Where is the Lord God of Elijah?

 When we see a people enjoy the frequent cultivations of the gospel, and the means of spiritual fruitfulness, and yet few new trees of righteousness planted, and those that have been planted seemingly withering and unfruitful, we cannot but conclude that something is wanting: without which all the means they enjoy will be of no service. We should naturally turn our thoughts to an inquiry, what was wanting, had we tilled our lands from year to year without a crop. And since we find at present, that notwithstanding all the labours bestowed upon us, we lie in a deep sleep, and hardly know what it is of late to be animated with the news of some careless sinner here and there awakened to serious concern about his eternal state, it is high time to inquire what is wanting? There is certainly something wanting, which is of greater consequence than anything we have. Here are the gospel, and its ordinances, which at times have done great things, and sinners have yielded to their resistless energy; here is a minister, who, however weak, has sometimes been the happy instrument of giving a sinner an alarm, and speaking a word in season to those that were weary; heft are hearers that crowd our sanctuary, hearers of the same kind with those whom we have seen ere now fall under the power of the word. And what, then, is wanting? Why God, that alone can give the increase, is not here by the influences of his grace: and in his absence, "neither he that planeth is anything, nor he that watered they are all nothing together; and may labour till dooms-day, and never convert one soul. "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" Where is he that can do more execution with one feeble sentence, than we can with a thousand of our most powerful sermons? Why, he hath hid his face; and hence there is none that call upon his name, and stirreth up himself to take hold of him. Isaiah. lxiv. 7. x and till the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, nothing but briers and thorns will come up among us. Samuel Davies