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BOARD OF PUBLICATION, PRESli VTKRIAN CMIURCH OF CANADA SKCCCLVl, •* 1^ m I— The f n.— The V IIL— The Ai IV.- The M, v.— IJenewj VI.-The Hi VIL— The Ca VIIL-Naboth IX.— Ahab's X.— The Jot XL— The Pki 00HTEIIT8. PART I. l- Elijah 8 First Appkabancb. IL-Eluah at thb Bbook Chbrith III.-THB Departdee for Zarbphath, IV.-RAI8INO THB WiDOWa SOK AT ZarbpHAt'^ ... v.— EujAH AND Obabiah, ... Vt-DBUVERANCB ODT OF THB MoniH OF THE LrON, VIL-Elijah and the People on Motot Carmbl, VIII—Thb Fire on Carmbl, 1X.-THB Pbateb on Mount Cakmev i3 48 CI 74 81 104 117 i PART II. t-THB Flight ikto the WiLDERSKsa, n— The Visit under the Juniper Tbbb, IIL-Thb Arrival at MorNx Hoeeb, I v.- The Manifestation on Hobkb. v.— Renewed Mission. VI.— The Hidden Church, ... VIL-Thb Calling of Elisha, ... VIIL-Naboth's Vinbtabd, 1X.-Ahab's Repentanob, X.-THE JOUBNET TO EkBON, XL— Thb PKEAcniNo bt Fike I4fi 163 178 169 198 211 328 34S 9fi7 970 2&S viii CONTENTS. PART III. L--THB WoBK-OaT EVKNIMO, II.— Thb Pabsaqb THaouGH Jordan, IIL— Thk Qr3at Rkqobst, IV.— Tub Ascknsioh, V.-Thb Partiso Call, VI.— Thb Lboact, VII.— Thb Growth in Qracb, VltL— Thb Lbtter op Doom IX. -Thb Moont of Transfiouratjoh, X.— Thb Hbavbnlt EuBAsar, ... XI.— Thb Shechinah, XII.-Jiwoe OKI.T, »d9 814 8-J» S84 847 8S7 808 881 800 404 418 491 id9 314 823 SS4 847 8fl7 808 881 890 404 418 431 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. I.-ELIJAH'S FIEST APPEARANCE MY DEAR FRIENDS, It is a splendid picture which the Lord gives us of his true church here on earth, when in the Song of Solomon, chap, iv. 4, he addresses her, « Thy neck is like the tower of David, builded with breast-works, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, and all manner of weapons of mighty men." He compares her to that strong tower which David built on Mount Zion. Thus stands also the Church of God, founded on a rock aud that rock is Christ, and his blood. She rests on Go. j power and word; the Three One God that liveth for ever bears her in his hands. The gates of hell shall not prevail against her. The tower of David was builded with breast-works whereon hung the shields of his heroes by thousands. And when was the fortress of the Church of Jesus ever seen without defences? Many a thousand years has the uifernal archer bent his bow against her, and shot at her with his fiery darts; she stands unharmed to this day. One buckler is here in the room of thousands. It covers her on all sides, and shines gloriously. Where is the lance that will pierce it ? The name of that shield is Alpha and Omega. It defies the rust and decay of Time. 10 KMJAII THE TI8HDITE, But David's tower was also hung with all manner of wcaponH of the mighty and the strong. There wero the weapons of vanquished foes, hung out as trophies io be made a show of openly ; and the arms of crowned warriors that fought for Zion, kept as an inspiring memory for chil- dren's children. The living tower of the Church of God is Iiung with like adornment for the spiritual eye. Behold there hanging on the battlements, the captured and broken Weapons of many thousand vanquished strong ones. Here the battle-sword of the murderer from the beginning, the old Dragon ; there the poisoned sting of Death, the grim king of terrors : here the heavy artillery of the seven hills ; there the shattered spears and halberts of many false pro- phets and spirits of error, with their captured banners ; and from year to year ijie number multiplies of splintered lances and baffled adversaries, that the conqueror makes a show of openly. But let us not pass over on this tower the swords of those heroes who stood for Zion in the field of battle, and to whom, as instruments and ministers of the living God, we owe the preservation of our light, and the upholding of the true sanctuary; they gleam also, on the battlements, for the joy and comfort, and inspiring example of us, their re- mote posterity. Here the sword of a Noah, the preach.er of righteousness; there of a Moses, the much tried saint; here the armour of Daniel ; there of Judas the Maecabbee ; here of Paul, who fought the good fight ; there of Peter, fiurnamed a Jiock; here the helm and mail of Huss and Wicliff; and there the jousting an-ay of Luther, Calvin, and Zuingli, honest champions of the glory of God, trusty de- fenders of the rights of Zion. And, behold I among the swords of these spiritual heroes, there rises up one with startling lustre to the eye, one that has wrought wonders for God's kingdom and glory, one that was two-edged and piercing, as any could be, in sore and evil times, and is yet stained with the Wood and sweat of the fight. Whose is this noble weapon? It is that of FAijg} the Tishbite, a man mighty in word and deed and ELIJAH THE TISnmXE. 13 fiubject of the name carried evci-ywhuro about with him Sorr^iimes, among the people of God, names indicated the character and prevailing disposition of a man, as the name Abel, notliingness, humility ; sometimes his divine voca- tion, as the name Noah, a comforter; sometimes one's lot on earth, thus Mary, bitterness ; sometime^the name sealed a promise, which was given to the man, as the name oi the son of Terah, Abraham, i. e. father of many nations ; some- times It denoted the peculiar relation of the man to God as the name Enoch, devoted; David, beloved; and so on! Ihus, It 18 not to be wondered at that the mind of the people of Israel took each man's name within the ground of Its more serious reflections, and was accustomed to ask and to inquire what the Lord meant and wished to be under- stood thereby. Names were to the people like tablets of remembrance, and like the beUs on the priests garments reminding them of the Lord, and of his government, and Jurnislung occasion for a variety of salutary reflections. While, to the subject of the name it was a source of com- fort and strength, of warning and encouragement— nay, to many a one like a cord by which he was drawn to God ' I am well aware tiiat the man who directs a spiritual' eye to such minutiae and details, as the import of names is cer- tain to be condemned before the tribunal of our rationally, enlightened public, and ridiculed as a narrow-minded, taste- less, and superstitious dealer in trifles. Alasl that even anjong believers, the faith in a God who numbers our hairs and seeks to glorify himself in things the most minute is practically become a rare jewel. But in whomsoever this child-hke faith has yet its dwelling, who makes no dis- tinction between great and small, and brmgs down the gracious God fiiirly with him into house and home, and sees Ilim sit by his side, under his vine and fig-tree, such a man is happy, and has much joy and peace, and divine dehght everywhere, and wherever he goes he sees spiritual faces and hears divine voices, in names, in dreams, in thoughts, m mcidents, and all around him there is the word of God, and the sound of his feet upon the mountains, and 14 ELIJAH THE TISIIBITE. the Lord his God lisps and stammers with him in all man- ner of signs and images, trying now this and now that, as a mother with her suckling, and is not ashamed of the dialect of the nursery. Our prophet's name is Elijah, that is, being interpreted, "My God of power," or "the Lord is my strength," a fine and noble name, and he bore it in deed and in truih. He was a man like you and me, nothing in himself, and yet his was the strength of God: ho could do nothing, and yet deeds of omnipotence went forth from his hands. He lay in the dust, a worm, and yet took part in God's rule and sovereignty, a king, and had power to open and shut the heavens, to summon the dead to life, to doom the living to death, and to hold judgment on God's enemies. Thus might he justly be called Elijah, i. e. "God strengthens me," . Nay, more, " God is himself my strength." Here is a difference. It is not the same thing my friends, when one merely says, God holds liis shield before me, and when another can say in triumph, " God is my shield." Does he keep his shielc before me, then nothing shall touch a hair of my head, and the evil before which I tremble, comes not nigh me. But is God my shield, then do I lift up my head amid the raging storm, as if the blue sky were over me, and rejoice in God, even amid the tumult, as if I were not there. Peter, when he came out free from prison and from chains, and all bolts burst in sunder before him, might shout for joy, as he went on, and say, "The shield of the Lord is round about me." Stephen, with his angel's coun- tenance, under the fatal shower of stones from the hands of enemies, might cry out, "God is my shield." It betokens not equal progress ia grace, when one says, " God comforts me," and when another can confess, " God is my comfort." Does the Lord comfort me, then my heart grows light and cheerful and gladsome, and there flows into the troubled depths of my soul a stream of delightful joy fulness. But is God my comfort, tlien may my heart be torn and blighted, and wrapped in gloom, I faint not, and am stout and reso- lute of soul, and stand over my heart, and walk above the ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 15 n all mail- ^ / tliat, as a | the dialect 1 nterpreted, ^h," a fine 1 trulh. He ' wiJ yet his J, and yet ' i. He lay 's rule and d shut the \ le living to es. Thus strengthens m " Here is M mds, when a , and when m Does he ach a hair comes not p my head ) over me, ] [ were not \ 11 and from lim, might ield of the gel's coun- | e hands of i t betokens d comforts ' ■ comfort." m light and W e troubled M less. But ^ i blighted, | and reso- 1 above the I conflagration, and am still: sense, I e nothing: but nave all in simple faith in that God who has once sworn to be my God; in that faith I liive it, which holds that in sure possession, which I neither see, nor taste, nor feel. It 18 not one and the same thing, my friends, when I say _ God gives me peace," and when another confesses, "God IS my peace." Does God give me peace, then do the proud javes of my soul subside, the storm is blown over, and the fires are quenched, and a stiU soft mumur, as from the top of Horeb, breathes through my spirit, and the spices flow out m my garden. But if the tempest sh"-ld still rage in the fii-mament of my soul, if it should lig a and thunder m the whole sky, and conscience be ia wrath, the flesh in rebellion, the thoughts in self-accusing anguish, and the faery darts of the wicked sweeping through my affrighted spin , and if I am troubled on every side but not distressed, perplexed but not in despair, and borne aloft above the tumult m the chariot of faith, I embrace the wounds of my glorifaed Lord, and save myself by the thought, that He is tne Uod, yea and amen, keeping covenant to a thousand generations and lay up the poor tempest- tossed bark of my soul m the haven of faith in free grace, and anchor und«. the rocky sheUer of the immoveable promises,-then is the Lord my peace. Just so is it with the expressions, "God strengthens me," and God 18 my strength." If God strengthens me, then am I something by his grace, and and a divine power iu myself, through which I can do something, and feel myself armed and girt about with a courageous and joyful spirit and laugh at walls and bulwarks; and have a free path and a clear held, and fear nothing. But, if sensible that I am notung, and feeling only nothingness and weakness in my soul and trembling at the sight of the danger that sur- rounds me and at the mountains of difficulty that rise to heaven before me, I yet, though nature quails, go calmly torward, hoping against reason and sense, and even hope, in simple faith on Him who is eternally near, who will go with me, and to whom it is b. Ught thh.g to beat down with a 16 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. word the ocean's waves, and to thrash the mountains so that they shall become a plain; and if I walk by faith on the waves of nature's terror, without courage a hero, in weakness strong, in fainting valiant, then can I exult, and say, " God is my strength," and my feet are set upon a rock. What a miracle is this faith, which includes omnipotence, which unites God and a worm in one being, and puts the sceptre of the Almiglity hi the hands of a babe. Elijah could not claim much distinction from birth, sta- tion, or the place of his nativity. He was born, as we see from the text, among the mountains of Gilead, beyond Jor- dan, a country rich indeed, in all manner of fruits and herbs, balms and spices, but mostly peopled with blinded hea- thens, and covered with the idolatrous abominations of the Araorites. It lay not far from the spot where the devil afterwards entered into the swine, and we may easily con- ceive no Jew thought, unless from the strongest necessity, of making his home among these mountains. It may have been a poor household, perhaps a ^vretched banished Jewish family, in which the child Elijah was born and brought up. His birth-place, Thisbe, was, indeed, no other than an obscure and sorry mountain village, and the lad could know veiy little of schools, universities, and the great world. But this is no other than the manner of our God, from the times of old, to take the instruments of a great .work much rather out of the dust, than from off the throne, that it may be seen how all depends on his choice, and m^de manifest that flesh and blood hath not accom- plished'this or that, but that the glory of it is His alone. For this reason, he was then preparing in Gilead the balm by which the health of the daughter of Zion should be recovered, and rearing up for himself in the bloody den of the Amorites' country, *he man, with whom, as with a hammer, he should dash altars in pieces, do judgment upon kuigs, and cut off the priests of Baal. The term " TiSH- iilTE," wlicn translated, means ■ ^^ojiverter, anrl how strik- ingly does this name agree with the whole life and peculiar vocation of our prophet. Ot the youth of Elijah and his ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 17 earlier history we know notliing; only there is an old legeiid, wliich, though fabulous, is yet striking, to the fol- lowing effect :— On the birth of Elijah, his father, Soliach, IS said to have seen a vision, in which a number of men dressed in white and shining garments appeared to stand round the child, and then wrapped him up, with every token of reverence, in swaddling bands of fire, and fed hira with blazing flames. Tlie priests are said to have inter- preted the vision thus :— That the family of Elijah should come to gi-eat distinction, and that he himself should judge Israel with the fire of his mouth. And what prediction was ever more exactly fulfilled ! Elijah appears on the theatre of our history with a word of faith and power, " And Elijah the Tishbite said." And where does he utter it, and to whom, and when? Harkl It IS the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Since the death of Solomon, evil had burst in on Israel, irresistible as on eagle's wings; and there was now no banier strong enough to stem the torrent of universal corruption The despotic language of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon on ascending the throne, that if his father had scourged' the people with whips, he should chastise them with scorpions excited disaflfection, and led to the revolt of ten tribes' which renounced their allegiance, constituted themselves an independent kingdom, and formally elected Jeroboam his general, to be their king. Only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained subject to the new king, and, after him, to the royal house of David, and formed henceforth the kingdom of Judah, while the ten revolted tribes styled themselves the kingdom of Israel. The kings of Judah, who possessed the south of the promised land, resided at Jerusalem, on Mount Zion. The kings of Israel, whose realm included the northern parts, had their residence in the hill-fortress of Tliirza, and afterwards in the city of Samaria. Both kingdoms continued at perpetual feud with each other; but that was nut the worst evil. Many thou- sand times worse was the internal disorder. Jeroboam began his reign by introducing, from political motives, a new 18 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. I •r form of worship. He was afraid that if the people con- tinued in connection with the Temple and the worship of God at Jerusalem, they would, bye and hyo, decline from their allegiance to him, and return to the crown of David. He set up golden calves, therefore, in imitation of the cherubim of the Temple, changed the time of curtain festi- vals, and elected priests from all the tribes of the people indiscriminately, without restricting himself to the tribe of Levi. This unlawful worship of God became open idolatry, when, in the year 900 before the birth of Christ, king Ahab, that feeble and characterless slave of his bloodthirsty wife Jezebel, ascended the throne of Israel. Then it was at the instigation of this ungodly heathen woman of Sidon, that the worship of Baal was formally introduced as the national religion, and the fire and sword of persecution let loose against the worshippers of the true God. Alas, for the sad and evil time which then broke ui, the dark night which brooded over the land, the horror and abomination which everywhere came to the light of day ! Gloomy idol- temples rose up in all quarters, profane altars, red with the blood of slaughtered prophets and children of God, did despite to the Most High, and provoked Him to wrath and vengeance. The most crying injustice sat upon the throne, the maddest caprice was exalted to rules of government and policy. And every hill and mountain, wood and grove, house and hut, was polluted with the most shocking, licen- tious, and shameless rites and horrors of heathenism. The devil appeared to have transferred his residence from hell to earth, and was dtriving to darken the sun of heaven with the smoke and vapour of the most horrible idolatry. And now behold 1 this is the time, these the circum- stances in which Elijah, the man of God, like a portrait in dark frame meets our view. The kingdom of Ahab and Jezebel is the dark theatre on which he enters in God's name, and where we shall behold his efforts; and a despotic prince, a bloodthirsty tyraness, a people lost to reason, and a multitude of ambitious and lying priests form the field of labour where he is to plough and aow. How will the man ELIJAH THE TISJiniTE. 19 the people con- d tlie woi'ship of bye, decline from crown of David, imitation of the 3 of certain festi- )es of tlie peoplfc r^lf to the tribe of Tie open idolatry, I of Ciu'ist, king f his bloodthirsty ,el. Then it was woman of Sidon, itrodiiced as the f persecution let God. Alas, for 1, the dark night and abomination r! Gloomy idol- ;ars, red with the ren of God, did [im to wrath and upon the throne, 3 of government , wood and grove, it shocking, licen- leathenism. The sidence from hell m of heaven with ! idolatry, lese the circum- like a portrait in om of Ahab and enters in God's s; and a despotic >st to reason, and form the field of low will the man 'i i -t I '} of Cod acquit himself among so crooked and perverse a generation? What fortunes shall he encounter on this f>tormy sea? How will ht find his way over such walls, mountains, and bulwarks? All this we shall discover in the sequel, and find ourselves every moment constrained, with strengthened faith and joyful hearts, to exclaim, "The Lord, he is God: the Lord, he is God!" IT.— So much, by way of introduction, for Elijah's exter- nal position. Let us now glance at iiis spiritual character, and relation to God. This he indicates himself in the words of our text, when he says, '^\s the Lord God of Israel livet:h, before whom I stand:' Elijah stood before the God of Israel ; that was his spiritual bent and attitude, and the character of his inward life. " My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."— Exod. xxxiii. 14. Knowest thou the living rock that followed the people through the desert to Canaan, and that prince over the army of the Lord, who appeared with a drawn sword to Joshua at Jordan, and was himself the sword of his victo- ries, and the shield of his help.— Josh. v. 13-15. Dost thou indeed know him ? Christ is his name. He is the Lord, the God of Israel. Before him stand the thousand times ten thousand; before him the angels, whom he makes Rpirits, the ministers whom he makes a flame of fire : before him stood Elijah. " Happy are thy people, and happy are those thy ser- vants that stand continually before thee." So spake the Queen of Sheba to Solomon.