one with Christ and Christ with you ; even with Him, who is "the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever," and who has said of the least and lowest of his

people, They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

108

LECTURE V.

2 KINGS V. 26. (part.)

"AND HE SAID UNTO HIM, WENT NOT MINE HEART WITH THEE, WHEN THE MAN TURNED AGAIN FROM HIS CHARIOT TO MEET THEE?"

AT the commencement of the present lecture, we find Naaman, the Syrian, once more retracing his steps from the banks of Jordan to the hill of Carmelno inconsiderable journey, to testify his gratitude to Elisha for the miracle of mercy, which formed the subject of our last discourse. To him that hath," says the word of inspiration, "shall more be given." One blessing rightly improved, one mercy thankfully and gratefully acknowledged, often leads the way to far greater and far higher evi

dences of the loving-kindness and compassion of our God. Of this, Naaman was about to furnish a striking and profitable example. He had come into the land of Israel, only to be healed of his leprosy, and God sent him back into Syria, healed of his corruptions; cleansed of an evil heart of unbelief, united in an everlasting covenant with the great Jehovah.

Continuing the history before us at the 15th verse, we read, "And Naaman returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him." The lesson of humility, therefore, to which we alluded in the last lecture, had now been learnt. The great man did not again expect the prophet to come down, and stand beside his chariot, while he sat to receive his miraculous benediction. He is willing, with the meek and lowly spirit of a little child, to humble himself, and

while he acknowledges his temporal mercies, to confess also his spiritual change, his conversion to the God of Israel. "Behold, now," is the language of the lately idolatrous Syrian, "I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel: now therefore I pray thee, take a blessing," receive a present, "from thy servant." But Elisha 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' burthen of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the Lord." In this we trace, probably, some remains of his ancient superstition, although there were clearly none of his idolatry, for he distinctly promises to worship no other god but the God of Israel. Probably he thought, that as

God had commanded that altars should be built of earth,' none was so proper for the purpose as that of the Holy Land itself. However this may be, if it were a superstition, it was clearly an innocent one; for the prophet leaves him in the possession of it, unreproved: and Naaman thus continues,-" 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; the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. And he said unto him, Go in peace.

There are few points upon which commentators have evidently been more perplexed, than in reconciling this apparent reservation of Naaman, in favour of at least a questionable observance, with the silence or permission of Elisha. Some, indeed, have entirely,

1 Exodus xx. 24.