and infamy? Is it true? It must be either one way or the other. Did bad men write that Bible? Certainly not, or they wouldn't have consigned themselves to eternal perdition. The very fact that the Bible has lived and grown during these 1,800 years, is a strong proof that it came from God. Men have tried to put it out of the world; they have tried to burn it out of the world; but they have failed. It has come down to us-down these 1,800 years, amidst persecution; and now we are in a land where it is open to all, and no man need be without one. What put it into the minds of those men to give money liberally to print and circulate this book? Bad men wouldn't do this. This is a question that, it seems to me, could be decided to-night. If it is not good, then take your stand. If the Lord be God, follow him, but if God be Baal, then follow him. Some one asked Alexander how he conquered the world, and he replied, that he conquered it by not delaying. If you want to conquer the devil, you must not delay. Accept eternal life as a gift to-night.

Let us take the surroundings of this text. We are told that Elijah stood before Ahab and told him, because of the evil deeds of Israel and the king, there would no rain come upon the land for three years and a half. After that Elijah went to the brook Cherith, where he was fed by the ravens; then he went to Zarephath, and there uwelt with a poor widow for months and months. Three years and a half rolled away, and not one drop of rain or dew had come from heaven. Probably, when Elijah told the king there would be no rain, he laughed at him. The idea that he should have the key of Heaven! He scouted the very idea, at first. But after a little, it became a very serious matter. The brooks began to dry up; the cattle could not get water; the crops failed the first year; the next year they were ⚫ worse; the third year they were even a worse failure; and the people began to flee out of his kingdom to get food; and yet they did not call upon Elijah's God. They had 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of the groves; and yet all their prayers did not bring rain. Why did they not ask God for rain? Baal was not an answerer of prayer. The devil never answers prayer. If prayer has ever been answered, it has been answered by the God of our fathers, by the God of our mothers. After Elijah had been gone three and a half years, he returns and meets Obadiah, the governor of the king's house, to whom Ahab had said: "You go down that way, and I'll go down this way, and see if we can't discover water." They hadn't been separated long when Obadiah meets Elijah, and asks him to come to the king. The prophet tells him to go and say to Ahab, "Elijah is here." But Obadiah don't want to leave him, and says: "If I lose sight of you this time, when the king knows you have stepped through my hands, it may cost me my life. Don't you know I've been a servant of the true God all the time, and I've had a hundred of the prophets of the Lord in a cave. If you don't come I will

lose my life." Elijah tells him to go and bring Ahab; and instead of Elijah going to Ahab, Ahab comes to him. As soon as the king comes he says: "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" That is the way with men. They bring down the wrath of God upon themselves, and then blame God's people. A great many people are blaming God for these hard times. Look on the millions and millions of money spent for whisky. Why, it is about time for famine to strike the tand. If men had millions of money, it wouldn't be long before all the manhood would be struck out of them. Now, the people of Israel had gone over to Baal; they had forgotten the God that brought them out of Egypt-the God of Jacob and Abraham and of their fathers. "Now," says Elijah, "let's have this settled. Let some of your people make an offering to their God on Mount Carmel, and I will make an offering to my God; and the God that answers by fire will be the God."

The king agrees, and the day arrives. You can see a great stir among the people that day. They are moving up to Mount Carmel. By and by Ahab comes up in his royal carriage, and those four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of the groves made a great impression. Dressed in priestly robes, they moved solemnly up that mountain. The king has swept along in his chariot, and perhaps passed by the poor priest Elijah, who comes slowly up, leaning upon his staff, his long white hair streaming about his shoulders. People don't believe in sensations, but that was one of the greatest sensations of their age. What is going to happen? No doubt the whole nation had been talking about this Elijah, and when he came to that mountain, the crowd looked upon him as the man who held the key of heaven. When he came up, he addressed the children of Israel; perhaps there were hundreds of thousands there. "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if he be Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word." Their eight hundred and fifty prophets had made a great impression upon them, and the king was afraid too. These people are just like a great many people now. They are afraid to go into the inquiry room, for what people will say. If they do go in, they get behind a post, so that they can't be seen. They are afraid the people in the store will find it out, and make fun of them. Moral courage is wanted by them, as it was wanted by those people. How many among us have not the moral courage to come out for the God of our mothers! People know these blackhearted hypocrites around them are not to be believed. They know these men who scoff at their religion are not their friends, while their mothers will do everything for them. The truest friends we can have are those who believe in Christ. "And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, 1, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred

