The Pulpit Commentary — Joel — Section 19

given to it tho widest eignification. Genere.lly used to denote abstinence from food, it may be 11.11 fairly applied to 11oy refusal of indulgence to e.nimal appetite, hr,wever Innocent such indulgence, under other circumst11Dcea, may be. The keeping of a fast in more defe~ence to a social cn11torrt or to eccleeie.stie&l ordinance is of no great value. But true fMtlng is Inculcated, by our Lord himself, though he personally refused to keep the ecclesill.lltical fa.ate of his own de.y. The reiltraint of appetite, the curbing of the e.nimal nature, is cssentle.l to the doing of great works for him. Of the lunatic boy Jesus said to his disciples," 'rhis kind goeth not out but by prayer and fa.sting." Thi:t has its appllc'Btion to indulgence in strong drink. Tote.I abstinence has a part to play as well ae prayer in driving out the demon of drunkenness. Such fe.sting would do much to remove a curae which is as terrible as was the devastation of the land of Judah by locW1ts. Ill. THE 0ULTIVATION OJ' Bl!LlOlOUB FELLOWSHIP, The "solemn assembly" which was to be summoned wa.s a religious gathering of the people. Their national unity was greatly fostered by the annual feasts, which brought the nation together in one place. The sin of Jeroboam, ~he son of Nebat, was this-that he erected calves at Bethel and Dan, not only leading the people to idolatry, but breaking up their national unity. It was largely e. political manreuvre on his part, for he could not have established a s&)jilrate kingdom of Israel if all continued. to go up to the same temple at Jerusalem. •thaer the Christian dispensation we are exhorted not to forsake the IU!sembling of otli'selivee together. When we meet for worship, the faith and prayer of one raise the faffitl~nd prayer of another. Separate embers die out, but gathered together they bl'azet _··Fublic worship will be wonderfully revived in a real religious reformation. •1 ,, -- IV. 'l'm BEOOG!l'ITIO!I' OJ' SPECIAL BEBPO!l'BIBlLITY. "The eldera" were to be summoned. Through them Moses first made his appeal to the ensla.ved. Israelites. They were the witnesses of the first flowing of water from the rock. Their offerings -represented the dedication of the whole congregation of the people. Longer experience and official statW1 gave them• privileges, with accompanying responsibilities. Leaders of men now in society, in literature, in political life, have peculiar responsibilities, and are summoned. by true prophets to lead the people to repentance and to righteousness. The Elector Frederick understood this in Luther's day, but he needed a Jowly born Luther to inspire him first. Here we may fairly appeal to the eldest in a family, to the captain of the school, to the leading merchants, to influential writers, etc., to be the first to return to the Lord, and henceforth to lead others in his service. V. Tm: GENERAL A0XNOWLEDGIIIENT OJ' em. "All the inhabitants of the land " were called upon to repent. They could not sene God by proxy. The service of the elders and of the priests would not relieve them of responsibility. Ea.eh had to repent of his own sin ·a.nd; for· himself, return to the Lord. No better meeting-place can be found for all classes a.nd conditions of men than the Church. There the rich and the poor meet together, remembering that the Lord is the Maker of them all. The recognition of the Divine Fatherhood must precede the realization of the human brotherhood. ; VI. THE PBEBEl!fTATI0N OF EAB!l'EBT PB.AYJIJB. Those who "cry onto the Lord" are not satiefied with listless and formal petitions. Sobs and si~ are sometimes the sweetest mDBic to the llea.rer of prayer. These precede the blessedness of pardon in the history of each believer. The Church, too, must know what it is to present strong supplications, with orying and tears, and then she sha.11 be endued with power from ou high. The prayer of Pentecost mW1t precede the benediction of Pentecost.-A. R. Vere. 1-4.-National rolamity. "The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. Hear this," etc. 'l'hese verses lead us to look upon some aspects of that terrible national calamity which was the great burden of the prophet's mioistry. We learn from t l:ie passage- !. THAT THIS 0ALAMITY WAS DIVINELY REVEALED AT J'IBST TO THE KIND OF ONE MAN. "'l'he word of the Lord that came to Jool the son of Pethuel." No one knew at first what a sad calamity was coming on the country but Jehovah himself. No sage, seer, or priest know anything of it. The Eternal selects ono ~a~ to. whom to impart the intolligenco, and that one man seems to have been so undistmgul8hccl and l fo THE BOOK OF JOEL. [ou. 1. 1-20.