He had found out that the Lord was God, and not Baal, or
any of the idols; and he would follow the Lord; and tell all Israel
what his own heart had told him, 'The Lord, he is God,' was the one
thing which he had to say; and he said it, till it became his name;
whether given him by his parents, or by the people, his name was
Elijah, 'The Lord is God.' 'How long halt ye between two opinions?'
he cries, upon the greatest day of his life. 'If the Lord be God,
then follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.' How grand he is, on
Carmel, throughout that noble chapter which we read last Sunday.
There is no fear in him, no doubt in him. The poor wild peasant out
of the savage mountains stands up before all Israel, before king,
priests, nobles, and people, and speaks and acts as if he, too, were
a king; because the Spirit of God is in him: and he is right, and
he knows that he is right. And they obey him as if he were a king.
Even before the fire comes down from heaven, and shows that God is
on his side, from the first they obey him. King Ahab himself obeys
him, trembles before him--'And it came to pass, when Ahab saw
Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy
father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the
Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.
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