Middletown transcript., 1915-09-11

entire chapter).
GOLDEN TExT-8s still and know that
AM God Ps. 46:10.
Elijah's great victory over the
prophets Of Baal which resulted in
their determination is followed by q
most notable prayer service on the
top Of Mount Carmel (18:42-45). So
confident was the prophet that at the
arising Of "a little cloud" he hastily
summoned the feasting king and urges
his departure to his home, "that the
rain stop thee not" The God whom
Elijah had honored SO signally that
day laid his hand upon the prophet
(18:46) so that he was able to outrun
the kings horses to the entrance of
Jezreel. There he is met by a mes
senger of the wicked queen (19:2)
who had been the protector and pro-
Wider Of the slain prophets. Getting
his eyes off of God and seeing only a
vile and wicked woman Elijah not
only ran for his life out of Ahab's do
mains but also went a days journey
into the wilderness" to the protecting
shade of juniper tree ". A..
I. The Discouraged Prophet, w.
4-s. Old and young, great and small,
we all have our periods Of discourage
ment and frequently despair. Chris
tian's encounter with Giant Despair
appeals to us all for it is SO true to
life. At Carmel, Elijah controlled the
king; in his palace at Jezreel, Jezebel
soon shattered his good resolutions,
If he had any. We must recall that
1t was her prophets Elijah had de-
stroyed. There Is a suggestion in the
fact that Elijah did not enter her
presence (18:46). Yonder in the will
derness, his Gethsemane, Elijah
prayed a vastly different sort Of
prayer than upon Mount Carmel
Jezebel is still in power. Heathenism
is not overthrown, his efforts had been
but trying to dam Niagara with brl-
rushes."
No one who has ever heard the ora
torio Elijah" sung will ever forgot
the bitter agony Of "It is enough"
The prophet who alone had been ex-
alted to the heights was alone capable
to sounding such a depth Of human
despair. The sources Of his discOur-
agement were his physical condition,
his loneliness, inactivity, mental reac-
tion and a feeling that his cause was
lost.
History is lined with similar expert
ences in the lives Of the leaders OF
men. Elijah's experience under the
juniper tree came chiefly from repre-
senting feelings as though they were
facts.
Gods first remedy was to feed his
fainting servant and then give him a
task to perform, viz, a journey to
Mount Horeb mount of Cod, for God
loved him just as truly now as pre-
viously at Carmel. In this new
strength Elijah went forty days" w.
8; Pet. 2:2).
II. The Encouraging God, w. els.
Gods second remedy was to give
Elijah his word though this time It
suggested reproof. What doest thou
here" Elijah is out Of place. In re-
ply he begins to rehearse his loyalty
to God, and how bad the others were
and then in seeming petulance he
adds, "and they seek my life" "T
only" are the words of the selfish man
and when Elijah used them he too
was backslidden servant. II is true
that there was great apOstasy In Israel
but the prophet was far from being
the only true servant remaining. (See
1884; 2O:13; 22:35, Al; 22:8). This
Is favorite way the Evil One has for
paralyzing our efforts. There is no
evidence but that the 1000 were as
brave, certainly at that moment more
so, than Elijah. God then continued
his treatment by giving the prophet
a vision OF himself and of his meth
ods for advancing his kingdom. A
series OF symbols made the truth
palmer and more impressive than
words alone could possibly have
done. Leaving the protecting cave
Elijah first met a wind which rent
the mountains" a type of Elijah's past
activity This was not Gods chief
power nor method. The mighty wind
which destroys is as nothing COM
pared to the silent forces which cre-
ate.
1t is not always the cyclonic fire
and earthquake men and women who
WELD the greatest power and infiu-
ence. We are told that man never
feels 80 abjectly helpless as in an
earthquake, but the Lord was not in
the earthquake" ". 11). after the
earthquake a fire. ". 12), and that
had been Gods symbol on Mount Car
mel. Men who crave such visible evil
dences of power frequently ignore
those more silent but none the less
effective forms of ministry as sug-
gested by the "still small voice." or
literally, "a sound of gentle stiffness"
". 12). Stirring revivals are neces-
sary, even as Ahah needed rain upon
his parched land, but the silent prog.
ress of a religious life is not soon
passed over for 1t goes on in the pow
er of an endless life After these
symbols God again asks his search
ing question: What doest thou here,
Eli1ah?" He had had his lesson; now
1t is time for him to do something.
III. The Result, w 1918. AS a SOW
ereign remedy God now sets before
Elijah three definite tasks to perform.
Elijah still speaks of his faithfulness
as though the success of The Cause
depended upon him. The man who
assumes that attitude in the work of
Gods kingdom will, like Elijah, soon
be set aside. Elijah's first task was
to avoid Israel and go to Damascus
and "anoint"-set apart for special