Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1908-04-29
,udde,,y awakened TO . cop,c,ou.

suddenly awakened to q conscious
ness OF Gods call. Their had come an
citation. consciousness OF self-impor-
| lance. and a spirit OF eager self-confi-
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 undar the
faithful ministry OF Elijah had
chastened his spirit and brought him
low before God, SO that God could syx-
alt him. And now Elijah had gone
and his mantle lay at his feet
"Oh. Cod he exclaimed. as the in.
hnences Of that hour were borne In
upon him. thou God of Elijah. onick
On 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.
1ah still lives and In mighty in his
works among men,"
with this prayer upon his dps he
again stopped and this time picked TN
the mantle
In the spirit and power Of Elijah.
o Lord" he fervently whispered ar
he turned and retraced the halfway
towards the Jordan over which but
so short 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 BIN
and his master out as far as the high
bluns overlooking the Jordan. and hs
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
! tlon or his journey. For a moment
Elisha paused. but only for a moment
FOR as he looked out beyond him and
again lifted his eyes to the opposite
BLUM he became conscious that here
was the place of the first testing. The
sons of the prophets were watching
him. The broad Jordan separated
MIN 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
Jordan as the prophet Elijah had
done?
Yea" he exclaimed. looking up to
heaven, and the mantle of Elijah ia
with me as token that the God OF
Elijah is still present to work his
mighty works in Israel Did not
Elijah smite the waters and did not
they obey his will?"
Even while he was thus speaking
with himself he was carefully folding
the garment which he held in his
hands, and as he finished his solilo-
GUY he raised 1t above his head and
then brought 1t down upon the waters
before him, exclaiming as he did so, in
a voice which rang out on the still air
so that it was audible to the group OF
men on the bluff opposite:
Where is the Lord God OF Elijah? ,"
Hither and thither sprang the
waters as though suddenly imbued
with life and soon a dry lane banked
with water on either side stretched
out from shore to shore, and through
which Elisha passed.
With GREATNESS, intense interest the
sons of the prophets beheld the won
derful sight Their eyes never for an
instant left that majestic figure as il
moved with such confidence through
those towering waters. II was as
though there was being borne in upon
their hearts the consciousness that
though Elijah was not there. the
same mighty God in whom Elijah had
trusted was present To work his mir.
acles. Nearer and nearer came Elisha
and as his foot pressed the bank OF
the Jordan and the waters returned 10
their wonted channels. a cry broke
( from their lips, and. springing down
the steep pathway Of the bluff. they
shouted as they ran:
Surely, the spirit Of Elijah doth
rest upon Elisha! Surely the spiri:
OF Elijah doth rest upon Elisha"