The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-09-29

PLEASANT FIELDS OF HOLY WRIT
SAVE for daily
Among the pleasant fields of Holy Writ,
might despair. -Tennyson.
The International Sunday School Lesson
Fourth Quarter. Lesson Kings
Clark.


kingdom to follow. The one class is
as indisper sable as the other.
The Teachers Lantern.
Two pictorial incidents are recorded
on the threshold of Elisha's prophet
lcal career. Whether they are idea
lied on literal is of comparatively
small moment. They at least symbo-
lized, the one the beginning, the other
the effect of his ministry. The open
ing of the river by the stroke OF Eli
lah's mantle in the hands of Elisha
proved the legitimacy of the latter's
successorship, and indicated that he
was to have his way through the
stream of events then transpiring.
No wonder it was said, 1.-The Spirit
OF Elijah doth rest upon Elisha" He
was at once salutedas the success
or OF the translated prophet.
The sweetening of the spring at
Jericho indicates the effect of Elisha's
ministry. He was to heal his nation
and his times. His was to be a saline
and quieting influence in the bitter
and turbulent stream of individual
and collective life. The woman of
Shunem spoke of him as the ''holy
man of God, which passeth by us con-
tinually." For sixty years he contin-
ued faithfully to discharge the duties
of his high Office.
Elijah was the ''chariotry' of Israel.
Good men in high office are worth
more than park of artillery. Good
men in or out of Office are the real
standing army of the nation.
Elijah was as different from Elisha
as Mount Sinai from the Mount of
Beautitudes. Eight out of nine of
Elisha's reputed miracles are beneti-
cent. The exception proves the rule.
The same Spirit may operate
through men of unlike temperament,
without destroying their Individual
dissimilarity. 1t is the same steam
that operates the different machines
in the factory, That fact, however,
does not make lathe saw or vice
versa. Each does its own work. So
of men.
The young men of Bethel failed to
apprehend this truth. They thought
Elisha no prophet, because he did not
look and act like Elijah; because, IN
fact, he wore his hair short. Paul as
serts that while there are diyersities,
the Spirit may be the same.
Education was one of the silent but
mighty forces in the reformation of
Israel now in progress. There were
several well-attended theological sem
inaries in existence.
1t is well said that Elijah's last duty
1.-THE dividing of Jordan)was test of
his spiritual strength. He has to
build for himself, by an act of faith,
the path to his glorious end, and so
impress indelibly upon the hearts
OF his followers that no .other way
than faith in Gods promises leads to
the inheritance of light.
Now follows a loose collection of
acts covering twelve chapters. They
are the credentials of Elisha's proph-
etlcal calling. Some tradition of them
was probably preserved in the school
OF the prophets, later committed to
writing and finally incorporated in
the Book of Kings. They are eviden-
thy fragmentary, meteorological and
pieced
Never to change" that is the
conceit of little mind. Elisha said,
No" to his doubling scholars when
they insisted the search should be
made for the body of Elijah. But he
put himself aside, and said, Yes"
when he realized that if the conces-
sion was not made to their weakness
they would probably always harbor
a doubt of the translation of Elijah.
Matheson says well, THAT saying
eyes, after having said No at first, is
one of the finest things
There is an Eastern story of myth
ical fountain, each drop of which, cast
upon the ground, caused a new foun-
tain to spring up. Elisha was such a
fountain. Each word, each indeed of
his, like the tabled drops, caused new
fountains to spring by the wayside
of his long career.