— 1 Kings x. 8. But a greater ^han Solomon is here ; and how much happier the servants ^•ho stand in the presence of the God of Israel ! But no one stands before Him in his own strength. Those whom he permits to stand in his presence, stand on his footing, in his strength, in his righteousness and beauty. For he bears an iron sceptre, and with it he beats down aU who are pre- sumptuous enough to appear before him on their own merits, to behold him in their own strength, to seek to lift up the head before him in their own righteousness. This is whai 20 EUJAII THE TISIiniTR. > -i he cannot boar. But to the worm in the dust, to the poor sinner, emptied of pride, that lies in his blood, he says, " Get tliee up : stand before me, beliold my face with com- fort, and be not afraid." He that doaires to stand before him, and to lift up the head in his presence, must first have lain prostrate before him in the dust, in the writhings of conviction and repentance. How often may Elijah hav^^ lain on the cartii, among the- mountains of Gilead I how many tears may he have shed in lonely caves and holes of the rocks, ere he could say, " As the Lord liveth, the God of Israel, before whom I stand." Elijah was a man recon- ciled to God through Christ Jesus, the Messiah, and clothed with his righteousness. All this lies in his words, " I stand before the Lord, the God of Israel;" all this is attested by the fact, that he it was whom Christ, about a thousand years later, deemed worthy to be, with Moses, a witness oi his transfiguration on Mount Tabor. But this standing before the Lord, implies something yet more than the state of reconciliation to God in general. It denotes a farther and special relation to God. In this sense I stand before the Lord when it is my highest desire to know the will of the Lord perfectly, and when, from one moment to another, I can do nothing but strive to please him, and seek his glory. When I keep my eyes awake, and hold them at their post, as it were, to discover the sig- nals of my king, and quicken the ears of my mind, to per- ceive his voice and commands, within me and without me. and when I long for the least of his intimations, that I may run in the way of his commandments — then it is that I stand before the Lord. If this be my predominant charac- ter, I then belong to the class of Christians who have been called apostolical, and who rejoice in outward effort, rather than in still contemplation. Elijah, like all God's children, had his part in both; but his prevailing disposition was that which he himself expresses in the text. He stood before the Lord. To be an instrument of the will of God, for the hallowinf^ and glorifying of his name, that was his fervent desire. He could say alike of spiritual eye and ear. ELIJAH THE TISUniTE. 1 dust, to the poof is blood, he says, my face with com- 38 to stand before ice, must first have n the writhings of may Elijah hav^:^ 8 of Gilead! how javes and holes of ►rd liveth, the God 1 was a man recon- [essiah, and clothed [lis words, " I stand this is attested by about a thousand Mosea, a witness oi plies something yet Gfod in general. It God. In this sense y highest desire to ,nd when, from one )ut strive to please sp my eyes awake, to discover the gig- )f my mind, to per- ne and without me. mations, that I may — then it is that I )redomiuant charac- ians who have been itward effort, rather B all God's children, ing disposition was le text. He stood of the will of God, I name, that was his piritual eye and ear, 21 i as the watchman in Isaiah, " Lord, I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the day-time ; and I am set in my ward whole nights." — Isa. xxi. 8. His life was a hearkening to God's voice. He sought it in thunder and in storm, as well as in the still small voice. He listened to it in all the turns of his life, as well as in the changing moorls of senti- ment; and when he went forth « wanderer, his wandering was still a standing and a waiting; his way still led under the open canopy ; in the presence of his eternal king he spent his days ; and his watchword was, " Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." Such was Elijah through the grace of God. Thus he stood before "the Lord, the God of Israel." 11^-— Let us now direct our eyes to Samaria, the idola- trous city. There stands the man of God in the midst of his enemies, fronting xHq tyrant Ahab, and he opens his mouth free and fearless in his God, and exclaims, so th^t the eare of all tingle, <'As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew or rain these years, bat according to my word." Elijah! what art thou doing? Wliat a perilous venture! Is not this to put the honour of God at stake? Will they not ridicule him and thee also, if thy prediction be slow of accomplishment? 0, Elijah has no such fear. He knows who will maintain his cause. But how could Elijah make such announcement? Full of holy zeal for the honour of liis God, he was inwardly persuaded that such suffering and penal judgment on the darkened land might melt the hardness of their hearts, and make the name of the Lord once more glorious in their eyes. He had laid the matter before the Lord, as James assures us in the end of his epistle. 3hap. v. 17. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain. And Amen! was the answer from above in his soul. Amen! be it so; into thy hands it is given to shut up and to open heaven. Elijah took this Amen of the living God, as a sword in his hand. I ^ rt ill 22 ELIJAH THE TISIIBITE. Resting on this Amen, he announced the drought, with divine infallibility. All nature in damaria seemed to shake the head at it, and to laugh the threatening to scorn ll>e luxuriant pastures and meadows, and the we -atered sea of springs, cried everywhere to each other, "El'jf ' '" ^'^ you shall not succeed!" and many hundreds of bubbl mg fountains, and brooks, flowing through the and and the vapoury hills that form and attract the clouds al seemed to have joined in one to falsify his word. But E l.jah was not mistiken. He held the Amen of his God m he h nd of faith, and what cared he for nature, probability, and reason. He silenced the Nay! of fo""t^^"«' ^'•°;^^;*^""^. clouds, with his Yea! and where all promised the bloom o verdure, his words were. As the Lord liveth there shal lb a drought. Believe thou in like manner m the amen, which God has once given thee in thy heart, to seal thy graciou. state, and thy adoption. Be not thou ^e^^^^J'^X ' nr thy questioning nature, or by the weakness of thy « >>, o by the over-scnipulnus conscience, or by the deyil the spirit that always gainsayeth. Keep thyself fixed m faitb on the divine amen once granted thee, and abide by it, and 8av, "As the Lord the God of Israel liveth and endureth for. ever, nothing shall condemn me, or separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus," , ,, „ „i,„n «' As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word^ Elijah said it, and straightway the heavens and the earth changed their appearence. The heaven became as iron and brass, and its moisture was stayed. The word of the prophet fell like a fever upon the bowels of the earth parching and burning, and all that was fresh and green ^ew afguid and drooping, and every bubbling spnng and riowing brook was dried up, and all that had breath lay gasping and pining on the ground. For three years and a falf there fell neither rain nor dew-so n^^Sl^^^lj jfj^ ^ord of one feeble man work, but of a man who stood i.. covenant and harmony of will with the Omnipotent. We conclude. my flock, blessed of the Lord, venly ELIJAH THE TISHniTE. 28 ; drought, with leemed to shake to scorn. The >ll-watered seats "Elijah, in thia eds of bubbling e land, and the 3uds, all seemed But Elijah was Sod in the hand probability, and ins, brooks, and sed the bloom of th, there shall be I the amen, which seal thy gracious ceived, either by ss of thy flesh, or y the devil, the self fixed in faitb 1 abide by it, and jth and endureth ;eparate me from stand, there shall ling to my word." ms and the earth 1 became as iron The word of the els of the earth, fresh and green bbling spring and it had breath lay three years and a , mightily did the man who stood in imnipotent. f the Lord, verily verily I say unto you, it shall not be more tolerable for you than for Samaria and Israel, if the liigh places in your hearts are not speedily removed, the groves cut down, and the idols broken in pieces, before which even you (alas ! that it should still be true of the majority) more secretly or more openly bow the knee. Ah, is it so, that the hea- ven has already begun to close over us ? IIow sparingly falls the dew of the spirit, how few arc raised from death, and how long is it since the sound of abundance of heavenly rain was heard in our vale.* How is this ? Perhaps there is an Elijah come forth among us, with his word, " As the liOrd liveth, there shall be neither dew nor rain these year?." Or, does Elijah sleep, forgetting to loose again what he has bound ? Church of God, little flock of Israel, people of his profession, thou art Elijah ! Tliy tongue is also made to call forth clouds and rain, and is as a rod to break the brazen doors in sunder. Ah, sleep not I for " the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."— James v. 16. Go, pray, pray for dew and rain upon the thirsty ground, and then announce it from the amen of thy heart. The drought will soon be at an end : get thee up, eat and drink, and be joyful, for there is a sound of abundance of rain. Rlay God grant it in his grace. Amen ! II.-ELIJAH AT THE BROOK CHEIUTH. In those moments of alarm and peril, when Israel stood on the shore of the Red Sea, not knowing which way to turn, while before them the deep waters roared, behind them the enraged Egyptians rushed on with chariots and horsemen, and on both sides impassible cliffs rose abruptly like walls on high, and made all flight impossible, the Lord appeared to Moses, and said, "Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go foi-ward."— Exod. siv. 15. ♦ The Tale of Bamen, whore the author then resided. V ^ I 24 ELIJAH THE TISHBITK. Great must have been the surprise of the man ot God at this comiTui.ul, and when the people also were apprised of it their surprise and astonishment must have been stiU greater There had been in the prophet's mouth neither crying nor sighing: on tlie contrary, he appeared strong and resolved, and was even zealously concerned to comlort and support the people with all his might, and to keep before their minds the promises, with wliich the God-amen, had 60 solemnly engaged and sworn to be their shield and defence " Fear ye not," he cried through all their ranks, "stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you to-day: for the Egyptians, whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 1 he Lord shall tight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. - Exod. xiv. 13, 14. And, as he thus cried through the ranks, in appearance so strong, so heroic, and so joytul m his God, the word came from the Lord, " Moses, why cnest thou unto me?" . Mosea alone was in a situation to comprehend that divme call. And comprehend it he did. In his mouth, there had indeed been no cry, but a cry all the more in his heart, and though his look was bold, and valiant, and undismayed, as that of a young hero, for the people's sake, that they might not despair, alas! in the mind of the man of God, all looked qu'te otherwise. There all was trouble and extremity, per- plexity and ten-or. His faith struggled in violent conflict with the billows of doubt, which impetuously stormed and bore in upon him, and threatened to bury him in their fury; and the promises of his God, though he seemed to have them as a rock under his feet, and a sceptre in his right hand, fell, alas! upon his soul only hke the moon-beams on the ruffled bosom of a lake, broken, quivering, and glancing to and fro, without being able to form a settled image. The Lord saw clearly the prophets struggle, and before Moses found time to make his plaint to God, and to cry out to him, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief," the Lord had, with tender care, resolved to calm the storni m the prophet's breast, and Le calmed it with the words, li J EM.TAH THE TISIiniTE. 26 "Whycriest thou to me? speak unto the cliiMren of iHrael, tlifit thoy po forward." We have a God, my friends, who is at homo in thu depths of our hearts, and whose eyes run incessantly like a flame of lire tlirough the chaml)ers of our soul, and descend to the darftcst recess of our being. Before we have dis- closed and laid before him our want and misery, he tnkes measures to help and heal us, and regards our misery as if it were a prayer, and liears not us, but our distress. At all times he knows perfectly, and far better tlian wo know our- selves,, what is good and profitable and needful for his chil- dren, and assuredly he never acts otherwise than they them- selves would pray that he should deal with them, could they but see so clearly into their spiritual necessities as he sees into them. But we know only in rare cases, what is for our good, and therefore the ways by which God leads us, are, for the most part, dark and perplexing, just because the V}liy and the wherefore are hid from our view. But how hard, how painful, and how aimless soever his dealings toward us may now and tlien appear, they are in truth, nothing else than the actual hearing, if not of our expressed prayers, yet of our misery, and of our unknown and unfelt wants. They are all, without exception, ways of mercy and their simple end is health and salvation. "Moses! -vhy criest thou to me? speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward." Tluis spake the Lord. -\nd what a mandate ! " Lord ! selkt thou not the sea at our feet, how fearfully it rages ?" " Go forward." " Lord ! can our feet walk upon the billows, and pass over the abyss?" "Go forward." "Lord, Lord! where is the bridge, then, that thou has raised, or the boats of passage ? Wilt thou. Lord, have thy people lost in the wild waters, anci Egypt blaspheme thy name ?" " Say I not that ye go forward?" speaks the Almighty; but yet he touches no billow, to calm and smooth it, nor dries up the bottom of the sea, but lets it heave and storm at will ; and, pointing towards the wild tumult, he speaks, " Go forward, Go for"- ward I They must venture upon his word ; they luust be* 2fi ELIJAH THE TlSIiniTF, I I' ! , before they sec, and march forward upon ■ard upon trust. They lieve before they see, ana nm-. - . ^^ do venture; and behold .n the 7?^"^^^7j;f, ^read ready to go forward '^^J^^^^l^l^ ^ t d of the pro upon the raging element, ^'^f " ^t'-^^'^J^J ..^^^ ^ ^^n XT-age, »„,! .«... >t7„x"=v r::^;- „„.„. Thus doe! our 6™«"»",^°V™,' ,.„,%,, all tl,»t we „p„„ „i..„rd, and -'y^^-^^; '^lld ', .-For. venture in his name; and where lus l -jy, ward 1" be it into fire, or storm, or sea le. us advance To^fidence, and the i.ue «^-\^«/;X//:rto- ay these of the most consolatory nature we shall hna y connrmed, as we now proceed with the history ot our pro ^ ' 1 KINGS xvU. 2-fl. turn eastward, and hide thyself ''f,^ ,';«;j„°^,'',f^S^^^^^^^ dan. And It sl.aU be tlmt «'""/''''" J^;r'',„7and did according nnto ,n.nded the ravens to feed thee there. ^^^^-'^^ ^^^^^^ cUerlth that U be the word of the Lord; ^^^ ''« ^^"' ""J .^''^^ead and fle^^ '" ^he morning, fore Jordan. And the ravens brouRht h m bread an and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank oi Here is a eool refreshing spring opened i" ^u^ h^f *^^^^^^^ amid the shade and gloom of the wilderness I /^^ S v"u vessels for the hiiden manna; dm-, and dnnk abun dantly that yovr hunger and sadness n..;....^<>. IV. The reward of his faith. I. Elijah, bv,n,i,,g witl. ^d f»' fe '-onoar «t Hta ,t IS time, lireafeionn, .^ ^^ ^^^ For t^e iniquity oi the pcu^le i= tuu , .laa of .heir wickedness. Show that thou, Lord, art God m deed, and smite the land with thy judgments, that Samana ii !' ! trust. They in they Jnakc , and to tread •od of the pro ruphkeawall midst there is rough. must venture in all that we mud is, " For- 8 advance with I. Truths like lall find to-day )ry of our pro- Get thee lienee. and , that Is before Jor- ,ok; and I liiiva com- aid according unto Qk CUcrltli tlmt is bo- esh In the morning, brook." in our history for d to bear Elijah's lesert, and mourn jssl Bring with and drink abun- ,, T To Elijah', , prophet's faith; honour of Him the Lord, " Lord, lOur of thy name, i there is no end Lord, art God in- cnts, that Samaria KLIJATI THE TIsnniTR. 8 the kincdom, and that Th 27 *t.' may lonni that thii; bow at thy foet." Thus prayed Elijali; and the Almighty pui(', 'Amcu ; bo judgment given uito thy hand. Shut up the heaven Jor years, and command the clouds to l)ecomo iron itnd brass, and shed down nehher dew nor rain." And Elijah, joyful in God, broke forth as a fire, flew to Samaria, burst tlu-otigh the guards and gates of tlie royal palace, like anotlicr king, and stopped not till he had reached the tyrant's throne. There, in the sight of Almb and his crowd of minions, he opens his moutli, and calls aloud, so tliat soon the sound filled all the land, and made all ears to tingle, "There shall be neither rain nor dew these years, but according to my word." Tiie word was spoken in God's name, in holy burning zeal, and the judgment immediately broke forth. Dread- ful ha-bingors came first; then the full plague. All-con- • iming, like the flaming eye of the God of vengeance, the sun glared from heaven upon the earth ; its rays were changed uito arrows of destruction and of death ; the air was parched and sultry, and carried up, like a lawless sea of fire, every streamlet from its bed, and every fountain from its source. Plants and trees dropped their leaves, and died; tlie cattle crept groaning over the parched up meadows, the wild beasts moaned in the forests, the dearth rose to the highest, and it was not long till famine reigned throughout the land, giving " cleanness of teeth," and chang ing houses and fields into scenes of mourning and woe. Where is now JZiiiah? Where should he be ? He shares the common lot. Ko angel came to rescue him; no chariot of fire has borne him upward. There he stands with the sinners on the same scene of judgment, to all appearance himself exposed to the vengeance which he had called down, and obnoxious to famine and destruction with the ungodly. There he stands, and must groan and languish like the rest, threatened by the same danger, and besides, execrated by a whole Tieonle^ vilified persecuted and de- voted to death. It seems as if lie were about to share Samson's fate, who tore down the pillars of the temple of 28 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE, Dagon, and was buried with tlie Philistines in the same ruin. Truly it was no light task, in such a situation and amid such circumstances, to hold fast his faith. What must have been the struggle of his inmost soul, in view ot the universal suffering around him, and of his own dangers? How often may natural pity, at one time, natural fear and despondency at another, ha/e cried within him, " Elijah, why hast thou prayed for this !" Yes, it is not difficult to imagine in what preplexity and confusion the prophet must have found himself. His joy and triumph were by this time well nigh over, and no other stay was left than simple faith in the amen of his God, and the conviction,^ "I have acted in God's name, and he will see to the issue." Experiences like those which Elijah must now have passed through, are not uncommon in the kingdom of God. Almost every Christian meets with something like this in his own history, in one form or other. They are pressed in spirit to do or utter this or that particular thing; the impulse is strong, the inward call is irresistible. Over- flowing with holy zeal, borne away by a mighty spirit of triumph, and losing all self-control, the man takes his course like a ship with spread sails, for which the wind is too strong; and before time has been found for reflection and weighing of the consequences, the step is taken, the word is uttered. Then, all at once, he is made aware what he has risked; he sees himself thrown forward into a region of difficulties and dangers, which seem far to surpass the measure of our common faith and ability; he has, with Peter, stepped down upon the open sea, the wind howls frightfully, the waves threaten him with destruction: gladly would he retrace his steps, but the way of- return is barred,, and retreat can no more be thought of, however he may repent of his rashness. The elated zeal which overcame us is burnt to the socket, the soul cries in despair, " Lord^ save us : we perish 1" . This w?s tlic case for exajnple-. with many of the admir- able men who were recently compelled to leave their coun- try for their religion. In opposition to the spirit of woridly ELIJAH THE TISHBITE, 29 power and greatness, they preached to their flocks the mmple Gospel, repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. Herein lay sufficient danger for them, which they still, however, in some measure avoided as they prudently refrained from attacking the national church and denouncing the unchristian inroads of the go- vernment on its liberties. But before they were aware their hps were opened in their pulpits by Another, so that they were constrained, all at once, to utter what tl.ev would not, and borne away by holy «al, to disclose the" danger which threatened the ruin of the national church. Everv thing was then exposed without fear or reserve, so that the ears of the people tingled. Uzziah was denounced for his unpardonable presumption in seeking to unite the sword and the censer in the same hand. They could no longer keep suence respecting the dark design of reducing the he church of Christ to heathenism ; they boldly proclaimed that nothing else was intended than wickedly to steal awav the ark of the covenant, and to smuggle the images of fals'e doctrine and precept into the sanctuary. The complaint was openly made to God, that the churches had beer robbed of that treasure, the Heidelberg Catechism, while books inspired by the spirit of antichrist had been forced »n masters and scholars in its stead; and, that the kst pillars of their ancient ecclesiastical constitution were shaken in order to convert the church of Christ into a political mstitution. Many of the estimable preachers so ar forgot themselves, and gave themselves up so entirely 10 the Spirit of God, that they publicly declared that they ^ could not reconcile it with then- conscience to adhere to , such a church any longer. ; The w^rd was spoken ; the spark was thrown into the mm- who can recal it? The people were in the greatest teachers and declared to them their resolution to separate '^^iTni "''^' ' ''^'''' ^^^■^'•^<^' ^'"3 ^«re much per- plexed. 