thankful, how much greater reason have we! If Elimelech's family was a happy one, how much happier may we be-we Christians-we to whom a Saviour has been revealed-we, who are inheritors of a better land than the land of Canaan, an eternal inheritance, a dearly purchased possession, a country whither our Lord Himself is gone to prepare a home for us!

How little do we think of our many and great blessings! We possess the Bible, God's own word, to light us through this dark world. We have a Leader, greater than Moses, who has opened the gate of heaven to all true believers; not a mere deliverer from earthly bondage, but a Saviour from sin and everlasting death. We have God's house, as a shelter to us, where

we meet every now and then, to warm each other's hearts, to strengthen each other's faith, and to put up our joint prayers to Him who loves us.

Elimelech was a Jew.

We are not

told however whether he was a religious Jew. But if not, how little did the mere name profit him! And if our hearts are not given to Christ—if we are not serving God with real earnestness-how little good will the name of Christian do us! Oh, better, far better, to be blind ignorant heathens, than to know God without loving Him; to belong outwardly to Christ's people, but not to have His own blessed mark upon our foreheads! Woe unto us, if after all our privileges, and all our opportunities, we are weighed in the balance, and found wanting at last!

The Bible tells us that "to whom much is given, of them shall much be required." How then shall we, to whom such love is offered-" how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ?"

But let us return to Elimelech and his household. now of his favoured condition in the land of Judea. But God was able to make even that fruitful land barren. We are told that it was suddenly visited by a famine. And now Elimelech's happiness and prosperity were suddenly turned into sorrow. "The fig-tree did not blossom; neither was fruit found in the vine; the labour of the olives failed; the flock was cut off from the field, and there was no herd in the stalls." "The merry-hearted

We were thinking just

did sigh all joy was darkened, the mirth of the land was gone." A heavy cloud seemed to be resting over the once happy land of Israel.

God seemed

Famine was

to be visiting His people. one of those punishments which He had long before threatened that He would bring upon the Israelites, if they sinned against Him; "I will make your heaven iron, and your earth as brass: and your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits."

How awful to be thus dealt with! And may not God, at any moment, deal so with us? Could He not, if He pleased, this very year, withdraw His blessing? and then what would be the consequence? Why, the ground

would be sown; but no corn would spring up. up. We are indebted to God for every morsel of bread that we eat.

It comes from His hand. He is the great Provider. Oh, how seldom we think of this! We take our daily bread, and eat it with unthankful hearts, forgetting to acknowledge Him who is the gracious Giver of it.

Well, Elimelech suffered with the rest. He daily saw his store growing less and less. First the wheat became scarce. Then they were glad enough to make their barley into bread. Then this too began to dwindle. He thought of his family, and of the prospect that stared them in the face. Provisions got dearer and dearer, and sadness was to be seen in every countenance.

Yes, it was a sad and trying time for