The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 466

hie despondency deepened as he lost himself in th~ solitudes of the wilderness. His wo.s the inwo.rd disquietude which will e.lwe.ye be the penalty of e. man's having weo.kly or wilfully deserted the path of duty. When good men place themselves in e. false position, they must expect the shadow of some morbid condition of feeling to feJl upon their spirits. When the hands of those who ought to be busy about some work for God are idle, their hearts are left a prey to all sorts of evil influences. Religious o.ctivity is one of the main secrets of religious health. What is our g1:anu business in this world but just to battle against the weaknesses of our own no.ture, o.nd tho force of ad'l"erse circumstances? And when the difficulties of our position gather thickest about us, thon is the time to -cast ourselves most fearlessly on the Divine power that will enable us to overcome them and listen to the voice that so.ys, ":Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.'' II. Gon's WAY OF DEALING WITH HIM, To.king a general view of the Divine method, we see that each Sllccessive step is wisely adapted to the prophet's need. 1. Physical refreshment. An angel is sent with food for the nourishment of bis ex- hausted frame ; not to talk with him, not by remonstrance or persuasion to chase away his morbid feelings, but to feed him, The disease of the mind is to be cnred by :first 1·emoving the weakness of the body, which was one of its causes. It is 11, suggestive incident. Our physical nature is as tntly an object of Divine thought and care as the spiritual. God will not fail to supply the meaner wants of His children. The beneficent ministries of His providence o.re ever auxiliary to the higher purposes of His grace. 2. A significant revelation of the Divine presence and power. The remarkable phenomena described in the eleventh and twelfth verses on doubt had e. symbolic meaning. The wind, the earthquake, and the fire were emblems of the conspicuous and extraordinary manner in which Elijah probably expected the work of God to be co.rried on. The " still small voice " that followed taught him that God's chosen way of working wo.s rather one tho.t is calm and noiseless. The stirring events that had recently taken place were only preparatory to the silent but mightier energy of His spirit working through the voice of the prophet. We o.ro a.pt to over-estimate the power of that which II cometh with observation." Why should the wind, and the fire, e.nd the earthquo.ke be God's ouly instruments? Is He not equally in the gently-dawning light, the soft-w1iispering breeze, the silent, secret forces of nature? Your path of usefulness may be obscure, your iuJluenco unobserved, its issues slowly developed. But be not disheartened. Remember tho "still small voice " breathing in the ear of the prophet at the mouth of tl10 cave when the tumult wo.s over, and leo.rn tho.t it is by e. feeble instrwnent and o. quiet, patient process that God will accomplish His grandest work iu the mora.l sphere. Th.is is the method of the world's Redeemer. "He shall not cry nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be hen.rd in the sb:eets, &c. (Isn.. xiii. 2, 8, 4). 8. Words of rcbttkB and encouragement. "Who.t doest thou here, Elijah?" "Go, return on thy way." 11 Yet have I left me seven thouso.nd in Israel," &o. Thus does God reprove him for the fuilhlessness that lay at the root of his despondency. If the veil tlmt hill the secret life of Israel could at that hour have been uplifted, he would have seen how little real reason there wo.s for it. Seven thonsancl living witnesses might havo come forth from their obscurity to show that his work was not in vain. We little kuow who.t God is doing beneath the surface, at the secret heart of society, wheu appearances seem most unfavourable. Let us be true to ourselves and to Him, doing faithfully the work He has given us to do in storm or in calm, and leo.ve it to Him to bring a.bout the glorious issue. "Bo ye therefore stoo.dfo.st, inunovo.ble," &c. (l Cor. xv. 68).-W. Ver. 19-21.-The Call of Elisha. It was by o.n express Divine com.1:mnd that Elijo.h summoned Elisha to the prophetic office (ver. 16). And yet we may discern a purely human element in this. He did it by the impulse of natural feeling. Stern, rugged, self-reliant as he was, he needed sympo.thy o.nd companionship. He yearned for the society of a kindred spirit. He could not bear to live alono. Whether be had any previous personal knowledge of Elisha wo know no\; but it is certain that, totnlly different as the two men were, he found in him a faithful friend o.nd 476 THE FIRST BOOK or KINGS. [011. XIX. 1-21,