The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-07

though inadequate. Of real life. An
up-to-date writer Of scenarios for the
movies" could scarcely devise a more
unlikely situation than that in which
this weeks lesson finds Elijah, the
hero of last weeks study; the man
who had bent a king to his will, filled
the eye of q nation, and, in the most
dramatic religious combat of all his
tory, had defeated the heathen priests.
His prayer had brought fire from
heaven, and his prayer had ended the
long and bitter drought of three years
The accolade of God had been on his
shoulder.
Now we See him running away
from the vindictive woman!
In the mood of spiritual eXaltatiOn
which had followed the spectacular
victory of Mount Carmel, Elijah, re-
conciled to the convinced and con-
verted king, had run before his
chariot all the way to JeZebel, feat
possible only to such a hardy and
conditioned physique as that of this
desert dweller. Doubtless, in a vague
way, Elijah assumed that now the
worship Of Jehovah would be restored
at the palace. What great plans Of
Ie-establishing the honor of God in
Israel thronged his brain as he ran
toward Jezebel.
Both king and prophet, however,
had reckoned without the woman in
the case. If Ahap had thought that
his wife would be converted by the
dramatic trial by fire, he little knew
JezebeI More than most women,
that tigress was dominated by per-
Sonal prejudiceS and not by principles
Of reason. She gnashed in fury over
the fate of her pet priests. AS for
her arch-enemy. Elijah, she could not
withhold the threat that, "As surely
as you are Elijah and I am Jezebel
may the gods do to me what they
will, if / do not make your life as the
life of one Of them by tomorrow about
this time" A nice, ladylike sentiment
that.
The prophet who had confronted
q hostile king and nation, with jeers
and taunts and easy assurance, col
lapsed at this woman's fury. The
narrative succinctly says, "He wa!
afraid and arose and went for hi.
life
Under The Juniper Tree
Discouraged, despairing and seem
ingly defeated, Elijah resumed hi
exile life, and fled south across countr,
TO far Beersheba. Public speaker
can understand his mood. Often
man has swayed great audience, ant
then returned to the loneliness of hi
hotel to "eat bitterness, as tn
Chinese say, in the full assurance tha
life is not worth living. This was 70
Elijah the preachers blue Monday
il was opera singers nerves; tn
athletes day after"
Out from Beersheba the prophe
went. taking to the desert in all III
troubles as naturally as a bird flee
to it's nest or a fox to its hole, an
sitting down under juniper ire
probably the broom plant) praye
that he might die. The blue devil
OF discouragement had him on tn
run. ut is enough" he cried
was ready to quit. What a successio
OF Elijahs have sat under that junipe
tree: it is one Of the most popula
vacation resorts on earth, althoug
no place is worse for the health.
Now what Elijah thought was
spiritual experience was primarily
matter of physical health. He neet
ed sleep and a square meal whiC
God gave him, rather than a lectu1
on unbelief. Many a minister sin,
has had his blues cured in the SAN
way, though the wise angel that pr
vided the food was his wife. Hap1
Is the leader who can find refresl
ment after exceptional toll in a fsI
ing trip, golf course or a tran
through the woods. Elijah need,
relaxation for his nerve strain al
he needed to go apart where his '
sion of relative values would
clearer. Cheer up, Elijah: YOU a
not a coward because you have
your body get the whip hand tt
once; but you should sequester you
self quietly for a fresh revelation
the mind of God
In an ideal state Of Christian {
Ganization we shall take better ca
of our prophets. Some saints "
pursue n "day after" ministry pr
Niding cheer for The lonely man w
the night before inspired a multitu,
Every convention might have a &C
fdential "cheer-up committee"
show appreciation to speakers 1t
rare for man to receive even t
newspaper reports of his address
as he goes from place to place; a
letters of thanks are almost as l
in Dol%