THE POT OF OIL.

and then they found that the kings
and their armies were not dead, but
all ready to fight. The Israelites
rose up directly, and drove away
the Mcabites, and followed after
them, and smote them. The king
of Moab tried to conquer Israel, but
he could not; and he was in great
trouble, because they besieged the
city where he was; and he had none
to help him. He did not know the
true God, Israel’s God; the god he
worshipped was an idol named
Chemosh. The Moabites thought
that their god Chemosh was pleased.
with blood; and they often sacri-
ficed their children to him in times

—_—_ CEO

229

of trouble. The king of Moab had
a son; and now, in his difficulty
and danger, he took his poor son,
and carried him to the top of the
walls,.and sacrificed him there to
Chemosh, his god! The wicked
king thought that this might make
Chemosh help him, and give him
power to conquer Israel. When the
Israelites saw what the king had
done, they were so filled with horror,
that they went away, and returned
to their own land. They must have
felt thankful that their God was a
God of love, not a God like Che-
mosh, pleased with blood and
cruelty.

 

CLIX.

yHE por OF Pir.

NE day, a poor woman
came to Elisha in great
trouble. Her husband
was dead. He was one
of the sons of the’ pro-
good man, but very poor.

 

phets; a
He owed money, and died before he

could pay his debts. If this good
man had lived longer, he would, no
doubt, have tried very hard to earn
money to pay what he owed. It is
not right to be in debt. The Bible
says, “Owe no man anything.”
Romans xiii. 8. But the poor man
was now dead, and could do nothing ;
and when the creditor came to ask
for the money, the widow had none
to give him. Then the creditor
said, “If I cannot have the debt
paid, I must take away thy two
sons, and sell them for slaves.” The
poor woman cried very much when

| she heard this.

 

|

She had lost her
husband, and now must she lose her
children also? She did not know
how to get money to pay the debt;
so she went to Elisha, and told her
trouble to him. The prophet was
very kind, and willing to help her.
Did he help her to escape from her
ereditor without paying the debt?
or did he pay the money for her
himself? No; Elisha toid her she
must try to earn the money. When
people are in debt, they should
always try to pay their creditors.
It is very dishonest to run away
without paying; it is like stealing.
But what could the poor widow do?
Elisha asked, “What hast thou in
the house?” The woman answered,
“T have only a pot of oil.” Then
Elisha told her to go to all her
neighbors, and ask them to lend her