Spiritual Instructions. the Religious Life

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1879. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... XVI. THE PROPHET'S CALL.i "And He Said Unto Him, Go Back Again; Fob What Have I Done To Thee?"--1 Kings Xii. 20. These words occur in the deeply touching scene, where Elijah passed by Elisha, and revealed to him the will of God that he was to be his companion, and afterwards to succeed him as a Prophet. He announced this sudden and eventful call to Elisha, as he walked beside his yoke of oxen, not by word of mouth, but by a significant sign, by casting "his mantle upon him." He thus spoke to him of the Mind of God and of his own destiny. It was a sign well known in those early days, one of special symbolic import, which Elisha at once understood to imply a call to separate himself, and give himself to a new Master and a new service. The covering him with his mantle was a sign of union, of a covenant of life to be lived with another, as in the natural order it betokened the union of the wife with her husband. Thus, in the case of Ruth in the beautiful picture of the rustic life of Israel, when claiming the rights of kinship, she asks of Boaz, "Spread thy skirt over thine handmaiden."1 This same significant sign was transferred to a higher sphere of thought in Ezekiel, where the Prophet represents the redeeming grace of God in drawing souls to Himself, and binding them to Himself for ever. "Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread My skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, aud thou becamest Mine."2 1 Having been preached as a Sermon, it has been preserved in its original form, though, in this respect, differing from the Addresses with which it is here associated. The custom, therefore, had acquired a high spiritual sign...