The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-02-13

HneGrnseiOnul 0undny~Hch0o, k<oasoo -
February %. 1891
Especially Arranged from b. Quartcrly.)
LESSON TExr-o Kings 2:I-ii.
CorDrS TExT~-And Enoch walked with God;
md hc was not: for God took him. Cen o:3a
CENTRAL TsuIII--"k<ct mo do the death %
enc Righteous. and ~ my last end 10 like
His"
TmE-B. G. about sossoo
P1Acn-n) Gilgnl near MI Ephralm nine
milcs west Of Bethel. % Bethel. twelve miles
north % Jerusalem. 90 Jericho. near Jordan.
~ Tho eastern shore Of NE Jordan. IN Gilead.
El1ah's native country.
RuLKRs-Jehoram. son OF Allah. King % -
real Jehoram. son Of Jchoshaphat King q
Judah. He married Athaliah. the daughter Of
Jczebcl. and sister Of Jehoram Of Israel
HELPS OvER HARD PLAcEs-I- when the
Lord:" Our times ere IN His banda 'Gilgals'
IN Ephraim where Was one OF tho schools Of the
prophets = Tarry herc:" either Elijah's love
o. solitude returned. OF He wouldprovc Elishn, o.
wouldspare him the pain OF the sudden parting.
1.-The Lord hath sent met" tho impulse 20 ~
visit His loved prophet-colleges once more vas
from God "As the Lord liveth- and - thy
soul liveth:" solemn oath BY Gods eternity
and mans Immortality Down" descent Of
six hundred feet in eight and half milcs-
''Sons Of the prophets:" those belonging 20 tho
schools OF tho prophets. Who we're engaged IN
giving religious instruction 20 the people.
'.From thy head" from being thy master.
ssHold ye your pcaoe:" the subject II toosacrcd
for words l. Jericho:" twelve and . half miles
from Bethel, and twelve hundred feet lower.
In each Of these places was school Of she
prophets 2. STOOD 70 view" watching 2.
s.Before be taken away" not What interces
sion can 1 make IN Heavcns "A double pors
tton:" thy spirit, thy prophetic spirit; that r.
ho desires the eldest sons portion (Deut
81 no. and thus TO be the successor Of the
prophet IN his work. II does not mean that he
0esred twice q much - Elijah possessed 10
"A hard thing Il might not Be Gods Will ~
chou see me:' that would be . sign that GOD
had chosen Elisha El9ah's successor.
LESSON COMMENTS.
FIRST STEP Elijah taken. The long.
est life has turning, and tho longest
lane has an end. We can not say how
old Elijah was At the time Of his remov-
al from earth; but his work was done,
and SO his Master called him home. The
story Is very touching. Show how Il
came to pass that Elisha became Eli jah's
constant attendant lsee Kings l9:l9-2D.
As the end Of Elijah's work drcw near.
the "sons OF the prophets" seem In some
way to have known that God was 10 take
him away (see verses 3. 5, OF the les
son). 1t may be that God had revealed
it to some Of them directly; or II may
be that Elijah himself had been told Of
# by God, and had in turn told them that
he was soon to leave Them However
that was, evidently they were awe
struck, and evidently Elisha had . feel
ing that he could by no means abandon
his master until the very last moment
That solemn experience on the east side
OF the Jordan can never be dttingly de-
scribed. No words can improve on tho
simple narrative OF verses 11-13. Never
but once before, and never but once
since. has any of earth's sons gone to
Heaven with his physical body.
SECOND SrEP-Elisha's request Eli
jah seems to have had most kindly
feeling for his associate prophet as the
end OF their partnership was drawing
near and to have felt that he would like
TO give him some parting gift, II possi-
BILE. So he asked him what he would
like. To this Elisha answers, that be
craved double portion Of the spirit that
had dominated his master. Thou hast
asked hard thing" says Elijah. "but
IL thou see me when ] am taken from
thee, IL shall be 50 unto thee, but IL not.
1t shall not be sor Exactly why this
condition was laid down 1t is not posi-
Bile for US to say. Nor need we stop to
inquire. That to which we may moro
probably direct attention Is the nature
OF the request that Elisha made. II was
request for spiritual power lie might
have asked for temporal things, such
as fame, or wealth. or long life.
But mono OF these things seems to
have had any attraction for him. In
comparison with that spiritual power
which he had seen 90 prominent In the
life Of his master. Elijah's life was
well known to his pupil. and he az
course knew that this spiritual power
had brought the prophet into trouble.
He had had to fee more than once for
his life from Ahab, and from Jezebel.
Hardship had been his lot, instead OF
that ease which he might have enjoyed
had he lived like the priests OF Baal or Of
the Groves. say, Elisha knew all this,
and yet. in spite OF the fact that double
portion OF Elijah's spirit might bring TO
him the same afflictions, he asked for Il.
This shows that he was OF such stun IS
martyrs are made OF. Well would IL
have been for Israel had she had but ono
prophet OF the Groves, and one Of Baal
and seven hundred and fifty such as
Elisha. Tho end Of Israel would not
have been what It was. To have the
spirit OF Elijah. spirit OF uncompro-
missing hostility to wrong, and Of cter-
nal fidelity to the right, is . blessing to
every man. and an fnestimable blessing
70 any community. Thegreat danger Of