Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-02-09


tired to Jezreel till his wounds healed
leaving JehI and other officers IN
charge. When we enter the officers
quarters we see council or war. |
Here are all the generals or chief OIL
GERS In earnest conversation. In the
midst Of them Is a strong, powerful
face with set jaws and physique OF |
iron. "Who Is that man" / ask one
of the soldiers. THAT Is Captain
Jehu." "Why, never heard OF him
before. Who is he? What great bat
Ties has he fought and won? Is he a
Goliath or q DavidT "Well," says the
soldier by my side, "he might be II he
had the chance, but he never held any
thing but a subordinate position. He
has been doing barrack duty for q
long time. He Is one OF those men
whose names are not known by the
world outside of their own company"
Just then some one knocks at the door.
Then this powerful soldier. Jehu, calls,
"Come in." In walks young prophet.
as Captain Jehu hereT he asks. Il
would like to see him alone moment"
No sooner are the twain alone than the
prophet lifts his hand and begins to
pour the amounting oil upon the SOL
dier's head as he says: Captain Jehu,
thus saith the Lord God of Israel.
have anointed thee king over the peo-
pie of the Lord, even over Israel" In
an instant Jehu's opportunity was CIV
en- him. Thus it Is with most strong
men. They must labor In obscurity for
years. They must do barrack duty In
Ramoth-gilead. They must pave their
way for success by the hardest, the
bitterest, the most grinding, work, and
then when the opportunity comes they
must grasp it at the instant else 1t Will
be gone from them forever.
A Ruthless Ruler.
But as we hear the onrushlng wheels
of this war chariot there Is another
lesson we learn from this furious driy-
er. At every plunge Of his horses
see the drivers face become more stern
and set. AS l climb into that chariot
and stand beside him hear Jehu NUT
ter: Eyes, will grasp that throne.
will get 1t at once. But it will be nec-
essary to make 1t secure. l VIII XIII
the king and his mother. Then must
kill all the princes Of the royal blood.
Then will kill all the leading men or
this country who were friends Of the
late king. Yes; will kill them all!
All who might be q menace to my
throne will slay." But" one may
ask. "Jehu, is that right? Does God
want thee to do thus?' With that the
flashing eyed charloteer turns upon US
q look Of scorn as he answers: "GodF
Who is God? God may place me upon
the throne, but it will be my right arm
and sword that will keep me there.
| ANY man who may menace my author
ity must die. am king"
Now. what do learn from the MUIR
ders and crimes of this ancient Jehu,
who would slay men and women and
children If thereby he thought he could
hold his crown with more easeT why,
simply this-the higher man goes In
life. the. greater temptations he has TO
bear. Unless we take Christ with US
In our temporal prosperlties we shall
surely fail spiritually. AS far as l can
make out, Jehu was square, true man
until he was anolnted king Of Israel,
but no sooner did prosperity come to
him than he was swept by temptation
off his feet o man, you who are now
doing barrack duty In Ramoth-gilead,
beware If you attempt to go to the
roval palaces Of Jezreel without Christ!
Beware when you begin to win hnan'
cial and temporal success! If you do
not cling close to Jesus, your spiritual
fall will be as complete as was that OF
Jehu.
Going DownhlI.
oh. the awful temptations OF sue
cess! Who In his own strength can
withstand them? Not one, not one
An old proverb tells US that many
man going up the hill of prosperity
meets his soul coming down" Mr
Spurgeon teaches this truth by the op
posite symbol: "Many horses fall a.
the bottom Of the hill because the driy
or thinks the danger Is past and tn'
need of holding the reins with hrn
grip less pressing. So it is often VIII
MS when we are not specially tempted
70 overt SIM" That smile In plaiI
English means: Many a man when go
ing through the financial struggles o
obscurity, many man doing the dali.
tasks of ordinary work, may be OUT
yardly honest and true. But CIV
Jehu a throne-wha. then? Let hin
move his chariot and drive from
, Ramoth-gllead to Jezreel, then tina
man. intoxicated by fame or success
throws all his integrity and purity an
Justice to the four winds. o ye mel
who are moving out Of your cottage
into your mansions! o ye merchant
who are now coming your gold!
We women who are pushing into tn
front ranks of social success! Read tn
tragedy Of Jehul Read about tn
l. brusoue soldier who became a ten
|, poral king, but spiritual pauper.
: There is still one more lesson whic
! we should learn from this swift char
s oteer. When God called Jehu to II
e Israelltish throne, God anointed hll
d king Of Israel by the hand OF hun
: BILE man. He did not call Jehu 10
the king of the Hebrew people, as sa'
on the Damascus road was summone
a to the apostleship by a divine voi'
e from the clouds. Jehu never take
@ with God face to face, as Moses take
Il with him. Jehu was called to his grea
n est opportunity Of life by the anoln
ing hand of a common man. Thus u
I. has called US in the past to our hig
d est thrones of spiritual life by Il
a amounting hand Of a mother, father,
Is humble village minister, a wife or
K child.
ir NV brother. are you willing to