The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-10-05
, CHARIOT FOR A HEARSE.
The International Sunday School Les
.on For October 10 Is @Ehjah Ia
ken Up Into Heaven."-u Kings
2:1-12a.
by WILLIAM T. EILIS.)

(By WILLIAM T. EILIS.)
There is one short phrase that is
found in the written or spoken record
of every life. 1t will be said, sooner
or later. Of every reader of these lines.
mat phrase is "He died" That in
eyitable record cannot be scaped.
But its meaning a be enlarged, SO
that the He died. Of one man is as
different from the He died" of an
other man as the great marble man
sion is different from the tin-can
shanty on the dump, as an interpreta-
tion Of the word house"
Here we have the moving story Of
a man whose quitting of life was
wholly sublime. Elijah had lived
greatly, and so he died greatly. A
~conaueror even in death, he had a
fiery chariot for a hearse and a retinue
OF singing angels who were honored
BY the assignment to be his funeral
portage.
This harried, hunted. hairy old
prophet Of the wilderness, a denizen
of caves and deserts. was so heav-
euly in heart that, when his hard
errand on earth was over he swept
triumphantly through the front door
of his real home which was heaven.
tANGl iIt SoSOIi Nllal WaS
sent to bring him back home was not
his highest honor; for when God
wanted messengers for the highest
service He ever asked His favorites.
He chose Elijah and Moses, storm
battered heroes. to go to earth to
comfort His Son on h MOunt OF
TRANSFORMATION. And when God
wanted to prepare the world for that
Sons advent. He sent before Him q
man Gin tho shirt and nnWar of Hi.
jah."
Evidently the Most Highs opinion
of this prophet was different from
that held by King Ahab and Queer
JeZebel. Heavens point of view i:
not the same as earth's; and so Ions
as one is popular with God. he ma.
afford to get along without men
praises.
The last Test of Greatness.
"How did you die That is tn
ultimate test of character and faith
A great sOul annot die i%gnobly, no
can a mean spirit pass away magnif1
Gently. Death is the crown an
climax of life. Only one h ha,
lived as Elijah had done could com
to his end in Elijah fashion. A fe,
weeks e a New England ministe
lost his life in rescuing some girl
from drowning; and straightway
potIiNCu oot IhS S@o1 cAA
appropriateness of it,: he died as h
had lived, serving people. My bril
liant young friend Mann, OF st. John
College, Shanghai, had made a re;
impression on the Chinese student
but when, n summer day, +
plunged unhesitatingly to death in
vain effort to save his comrade Sea
bury, he brought his life to a sublin
climax OF impressiyeness. The Oh
nese see that Greater love hath r
man than this, that a man lay dow
his life for his friend" There's notl
ing that equals dying true to type.
Elijah was one of those fortuna:
ones who saw his end as it drew nea
Like Paul he could say, II am no
ready to be offered, and the time
my departure is at hand. I ha'
fought a good fight, I nave finisht
my course, I have kept the faith
How sweet the prospect Of heav
must have been to that weary o
warrior! He went open-eyed iowa,
what Charles Frohman, as he fac'
death on the Lusitania, called. "Tl
greatest adventure Of ALL"
rue to his past, with the Lore
work ever uppermost in his mind, E
jah used his last hours for the testi1
friend. Elisha. Blessed is he who h
a friend by his side for life's ultima
experiences. Because he wanted or
irresistible devotion and friendship
this hour. the old man bade t
younger remain at Gilgal, while
went on to Bethel. He wanted, al!
to spare Elisha the pain Of partins
But the friend saw through II
loving artifice, and answered instant
"as the Lord liveth, and as thy sc
liveth. I will not leave thee" tt
IL the sort of spirit that gets the gre
rewards. 1t ann be daunted
turned aside. Nor does it shrink fri
even h hard experiences. Geoi
Elliot put this truth which our tin
needs, of the importance OF goi
open-eyed and fearless to u ia
when she said: 81 have earned II
the greatest thing in life is to
without opium" AS the dying Chi
spurned the pain-deadening narcotl
SO Elisha would not shun the age