Sermons on Biblical Characters | Page 6

and rode on through the
dark, not knowing whither I went. At last, far past midnight, I saw a
speck of light in the distance. That light did not look at all like a sunrise.
It was as small as a needle point. And yet I followed it because it was
all I could see on the black bosom of the darkness. A little later I found
that that light was shining from a window in my own home. A little
later still I found my anxious mother behind that light waiting for the
home-coming of her boy.
Now, I did not have much light to begin with. It was pathetically
meager. But as I followed it it led me home. Thomas had but little.
Bushnell had but little. But they were willing to be true to the light that
they had. And being true to it, they found the fullness of the light. For it
was true then as it is true to-day, "if any man is willing to do His will,
he shall know."

II
THE GREAT REFUSAL--JONAH
Jonah 1:1-3
There is doubtless not another book in the literature of the world that
has suffered more at the hands of men than the book of Jonah. It has
been tortured by its enemies and wounded in the house of its friends.
We have been so prone to give our attention to the non-essential in the
book rather than the essential. We have had such keen eyes for the
seemingly ridiculous and the bizarre. For this reason it has come to
pass that you can hardly mention the name of Jonah to a modern
audience without provoking a smile. Thus Jonah, coming to us as an

evangelist, is mistaken by many for a clown.
Now this is a calamity. It is a calamity in the first place because the
book of Jonah is one of the gems of literature. There is not another
book in the Old Testament that is more fragrant with the breath of
inspiration. There is not another book more radiant with the light of the
divine love. It is a wonderful gospel in itself. Therefore it is a great pity
that we have turned from its winsome wealth to give ourselves to the
unedifying task of measuring the size of a fish's throat.
Did you ever hear of the hungry men that were invited to a feast? When
they came within the banquet hall they found the table spread with the
viands of a king. But the table was a bit out of the ordinary. Therefore,
there arose a discussion over the material out of which it was made.
These guests began heated arguments also over the method of its
carpentry. And they argued so long and learnedly and well that the food
went utterly to waste and they went away more hungry than when they
had come.
There is a story of a prince who loved a beautiful peasant girl. In spite
of his royal blood he determined to marry her. To seal his pledge of
marriage he sent her a wonderful engagement ring. It was a gem so
marvelous that it was said the stars shut their eyes in its presence and
even the sun acknowledged it as a rival. But the girl was more
interested in the beautiful box in which it was packed than she was in
the ring. And when the prince came he was humiliated and
disappointed to find her wearing the box tied upon her finger while the
jewel had been neglected and forgotten and utterly lost.
Now there is real jewelry here. Let us forget the rather queer casket in
which this jewel comes while we examine the treasure. "The word of
the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Ammittai, saying, Arise, go to
Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for its wickedness has come
up before me." "The word of the Lord came unto Jonah." There is
nothing crude about that statement. There is nothing in that to excite
our ridicule. That is one of the blessed and thrilling truths of the ages.
To this man Jonah, living some time, somewhere, God spoke. To this
man God made known His will and holy purpose.

And God is speaking still. The word of God is coming to men and
women to-day. There is not a single soul listening to me at this moment
but what at some time in your life there has come a definite and sure
word from God. You have felt the impress of His Spirit upon your own
spirit. You have felt the touch of His hand on yours. You have seen His
finger pointing to the road in which you ought to walk and to the task
that He was