The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-08-30

Homegoing cf n Good Man.
And it came to pass. as they still
went on and talked. that behold. there
appeared chariot of fire and horses
of fire. and parted them both asunder.
and Elijah went up by a whirwind
into heaven.-II. Kings. ii. II.
There is something very suggestive
about the hornegoing Of this good man.
No one would suspect from his manner
that he knew the change was so near.
He was never more natural-never
more calm. Was this because he was
to 20 in such an easy and safe way?
There is nothing to indicate that he
knew about the way. Why, then, was
it?
One thing that did much for him was
his record for faithfulness. The ear
liest view given of Elijah is in the
presence of the hardest kind of task.
He is called to stand before a wicked
king and deliver most unwelcome
message. Other tasks equally hard
and dangerous were given him, but he
never said no to any. The remem-
brance OF this must have been a great
comfort when the hour of transfer
came.
Duty is an important thing. And the
more faithful men are in its perform
ance the more confidence will they
have when the end comes. The record
kept every day in ones own bosom is
record that always tells the truth.
Doing has the largest kind of an infiu-
ence upon being. 1t is the arm we'll
exercised that grows large muscle. 1t
is the life we'll lived that brings large
character. The only way to get the
good that comes from doing Is to do.
Repentance for duty sighted may pre-
vent the memory of such failure bring
ing distress. but it cannot put a differ
ent memory in its place. The sponge
can erase from the blackboard the ex-
ample that is wrong. but it cannot do
the crayon's work and put there one
that Is right. Faithfulness is a great
trouble saver. He who so does his
duty MS to have no shame over what is
behind him need have no fear of what
is before him. Right living makes easy
dying. Larger views of life make
pleasanter views of death.
Another thing that helped give such
beautiful close to life was the good
he had prepared the way for. 1t was
never Il question with Elijah as to
what his share was, but always
question as to what the opportunity
was. He was very careful, therefore,
to do all he could for those who were
to come after him. He established
schools. into which he gathered young
men, whom he prepared for service.
He called to his side one whom he
made ready to take up his work when
he laid it down. When, then, the end
came he knew he had done something
that would last. And this knowledge
a nfffnrnnf NAl- fa. tr Nf, To
who does not leave something here to
work for good when he goes is fail
ure. no matter how much attention he
may have excited or how much honor
he may have received. The saddest
fact of life is not the fact that nature
often makes it so short in years. but
that we ourselves often make it so
short in influence.
Good must have come also from the
experience had with divine things.
The circumstances under which Eli
Jah had lived were such as made him
very dependent upon God. Time and
again when his heart was heavy had
he gone to Him for guidance and
strength. This gave him large exper-
ience in a realm which made it easy
TO believe in future. He knew there
was God because with his heart he
had come into personal touch with
Him. He knew there was a spiritual
world because he had gotten help
which he was sure had come from it.
Experience Mt one point became an aid
to faith at another. The best way to
remove doubts about future life is TO
live them away If we live a life that
is worthy to endure forever we shall
find il easier to believe that we are 10
endure forever. The mystery connect
cd with death cannot be gotten rid of.
but 1t can be lived into form such
that we shall not be troubled by it.
When the time comes TO go we shall
have to 90 by different way from
Elijah. but 1t will be just as safe a
way. There isn't anything in the
grave for child of God to fear
Pleasant Hunter. Pastor Fourth Pres
byterian Church, New York, in the
New York Herald