The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-05-17

had good reason to expect rain, and alone
began 10 pray, sending his servant to look
out to sea TO find if there was any sign of
the rain coming. The third, the fourth, the
fifth and the sixth time the servant returned
and said he saw no signs, but yet Elijah
kept praying There was faith for you.
Some of MS fear, would have faltered. He
believed it would come The seventh time
the servant said he saw little cloud no
bigger than a mans hand, and at that
Elijah arose and told him to go tell Ahali,
and hurry home lest the rain overlook him.
1t came, sure enough | am afraid that
about this time Elijah got to thinking he was
a great man, and fell back upon himself.
We find him currying favor with Ahah, and
perhaps he had Il notion that he would u.
made much of. But .Jezebel, the queen.
turned against him and threatened to kill
him, and the prophet, who had held the
keys of Heaven, who had awed nation,
ran from woman, scared out of his wits.
We find him under juniper tree wishing
| himself dead because he was no better than
his fathers. Don't you see the seltishness?
| fault with God because things did not 90
right i'll his attempt ut self-eNaltation.
There are few of us but have been under the
Juniper tree at one time OF another in our
lives. What sight it is TO see the hero Of
Mount Ararat trying to die like n coward.
Self came in and God couldn't use him.
Yet, God did not desert him An angel
| sol 1 L
to be strengthened in faith. Elijah had
BECOME A BACKsLIDER.
Gou can tell the state of his mind by his
complaining to God that he who had been
so jealous for His cause had been deserted.
and that he, even he was the only servant of
God left. What spiritual egotism. God
quickly rebuked him by telling him thai
there We're full 1000 in Israel true and tried
who had not bowed the knee to I,aal. Fortu-
nately, Elijah finally heard the still, small
voice Of God, and obeyed. The trouble with
Elijah was that he was looking after his rep
utation all the time. If men will only look
after their characters, their regulations will
come out all right. There will be no trouble
about that. 1t was here that God sent him
to call Elisha to take His place. and do you
know that, as far as know the Bible, God
never once called an idle man into His ser
vice. Elijah found Elisha behind drove
oftwelve oxen. He was a man of affairs,
hard ut work. Every man that God used
had to give up something. Gideon was
threshing, David tending his fiocks, and
Moses no Sha WI ap ,n1
them away. They were not ashamed of
their occupations. Christ took His apostle,
from their fishing and taN-gatherng and
other service, and served an apprenticeship
as carpenter himself before His ministry
commenced. A third time God sent Elijah
to Ahab with a message, and like those that
preceded it, it made his ears tingle. Allah,
like most men, had his price. He sold him
self for garden of herbs Naboth had IA
vineyard in Jezrcel, near Ahab's summer
palace, which was built of ivory, and Ahab
tried to buy it from him, or get it in en-
change, but it was then against the law to
sell ones inheritance and Naboth would
not agree. &c. the king went off in Il polt
and told his wife .Jezebel about it. He got
The t:tct 81 nitse case is, my friends, that We
are all a
LOT OF OvERGROwN CHILDREN.-N
1t is Just the case of the boy who cares
because he cant have a .iack-knife, only Il
little magniiied. JeZebel, his wife, told
him to never mind; she would get it for him
without any expense, and so she got up
conspiracy, and had Naboth killed on :.
false charge, and contscated his property.
This is what men get who have .Jezehels for
wives. Elijah met Ahab and said to him,
"Thus saith the Lord: Hast thou killed and
also taken possession In the place where
dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dos
lick thy blood, even thine" The devil had
a mortgage on Ahab, and was going to fore
close it now. He had seen how Elijah
brought fire and rain, and how he must
have trembled rs he thought how thi
would also come true. He had sold him
self for few acres, like Judas for a few
pieces of silver: Herod for Il low dancing
woman, and ESau for a mess of potta"c.
How many of us are selling ourselves t"
the devil art cheap. DO you suppose 'ilat
Ahab ever had Il peaceful day after that
Three years from that time Ahab was slai"
i'll battle, and his blood was washed from
his chariot and licked up by the dogs i'll the
very spot where Naboth had been put 10
death. Ahab died in his sins. Elijah WAS
translated into heaven. Ahab served til"
devil all mis- life. Elijah was a humble in
strument for good in Gods hands.rv eu-
though he did get under the juniper tree
once. What contrast, My Christian
friends, have done with self and the wor-
ship of the world. DO what God wants
you to do, no matter what the consequences,
and all will be we'll