1 he majority vented their feelings in curses, re- vuings, and threatenings to stone these feariess witnesses, so ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. < A i m and the arm of civil power fell upon them in deposition, imprisonment, and exile. The worthy men had not thouglit of such consequences. Consternation came upon them liive an armed man. The cheerful zeal which inspired them in their pulpits, and in the ardour of which they regarded on y God and his cause-not themselves and their own worldly prospects-was soon all but extinguished in the flood of these tribulations, so that they could only say, Had we foreseen the consequences, we had rather have kept si- lence;" and nothing was left them but the conviction. We have been directed of God; our own wisdom would have acted otherwise." And now this fiiith in God. is the pil- grim's staff on which they still to this day, though now and then with a sigh for the past, wander about, without taar or sadness, in . strange land. It has helped them glon- ously, and will never fail. What befell these men on a large scale, a thousana Christians experience on a smaller, in various ways. One, under the influence of the spirit of love, confidently entrusts his whole property, for Christ's sake, to a brother m embar- rassment; but when he comes to reflection, and sees the consequences of this step disclose themselves in his ojvn want, or that of his children, or in other perplexities, his ioy is gone, and his heart is terrified. Another, carried away by holy zeal, will, after long reserve, come forth at length before his friends and family, with an open and joy- ful confession of Christ crucified, or with an earnest call to repentance. But no sooner is the deed done, and he learns what a fire of resentment he has kindled around him, and how the peace of his own household is broken, than his zeal is cooled, and he is wretchedly cast down. What, then, is he to do? Retract his confession? This, for his Lords sake, he cannot, dare not do : he must let the fire burn. Another is moved, in the confidence of his heart, to pray to God for stillnearer communion with Himself, and it this cannot be realized in the way of peace, that he w..uld send tribulation. The trials come, tlie waters of tribulation roll over himi but, alasl the tribulation, when it is at hand, ^ ELIJAH THE TISHCITE. !m in deposition, 1 had not thought le upon them like inspired them in liey regarded only heir own worldly d in the flood of ly say, " Had we ler have kept si- conviction, " We sdom would have I God. is the pil- ,', though now and bout,lwithout t'aair elped them glori- scale, a thousand rious ways. One, onfidently entrusts brother in embar- tion, and sees the iselves in his OAvn er perplexities, his Another, carried rve, come forth at h an open and joy- 1 an earnest call to done, and he learns ed around him, and L-oken, than his zeal m. What, then, is Cliis, for his Lord's ; let the fire burn, f his heart, to pray Himself, and if this that he would send •3 of tribulation roll vhen it is at hand, 31 seenfs no more joyous, but grievous. The joyful frame in which he prayed is overcast, lie repents him of his petition aud his heart is filled with repining and sorrow. ' Are we, then, to take nothing in hand without first cal- culating the consequences? I reply, where it is possible to sit down before hand and count the cost, let us by all means do it. But let whoso can do it, where it is impossi- ble. We cannot make this rule of oaloi-lation universal. The lion roars, and who shall not fear? The Lord God speaks, and who shall not prophecy ? The tide rushes on who shall stay it? The love of Christ constrains, who shall restrain it? The fire bursts forth, who shall quench it ? Necessity has here no law ; and follow what will from discharge of duty, this I know, " God has constrained me, and I have been constrained ; of Him it is, and not of the fles'b ' With this faith much is already overcome. On this you may rely with confidence, that if ever God's arm is stretched forth to help any, it is those who, in obedience to his call, « Come hither," have cheerfully and without consulting with flesh and blood, stepped down and ventured at his bidding on the stormy waves. This we shaU learn from the example of the prophet. •^ H. Elijah remained not long in this solitary situation, left to the musings of his heavy heart. When he was quite without counsel,' the counsellor appeared ; when he saw no ;:way of escape, the gates opened of their own accord. This .is God's procedure. " The word of the Lord," it is said, I' came to him." How welcome a voice in a land of deso' fation and Avoe ! for if the word of the Lord visit us, this Is no other than God's eternal love and mercy, since the |vord of the Lord is Christ. Nothing is more blessed at ali times than to be visited and inwardly addressed by Christ Put it is most of all blissful and desirable when we have begun some enterprise in his name ; and behold we have ^hereby kindled a fire that threatens U, devour us and our ♦ssociates; when we have, at his bidding, ventured upon a |tep, whose consequences are such as to contbund us, and B ii 1! f i 32 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. make us stand in doubt whether that step has been taken with God's will and at his command. This uncertainty is then indescribably painful, and carries our distress and per- plexity to the utmost. And how gladly do we welcome Him when he, in such circumstances, unexpectedly knocks again at our door, and causes us to hear the sweetness of his voice; when he, in any way whatever, gives us to under- stand that we had acted rightly, and by some farther deal- ing towards us, leaves us no more in doubt of his full ap- proval of our conduct ; and either by some visible outward relief, or an inward testimony of grace and assurance of adoption, gives us an unambiguous token that he is not angry with us, but regards us with love, and will perfect that which concemeth us. Ah, this joy sui-passes all other joy, and though the outward trouble may remain as it was, this joy makes the heart strong to bear it. " The word of the Lord came to Elijah," it is said. Not that there was any word of Elijah to Jehovah. No, he is gracious enough to visit his children uninvited, to antici- pate their request with his counsel. He does not always wait for their prayers. It does not always happen as the proverb says, that " Want teaches men to pray." Alas I iiow great is the confusion often when the waters of afflic- tion suddenly roll over our heads, or imminent dangers compass us about. One looks to the winds, another to the waves. One seizes the rudder of human sti-ength, another, the frail anchor of human hope ; but, " Master, awake, we perish 1' is forgotten by all ; or, if the Lord is thought of, there is either a want of faith or of filial courage and confidence, and scarcely a step is taken to seek the Lord. How justly might he be offended at this, and leave us to suft'er for it. But no ; he chooses rather to shame his children through love, and to heap coals of fire upon their heads. Even when imcalled, he visits them, and breaks in upon them not unfrequtntly with light and salvation, v,']ien> his presence was not only not desired, but where he had been affronted by unbelief. These visits of the Lord, however, you may rest assured of it, may ivell humble and t step has been taken This uncertainty is our distress and per- idly do we welcome unexpectedly knocks lear the sweetness of er, gives us to under- ly some farther deal- doubt of his full ap- some visible outward ice and assurance of ;oken that he is not ove, and will perfect oy sui'passes all other nay remain as it was, T it. ijah," it is said. Not Jehovah. No, he is uninvited, to antici- He does not always always happen as the len to pray." Alasl n the waters of afflic- or imminent dangers winds, another to the nan sti-ength, another. , " Master, awake, we the Lord is thought of filial courage and ken to seek the Lord. this, and leave us to rather to shame his oals of fire upon their ;it8 them, and breaks b light and salvation, desired, but where he ese visits of the Lord, may well humble and ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 33 abase us, melt our hearts, and stop our mouths, so that we have not a word to say for shame and confusion of face. His pure unmerited grace strikes then in full splendour fairly on our eyes ; there is notliing that one can regard as in the least a concurring cause of the manifestation of good, no prayer, no sigh, no upward look unto the Lord, not^even a thought of him ; so that we can only cast our eye? down- : wards and kiss the feet of our Lord, and exclaim, " This is V pure, free grace !" A salutary mortification this of our in- V ward pride, a precious lesson that "it is not of him that willeth, or of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." To return to our narrative. The Lord had come to the prophet not only to calm his fears, but to take him out of the way of danger. This was, however, to happen in Ruch a way as might equally glorify the name of the Lord, and teach the prophet a salutary lesson of faith. Hence he was carried away on no cloud or chariot of fire. Hence he was not borne through the sky, nor did a host of angeJs hover round him. In such a deliverance there would have been little room for faith. God pointed out a diflferent path, "Get thee hence, and tuni eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shaU ■ be that thou shalt drink of the brook, and I have com- nianded the ravens to feed thee there." A singular direc- tion, as it seems a step from one evil into many. But know I ye what the Lord said to Manoah, " Wherefore askest thou .after my name, seeing it is wonder/uV'— Judges xiii. 18. jjYes, wonderful is his name, and his way, "and his paths JJ are in the deep waters." I You ask whether the Lord still shows his children the ^path of duty, as he did the prophets in times of old. Un- jdoubtedly; not indeed with an audible voice, but neverthe- ^less with tH same certainty and distinctness. T' '.j he , does generally by shutting and barring up all other ways Ei.d leaving only one open to us. This is then, in efiect to say, "Thus shall ye go, and turn neither to the right . hand nor to the left." Does he lead us by a guidance from %!• i m S4 ELIJAH THE TISIIBITE. within ? Then he secretly suggests to us the course we bhould follow, and makes all farther choice imposaible. Should -we strive to take another direction than that in- wardly suggested, our peace is immediately disturbed, and such a stonn arises in the soul that we must retrace our steps. Does he lead us by outward guidance? Then ho brmgs us into such circumstances and relations that we have only one way to fall back upon ; as we see all others barred before us by outward providences. The ways which our Lord thus points out to us are, in general, like those of Elijah, speciaUy selected for the trial of our faith and the crucifixion of our old man. Only follow on with confi- dence; for, as often as the Lord says to one of his children, " Get thee hence, and hide thyself in the wilderness of Jor dan, and by the brook Cherith," he adds also, aloud or in a whisper in the depths of his heart, "and the ravens shall feed thee there." Every way which he points out has its own promise ; and we may dismiss all alarm so soon as we know for certain that the way is of God's direction. III. How then did Elijah receive the command of his God ? There was something in him, as in every other, to which this direction of the Lord ran directly counter, and that could not reconcile itself to the divine procedure. His old man was ready with a midtitude of objections. How could it please him that, instead of a more speedy and marvellous deliverance, he should be required to retire on foot like an ordinary person? Why he was directed to proceed on the morrow into the land of Judea, that shared in the judgment of Samaria, he could not see. Nor could it at all cheer him to be directed to the lonely wilderness and the brook Cherith, in a gloomy and uninhabited forest. That he should there be secure from tlie machinations of Ahab and his enemies, or that the waters there also should not bo dried up in the general drought, was to him very questionable. And then, hh being ie.d by ravens, those unclean and ravenous creatures; that was to him far from iuvituig in itself, as it lay beyond the horizon of his reason me, E. US the course we • choice imposHible. action than that in- lately disturbed, and NO must retrace our guidance? Then ho id relations that wc as we see all others es. The ways which general, like those of of our laith and the ollow on with confi- one of his children, he wilderness of Jor • ds also, aloud or in a and the ravens shall he points out has its alarm so soon as we )d's direction. the command of his as in every other, to directly counter, and ivine procedure, Hia of objections. How ' a more speedy and required to retire on f he was directed to of Judea, that shared d not see. Nor could the lonely wilderness ad uninhabited forest, n the machinations of Iters there also should ight, was to him very IVfl by ravens, those t was to him far from 1 horizon of his reasou ELIJAH THE TI3HB1TE. 8& and experience ; so that he could have wept at the pros- pect, or, with Sarah, have laughed in his heart. But how- ever much nature miglit oppose, or the old man object and iiuirmur, they were tliwarted, beat down, and crucified. For there was also another principle in Elijah, which con- denmed his own nature, and acquiesced in the will of God. This, however, is far from saying that Elijah could not, with fervency of joy, render thanks for the coiiunand which lie had received, and exult in it with heartfelt triumph. I'erliaps his mind was a good deal troubled and depressed with it, but still confident, and firm in faith which doubted not at that wliich it did not see. "Is it the command of God," he might think, " then it is holy, and just, and good. God's commissions to his children, what are they but hid- den promises? Since he hath told me, 'Get thee from hence,' I know well that he will make a path for me, help me to the end, and shield me by the way. For he deceives no one. No serpent shall sting me, no lion shall devout me, for I walk on the Lord's errand. Since he commands me, ' Turn thee eastward,' I am assured that, though I seem to be moving westward, the morn shall rise over my head. Since he commands me to hide myself by the brook Che- iith, which is before Jordan, the brook Cherith must be for me a safe retreat, even if it flowed not in the wilderness, but through the palace of Samaria. I shaU drink of the brook : he says it, and this is warrant and security enough tliat tlie sun will be enjoined not to touch this brook with his scorching rays." Thus thought the prophet ; and then te would proceed farther, " God's promises are, in sub- etance, injunctions, the fulfilling of which he unalterably Jupo.ses on himself. Has he said, 'I will do this or that fcr thee/ he must needs bring it to pass for his own name's «Rke. Thus, the ravens shall certainly come, and must Jooner die of hnnger themselves than allow me to want." Thus spoke Elijah with himself in his heart. And then he took the word of the Lord mto the hand of faith, .as tlie atallof his pilgrimage, and journeyed forwards; and', when- ever he grew weary, he leaned upoQ this stafi", and his 86 I ;li ELIJAH TiiE TISIIBITB. (t ' pointed out to y u by God "f/' ''' ''''' ^'^ ^'^- been received b/yo„ a'nd^'^ldr/ou 1:^:!'^^ ^^^"^'"-^^ lar promise, or a general one vlTtlZ ~^^''' ' P'''''^'^^^- have redeemed thee. Whon tL -^ar not, for I -aters, they shall not overflol tCe "'7'- Z'?"^^^ ^''^ Oh, is it not true (hat all iTtL \ ''''^^' ^'"'■- h 2. tain? Behold, then, on"" tt Tl ',"', "'"' ^"^ ^- he seta forth on his j^ameyl It 1 " ^'"'^ ^^"^«^«''' «« firm tread of his footsteps Lho in '' ^^"^ '^^''^^'^ ^^e that 'd i^lij-h has had his home tr 0, I ?? ^'''^'' ^""^ "<>- "'credible, and even awful Jj'?,,* ^^''^'e /ear. It «o„nds ed to learn, fiom Eli,-; .; , "1 ''"''^ ^'°" ^« ««^°"nd- through the whole li^ , . ? assurance, that he had, ;edium; and thatt ! f ^ ll/f^^ '"r" "^^'"""^ «^ ^-f solitary, „ay more lidy a j .t'Ti 'T ''^ '' ^-' '0 It was. He needed nei her lit '^' ^"^ ^""^tless -ork nor diversion, to XaL h-""' '7'"'^' "^•^h^'" enough, he had in silent Ctu ' ?V ^ ^'''^^ ^^'P'e -re of his own e.pZlZTZTu^ ^'"'' ^"'^ ^'^^ trea- -'"• Work enough he had 1 >/ "°"^^ *"^" ^^^^ «' and converse witlf Him who .eetli ""'"'"' '^"^^^• enough in fellowship with tip T 1 , '^''''*' ''"'"I'^ny Pers and footsteps, ^Ulntl'V^ ^''' ^^'-«^ -h-- niore readily and sireirii thif " • ' ^r ''""^^ ^'«^^"' ^^^ tJ^e tumult of the woxS Vlrf f/ ^ '^"*^^' *h«" a-idst «oon tran..formed i. self intoTf ' , ' .^^^ «" a'-ound him, became his Bible, sto "d tfth m J^"^""'" ^^''P^^'-^' ^"d and study. The l-ock by v m "7"^' ''' ^^«^«^'«» of a rock that ever liveth Tf u '^"^ P'^^^^^d to him eternity. The bro k VI o'wn "' '^ '^^ ^""'^^'^ f" -7 that was sweet and omforti .70^%'"' '^' ""^'^ ^0 lulness; and told of other w.p^' ?f ^""^^ ^'""^^ «"d faith- which God should pou upo?t : r ' "''•^ ^«* *« ««-«, dry ground, and of streams th 1 1^' «^ «o«ds for the desert. And now the shTdVfrt t ''^'"''^ °P«" '" ^^e sweetly to direct the prophef to tl f^'" I' ''''''''' '^^ ^bade a mansion stood 'already rreted f^ t "'^' '"^ "^-« beavenly palms, from whose taZf , ''""' ^"^ *« ^^e day breathe on'hun. Th ^ the l?f ,P'''' ^'^^"^'^ «"« air, and the wild roses in the thi.l ^^ T^''''' '" ^^e r^e «till, Elijah, an^frt , ^^^^^^^^ ^^ to him, "ers us so falthfullv in this wi Iderl f " r' ""^'^ ''"''"'• giving freshness and beautvTn I 5 "^"'^ ^^^ «"^' and care for thee?" EverrthtJ i^ VL^^'' ^'^ ^^all He not very thing, ux short, would begin to live t 38 ELIJAH THE TISimiTr. and breathe around liim; to reason and to teach; the fitars in the firmament, tlie flowers on tlie bank, tlie drops on the leaves, the zepliyrs among tlie treea; so Ihat Elijali would then vividly experience the truth of what the apostle says, " There are so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification," 1 Cor. xiv. 10; and could sing, with David, " The voice of the Lord is power- ful; the voice of the Lord shaketh the wildenie."?." Psal. xxix, 6, 8. And having thus pleased and delighted himsslf awhile with the outer world, and its figurative scripture, he would turn inward upon himself and bury himself in self-contem- plation, listening to the voices of this mysterious region, and to what was stirring and passing there. At one time, he would catch a new view of the depth of his own ruin and misery, and so find something to weop and mourn over, and lay before the Lord. At anot'.?" time, his eye would rest upon the work of grace within him, and the indubitable proof of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, furnished by his acts of creation, breathing, witnessing, and working in the soul; and then the melody of psalms would rise among the cliffs as in a temple of God, and hymns of devout thanks- giving would circle wondrously on the mountain echo, far through the depths of the wilderness. Oh, let no one be ever too much cast down, should the Lord direct him to the wilderness of Jordan and the brook Cherith. Thus he deals occasionally with his children still, and fa various ways. Behold, if he visit thee with sick- ness, so that thou must be alone with thyself on thy bed and in thy chamber, or if thy friends mistake thee, and leave and desert thee as an outcast to whom no one will open his house or heart more, or if thou must sojourn in Meshech, and dwell among men of a strange language, who do not understand thee and laugh at thy ways; in sucb cases thou sittest with Elijah by the brook Cherith. *' But be of good cheer: be not afraid." Such seclusion and abandonment, oh, how blessed and salutary may it prove! Numberless Christians have been constrained to confess I to tfiacli; the stars Ilk, the drops on the 'Ji.'it Elijah would lat the apostle says, the world, and none Cor. xiv. 10; and the Lord is power- »e wildemepf." Psal. ited himpslf a while scripture, lie would iself in self-contem- mysterious region, lere. At one time, )th of his own ruin cop and mourn over, time, his eye would and the indubitable )st, furnished by his and working in the ouid rise among the ! of devout thanks- mountain echo, far st down, should the Drdan and the brook ith his children still, 'isit thee with sick- thyself on thy bed mistake thee, and ) whom no one will ou must sojourn in •ange language, who thy ways; in such )ok Cherith. " But Such seclusion and iitary may it prove! strained to confess KLIJAH TnE TIBHKITE. 