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not a very wise one, consented, and taking with him his deputy,* the King of Edom, the three princes proceeded through the wilderness of Edom, towards Moab. Seven days had they continued to advance upon their expedition, amidst the drought and heat of the desert, when, as we are told, "There was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them." "Alas!" said the King of Israel," that the Lord hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab!" Now, for the first time, they appear to have bethought themselves of God, but, as it is too often the case with sinners, only to lay upon God himself the blame of their own misconduct." The woman whom THOU gavest,"‡ said Adam; "the LORD hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hands of Moab," said Jehoram. "But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?" Seven days had Elisha been travelling with the host, doubtless at God's command, and seven days had the

* 1 Kings xxii. 47. + 2 Kings iii. 9. Genesis iii. 12.

three kings been entirely ignorant of his presence, and perfectly indifferent whether he were among their followers, or whether he still tarried in Samaria. Now, for the first time, they inquired, if there were not a prophet of the Lord among them.

How seldom is either God, or his prophet thought of, until the day of adversity drives us to Him. Well is it for us, that the day which made this world a world of sin, made it also a world of suffering and sorrow; for these are the things which instrumentally, in some shape or other, are continually beating off the soul from branch to branch, and from spray to spray, wherever it attempts to settle, until they compel it to take wing, and to mount upward, and to find its only refuge in the bosom of its God.

And one of the King of Israel's servants answered and said, "Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, and the King of Edom, went down to

him." The three kings condescend to wait at the door of the tent of the prophet; even Jehoram, who departed not from the sins of Jereboam, but worshipped the golden calves which he had set up, ventures into the prophet's presence, when led thither by adversity and distress. But Elisha, who was doubtless instructed by God, that there was no real change in the heart or conduct of the King of Israel, and that such an act of voluntary humiliation was merely to subserve some temporary exigency, immediately addressed to him this indignant remonstrance, "What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother." What a reply was this for the hour of anxiety and distress! Well-deserved, indeed, but still most cutting and most appalling.

And think you, brethren, that there are none who may one day receive as cold and forbidding an answer from the lips of that prophet's Master? Think you there are none who shall say, upon the great and solemn hour which awaits us all, * 2 Kings iii. 11, 12. + 2 Kings iii. 13.

"Lord, Lord, open unto us," and to whom that Lord shall reply, "I never knew ye,” “get thee to the prophets of thy father, and the prophets of thy mother," and the prophets of thine own choosing; betake thee to the deities whom ye have served, the world, the flesh, and the devil; but come not to me whom ye have never sought, or desired to seek, until the bridegroom has entered in, and the door has been shut.

If God's word be true, there will come such a time, and such an answer, to many who now anticipate it not. "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh."* These are God's own words,

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They would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof; therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices." And what is this, brethren, but, I will send them, in the day of adversity, to + Proverbs i. 30, 31.

* Proverbs i. 24-26.

the gods they worshipped in the day of prosperity.

Ask yourselves, then, who are the gods, to whom you are paying your adoration now, and tendering your willing service? Self-interest, pleasure, public opinion! These are the popular deities of to-day. How much of time, property, conscience, are you sacrificing to them? How many of your thoughts, words, actions, are regulated by them? They are all-powerful with you now, but what will they profit you, when your soul stands naked and alone, before the tribunal of the Lord Almighty?

"And the King of Israel," continues the history," said unto Elisha, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three Kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab." But Elisha, perfectly unmoved by what he no doubt knew to be the just sentence of God, replied, “As the Lord of Hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, I would not look toward

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