The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-08-30
NEW FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
ADESCRIPTIONOF 4 THIS BEAUTI-
 FUL EDIFICE

Which Are sets for september 2s-
 First Service in New Chruch Next
 sunday-FIne Discourse by Rev. Mir.
 Lent at Last Union Service With Ep-
 worth NJ. D. Church.
 There was a good-sized congregation at the Epworth NJ. E. church Sunday morning. it being the last of the Sun day morning union services of the First Baptist and Epworth congregations previous to the commencement. of wor- ship in the new edifice of the First Baptist people at the corner of Livings- ton and Edwards streets. The Rev. Frederick Lent, of the Baptist church, was the preacher of the morning. He spoke on .eThe cause and cure for dis couragement of Gods servants bas- ing his remarks on I. Kings, xix. He said in part:
 The figure of Elijah on Carmel is one of the most terrific of all history. If you picture to yourself that scene, he takes on heroic proportions, as one of the worlds greatest of men. One lone strong man, there the giant turned the course of the worlds history. Once for all he settled it for those who wor- shipped Jehovah, that there was but one God. For them it was either Jeho- yah or Baal. One only must be worship ped. He brought them to cry, prostrated, Jehovah, he is God" This rugged, huge mountain like mass of human na- ture, clothed in his sheepskin cloak, this tawny Bedawee prophet, had a will that tWitched like a magician's wand. and turned other wills as he pleased. The popular decision won by his power is followed by the slaughter of Baars prophets. Then after prayer. Elijah runs fourteen miles before the ap- preaching rain. He is one of the strongest men of all time in body, mind, faith, personality and will.
 Yet to-day we see him crouching un- der juniper bush, praying for death Then, like others who ask to die, fleeing still tosescape death. Hidden at last in nerveless. His giant power is infant powerIessness. He is discouraged.
 The message which Jezebel sent threatening his life discouraged him. Ahab had told her the story of Carmel. Her threat showed she was still in pow CT. She was the force in her house and court. Her royal husband was a man of putty. The incident of Naboths s vineyard showed this. While he sulked and went to bed fasting, too lacking in energy to seek by force his desire she got the vineyard easily. Ahab was as wicked as she, but did not have sense and will to show 1t. If she had been good she would have been very good In deed. As 1t was, she was horrid. He was Insignificant, whether good or bad, discouraged character. Elijah was justified in expecting him to enforce the victory of Carmel by establishing through decree the worship of Jehovah as the state /religion, But he was one of those weddings, like some we find in political power to-day, lacking in conviction, rather inclined to the worst party, but too polite to offend the re- form party should it happen to be powerful. Nothing is more discoura- ging to the man who is working for re- form than such moral Weakling in power, where a strong character is needed. Yet Ahab's insignificant per- sonality should prevent us from being too discouraged. God will not let his cause suffer through such as he. Truth succeeds in spite of these men.
 Elijah's despondency was due, to a large degree, to his exhaustion. The excitement on Carmel 50 exalted his spirit he could have flung the very 4f.. T,,,4 cles, Jagged nerves and weary brain must rest. A reaction comes. Mind lifted matter yesterday; to-day body drags the spirit down. Even Niagara eddies and seethes, discomfited, after its wild, irresistible leap which no bar riers can stop. Blue Mondays come to all enthusiasts. But do not inf1ict your pessimism on others. Hide as Eli jah did until you feel better. Rest and be still.
 Reforms do not get finished in one day. Even Carmell was but a begin ming. The zealous man is in danger of becoming bitter, narrow and pessimis- tic, because he cannot wait for the slow movement of the people. Earnestness easily passes into bigoted fault finding, s1IlQ tIlIOlClntlSCs li0 stllOIS tCdltiCSE Sf6 are, the more apathetic others seem. The reformer must reckon on this and keep patient, sweet tempered and opti- nistic. It does not pay to lose temper and hope and scold
 The enthusiastic reformer should learn to trust the innate religious ten dency of human nature. Elijah was not the only one left; seven thousand had not worshipped Baal. Let us re- member religion will not die with us. It is part of the human endowment, a heritage from God, an inalienable pos session. The only thing that is more astonishing than the iirreligiousness of the people Is their deep righteousness. We need not despair, because there is a normative tendency in man, a disposi- tion to come to balance. If appear ances seem against us, then as Ener- son says, Relieve what the centuries say against the hours.'
 Elijah was thinking too much of himself; too little of God. What if Eli jah did fail? God lived and would out live Ahab, Jezebel and all their tribe. Therefore Baal was doomed. What is truth will survive because the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth." One time when Martin Luther was discouraged his wife appeared dressed in deep