89 aloud, that it was in their imprisonment, or place of exile, on the lonely couch of sickness, or in the days when they were disowned and forsaken of men, and cast off by the world, that they first entered rightly into their own heart, and sounded the true state of their soul to the bottom ; that it was then that the leaven of the Pharisees (which ia hypocrisy) was forced out of their tempers, and a Saviour desired who was no longer a dream of the fancy, so that to struggle in good earnest after close communion with him then began; and a cleaving to his side; and a Jacob's wrest- ling witli him till the dawn of day, which they had known before only in word, became a real palpable fact of personal history, and entered into the soul and marrow of their own experience; and a hundred other matters of vital Christi- anity, of which they had till then only speculated, became experimentally true in their own life. There also were they for the first lime brought into the number of those sheep who hear Ms voice, and became inwardly persuaded, as never before, that he really lives and converses with his children face to fiice as a man with his friend, and has a personal walk and communion with them; and never did they experience so strong, immediate, and indubitable tokens of his unwearied and tender care, and gracious pre- sence, as even tlicn, when their path was solitary and over the desert, and they were obliged to be with their Lord alone in the wide world. Be comforted, then, ye that dwell by the brook Cherith, and in the wilderne.sa, for God's dew can drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness, as David sings ; the pastures of the wilderness are rich in blessings, and even its thorns must bear figs, and its thistles grapes for God's children. " Thou shalt drink of the brook, and the ravens shall feed thee there." Thus spake the Lord ; and, however wonder- ful and unheard of it might sound, Elijah bowed his head and believed the promise; and his faith did not deceive him. All that the Lord had spoken was yea and amen, and "not one good word failed.'* It was not long till the whole land was like a heath, aj id field and wood as r 40 KLIJAH THE TISHBITE. if wasted by fire ; one spot alone remained cool and green, the rocky vale of the prophet. Every fountain was exliaust- ed ; every ruHhing woodland brook dried up by the parch- ing heat ; only one brooklet continued to niurnuir, tlie little brook Ciierith, and it remained as cool and clear, as freih and full, as if no drought were in the land. Tiie ravens too fulfilled their office. How wonderful! this ravenous and insatiable bird, unclean according to the law, and so voraci- ous and unfeeling that it would let its own brood die of hunger, if God did not interpose, as he speaks in Job xxxviii. 41, "Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat" —those creatures here meet us engaged in services of the most unselfish love, as if dead to the natural instinct of tluur species, coming and going at God's bidding, denying their own appetite, and bent on the kindest office to man. When the grey dawn looks over the parted rocks, their cry is heard in the trees, and when Elijah awakes, he sees his store of provision for the day lying at his feet ; and at fall of evening, they are there again, the black messengers, richly laden with meat and bread ; and hungry as each may be, none dare yield to his appetite. And this takes place not once merely, but a whole year round, twice a day, without intermission. foolishness of God, how precious art thou ! let the world fashion to itself what stately gods it will, who rule only by grand and general laws I We adhere to the God of Elijah, and rejoice in the minute care of his provi- dence. And this God still liveth, a living Saviour, who can be felt and found, whose delights are with the sons of men, and about whose servants and handmaids a mighty army ordained to wait; who says, "Come," and they come; and "Go," and they go; who regards not the wisdom or art of the world, but makes dogs the physicians of his* servants, and ravens their ministers, as he pleases; who mocks the proud, and sports as it were with his children; and of whose wonders there is no end to tins day. What other was it than the God of Elijah, who lately in our neighbourhood ELIJAH TfTE TisiiniTr;. ned cool and pjcen, biiiitaiii wiiH pxhanat- L'd up by t!ie parch- to nuirnuir, tlio little il and clear, as fre»h iid. The ravcjis too I this ravenous and i law, and go voraci- s own brood die of I he speaks in Job ven his food? when ]er for lack of meat*' d in services of the lural instinct of their Iding, denying their ffice to man. When rocks, their cry is iwakes, he sees his Ins feet ; and at fall k messengers, richly ry as each may be, ;ln3 takes place not vice a day, without .V precious art thou ! ily gods it will, who We adhere to the i care of his provi- aviour, who can be 1 the sons of men, ids a mighty army nd they come ; and le wisdom or art of ms of his* servants, js; who mocks the idren; and of whose What other was it our neighbourhood 41 deliverpfl a poor man so kindly out of his distress, not in- deed by a raven, but by a poor singing bird. Tlio man was sitting early at his house door, and his eyes were rene into our dark- he sinner; which KM.TAH THE TISHBITE. 45 I is the niost awfVd of all terrors which the miserable sou! of * man can experience on the earth : and yet it must be ftU and expenenced, or we shall never pass into the light I Orod s countenance. ° ^ I Tlie look which was vouchsafed to Gideon by the oak I was a look of condescension and of grace tL pv« J ing, but was like an open cheerful sky, clear and soft ^ |in ter,der, and shone on him in mild' and be evo ^'^ lus re. It was one of the looks of God's countenance which makes the dead live, the mourner shout for W on wuh which whole streams of peace and gladness ente; the wounded spirit, and of which David sings^< Cause ttfl to sliine and we shall be saved. "-Psalms kxx 17 dir!!i!on* "V'"!' I.^T '^'' ^''^ S'''' Gideon 'also this direction « Go m this thy might." In what might? I„ t^^e might of my countenxnce, which has assured thee of my lovmg-kindness. Ah yes the power of such gracious looks, which con- vuice he favoured saint in his inmost soul that tiL Loi^ loves lam, is truly great. The hearts which but a IMe while ago were like a stormy ocean are changed inVmo ment into a temple of heavenly sabbattic rest; and The .ouls which sat lately in sackloth and ashes mount up s ! as the beams of dmne compassion have alighted upon them Ihen, not seldom, people known hitlierto only for bet Simple piety unfold themselves all at once, like flowei-rof laradise, spreading around them the most precious fra grance ; and powers and gifts are suddenly disclosed in them w ich look as if showered down on them from abov"' R erved and backward persons begin then to testify fo' Christ m so lovely a manner that one is never tired of hear mg them; and modest and timorous souls co.ne forth with confessions of their Saviour, and of his love, so iov"l 1 fn ' ' ""^."""*«'^' *^«* «"e can scarce comprehend how all at once their courage has grow, so decided And whaT Bacnaces are then made 1 of what acts of sclf-denj^l arrwe r 4G ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. is :ii ii 1 ri then capable 1 what patience is then shown 1 what resigna- tion ! and how fervent the brotherly love which is then displayed! And whence all this? It is the power of the Lord's gracious smile ! It is the fruit of this convic- tion, " My Saviour loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. ii. 20. " Go in this thy might," said the Lord to Gideon, as he vouchsafed him tlie look of love and grace, as if the Lord had said, " It is not my intention, Gideon, that thou shouldst subdue the enemy in thy own strength. I point thee to my might : not to thine own. Tliis Gideon I be thy strength, that I have looked on thee in favour; let this encourage thee; let tliis suffice thee that I am gi'a- cious unto thee. In this thy strength go forth, and con- quer." Truly a precious assurance! Know only this one thing, that He is ;;racious!y inclined to tliee, and then thou may- est dismiss all fear and doubt for ever. Make sure only of the evidence that he is thy friend, and then thou needest dread neither storm nor tempest; then, though thy foes were thousands round about thee, thou mayest laugh at the shaking of the spear ; and, though mountains rise to hea- ven upon thy path, thou canst trust in an arm that will bear thee over all. Put not thine man strength in the balance, and measure not doubtingly thy own power. Whether thou art strong or weak, armed or unarmed, is here no more a question. The strength of Immanuel is at thy call; anc' his love to thee is thy banner, thy sword, thy helmet and mail, thy shield and buckler : and, if thou wantest auglit besides, " his love shall supply all thy need according to his glorious riches." When thou art sent, be it ii'to the fires of temptation, or the waters of affliction, be it into domestic straits and necessities, or severe conflicts and difficult under- takings ; nay, tliough it were into peril and death, if he has looked on thee in grace, and thou knowest only this one tiling, " my Saviour loves me," then go, " go in this thy might." Thou hast no cause for * .ar, none for anxiety. Thy Saviour will attend thee and protect tnee;, because he «■ i ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 10 wn 1 what resigna- love which is then It is the power of fruit of this convic- ve himself for /ne." lOrd to Gideon, as he grace, as if the Lord ) Gideon, that thou a strength. I point 1. This Gideon I be thee in favour; let thee that I am gi'a- h go forth, and con- ' only this one thing, and then thou may- Make sure only of d then thou needest ill, though thy foes I mayest laugh at the ountains rise to hea- an arm that will bear ength in the balance, n power. Whether •med, is here no more lel is at thy call; am! v^ord, thy helmet and ' thou wantest aught need according to his it, be it u'to the fires n, be it into domestic ts and difficult under- i and death, if he has aowpst only this one go, " go in this tiiy ir, none for anxiety. )tect tiiee, because he 47 He wiU loveth thee, and his love is stronger than death, make all tliy ways plain before thee. In the strength of sucli a look of grace and kindness, which he had received from his Lord, Elijah went to the ;: brook Cherith. In the same strength we shall see him to- day enter upon a new path of duty, equally hard and pain- . ful with the former. And, behold, the Lord is with liim, and it becomes a path of blessing. ' 1 KINGS xviL 7-16. " And it came to pass, after a while, that the brook dried up, because tliere h,id been no rain In tlie land. And tlie word of the Lord came unto him, kajing, Arise, get tliee to Zarepliuth, wliich belongetli to Zidon, and dwell tliere; behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. ^() lie arose, and went to Zarepliath ; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was tliere gathering of sticks; and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may ' di ink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said. Bring nie, I pray thee, a i: arsel of bread in thine hand. And she said. As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and u, ■ flttle oil in a erase; and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in •;nd dress it for mo and my son, that we may eat it and die. And Elijah said unto her, " Fear not ; go and do aa thou hast said ; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son: For thus suith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon tlie earth. And she went, and did according to the saying of Elijah ; end she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal vasted not, neither did the cruse >ii oil fail, according to the word of tlie Lord, which he spake by EUjali." We find our prophet again to-day where we last left him. '^le has not deserted the post to which his Lord and King '%iid appointed him. Tlie lonely wilderness in which he -|iwells is not yet become too savage for him: the waste, Unpeopled desert, not yet too dreary. His God is with liim. So long as his pleasure lasts, the walls of stone, the jreen shade, and grassy couch are good enough for the pro- phet. There he sits — the admirable man— upon his hard pat of rock, and'thinks with himself, " The Lord will pro- ide." The raven train perform their service faithfully living the prophet morning and evening matter for praise [nd thanksgiving, and the brook Cherith runs by with full id gladdening murmur, a miracle the more astonishmg r* :•: 48 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. h ,:;^ ¥ ' ': [ i; i ' i Ir;, 1 1 1 1 , 1 i ■; if; that this brook usually ran dry much earlier than any other, and was called, from this very circumstance, Cherith, which signifies, in the original language, " Dronglity Now, however, we are to see the scene change, and the history take another course, a course wliich appears in its beginning in the highest degi-ee surprising and painful, in its further development very mysterious and inexplicable, but in its issue equally delightful and glorifying to God. We have here three points to consider : first, Elijah's need : second, his departure from Cherith: third, his glorious supply. Let us premise a general reflection. A whole year long, as we know, had Elijah been supplied and supported by a miracle. But a miracle permanent and long-continued loses its nature, and ceases in our eyes to be a miracle. Through lapse of time we come to regard it as something that must be so, and could not be otherwise. It soon ceases to make an impression on us, and God's agency and pre- sence in it is soon forgotten and disregarded by us. You know the eastern tale of a boy who once challenged his teacher to prove to him the existence of a God by miracle. 1'he priest, as the stoiy goes, got a vessel filled with earth, •wherein he deposited a kernel in the boy's presence, and bade him pay attention, and, miracle indeed ! in the place where the kernel was laid there starts suddenly up a green shoot, the shoot becomes a stem, the stem puts forth twigs and branches, and soon fills with its foliage the whole apart- ment. Buds and blossoms then unfold themselves among the leaves ; the blossoms witiier and pass into golden fruit; and, in the space of one hour, there stood a majestic tree, where before there was only a small seed scarcely visible. The youth was overwhelmed with amazement, and, in a transport of admiration, cried out, " Now I know that there is a God, for I have seen his power." But the priest smiled, and said, "Foolish child, dost thou now believe? What thou hast now seen thou seest year after year around thee, many thousand times, only by a slower process, and in a regular course. But is the marvel on that account the less? rise neith not b of th( our li But I way, and 1 difBci ness : ' Iiimse feel c : (Jod; ; tinuec it woi ns dh , marve Mann; on it J and n( the re us to ,' follow ^, withoi ^1 would in spit Let ,' Elijah . distinc ^ tells ui 4 and it 4 human .^ aspect I faith, I niight i time, t I other I •^iiim i»i(*i* % £ TE. arlier than any other, ;tance, Cherith, which rouglity !cene change, and the wliich appears in its iing and painful, in its and inexplicable, but rifying to God. We first, Elijah's need : : third, liis glorious A whole year long, and supported by a and long-continued yGs to be a miracle, jard it as somethinj: wise. It soon ceases d's agency and pre- jarded by us. You once challenged his )f a God by miracle, sel filled with earthy boy's presence, and ideed! in the place suddenly up a green em puts forth twigs age the whole apart- l themselves among ss into golden fruit; ood a majestic tree, !ed scarcely visible, lazement, and, in a tv I know that there iut the priest smiled, )w believe? What r year around thee, r process, and in a 1 that account the ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 49 less? But we are just such foolish children. Should we rise up some morning, and find a loaf in the house that neither we nor any one else had brought there, it would not be difficult for us in sucli a case to recognise the hand of the Lord ; but we equally find a loaf every morning in our houres, and beyond all question God has put it there. But because he has done so in a slower and less uncommon way, strengthening our powers and blessing our labour; and because we find it there constantly, it becomes very difficult for us lo recognise him and his power and good- ness in the matter. Nay, and should he actually manifest himself to us in an extraordinary manner, so that we should feel constrained to exclaim, " Behold, this is the finger of (rod ;" yet could not such a manifestation be too long con- tinued, otherwise it would soon cease to be marvellous; and -, it would be well if it did not also cease to be regarded . as divine. Once or twice manna in the wilderness ! it is , marvellous in our eyes, and we praise God the Lord. Manna every day becomes an every day thing; men look . ^, on it as a matter of course, and see at last only the manna, - and not the hand which rains it down. Once water from h the rock, and tiien again heat and drought ; this teaches ' I us to give God the glory. But should the smitten rock I follow us with its daily stream, and give forth its waters i without ceasing, and no misery of drought again recur, that would not be for our good. God would soon be forgotten, m spite of the miracle which he daily wrought for us. Let it not be absolutely affirmed that it was so with JEhjah at the brook Cherith. Far be it from us, without I distinct evidence, to think so hardly of him. But James ^ tells us, "Elias was a man of like passions with ourselves-" I and it could very easily happen to any such possessor of I human nature, that through length of time, the special I aspect of miracle in the case, which always strengthens |taith, renews the inward man, and raises the soul to God . Kiight have quite disappeared; and he might have come, in I time, to think, "Well now, this broo!: Cherith flows like I other brooks, so long a^they have water, and are supplied i' iPii 60 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. from the spring." Thus we children of men are wont to do, just to put the long-suffering of God to the proof, and, if it were possible, to weary him, and to provoke him to cast us off for ever. But among the many trying offices of kindness towards his cliildren, which our gracious God has taken upon himself, tliere is that which he promises hi Isaiah xlvi. 4, " Even to hoar liairs will I bear you."* Yes, there is something about us to be borne by him ; and, since he knows well that a perpetual blessing can so easily be- come to us no blessing at all, it is to Ilim a matter of ador- able care, with that bearing love of his, that our life shall not want vicissitudes, and he makes his guidance of us in providence a constant alternation of summer and winter, day and night, rain and sunshine, trouble and help, anguish and deliverance. For it is thus we are preserved in spiritual trauiiiig and exercise, and kept from wandering in thought from his throne of grace, since we have then always some- thing to transact with him, some matter of prayer or thanks- giving, some cry for help, or confession of humility, some '. course of watching and of waiting for his mercy. For this '''- reason tlie God of all grace made the way of Elijah run so much in zigzag, full of crossings and turnings, serpentme bends and ceaseless revolutions. How varied is the com' plexion of his life ! It is a work of varied texture and of plaided colour. It is made up of innumerable exigencies and innumerable mercies and deliverances. Hence it is a life so full of eternal blessing. Our present text commences with the words, " And it '': came to pass, that, after a wJiile, the brook dried up." This would seem to indicate a very short stay by the brook Cherith; but the inference is erroneous. In Gen. iv. 3, ■where the birth of Cain and Abel is narrated to us, we find' a similar expression. « It came to pass, after a while, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the Lord. Here it is self-evident that the expression ''after a whiW cannot mean a short time, but must denote a con- siderably long period of years. In the narrative fcefore us, ** German Venlon. 'N4ii BITE. Bn of men are wont to ' God to the proof, and, ind to provoke him to 3 many trying offices of our gracious God has which lie promises 'u\ fill I bear you."* Yes, rne by him ; and, since sing can so easily be- Ilim a matter of ador- his, that our life nhalJ his guidance of us in ummer and winter, day and help, anguish and preserved in spiritual wandering in thought ave then always some- :er of prayer or thanks- sion of humility, some • his mercy. For this way of Elijah run so d turnings, serpentine 3W varied is the com- varied texture and of nnumerable exigencies ranees. Hence it is a I the words, "And it the brook dried up. " lort stay by the brook eous. In Gen. iv. 3, [larrated to us, we find ' iss, after a while, that and an offering to the le expression " after a t must denote a con- le narrative before ns, ELIJAH THE TISIIBITE. 51 we must undevstand by it a whole year, which was the penod of Ll.jah's sojourn in the wilderness We leaTfrl , he mouth of the Lord Jesus, Luke iv. 25, and ato Lm I the apostle James, v. 17, that the drought la ted thre^ yZ :%^d su months. We also learn from 1st Kings^r^ tha , at the t.me .heu the drought ceased, the pfo^uVj, m the thnd year of his stay (that is, two yea.