ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. I-ELIJAH'S FIRST APPEARANCE. MY DEAR FRIENDS, It is a splendid picture which the Lord gives us of his true church here on earth, when in the Song of Solomon, chap. iv. 4, he addresses her, "Thy neck is like the tower of David, builded with breast-works, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, and all manner of weapons of mighty men." He compares her to that strong tower which David built on Mount Zion. Thus stands also the Church of God, founded on a rock, and that rock is Christ, and his blood. She rests on God's power and word; the Three-One God that liveth for ever bears her in his hands. The gates of hell shall not prevail against her. The tower of David was builded with breast-works whereon hung the shields of his heroes by thousands. And when was the fortress of the Church of Jesus ever Been without defences? Many a thousand years has the infernal archer bent his bow against her, and shot at her with his fiery darts; she stands unharmed to this day. One buckler is here in the room of thousands. It covers her on all sides, and shines gloriously. Where is the lance that will pierce it? The name of that shield is Alpha and Omega. It defies the rust and decay of Time. But David's tower was also hung with all manner of weapons of the mighty and the strong. There were the weapons of vanquished foes, hung out as trophies to be made a show of openly; and the arms of crowned warriors that fought for Zion, kept as an inspiring memory for children's children. The living tower of the Church of God is hung with like adornment for the spiritual eye. Behold there hanging on the battlements, the captured and broken weapons of many thousand vanquished strong ones. Here the battle-sword of the murderer from the beginning, the old Dragon; there the poisoned sting of Death, the grim king of terrors: here the heavy artillery of the seven hills; there the shattered spears and halberts of many false prophets and spirits of error, with their captured banners; and from year to year the number multiplies of splintered lances and baffled adversaries, that the conqueror makes a show of openly. But let us not pass over on this tower the swords of those heroes who stood for Zion in the field of battle, and to whom, as instruments and ministers of the living God, we owe the preservation of our light, and the upholding of the true sanctuary; they gleam also, on the battlements, for the joy and comfort, and inspiring example of us, their remote posterity. Here the sword of a Noah, the preacher of righteousness; there of a Moses, the much tried saint; here the armour of Daniel; there of Judas the Maccabbee; here of Paul, who fought the good fight; there of Peter, surnamed a Rock; here the helm and mail of Huss and Wicliff; and there the jousting array of Luther, Calvin, and Zuingli, honest champions of the glory of God, trusty defenders of the rights of Zion. And, behold! among the swords of these spiritual heroes, there rises up one with startling lustre to the eye, one that has wrought wonders for God's kingdom and glory, one that was two-edged and piercing, as any could be, in sore and evil times, and is yet stained with the blood and sweat of the fight. Whose is this noble weapon? It is that of Elijah tho Tishbite, a inan mighty in word and deed and |