Arizona republican., 1899-03-12

see or not, for he said to him, If thou shalt see me when I am taken from thee" then thy desire shall be granted
 The angels of God are visible to the eyes that are fit to see them; and those eyes can always see them. It does not matter whether in a miracle or in a common event, whether by JOrdan's side or in a Sick-chamber, they are there for these who by pure hearts and holy desires have had their vision purged from the intrusive vulgaIities and dazzling brightnessses of this poor petty present, and can therefore see beneath all the apparent the real that blazes behind it.
 It is interesting to note that these two scenes are not the only times in EIisha's life when we read about chariots and horses of fire. There was another incident in his career in which the same phrase occurs. Once his ser want was terrified at the sight of c host encc cmpassing the little city where they were stopping, and he came, with alarm and despair, crying, "Alasl my master, how shall we do?" The prophet answered with superb calmness, Fear net; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them Lord I pray thee open his eyes that he
 
 eyes of the young man, and he saw the mountain full of horses and chari0ts of fire round about Elisha They were no more there when the young man saw them than they had been before. They did not cease to be there when the film came over his eyes again. and the common round took him back to the trivialities of daily life
 If a man can but look into the reali- ties of things will he see only the work of men and the forces of nature? Will there not fbe-far more visible as they are far more real than any of these the forces of the eternal presence and ever-operative will Of our Father ill heaven? We need not discuss the per sc1ality of angels An angel is the embodiment of the will and energy of God. and we have that will and energy working for us whether there are any real angels about IS or not Scripture | declares that there are and that they 1 serve us. We can De sure that if only we honestly try to purge our eyes from the illusions and temptations of things 1 seen and temporal, the mountain or the sickLbed will he to Us plainly full | of the angel forms of our defenders and companions.
 Do we see them for ourselves not | only, but. like Elisha, do we help else blind men to see them, and make everybody that comes beside us-even if he be as little impossible and as little devOut 2s this King JOash was recognize them?
 And, finally, another cognate appli- | cation Of these great words is that one which is more directly suggested by | their quotation by Jolsh. It does not | matter in what way the end of life | comes The reality is the same to all deYout men. though enc be swept to | heaven in whirlwind and another fades slowly away in old age, CT, in | falls sick of the sickness he should die" The means | are of little moment the fact remains | the same, however diverse may be the methods of it's accomplishment The l road is the same, the companions the same. the irrpelling-I was going to | say the lOcOmOtive-power is the same, l and the zeal is the same.
 or Enoch we read He was not, fer Gcd took him." Of Elijah we read, | He went up in a whirlwind to hea- ven" Of Elisha i've read, He died, | and they buried him." And of all l three-the two who were translated | that they might not see death and the | one who died like the rest Of us--it is | equally true that God took them, 1 and that they were taken to him.
 So, for ourselves and for our dear ones, we may look forward or back ward to .death-6eds of wearniess-of lingering sickness and suffering, or Of swift dissolutiCn-cr to some sudden | call of accident, and looking beneath | the surface may learn the blessed cen tral reality, and thankfully feel that death, too, is Gods angel, who does his hardening to the voice | of Gods word when he carries us hence.