"I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee."--_1 Kings 13:16._ IT is a sad story that you hear to-day. There was a man who was called a prophet, because God spoke to him, and used to send him to declare His will to the people. Once God called this prophet, and told him to go to a place called Bethel, where the wicked king of Israel, Jeroboam, had set up a golden idol in the shape of a calf, and was teaching the people to pray to it, instead of going to the Temple at Jerusalem to worship. He was to tell the king of his sin, and how his idol should be overthrown and destroyed; and when he had done this, he was to come home at once, by a different way, and neither eat bread nor drink water, but come quickly back. The prophet went to Bethel, and he spoke God's words to the king boldly; and when the king put out his hand to strike him God struck the hand, so that Jeroboam could not draw it back till the prophet prayed for him. Then Jeroboam felt God's power, and wanted the prophet to come to his palace with him. But the prophet said no; for God had commanded him to go home at once, without eating or drinking in that wicked place. So he set off. He had so far done well; but before he had gone all the way he grew tired, and he sat down under an oak. It was a great pity that he delayed, for there was a bad man coming after him with a lie upon his lips. This man told the prophet that God had said he was to come back and eat and drink; and I am grieved to say the prophet listened, and turned back. He ought to have known that God would have told him Himself if he was to go back; but he did not think--he did what pleased himself, not what pleased God; and he went back to feast with this stranger. But God's anger came upon him. When he went back in the evening, a lion came out of the wood and killed him. The lion did not kill the ass he rode upon, nor tear the body, and the ass did not run away from the lion; but the lion and ass both stood by the dead prophet till--who do you think found him? The very man who had tempted him to do wrong! Must not that have been a terrible sight? QUESTIONS. 1. What had God told the prophet to do? 2. What had He told him not to do? 3. What was the first wrong thing the prophet did? 4. What harm came of his lingering? 5. How did he disobey? 6. What was his sad end? 7. Who found him lying dead? 8. What were standing by him? 9. Why did he come to this sad death? 10. How did he fall in the way of the wicked man? 11. What is the way to fall in with bad people? 12. Then how should you always go on messages, or to school? 13. Is it enough to mind only half what you are told? [Illustration: THE QUEEN OF SHEBA VISITING SOLOMON.] THIRD READING. "The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth."--_1 Kings 17:14._