The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-10-12
LAY SERMON.
No 2.

"And behold, the Lord passed by,
and a great and strong wind rent the
mountains and broke the rock IN
pieces, bnt the Lord was not in the
wind, aud after the wind, an EARTH
quake, bn, the Lord was not in the
tarlhq uake, and after the earthquake
a fire, but the Lord was not IN the
fire, and after the fire, a still, small
voice, and when Elijah heard 1t, ne
wrapped his head in his mantle and
we, t out
Elijah had fled into the wilderness
from the presence Of the wicked Je'
zibel, who had sworn that his lite
should answer for those of the Proph'
cts of Baal, whom be had caused to
be slain. The children Of Israel for,
getting the long series of wonderful
miracles, Which had brought them
from the bondage of Egypt, how,
with the hand of Il Father and
King, he had led them in all their
wandelings. had forsaken the cove
nants of the Lord, thrown down his
affairs, and slain his Prophets by the
sword. Elijah had "been very zeal
Gus for the Lold his God" but though
he had signalized his power 10y send
ing down fire from Heaven to consume
the sacrifice laid upon his affairs, had
delivered the Priests Of the God MIS-
,ocl,, into the hands of the lsraelltes,
now awakened to their sin, he had
fled in fear, before the wicked Queen,
aud iourneyins into the wilderness
had sought cave in which to hide
himself, saying, cit is enough, Oh
Lord, take away my life. for am not
better than my fathers" He had
probably expected some still greater
display of power, some still more re-
ma, kable manifestation in his favor,
bnt when to rebuke his want of faith,
his forgetfulness that he, and his peo'
Die we're under the leadership Of one
who never had, never could fail them,
God appeared to him, not in the
whirlwind, not in the earthquake, not
in the fire, but in "a still small voice,
the Prophet overwhelmed with self
humiliation and awe, covered his
head with his mantle and waited
What dost thou here Elijah? return
on thy way, not talte,ingly, not fear
fully, but as the accredited messenge'
of one mightier than any earthly po-
tentate and anoiut lIayael to be King
of Israel-sustained by an inwa'C
spiritual power the Prophet went t
do his bidding.
Human nature is the same among
all races Of men, and in all ages, anc
the lesson which was taught the
Prophet of old, We have need to learn
AZ all future ages will do also. Thu
love of the wonderful, the seemingI!
miraculous, the seeking AS men di'
Of old, for "a sign" is still prevalent
forgetting that all our lives gathered
in, as they are, between the two eter
mites of the past aud future-full q
inherent energies and powers, will
winch we can not grapple, dark.
bound by my steri"us influences whic
we fail to grasp or define, are Ion
and wonderful miracles, which til
Supreme Being whose creation "
ale, can a:one comprehend. "W
are but children crying in the dark,
= and there is but one thing we ca
\ know we'll, and that is, our own ignt
, rance, that should teach US that fea
- of God, which We are told "is til
beginning of wisd"m.' Had Eliza
been asked where he was to look fl
the most High, he would have said
the whirlwind, in the earthquake, I
! the fire, yet, when the still sma
\ voice reached his ear, he folded h
d mantle about him aud waited wit
j awe. So should We do when we IT
1 fleet upon our daily lives, We regar
! the grand displays Of Gods p"we
I which He sometimes makes when
| now, he lays his hand heavily upo
} us, and pestiIence walks over Il
= land, aud death waits for his terrib
harvest with awakened fear and aw
but We do not listen to the "st
small voice" which tells US Of dai
blessings and benefits conferred, til
Of we are sustained by His power, Il
by His bouuty-of all the loves al
friendships which sweeten our live
Volcanoes send their flames to t
stars, earthquakes rend the bosom
the earth, the ocean lifts its storm
waves upon high, and men bend wi
fear and trembling-but the Aowe
like spirits Of beauty, bud and bloo
coIored by the hand Of the Divi
Chemist, the sweet grasses creep 10
ingly to our homes, covering the pat
beneath our feet, aud tho graves
our beloved with smiles--the dews
evening refresh Us, the glory of t
morning delights "a, yet how fe
like grass and flower, lift up tn
hearts in cheerful thanks for 50 mu
love.
"There's beauty all around our da
NJ paths,
70 Ifbut our watchful eyes,
.be Would see it through familiar thin
inv in. And in it's lowly guise."
lis, All the great operations Of matt
Re- are silent, and slow; governed b!
led grand simplicity which finds in u
no parallel. The great system
worlds, of which our own forms
g Insignificant part, all the numer
= systems, which, with ours, revo
ay' around the great central sun of
'I1v Universe, are regulated aud held