Elijah the Tishbite. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. VMackintosh, Charles Henry
Religion
Elijah the Tishbite. Miscellaneous Writings of C. H. Mackintosh, vol. V
Mackintosh, Charles Henry
Theology
All this has a solemn voice for the present generation; and those that
have ears to hear, let them hear. Men are becoming increasingly
heedless as to the interests and destinies of the truth of God in the
earth. Christ and Belial are all alike, provided the wheels of the
vast machine of utilitarianism be not clogged in their movement. You
may hold what principles you please provided you hold them in the
background; and thus men of the most conflicting principles can unite
and hold those principles in abeyance while with ardor and energy they
pursue the phantom of worldliness.
Such is the spirit and tendency of the age, and all that is needed is
that a Jezebel spirit should arise and lead men on along the path upon
which they have manifestly entered--a path which will most assuredly
end in the blackness of darkness forever. Solemn, most solemn thought!
Again I say, "He that hath ears to ear, let him hear."
But we have said it was from Jezebel that the prophet Elijah received
the check which seems so to have overwhelmed his spirit. "And Ahab
told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all
the prophets with the sword." Observe, "Ahab told Jezebel;" he had
neither sufficient interest in the matter to lead him to take an
active part himself, nor, even if he had the interest, did he possess
sufficient energy. To him, perhaps, the abundance of rain seemed to
stand connected with the death of the prophets, and therefore he could
quietly stand by and see them put to death. What was Baal to him, or
Jehovah either? Nothing. Let Ahab and all of that school get enough to
"eat and drink," and all questions of truth and religion will be but
lightly regarded. Gross and unmeaning abomination! Miserable,
infatuated sensualism! Ye children of this world, whose sentiments are
expressed in the words "let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die,"
think of Ahab; remember his terrible end--the end of his eating and
drinking. What was it? "The dogs licked his blood." And as to his
soul--ah, eternity will unfold its destinies!
But in Jezebel we see one who lacked neither interest nor energy. To
her the controversy was one of the deepest moment, and she was
determined to act with decision. "Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto
Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not
thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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