The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-08
STRONG SERMON BY DR DICKINSON  Jehovah, God of Elijah, Was the
 Subject LIFE OF PROPHET PICTURED The Badge of Office is Nothing With out the God Who Gave 1t
 Meaning-Not Depen-
 dent on One.
LIFE OF PROPHET PICTURED

Kings 2:14.
 Dr. Dickinson said in part:
 we hear very little of Elijah after the contest with the Baal priests at Carmel. and hls flight from Jezebel. This is not because he was inactive during all this time which must cover more than fifteen years (S63-S46 B. @, but because his work did not come within the realm of royal | life which the author of our book Of Kings was writing. Hence he omits it. During all this time, with the help of Elisha, has son and servant, he was or ganizIng the prophetic6 party getting ready for the revolution he was commis- sioaed of Jehovah to iilcite in annointing Hazae1 to be king of Syria and Jehu King of Israel.
 Much preliminary work needed to be done to get his followers ready for such a revolution. So Elijah put himself at the head of the guilds of the sons or the | prophets and built up such schools at Silga1. Bethel and Jericho. How well he did his work one may judge when ne re- calls that at the overthrow of Baalism at Carmel in s6S B. C., there were no DlOD1elS into caves by the persecution of Jezebel, but by the date of Ehjah's ascension' s46 B. C., there were schools of the propn- cts In Silgal Bethel and Jericno' anu Ahab in s53 could assemble over 400 to his service in divinins the issue of his cam pafgn against RomathGilead. He must have done a great work during these hf- teen years assisted by his servant ana son and successor Elisha.
 Was Loved and Revered.
 .He doubtless was accustomed to make statedly visits to the seats of these schools of the sons of the prophets and was well known, loved and revered by them. One day it was noised abroad among them that the mas e and head would be taken away on tn day. Prob ably an oracle from Jeb ...o had been received by them. At lei's Elisha Knew if and the other sons of the prophets also. Elijar and Elisha were at Silgal that morning and an oracle came from | Jehovah to Elijah to visit the other seats of the sons of the prophets at Bethel and Jericho and continue his journey 1 Nebo. He would fain leave Elisha at each of these points but he would not leave his Master. At each place the young prophets announced the taking away of their head to Elisha, who al- ready knew the pending loss. So the two Elijah and Elisha, went until they had crossed Jordan Then Elijah asked i his servant what he could do for him be- i fore being taken away and Elisha asked for the double portion dhe portion of the first born) of his spirit. This would make him Elijah's heir and successor. Already he had some fifteen years before been called from his farm to this office. Elijah assuring him that such was a hard re- quest, promised, however, to grant it fl he saw him when he was taken up.
 The Ascension.
 "so they walked and talked. together until suddenly a chariot of fire drove be- tween them and whrl-wind took Elijah up to heaven. As Elisha saw him going he realized the loss of his country and cried out: My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen there of" The expression probably means that Elijah was the chief defense and pro- lection of Israel its artillery as we would say today. He soon collected himself and l saw lying before him the mantle of Elijah, probably the very one which had been | put on his shoulders fifteen years before when he was called from his blow. So 1 he tore his own garment in twain and l put on the mantle of his master and went back to take up the work in Israel which Elijah had left unfinished. As he came to the Jordan he found that 1t could not be forded. But he had seen Elijah smite it's waters asunder as they came with his mantle, and so now he took the mantle of Elijah and calling on the God of Eli- jah smote the waters and as they parted he went over. Coming to Jericho wear ing the mantle of Elijah and inspired by the God of Elijah the sons of the pro- phets recognized him as Elijah's suc- cessor and said, "the spirit of Elijah doth rest on Eisha,' and he assumed his duties as president of the prophetic guilds.
 Jehovah God of Elijah.
 God takes hold of men and so pos sesses them that they may be said to possess Him. Elijah's God was Jehovah. That name stood for the God of Israel in all ages past-holy, righteous all-powerful and ever-present, living In his people. Wearing that mantle Elijah had stood in the presence of Jehovah as His servant. With this mantle on Jehovah had fed him by the brook, in the widows house, given him courage to meet Ahab, and answered him in the sacrifice at Carmel, given rain in answer to his prayer, sent angels to fed and give him drink in the desert and encourage him in despondency had spoken to him in 'the sound of gentle stiffness, at the Mount of God; had com missioned him to revolutionize Israel by bringing to an end the dynasty of Anal and its Baalism; and with Elisha had guided him in re-establishing the prophets Il and their schools. It was great thing to inherit such an office. But what did that noisy cloth amount to without Eli jah's God? The badge of office is nothing without the God who gave 1t meaning The religion of our fathers Is our best heritage. It Is that which made then what they were and which alone car make us what we ought to be. The es tate, the social standing, the family nam, Is nothing but burden without the alvin, spirit that made our predecessors. Le