Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-03-17

The prodigal In his rags and In dis
grace in the far country tending the
herd Of swine. sharing with them their
fodder and chewing the husks thrown
to the four footed. unclean. filthy
BEASTS. Is not more pathetic than the
mourning parent. waiting and watch
Ing for his youngest hoy to come back
home. Yes. yes; sin brings the famines
which ailllct the good and the bad the
innocent and the guilty alike. The evil
deeds Of an Ahab aud .IeZebel caused
the poor widow of Zarephath and her
only son 10 starye.
Cannot you find any direct connec-
ti0n between the sins Of Ahab's palace
and the hunger gnawing nj this poor
widows vitals; We ascend the bcautl
full hills of Samaria. We find there Il
heather temple We find there the
kings palace place of RIGHTEOUSNESS
AMI immoral filth and drunken carous-
ais Then we hear the prophet say:
"Ahab and .lcZebcl. on account Of your
sins | will send drought upon the
land. For three long years not a drop
of rain shall fall" aha" laughed the
sinful monarch. IL am not afraid!
Such Il beautiful country and such rich
farm land MS ours will never be turned
into n desert Threatening prophet.
defy thee But day after day the hot
sun burned. Day after day. week after
week. month after month, no rain or
dew. Two long years of drought had
passed over the land. The vineyards
were gone. The harvcSts We're gone.
The orchards were gone. God was starv-
ing Ahab aud .IcZebcl. But while he was
starving the king and queen the poor
widow and her only son were also suf-
fering in the Zarcphath hut The sins
of the fathers are visited upon the chill
dren even unto the third and the fourth
generations The good and the innocent
suffer for the evil deeds Of the corrupt
and the bcfuulcd. q man. be not an
Ahah. q woman. do not become Il
Jezcbcl, Avoid the sin which will
bring curse aud blight OH the hearts
Of the innocent ones by your side as
well rs Oh your own ives
Lesson of the Famine.
This eastern famine teaches us an
other lesson. God always honors the
men and the women who honor his
messengers. lie honored this poor
starving widow of Zarephath. Why?
She was ready to care for and house
his ambassador. Elijah the Tishbite.
He honored liahab the harlot. She Sc
GREETED the spies that Joshua sent TO
Jericho. He honOred Abraham. Abra-
ham welcomed 10 his table the three
angels who came TO his tent on the
plains of Mamre. He honored Naa-
man Naaman was ready TO obey the
commands of Elisha He honored Da-
vid David wcpt before Nathan. He
honored IIeZckiah. HeZekiah honored
Isaiah. All through the Bible you can
find this mighty aud far reaching law
cnunciated and illustrated whereby
God blesses those who honor his repre-
sentatves and denounces those who
dcsplsc or turn their backs upon his
ambassadors.
Tie teachings OF the Old and New
Testament IN this respect are one. In
the Psalms we read. Touch not mine
anointed and do my prophets no harm.
Then, as an Endorsement, We find the
following in Matthew in reference to
ChriSt's missionaries. spoken by Jesus
himself: And whatsoever shall not re-
ceivc you. nor hear your words. when
We depart ont OF that house you shall
shake on the dust OF your feet. Neri-
ly. say unto you. IL shall be more ter
rihle for the land Of Sodom and Go
morrah in the day of judgment than
for that city" But though God bids us
honor his representatives,. as the Zare-
phatli woman honored and cared for
Elijah. yet today there seems TO be Il
tendency abroad To crltciSe and de-
nounce Gods minister's and TO patron
izlngly ridcule them II great deal
more than you would any other class
of men. The result is that scores and
hundreds of young men who ought to
be preaching in the pulpit have been
turned aside because OF the way some
CONGREGATIONS treat lilSiI lululHttiSs
what They Wanted.
In the first place, many churches are
simply starving their preachers to
death while they themselves demand
all the excellencles Of earth and heav-
en- in their pastors. Rev. Or. Haven
some time ago told about II letter which
Virginia parish sent TO Professor
Rice. requesting minister THE peo-
pie" this letter declared, want Il
man of first class endowments." They
wanted literary preacher, for some
OF the young people were literary.
They wanted minister who would
visit good deal. for their former pas
tor had neglected to do as much or
that as they could have wished. They
wanted man Of winsome and fasci
mating social personality. for the PEG
pie thought good deal of that They
wanted n good organizer as well as a
fine orator After they had gone on
describing the kind of Il perfect min
lister they wished, they ended the letter