The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-29
THE OLD PATH.

Where Is the Lord GOD OF Elijah?"-
Kings II. II.
The Athenians in the days of st.
Paul erected an altar to the unknown
God. The tendency of the present day
is to rect affairs to new doctrines.
Many people are not satisfied with the
God of the Bible. In the restless igno-
rance of their lives they crave new
God and u new gospel, oven as Israel
grew tired of the Lord, who delivered
them from Egypt, and worshiped a
golden calf in His place. Aga n, there
arc people who contend that there is
no need TO be tied down to forms and
doctrines and church worship. and
these assert that as long as we call
ourselves Christians 1t matters little
what we believe. But in reality IL we
We're 10 do away with the church Of
God and its services, that give us
grace and help in time of need; and II
We lao no appointed ministers to
preach teach and advise us spiritually
and no belief TO set our faith by-we
would be like travellers in strange
country, whose map is a mere outline,
with no towns, roads or rivers marked
upon it. We would be like pilgrims
lourneFinS where there are no direc-
ton posts. or like blind men without
helping nand. What we really want
is no new tangled religion, no faith
altered to suit different peoples
views, but II VIC earnestly desire help
we must cling to and support the faith
o4.ce delivered to the saints. We do
not need new God; VIC need the Lord
God of Elijah the God of Abraham.
the God OF Bethlehem and the God OF
Calvary.
If we look on Elisha taking up the
mantle and the work of Elijah. we
first learn that in every work we iin-
dertske we should cali upon the Lord
God TO help and direct us. All our
works should pc begun. continued
and ended in Him" Elisha had seen
how the Lord God made Elijah brave
and strong In faith and he prayed ana
trusted that the same God would be
with him. fle had seen how God fed
Elijah in the time OF famine, and he
asked God 10 give him his daily bread
and he prayed that God would raise
MIN and raise others from the death
OF sin into the life of righteousness.
Let MS 10 likewise. Those OF us who
are young and just starting in life. let
us start with prayer to God Do not
call on any other; do not trust to luck
or chance or our own strength, but let
us trust in Cod we must not run
after strange gods, or think that
money or unhelief or self-induigence
will help us. We must ask our Heaven
ly Father 10 be with us in all thinss
and at all periods OF our lives.
There was once man who had
laughed at Christianity, ana at last he
lay dying. and his daughter came to
receive his last words OF advice. and
she asked him: Father, whose re-
ligion am l to follow--yours or my
mother's?
He answered: Follow your mothers;
mine is good for nothing" Let us all
say of the God of orr fathers: "This
God is our God; lie shall be our guide
unto death"
We read In the Bible that the men
Of Jericho came to Elisha and told him
the city was fair and pleasant, but
the ,w.tcr was impure and caused sick
ness. Elisha took salt and cast il
into the spring and said: "Thus saith
the Lord have healed these waters"
How many streams there are that need
the healing
of Jericho! How many cities we have
filled with beautiful buildings. parks
and every luxury. and yet the stream
OF life there Is so unclean that IT is
like poisoned water in the fair city.
This Ia because many people try TO
live without religion, and the stream
of their lives is unseasoned by the
healing salt OF the gospel. Any life,
without religion is barren Of good