The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-08-18
Elijah on Mount Carmel.

EdlesIlue. III IS fragrant ana lovely.
Its foliage is luxurlant. 1t commands
superb view of the mountain, sea,
and plain. The battlefield of the
Holy Land is at the foot of it. 1t is
as if the names of Deborah. Barak,
Gideon, and Saul were craven with
an iron pen on the rocky side of the
mountain. But a greater battle was
fought on the heights than was ever
waged upon the plain. 1t was a duel
of gods-Jehovah and Baal
Jezebel had paganized Israel. The
very multitude of her priests proves
it. Four hundred and fifty to the
male god Baal and four hundred
to the female Astarte. All Jehovah's
priests had gone into exile and his
prophets into the caves of the noun
tains. The lascivious Zidonian wor-
ship, like poisonous weed, covered
the whole land. 1t had the prestige
of the court. The sensualism of its
pompous ritual appealed to the ORR.
entail mind. The chains OF hideous
and polluted worship seemed riyeted
forever upon an apostate nation.
One heroic soul stood against the
apparently irresistible stream. As
Antony denounced the perfect of
Alexandria, Athanasius seized the
bride of Constantine, Knox rebuked
Mary, so Elijah, as if consciously I'M
der the shield of divinity, fearlessly
rebuked king, queen, courtiers, and
people. a sharp sword proceeded
out of his mouth. The grandeur of
his solitude is indescribably impress
sive.
All against his will Ahab issues a
royal proclamation for the assembly
or all Isreal. AS if designed for the
very purpose Carmel afforded a stage
for fascinating and awful drama, a
trial of gods by fire. The dread scene
is described in magnificent nara
tive in every way worthy of it. 1t
fairly lives again before the eyes of
the reader.
The priests of Baal were devil-pos-
| sessed. They did not sham. In their
extremity the darkest sorceries of
blood and self-mutilation were resort
ed to. As modern fakirs eat glass and
bite living snakes, so these devil
dancers went through every conceiv-
able contortion and fantastic gesture.
No more VIVID description of idola-
trous customs exists in literature.
With proverbial stoical patience
of the Arab the people had been sit
ting hour after hour looking on as
these spirited scenes were enacted.
The denoucement is at hand. The
climax is reached. The conduct of
Elijah is the best comment on that
Scripture, THE righteous is as bold
as lion" With that absolute assur-
ance which inspiration never fails to
give, Elijah stepped to the fore.
There is large significance in his
smallest act or word. He Knocked the
prophets of Baal. 1t is one of the
few examples of irony in the Bible.
He is not frivolous in this. His OBJ
ject is to make idolatry contemplate,
His sarcasm is pitying and whitening.
His words are addressed to the PEG.
pie rather than to the priests. He
cries, MAKE him attend for he is the
supreme god. He may happen to be
giving an audience to some one.
Make him know that everything is
now at stake. If he has gone away
call him back" A course meaning
attaches to the phrase, He is pur-
suing" The reference is to act of
the toilet, and would not be tolerated
in Western speech, but indicates
yividly the lowest degree of con-
tempt.
Just at the hour of the evening
sacrifice under the Mosaic ritual, Eli
jah repairs to the old altar of Jeho-
vah-previonsly existing on that spot.
That marks him as the Restorer. He
takes twelve stones. That is his pro-
test against schism. The twelve
tribes should be in one state and in
one nation. Then comes that Divine
bugle-call, How long halt ye!"
The awe-siruck people maintain the
silence of guilt to this lofty challenge.
An ideal prayer follows, with its triune
invocation of Jehovah's name and its
seven rhythmic lines.
The assembly of the nation is con-
WINGED beyond all cavil both of the
impotence of Baal and the omnipo-
tence of Jehovah. Allegiance to God
is renewed by popular and unanimous
voice. A death-blow is struck to
foreign superstitions. The recovery
from postasy showed itself in the
mind, affections, and conduct of the
people.
The winding Kishon runs red with
the blood of the fanatical priests,
who Joined to their idols miserably
perish with them that very day. The
! calf ind t1Ioant notura Of tha linn,