Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-09-08
COURAGE FOR NEW DUTY

From thu wilderness where We left
Elijah, he Wen for forty days through
the Wilderness to Mount Horeb. or
Mount Sinai, where the law had been
given to Moses. This was Il sacred
spot 10 every Jew as the place of reve-
lation and of the invisible presence OF
The Most High. 1t must have appealed
profoundly to Elijah's imagination.
Possibly ne sought it as a place which
in sentiment was peculiarly near TO
Jehovah. At least we know that he
went to the very cleft in the rock where
Moses had heard the divine voice and
seer the glorious vision. Here. Elijah
gave himself to meditation. II here
Coo found him.
THE VOICE ON SINAI.
one does not need to go To Sinai tn
hear the Divine Voice. yet some places
and symbols peculiarly affect the spirit
und make it receptive to sacred inilu-
snces. The voice that came To Elijah
was an inquiring voice. Coo is always
solicitous for the highest welfare of his
.hildren. Let no man think that his
spiritual state is a matter of indiffer-
ence to the Lord. Nothing o him
concerns Jehovah SO much as this.
Therefore, the inquiry which greeted
Elijah was. What doest hot here.
lIlijah?' Or. rs it might be freely
translated, How is 1t with thee: Is
1t well with thy soul? Now that thou
has come thus far IL hast experienced
new manifestations of Jehovah's lead
e.ship. what is thy attitude as thou
standest IN this spot where my servant
of old stood? Art thou still cast
down."
Sometimes we criticise persons who
are constantly exercised over their
spiritual condition, yet they are in bet
ter business than those whose thought
Ia nnnanrpn1 WHOLLY with cantnrfnI
things, for the health of the soul is
all-important; the body's welfare and
worldly prosperity are as nothing
compared with this. rs it we'll with
Thy soul?' is Il query that should be
ever sounding in the ears of him who
would nav his spirit strong.
A COMPLAINING PROPHET.
disbursement which made him long
for death under the Juniper tree, but
still he was a pessimist INC God showed
him that, as ever. a pessimistic attitude
is wrong. There was not a little ego
tism about Elijah's state of mind, as
there generally is about pessimists. He
rccited how he had been very Jealous
for the Lord of Hosts. but 10. the child
rem of Israel on the contrary, had for
saken o covenant, thrown down his
affairs and slain his prophets. The real
secret OF Elijah's state of mind is
found in his words. Il, ven l only am
left" He thought the Lords cause a
been v%anquished and the limit reached.
His work he believed was over and so.
like some public men in the middle
ages. he had retired to religious seclu-
sion to await the end. There was MOTH
ing more to hope for-the kingdom was
going to h dogs: all that he could do
was to prepare for heaven himself.
MS form of religious egotism is very
common even In our own day. Many
a preacher has thought that the king
dom OF heaven was losing ground SIM
ply because his own liver was bad.
So God set about disabusing Elijah
of his petty and egotistical notions. He
wanted to show that the Lords way
was not his servants way and that he
lived and reigned.
WHlRlWlND, EARTHQUAKE, FIRE.
While h prophet stood forth at the
entrance to the cleft in the rocks, wait
ing for the manifestation of Jehovah,
u mighty whirlwind passed by. Surely
in all that noise and power God was.
But no; he heard him not. Amid the
crunching of the rending rocks there
was no echo of the divine voice.
Then came that most awful OF natu-
raj manifestations, an earthquake. But
Coo was not in the earthquake. Then
followed fire from heaven. God had
been in the fire on Mount Carmel. but
he was not here. for he was teaching
Elijah that he doe not always work
In the ways that men expect him to
work. Men get up a whirlwind of re-
vival effort. they set ponderous ma
chinery in motion. and they think to
bring a special awakening by setting
up the same forms through which some
past revival came, needless Of the les
son of Noun Sinai. that God is aver
expressing himself in new Ways.
THE STILL, SMALL VOICE..
It was in silence so great as to be
audible that the presence of Jehovah
was at last manifested. Well for Eli
JAN that he had ears to hear. How
e Gods word comes. the sensitive,
sympathetic ear Ii quick to understand
1t. Many a soul that has not been
reached by the most powerful of divine
agencies 1t touched by the voice Of a
little child, or IL led home through the
echo OF an old hymn. or q meditation
IN the night watches. Gods ways
are not mems ways and happy Is he
who. like Elijah, hearsi him Whenever
ne comes. and who can catch the first.
faint whisper OF the still. mail voice"
EiiJan's great need was a conscious
ness of Jehovah. Although he was a
true prophet he did not realize me
greatness and the glory Of God. This
experience on Mount Sinai waa =
humblipg one. making him teachab!e
and reverent. He feared n fresh les
son on the greatness OF the living God.
that he Ia the King Of Kings and Lord
of Lords. The Ahabs and jezebels may
seem TO have the mastery for a day.
but God lives n reigns forever.
A NEW COMMISSION.
Elijah had been given the encour-
agement OF rest and n0urishment. Now
he II given the encouragement OF SER
+ vice. Nothing revives q mar with the
blues ike an immediate duty. So God
Il sQAX0 ICltf0h Grant oNA A--E----AaE
tasks to perform-tasks which showed
\ exclustveness OF the divine plan.
He was to annoint a prophet to be His
low successor. and to Indicate q kinr to
.stt on the throne OF Ahab and one to
succeed the king. OF Syria The com.
p-rehepsiveness and perpetuity Of the
divine design were suggested by these
Wise Instruction..
And then. best OF ali to the lons,v
prophet was the assurance thai God
had. n still would have n treat host
OF men In Israel loyal to himself. The
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