143 The Ninth Sunday after Trinity. MORNING SERVICE.-First Lesson: 1 Kings xviii. Verse 38, 39.-" Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifices, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when the people saw it they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; The Lord, he is the God." We have already seen that Elijah lodged with the widow of Zarephath during the famine, caused by the drought in Canaan, where, it is probable, he remained for the space of three years. There is a remarkable fact connected with this worthy of notice, which is, that the country whence the idolatrous worship of Baal was exported into Israel, should conceal and nourish the instrument intended to undermine its existence in Israel, even during the persecution instituted by Ahab and Jezebel in its favour. This, however, was consistent with God's usual mode of operation. He frequently turns the point of the enemy's weapon against himself, and the means intended by others to frustrate His designs are made the instruments to further His purposes. The Almighty took a vast amount of trouble to convince Ahab and the Israelites of the great evil of their idolatry. In addition to ordinary judgments which they might have construed to be the result of natural causes, He condescends to work a series of remarkable miracles to declare his utter abhorrence of their abominable practices. In connection with, and by His servant Elijah He had already displayed the power of His interposing Providence in punishing His enemies and protecting his friends; and now the crowning miracle is per formed to prove openly in the presence of the prophets and worshippers of Baal, that He only was God, and should alone receive divine honours. The history of the trial is peculiarly interesting. We find that by the command of Elijah, the King of Israel, the prophets of Baal, and a great concourse of people were assembled on Mount Carmel, where existed the ruins of an ancient altar of the Lord, which is supposed to have been erected in the time of the Judges. Being assembled Elijah ordered that two bullocks should be sacrificed, the one for himself the other for the false prophets. These bullocks were to be cut in pieces, and laid upon an altar of wood, with no fire under. This being done, they were to pray to their respective gods; and that god who should answer by sending fire to consume the sacrifice was henceforth to be the object of the people's adoration. That every facility might be given to the worshippers of Baal, they were to have the first trial. Having arranged their offering, they presented their petitions," and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us." But no celestial fire came, Baal continued indifferent to their prayers, though they "leaped upon the altar," or danced around the altar in the manner of heathen worshippers, and cut themselves with knives and lancets, mingling their own blood with that of the sacrifice, whilst the true prophet jeered and derided them; still there was no pity, no reply came to the earnest requests. "There was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded." When every hope was at an end, and the time of offering the evening sacrifice had arrived, Elijah challenged the people to come unto him. Having repaired the altar of Jehovah,-not an altar merely of wood which was inflammable, but he added twelve stones, "according to the number of the tribes of Jacob." As if that were not sufficient he made a trench about the altar, and commanded water to be poured over the whole until the trench was full to the brim. This being done, he arranged his sacrifice, and prayed with his usual fervency, which God immediately answered to the conviction of all the eye-witnesses. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." From this remarkable fact we shall now draw some practical inferences which may be useful to ourselves. 1. The first remark we shall make is, that Elijah alone, accompanied by his God, was superior to the combined forces of all the false prophets, even backed by the presence and the countenance of their king. Although there were seven thousand in Israel who had not bowed their knees to Baal, yet, certainly, on Mount Carmel he could confidently say, "I, even I, only remain a prophet of the Lord." The false prophets were armed with all their insinuating powers, the king, with his idolatrous heart, was abetting them to his utmost, whilst all the people (if not fully prejudiced) were at the least halting between two opinions. Elijah, with his lion heart, stood a single champion for the truth, and resolutely challenged the whole to the combat, knowing that God, faithful to His promise, would vindicate the right and display His power to the confusion of His enemies. What an instance of steadfast confidence and unwavering fidelity! Are we not reminded here of another far superior Hero who, single-handed, entered the list not only against a few hundred or thousand idolaters, but against all the principalities and powers of earth and hell, treading "the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with Him?" Here in His own person He defied all the powers of darkness, and conquered even death itself within its own territories. Are we not also reminded that if God be for us, who can be against us? The feeblest saint will win the day when clad in His armour and going forth in His strength. With His strength Noah could withstand the jeers of the violent antediluvians, Abraham could be faithful among a faithless generation, Lot could be righteous among the wicked Sodomites, Moses could withstand the infidel Egyptian monarch, Samson could slay a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass, the stripling David could subdue the Giant of Gath, Daniel could defy a Persian Court, and the few fishermen of Galilee could "turn the world upside We need not fear any foe whilst we have God for down." 2. This grand appearance of Jehovah was manifested at His altar. That altar had been long neglected, deserted, and lying in ruins; hence the ignorance and superstition of the country. But when it was repaired by Elijah, God soon displayed His presence, as known in distinction from all idols, until even the halting Israelites were compelled to cry out, "The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God." Let me direct you to the Altar of Calvary, the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the grand display which was there made of the fire of Divine justice, consuming the great offering that was laid upon the altar, many a guilty sinner has been led to cry out, as the Israelites at Elijah's offering, "The Lord, he is the God." When that centurion who stood over against the cross exclaimed, "Truly this man was the Son of God," it was but a confession of the truth displayed through Elijah, and a prediction of the conviction of all that by faith can look upon the burning of that sacrifice. "The Lord, he is the God," in whom can we trust but in Him? whom shall we worship and adore but Him? who is able to hear, to answer, to save but He? It was the sight of the sacrifice burning upon this altar, that at a later period, through the preaching of Philip, caused joy in that city of Samaria in which Ahab lived; the same caused the Ethiopian Eunuch to go on his way rejoicing; the same caused the violent persecutor of Tarsus to be a vessel of mercy; and has caused thousands to flee for refuge, laying hold on the hope set before them. 3. The fire came down from heaven. It was not a production of earth. It was Divine in its origin, Divine in its power, a celestial flame that nothing could resist. Every good and perfect gift cometh from above, from God who is the Father of lights; He is the Author of the fire which is kindled on the altar of every Christian heart, consuming its corruptions, and giving evidences of renewed. vitality which will acknowledge the Lord only to be God. Religion is heaven born, it comes from above, and when it descends into the heart it transmutes the whole of man into its own nature. Christ descended from above, the Holy Spirit descends from above; faith, and hope, and love, accompanied by all other graces, descend from above; they are the operation of a fire, which wealth cannot purchase, which art cannot invent, which science cannot produce, which worldly wisdom cannot bestow, which all the learning of the world cannot furnish. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." 4. The fire of the Lord was perfect in its operation. "It consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." The sacrifice first, and the other materials afterwards. Different from elemental fire, which tends upwards in its operation, this fire worked downwards, beginning with the chief object and ending with antagonistic elements that tended to extinguish the flame and to destroy the fire. This was both an evidence to the Israelites of the celestial nature of the fire, and emblematical of the Divine element which is spiritually bestowed. In consuming the sacrifice there was a proof furnished that the offering was accepted, so that consequently the judgment should be removed, and the rain descend to fructify the land; and in burning the wood, and stones, and dust, and evaporating the water, there was a proof furnished that nothing could resist its power. God's fire fell first upon the sacrifice that was offered for man's sins, and in consuming that sacrifice He gave a proof that the offering was accepted as an atonement for sins, so that consequently the curse has been removed from sinners. When "He spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all," He signified that He having been made sin for us, we should be made the righteousness of God in Him. Then the sacrifice being consumed, all other impediments shall be destroyed. Sin, Satan, and death are vanquished; all the corruptions that fill the trenches of the |