^ a^d sZ |monU>s probably six,) at Zarephath. Whe^e tLnZZll Impend the other year? Where but at the brook cSh .lbs calculation ,s only introduced by the way, and f^ So ake of those to whom our assertion, that Elijah wa a * The year then, was passed, by God's help, partly in faith ^ T "' •'' ^"^--^-"^^ -id great l^shi^ bSt " Id hir- "'? '''''' '^"^^ '^"^ ''^PP'«' *'-" Elijah .could have imagmed at its commencement. How long he ,^.ould still remain he knew not. He left that to God Perhaps he might be obliged to conclude that it would bo nl " 7T r, ""X T' " ^^'^"' ^« '* ««' i" God's narn^. Hitherto he had felt no want. The ravens did «heu. office; the brook kept flowing, and, having alted tWs •ear, why should it dry up the next ? Such were probably to take up a different strain. dark foreboding! It was xo long till It began to strike him that a decrfase of Th in pT T^t "' '■''''^ ''^^''^y ^^"«-« his eyes H^ God said, "Thou ahalt drink of the brook?" and thus v^^tually promised that its waters should not fail? But *^.a avails it? He begins to measure; he plants marks y the waters edge; it i« too true, the brook decreases by he hour; the bottom comes in sight; and soon, where lowed the water, there is nothing to be seen but a bed oi 2''; vv^' •""'"''^' ''"'^ ^''' ^">h, stand and jonder Water is nowhere to be found. 0, the depths 1- V? J"" "'""'^"■' ''^ '"' euidance ! the severity of his m^l VNhafc me^tneth it? might Elijah say. So long preserved, and now forsaken I So certain a promise, and I I Ms ELIIAII THE TISliniTB. such an issue i IIow shall I account for it ; am I no longer bis prophet ? have 1 sinned against him so deeply that I am now rojected? Does it repent him to have held com munion with me? Thus might he liiive thought; and who can tell what the old man within him may have further suggested, and how he may have begun to murmur and to «)pen liis mouth in hard words and presumptuous counsels. Klijah was in a great strait ; outwardly, as deatli by thirst was imminently near; but much more inwardhj, for the temptation to distrust liia God was not distant, and then his faith had dri?d up and disajjpeared like the brook. Yes I my dear brethren, it is beyond question one of the very worst and hardest of trials t; it can befall us, when, from a happy situation of peculiar comfort and security, o:i which we had entered with deep and thankful joy, and with the firmest confidence that God alone had ordered our lot in his grace, we are suddenly, and agiinst all expectation torn away, so that the song of praise dies on our tongues and is changed into lamen ition and woe. Take an ex ample: You find yourself in affliction and domestic em'iar rassment. I shall suppose you are in debt, and must eithei pay or go to prison. You wrestle with God in prayer foi help. He sends help ; the amount of your debt is suddenlv sent in some extraordinary way to your house. Your he;ii is melted in praise and thankfulness. " Now T know assur edly that the Lord liveth and heareth prayer." But wlia happens ! In the night thieves break into your house anc §Bp"su( bteal your treasure, and on the morrow you must take you' •way to prison. Again; suppose that, with great kbou' and sweat of your brow, you have at last succeeded in gaiiv ing a small farm. You bend the knee and pray to God \j bless your labours with increase, that you may suppor yourself and your family ; and, behold, your fields prospe: abundantly. "This comes from the Lord," you say, "i see now that he is faithful, and lias mercy on his creatures,' But, wl'.ilst you are tlius AsU of praise and thanks, an' ready to call on every one to magnify the Lord with yoi and exalt his name, a season of drought comes, and jou' l?ind And trial! comt you 1 roffe: getli( the li taker add, your Lord Eoon trary, 'you a JjOt tf gave i '"were i .'falhnf tracin ^ond( _*r^ worl ■Anents *-. Tin »ggraA t for it ; am I no longer t him so deeply that I lim to liave held coin liive thought ; and who him may have further ■gun to murmur and to presumptuous counsels. dhj, as death by thirst nore imoardhj, for the lot distant, and then his ike the brook, and question one of the it can befall ua, when, omfort and security, o;i 1 thankful joy, and with 18 had ordered our lot igainst all expectation, ;e dies on our tongues, nd woe. Take an ej m and domestic em'iar n debt, and must either nth God in prayer fo: f your debt is suddenh )ur house. Your hear " Now I know assur ith prayer." But wha k into your house an 3W you must take you: hat, with great laboii last succeeded in gain tee and pray to God t" that you may Buppor )ld, your fields prospe' e Lord," you say, "< lercy on his creatures,' raise and thatiks, ar' fy the Lord with yoi jught comes, and jou' KUJAII THE TISIIBITE. 53 I^nd and that of all your neighbours is cliangcd into a waste And what ia your language then ? " these are soro trials!" and they are ail the sorer that the misfortune comes in a quite common way. Now, had the money that you received so wonderfully been suddenly melted in your roffer by a thunderbolt, or hatt it disappeared in some alto- gether mysterious way, how very natural would have been ;tlie language of Job, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath itaken away ;" and it might not have been so difficult to ftdd, " Blessed be the name of the Lord." In such a case your conviction would still be, " Well now, I see that the Lord's hand is busy here, and is still near me ; and he will «oon appear for my deliverance." But when, on the con- trary, your property is lost in so common, nay sinful a way, you are much more open to the thought, " The Lord hath not taken it away; and, perhaps, it was not the Lord who gave it to me; else, why should he not have preserved it to .me?" The matter looks, in truth, as if God's care for us were extremely small; and you are in the greatest danger of falling into the belief that you have deceived vourself in tracing the favour to God's special love; and that, however wonderful it was in its appearance, it was nothing more than ?. work of accident, and a fruit of purely natural arranee- fttients. ^ Thus also the trial of the prophet's faith was materially aggravated by the circumstance that the brook did not dry up suddenly, nor by a miracle, nor in any mysterious way ; for in that case it would have been clearer that the same Lord who made it flow had made its flowing cease; but Jecause he dried up its waters quite in the ordinary way, Jtradually, like other streams, by continued drought and #eat of the sun. And then it seemed indeed as if Nature, fnd not Jehovah, were God. The cause why the brook a^henth dried up is expressly added in our text, "The brook ^ned up because there had been no tain in the land ;" a ^omrnon ana natural cause. Why this is expressly recorded ^y the Holy Ghost, we may venture to surmise. It is to ♦et before us in the liveUest manner the whole severity of ■il! !i 84 KLr.un THE TrsnmTR. ' Ki I l'i:::,';:.'i:':i*/-"j»''""-'>j«..i. u. con. ou. 0, i. „uh„,,t ,„.. ri.t:, r ;:; ; - lion, of the VfiZdCit ■ V , " °"" "'" "'■»' '»SBS»- vioeonr Jr. h.A . . '"""' "> "'« e"'', nnd obta ned the ^aa silent before God in fniM, . • i- -.l, "rook. He f.i*he„,.Hea.tVe:h?':::-;,;?,2;r:;alL:''^^ «iid then ye would be urn„„- » J T '"'' P""on'. '■ye.ho„ld^ee,hegl 4„f|;d""'t^ '' ''f'.""". ^r promise, have bo™ g„T„ ' „ "t. „m ', "" "»"'" "'"»' ;o be hea«i., ^isp,ZZ\lTLZt> v 7fo " '^^'f >ng and apprehensinnQ «. • ^*'" "*•■ y^"*" sigh- What can^i £'Z ^^ S'e^S ^JS-'I"'/":' what hast thou to fear? " Ah" ^ ^ '^^^''b' knoweth its own bitttess; yl Z IT ^'u^'^ ''^'^ to understand it." Well Jv ^! T L ^^^* *'"'" ''''''^ «hall be made s mi.ht " «« fh T ^'''^'''"' "*^« ^''^^ked orij '°"' «^'''' '"^^ Lord, and thy Redeemer," Isa. xli. 14. ' tuat y'i'"- '' '"""XT "'''''^ '^ *'"'P'"-^^' '^"t «1«° of spiri- tual blessmgs. When one finds the spirltunl brook Che »'th d.y up, the affliction cannot be borne in silence. How great the distress, when all peace expires in the soul, and all bl sedness is gone when zeal has waxed . and devotion dull and languid, when one can no longer pray f.om extreme gmng has, so speak, lost itself in tho sand : and still God has sa.d, "that he will water his vineyard every mo- trial ' '"t. . r ' "'^^'>* """^ ^'y' All these are so many tnals But be of good cheer ; God is faithful to his word^ and, for the moment. wouM you but believe it, this inward drought which you lament i.s but a means of further refresh- ment for yoij^ and in the barren ground there lies already word A ° r'"^- ^'^'■'^^' '^''"' '^'^' •'« ^'U keep his word. As to hmo he shall keep it, let not the clay presume to strive with the potter. Let him do with you as seemeth turn good; the end of your song will ever be, "0 Lord nghteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of late, Dan. ix. 7. "• — Eliiali remainpd wTioro i^n ^-o- /u^ x. . . 1 « .. I „_j „, ", , ''~ '^ "^= 'Or tiiu sake 01 ine Lo d who had sent him thither, and waited patiently. A noblo example 1 For a soldier of the cross to leave of hJ9 ¥■ Mi : ?;i';' ti.i -vim; % "' i ^i ill II 56 ELIJAH THE TISHBITK. owu will and choice a post to which the great Captain has sent him, can have no good issue. Elijah endured, and the helper came. But how came he 1 Quite otherwise than Elijah had probably expected. Was it with water, with consolation and refreshment ? No, it was with a coraniis- sion, which, for ouglit I know, might be grateful to faith perhaps, but assuredly not to flesh and blood. " Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there : behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee." Yes, reason is once more compelled to quit the field. To reach Zarephath, he must enter the country of the Phenicians. The journey besides is long, and not less toilsome, through wild deserts and dreaiy wastes of sand, and that, too, at a period of universal famine, and under the fiercest heat of the sun. « Get thee to Zare- phath, that belongeth to Zidon." Thus he must quit the soil of Israel for the land of heathens and idolaters, the native country of Jezebel, the bitter enemy of the people of God, and over which Jezebel's fatlier ewayed the sceptre —a blood-thirsty tyrant, who, in league with his son-in-law Ahab, had doubtless issued many an edict against the liberty and life of the prophet. « And, behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee." Strange comfort this ! A woman who had lost her o^vn sustainer; a Pheni- cian widow, hence a heathen, against whose gods Elijah was so inflamed with zeal. And what widow? How shall the right one be found among the many thousand widows in the land? Truly a singular direction to remove; not less 80 than that which had brought him there I « It was bring- ing the blind by a way that they knew not," Isa. xHi. 16. Only be still, and know that I am God," Psa. xlvi. 10. Most of the paths which the Lord takes with his children are like the day which is bom of dark night, and takes its rise in the faint glimmer of twilight ; but soon the morning sun sheds its rays, and shineth more and more unto the per lect noon. ^ "Arise, get ihee to Zarephath, which belongeth unto /iidon ; and we may a^d, to Tyre also, as it lay raid-way f j^f^ ELIJAH THE TISIIBITE, 57 between these commercial capitals. Zarephath signifies in the ongmal, « a place of smelting furnaces," which may re- mmd us of the furnace of affliction whereby the Lord puri- iies and refines his people. The whole direction of the pro- phet appeared only as a direction into the furnace. But the direction was of God. It is the Lord's will ; go forward in his name. The prophet bids his sii ot dwelling-place tlie last farewell, perhaps with sadness of heart, for it had become so much of a home to him, amid these wild rocks ; he blesses the spot where he had experienced so much of the kmdness of Him who had been the help of his counte- nance and his God; and then he gathers up his mantle takes his pilgrim-stafi; the staff of God's word, in the hand of faith, and sets out for the Phenician land. And on this highway of faith no lion has devoured him, no serpent has harmed him. It w;is indeed no path of roses ; but strewed thick with the thorns of self-denial. Yet the Son of Man was with him, who thrashes the mountains, rebukes the swelling of the sea, and revives, in his grace, the spirit of the humble. remove : not less in. Ere the prophet is aware, he has reached the end of his journey. Zarephath lies there before him, on its rocky eminences, with its smoking houses and furnaces of iron ; for the busy little town had thence its name. "Now, Lord, how much farther, and whither." Only be calm, Elijah, and patient. The Lord has been here before you, and all is ready and in order. The prophet walks slowly forward. His way leads beside a wood in front of the town. There he obseVves a little behind him, among the bushes, a woman, meanly dressed, and employed in gathering a few sticks for fuel. "That is the widow," is suddenly impressed on his mind. "Is that the widow?" he might reply. This misera- bly poor woman, who appears herself to be sunk in the deepest indigence, and probably lives only on charity. But he goes on to reflect, If tliis be the sustainer whom God intends me to find, she shall not want the means. What can be impossible to Him who fed me, by the mouth of I' : li II t II ^' 1 ■■■ i ^^^^^^^B '< . ' -^^r ■ t^ 68 voracious ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 3ns, a year long, by the brook? And is it not His way to send Ijelp contrary to reason and expecta- tion, and to save by means which promise no deliverance, simply to exalt the glory of his own great name. Thus may Elijah have communed witli his own heart. Yes, he trusted his Lord, who could easily make this poor woman to minister to his need ; and the man of God had humility enough, in all simplicity, to contemplate the hovel of tlife poor beggar in the thicket as his future lodging, and not to shrink from the prospect. And now he must see what the character of the woman is. He therefore called to her and said, "Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that' I may drink." The woman looks up to see the stranger, leaves her burden be- hind her, and hurries away to the town to fulfil his request. Elijah is struck ; the readiness of the heathen woman gives him a very agreeable sui-prise : and he all but makes up his mind that this is the widow in question. He is emboldened to make a further request. ".Bring me, I pray thee a morsel of bread in thy hand." The words, however, opened the wounds of this poor woman's heart afresh, by reminding her of her sad condition. Her oppressed heart must find relief. She can no longer keep back her tale of want. She must pour her whole distress into the bosom of the stranger. She answered, " As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake; but a handful of meal in a barrel and a Utile oil in a cruse ; and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it and die." Alas! how mournful does this sound; how affecting and heart rending I Who can read it A-ithout tears ? But what says Elijah to the tale? Does he think still "she is the widow?" Yes; he not only thinks so, he is now convinced of it. He gathers from her words that she has no husband, for she speaks only of herself and of her son. Her great poverty is no objection. He trusts in the "Lord who will provide." Ai .1 how strange but encouraging her language, " As the Lord thy God liveth." How unwonted and sweet the sound in a strange and Iiea- E. brook? And is it reason and expecta- Tiise no deliverance, great name. Thus iwri heart. Yes, lie ke this poor woman f God liad humility te the hovel of thft lodging, and not to acter of the woman , "Fetch me, I pray may drink." The ives her burden be- to fulfil his request, eatheu woman gives ill but makes up his He is emboldened me, I pray thee a als, however, opened fresh, by reminding >ed heart must find ' tale of want. She som of the stranger, livetli, I have not a and a litile oil in a ) sticks, that I may that we may eat it this sound; how ,n read it ^-ithout e ? Does he think \, only thinks so, he om her words that y of herself and of ^ion. He trusts in how strange but •d thy God Uveth." a strange and Iiea- ELIJAH THE TISHDITE. 59 then land. She knows the Lord ; a secret worshipper of the living God ; a rose among thorns ; a hidden, dove in the clefts of the rock ; a converted soul ; one of the few among the heathen whom the word of the Lord had reached. Oh, blessed discovery I Who can describe the prophet's joy I A sister in the land of Meshech 1 And does she not say, "As the Lord thy God liveth." The Lord thy God I Whence knows she that I also am a servant of the living God ? O, marvellous disposal of divine love I O, blessed meeting ! 0, precious acquaintance ! Yes, he alone who has felt it can tell how blessed and delightful it is when banished to a strange country, where the way to Zion ]'■■ ^7 isolate, and cast out into the circle of this world's chi and, as it were, by the waters of Babylon, one fc :...^ unexpectedly, in the wide waste, some citizen of Canaan, some brother or sister in the Lord. This is joy unspeakable ; and were there no more than one, the de- sert straightway begins to rejoice and to blossom as the rose. In such cases, it appears in full clearness that the mutual love of the regenerate is not so poor and imperfect a thing as the world has often asserted it to be : that the love of which our Lord says, « By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another," is really in all his people, and that, however latent it may be, it can never be extinguished. The joy of Elijah is thus still tasted in our world. Thanks be to God for it, and also for the assurance, that everywhere in the earth, even where hirelings and wolves devour the flocks, the God of grace has his sheep and hidden doves ; that those sheep which pasture on ban-en plains bear often the finest wool; and that the proverb holds wonderfully true — " The children of God find out each other." As Elijah now knew that it was the widow, of whom God had spoken to him, he hesitated no longer to address to her all the comfort in his power. He was directed by God to say to her, " Fear not, go and do as thou hast said ; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me ; and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus If ^ •¥ «0 ELIJAH THE TISUBITE. eaith the Lord God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither sliall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon tho earth." The promise in the latter part of this address removed all the difficulties in the former. It lightened the faith of the widow and encouraged her to do as Elijah had said ; and the three cakes were actually produced, and Elijah did eat, and she and her son, and all were supplied in the most wonderful and glorious way. Blessed mdeed is the path of faith ! Behold, then, the man of God now sitting in the lonely cottage (not far from the sea, if we may credit an old legend). There is now his home, and he is quite cheerful, and the whole house rejoices in his company, not for his worldly gilts alone, but much more for tlie spiritual bless- ings which he brings with him. Israel has lost her pro- phet ; a poor widow has found him. Thus it fares with a people who are slow of turning to the Lord, and who will not repent under any preacher. The bread is taken from them and given to the dogs, who are languishing for it with- out. Of this our Lord reminded the people of Nazareth, as recorded in Luke (iv. 26) in these words, " I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was tliroughout all the land ; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.'' Yes, there the prophet sits, in tranquil happiness with the whole house. All want has disappeared. The meal in the barrel is not consumed ; the cruse of oil ever replen- ishes itself, according to the word of the Lord. A spiritual table is also newly spread from day to day. O how this poor woman delights in the privilege of sitting day after day at the feet of this wise and holy man of God, to learn from him the truths of heaven ; and how gladly does Elijah open his month in divine wisdom to his dear, affectionate, and simple-hearted sister. They pray together, read to- gether in Moses and the prophets, discourse or the promised ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. il of meal shall not , until the day that ddress removed all 3d the faith of the ah had said ; and and Elijah did eat, )plied in the most deed is the path of ting in the lonely lay credit an old is quite cheerful, npany, not for his he spiritual bless- has lost her pro- ms it fares with a lOrd, and who will jad is taken from lishing for it with- ople of Nazareth, Is, " I tell you of he days of Elias, '3 and six montlis, e land; but unto Sarepta, a city of il happiness with sared. The meal tf oil ever replen- lOrd. A spiritual ay. how this sitting day after of God, to learn ;ladly does Elijah jtociv, auoctionatc, Dgether, read to- e of the promised 61 3 Messiah and liis appearance in the world, raise now and then a spiritual song to the praise of the Lord ; and the hours pass swiftly and pleasantly by ; and the angels of God may well rejoice over such a little church in the wil- derness, and look down on it with gladness. Behold, then, dear brethren, here is the issue and termination of a way which began in such deep darkness. Thus God leads his children, in all things pertaining to life or to godliness, at all times to the most glorious end. Only mark what is said of Elijah. "He arose and went." It is a noble testimony. Let it then be equally said of each of you, wliithersoever the Lord may call you, " He arose and went." Be the way ever so painful, "arise and go." Go forward, strong in faith; be still and endure ; it will end in ligJit thus, in one wonder of gi'ace or another ; and wliosoever has ventured on the bark of life at God's bid- ding, far away from land, and is now tossed to and fro on the open sea, let him fear not, but cast his anchor in the deptlis of divino faithfulness, and by the rock of his eternal promises. Let him be of good courage, and exclaim, with the sweet singer of Israel, " Why art thou cast down, my soul, and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my couutenance and my God." — Ps. xlii. 11. TV.