The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-06-08
And after the fire a still, small
voice. i Kings, XIX-12.

| NolcS' - hlHSS, AlA-l2.
In the account given of Elijah, it is
retold how he won his great victory
on Carmel, where he had been vindi-
Gated from Heaven, where he had
heard the people acknowledge Je-
hovah to be God and where he had
overthrow and destroyed the proph-
cts of Baal. And now Jezebel the
idolatrous and wicked Queen threat
ems Elijah's life and he fees.
l have never been able to see that
Elijah should be condemned for this.
He could do no good by staying, and if
brave man will run from anything
| it is an Infatuated woman.
A days journey into the wilderness
brought Elijah to the juniper-tree.
Here he requested that he might
die. 1t seemed to him that there was
nothing else to do. The cause for
which he stood seemed utterly lost,
the nation appeared wholly backslid-
den and drifting to destruction.
Mans extremity is Gods opportu-
nifty. Just when his strength is gone,
when his resources are exhausted, the
child of God may expect a powerful
and unusual manifestation of the Di-
vine presence and power.
So it was with the prophet While
he slept under the juniper-tree, an
angel touched him and he arose and
ate and drank that which had been
prepared for him, and in the strength
of that food he went for forty days
and came to Horeb, the mount of God.
Elijah needed to be taught the les
son that God is love, and that He deals
in love and mercy with all His Great
ures.
Doubtless Elijah thought the time
had come for God to send His eveng-
ing stroke upon a people so wicked,
a nation so apostate. He needed to be
taught that love is the most power
full thing in the universe.
Love is almighty, for God is love.
All this the prophet was taught by a
great object lesson He stood at the
mount and great and strong wind
rent the mountains and broke in
pieces the rocks before Jehovah, but
the Lord was not in the wind. Elijah
knew God but he did not in the great
and strong wind find an emblem of
the God he knew. After the wind an
earthquake came, but Elijah did not
find in this proper representation of
the God he loved and served. After
the earthquake, there was fire, but
the fire did not picture to Elijah the
God who had been revealed to his
heart After the fire there came
still, small voice or "a sound of gen
tie Stiffness" Silence trembled into
sound" This represented to the proph-
ct the nature and the name of God, |
for God is love, and gentleness is the
expression of His character. Elijah |
muffled his face for God was there
Elijah is then told of the seven thous-
and who had remained true to God |
in the midst of a crooked and pre-
verse generation. And he is told to
20 forward in the work which lay be
fore him. This was his part results
we're with God. God had not forsaken
His cause nor would He ever do so.
The right should finally triumph.
The lesson of the narrative is for
he man in the twentieth century as
t was for Elijah We need it. In our
Individual lives we are apt to get I'M
Ter the juniper-tree; to become utter
y discouraged We are prone to get
lisgusted with ourselves and others.
N every such time let us remember
3od is near to us, able to save, ready
o strengthen and to help. 1t is then
We may find food for our souls in the
strength of which we may go for forty
lays. Again encouragement may
,ome because of the depraved condi-
ion of public morals. The disgraceful
md disgusting scenes witnessed
It the capitol of the State
Turing the last week are enough
o grieve every patriot, every citizen
Who loves his State and her people. :
md who believes ia the right of the ;
,eople to rule. A convention assem-
lied to nominate men to high and
offices, where they would
ave to deal with the great interests
f the State. In that convention drunk {
N and Infatuated men were guilty OF
onduct so brutal and vicious as to
isgrace the State in the eyes of the
ountry. No worthy citizen could wit
less 1t or read the account of 1t with
nut asking himself whether men are I
apable of governing themselves and