meadow of the dance," of which the very name seems o suggest the joyous time of rich harvest and the merry dances f

the reapers. These fields, far as the eye could reach, were he possession of one Shaphat, and he was of those seven

housand who had not bent to Baal, as we infer even from the ame which he had given to his son: Elisha, "the God of

alvation," or better, "my God salvation." And now twelve yoke f oxen were ploughing up the land - eleven guided by

the hands f servants, the twelfth, in good old Hebrew simple fashion, by he son of the owner of those lands.

With characteristic sparin gness of detail the sacred text does ot inform us whether Elijah had before known his

successor, nor ow he came now to recognize him. Suffice it, that he knew and alled him, not in words, indeed, but by

the unmistakable ymbolic action of casting over him h is prophet's mantle, as he assed. This was Elisha's first test. There

was no absolute need or responding, nor yet for showing that he had understood an nspoken call, which could have

offered so little to attract ven one whose lot had been cast in circumstances much less appy than those of Elisha. But

lisha showed his inward and piritual preparedness by at once responding to Elijah's call, ith only this one request: to be

allowed to take leave of his ather and mother.32

It was not stern rebuke nor reproof wh ich prompted the reply of lijah:" Go back, for what have I done to thee?"

Precisely ecause he understood the greatness of the sacrifice which mmediate obedience implied, would he leave Elisha

entirely nswayed and free, and his service the outcome of his own eart's conviction and choice.33 Thus only could he be

fitted or a calling which required such entire self-denial and elf -sacrifice.

This further test also, which reminds us how our LORD set before ntending followers the difficulties of their choice

(Matthew :20) and before His disciples the absolute necessity of willing elf -denial (Luke 14:26), did Elisha endure, as

must every one ho is to do service for God. It seems almost symbolic that the xen with which he had been working, the

yoke which bound them, nd the wooden ploughshare which they had drawn, were now used o prepare the farewell -feast

of Elisha. To forsake and give up ll for the service of the LORD is only one lesson, which must e complemented, not so

much by abandoning all of the past, as y consecrating to our new life -work all that we formerly had or id. Nor let us

forget two other considerations, suggested by he history of Elisha's call. All personal decision for God, and ll work

undertaken for Him, implies a leave-taking and a orsaking of the old, which must "pass away" when "all things ecome

new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). But this forsaking, though ecessarily involving pain and loss, should not be sad ­ rather

oyous, as leading through pain to real joy, and through seeming loss to real gain:34 a "feast," such as was the parting of

Elisha from his home, and that of St. Matthew from his calling and friends.

Thus the end of the old will at the same time be the beginning of the new; the giving up of the former calling the first

act of the new ministry. And however humble that ministry, or however indirectly it may seem to bear upon the LORD,

it is really ministry of Him. Then, and for many years afterwards, Elisha did but "pour water on the hands of Elijah" (2

Kings 3:11) ­ yet from the moment that " he arose and went after Elijah" he was really, and in the judgment of God,

"anointed to be prophet;" nor had he, nor needed he, other earthly consecration.