Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-02-10

AihLCIhree 10 three and One-haf
years after Elijah first warned Ahab. Be-
tween B, c. $4,000 Tor S7S-S0.
PLACE-The Great meeting was on
Mount Carmel. near its summit. The sit
uation 80 far from the capital would
ieaVe the meeting unmolested ny the city
noodiums, and Jezebers influence.
ST James In his epistle tells us that
Elijah had prayed earnestly that ut
might not RAIN" because the famine
seemed to be the only way by which
people could be brought to repentance
and that now, at the end of three
years and half. he again prayed that
1t might rain.
His heart was full Of pity. He saw
signs OF repentance. The time was
ripe for reform; and Elijah prayed to
God for the blessed rain. God saw
TOO. But it was wisest and most eff.
fective for all that the rain should
come from God in answer to the proph-
FITS prayer. For the fact that the
relief came from the true God through
his prophet would complete the work
Of the famine and draw men to the
glver OF the blessing.
Elijah sent for the king to some to
him. The prophet was the greater
and lad more power. That Ahab came
at all, shows that he recognized the
power Of the prophet, and of the true
God; and that he had been humbled
by the famine experience. Ahab's first
words were: Are thou he that trou.
beth Israeli" He had no word to say
OF his own sin; he forgot the iniuuity
OF the people of the land. in which
ne had been the leader; he took no
note OF the hand Of Jehovah in the ca
lamity, and spoke as if the whole mat.
ter mad been a mere personal differ.
ence between him and Elijah. Elijah
replied, Il have not troubled Israel:
but thou, and thy fathers house" Eli.
Jan then proposed that the question as
TO who was the true God should be
put to a fair and satisfactory test.
They built an altar, placed the sac
rlfieial bullock upon 1t, and put no
hire under 1t. There we're too MANY eyes
upon them for any trickery, and not
knowing what kind of test was to be
expected, they had no opportunity to
prepare for any deceit. 1t would al.
most seem as if tricks not unlike that
practiced year after year at the
creek Easter at Jerusalem were ia
mlllar to that age. Some of the ia.
Tiers expressly state that the idola.
trous priests of an earlier time were
accustomed to set fire to the sacri.
fice from hollow places concealed be-
meath the altar, and it was an old ira.
dltion that the Baal prophets had con.
cealed man for that purpose beneath
their altar, but that he had died from
suffocation." They called on Baal till
mid day, and yet no answer of fire
came. Elijah Knocked them. He held
up the mirror before them and point.
ed out to the people the real situation.
They grew frenzied in their excite.
ment, and cut themselves with their
wepons. Herodian describes the dance
OF Heliogabalus round the altar of the
Emesne sun-god, and Apuleius de.
scribes at length the fanatic leapings
and castings of the execrable Cali.
Their feeling was that God was well
pleased with such tortures and pains.
The only sufferings with which God
ID pleased are those which men under.
go for the sake of helping and say.
ing their fellow men; such as Christ's
sufferings on the cross, and Paul's
sufferings to give men the Gospel.
They prophesied and cried in wild
ecstacies, like those in ancient time
who thus in excited frenzies pretend.
ed to be filled with the power Of their
deities.
There was no answer, though they
continued their exertions till the time
Of the offering Of the evening oblatlon.
r And Elijah said, Come near unto
me" so that they could see and hear,
md could know that there was no con.
cealment or trickery.
He repaired the altar Of the Lord
that was broken down. On this altar
the wood and the sacrifice were laid.
The fire Of the Lord fell, not an acct
dental stroke of lightning, for the sky
was clear Of cloud. 1t was simply
:he direct act of Gods will upon the
laws OF nature. No mere natural act
such as Baalites or anyone else could
do, would prove that 1t was God him.
self who was summoning them to ohe-
dience. 1t would be a strange Cod,
and Father, that could not use his
own laws of Nature to produce a
moral effect. The r-oof was the more
decisive because the divine fire not
only consumed the offering, but the
water and the very stones Of the al.
tar.
The people fell OF their faces, and
they said, THE Lord, he is God! the
Lord, he is Cod"
This was decisive. yet no mere
sudden change; but one for which the
famine, announced from God. had for
three years been preparing them; Just
as the fire on the day of Pentecost
came to disciples who had had three
years Of training under Jesus.
TSItl.L ,-o-k - .. A.. ILL.,.