and fifty men. Let them, therefore, give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under it; and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under it. And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God that answereth by fire let him be God. And all the people answered and said, "It is well spoken."-"Yes, sir, that's right. We'll stand by that decision." They built an altar, and laid their bullock on it, and began to cry to Baal, "O Baal! O Baal! Baal! Baal!" No answer. They cry louder and louder, but no answer comes. They pray from morning till noon, but not a sound. Elijah says: "Louder; you must pray louder. He must be on a journey; he must be asleep. He must be on a journey, or asleep. They cry louder and louder. Some people say it don't matter what a man believes, so long as he is earnest. These men were terribly in earnest. No Methodists shout as they did. They cry as loud as their voices will let them, but no answer. They take their knives and cut themselves, in their earnestness. Look at those four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of the grove, all covered with blood, as they cry out in their agony. They have no God. Young man, who is your master? Whom do you serve? If you are serving Baal, I tell you, if ever you get into trouble, he will not answer you. No answer came. Three o'clock came, the hour for the evening sacrifice; and Elijah prepared his altar. He would have nothing to do with the altar of Baal. merely took twelve stones, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, and built his altar, and laid his bullock on. No doubt some skeptic said he had some fire concealed in his garment, for he digs a trench all around it to hold water. Then he tells them to bring four barrels of water, and empties them over his sacrifice. Four more barrels are brought and thrown on the bullock, making eight, and then four barrels more are added, making twelve in all. Then, there lies that bullock, dripping with water; and Elijah comes forward. Every ear and eye is open. Those bleeding Baalites look at him. What is going to be the end of it? He comes forward, calm as a summer evening. He prays to the God of Isaac and Abraham-when, behold, look! look! down it comes-fire from the very throne of God, and consumes the wood and the stones and the sacrifice, and the people cry, "The Lord is the God!" The question is decided. The God that answereth by fire is the God of man. My friends, who is your God now? The God who answers prayer? or have you no God?

He

I can imagine some of you saying: "If I had been on Mount Carmel and seen that, I would have believed it." But I will tell you of a mount on which occurred another scene. That was a wonderful scene; but it does not compare with the scene on Calvary. Look

there! God's own beloved Son hanging between two thieves, and crying; "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Talk about wonderful things. This has been the wonder of ages. A man once gave me a book of wonderful things. I saw a good many wonders in it; but I did not see anything so wonderful in it as the story of the cross. My friends, see his expiring look. See what happened. The very rocks were rent, and the walls of the temple were rent; and all nature owned its God. The sun veiled its face and darkness fell over the earth, when the Son of man expired on Mount Calvary. Where can you find a more wonderful sight than this? Those Israelites lived on the other side of the cross; we live on this side of it. If a man wants proof of his gospel, look around this assembly. See men who thirty days ago were slaves, bound hand and foot to some hellish passion which was drawing them to hell. What a transformation there is. All things seem changed to them. They have got a new nature. "Is not this the power of God?" said a young convert to me to-day; "It seems as if we were living in the days of miracles, and the Son of God is coming down and giving men complete victory over lusts and passions." That is what the Son of God does for men; and yet, with all the proofs before their eyes, men are undecided.

What is it that keeps you from your decision? I wish I had time to tell you many of the reasons. Hundreds of thousands of men are thoroughly convinced; but they lack moral courage to come out and confess their sins. Others are being led captive by some sin. They have got some darling sin, and as long as they hold on to it there is no hope. A man the other day said he would like to become a Christian, but he had a bet upon the election, and he wanted that settled first. He did not think that he might die before that was decided. Eternity is drawing on. Suppose we die without God, without hope, without everlasting life, it seems to me it would have been better never to have been born. My friends I ask you to-night, why not come out like men? Say, "Cost what it will, I will accept Jesus to-night." Now have moral courage. Come. How many of you are thoroughly convinced in your minds that you ought to be Christians to-night? Now just ask yourselves the question: "What hinders me, what stands in my way?" I can imagine some of you looking behind you, to see how the one si ting there looks. If he seems serious, you look serious; if he laughs, you will laugh, and come to the conclusion that you will not accept to-night. You think of your companions, and you say you cannot stand their jeers. Is not that so? Come. Trample the world under your feet and take the Lord to-night, cost what it will. Say, "By the grace of God, I will serve him from this hour." Turn your backs upon hell, and set your faces toward heaven; and it will be the best night of your lives. Have you ever seen a man who accepted Christ regret it?

him

You cannot find a man who has changed masters and gone over to Christ who has regretted it. This is one of the strongest proofs of Christianity. Those who have never followed him only regret it. I have seen hundreds dying, when in the army and when a missionary, and I never saw a man who died conscious but who regretted that he had not lived a Christian life. My friends, if you accept him to-night, it will be the best hour of your life. Let this night be the best night of your lives. Let me bring this to your mind. If you are lost, it will be because you do not decide. "How long halt ye between two opinions. If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." How many men in this assembly want to be on the Lord's side? Those who want to take their stand on the side of the true God, rise.

Upon this request by Mr. Moody, nearly 2,000 men instantly

arose.

WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES.

"Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." DANIEL 5: 27.

You will find my text to-night in one short word, "Tekel," meaning: "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." In the 5th chapter of Daniel we read the history of the King Belshazzar. It is very short. Only one chapter tells us all we know about him. One short sight of his career is all we see. He just seems to burst upon the stage, and then disappears. We are told that he gave a great feast, and at this feast he had a thousand of his lords; and they were drinking and praising the gods of silver, of gold, of brass, of iron, and of wood, out of the vessels which had been brought from the temple at Jerusalem. As they were drinking out of these vessels of gold and silver from the house of God,-I don't know but what it was at the midnight hour, all at once came forth the fingers of a man's hand and began to write upon the wall of the hall. The king turns deathly pale; his knees shake together, and he trembles from head to foot. Perhaps if some had told him the time was coming when he would be put into the balance and weighed, he would have laughed at him. But he knows the vital hour has come; and that hand has written his doom in the words, "Mene, mene, tekel upharsin." He calls the wise men of his kingdom; and the