Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

The Life and Times of Elijah.

Preface to the First Edition.

In giving forth to the church the following pages, the writer earnestly desires that the Lord would make them instrumental in directing the attention of Christians to the the doctrine of the ‘church’ position and hope, which will be found to be of increasing importance as old principles continue to work, and new ones begin to shew themselves.

The author has written for the church, and not for a party — for the members of the flock of Christ, and not for the members of a sect. The present aspect of things should have the effect of leading the Christian into great largeness of mind and liberality of spirit; and also of keeping him very close to the simple word of God. There is much confusion around us — much jarring controversy — much contention; but the calm and prayerful study of the word will enable us to distinguish between men and principles, and to avoid all dangerous extremes.

God’s truth has been in no wise affected by all that has occurred amongst us; human folly and weakness have, indeed, been displayed, but divine principle remains as pure and as unshaken as ever. If men will build up systems they must, sooner or later, end like Babel; and doubtless the more man mingles the truth of God with his own ideas in the erection of his system the more he dishonours God and misleads his fellow. Truth must not be corrupted by any admixture; it must be kept pure, and we may rest fully assured that those who are willing to wait humbly and patiently upon God in the acknowledgment of their weakness will realise the gracious fulfilment of the promise, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

C. H. M.

Introduction

The exercise of prophetic ministry in Israel of old was always a proof of the nation’s decline. So long as the great national institutions were maintained in their vigour, and the machinery of the Mosaic economy carried out according to its original design, there was no need of anything extraneous, and therefore the voice of a prophet was not heard; but when failure had set in — when those laws and institutions which had been enacted, and set on foot by God Himself, ceased to be carried out in their pristine spirit and power, then there was a demand for something additional, and that something was supplied by the energy of the Spirit in the prophets.

There were no materials in the whole range of Levitical rites and ceremonies for the formation or maintenance of such a ministry as that of Elijah the Tishbite; there was too much of the carnal element in them for that. The message of a prophet could only be delivered in the power of the Holy Ghost, and therefore, so long as the Levitical institutions fulfilled their end, the Spirit had no need to put forth any fresh energy.

There was no need of such a minister as Elijah in the days of Solomon’s glory and greatness; all was in order then — the whole machinery was in a sound condition — every wheel and every screw worked effectually in its own place — the king on the throne wielded the sceptre for the maintenance of Israel’s civil interest — the priest in the temple discharged in due order his religious functions — the Levites and the singers were all at their respective posts: in a word, all moved on in such a measure of order as to render the voice of a prophet unnecessary.

However, the scene soon changed; the mighty tide of evil soon set in, and swept away the very foundations of Israel’s civil and religious system: ungodly men, in process of time, ascended the throne of David, and sacrificed the interests of the people of God at the shrine of their own vile lusts; and to such a height did wickedness rise, that at last the wicked Ahab, with his consort Jezebel, occupied that throne from which Solomon had administered the judgement of God.

Jehovah could no longer forbear; He could not allow the tide of evil to rise any higher, and He therefore sent forth from His quiver a polished shaft to pierce the conscience of Israel, if haply He might bring them back to their place of happy allegiance to Himself. This shaft was none other than Elijah the Tishbite — the bold and uncompromising witness for God who stood in the breach at a moment when every one seemed to have fled from the field of conflict, unable to stem the overwhelming torrent.

But, before we proceed to the consideration of the life and ministry of this remarkable man, it may be well just to make one observation upon the two-fold character of prophetic ministry. We shall find, in considering the ministry of the prophets, that, not only had each prophet a distinct ministry committed to him, but that, also, in one and the same prophet, there was a double purpose carried out: the Lord dealt with the conscience about present evil, while He pointed the eye of the faithful one to the future glory. The prophet, by the Holy Ghost, brought the light and truth of God to bear upon the heart and conscience — he laid open fully and faithfully the hidden chambers of evil within — he spoke plainly of the people’s sad declension and departure from God, and removed the foundations of that false religious system which they were erecting around them.

But the prophet did not stop here; it would have been sad indeed had he been confined to the humiliating story of Israel’s failure, and the departure of their ancient glory; he was able, through grace, to add to the solemn announcement, “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself,” the consolatory assurance, “but in Me is thy help”; and herein we have developed to us the two elements which composed the ministry of the prophets, namely, Israel’s total failure, and God’s triumphant grace — the departure of the glory as connected with, and based upon, the obedience of Israel, and its final return and establishment as connected with, and based upon, the obedience and death of the Son of God.

Truly, we may say, this was ministry of a very elevated and holy character; it was a glorious commission to be told to stand amid the fragments of a crushed and ruined system, and there to point to the time — the happy time — when God would display Himself in the immortal results of His own redeeming grace, to the joy of His ransomed ones in Heaven and on earth.