-RAISIXG THE WIDOWS SON AT ZAEEPHATH. The purifying of a chosen soul in the wine-press of trouble, which is at work in God's vineyard night and day, shall form the subject of this day's meditation. 1 KINGS xvll. 17-24. "And It came to pass after these things, tliat the son of the woman, th« mistress of the house, fell sick ; and his sickness was so sore, that tlieie was no brealli left in him. And siie said unto Elijaii, Wlmt liave I to do with thee, thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remem- brance, and to slay my son ? And he said unto her. Give me thy son. And ho took him out of her hosom, and carried him up into a loft where he abod* 62 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 'f. ■ ' i 'I' and lata him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the Lord, and sa'.-J, Lord my God, hast thou also brouKht evil upon the widow with whom I so- journ, by slaying her son ? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard tlie voice of Elijah ; and the soul of the child came into him again, and ho revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of tlie cliambcr into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah suld, See, thy son llveth. And tlie woman sa!;l to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a mun of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth." Here again we have a new instance of God's peculiar guidance ; another of those ways, wh'ch are indeed wonder- I'uHyr dark and mysterious, but not the less pure, goodness and truth. We have here recorded an attack of grace on the part of the great spiritual conqueror. Its object is the heart of the poor widow of Sarepta : already had the out- work fallen ; but it must be absolutely matiered and sub- dued. Let us unite, then, in contemplating this work of Him whose name is Wonderful, and its glorious consequences. We have here, I. The assault of grace ; II. The perfect victory; III. The calm after the storm. 1 hi I. We find our prophet where we last left him, in the land of Sidon, by the sea shore, in the silent, peaceful dwelling of the widow of Zarephath. His stay there has now been lengthened. He has passed, not weeks only, but many months, in liis still, quiet retreat. A pleasant time, a life of enjoyment, flowing on like a stream, clear and bright, and without fall or whirlpool. A life divided be- twixt prai.ses and prayer; betwixt pious discourse and offices of kindness; betwixt study of the divine word and contemplation of the rks of God in nature; and day by day crowned anew av. -i tokens of Jehovah's grace and kindness. Now, I am certain that many among ourselves would have been ashamed of such an inactive quiet sort of life, made up of nothing but receiving and enjoying; and that they would have felt it a reproach, and liave soughi again as soon as possible the scene of labour and activity. But Elijah was not so ambitious of employment. The be- ii into the Lord, and safd, lie widow with whom I so- mself upon the child three d my God, I pray thee, let e Lord huurd the voice of jaln, and ho revived. And lit of the chamber Into the jah said, See, thy son liveth. lyf that thou ait a man of is trutli." le of God's peculiar li are indeed wonder- less pure, goodness I attack of grace on ir. Its object is the already had the out- T ma&Lered and sub- g this work of Him ious consequences, ice; II. The perfect last left him, in the tlie silent, peaceful His stay there has not weeks only, but . A pleasant time, a stream, clear and A life divided bc- )ioTis discourse and he divine word and nature ; and day by ehovah's grace and ny among ourselves lactive quiet sort of and enjoying; and :h, and !>.ave soughi labour and activity, ployment. The be- ELIJAH THE TISIIBITE. 68 lief that there is in ' man labour and eflfort a certain worth for its own eake, ; certain available and meritorious value, he had long ago diwcarded as a vain and foolish supposition. . He knew tliat all that men receive from the treasury of heaven k a pure gift of the most unconditional grace, and tlierefore he left it entirely to his Lord's disposal, whether he sl-ould appoint him a goodly heritage in the land of Goshen, under liis vine and fig-tree, or station him in the desert, under the waving of the banner of war, and in the Bcene and toil of mortal struggle. "Be it as my God will" was his watchword. Did the Lord summon him to labour and conflict, he was at his post. Did he shut him up, as at Zarephath, in the haven of rest ; far from aiming at self-willed escape, he thought with the Psalmist, *' It is vain to rise up early and sit up late, eating the bread of carefulness, for he gives it to his beloved whilst they sleep." Thus no scruple of conr':'ience assailed the prophet in the midst of his h&ppy days at Zarephath. He knew that his time was in the hands of the Lord, and he was full of joy and hallowed thankfulness, and of freedom from care, as a harmless child. Would that we were all thus like little children. Whosoever among you is in the situation of Elijah, be the circumstances and causes of it what they may, be it from feebleness or age, from want of opportunity or of gifts, of influence or of personal resources, be it from poverty or widowhood, or from any other cause whatever, that one is excluded from the sphere of active service, or laid aside from those works of faith K) which we are too apt to attach the idea of merit, let such an one consider that the Lord has directed him to Zarephath, to serve him there ill peace and quietnees ; and let him not fill his mind with idle scruples and unprofitable niceties, but let him rather embrace this life of repose with thankfulness to its Author. And whosoever among us thus lives in the Lord's bosom, and feels his soothing hand, and not the rod of displeasure, and enjoys the blessedness of hira who " cats bread in the king- dom of God," and feels his heart satisfied to overflowing v/ith the goodness of God's house, let hun continue "to vlrink, I p '¥ I i I i .1 -^tmm G4 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. yea, drink abundantly," and rejoice greatly in tlie God of his salvation, and make no scruple to rejoice in the Lord alway, and yet, again to rejoice ; and let hind not vex and harass himself witli the thought that he is so free from strugglea and doubts, from darkness and temptation, while otlier breth- ren lie in the dust; mucli less let him strive to work himself into this frame of doul and darkness, as if it were neces- sary to pass through it, or remain in it, in order to be a Christian and at peace with God — an idea fraught with ab- surdity, and rising from the self-righteous blindness of our corrupt nature. Tariy at Zarephath, gracious soul, so long as God pleases. Rejoice, since the bridegroom is with thee : when once he shall be taken from thee the time of fasting will come of itself. Act like the Shulamite in the Song of Songs. AVlie the Lord led her into his banquet- ing-house, she followed without scruple, and went not out to force tears of affected sadness, but sang with joy, " I sat under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet unto my taste. He brought me to the banqueting-house, and his banner over me was love. He stayed me with flagons ; he comforted me with apples." Be not afraid to bound " like a young roe on the mountains of spices," so long as thy master grants thee liberty. Thou shalt not miss the salutary cross and the needful struggle in their own good time. In a word, it is as far wrong, of our own self- will, to mak a Sabbath, when the Lord gives us one, into a week-day, as it is wrong to convert the week-day, when he enjoins it, of our own self-will, into a Sabbath. Was there not also, my dear bretlu-en, something beauti- fully interesting in the perpetual miracle of which this poor widow's house was the scene. The merciful God, who governs a thousand worlds, and in whose hands are the affairs of the universe, visited this humble dwelling nightly with his grace, replenishing the barrel and the cruse; and, when its inmates rose in the morning, they had been blessed in their sleep, before they had found time to pray, '' Give us this day our daily bread." And do we not also experience his tenderness and condescension? 1% he not the same ELIJAH THE TI8HBITE es y^terday, and to-day, and for ever? The miracle of Zarepliath is repeated each day to thousands, tliough hi a less visible form; and all God's children experiencf in spiri- tual things what this widow did in temporal. Great as may be our spiritual poverty, "the barrel of meal wastes not, and the cruse of oil does hot fail." He cares, dear brother, that thy faith /at7 not. Mark the expression, " that it fail not." We do not read that whole sacks of meal were brought mto this widows house, nor that her cruse ran over. What we are told is, " that the meal wasted not." She re- ceived daily as much as she needed. "And the cruse of oil failed not." And so thou, perhaps, wilt receive no superabundance of the joy of believing, so that thou might- est exult and triumph even in the furnace; too much might not be for thy good. But this thou art assured of, that thy faith shall not fail; that the merciful and faithful High Priest has gained by intercession for thee, as once for his apostle Peter; and he will daily supply thee with so much patience, each day as at the first, that, though thou mayest occasionally doubt and be oppressed, thou shalt never sink utterly, nor despair. A pious writer says, with equal truth and beauty, " 1 need just as much patience to wait, as the lamp needs oil, till the day break and the shadows flee away." Delightful, beyond question, as we have already seen, was the situation of Elijah with the pious widow at Zare- phath. But it is not good for man in general that his life should flow on in the same easy channel. Long prosperity makes him proud and forgetful of his native poverty. Lazarus might then be tempted to leave the rich man's gate, and to part with his pilgrim's staff. Long seasons of rest for sacred contemplation are open to the intrusion of self-complacency. Lengthened holidays gratify too much the old Adam; and, hence, a life interrupted by no vicissi- tude and change is far from being the best for us. Our gracious father, knowing this, makes provision that there shall be no lack of variety in the lot of his dear children, but pours them, as it has been said, out of one vessel into ! .1'' I ''I; , i ik i ^^ ELIJAH THE TI8HBITE. another, that they may not settle on their lees. Such a Quite unexpectedly, amidst the happiest scenes and th« most refreshing experiences of God's love Td presence a heavy cloud darkened tl,e peaceful cottage. Ta! The widows son, her only child, doubly dear to his mother .! havmg heen miraculously saved fil death b^fl „e T tears found no answer. Alasl after a few dTs the h!, piest of dwellings was changed into a XeTf amen a' "'iT' J!"' ""'''''''' '^^^•""S and hope, he/Z St" on earth, her beloved child, lay stretched upin th b // pale and cold; and "there v.as no more breath n him " His soul had returned to God who ffave it TlJl Tu ^1 sent by God against the heart:f?,:-: L Sw" Vow hard how severe, according to outward appearance And yet there was nothing but mercy behind'the cloud tur g^cious God had a purpose to serve with this bitter medi eThVbe" *;" ^T "^«'-*-"S ^or the pre^e^t Zt ;i^rti:-:if;jr:;^r;L ..aree.rcisedthereby,"ournarr^^^^^^^^^^^^ whateId%''™«T''\^'°' *^^' P'"'"^ ^^'''^'^^ Yes, to What end ? This is what we are always striving to know tn he mmutest details. But who are we, that wf shou^dlk to explain ,„, terpret perfectly aU the dealings of he Lord. Do you not know that the judgments of thn T n.A unsearchable, and his ways pa.t Lfgt t Wof^ ^ ought not to hope tn ^nd ♦h" '-p- - .- -^feretore we <.» d.™,„g .„ the leuer every riddle of hU p,ovide"cc7b« leir lees. Such a lily at Zarephath. ly. The pleasant eful coolntss by a it scenes, and the e and presence, a tage. Alas I the to Ins mother, as th by famine, be- ) hour the malady , and dangerous ; I utmost ; but her w days, the hap- lace of lamenta- ^ope, her dearest 1 upon the bier, breath in him." " This was the )or widow. How pearance. And ;he cloud. Our his bitter medi- e present seem- "it afterwards suess to them hall abundantly tation? Yes, to ing to know, to we should seek leahngs of the )f the Lord are Therefore we 3ofIiisdispen- set our hearts ovidencc; but ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 67 be satisfied with what is written in Moses-" His work is perfect; all his ways are judgment;" and stop short with fauh, and trust our gracious God, even when clouds and darkness are round about him. Yet, in this visitation of the family of Zarephath, there is not wanting a certain nZr T,'' '.f ^'^^ '"*^^^« "^ *«^»^«» »'*''« divine nfT T /^J^^'d"^^*" a ^oman of piety; that admits of no doubt; but pious only in the sense in which Lydia and Cornelius, and others, were so before the period of their actual conversion and regeneration. She knew the grace of Orod ; but this knowledge was as yet defective and superfi- cial; she stood ma certain relation of intercourse with him. but this rested not yet on the true ground, the blood of the promised Lamb of God. She served the Lord ; but more m the manner of Martha, who thought that she required to bring somewhat in her hand, than of Mary, who sat at his feet on the ground with her hands empty, and with open heart, only receiving and wishing to receive. She knew God m his benevolence and love ; but not yet in his grace, since she did not yet know the sinfulness and unworthiness of her own heart; and the emotions of joy and wonder, which the manifold blessings and deliverances of the Lord excited-those feelings, I say, which were rather natural than gracious, and which she might regard too confidently, as betokening the "new heart," which God demanded caused her to err from the path of self-knowledge, and blinded her eyes as to her own real and spiritual state before God. In snort, she imagined herself to have gained the friendship of God, without knowing any thing of "the way to the Father ;" without Mediator; without Surety; without the broken heart. And such friendship with God has no reality; u oxists only in our imaginations, and rests more on inistake and self-deception than on the truth. Hence, if the poor widow, with all her piety, could not enter into the kingdom of heaven ; and if, in spito of all her singing, prayer, and beheving, she must at last have suffered dup' wreck of her soul, it was necessary that the Holy Ghost, under whose preparatory training she had long rested, should C8 ELIJAH THE TisnnnT. * •' : ffi yet fartlior Intei-poso ; and, above all, open her eyes to see that tne love of God is grace, undeserved gnico, throiis^h the work and merit of another. But how could this salutary and humbling view fitid entrance, how could it become a rooted and living principle mthout a preyious knowledge of her state of sinfulness, which made grace indispensable '■> And this the eternal mercy of the Godhead provides for. We all know the means. She is doubly visited. Two invisible guests break in upon her ; the Lord and thr ^Jpirit. The one visits the widow's house; the other the widow's hearf. The one inflicts the calamity ; the other expounds it. The one slays the son ; the other explains the reawon why : while the one assails, the cry of the other pierces her soul, " woman, woman, this is a judgment fur thy suis." And the woman' Iiears, wrings hor hands, and cries out, " Elijah, what have I to do with thes, O thou man of God ; Art thou come unto me, to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son ?" Behold, then, here is a universal, a total overthrow. " Thou art come unto me to call my sin to remembrance." She meant that now God had for the first time seen into her heart ; and this is the right feeling. Yes, thus it is with one when the Holy Spirit begins to disclose to him the " plague of his own heart." At such a moment the soul feels as it it saw the Divine Eye rest upon itself, fked and immove- able; and, ah, it rests there like the burning noon-tide blaze, like an awfully bright and devouring flame of fire. Then it will hide its nakedness ; but through all screens' and curtains that great Eye breaks through. Excuse and palliation, the shelter of spiritual shame, are utterly burnt up by its flame. The fair an-ay of virtues, sought out and gathered up to bear that Eye aside, are scorched and black- ened, and turned into sins. And when the soul would flee away and escape, the Eye of terror goes with it ; and, whe- ther it move or rest, the unaverted gaze is there. It stands above curbed when we lie down; it " scares us in visions" when we sleep. Tn thp. InnplTr nhomhor '"" ^~iP -- from It ; and amid the worid's bustle we suddenly falter and grow pale, as Belsliazzar at his feast ; for the great Eye is open her eyes to ace 'd grace, tlirougli the could this saUitary jr coald it become a eyious knowledge of jacG indispensable '■' dhead provides for. isited. Two invisible the ^Spirit. The one widow's heart. The pounds it. The one irson why : while the her soul, " woman, And the woman " Elijah, what have A.rt thou come unto 1 to slay my son ?" overthrow. "Thou imembrance." Sh* time seen into her I, thus it is with one to him the " plague the soul feels as it fixed and immove- burning noon-tide m'ng flame of fire. hroHgh all screens »ugh. Excuse and , are utterly burnt es, sought out and jorched and black- he soul would flee with it ; and, whe- s there. It stands ares us in visions" we imu no peace luddenly falter and r the great Eye is rXTJAn THK TISimiTE. e» again npon us, and our rest is fled, our joy is over, our soul j8 hunted from shelter to slielter in cowering haste, and there is no peace here, and no peace there, but everywhere the Eye, the tremendous Eye, and the voice of thunder, " Adam, where art thou ?" Such was our widow's experience. And what was her exclamation to Elijah, in tlio anguish of '".r hvitt? " thou man of God, what have I to do wit!, thee? A f; thou come to call my sin to my remembranc* , a'l 1 to kI, y my son?" Strange, and even foolish, language; Ix;", as t' 'lan- guage of her heart and feelings, very signifi .t aiid inter- esting. As if she had said, '* Why didst thou come to me : I owe it to thy visit that God has remembered my sins : for thou art so holy a man that I and my house were not worthy 10 receive thee. And God must punish us for being so bold and forward with thee, as if we had been thy equals. Thy coming has brought all this upon me. The merciful God had not so strictly reckoned with me, poor insignificant worm that I am, but in thy society, which has drawn down his attention upon me. In thy holiness has he first seen my sinfulness, and he would not have come so near a poor sin- ner like me, hadst thou not brought his presence into my house, for He is always with thee." Something like this was the meaning of her language. Foolishness of thought is indeed here ; but, with all this foolishness, what holy simplicity; what truth of feeling; what aelf-annihilation and humiUty ! The end of God is gained, and the victory is won. III. Behold, there sits now the poor mother 1 What a spectacle of sadness and woe! Alas, unhappy woman! There she sits, with her dead son in her arms, as if she would again warm its stiffened limbs at her heart. Her eyes are red with weeping, and she wrings her hands ; and now her tears are for her child's death, and now for the greatness of lier crimson sins, and she knows not which is the deeper wound. Pitiable state ! The prophet sits oppo- 6ite ; and well may his heart also have been touched, and -'« i 11 u Sl! f '1'.