The Penn's Grove record., 1906-02-09
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own comfort, and even life. Among
the mistakes of good men think of the
miserable narrOwness of those who
talk against missions to the heather
and refuse to contribute; or the cold
ness of those who discourage under
the term Stunning efforts by Chris
tian people to fight the devil in his own
strongholds of the brothel and the
rummery. Elijah, though a good man,
made some mistakes. So far has he
turned aside that we are tempted to
think his estimate is just that he can
henceforth be of nc service to his Lord.
But we shall see that heaven can make
abundant use of ven cross-grained en-
ergy, so only it have q good heart. See
His method with this devout, heroic,
but misguided saint.
God showed Elijah the impotence of
the Carnal. There is no reproach. go
forth and stand on the mount before
the Lord" There came sweeping down
the granite crags of Sinai a gust and
then a blast and then a hurricane that
uprooted the ancient trees, and rolled
the loose fragments of rock against one
another till they flew in pieces like
mlllstones subjected TO too swift revo-
luton. The appalled, saint knelt
GREATNESS, and as the tornado spent its
forcS he lifted his eyes for a nearer
view of God. But the Lord was not
in the wind" The earth rumbled. the
crags were split, the uIount itself
rocked, the ground opened great fs-
sures, the day of the dissolution of ma
ture itself appeared TO have come. He
looked again. But the Lord was not
in the earthquake" The lightning
darted out ofsthe clouds, flash follow
ing fash in the terrible splendor Of
Oriental tempests till the atmosphere
seemed charged with continuous tame.
and Mount Sinai and the cave and the
armament itself seemed ablaze. Again
lie strained his vision TO discern in tho
Dllnd1ng glare One yet more glorious.
But the Lord was not in the fire"
AS has been finely said Elijah had
conceived God simply as power. His
own achievements had been wrought
by power. He is now made to recog-
nlze the futility of mere force. This is
a needful discovery for us. Especi-
ally for the worlds great ones. The
man who in finance or industry has
won the greatest success is speedily
convinced of the impotency of that
which men ordinarily consider victory.
Whatever teaches us this is good. Fail
ure, disappointment, sickness, each is a
blessing in disguise if it lifts us out of
ourselves and makes US feel that with
all the world can give there is some
thing else needed.
He showed Elijah the infinitude, the
lnexhaustible power and goodness and
glory of the divine. The cyclone was
stilled, the earthquake spent, the light
nings burned out and vet God came
not. Then on perturbed and torment
ed nature a silence rested as when the
dashed galley slave is permitted to rest,
as when the Atlantic roaring for days
falls into a calm" The ave, in its
deepest grotto, was penetrated with
the spirit of stiffness. No breath
stirred. The seer felt an awe, not less,
but greater than before. when there
came a voice, mysterious, thrilling his
heart and asking the old question. The
old answer was given, we must believe.
with a new meaning. for the great les
son of time and eternity had bsen
taught.
In the cave of Horeb the fundament-
al truth of the Christian religion is re-
vealed, a truth every mission, however
humble; every church, however
adorned; every cathedral. however
magnificent, must illustrate. Not the
earthquake, cyclone, hurly-burly. but
the still small voice. Here is the Sc
cret Of God. Not the startling. but the
pleading; not the violent, but the ten
der; not force, but pity; not Sinatic
fury. but gospel grace; mot by might
no by power, but by Ny spirit, saith
the Lord" God is love. Not an I'M
seen God. but a saving Christ. HE
came to Horeb a voice. he left it an in
itiated man." says I-urice.
But from the living of the Christian
turn to his dying. The close of every
good life has dignity like unto Char
lots of fire and horses of fire. But the
likeness T ms on immeasurably beyond
death. st. James tells that Elijah was
a man of like PASSIONS with US. Then
our infirmities. thank God, allow us 4
life that does not end with earth. The
thought of All Saints is of the steadily
accommodating honors and joys of re-
deemed souls. We see Elijah 60. But
it is not the last of him. Malachi said
he would come back on earth. Cen
turtles later the world asked John the
Baptist If he were Elijah. Some be-
lieved Jesus must be. c. the day of
TraSsfsurltiOr, Elijah for a moment
was with us, at once on earth and in
glory.
We can trust those dear departed
ones, VIII memorials cluster around
us. with the Lord God of Llijah.