The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1922-02-02

been accumulated thru the years and
Christ pressed into the hands of the
Disciples a token that they have re-
tanned ever since. But youth must
choose what it will have from the
passing generation. 1t may ask for
its wealth, for its knowledge, for its
sports, for its passions, but his
choice is decisive as to its bequest.
No man is compelled to receive and
use his inheritance. Yet the thing
he asks is the determining thing in
the gift so willingly and freely offer
ed. Elijah stood this test of worth
for he said LET me have an eldest
sons portion of your spirit" No
wonder the old man said. you have
asked a hard thing" A preacher
spoke of another as catching some of
the tricks of speech of Bishop Nc
DOwell and in the days of DR.. Upham
Drew students could be as distinctly
traced as could Dickinson's from
DR.. Reed. But is the passion of the
Bishop, the insight of the Teacher, the
fact of the president their possession
as well? These are the hard things
that often are not even in the cata
lOgue Of askings. Elijah wished that
he be like his Master with the same
confident reliance in Jehovah and the
same splendid courage in his own
soul. What he asked was life, not
things or position or power, and seek
ing this he had the others added as
the Master promised His own disci-
pies.
THE SCEPTRE OF POWER.
eff you see, you shall have" This
is the divine plan. And this is ever
the sceptre that is borne by the kings
of the realm Of power. He who sees
the direction of growth for a city
can control its development and en-
rich himself, He who Judges cor
rectly the political tides may take
them at the flood. He who forecasts
science, business or industry, becomes
a partner of its advance. Well did
they call the prophet a seer because
he saw God march and called men and
nations to follow Him."If you can see
me-" was Elijah's word. And Elisha
cried out my father, my father, the
chariots of Israel and the horsemen
thereof" What was it he saw? Like
binding flash there came the reali-
cation that Gods man was the chief
defense of a nation; that prophetic
souls meant more than armament.
And because Elisha could see that he
in turn led all Israel to new levels of
life And it is the vision for which
we armed our boys and for which we
are struggling in the task of destroy
ing war in all the earth today.
THE RECEPTION OF POWER.
Power must be taken to be pos
sessed, no matter Of what SORT it is.
TO as many as received Him, to them
gave He power" is Johns explana-
ton Of the process used by his Mas
ter, Science says: "To as many as
receive geology, to them give I power
to become biologists" Art says:
ITO as many as receive me, to them
give / power to become artists. -
Seen power must be gTasped before
it can be possessed. The old skin
mantle was the symbol of Eliiah's
prophetic office. Elisha took posses
sion of it and began to act immedi-
ately as though the result of his ask
ing based upon the conditions laid
down which had been fulfilled were all
his own. There was no hesitation in
his faith. He felt no different from
what he did before, but he dared 90
out in the open before the eyes of
the perhaps bit skeptical observers
Of the farme rservant of Elijah, roll
the mantle together and smite the
water vigorously just as his Master
had done. Most of US would have
gone down the bank where the bushes
would screen US and have taken no
chance of failure. That is why the
rivers do not open before US. Elisha
took and used, therefore he had. And
the young men bowed before him as
they had before Elijah and acknowl-
edged his spiritual headship. Then he
proved his right to teach by letting
them try out their own theory instead