- , IS : I ■■ ::■ It 1 T <" ELIJAU THE TISHBlTli:. his eye moistened with genuine sympathy and compassion. But he guessed rightly the purpose of this visitation, and had no sooner perceived that God's merciful end was accom- plished than he hastened to take measures to quell the storm. He arose, and with firm step and peaceful counte- nance, that prophesied of good, approached the mother and said to her, " Give me thy son." This composure must have made a wonderful impression on the poor mother. A bright ray of hope must have shone into the darkness of her soul. But see, Elijah, that thou art able to fultil the hopes thou art raising. Elijah has no fear of the issue in hi.s own mind. He takes the little corpse from the mother's breast, hastens with it into the upper chamber, which was his, lays it upon the bed, shuts the door, falls on his knees, and applies himself to prayer and communion with the Jjbrd. And now, hark I hark I What a prayer is that with which he presents himself before the Lord; a prayer which assuredly would not pass uncorrected by us; that would not escape the criticism, censiu-e, and condemnation of our wisdom, had we heard it from the mouth of any other than the prophet Elijah. «'0 Lord my God," cries he, "hast thou also brought evil on the widow with whom I sojourn by slaying her son ?" What, Elijah I dost thou speak before the livmg God of bringing evil? and dost thou dare to come with such a question, nay complaint, before his throne? Yes, Elijah dares. It is in the fulness of his soul. He speaks fresh from the heart; and feels neither scruple nor difficult-. Ami, if he speak foolishly, he does It m simplicity; if he err, he errs in faith; and, if he treats too confidently -^ith God, he does it emboldened by the blood of the Lamb, and the divine promises. We dare not make ourselves his masters; for his prayer was accepted of God. Was not its import this, " Lord, was it thy purpose to 3lay the child? Impossible. Thou wouldst only lead the mother to repentance hy the cross; and it is accom- plished. Shall the child then continue dead ? Lord, let it cci be. Look graciously on this poor widow, and recom- ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 71 thy and compassion, f this visitation, and ciful end was accom- asiires to quell the nd peaceful counte- lied the mother and lis composure must le poor mother. A the darkness of her le to fulfil the hopes of the issue in hLs from the mother's ihamber, which was , falls on his knees, mmunion with the rayer is that with rd; a prayer which by us; that would •udemnation of our I of any other than I," cries he, " hast th whom I sojourn t thou speak before iost thou dare to plaint, before his he fulness of his and feels neither foolishly, he does i; and, if he treats nboldened by the es. We dare not ir was accepted of vas it thy purpose /ouldst only lead and it ig acGora- jad ? Lord, let it idow, and recom- pense her for all her kindness to thy servant ; for 1 am poor md have nothing. And, Lord, remember that I am thy prophet. In my reproach, thou also art reproached. That thy name may be hallowed, and thy praise increased on the earth, do thou hear this my prayer." And, having thus spoken to the Lord, he arose and threw himself upon the dead child, and stretched himself on it three times, as though he would say, " I will not leave this child, but will die or live with it." And, having stretched himself for the last time, he cried out, with an earnestness that might move heaven and earth, " O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again." A prayer this quite positive and unconditional, without the qualifying words, "Not my will, but thine, be done." And what followed this holy boldness in prayer? "The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." But does not this run directly counter to all our notions and maxims respecting acceptable prayer ? Here we have an uncondit'onal prayer ; a prayer for a temporal blessing ; a prayer for a miracle ; a prayer without limitation, without addition of the clause, " Not my will, but thine, be done ;" and yet God answers it. Yes, our gracious God does not tie himself down to our maxims, and is not bound bv our rules. This event in the life of Elijah at Zarephath is similar to one recorded of Luther at "Wittemberg. His friend Myconius lay on his death -bed, and wrote him a fare- well letter. Luther immediately, on reading the letter, fell on his knees and began to pray — " Lord my God, no I thou must not yet take our brother Myconius to thyself; thy cause cannot yet do without him. Amen." And, after thus praying, he rose up and wrote his sick brother, — " There is no cause for fear, dear Myconius ; the Lord will not let me hear that you are dead. You shall not, and must not die. Amen," These words made a powerful im- pression on the heart of the dying Myconius, and ayiiated him in such a manner, that the ulcer in his lungs discharged itself. He recovered. " Well, J. wrote you that it would 72 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. be so," was the answer of Luther to thp lpH«r ^i • u nounced the recovery of his friend ""'"'^ '"■ witthold'on""" ""7^T- ''''''' '' '"^' "'^^ I «an hardly withhold on account of its simplicity and beautv Thi her up. When the httle girl heard this, she went into In adjoining room, knelt down, and said, « iear Lord Jesu3 make my mother well again." And after «1^T^!?' prayed, she said, as though in God's iJmt^^ lie ^ voice as she could, « Yes, my dear child, I w II do it gS " rhis was the httle giri's Amen. She rose up with a St fi,» T J . °"' °°'"6 *o '"m again." " r will » n^J th c'hud r:rk ;:^T ^^ ^^ -•- ^-^^-x began to br'athe Id Xd v' J?""''^^ ""''''• ^^' '^Wld death; and Skh wfth J , ' ,"?' ""^ ^'^^^ '^' ^«»«h of ceive, took the child 1 'T ^"^ •''" '^^ '^^^^^^ '^°»- and delivLd hin^^ to ,"/ * 7 ^'^"^ ^'^™ ^'' ^^^^^^er, «hort an/p-L 1 L ".r^'^'-' ^"<^'. '» «"« sentence liveth." lie left U to th?^ T T' '"'^' "^^«' ^f^-^ «»" rest. What shai I .1 f n ^ ^ ?\''' *° ''^ '' ^'^ '^^ widow? SheteshrelL^^^^^ the recovery of her cJlJ tltl ' '"' ""' ^'^ '""^'^ '" w ^.iteoth^iir^-- -^ah,n:w:^tir\k::::^z--^^^ ;TE. ' the letter which an- me, tliat I can hardlj» 7 and beauty. Tlie rs old, had been for physicians had given ;his, she went into an " Dear Lord Jesus, after she liad thus lame, with as deep a !, I will do it gladly." rose up with a light 1 said, « Mother you , and ia in health to >u ask, to pray thus -"s? No; that thou 1 canst still ask and Spirit thus to pray, » child-like temper the true foundation fear. No one dare gladly. is upper chamber, •" "I will," cried And the soul of world. The child i left the couch of 5n can easily con- ftom his chamber, in one sentence, d, "See, thy son :o say to her the Jh'ngs of the poor ■t not 60 much in lore alive on her yet think of her expressible joy, t a man of God, ELIJAH THE TlSIiniTE. 73 and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth." Tlie word of the Lord : What word of tlie Lord hud Elijali f^poken to her? 0, tlmt is not difficult to find. We find here, at the end of the narrative, a new key to the wJiole history. It is clear tliat Elijah had said something to her in the days of their intercourse, which she had not yet been iible to comprehend or to believe. It is not difficult to con ■ JLCture what that might have been. Elijah had no doubt Koon discovered that the woman, with all her piety, was yet far from standing on the true foundation ; and he had also availed himself of the peaceful days at Zarephath to acquaint her with the divine plans for the salvation of sinners, with the doctrine of a promised Messiah, with his blood and merits, and with the necessity of faith in him, and the other points which spring from these great discoveries. These had been to her, as it appears, strange and mysterious things, which she could not rightly appreciate, but pushed aside because there was as yet no need of them in her soul. But a sense of the need of a Mediator and Eeconciier was now powerfully awakened in her heart, tVr.t she had be- come conscious in the furnace of affliction, of her sinful and guilty condition. Elijah's preaching of the cross, and of the forgiveness of sinners through the merits of the pro- mised Surety, was, through the miraculous testimony by which God had sealed anew his prophet and messenger raised to the rank of divine and indubitable truth, so that she could yield herself up to it with her whole heart, and rejoice and be glad in it. And it was this new faith, this new certainty, this new joy and blessed hope, which ex- pressed itself in her language, " Now I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is true." " I know, I feel, I see, I taste it. It is truth ; yes, precious truth." Now she stands on another founda- tion. From a fearer of God she has become a child of God. And in the moment when Elijah said to her, " See, thy son livf.th," her heart eould say Bomeihing greater fctJii; "I know that my Ksdeemer Uveth." This was the calm aitei the storm. 4 $ 74 ELIJAH THE TISHBITR. ■II J: ■'ill ■ill m^ V.-ELIJAH AND OBADIAH. 'He must increase, but I must decrease," was the lan- guage of John the Baptist to his disciples, as he perceived, with the greatest concern, that they placed him above Jesus, and with mistaken attachment clung to him, instead of attaching themselves to that « Greater than he," whom John had only preceded as herald and harbinger with the trum- pet of repentance. " My children," cries he, « what are you attempting." "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom and the bridegroom is Christ. I am only the friend of tlie bridegroom. My office is to announce to the spiritual bride the arrival of her beloved, and to direct her attention to him. When the beloved is come, and the bride hath found him then IS my office at an end. Theu the friend of the bride-' groom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This mv joy therefore 18 fulfilled. He must increase, but I m ., decrease " John 3. 30. The Baptist compares his master to the ^reat luminary which makes the day; but himself to the lesser light, or to a planet, which is visible only so long as the sun is not in the heavens, but then pales its ray, retires into darkness, and vanishes altogether. An(( he wishes to be nothing more than such a faint star, or a moon in full day, and would gladly drive all his followers who surround him by force from him, that they might faU at and embrace the teet of the Saviour. Gladly would he stand forsaken, and no more regarded, did he but see the sheep resting in the told of the great S^iepherd, and partaking of that salvation which could alone be found there. " He must increase but I must decrease." The Baptist meant, that he mi- . ease not merely in personal reputation, but also in ir jaru t his office. His office was only preparatory. It was nif, ^ it\ to prepare the way for the spiritual Bridegroom, by ^reaching the law unto repentance, and to be no more than a " school- ELIJAH THE TISHBITE, 75 m ^«« ^^^^^ increase Id erect on their own footing, and rest in their own righteous- ne s and ,eave the throne of mercy an unfrequente'dplac • m ts and?"'' "r^''' '''' ^^"^^«*'°" of hdplessness de- parts, and hence Christ and his blood decrease in their eye! Are we not then to increase in sanctification ? Yes trulv !* Growastho palm +ree but in th^ f.^r i ^'^'^'™y' npss M,n„ r^ <. . ' ' "y ^^^^^S and conscious- becoml ^^l 1 ''T" ""^^ ^'^^ ^y^«0P 0" ^^e -vaU, and become daily less and weaker, and more depen.-- a an outward prop tliat bears thee, or thv course i- no' Iw 0- Tl. cliHren of God must grow '"; ."^^ y^ in d thuigs, who . . ,3 head, even Christ." Be' , .aThfu •#■ hlood of tnu Lamb, ination fails on our ncc reverse.]. The lie weak has become i in full view before i-.r poor lunar light of glories, virtues, <*or debtors we lie n;ce, ;4ud, O, .vhat , the ouly Saviour, ne glanee of love, mer has decreased, ivho h,i8 once been tanc:; ^vould never ad in nrfde. But nt lessoii. If the 2 so; but he lives he cross ; and not inerate, with such p the language of it decreases, and ascetic exercises, edge, another by ess of his frames; ey increase, and that they stand r own righteous- requented place, helplessness de- ise in their eyes, on? Yes, truly! and conscious- n the waU, and lepen'' m an isnoi .; ., ,!ght ' nto . ,n in all loid, Rten thou ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 77 &?■ from day to day more in thy own sight " as nothing," and Christ becomes to thee more literally " thy all ;" when thou feelest thyself daily poorer, and embracest more eagerlv the rii'hes of thy High Priest ; when thou findest thyself ever emptier of true virtues, and the righteousness of thy Surety becomes to thee more and more precious; when thou seest more deeply thine own impotence, and placest thyself as the beggar at the rich man's door ; when thou canst offer with thy whole heart the prayer, " Yea, Lord, but the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the master's table :" then is this thy decrease a true prospering in grace, and thy poverty and debility in thyself is a gi-owing rich and strong in thy God. I must decrease, is the language of the Baptist. It is a law of Christ's kingdom. Whom the Lord loveth, he leadeth from one descent to another. The spec- tacle of such a spiritual decrease, inat Christ may increase, our present narrative presents to us in the example of Obadiah. 1 KINGS xviiL 1-16. " And it came to pass, after many days, that the -word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, sliow thyself unto Ahab ; and I will send rain upon the earth. And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab : and there was a sore famine In Samaria. And Aliab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house: (now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly : Foritwaoso, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water:) And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go Into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventnre we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. So they divided the land between them, to pass throughout it Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way ' y himself. And as Obadiah was In the way, behold, tlijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said. Art thou that my lord Elijah ? And he answered him, I am : Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me ? As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said. He is not there, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. And now thou sayest. Go, tell thy Lord, behold, Elijah is here. And It shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the Lord shall carry thee wlUthcr I know not : and so wlifcii 1 come andteli Ahat,, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy sen-ant fear the Lord from my youth. Was It not told my lord what I (lid, when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundred men cf the Lord '« prophets by fifty In a cave, and fed them with bread and water ? ir"ii 78 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. "ah .1r« m? .Z '^rl' ^"^ ''" '"y ""••»• B«"o>yn. The lamp which he lighted vp fo: a;. .,ham, in his dark loumey to Mount Moriah, .rns, besides th« universal beliel' Whatever God does is good," the special conviction i„ Abraham s breast that the Lord would raise his Isaac again to he. And this sweetened his bitter path not a liule. io the patriarch Job was vouchsafed an especially clear and oertam and joyful view of the final result of his suffer- ings, and of tho day of resurrection. "1 know that my Redeemer liveth, and though after my skin worms destroy l?/l^°5^^f • V" ""^ ^''^ ''^"" ^ ''' ^«^-" And what pro mise did Elijah receive to lighten his path of faith ? "Go show thyself to Ahab; and I W,v send rain upon tU earth " I^ow, God be praised fo- it," might Elijah say, "I go a the messenger of peace, and bring a blessing with me •" soon shal it be otherwise," might he joyfully say to him self, as uie horrors of drought and famine met his eves bv the way. "Courage, courage," he would exclaim^in his heart, as faces pale with hunger gazed at him; and when he thought of Ahab, and the rage and malice of his enemies the thought would presf . tly occur, « Who knows what may take place when I open the ch ids once more in God's name: who krows but they w^ ^ at last repent, humble themselves, an . acknowledge the Lord of glory?" Such thoughts and hopes and prospects must have made his sad and perilous path fr-- more tolerable, and rehVv-d many a dark moment oi shuddering sym^.-^hy with his unhappy countrymen. Sudi is the manifold care of our gracious and tender God, that no road be too rour' 'o hour too dark for Ins children. ' He Is thy Slieplif e, His watch o'er thee shal, en^ He will or. his own shuu s be For thee already stands li., van's chjiriot near, Tliy guard and crown ; though faith may wax obscure. He is ViXj' Shepherd sure. «Go, show thyself to Ahab; and I wiU send rain upon I mules, M thick the dark- ds us etill some drawH to dawn, m, in his dark tiniversai belief. I conviction in his Isaac agnfn th not a little. Jspecidlly clear t of his suffer- snow that my worms destroy And what pro- 'faith? 'le design of the heavy Judgment on Israel Bhould not fa if Baal should be brought to shame, and ii)- Lord exalted, it was absolutely necessary that Jeho- vah s prophet sho ,1 remove the drought by a public word as a complete p ,of tiiat ^Is Lord was the true, the living thyself Ahab; and I wi. «end rain upon the earth." And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab." The words are characteristic^ Yes, here we find him again ; the same ^.ble man of God, with his firm step and his walk of faith He went, though surromided by a thousand dangers; for he had become an execration of the populace, and an outlaw to all Israel ; yet he went, and his Lord went with him. /!;Tl"l' ^^'J*'' ""*' *^^'"S '^^^ departure from Zare- phath, Ahab the king was preparing himself in Samaria for a journey. Elijah journeyed for the glory of God : Ahab lor the sake of his cattle, particularly his horses and his mules, for which he would appear to have had a great fancy. 7 " •■■ ^^ "u-.r-c, as uffore, an aequaiutmice of a very pleasing and delightful kind. It is Obadiah, a man of distiDguishi ' rank and station. He was chamberlain, or 1 i\ \ % 82 ELIJAH THE TISHBITR. tan of the royal g„ar,l; being thus at once a court ior and a sold.er ^^ o are therefore the u,ore surprised when we read, '; that he feared the Lord greatly." H' the discove^ of a p.ous widow, between Tyre and Sidon, in a heathen country, came upon us with a delightful surprise, how much more unexpected must the appearance of an Obadiah be amidst one of the most scandalous and corrupt courts that ever existed m the world I Thus we see that piety i» no plant which grows, as many think, in the hot-house of human education, admonition, and good example; for how could a pious man thus have been reared in Samaria? We see that the children of God aro not the products and crea- tures of favourable circumstances and influences, since the circmmtances of society in Samaria were quite adapted to make Obadiah and every one else children of the devil. The Lord ' forms a people for himself, to show forth his praise," when and where he pleaseth; " he has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and has compassion on whom he will have compassion ;" and whosoever is designed to be his child can- not be hindered by adverse circumstances from becoming rank not among the treasures which thieves can break through and steal, which moth or rust can corrupt, or wh ch the tide of wicked company and seductive example can Bweep away Thus Obadiah, by the good help of his faS- le ^r"\ Tt' ^^ ''''''"'' *''«"S'^ •" ^"^'-^rthen ves- sel, through all the risks r,f a dangerous navigation. Obadiah feared the Lord greatly." I„ truth a noble testimonial given to this man in the word of inspiration. And truly it was something great to fear the Lord with al ms heart at a time when the true knowledge and fear o God had become a scorn and derision of the populace, and the whole nation lay sunk in darkness and idolatry It was also truly great to remain steadfast on the Lord^ side in a circle where gall and wormwood was the portion of all tneir hdehty. The more we think of it, the more extraor- I •■1 i le same time, cap. ICO a court ior and urprised when we If the discovery don, in a houthen rpriwe, how much >f an Obadiah be rrupt courts that that piety is no :he liot-house of xample; for how in Samaria? Wo oducts and crea- ences, since the juite adapted to )f the devil. Tlie forth his praise," rcy on whom he lom he will have be his child can- from becoming 1, and adoption, 5ves can break )rrupt, or which e example can lelp of his faith- an earthen ves- igation. I truth a noble of inspiration. 3 Lord with all je and fear of populace, and idolatry. It he Lord's side »yed to shake more extraor* ELIJAH THE TI8HBITB, 83 n (Unary does it appear to have adhered to tlie faith in a court wliere the devil had spread all his gins and snares; and where all possible temptations to apostacy, nil possible seductions to vice and profligacy ran in one full and com- mon stream ; and in a part which drew all eyes upon him ; in an office where his fortune or disgrace depended entirely on the pleasure of the monarch; in a situation which doomed him to daily interceurse with the most depraved men in the country, the wretched crew of courtiers; and there, in defi- ance of all who had influence, to fear God ; and that, not by halves, but with the whole heart ; not timorously, but with decision ; not secretly, but without disguise ; for all this lies in that one word greatly. 