Naaman came in all the state and splendour of the captain of a royal host, and prepared with magnificent presents, ten talents or great weights of silver, each worth three hundred pounds of our money, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten rich dresses of honour, so much valued in the East. And there he sat in his chariot at Elisha's door. But Elisha might not make himself unclean. He was not like our Lord, who could touch the corrupt and heal it, without stain. Besides, a proof of faith is always needed in such as come to be healed. Naaman was no Israelite, so the ceremonies of the Law were not for him; but whereas washing must needs purify uncleanness, the prophet sent him out a message to go and wash seven times in the Jordan.

Naaman was exceedingly offended. Had he come so far, not even to see the prophet, not to be touched by him, but only to have a message to wash in little rushing Jordan? Abana and Pharpar, the twin rivers that water Damascus, waters exquisite for their clearness and purity, were better than all the waters of Israel! He might as well have stayed at home, he said, and he was going away in a rage, when his servants, lovingly calling him "My father," persuaded him, in words that often ring in our ears when we fancy we could do some grand task, only just not the one thing we are bidden to do: “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it ?"

And Naaman had the wisdom to overcome his anger, and bathe in the Jordan. He knew not that in this stream the baptism of the blessed Son of God should "sanctify water to the mystical washing away of sin," and therefore that clear and lovely Abana and Pharpar could never be so blessed; but he humbled himself to give the token of faith and obedience, and as he bathed the dead flesh was renewed, the dried-up, burning misery passed from him, and his flesh and skin became fresh, pure, and healthy, like a little child's. Oh, happiness beyond all hope! So it is that in the saving waters of Baptism uncleanness is put away, and we are born as children of God. So it is again that when we do not choose for ourselves, and set store by our own fancies-our Abanas and Pharpars-but bend our spirit to do the one thing required, we find the blessing bestowed that we sought in vain while there was one little hard spot of self-will left in our heart.

LESSON XXXIII.

THE LEPROSY OF GEHAZI.

2 KINGS V. 15-27.

And Naaman 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 And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

none.

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.

So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when 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 olive-yards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and maid-servants?

The god of pomegranates.

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.

COMMENT.-" And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus* the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian” (Luke iv. 27). So spake our Blessed Lord, mentioning Naaman together with the widow of Zarephath as instances that graces of which the Israelites were unworthy were extended to the Gentiles. And Naaman did prove himself worthy. When miracles of mercy seemed wasted upon God's own people, he came back full of exceeding thankfulness and faith, confessing that there was indeed no God in all the earth but the Lord JEHOVAH. Well indeed might it have been said of him as of that good centurion, like him a soldier, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." Thankfulness to God brought gratitude to man, as it always ought to do; and Naaman wished to leave with the prophet the great gifts he had prepared. But Elisha made answer that the living God was He who gave health; he himself had only stood as His spokesman, and he therefore would receive nothing: thus no doubt showing himself utterly unlike the greedy priests and prophets of false gods, who took huge gifts for cures that they had no power to perform. So all that Naaman could do was to entreat in humbleness for two mule-loads of Israelite earth. He who had despised the waters of Jordan was now begging for the sacred soil of perhaps Carmel or of Bethel to raise an altar with. His own Syrian ground he deemed stained and polluted, and while he had his altar of Israelite earth, he would feel a certain oneness with the holy prophet, and he, and at least the little maid, would worship there the true God of her fathers. Never would he again offer sacrifice to any false god. Only he entreated that when, as part of his duty to his lord the King of Syria, he supported him when he went in state to the Temple of Rimmon, the god of pomegranates, his bowing with the king might not be reckoned as a sin or an owning of the idol. Elisha dismissed him with a blessing-as accepting this entreaty. But as among our Lord's own Apostles there was one whom the love of money perverted to treason, and who said "To what purpose is this waste?" so Gehazi was * Eliseus, the Greek of "Elisha." H

VOL. III.

tempted by the sight of the presents that Naaman had brought and his master was sending away. He could not bear to let such riches go away untouched; so he ran after the Syrian-who turned back and came down from his chariot to meet him with eager haste-and told a deceitful story of two young prophets having come and his master needing a gift for them. The generous captain was only too glad to give twice what he asked, and sent his man to carry the heavy silver talents for the prophet. Gehazi showed his evil conscience by dismissing the bearers and hiding the treasure, and then tried to stand innocently before his master. Here, however, we have one of those sentences that brings home to us the thought of the Eye that sees what we do in secret, and the certainty that all shall be made known. Neither Gehazi's pretence at innocence nor the lie he uttered hid the truth that God had made known to the prophet. Elisha even described the meeting with Naaman. Was it a time, he said, for men dedicated to the service of God to be heaping up treasures for themselves, when sin was raging through the land and judgment would soon follow? Gehazi's sin was especially terrible, because it was abusing his position as a prophet's pupil, and making his own profit out of God's free miracle. Therefore his punishment was speedy and terrible, and cut him off at once from all that was sacred. The corruption of his soul was to show itself in his body, and the leprosy so lately washed away from the Gentile Syrian instantly and visibly fell on the faithless prophet, turning his flesh to deadly whiteness.

And so let every one, from the smallest child upwards, learn to remember that God for ever sees and notes down whatever we do in secret. A lie may sometimes shelter us from being punished by our friends; but so much the worse for us, for, if we do not repent, worse than even Gehazi's leprosy will come on us, for to the pain and anguish and corruption that lying brings on the soul and body there is no end at all.

LESSON XXXIV.

ELISHA'S GUARDIANS.

B.C. 892.-2 KINGS vi. 8—23.

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 Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host; and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

And

And when the servant of the man of God was risen early and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

And he answered, Fear not : for they that be with us, are more than they that be with them.

And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw : and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city : follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those

* Or rather, guard well.