Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-08-25

by, risked personal violence at the hands
OF the Infatuated priests by daring to
mock them. saying: Cry aloud; for he Is
a god; either he is musing, or he is gone
aside, or he Is on II Journey. or pcrad-
venture he slccpeth and must be awakcd.'
Tho use of rid!cule and scorn on Elijah's
part suggests that there are many weap-
ons to be used in truths service. Where
pleading and exhortatton fail. ridicule.
scorn or cXcoriating condemnation may
succeed.
THE LONE coMBATANT.
While the priests prayed and danced in
impotent hysteria the flesh OF tho bullock
on the dry wood grew colder inc colder.
Possibly the host Of people stood thrilled
and expectant through these long hours
when the prophet of Baal cried to their
god in vain. Possibly the reaction from
the excitement set III and they showed
WEAKNESS, hut when the hour of the
evening ohlation drew on apace Eliiah's
Come, now, unto me" brought them all
close and craning with fresh cagerness.
Deliberately the prophet set about his
task. evidently intending to preach by
symbols as he worked, and many con-
sciences twinged as he prepared an an
cient altar of Jehovah which had been
overthrow during JeZehel's prosecutions.
Twelve uncut stones he gathered. to SYM
boliZc that Jehovah was the God of all
Israel. Then, while the people wondered,
lie dug about the simple. primitive altar
a deep trench. hen jars of water to the
lumber of twelve-still the symbolism
were thrown over the carcass of the bull
lock, the wood, the stones, running down
and filling the trench. To the incredulous
he was making it impossible to fulfill his
own conditions, Yet the more thoughtful
must have seen in this excess of prepare.
ton "A confidence that BODIED results.
A PRAYER THAT BROUGHT FIRE.
In contrast Will the frcnzied shoutings
and cavortings of Balls representatives
was the prayer of Elijah which followed.
1t was solemn. stately. dignifed, remind
ing them of the beautiful prayer of Solo
mon at the dedication of the temple. of
which they still had record. 1t was a
simple prayer. asking hut three things:
first, hat Jehovah wo..l show himself
God in Iracl; that he would vindicate his
. servan and that these people might be
turned back again to the true worship.
How the vibrant intensity OF 1t rings.
Hear me, o Jehovah, hear me, that this
people may know that thou, Jehovah, art
God. and that thou hast turned their
hearts back again. 1t was a vicariOuS
prayer. of the sort which the Lord always
answers.
This study will inevitably raise thu
question of when COD answers prayer.
/ Upon ILlIS point III eultuT Oh IL ouIluSy
School Times, Charles Gallaudet Trum-
bull, writes sanely: w may count upon
Gods granting every petition that we
ought to make, and we can learn what
we ought to pray for and to expect only
as we live, every moment of every day,
for the advancement of his kingdom. We
must use our brains in our prayers, as
we'll as our faith. Elijah's brainy, never
ceasing study of the situation in Israel
convinced him that this public test and
exposure was the right thing at this ripe
time. He knew before he made the prayer
that God would answer 1t: not because
God had told him to make 1t, but because
of his conservation, brains and faith.
There are your three essentials of assured
answer to MISREPRESENTATION, brains,
faith. With them we may ask God for
anything that we need for the success of
his work, and we may know beforehand
that he will give What we ask"
THE DUEL DECIDED.
When Elijah had ceased praying and the
people were hushed in expectancy, the
miracle came. The fire fell, not merely to
Indicate which sacrifice was accepted, hut
to consume flesh and wood and water and
stones, so that before the awful spectacle
the people screamed in intesity of excite
ment and fell groveling on their faces.
and cried aloud as II to avert a doom, "Jc-
hovah, he is Cod"
The duel had lone its work, for the mo-
ment at least. The people were ready to
acknowledge Jehovah as God, and to
wrcak vengeance on the false prophets.
So, after the crude ethics of the time,
which permitted much that would be IN
tolerable now, the representatives of Baal
were taken down to the foot of the noun
toin and slain, thus teaching Jezebel that
Gods people cannot be prosecuted with
impunity.
THE VicToR's MAGNANIMlTY.
1t had been a trying day, exhausting to
the vitality of participant and spectator
Elijah. who shortly before had lowered
above Ahab In power and dignity, now as
sumed the place of an obedient subject
He took thought for the kings physica.
needs and bade him eat and drink un.
sparingly now. for the famine Is as good
as broken.
Elijah himself went apart to pray. II,
had prepared for his victory by prayer
M Won 1t by prayer. and now he still
feels the need of prayer. While he bowet
himself on the top of Carmel with hi.
face TIVE his knees, he sent his serv.
ant seven times to look ont across the
Mediterranean for some sign of rain
Such Is true faith. 1t prays and expect.
it's prayer to be answered. After the seS
enth search of the horizon the servant re
ported a cloud the size of a mans hand.
Still the prophets thought was for hi:
undeserving sovereign. He sent n mes
sage of haste to Ahab hat he should be
take himself to Jezreel before the brool
hlshon should swell to a torrent or tn,
dust OF the plain should be turned to i'm
passable mud. The descent of the storm
is graphically described. 1t came with al
the suddenness and power OF a storm ii
the east. dreadful in its intensity, We
precious and welcome because it brough
life to parched nature and hope to tn.
famine stricken people, Elijah ran befor'
the chariot of Ahab the whole nfteei
miles through the binding rain. With hi
spiritual exaltation came unusual physi
cal power. as is often the case. But will
rare lowliness OF mind he offered himsel
for humble service. He knew how to b.
on the mountain top. but he also knev
how to live on the plain. which is the ina
test Of religion.
THE TEST OF COURAGE
Lowell sang:
..They are slaves who fear to be
In the right with two or three"