El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-10-02
CONFERENCE.
Able Discourse Last Night by Rev B
C. Matthews OF ArkauSaw.

Trinity church was we'll filled last
night by Christian people of various
| denOmin a; ions and other to hear Rev.
b G. Matthews, of Arkausaw, pre- ch
| the evening discourse bef re the New
Mexico Conference His tilame wa
| the disohedient prophet. The text
was. "And when be was gone, a lion
met him by the way and slew him; and
| his carcass was cast in the way"
| Kings NiIl:24. The speaker gave an
his istorcal resume of Gods dealing
with the Jews until the time of their
revolt under the tyrannical rein OF
| Reboboam, son of Solomon. The ten
tribs chO-e JerobOam son of Nebat FOR
| their lea de-, made their headquarters
| a. Sechem and vent off into idolstry.
| hen the preacher said in part: God
| aid his hands on prophet and told
| him to go to Bethel and cry against
| the altar, with the express command
neither to eat brerd or drink
| water 10 that city, nor return by the
way he entered it. AS the prophet
stO ID and cried against the altar, Jero-
boam called out for some one to lay
hold on the prophet, whereupon as
Jeroboam stood with Outstret ched arm
of command, the Lord withered his
arm. Then the atfrightened king
called out to the man of God to have
the Lord heal his arm. The prophet
did so, and the withered arm was re
stored. Then Jeroboam invited the
prophet to go home and dine with him
and receive a reward. But the prophet
rep led, Not for half of hY kingdom :"
Afterward he went out Of the city by
another road. However, he was over
taken by a false prophet who prevailed
upon the traveller 10 return to Bethel
aud eat and drink. Then God forced
the real spirit of prophesy on the
prophet and told him that because he
had disobeyed, his carcass should not
come to the sepulchur of bis fathers.
With this terrible message ringing in
his ears, the disObedient prophet went
forth, ard a lion found him in the way
and slew him.
The speaker further said, have re-
pe.ted this history in order that we
may look at the propbe1 in and out of
the road of du'y. In the first place,
while in ,he road of duty he stood
alone, so far as humanity is concerned,
but God was with him. AL true disci
pies of the Lord travel this lonely road.
Jesus trod he vine press alone, ana
the servant is MT above his master.
There was time when even Christ
was popular, but popula larity is as fleet
ing as the dew drop that gllstels o l
the blade of grass. One day the peo-
pie shou' Hosannah. and the next
day, Cruelty him. In the garden of
Ceshsemene Jesus was alone. for they
all forsook him aud He'd. He went to
the cross alone, and like a lam o led be-
fore its shearer5, so opened he not his
mouth. But when he hung uoon the
the cross it app sred that God forsook
him, aud he coie1 My God. My Gcd.
Why hast thou forsaken N - All great
men who have moved The world see this
thought One OF our poets in his
address to water fowl threw out this
idea, He who from zone to zone guides
thee in tn ne uuerring higbt, in the
long road L must travel aicn", will
guide MY steps arighJ." Paul viii e
preaching in Asia said, "All men for
sock me, nevertheless Christ stood by
me- So the lO3c1y hour will come,
the critical period VIII arrive to every
true rdisc. pie of Christ.
In the second place. the prophet
meets organized opposition. Here
were tribes with priests from the
lowest ord r. OF The people and Jero-
bcam ready to offer incense to the
golden calves. The man of God me Is
this organized free: and 50 evaIy
Christian in the road of duty meets Or
g4niz d forces of satan. Paul gives
au idea of the org anizaiinn of the king
dom Of Beelzebuo when he said, Put oa-
the who e arm)r Of @ Cd that ye may
withstand the wiles of the devil. For
we ~restle rot fgtinss flesh and
blood, out agaiu7t priucipalitias
and powers, against the rulers
of darkness Of this wnrl and spiri'ull
wickedness in high places Here is