world, and that thou hast died for poor sinners, and I believe it. I commit my never dying soul into thine hands,-pardon, O pardon me, and bring me to thine heavenly kingdom.

If there were any of the Israelites so very foolish, that they would not look to the brazen serpent, of course they died. There was no other remedy. So, if we do not rest alone on what the Lord Jesus has done and suffered, we shall be lost forever. We cannot escape from God's displeasure, and wrath, due to our sins, if we neglect or despise his great salvation.

STORY XVI.

HOW THE SUN AND MOON STOOD STILL.

THERE were a great many wicked people, who once came up against Israel, and they intended to have destroyed them all; but they could not do it, because God fought their battles.

At that time the leader of the hosts of Israel was a young man, who was very valiant, and his name was Joshua. And the Lord was with him. And it is nothing with the Almighty, to save by many, or by few, or by none at all.

So God spake to Joshua, and told him not to be afraid of his enemies, though they were so numerous and so mighty, and though they made sure of victory.

He filled Joshua's heart with courage; and he marched all night from the place where he was, and came upon the multitude which was encamped against him suddenly. He cut off a great many, and the rest fled before him.

And God himself was so angry with these wicked people, that he cast down

HOW THE SUN &c.

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great hail-stones from heaven, so that nearly all of them perished. It is sure, you see, to go ill with the wicked.

Then it was that Joshua said, in the sight of all Israel, "Sun! stand thou still upon Gibeon! and thou Moon! in the valley of Ajalon!"

He did so, that none of these wicked people, through the coming on of night and darkness, might escape and do any more mischief in future. And the moon stayed, and the sun stood still in the midst of the heaven, and hasted not to go down for a whole day; so that there was no day like that, before or after it.

So the Lord heard, and answered the prayer of Joshua. He is the hearer and the answerer of prayer.

He is the same now, as he was then. He will hear and answer my prayer too. God never changes. I will call upon his holy name. I will ask him to pardon, to bless, and to save me. I will never give up praying to him, till he hears my prayer, and till he takes me up to heaven to live with him for ever.

STORY XVII.

THE LITTLE BOY WHO WAS RAISED TO LIFE AGAIN.

In a time of great famine, when there was scarcely any thing to eat in the land, a poor widow woman received Elijah, the prophet of the Lord, into her house; and though she had nothing but a little meal in a barrel, and a cruise of oil, she gave him a share of them.

And the Lord gave a blessing to the barrel of meal, and to the cruise of oil, so that they multiplied, till there was plenty again on the earth.

This poor widow had a little boy; he was taken very ill, and at length he died. Children, as well as persons who are grown up, often die ; and they should think of death and eternity, and prepare for them.

The poor woman was in great trouble when she lost her son. No doubt, she had hoped, that as his father was dead, he would grow up and be her comfort and her joy.

THE LITTLE BOY RAISED TO LIFE. 47

But now he was taken away. We must expect affliction. What are we better than our fathers? They all met with sorrow; "man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upwards."

And now the poor mother thought, that God had taken away her little boy on account of her sins. She knew that sin is the great cause of all the affliction there is in the world. Indeed, there would have been nothing hurtful on the earth if it had not been for sin.

There

would have been no pain, and no death, if there had been no transgression. And so, the poor widow thought of her sins, and no doubt, repented of them, and asked God to forgive her.

And Elijah, the Prophet of the Lord, said unto her, "Give me thy son! And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed."

And he laid himself down on the dead body of the child, and prayed to the Lord. He knew, that though he could do nothing, that God could do every thing he pleased; that he could help in the greatest trouble, and that he was accustomed to listen to the prayers of his servants. So he cried to him, and said, "O Lord, my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again!"

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