The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-04
pv wTTLIAM T. ELLIS.

Kings Z-l-Io-
RY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
III. man who dares and who
r. al foroets himself in great
LOYALTY is a man to be i'm
nIicitlv trusted. This morn
ing there called on me a
- crizzled Arab who wanted to
.er,,e as cook on a long eXpedluon L
am making through the scenes or the
sunday school lessons OF the year. II
is a VIGOROUSLY dangerous region, anu
asked him half jestingly, what he
would do if I were attacked by Bed
o,fins II do not care for my life.
stand by my master. The result is
.ftb Allah" The man spoke the
+rlIth. as letters from friends whom he
had stood by in perilous places proved,
and of course engaged him. From
pagdad to Damascus the man IS
known for his fine loyalty; and honors
and rewards have been heaped upon
him by grateful employers.
That is the style of man Elijah was
He had only one idea: Loyalty to his
master. True, his heart failed him
once but that was largely the physi-
cal depression of an overstralned ana
hungry man. Mostly he fearlessly
frOnted Ahab and the priests OF Baal
and the degenerate hosts of Israel
and the perils of the wilderness with
unblanched face He was brave sim
ply because he was loyal In MS I'M
mersion in the cause he forgot him
self That is about the bes- recipe for
Incoming great or heroic that I know.
SeIf-consciousnes is a foe of courage
and bigness The triumphal entry
into glory is for the persons who have
q limitless capacity for loyalty to hlgh
duty
The Man Who Outfaced Kings.
The business of confronting kings
and a nation in their sins with the
Judgments of Jehovah was no pleas
ant one The Christian iconoclast
does not enjoy his task. The reform
who must smite the evil as Wen
as erect the good, has no delight in
making enemies. Do you suppose
that Elijah, of whose sensitive spirit
we have at least one glimpse, was
any more Indifferent than other fine
grained men to the slanderous stories
that were told about him; and to the
constant persecution of his enemies
As he rebuked Ahab and Ahaziah, it
no doubt required a special summon
ing of moral courage in each instance.
Probably he had that Same lump IN
his throat which comes to the best OF
us as we try to say the necessarily
hard words of duty.
God send our day more Elijahs
With all our elaborate excellent
sch emes for reform, we have no need
so pressing as the need for men. Clev-
er men. learned men, urbane and cos
mopoIitan men we have in plenty; but
our need of needs is for men in the
grip of passionate devotion to the
cause of God and righteousness. Such
will never lack for place or pulpit.
The Last Times.
Only those who have undergone d
great parting, one of those unspeak-1
able experiences which rend the
heart, can understand the sacredness|
Of the last things-the last walk, the
last pressure of the hand, the last
words, the last glance of the tear
filled eye. Elijah had come to this
tender experience. HIS summons to
a higher post had been received. The
promotion was acceptable ~ the weary
man; but before he went to heaven
he wanted a last look upon the scenes
associated with great events in his
life.
And he wanted to go alone. There
are times when the presence of even
dear ones is an intrusion. In this
last long walk through the land he had
served, Elijah planned to have 10
other company than his memories, and
his communings with the Master
whose summons he had heard. Even
Elisha, his beloved disciple, who had
ministered to him so attentively and
faithfully, should remain behind.
There are some passionate souls
whose love will not be denied. The
devotion that moves heaven was that
which the old man encountered in the
Younger when he babe him remain at
C4ilgal There may have been routine
work for Elisha to do in the school
of the prophets there; but there
sometimes arise, once or twice it may
be in lifetime, occasions which set
aside all lesser obligations. Such an
hour had struck for the young man
who long before had left his plough
ing at Elijahs bidding and who now
loved him with passionate devotion as
friend, teacher, master and father
AS Jacob at Peniel chung to the an
gel. so Elisha held fast to Elijah and
tramped in sympathetic silence beside
him as they covered the miles to
BETHEL Here, too. and at Jericho. the
older prophet gently urged the young
or one to stay; possibly to protect
him from the anguish of the parting;
Tor so stong love shields the objects
of it's affections at its own cost. Elisha
remained undeterred unto the end;
he had not been Elijah's disciple these
years for naught.
The Wordy Comforters.
Few persons are masters of the fine
art of keeping silence. Elijah's fell
low students belonged to this large
class. They intruded their blunder-
ing, we'll meant sympathy where they
should have stood aside in reverence
for grief. 1 once visited a home where
the only daughter had died a few
hours before Other neighbors were
there. and I had to listen to their
bungling words which must have been
TO the bleeding heart as sandpaper
upon an open wound. I fed almost
before 1 could decently offer such ser
vices as might be possible to a friend
THAT experience was too narrowing.
"Knowest thou that Jehovah will
take away thy master from thy head
today?" chorused the curious stu
dents at Bethel and Jericho. What
sophomores they were, Much there
remained for them to learn, if they
were to exercise the delicate offices of