0, this was something great and singular. But who is to be praised for it ? The great Obadiah? Far from it : he would himself forbid it. To the mighty God and the power of his grace be all the glory ! Let the example of Obadiah be often before the eyes of those whose constant complaint is, » that they would serve the Lord willingly, but cannot, from the force of outward circumstances." Never was objection more unfounded. So. if the outward circumstances were altered, ye would serve the Lord fully ? Miserable blindness I Ye cannot do it at all, neither in one set of circumstances nor another, except it be given you from above. But the man to whom it is so given serves the Lord in all circumstances. And what should hinder him ? " I cannot serve God by reason of the depravity of my heart," is a complaint that we may well listen to. But, " 1 cannot serve him because of this or that outward hinderance;" this is the complaint of those who lie dead in trespasses and sins. Where the life of God is in the soul, ah, there is a fire that burns through every bushel, a stream which sweeps away every mouv.d of oppo- sition ; then there is a must in the soul, which is neither to be confined nor arrested, nor overmastered by circum- stances. Obadiah had already given a striking proof of the sin- cerity of his piety and zeal for the cause of God. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love 84 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. ^J: , :f . one another." And by this touchstone Obadiah's disciple- ship had been tried and found genuine. As Jezebel, the embittered enemy of the God of Israel, was making ever^ interposed for their rescue, and took a hundred of the pro- phets, or their scholars, and concealed them by fifties in a cave; and stopped not hero, but visited them in their dark and lonely refuges, and fed them with br^ad and water. It was a daring act, and miglit have cost him dear. But the love of the brethren constrained him. Go, then, my bre- thren and do likewise. Through the influence of tlie Ahabs and Jezebels of our times there is no longer a lack of such nl'v?"; f ^'''' r'' '' '''^''^'^' "^ ""''Sodly employers, are peisecuted cast off, and exposed to suffering fox consciLce sake. A frightful rage is re-awakened, both on many a throne and seat of justice, and in many a house and home, agamst those who will not bow the knee to Baal; and this persecuting spirit shall grow fiercer and fiercer. Many a preacher will yet have to leave his pulpit ; many a teacher his chair; many a mechanic his workshop, because he is a thnstian Then gather yourselves close together, ye chil- dren of God, for defence and succour. Imitate Obadiah. ihe foe shall not have the triumph of a malicious joy at the ^ars and sighs and clasped hands of the children of Israel fZZ\t7V''^'''/'^^'' '^ '^'' ^^^"SS'^5 and what i^ ouis by the Lord's goodness, let us impart it to our breth- ren, who are purchcvsed with the same blood. "Iirn,™r*'i r "f'^"^"- "^"'i Ahab," it is said, caUed Obadiah," to give him a commission, which he was to execute in company with the king. What a singular circumstance that a man like Obadiah should be in such lugh favour with a despot like Ahab. He could certainly never for a moment have dissembled his religion to please the tyrant ; and it must have been known to the king and queen and the whole court that he was one of the meet zealous worshippers of Jehovah. But fbe ^.c^Hent man appears to have had grace given him, by Ixis walk and con- versation, to stop the mouths of the wicked : and. by the adiah's disciple- As Jezebel, tlie s making every sword, Obadiaii Ired of the pro- n by fifties in a m in their dark and water. It dear. But the , then, my brc- ;e of the Ahabs a lack of such employers, are for conscience th on many a use and liome, Baal ; and this •cer. Many a lany a teacher lecause he is a ether, ye chil- tate Obadiah. ous joy at the h-en of Israel. ; and what is to our breth- >," it is said, (vhich he was it a singular I be in such lid certainly ion to please the king and of the moot cellftnt man ilk and con- and, by the ELIJAH THE TISIIBITE. 35 steadfast truth and transparent purity of character that he always displayed, to restrain even the bitterest of enemies and scoffers within the limits of a certain reverence. 4hab was no doul^well aware that he had no second Obadiah among his officers of state; and they must all have per- ceived that no one had so much confidence placed in him as th,s_ Israelite of the old school; and, though the kin- migirt join in the ridicule of liis religion, he felt that lie could on no account do without him. Yes, there is something in every believer that forces from the bitterest adversary a secret acknowledgment of their dignity; a light that condemns and punishes their own darkness, and from which, in the bottom of their hearts, they_ cannot withhold a certain esteem and admiration, ^or IS It an infrequent case either, that in times when jesters can no longer be of service, the hated sect comes suddenly mto favour, and rancorous opponents of the gospel are for once glad that they have in their, neighbourhood some txahlean of wliom they may make a chosen counsellor. Go into the country," said Ahab to Obadiah, '< unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks; peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose no a 1 ,he beasts." Miserable man 1 An ..xious solici- tude for tut preservation of his horses, and the keeping up of Ins stud, w., all that the divine judgment, now continued lor Jiree years and a half, had awakened in his soul ! " Why should ye be stricken anymore, ye will revolt more and more. Neither crosses nor blessings, neither signs and wonders, nor corrections and judgments, are able to awaken the spiritually dead to hfe. Nothing can do so, but the al- mighty power of divine grace. Is not this the lesson of daily experience ? How often, alas I do we think of some one we know, that nov/ at last he shall certainly become an altered man-such sore and humbling chastisements must soften him and bring him to reflection. Must, did we think? We anxi- ously mark his temper, and seek the trace of change; and, behold, where we hoped to find at length a thought of God and of eternity, the man is full of his horses and mules ; and i:aR 11 86 ELIJAH THE TISHBITR. instead of the holy emotions which we looked for, instead of repentance and prayer, and serious meditation on thef?reat ami eternal concerns of the soul, there is nothing but a thick swarm of the most pitiful cares and occupations, which flutter and flutter around the soul, till they and it together are swallowed «p in the awful seriousness of eter- nity. Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishnesa depart from h,m," Prov. xxvii. 22. thou almighty grace have mercy upon us! ^ ^ ' Obadiah readily obeys the command of his king. His office required submission : and in the present case his con- science had nothing to urge against it. But how could a man hko Obadiah bear to continue in the service of such a ruler, and m the society of so thoroughly corrupt and wicked a court ? The question, we may well suppose, could not be an easy one for himself to solve. « Tn the world ye shall have tribulation.." says our Lord ; and this tribula- tion his feeling of strangeness in an ungenial element, was doubtless not unknown in Obadiah's experience. Many an hour may he have mourned and sighed in secret: "Woes me, that I am constrained to sojourn in Meshech, and to dwell in the tents of Kedar;" and often must he have felt the noxious atmosphere lying like a blight on the growth of his spiritual life. But Obadiah could not adopt the conve- nient maxim which advises flight where it is painful to con- tinue at our post. « My God," he would consider, " has placed me here : the reasons are known to his infinite wisdom • and It IS an easy thing for him to preserve me, even in this den of hons. And thus he would remain, for the Lord's sake. \e that are m Obadiah's situation, go, all of you, and d. hkewise. However much the evil which you must be eye- witnesses of, however grert the opposition you meet with however you may be scofl^ed at, derided, oppressed and maltreated,_let that be no reason at all to 'yof to shik j" •ou. ^nduxe lur me Lords sake, till he himself set yon Iree. If you ore cast out by violence, or if a change of i for, instead of ion on the great nothing but a id occupations, ;ill they and it usncss of eter- ol in a mortar his foolishness Jmighty grace, lis king. His t case his con- t how could a irvice of such r corrupt and suppose, could the world ye ' this tribula- I element, was ce. Many an cret: "Woes shech, and to he have felt he growth of )t the conve- linful to con- msider, "has inite wisdom: en in this den Lord's sake. you, and do must be eye- a meet with pressed, and to shrink of d has placed self get yon i change of ELIJAH THE TISIIBITE. 87 I cu-cum_stances necessarily brings along with it a change in your situation or post of service, then retire witli a good conscience, for the Lord has called you. But, till then endure, and bloom as tiie rose among thoms, 'and be as a preserving salt in the midst of decay, and stand as a bea-' con-tower in the sea, with far reflected light, and thus ye may, by God's grace, guide some poor storm -tossed souls from the waves of this world's troubles into the peace- ful haven. And, however the billows may foam around you, He that keepeth Israel will neither slumpt- nor sleep and the angel of the Lord is about them that fear him. IlS faithfulness and truth is their shield and buckler. Blessed are those who put their trust under the shadow of his wings." lU. Ahab and Obadiah set out in diflferent directions. The- will explore the country, and see whether there be not some verdant spots to be found in the valleys, and among the springs of the land. That the king took this jouney in person, was ordered by the Lord, that he might have brought before him the whole picture of misery and woe whicl- the land now presented, if possibly the scene might melt the obduracy of the tyrant's heart. But we know al- ready how totally it failed of making the right impression: and, mstead of an overawed and humbled sinner, we sliall see him return the same monster of rage and cruelty ; who, instead of rending hisheart" in contrition, turns his anger against the rod that smites him, though he hud himself bound it ud m the bundle of his iniquity. But let us leave the monarch and follow the footsteps of his pious servant. Yonder he journeys along, on the de- serted and dreary road, sad and sighing, and bearing all Israe m las compassionate heart, and in his prayers to God Alasl how the scene of desolation, which stretches on all sides around, grieves his very soul I The whole land lying like a scene of pride and glory ravaged by fire, and every! • • i»-> f r.. ttr> TTltll i " -~ - - It icLicrtj of name written in the ashes, " Who can stand before his anger I" But what affects him most painfully of all, and pierces his heart most deeply, is the 88 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. spectacle of an apostate race, which, as if armed with triple obduracy, could stand up against the thunder of such judg- ments, and hve on unmoved in the mo.t wanton careleslnefs and baneful security. Ah I how that stirs his spirit within him I Howcanherestrain a holy outburst of zeal? The chJdren of the kingdom are in this like their crucified Lord, that they bear the sins of the world on their heart, and must often repair the breach which the ungodly have made. But happy are such persons ; they are those whom the man in white linen, with the ink-horn at his side, in the prophecy of Ezekiel, was directed to with the commission, « Go through the city of Jerusalem, and set a mark .pon the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry for all the abomina- tions that are done in the midst thereof," Ezekiel ix. 4 As Obadiah travels on, absorbed in these gloomy reflec- tions, behold, a man comes forth before him, leaning on a pilgrims staff, of commanding figure, with firm step and grave countenance, and a rough mantle hanging over his shoulders. Obadiah is amazed 1 What a rencontre I He cannot yet believe his eyes. Is it possible ? Yes, it is he ! O, joyful surprise I Elijah I Elijah I To recognise the man ot brod and to fall in reverence at his feet is the work of the same moment. 0, delightful meeting ! For three Ion- years no one had seen or haard aught of Elijah, and the pious remnant were disposed to believe that God had secretly caught him up into his eternal rest. And now he IS here once more, as suddenly as if he had fallen from heaven. "Art thou that my lord Elijah?" asks Obadiah with profound respect, as he bowed before him. And EH- jah m his own brief manner, replies, « I am : go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here." These words produced a strange effect on the excellent Obadiah. They evidently cut him to the heart, put his courage and zeal to a sudden and too trying proof, and ex- hibited him in all the weakness, doubt, and despondency of a poor child of man. It was a salutary lesson, however, of nis dependence upon the grace of God for every thing. It was learned by him amid a great conflict of emotions, and pose. waves ; ed with triple of such judg- n carelessness 3 spirit within fzeal? The rucified Lord, art, and must e made. But Ti the man in the prophecy lission, " Go rk apon the tlie abomina- ;iel ix. 4. loomy reflec- leaning on a fm step and ing over his 3ontre ! He ^"88, it ia he ! lise the man the work of « ■■■»'»'»' 4i »; j; shaU this day engage our attention. 1 laXGS xvin. 17-20. Israel: but thou, and thy fa S'house „ thT^'f ' ' '"'' ""' ^^''"'"^'^ raandmentsof the Lord, and 1^0, hast"oliow/HR ^w ^^""^ ^°''^^''' '^''°"'- and gather to me all Israel unto ^^^0 1 J "" ^°^ *''"'''''''™ ««"«'• Jmndred and fifty, and he pronVe sof ff '"' ' "",' ''" Prophetsof Baal fo,« Jezebel's table. So Ahab St o al tl '"XZ""' '''"""'"'' ^""='' ''' «' the prophets together unto Itunt Ca^el" "''" '""'^'' ''"'• ^'*«'erad The appearance of the prophet which we are now to con sider IS a striking illustration of his integrity and fearlet "ess as a ,nan of God. We have, here, I. Swonde JuJ protection ^hich he experiences- IT tL • "^^"^^^™ tion which he suffers III ThI'f,' """I"'* ^'=""'^- makes- TV Th '. ^ ^^^""^^'^ reply which he makes, IV. The secret power which he exercises. T. Obadiah, recovered from his alarm, and re-assured bv the language of Elijah, went his way, and sought out the king, and said to him, "Eliiah is fo.mrl • h7-- \ niacp" Ti,;. V, -^ round; he ism such a P^on, ofcrueley and revenge, Cdlicfed^^ tr anf Iro r "^" r ^^'^^ ^^''^'•-^y '^^ Obadiah, wi 1 • t et LSr^n v'' ''""^ '" ™"^^'^' *h-^^-b rose Li:L":nV"J'!;7:^:^.^^'P--- .H- -ge made him beast nf"^r'7 T""' '''"'^ ^'^ ^'"''"^d, like aragin- beast of prey, to meet the hated prophet, 'what is to b^ fh KLIJAn TUB TISHBITE, 93 expected? Elijah can be saved only by a miracle. Elijah sees the mfunated monarch approach. But he stands erect and quails not; the living God is his stror^ tower ht slued and buckler. And now Ahab has reached the po now Fr-T^"' '^'f ' '^"''^°"'^'"«^ '- arch-enemy. Id' ' now, Lhjah, thou art lost for ever ! Lost I Nay, the danger IS already over. Truly a wonder ! The sword c eaves tol 3 scabbard; the eager arm is palsied; the teeth of tl e i „ are broken. No stroke falls, no arrow flies, and, instead of an appalhng outburst of vengeance, there follo;s o"1ng but the feeble question, " Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" No one word of thunder,-" Thou art the troubtrS Is- rael not one impassioned curse or threatening ; only the question, the feeble question, as if the fire-breath!ng volcano had biirnt itself out, and only a little smoke cfdd rise above Its summit. Thus, the Lord can stop the mouths of lions, and enables his people to tread on serpents and scor Pjons so that nothing shall hurt them or make them aS. Yes, the same God who surrounded Elijah like a wall ot fire and broke the envenomed shafts of Ahab and Jez be in the quiver; the same God who rescued Moses from the and of Pharaoh, and Daniel from the den of lions; who Faul thiough the persecutions of his bitterest adversaries monk of Wittemberg, put the might of emperor and pope, of princes and c ergy, nay, and of the devil himself, to con fusion ; this God is alive for evermore, and will be he rock TAu T ''t.'" ''"''•^° ^"^ ^^^--^^^ »- «^ - th Says of old. Were He not alive, let me tell you, we should heir of many a sore evil, even in our days, for there dwells vet many an Ahab in Israel, and many a Jezebel in hea t too in high places and in the lowest. The spirit of persecution may smoulder in the ashes, but it is not extinct. ^1^ blood of the^itnesses would again flowif the hand of the AlmighJy were withdrawn hn*- ^a.. „ i;*.i„ /-r^^. ., , ^xnn^my Zll .v."' u ^"^ ""' ^"^^ *'•« "^^ «^ the Lamb, not inerely m their hearts, but on their foreheads, as many as ill H ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. ♦I i belong to the number of those who come to Christ, not by night, but in the open day, must excite opposition mid the spirit of molestation ; and that we dwell so peaceful and secure in our tabernacles, though in the den of lions, and between the lands of the Philistinos and the children of Amalak, is due to our great Protector and Saviour, who neither slumboreth or sleepetli, who is ever armed for our defence, who encamps around us with his strong legions of angels, and who is, and will be himself our bulwark. In eternity we shall first discover, to our great astonisliment, how many lions' mouths the Lord has stopped for us, and from how many enemies' hands lie has delivered us. Happy are we in this tower of strength I How secure is our dwell- ing amid the " munitions of rocks." They may storm as they wll, the Ahabs and the Jezebels, with the malignant ser- vants of Baal. Let them assault us as tliey will, armed with rage , < I malice, we shall still fear nothing. Our God can amitx. ^vith palsy the hand that is alrwidy lifted up against. Vi. &'^ Elijah, found it, and so shall we, in our own measure*, .^.tperience the truth of the wide reaching pro- mise, — •' Bohold, I give unto you power to tread on scor- pions and serpents, and over all the power of the enemy ; and nothing shall by any means hurt you. " Yet," adds our Lord, " in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you ; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven," Luke \. 19, 20. II. The protection which Elijah experienced was exactly of the kind which the saints of God are Avont to experience; and in like manner he could regard the accu.«ation brought against him, that it was he who was the troubler of Israel, as one of the certain marks that he indeed belonged to the people of God. "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" said the wrathful monarch, laying thereby on him the wholo blame of the heavy distress of the people, instead of on him- self. It was an act of outrageous injustice. But, from the beginning of the woxld, the children ot God have been obliged to submit to the same evil. It is a principal part of Iirist, not by tion and the )eaceful and >f lions, and children of aviour, who med for our g legions of ilwark. In tonisliment, for us, and us. Happy 3 our dwell- orrn as they lignant ser- ivill, armed Our God y lifted up in our own iching pro- id on scor- he enemy ; ," adds our ibject unto written in -^as exactly xperience; )n brought of Israel, ged to the ael ?" said the whole jf on him- , from the lave been )al part of ELIJAH THE TISIIBITE. 95 the cross, which we must bear after our Lord and Redeemer; and, though we thereby deserve no liigher place of honour in the kingdom of God, yet we crucify effectually the " old man" within us. It very often looks, indeed, as if we were the storm-birda and harbingers of misfortune: the disturbers of peace, and such as turn the world " upside down ;" as could not but be the case with Elijah, since the famine fell upon Samaria at his word. How often does it appear as if fire and flame were bound to our feet, and war and tumult followed our steps. At one time we remove peace from the families in which we live ; at another time we banish harmony from the circle in which we move. At one time a believing son must, to his unspeakable distress, excite the displeasure of his unbelieving parents, so that the dwelling of love is sud- denly changed into a scene of incessant strife and violence ; at another, a converted daugiiter must witness, with tears, that she has, against her will cast the brand of contention among those who are nearest her on earth. Tiie whole family is suddeidy driven out of its pleasant course of quiet and cheerful life, and all peace is torn up by the root. Sometimes, when a minister of the gospel displays the doc- trine of the cross to his people the effect is as if a mount lin had been cast into the sea. The wav, , swell; there is tumult and wild uproar; the agitation spreads on all sides, and everywhere there is excitement and feverish interest. The sleepers awake ; the dry bones are shaken. On one side is wrath and menace; on the other, exultation and triumph ; and the flock is divided against itself, and broken up into parties. How often, indeed, does it happen, that bold and zealous servants of God, aiming at nothing else than the return of strayed sheep, " to the shepherd and bishop of their souls," have kindled such a fire, and occa- sioned such heats and heart- burni.;gs, that the world has been scandalized, and worldly power stepped in to pi-eserve good order. And in aii such cases, we are tiie scapegoa'fi, the troublers, the criminals I That the abvs. out of which the smoke of confusion and dissension arose, lies in a quite m' m IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 ^na i^ 1.1 In :^ i;a 112.0 M 2.2 11:25 ill 1.4 1^ 11.6 i li-r ill 'C Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 4^ V iV \ :\ t;^'^^^ <>\ ^#k\ o .