The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 425

conclusion that the Lord alone is God. This was his first task, his main object. And this is the first step towards the conversion of a soul-that it should "know the only true God and Jesus Christ," &c. At the basis of conversion lies the know- ledge of God and of self. There is a knowledge which "bloweth up; '' while "charity buildeth up'' (1 Cor. viii. 1). There is also a yvw.ri, which is life eternal, He is the converted man who can say, "We have known and believed the love that God bath to us" (1 John iv. lG), It was a favomite saying of St. Theresa that if men really knew God, thoy could not help loving and serving Him. Ily nature they do not know Him; they have false and unworthy ideas of Him ; they think Him to be altogether such an one as themselves (Psa. 1. 21), because the de,il, the "slanderer " (oui,60\oi;), who is not only the "accuser of the brethren" before God (Rev. xii. 10; Job i. 9), but also the accuser of God before the brethren (Gen. iii. 5), poisons their minds against God, traduces and misrepresents Him, so that the opening of the eyes (Acts ix. 18; xvi. 14; xxvi. 18; Luke xxiv. 45; Eph. i. IS), the enlightening of the mind, the shining of the glorious gospel of Christ in the darkened heart (2 Cor. iv. 4, 6)-this is the beginning of our conversion. A coll'version which rests, not on knowledge, but emotion, cannot be real o.nd lasting. 2. A change of affection. Believing Baal to be God, they had yielded him their homage, their service. The heart, for the most part (Rom. vii. passim), goes with the understanding. If the latter be firmly persuaded, the former is enlisted. "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Prov. xxiii. 7). Those who regarded Baal as their helper and benefactor could not help reverencing and loving him (eh. xix. 18; cf. Job xxxi. 27). But when they learnt his impotence; when they saw that they had been deceived (Acts viii 9) ; when it was forced upon them that these things were dumb idols, lying vanities, and that the Lord alone had made them, sustained them, blessed them, then there was a strong revulsion of feeling ; their heart was turned back again ; their affections went forth to Him whom they had slighted and wronged. .And so it is in our conversion. It is not e. purely intellectua.l process ; it stirs the lowest depths of the heart. When a man realizes that God is not hate, but love; that he is a Father, not a hard master; that the devil has deceived him and enslaved him, while promising him liberty; that the world has cheated him, and its pleasures have mocked him, it would be strange inde.ed if this apocalypse did not affect the whole man; if the knowledge did not lead at once to loathing and love; loathing for the enemy who has played us so false and slandered our gracious Father; love for Him who first loved us, and sealed His love by pain and sacrifice. And with the new-born love there will be compunction; grief that we have grieved the Eternal Love. This is what we call repentance. It is a part of the JLETavoia. 3. A change of conduct. If the head does not always carry the heart with it, the heart always controls and governs the man. It is the mo.inspring of our nature. The heart is the helm that turns the ship '' whithersoever the governor listeth" (James iii. 4). We ha.ve no record, indeed, of any permanent change in the religious life of Israel, and it ha.a been too readily assumed that all the congregation that witnessed the descent of the fire, and confessed their belief in Jehovah, straightway lapsed into paga.niam. But it is clear that, for a time at lea.at, there was a change in their conduct. The readiness with which they slew the priests of Baal shows it. Indeed, without this there would have been no conversion at all. For that word, though constantly used in a purely conventional and non-naturoJ ~ense-to express, in fact, a mystical change in the mn,n, a peculiar conscious tran- sition which the heart is supposed to experience-really describes a che.nge in the life aud conduct (Acts xv. 3; Luke uii. 32; Matt. xviii. 3; Ja.mes v. 19). The secret inner change the Scripture always calls "repento.nce" (Matt. ix. 13; Luke xv. 7; Acts XL 21 ; Rom. ii. 4; Heh. vi. 6, &c.) Conversion is the outward and visible cha.nge resulting from the former, and corresponding with it. Hence St. Peter's words, "Repeut and be converted'' (Acts iii. 19). This conversion of Israel was not an emotion, an experience, an ecstasy, but o. cho.nge from Be.o.1- worahip to Jehovah-worship; from impurity and devilry (Deut. xxxii. 17; 1 Cor. on. XVIII, 1-46.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 437