The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1908-04-11
suddenly awakened to a conscious

suddenly awakened TO q conscious
ness OF Gods call. Then had come an
e~lation, a consciousness Of self-impor-
lance, and a spirit Of eager, self-conf.
dent purpose in the exalted place God
had called him to fill. And he had
been impatient for aggressive service.
But the years Of discipline under the
faithful ministry Of Elijah had
chastened his spirit and brought him
low before God, SO that God could ex-
alt hin. And now Elijah had gone
and his mantle lay at his feet.
"Oh, Cod" he exclaimed, as the In
~f1uences of that hour were borne in
upon him, thou God of Elijah, quick
en- me by that same Spirit in which
Elijah walked, so that people may
know as they see the mantle of Elijah
resting upon me that the God Of Eli
jah still lives and is mighty in his
works among men,"
With this prayer upon his lips he
again stopped and this time picked up
the mantle.
I'm h spirit and power Of Elijah,
o Lord" he fervently whispered as
he turned and retraced the pathway
towards the Jordan over which but
so short a time before he had passed
with Elijah. So intent had he been
in watching Elijah lest the Lord
should snatch the prophet from him
ere he knew it, that he had not real
lied how far they had come, and dur
ing the walk back to the Jordan he
had ample time to recall all the re-
markable incidents of the long Jour-
ney from Gilgal to Bethel, from Bethel
to Jericho and then to the Jordan and
on through its divided waters. AS
he drew near to the banks Of The
river he suddenly recalled the fact
that the sons Of the prophets from the
school at Jericho had followed him
and his master out as far as the high
bluffs overlooking the Jordan, and he
now lifted his eyes in that direction to
see if they were still there.
Yes, there they were, the group be-
ing sharply silhouetted against the
western sky which was all aglow with
the red and gold of the setting sun,
and 1t was evident from their gesticu.
lations and excitement that they saw
him.
The splash Of his feet as he dipped
into the water at the edge Of the
river suddenly recalled him to a con
seriousness Of his surroundings, and,
lowering his eyes from the excited
group on the bluffs opposite, he looked
upon the surface Of the broad river,
which lay seemingly as an insuperable
barrier between him and the continue
ton Of his journey. For a moment
Elisha paused, but only for a moment,
for as he looked put beyond him and
again lifted his eyes to the opposite
he became conscious that here
was the place of the first testing. The
sons OF the prophets were watching
him. The broad Jordan separated
him from them. Would he be able
to go to them? If the power of
Elijah rested upon him could he do
less than cross upon the dry bed of
as tie prophet Elijah had
done?
YEA" he exclaimed, looking up to
heaven, land the mantle of Elijah il I
with Inc as token that the God of {
is still present to work his
works in Israel. Did not
Elijah smite the waters and did not
obey his will?"
Even while he was thus speaking
with himself he was carefully folding
he garment which he held in his ]
hands, and as he finished his solilo-1
guy he raised it above his head and I
hen brought it down upon the waters i
oefore him, exclaiming as he did so, in
| voice which rang out on the still air ]
10 that it was audible to the group of
men on the bluff opposite:
Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" y
Hither and thither sprang the t(
waters as though suddenly imbued
With life and soon a dry lane banked u
With water on either side stretched 1t
ut from shore to shore, and through
which Elisha passed.
With breathless, intense interest the r,
ons of the prophets beheld the won
erful sight. Their eyes never for an
lstant left that majestic figure as it
IONSu Will SuCu COHuu0uCc LuIOuSu no
hose towering waters. 1t was as iio
1ough there was being borne in upon nj
heir hearts the consciousness that
lough Elijah was not there, the ~
anne mighty God in whom Elijah had w;
'usted was present to work his mir. rf
cles. Nearer and nearer came Elisha,
as his foot pressed the bank Of no
lie Jordan and the waters returned to ~
leir wonted channels, a cry broke w
their lips, and, springing down 40
steep pathway of the bluff, they no
as they ran
Surely, the spirit of Elijah doth 81,
upon Elisha! Surely the spirit ex
Elijah doth rest upon Elisha!" sy.
YTl-1-, l-r-~ -s~Lk - 49, --@-~s0- 81 lO