Now therefore send, and gather
to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four
hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred,
which eat at Jezebel's table. So Ahab sent unto all the children of
Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.' The
tyrant's guilty conscience makes a coward of him: and he quails
before the wild man out of the mountains, who has not where to lay
his head, who stands alone against all the people, though Baal's
prophets are four hundred and fifty men, and the prophets of the
groves four hundred, and they eat at the queen's table; and he only
is left and they seek his life:--yet no man dare touch him, not even
the king himself. Such power is there, such strength is there, in
being an honest and a God-fearing man.
Yes, my friends, this was the secret of Elijah's power. This is the
lesson which Elijah has to teach us. Not to halt between two
opinions. If a thing be true, to stand up for it; if a thing be
right, to do it, whatsoever it may cost us. Make up your minds
then, my friends, to be honest men like Elijah the prophet of old.
For your own sake, for your neighbour's sake, and for God's sake, be
honest men.
For your own sake. If you want to be respected; if you want to be
powerful--and it is good to be powerful sometimes--if God has set
you to govern people, whether it be your children and household,
your own farm, your own shop, your own estate, your own country or
neighbourhood--Do you want to know the great secret of success?--Be
honest and brave.
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