The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-03-02
THE CAVE AT H0REI

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Elijah was man subject to like passions
as we are" James v. IL.
| am very glad that James wrote
that sentence. The great figures that
move so majestically across the page
of sacred history, seem to us some
times, as we look back, to belong to
another race. We can hardly believe
that they walked the same earth, and
shared the same frailties. But hui
man nature is very much the same in
all ages-even in good men. When
we read the fragments of Elijah's
personal career which have been pre-
served, we End SO many points of
resemblance to ourselves. We find
that he grew discouraged in his work
just as we do. He saw the time
which seemed to him as if there was
no use in trying to do ANYTHING more,
just as we do. Baal had carried the
day. The cause of Jehovah was
trampled in the dust under the feet
of Ahab and Jezebel
But Elijah not only grew discour
aged, he became abjectly cowardly,
once away from his work-his duty
just as we do. He went out into the
wilderness and flung himself down,
detected and unstrung, under juni-
per tree, and wanted to die. He saw
nothing further to live for. We know
all about it. We have been groaning
and beating the earth under that same
juniper-tree. We understand what
kind of fruit it bears and what sort of
shadow it casts.
The next day Elijah came to Horeb
still Sinking his work, and took ref
uge in a cave. The voice of the Lord
came to him there, "What dost thou
here, Elijah?"- much as to say,
"Your work is in another place, in
King Ahab's dominion. Why have
you deserted your posts Why are
you hiding in the wilderness?" And
Elijah answered, 81 have been very
jealous for the Lord God of Hosts;
for the children of Israel have for
saken thy covenant, thrown down
thine affairs, and slain thy prophets
with the sword; and I, even l only,
am left, and they seek my life to take
it away"
Perhaps in this respect also, Elijah
was man of like passions with our
selves. He thought himself the only
real and faithful servant of God and
of the truth left upon the earth. But
God told him that he must divide
his exclusive claim with 1000 others
who had not bowed the knee to Baal,
but who were quite as loyal as him
self. 1t is by no means uncommon
for one to imagine himself the last
surviving specimen of genuine and
whole-hearted loyalty to incorruptible
truth; but we may be sure that, in
the sight of God, there are thousands
of others who love truth and right
eousness quite as devotedly. Gods
kingdom is not SO sparsely populated
as we sometimes think.
While Elijah was hiding in this
cave at Horeb, he was hidden to go
forth and stand upon the mount be-
fore the Lord. Then followed
scene that must have stamped itself
upon his mind and left an imperish-
able lesson. 1t is thus paraphrased
by the pen of Geike: IA rushing
hurricane before which Elijah shrank
once more into the depths of the
cave, burst through the awful gorges of
the mountains, tearing off huge frag
ments on every side. Then followed
the crash of an earthquake, making
the mighty peaks and submits rock
and sway on their foundations, and
after that the peals of an awful thun-
derstorm reverberating through the
naked defiles. But Jehovah was in
none of these. At last, in the silence
almost peculiar to that region, broken
by no falling stream, or note of bird,
or sound of beast, or voice of man,
came still small voice. What it
was is not told us; but Elijah felt that
the decisive moment had arrived"
That still small voice produced upon
the mind of Elijah such a sense of
awe and reverence as the more ire
mendous demonstrations that went
before had been powerless to effect.
The prophet wrapped his face in his
mantle and stood in silence and won
der to listen.
What were some of the revelations
made to Elijah in that scene at
Horeb7
i. THERE WAS GIVEN TO HIM, AT THIS
TIME, NEW THOUGHT OF COP, AND ONE
THAT, IN HIS CIRCUMSTANCES OF DEPREs-
SION AND DIsCoURAGEMENT, he PARTICU-