The Tupelo journal., 1908-04-03

0Geu!
He had reached this point in his
thought and reasoning and a great
yearning for a revival of religion In
the nation swept owe him, when out
of the darkness came the voice. and
speaking the words with which ouI
story opens.
Beyond Jordan will I meet thee
and take thee from earth to heaven"
He was going to meet his God.
Just what that all meant he knew
not. All he knew was that God had
summoned him over the Jordan there
to take his departure for heaven.
Would it be with him as it was with
Moses. God burying him in a lonely
spot, or would he be caught up to be
with God as was Enoch?
These questions came to him, and
then he prayed:
ooh Lord, that my going might be
a blessing to Israel, let the people
who know not thee and who doubt the
realities of thy dwelling place known
that thou dwellest in the heavens and
that it is to thee to whom thy chill
dren go when the years Of the earthly
pilgrimage are ended"
AS he ended his prayer there came
a faint cry from the corner where
Elisha lay on his couch and he turned
to see his faithful follower and serv-
ant rise to his feet, suddenly ex-
claiming as he did so:
my master! Oh, my MASTER"
Il am here" spoke up Elijah.
What troubleth thee?" he added as
he saw the agitated condition of
Elisha.
"Ah, thou art still here cried
Elisha, in a relieved voice, coming
hastily towards Elijah and clasping
him in affectionate embrace, for the
younger man had come to love the
sanity man as a son might a father.
1T must have been a vision" he con-
tinued, rubbing his hand over his eyes
in a dazed sort of way, land yet it
was so real"
"And thy vision?" asked Elijah,
after a silence.
st was of thee" slowly spoke
Elisha. Il thought I heard voices
calling thee, and then it seemed as
though a pathway of light opened up
from above from the direction in
which the voice had come, and when
next looked thou had gone, and the
way by which thou had gone faded
from my vision. But thou art still
here" he exclaimed, earnestly. But
verify l believe that the Lord would
take thee from me-"
YEA" softly replied the aged
prophet, this night he hath calleS me,
and l am going"
A half sob escaped from the parted
lips of Elisha, but he spoke no word.
The occasion seemed too sacred for ut
terance from him. He would listen
for the words which his beloved mas
ter. who was so soon to leave him,
might speak. All through the re-
mainder of that night he sat at his
masters feet drinking in with fever
ish eagerness all that the latter felt
moved to speak, and then when the
first faint streaks of gray began to ap,
pear in the eastern sky Elijah arose
and girded himself as though for a
journey.
Without speaking a word, Elisha
arose also, and did likewise, inwardly
resolving as he did so that whittier
Elijah went he would go until God
should take him.
"Tarry here" urged Elijah, as he
took his staff in his hand and started
towards the door. For the Lord hath
sent me to Bethel"
Gas the Lord liveth, and as thy soul
liyeth, 1 will not leave thee"
A glad light of loving appreciation
shone in the face of the aged prophet,
and the two went on together, and in
the course of the day came to Bethel.
AS they drew near to the place they
were surprised to see a company of
the sons of the prophets coming to
meet them. With a r%everential awe
they looked upon Elijah, and when
they found opportunity they whis-
pered in Elisha's ear:
"Knowest thou that the Lord will
take thy master from thy head to-
day."
How knowest thou this?" ex-
claimed Elisha, almost impatiently.
"The Lord showed us this in a
vision last night" was the reply.
YEA, and the Lord hath revealed it
unto me-" almost CURLY replied
Elisha. Hold We your peace"
And when Elijah would go on from
Bethel to Jericho, he again urged
Elisha to tarry, but he would not, but
chung the more to him.
All, the intense eager yearning of
that journey to Jericho and then
across Jordan. Elijah should not go
without leaving him the blessing he
needed as prophet to Israel. And,
with the vision of the chariot of fire
and his cry as Elijah was parted from
him, he knew that he had prevailed,
and that the blessing was his.