The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-04
(RY wILLIAM q. ELLIs.l

One of the most vivid memories OF
two Journeys around the world is
the picture of Mt. Carmel, scene OF
the dramatic duel between Elijah and
the priests of BaaI. The place fits
the story as a glove fits the hand God
set a great stage for this drama of the
ages The hospitabIe little company
of Carmelite, monks, whose simple
and even poverty home is on
the very site of the great contest,
seemed to me % be favored above
most religious communities, even
though not a score of travellers in a
year climb to their monastery. Tour
lists are content to drive from Ea1Ia to
the northern end of the mountain,
which is twelve miles from the scene
of the historic contest
Mt Carmel, which is twelve miles
long, is called, the mountain of a
thousand Valleys Recalling the night
/ spent on horseback, travelling the
length of the mountain in the dark,
having been delayed by the hospitality
of the monks and of a DruSe, can
well believe that there are thousand
of those slopes which I assembled and
descended. The mountain runs paral-
lei to the sea, from Haifa, where the
placid and prosperous German pietlStS
have a colony, to the south, ending in
a bold headland which holds in re-
view the historic plain of ESdraelOn,
and most of the land of Canaan. In
all the land of Israel there is other
such natural platform for the enact
ment of a national drama. Millions
could have witnessed the combat be-
tween Elijah and the heather priests,
so far as natural facilities are con-
cerned.
Looking down the precipitous sides
of the mountain to the East one sees
a fertile valley, studded with groves of
gray olive trees, where runs the brook
Kishon, which for part of the year IS
mountain itself. Near the top, under
the southern brow of the mountain,
gushes great and perennial spring,
from which was obtained the water to
carry out Eijah's instructions.
Three of us stood one Sunday morn
ing on the roof of the monastery, at
this place of burning" as it is called
locally, and one, minister from Aus
tralia, whom we had picked up at
Haifa, drew from his pocket Bible
and read the sublime narrative which
the Sunday schools are this week
studying. The experience was thrill
ing. The whole scene lay unrolled be-
fore US like a scroll There had stood
the multitude, erowding to the crest.
Somewhere within a radius of fifty
yards, the affairs had been built, TWEEN
ty-eight hundred years ago, although
the drama seemed to be staged anew
for US. Down below was Kishon,
whittier the false priests had been car
ried and slain. To the West, Sparkled
the lovely mediterranean, anQ"yeS, II
was true, though we could scarcely
believe our eyes-out of the sea, on a
c1oudless sky, rose "a cloud the size
of a mans hand such as the
prophets servant saw. Small wonder
that Lawrence and Alice Oliphant,
the British authors, made this noun
tain top their home: 1 saw the mon
ument of Mrs. OIiphant in the yard of
a Druse's home.
The Man of Mystery ReappeaFs.
Three years had elapsed between
the story of last weeks Sunday school
lesson and the present one. The
drought and the famine predicted by
Elijah had fallen. The hand of sor-
sow was heavy on the land. Peoples
hearts had been mellOwed by suffer-
ing. Many penitent thoughts had been
directed to the old days and the old
ways, when Israel was loyal to Je-
hovah. The news that this sorrow had
been sent as punishment for idol
airy had run to and fro over the
land. Elijah had become an awesome
figure in the popular mind.
AS for Ahab, ever prOdded by his |
vengeful queen, Jezebel, he had
sought everywhere for Elijah. He
could not reason with him, but he
side, if right was not. The fate that |
he wanted to visit upon the elusive |
prophet fell upon the heads of other !
ministers of Jehovah Jezebel vented |
priests. Obadiah. the palace steward, |
a chancellor of the household, a man
of God, had hidden a hundred in caves |
so that their lives We're saved. This /
character of Obadiah is a study in it
self; there are always to be found |
friends of righteousness and justice |
ever near the high places of wicked |
power; there were saints in Caesars /
household.
After three years, Elijah reap /
H. H. IL L.
when he. like Ahab, was searching for |
water. The sort of glamor that had |
invested the name of Elijah is re-
vealed by the panic that seized Oba-
diah when he saw the prophet. And
when he was hidden tell the king,
Elijah is here" he fell into abject /
protest for he feared that the man
of God would spirit himself away.
and thus he would incur punishment. |
All up and down the land with his |
Elijah, to compel him to take off the |
spell" of drought; and now to have !
him suddenly and fearlessly present |
was really unbelievable.
King and Prophet Clash. !
Yet so it was, and shortly the skin
wilderness was confronting the mon
arch, apparelled in royal state. Des-
pite the contrast in appearance, it |
was easily apparent who was the
greater man. So Ahab tried to assert /
himself by bluster:-
Art thou he that troublest IsraeI?''
Back to the kings teeth the I'M
abashed prophet hurled the taunt, "I
have not troubled Israel, but thou, and |
thy fathers house, in that We have |
forsaken the Lord, and thou hast fol-
lowed Baalim."
Diagnosis is the highest art of the |
physician, and of the preacher and /
statesman and social student To tell |
t. ealI he 80 t.
portant. A lot of folk, like Ahab, are
crying out against the prophets who