Evening journal., 1916-01-10
JONAH


ne heyWOIu OF lnlS great NlJle
book is disobedience. Now the word
OF the Lord came unto Jonah saying.
Arise, 20 to Nineyah.' At once the
question arises in the mind: What
has the call of Jonah to do with you
and me? God is speaking to you and
me just as personally and pointedly
as He has ever spoken to human souls
in human history He speaks to us
through the voice of the conscience,
telling us what is right and what is
wrong; what we ought and what we
ought not TO do He speaks to
us through a sense Of fitness for a
work. Power always travels over the
channels of least resistance. God calls
to you and me along the line of our
capabilities He speaks to us also by
a realization OF some particular need
to be supplied. II you are impressed
with some wrong to be righted some
soul that ought to be spoken to, some
cause that should be encouraged, 1t Is
a call TO YOU to help supply that
need God is calling to us also by
seasons of special opportunity fer
service. This truth is especially ap-
plicable to this city at this time
Never before in its history have so
many people begun to think about
the christian life. The fields are be-
coming golden with ripened grain.
This means a call of God TO you to go
forth into His harvest field.
The task that the Lord had for
Jonah to do was indeed difficult. He
was to go to a great and wicked city
and to cry against il. If you feel that
you have been called to an especially
arduous undertaking, you have great
reason for gratitude. A commander
always put his best soldiers on the
firing line If special burden and re-
sponsihility has been placed upon you,
remember that strength will be given
you equal to the demand.
It was also an unpopular work that
was intrusted to the prophet. He
was not sent to speak smooth
sentences, but to cry against the city,
for its wickedness was notorious and
fragrant In our own day. the prophet
proclaiming the sinfulness of sin and
the necessity OF repentance is one of
the greatest needs. Too many preach
ers strive merely to be popular. They
sneak soft, sweet. smooth sentences
10 satisfy the souls of supersensitive
sinners. Men are too easily satisfied
with themselves. There are needed
more preachers of righteousness, like
Nathan, who will tear off the mask
of pride and hyprocisy and reveal the
soul to itself with all its glaring
faults and sins. But such a one must
expect trial and persecution II is
much pleasanter TO offer compliments
than to utter maledictions, but often
only the bitter medicine will accom-
plish the results. II is much pleas
anter to be crowned with roses than
with thOrns. To be placed on a
throne than to be nailed to a cross.
But If you are to follow Jesus you
must go with Him not only upon the
mountain but also through Geth-
semane and on to Calvary.
Jonah was conscious that not only
had he been given a hard task, but
the prospect promised persecution
and trial. God said. Arise. go to
Nineveh." but Jonah fed TO Tarshish
When ne was presented with his plain
duty, realizing what it would cost, he
faltered and fed. Sin has been well
defined as doing the thing you want
TO do, rather than the thing you ought
to do. Every one of us has his Nine
veh and his Tarshish. The unwilling
ness to bear responsibility is one OF
the weakest spots in the average
christian life. Face the question your
self. Do you not know of some Nine
veh that you have been stunning
some Tarshish that you have been
looking toward with longing eyes?
Note here the contrast between
Jonah and Saul OF Tarsus. 1t was
with a note of triumph that the
apostle could afterward eXclaim
ooh. King. was not disobedient unto
the heavenly visioni" To each of us
there comes at times a vision Of the
higher and better self that is moth
ing less than heavenly. Refuse Ia
follow that voice and to obey that
leading and the spiritual eye becomes
blinded. the sensibilities dulled and
deadenod and the vision passes away;
and where there is no vision. the
people perish. IF therefore. the light
that is in thee be darkened. how great
is the carknessi"
DisObedience Typified.
Note also the difference between
Jesus and Jonah; the one the type OF
true obedience as the other of dis.
obedience. We read in the second
chapter OF Philippians a brief char
acter sketch of Christ: who. exist
ing in the form Of God, counted moi
beine an equal with God a thing to be
grasped. but emptied Himself taking
the form of a servant, being made in
the likeness of man and being found
in fashion as a man. He humblec
Himself. becoming obedient even
unto death. yea the death OF the
cross"
In his rebellion, Jonah endeavorec
to fec from the presence OF the Lord
How many others have tried to dc
likewise. thinking by travel under for
eign skies and in foreign seas thai
they might still the voice OF con
science and find peace OF soul. JUS
as truly as they cannot get away IRON
themselves they cannot escape the
presence of God. "Whither shall l &C
from thv spirit" said the psalmist
cor whittier shall flee from thy
presence? If / ascend up into HEAVIER
thou art there. If / make my bed n
hell. behold thou art there" BE sure
your sin will find you out and th'
duty left undone, the wrong left un'
righted. the sin. unforsaken and un
forgiven. like the ghost OF the mur
dered king, will arise at the brightes
banquet and will not down.
"He found a ship going to Tar
shish." 1t used to seem strange Il
me why God would permit sin II
- - Ntr,.r IIo would not com