Evening journal., 1916-01-10


attendance.
Then there also are Jonahs in
methods employed to raise money for
the church. In many places the
church has been turned into a sec
ond-class restaurant. The gospel OF
Christ has often given way to a gos-
pei of chicken pie Usually the
larger the church kitchen the smaller
the prayer meeting. To try TO raise
money for the church by selling
tickets to bazaars, raffies and suppers
is an insult to the intelligence and
wishes of a community IL is imply
ing, I'VE cannot appeal to you for
your support on account of what the
church is doing for the moral and
spiritual uplift of this city: that will
not interest you. We will have to
appeal TO your appetite or vanity.
trying to wheodle little money out
of you through ice cream or oysters
or grab bags"
Let us note in the next place the
Jonahs in individual lives. We Won
der often why II is so difficult TO un-
derstand and believe the word Of God.
why doubt and distrust fiji the mind
and heart. instead OF confidence and
faith: why the ship of the soul seems
storm-tossed and sore distressed. II
we cast lots, we will find, lurking in
the innermost part OF the heart some
Jonah whose presence we had at least
not acknowledged. perhaps not sus-
pected. There is no source of doubt
so great as sin, Truly it has been
said that the Bible will keep us from
sin. or sin will keep us from the
Bible
Often it is the Jonah OF pride or
prejudice that is keeping the life
away from God This may be due
to a wrong training in youth. You
may have been taught that all re-
ligion was centered in some one place
or sect or form of worship. A lady
came to the tabernacle recently and
sat with a bored look on her face.
When the service was through she
said to her escort. do you suppose
I would 20 back to that building
again that looks like a barn and has
shavings on the ground?' If Jesus
Christ was not ashamed TO be born
in barn and buried in a borrowed
tomb no one ought to be ashamed Of
the plain and common. That woman
will have to cast overheard that Jonah
of pride and prejudice or hereafter
she will go TO a place where she
would even be glad TO see lshavings
on the ground.
Frequently the Jonah that is blight
ing the life is unforgiveness. There
may have been a quarrel between
brothers or sisters over the division
of the parents property. The hard
est quarrels to settle are family
lquarrels. The Jonah may be any one
Of a hundred things. spite. malice,
envy. but temper, passion. sensual
ity. avarice, some appetite or vicious
habit. You cast lots in your own
heart and the lot win fall on the
Jonah every time.
It was an auspicious indication in
JOnah's conduct that he was willing
TO confess his disloyalty and disobed-
ience. Confession of wrong doing is
good evidence OF penitence and the
proper beginning of a changed life.
We cannot refrain from admiring the
frankness and the courage of the
prophet in his dealing with his own
character and case as he bade them
take him up and cast him forth into
the sea. Would that we all might fol-
low his examplel How many OF us
have at times convicted our hearts Of
wrong doing and the question arises
what are we going to do about il!
! Conscience and reason unite in urging
us to change our course, to cast over
board the evil desire or plan
But how apt we are to temporize. 70
argue. to seek some other way. Thus
did the men on board the ship in deal
ing with Jonah, although the cause OF
their disaster had been revealed to
them plainly.
Nevertheless. they rowed hard TO
bring the boat to land Jonah and all
"But they could not. for the sea grew
more and more tempestuous against
them" I hear some one say, well,
am going to attend church more
regularly and give more literally, and
do this and that" But that will not
satisfy God. The sea of your soul will
become more and more tempestuous.
There is no other permanent solution
but to cast the Jonah overheard. They
took up Jonah and cast him into the
sea and the sea ceased from its rag
ing. Here is the best nerve medicine
that was ever prescribed. The path
OF obedience is not only the pathway
10 power but also to peace.
'But the Lord had prepared great
fish to swallow up Jonah" You ask
the average wording what he knows
about the book of Jonah and he will
reply, "Oh. that is the book that tells
about whale swallowing a man"
There is nothing said here about a
whale. II says. 1.-The Lord prepared
a great sea monster" Is there any
thing impossible about this? A God
that could create universe could
certainly create a sea monster big
enough 10 swallow a man. Some peo-
pie have very small, narrow con-
ception of Jonah. But in quibbling
over anatomical details many are apt
to lose sight of the great spiritual
lessons.
Have you never been swallowed up
by some sea monster of adversely!
Have YOU never been in debt and out
Of work? Have you known what II
is TO have plans miscarry and expert
ence bitter disappointments? Then
YOU cannot understand this second
chapter Of Jonah. Even from liter
ary sense il shines forth as a gem
of poetic beauty. II is what Matthew
! Arnold would call "the grand style