"And his servitor said, What! should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

"So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord" (2 Kings iv. 42-44.)

9. HE HEALED NAAMAN AND SMOTE GEHAZI WITH LEPROSY.

"Now Naaman, captain of the host of the King of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour; but he was a leper.

"And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

"And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the King of Syria said, Go to, go and I will send a letter unto the King of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

"And he brought the letter to the King of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

"And it came to pass, when the King of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

"And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the King of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

"So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

"But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned, and went away in a rage.

"And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

"Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

"And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

"But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

"And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord.

"In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

"But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God,

said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

And when

"So Gehazi followed after Naaman. Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?

"And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from Mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

:

"And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.

"And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

"But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

"And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and maid-servants?

"The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow " (2 Kings v. 1-27). QUESTIONS.

From whence did Elisha get the twenty loaves? Why were they brought to him? Why did he give them to the people? How many were fed with them? Who was Naaman? What was the matter with him? What made him go to Israel? To whom was he first sent? Why did the king rend his clothes? How came he to go to Elisha? What did he expect? What did the prophet do? Why was Naaman angry? What did his servants advise? What was the result? How did he shew his gratitude? Why did not Elisha accept his offer? What did he give Naaman? What favour did the latter ask? What falsehood did Gehazi tell to Naaman? What to Elisha? How was he punished? How much are two talents.

NAAMAN'S SERVANT.

"Who hath despised the day of small things."

"WHO for the like of me will care?" So whispers many a mournful heart, When in the weary languid air

For grief or scorn we pine apart

So haply mused yon little maid
From Israel's breezy mountains borne,
No more to rest in Sabbath shade
Watching the free and wavy corn.

A captive now, and sold and bought,
In the proud Syrian's hall she waits,
Forgotten-such her moody thought--
Even as the worm beneath the gates.

But One who ne'er forgets is here:

He hath a word for thee to speak: Oh, serve Him yet in duteous fear, And to thy Gentile lord be meek.

So shall the healing Name be known
By thee on many a heathen shore,
And Naaman on his chariot throne
Wait humbly by Elisha's door.

By thee desponding lepers know

The sacred waters' sevenfold might;
Then, wherefore sick in listless woe?
Christ's poor and needy claim your right!

Your heavenly right, to do and bear

All for His sake; nor yield one sigh To pining doubt; nor ask, "What care In the wide world for such as I?"

Lyra Innocentium.

CHAPTER CVIII.

MIRACLES OF ELISHA (continued).

10. HE MADE IRON TO SWIM.

"And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.

"And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

"So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

"And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it."

11. HE STRUCK THE SYRIAN ARMY WITH BLINDNESS. "Then the King of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.

"And the man of God sent unto the King of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place, for thither the Syrians are come down. And the King of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

"Therefore the heart of the King of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the King of Israel?

"And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Ísrael, telleth the King of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber.