The record-union., 1896-09-21


still other thousands, until there was
rolling flood Of voices shouting: 1.-THE
Lord is God" Old Kishon heard 1t
and sent it back; the rocky cliffs and
chasms of Esdraelon that had echoed
TO many battle-cry sent it back; the
Tar away sea stopped it's roar for a
time as if to listen: THE Lord he Is
Cod"
The matter was settled then and re-
corded on the statute books. But II the
Lord be God, why did not the people
follow him? And why do you not fol-
low him? Do you suppose that anyone
on Mount Carmel that day went down
its slopes in doubt? So long as they
lived must they consider the question
or who Is God settled. So long as any
could remember that scene, the drip
ping altar, the maddened priests, the
quiet voice of the prophet, the de-
scending fire, was 1t possible for any
one to refuse to bow to Elijah's God?
Settled forever: The Lord alone is
God"
But let a month pass by-only little
month-and they had nearly forgotten
IT all. Before another year the fires had
k1ndled all around, and from every high
NIL smoke arose again from altars
erected to Baal ,~and the people danced
round and round the affairs, worshiping
| the god of fire, from whom no fire came
| that day on Mount Carmel. Oh, the pity
| Tor weak, tickle, changing humanity!
But don't you blame them. Alas! for
the ficklessnes of our human naturel
We are not much of men and women
after all our boast. We are only birds
skipping from twig to twig. We have
seen the Lord vindicate himself not only
| on Mount Carmel, but many a time;
| and our impressions are quickly lost
even as the snowfall in the river. We,
too, have our idols of wealth, honor
pleasure. Which one Of these can help
US! We might cry, and jump, and cut
ourselves in frenzy, as did those priests,
and we should get as little real fire
from each and all of these as did they.
No. my brother; these have never
| built UP any character for you, never re-
lieved you from pain or suffering; have
never driven away much of ignorance
or gladdened many troubled souls, or
made the world much better. 20, Baal,
hear u.s." we cry to thee. Echo is the
only answer.
If the Lord be God.'' There is no
If" in nature. Stand beside some lone
ly defile Of the mountain, or flowing riv-
er in the valley, and cry aloud: "Oh,
Jehovah, answer, if thou art God" And
many voices respond: THE Lord, He is
God. It was during the Reign
of Terror in Paris that one
| stood on a street corner tell
ing the people how they were going to
pull down the churches and shrines
and blot out God. An old farmer said:
You must not forget, citizen, to pull
| down the stars!' So long as stars
| glitter, and rivers roll, and brooks rip
! pie. and flowers bloom, and birds sing
there will be the voices crying: THE
Lord, He is God! Only the fool has
| said in his heart there is no God"
| Redemption's story has the same
voice for US. Again the sacrifice was
| laid on the altar, and the fire Of di-
vine justice fell and consumed the sac
rifice. Who is like unto our God ;
glorious in holiness, fearful in praises,
doing wonders? Surely, the Lord, He
is God in redemption
| Why not follow him, then? Some say
they arein doubt as to this or that But
we see these not very anxious, not try
ing to get out Of the cloud, so careless
| about the whole matter that we are
led to think they do not doubt after all.
Honest doubters would be down on
/ their knees in tears till the whole mat
ter were settled.
| Others wait for feeling In no other
matters do they act so. Here it is not a
question of feeling at ALL Should your
grocer come to you with your bill to-
morrow morning and you should say:
Yes I see it; but have no feeling in
| the matter. I'll wait till I get some
feeling" The grocer would likely call
| you by very common name. In the
matter Of following God, it IS not a
question Of feeling, but Of debt and
duty. 1t Is the unpaid grocer's bill.
1t Is the unpaid debt to God If the
Lord be God, 1t is your duty to follow
Him, and an honest man will pay his
honest debts. Some are caught by the
! snare Of wanting to think about 1t
awhile. This is ali that Satan wants
men to do-tust stand off God as cred
itor awhile longer and think about it.
/ Time passes, and you are no nearer to
obeying the command. Every moment
you delay you disobey God; indecision
is decision against God.
| The most unreasonable thing in all
this world is withholding the souls wor-
! ship from the true God 1t is certainly
true that "the god Of the world hath
blinded the eyes of them who believeth
not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
| of Christ, who Is the image of God,
should shine unto them" If you have
been hesitating, halting, putting off,
stop now and follow the living God. May
II never be said of you: He knew his
duty and did 1t not"