mellowed and softened by age; or rather, by the grace that was ripening him for immortality. We see in it the realisation of his old vision at Horeb-his own character reflected in that sublime diorama of nature. The earthquake and whirlwind and fire were now past: the close of his life had its befitting symbol in the "still small voice." "Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace."

* From a notice in a subsequent chapter, the young men in these colleges seem, like the Jews in later periods of their history, to have been instructed in mechanics, husbandry, and other useful arts of life. The nearest modern reproduction of these old schools or training establishments at Bethel, Gilgal, and Jericho, is one visited by us two years ago-the Missionary Institution of St Crichona, in the Black Forest of Germany,—and which is becoming, every day, better known among the Churches of Christendom. An ancient church, situated on the summit of a romantic hill, has been fitted up and enlarged so as to form a commodious residence for professors and students. The College is presided over by a venerable man —its patriarchal founder-M. Spittler. Its object is to train young men for the Missionary life, and the "St Crichona Brethren" are now scattered throughout the Missionary world. One special feature in the Institution is the instruction imparted to these humble students in the useful arts of life -mechanics, husbandry, &c. Our visit, on the occasion referred to, vividly recalled the incident in the life of Elijah, on which we have now been dwelling, when the whole inmates of the College turned out on their "terraces" to welcome, by a hymn or sacred song, their reverend father and friend, when they caught sight of him approaching the valley.

XX.

The Chariot of Fire.

shall not be so.

"And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets, which were to view at Jericho, saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not. And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?"-2 KINGS ii. 8-18.

"AND THEY HEARD A GREAT VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAYING UNTO THEM, COME UP HITHER. AND THEY ASCENDED UP TO HEAVEN IN A CLOUD; AND THEIR ENEMIES BEHELD THEM."-REV. XI. 12.

"AND I SAW AS IT WERE A SEA OF GLASS MINGLED WITH FIRE; AND THEM THAT HAD GOTTEN THE VICTORY OVER THE BEAST, AND OVER HIS IMAGE, AND OVER HIS MARK, AND OVER THE NUMBER OF HIS NAME, STAND ON THE SEA OF GLASS, HAVING THE HARPS OF GOD."-REV. xv. 2.

THE CHARIOT OF FIRE.

THE loving attachment of the "sons of the prophets" to the person of Elijah, is rewarded by the sight of the closing miracle of his life, the recollection of which could not fail ever afterwards to embolden and strengthen them in the midst of their labours and trials. He is to pass over Jordan. The old Gileadite, with that instinctive love of country and birthplace so common at life's close, seems desirous to get across the border-river, that the scene of his mysterious departure might be amid the secluded valleys and ravines of his Fatherland. There was a ford or ferry then, as now, across the Jordan. But as the public life of the Prophet began, so it would terminate, by an exhibition of divine. power. The God he served would certify to him, by an outward visible sign, the truth of that promise, which others apprehend only by faith, “Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

Elijah unties his well-known mantle or cape; wraps it tightly round and round (as the word means), in the form of a staff; and, like Moses of old with his shepherd's rod, he violently smites the waters of the river. These are divided hither and thither, and the two prophets cross through the dry channel. On reaching the opposite bank, they quietly * So also it is denoted in the original.

resume their lofty converse. Elijah feels that his moments are numbered; he must bid his best and truest earthly friend farewell: "What shall I do for thee before I be taken away from thee?" is the interrogatory with which he breaks silence. It was a startling, perplexing question. Elisha well knew how much the departing seer had in his power. But as we may well imagine, earthly ambition had no share in dictating his answer the wealth, and honours, and prizes of the world had no fascination in the eyes of one, who had already given such noble proof of self-renunciation, and self-sacrifice. His thoughts are not on himself, but on the Church which is so soon to be orphaned: his one solitary wish and ambition is, that he might be enabled to follow the footsteps of his great predecessor, by glorifying God in his day and generation. What to him half so enviable or desirable, as to inherit a portion of that noble spirit ;-to have his own soul enkindled with some sparks of that hallowed fire which is now to be borne from the altar of earth to that of heaven!" And Elisha said, I pray thee let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me." What meant he by this request? We never for a moment can entertain the supposition, which some have ventured to advance, that Elisha's humble nature could have prompted him to crave that he might be doubly endowed in comparison with Elijah, by the possession of superior gifts and graces. The expression he used was one well understood among the Hebrews. A double portion of goods always descended to the eldest son of an Israelite ;-this bringing along with it the special birthright blessing. Elisha's request, therefore, was no more than this-that he would have the double portion of the first-born, and thus be

served heir and successor to his illustrious Master.* Elijah, indeed, in reply, allows that he had asked " a hard thing ;”— he refers the granting of it to the Divine decision; informing his companion that if he be permitted to see with his bodily eyes the miraculous ascension, he may accept this as a pledge and assurance, on God's part, that the farewell request is not denied.

66

The two holy men are now lost to the sight of the fifty spectators among the recesses of Gilead. They still went on," we read, "and talked." What that talk was, we know not; although we almost wish we could lift the veil and listen to the interchange of thought at that solemn moment, when one of the two was standing on the threshold of eternity. It may have been about Israel;-the completion of the overthrow of idolatry-the continued revival of the olden faith, and the nurturing of a manly piety through the instrumentality of the schools of the prophets. It may have been about themselves :—Elijah may have been tendering some last faithful lessons to his successor, from his own failures and shortcomings:-by a mutual rehearsal of the divine dealings, they may have been "encouraging one another in the Lord. their God." It may have been about the mysterious, unseen realities of that glorious spirit-world, on which the honoured Tishbite was about to enter. Be this as it may; a tem

"The phrase employed in Deut. xxi. 17, to denote the amount of a father's goods, which were the right and token of a first-born son, is literally a mouth of two,' a double mouthful. Thus the gift of the 'double portion' of Elijah's spirit was but the legitimate conclusion of the act of adoption, which began with the casting off the mantle at Abel-Meholah years before. This explanation is given by Grotius and others."-See note, Smith's Bible Dictionary, p. 535.