March 24

1 The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshte. 2 God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. 3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked; the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. 5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. 6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. 7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust is him. 8 But with an overrunning flood he will make

an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. 9 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. 10 For while they be golden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devouted as stubble fully dry. 11 There is one come out of thee, that imageth evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor. 12 Thus saith the LORD: Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet this shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. 13 For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder. 14 And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave, for thou art vile. 15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

"God's jealousy is twofold. It is an intense love, not bearing imperfections or unfaithfulness in that which it loves, and so chastening it; or not bearing the ill-dealings of those who would injure what it loves, and so destroying them. To Israel He had revealed Himself, as a jealous God, visiting iniquity but shewing mercy; here, as jealous for His people against those who were purely His enemies and the enemies of His people, and so His jealousy burneth to their destruction, in that there is in them no good to be refined, but only evil to be consumed."—E. B. Pusey, D. D.

But those who come to "trust in the Lord," will find Him their "Stronghold" (ver. 7) and impregnable Fortress in every time of trouble and danger, and He will make it appear that He approved and favored them; while His enemies shall be carried away as with a flood, into the blackness of darkness and despair.

"He knoweth them that trust in Him;" so as to save them, as Rahab was saved when Jericho perished, and Lot out of the midst of the overthrow of Sodom, and Hezekiah from the host of Sennacherib. He knoweth them with an individual, ever-present knowledge. He says not only, "He shall own them," but He ever knoweth them.

Closet Promise.—Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.—Isa. xlix. 15.

"Fearest sometimes that thy Father Hath forgot? Though the clouds around thee gather, Doubt Him not! Always hath the daylight broken, Always hath He comfort spoken; Better hath He been for years Than thy fears.

"Therefore, whatsoever betideth, Night or day, Know His love for thee provideth Good alway:

Crown of sorrows gladly take, Grateful wear it for His sake; Sweetly bending to His will, Lying still.

"To His own thy Saviour gaveth Daily strength, To each troubled soul that liveth Peace at length. Meekest lambs have largest share Of the tender Shepherd's care, Ask Him not, then, 'When?' or 'How?' Only bow!"

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Breakfast Motto.—Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content—1 Tim. vi. 8

Weekly Proverb.—Let Decency be all thy pride.—Poor Richard.

DAILY BIBLE READING.—SCENES IN THE LIFE OF ELISHA.

Sunday.—Elisha Makes an Iron Axe Swim.—2 Kings vi. 1-7.

Monday.—The Unseen Army in the Sky.—2 Kings vi. 8-23.

Tuesday.—A Great Famine.—2 Kings vi. 24-33.

Wednesday.—Elisha Prophesies Plenty.—2 Kings vii. 1-20.

Thursday.—A Woman who Got Back All She Lost.—2 Kings viii. 1-6.

Friday.—Elisha's Sick Bed.—2 Kings xiii. 14-19.

Saturday.—Elisha's Bones Raise up a Dead Man—2 Kings xiii. 20-25.

ONLY ONE

Who knows of the steps it takes To keep the home together, Who knows of the work it makes? Only one—the mother.

Who listens to childish woes Which kisses only smother, Who's pained by naughty blows? Only one—the mother.

Who knows of the entiring care Restowed on baby brother. Who knows of the tender prayer? Only one—the mother.

Who knows of the lessons taught Of loving one—mother. Who knows of patience sought? Only one—the mother.

Who knows of the anxious fears Lest darling may not weather The storm of life in after years? Only one—the mother.

Who kneels at the throne above To thank the heavenly Father For that sweetest gift—a mother's love? Only one—the mother. —Home Journal.

Thou shalt not steal.—Ex. xx. 15.

This is the Eighth Commandment. It is very short and very simple. It is so plain that the youngest scholar in an infant school can tell what it means. There are two things for us to do, if we would keep this commandment. First, We must pray to God to keep us from temptation. Second, We must resist little temptations. I remember reading once about a man who was going to be hung for robbery and murder. On the scaffold he said he began to steal by taking a farthing from his mother's pocket while she was asleep. Many children begin to steal at the sugar-bowl or the cake-basket. To take the smallest thing that does not belong to us, without permission, is stealing. And it never pays to steal. I knew a little boy who went into a candy store in Philadelphia with his father and mother. As he stood there he saw a barrel of English walnuts. While his parents were buying some candy, and when no one saw him, he took one. He put it in his pocket; it troubled his conscience all the way home, and as soon as he got to the house on the farm he ran to the back of the barn, and with a stone cracked the walnut. Behold! it was rotten! He had all his trouble for nothing. But it served him right. So all stealing comes out at last.

THIRTEENTH WEEK.

PEARL TEXT.—Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid—Matt. xiv. 27.

Amid the darkness, when the storm Swept fierce and wild o'er Galilee, Was seen of old, dear Lord, Thy form, All calmly walking on the sea; And raging elements were still, Obedient to Thy sovereign will.

So on life's restless, heaving wave, When night and storm my sky o'ercast, Oh hast Thou come to cheer and save, Hast changed my fear to joy at last— Thy voice hath led the tumult cease, And soothed my throbbing heart to peace. —Ray Palmer.

No pain, no palm; no thorn, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.—Wm. Penn.

If a man stands between you and the sun, his shadow falls upon you. So God sometimes comes between us and worldly successes, and His shadow falls upon us, and we wrongly think it is night.—Sel.

Those who make the glory of God their end, and the word of God their rule, the Spirit of God the guide of their affections, and the providence of God the guide of their affairs; may be sure the Lord goes before them, though they cannot see Him with their eyes.—Henry.

HELPS FOR THE DEVOTIONAL HOUR.