The record-union., 1897-10-18
OUR LIVES AND DESTINIES.
DECLARED BY OUR RELATIONS
TO GOD.
Rev. II. n. Hoyt's Interesting Dis
course on Elijah at the Con-
gregationaI Church.

The services at the Congregational
Church last night were exceedingly
interesting, instructive and uplifting.
The theme for the evening was Eli
jah," and the choir and pastor united
in bringing out the character OF that
great prophet.
The service was the first Of series
on the life Of Elijah, and the choir as
sisted by singing selections from Men
delssohn's masterpiece, Elijah. Last
evening w. E. NJ. Beardslee sang the
Introduction to the great orator1o,
where Elijah, the great prophet, Is rep
resented as presenting himself before
the King to deliver his message. This
Mr.. Eeardslee sang with much express
sion.
The quartet-Mrs. Mary NJ. Ross,
Mrs. =. F. Howard, Mr.. Beardslee and
R. T Cohn--sang the duet and quartet,
Lord, Bow Thine Ear 10 Our Prayer, >"
and sfr. Cohn sang the tenor solo, If
With All Your Heart" As closing Sc
lection the choir sang, "Oh, Come, Ey-
cry One That Thirsteth-' Miss Belle
Darlington presided at the organ.
In his short sermon DR.. II. n. Hoyt
said the story of Elijah turns largely
on his name The name of a person
is sometimes a prophecy and sometimes
a history Elijah's name signifies, My
God Is jehovah" Each of us has his
character name. Judgment is to have
ones real name written on his forehead,
so that all may read.
Life, character, destiny are declared
by our relation to God, said Mr.. Hoyt.
Some men, reaping the results of train
ing and the righteous lives of their par
ents and friends, are called good men,
While others protesting to be true are
known to be untrue. Would that we
all could be truthfully named Elijah
Jehovah is my Cod
The speaker then told the story Of
the coming into power in Israel of King
Ahab, and the downfall of the pure re-
ligion was shown to have come about
by the first turning away from the wor-
ship at Jerusalem to the worship of
golden calves
Ahab's religion was the religion of
Il don't care" and he soon, out of
policy, united the religion of Jezebel
who, as Queen, drove out the prophets
of the Lord. In the midst of this wick
ednass comes the Prophet Elijah, and
stands before the King, wild, uncouth
man. and delivers his message of judg-
ment: AS the Lord God of Israel
liveth, before whom 1 stand, there shall
not lie dew nor rain these years, but
according to my word" AS he stands
there he marks one of the eDochs in
history and makes one of the worlds >
great paintings-those two men, so ut
terly different in character and condi-
ton.
Elijah did not preach a long sermon,
but merely delivered his short message
of judgment-a drought, because of the
sin oc a nation.
righteousness, Christ, is the worlds
only cure for evil. Elijah put the
drought and the sin of a nation side
by side. that out of it might come re-
pentance and good. Men have been led
out OF sin into right by acts of judg-
ment. There is place for the preach
er Of Judgment to-day, as we'll as then.
Let us have a little more of the law.
and We viii be able to appreciate more
OF the grace. We need the iron in our
blood, and then we will be able to
show forth the love and gentleness of
the Gospel. We need more of the love
that hates sin and unrighteousness and
cHnSs TO right and to Jesus Christ.