earth, and to bind himself by the most solemn vows to his service and worship for ever.

This brings us to notice the incidents of Naaman's subsequent interview with Elisha. I regard his words, "Behold, now, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel," as expressing at once his casting off of all subjection and allegiance to the idols of his own Syria and of all other lands, his conviction that Jehovah was the one only true God, and his immovable purpose that he should henceforth be his God.

But there is more than this in his language. He means to say that the matter had just been brought to the test of experiment in his own person, and that the issue had been such as to warrant both parts of his conclusion. "I know it," says he. He had now "the testimony in himself." In like manner, the evidence which is afforded to a true Christian of the divinity of his religion, through its divine effects upon himself, is the most valuable and home-coming of all evidences. It effectually "garrisons him," as Owen has said, "against all the assaults of unbelief." It is always near him, and grows with the increase of his own piety. "Do you demand miracles?" he can reply to his subtle questioner and tempter-"I am myself a miracle. Do you call for evidences?—I have a whole volume of them in my own heart. Now I know."

While the Syrian's lips are thus full of praise to Jehovah as the true God and his compassionate deliverer, his hands are full of gifts to Elisha as Jehovah's servant. "Now, I pray thee, take a blessing"-or thank-offering-" of thy servant;" and as he said the words, lis attendants were ready to unload the precious treasures from his chariot and to lay them at the prophet's feet. But Elisha solemnly declines the offer, though repeated and urged again and again: "As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none."

Why so stern a refusal, when Naaman was rich and grateful and the prophet needy, and when it would even have relieved

the burden of the Syrian's thankful heart to have been permitted to give? He had not thus declined the use of the little chamber with the bed and the table and the stool and the candlestick in the dwelling of the grateful Shunammite. Nor did Paul and his companions, many centuries afterward, reject the proffered hospitality of the newly-converted Lydia. The explanation is to be found in the peculiar circumstances of the case.

With Elisha, the honor of God and the character of his religion stood paramount above every other interest. These could in no degree have suffered by compliance in the other instances to which we have referred-they would even be promoted by it; but in the present case it was otherwise. Naaman was about to return immediately to his own land; his chief impressions regarding the nature of the true religion would necessarily be drawn from his intercourse with the prophet; and had Elisha accepted his gift, the suspicion might afterward have arisen in his mind that the hope of reward had been his motive in pointing him to the remedy.

But nothing mercenary must even seem to be associated with the work of God. He will not allow the moral impression of the miracle to be in the least impaired; both Naaman and his servants must be made to mark the contrast between the selfishness of heathenism and the benignant spirit of the true faith; his cure must ever stand out before him as the fruit of pure divine compassion, and never must the Syrian in future days be able to say, "I have made Elisha rich.”

But there is much more difficulty found by many in satisfactorily accounting for the two requests which Naaman next proceeded to address to Elisha-the one being that he might be allowed to take back with him to his own country two mules' burden of the earth of Israel; and the other that, when his master Benhadad went into the house of Rimmon, the idol-god of Syria, to worship, and he leaned on his shoulder, he might be forgiven if he "bowed himself in the house of Rimmon." For

does not one of these requests appear to savor of superstition, and does not the other propose a compromise with idolatry?

This has often been said, but we are disposed to judge Naaman more gently. The former wish might merely be the expression of a sentiment which is strong in human nature, and which is quite innocent when kept within proper bounds-the desire to have some object near us that may help to keep alive hallowed recollections, and that shall be as a link to associate our thoughts with what is loved and distant. Naaman's aim was to have something always in his sight that would bring up Israel and the prophet and all the sacred memories of this blessed visit readily before his mind. And, moreover, if the altar on which he henceforth sacrificed and worshiped was formed of this earth, it would serve as an indication to his Syrian fellow-countrymen that while he was of the same nation with them, yet in religion he was identical with the worshipers of the God of Israel.

Was the feeling unnatural or blamable, especially in one whose eyes had just opened to the light and whose heart was glowing with all the ardor of first love? Such a sentiment might easily degenerate into superstition, but it was not necessarily superstitious. Have you never contracted a special regard for some particular copy of the Bible which is associated in your memory with interesting passages in your own spiritual history? Have you never found your heart bettered by visiting the scenes of holy and heroic deeds, or even looking on the faded handwriting of one who, while he lived, had made the world his debtor? Could you look without emotion on a vessel of water from the Sea of Galilee or from the well of Samaria, or upon a branch that had been plucked from one of the old olive trees in Gethsemane? And if not, do not blame this grateful Syrian that, in departing from this sacred land-the place at once of his cure and of his conversion-he "took pleasure in her stones, and her very dust was dear to him."

In regard to the second of Naaman's requests to Elisha, we

are disposed to speak with more of caution and diffidence; at the same time, when we do not find the prophet condemning him, it will surely be wisest and best so to understand his meaning and design as to be able to add, "Neither do I condemn thee." He had that day publicly avowed, in the presence of his Syrian servants and attendants, his unqualified renunciation of all idolworship. And when he returned to Damascus, his daily offerings and holy services would tell his king and the whole city and kingdom that Jehovah alone was his God. But then he foresaw that, as the prime minister of Benhadad, he would be required to accompany him into the temple of Rimmon, and even to support his person and accommodate himself to its motions while he worshiped there, and he wished Elisha to understand that, in doing this unwelcome work, there would be no conformity to idolatry or complication with it; he would simply be discharging a civil service to his master, not offering worship to Rimmon. Still, he was anxions to learn, before he passed from the prophet's presence, whether this could be permitted. And we know how many similar questions have been raised in our times by Christian soldiers serving in idolatrous countries or under papal kings, and how difficult it has been found always to draw with delicate precision the line between what may be yielded to Cæsar and what must be rendered to God.

Some have understood the prophet's answer, "Go in peace," to indicate forbearance in the mean time with an error which he foresaw that stronger religion would be certain to cure; according to Bishop Hall's apologetic words: "It is not for us to expect a full stature in the cradle of conversion." But is it not more natural to regard the language as conveying Elisha's belief that, when Naaman discharged this service to his master, there would be no homage on his part to the idol, and at the same time leaving it with his individual conscience to determine whether it would not be still better to avoid even this semblance of evil?

XXV.

JEHU.1

HE curtain rises to show us the city of Ramoth-Gilead, embosomed among mountains, in the background, and on the stage a banquet, or probably a council of war,

where Jehu sits surrounded by the most distinguished officers of the army of Israel. Suddenly interrupting their potations or cogitations, one enters the chamber whose shaggy raiment, appearance and bold bearing bespeak him a prophet or one belonging to the order. He comes from Elisha; and the Jews have a tradition that it was Jonah, who, according to them, succeeded Gehazi in that prophet's service. Whether it was so or not, this messenger of Heaven goes straight up, without ceremony or formal introduction, to Jehu, saying, "I have an errand unto thee, O captain!" And he, out of respect for his holy office, a gallant soldier as yet who had shed no blood but in fair battle, and dreaded no evil, rises at once to grant what the other requested-a private interview-furnishing no illustration of the saying

"Conscience makes cowards of us all."

They retire into an inner chamber. When they are alone, and he has seen that the door is shut, the stranger, stooping down, draws from underneath his shaggy garment, where he had concealed it, a horn of oil, and raising himself to his full stature, empties it on Jehu's head, saying, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I

1 Dr. Guthrie.