South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-07-18
REV. CHARLES LAW
DELIVERS SERMON
AT STULL CHURCH
Spiritual Depression is Sub
ject of Address--Cites
Case of Elijah.

sermon Sunday morning at the Stull
Memorial VI. z. church, taking as
his subject spiritual Depression"
He said that life, IKE everything
else. had its bright and dark days
and spoke OF the spiritual depres-
sion OF the great prophet Elijah ad-
vising his flock TO ind God to over
come any weakness Of faith.
"All life IS like the weather or
like the contour OF a country in that
II has its bright and glorious days.
its dark and dreary days, is mount
ain tops and its deep dark valleys,
its ups and downs. Ny message IS
on Spiritual Depression or Under
] the Juniper Tree" Elijah is one Of
the most human and interesting
/ characters in the Bible. Mysterious
" he comes upon the scene Of He
brew history and leaves in a chariot
( OF fire. The forerunner Of the Christ
was to be a second Elijah. This
I prophet OF old had the honor Of
I appearing with Moses at the trans
/ hguration Of Christ. He was Of
heroic mould, yet human in his
weakness. He is one Of the best
examples in the Bible Of the spirit
! ually Respondent. He got under his
4 juniper tree and wanted TO die. But
who has not had a similar expert
encee Who does not have a juniper
/ tree?
Won Victory.
The previous day. Elijah. by the
/ help OF God, had won a great victory
on Mount Carmel over the $50
prophets of Baal. The holy fire had
/ fallen from Heaven to prove that
\ Jehovah was the true God of Israel
and Elijah his true prophet. The
J false prophets of Baal had been slain.
/ The drought Of over three years had
/ been broken in answer TO the prayer
/ OF Elijah. Why, in the face of such
victory, should we ind this great
prophet under a juniper tree praying
J 70 die? First of all he was physic-
ally exhausted Our spiritual de-
| preston and pessimism may have
physical basis as a cause. Elijah had
experienced a day or great burden
on Carmel. Then he had run before
the Chariot of King Ahab the 10
miles 10 the royal residence at Jez-
reel. When the wicked queen sent
him word that in another day lie
would be like her prophets that he
had slain on Carmel, he and his SER
want fed for their lives. AT Beer
sheba, the servant was left behind
and the prophet fled alone a days
Journey TO the south. So this de-
spondent man we see under this
desert broom-tree is physically
spent. We must feel fit physically,
If we are TO feel fit spiritually. Ply
steal overwork even today is one Of
the causes why labOring people take
little interest in religious things. An
overworked body means an under
worked soul. Then there was the
want Of sympathy in his cry to God
[ L only am left
1t is easy to be loyal and brave
with the majority, the crowd. But
| how about the times when you feel
| that you stand alone for the cause
you represent? This takes real
courage. He did not have the sup
port of other men of God. Further
more he felt the deadening grip CT
universal sin about him. Gods peo-
pie had forsaken their covenant with
Jehovah, thrown down his affairs and
killed his prophets. Now these wick
ed people seek mis- life to take it
away Christian workers in mission
fields must feel the same awful grip
Of sin in their fields Of labor. Paul
felt this deadening atmosphere in
his day. Luther sensed the universal
corruptness of his day. SO Elijah
wanted TO die and escape from such
a sinful environment. Then he was
idle, not doing the work of a prophet
on the top Of Carmel. Religious
/ idleness always brings dependency.
Many new converts become discour-
aged and go back TO the old life be-
/ cause like Elijah under his juniper
tree, they are not busy for God and
| his church. Elijah was also disap-
pointed in the outcome of the contest
! on Mt Carmel. 1t was not the popu-
! lar success and results that he had
/ hoped for. Viewed from the shade
Of the juniper tree and the loneliness
\ of the desert. it looked ike a fail
ure 10 MIN.
Comes TO Rescue.
God always comes to the rescue
/ OF the honest spiritual Respondent.
as Jesus came TO doubling Thomas.
/ Jehovah sent an angel TO feed the
weak and exhausted prophet. Care
\ for the body precedes care for the
soul. We must give men physical
bread for the body before they can
| assimilate the bread Of life for the
soul. In the strength OF this divine
/ food. the man Of God went for forty
days in his journey TO Sinai.
Our next view Of the prophet is
l in the cave at Mt. Sinai. Why had
/ ne gone TO Sinai? For one great
/ reason. TO find God. God Is always
\ found Of those who seek Him. lie
called to Elijah in his cave What
/ doest thou here Elijah? He was a
prophet out OF place. not at his work
I in Israel. God asked him why he
was not on duty. Like all OF US, he
had the customary excuses that al
others were wicked and he alone
was righteous. Then God gave him
a parabOlic demonstration from ma
ture. He commanded Elijah 70 come
out OF his cave and see this marvel
I Gus demonstration. Jehovah caused
20 pass by a great and terrible wind
storm OF destruction; but Jehovah
was not in the storm. Then he
caused sinai 70 be shaken to its very
foundation with a great earthquake;
hut he was not in this. The third