03.21. The Grateful Guest

The Grateful Guest With Elisha, now returned again to Shunem, and under the hospitable roof of this pious family, time must have passed rapidly, and the hardships of his journeyings have been forgotten in such holy and blessed intercourse. How delightful is it, after having been exiled, as it were, amid the ungodly of this world, to find ourselves once more in the bosom of a Christian dwelling, where we may recreate our spirits, though but for a few hours, from the vain or vexatious conversation of those with whom business obliged us to intermingle, and where we can again hear the name of Jesus affectionately pronounced, together with the sweet and friendly salutations of God’s dear children! It is like landing after a long and stormy voyage, upon the hospitable coast of a pleasant island. In such meetings somewhat of that felicity is tasted, which will be enjoyed in the tabernacles above, in the great and blissful reunion which shall there take place. Oh, how painfully sensible do we thus become of the immeasurable gulf that exists between the people of the Lord, and the most refined and polished circles of the world! We perceive at once, that we have withdrawn from the atmosphere of selfishness, into that of love; from the element of deceit and dissimulation, into that of simplicity and truth. We breathe a different and a purer air, and feel with renewed freshness the comfort of belonging to that "little flock," which, like its good Shepherd, is "not of the world." In the middle ages, and in the very centre of papal domination, our own neighborhood of the Rhine presented a remarkable and cheering scene. For from Cologne to Mentz, and beyond Strasburg, there existed, under the denomination of "weavers," most of them being of that calling, a large number of true and enlightened Christians, who were obliged to keep themselves concealed to avoid popish persecution. These people were very united among themselves, so that they knew one another’s names, residence, and circumstances, often without personal acquaintance. In travelling they proceeded from one brother’s cottage to another, and thus found, wherever they went, a hospitable abode and home, as it were, in their own atmosphere; for it was unpolluted by the pestilential air of this world. Oh, that the same primitive intercourse subsisted everywhere among Christians of the present day! for great and manifold are the blessings belonging to such sacred communion. Elisha doubtless regarded it as a matter of gratitude to God, that having so repeatedly to pass through Shunem, he could find there a retreat such as this. The little apartment which had been prepared for him was exactly to his taste, nor would he have exchanged it for a royal residence. In his peaceful chamber, and in his secret prayers, we can easily suppose how fervently he commended these his kind friends to God. The next point in his history at this place is the concern he expressed to see these hospitable friends receive a prophet’s reward. He therefore "said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host?" The prophet having been in credit at court ever since the wonderful victory over the Moabites, his intercession would have been effective, both with Jehoram and his ministers. Those great men felt indebted to the prophet, but the prophet felt indebted to these private and humble servants of God. Gehazi is bidden to express the same to the Shunammite before Elisha, in his own as well as his master’s behalf, that no part of the kindness thus acknowledged might appear to be overlooked. The Shunammite, however, feeling all the obligation to be on her own side, declines receiving any such acknowledgment, and considers the privilege of having such a servant of God as her guest, an abundant reward for the little trouble she had taken. Of the king, or the court, she had nothing to ask, as she lived on the most peaceable terms with her own people; feeling nothing of the oppression of those idolatrous times, and knowing nothing of disputes or litigations. Having said this, she seems to have withdrawn, while Elisha talked over the business with Gehazi. "What then is to be done for her?" said the prophet. And Gehazi answered, "Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old." Then Elisha, who, doubtless, had laid the matter before the Lord, and had now obtained his answer, desires the Shunammite to be called in again. And when Gehazi had called her, she stood in the door, as if kept back by modest diffidence about receiving any reward. He then addressed her with all the dignity and decision of a man commissioned of God, and said, "About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son." The astonished woman replied, "Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid." The prophet having now taken his affectionate leave of the friendly abode, amid mutual blessings and prayers, let us pause for the sake of a reflection or two suggested by the Shunammite’s reply, "I dwell among mine own people." She said this with inward satisfaction. God be praised that we can make a similar declaration. Many think much of being regarded in the highest circles of worldly society; others, that they rank with the master spirits of the age, the men of genius and learning. We envy them not; but the condition of any Christian brother, residing among real Christians, would indeed be envied by us, if we could not enjoy the same condition. We have it, however, and thus we dwell among our own people. We have those about us with whom half a word is sufficient to place us upon the best understanding; nay, with whom words are hardly necessary for such a purpose. Blessed privilege of Christian communion, not to be purchased with the wealth of a world, and that exists only among sincere disciples. It is in Christian communion alone, that pure love, sincerity, and truth can ever prevail, and that the cup of social blessing cannot be embittered by the thought of separation. Let us learn in every way to express fervent gratitude for our own interest in it, and especially by always endeavoring to draw more closely those bonds of brotherhood, in which we are all united in spirit to Christ Jesus. But to return to the history, which informs us how the word of the Lord, as here spoken by Elisha, was fulfilled—"the woman bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life." Thus did she joyfully experience that the God of Sarah and of Hannah still lived, which she seems to have forgotten at the moment when she uttered her unbelieving remonstrance; "Nay, my lord, do not lie unto thine handmaid." And the God of Israel’s deliverance from Pharaoh, the God of Daniel’s deliverance from the lions, and the God of the deliverance from Babylon’s fiery furnace, still lives. He lives, and is "the same yesterday, today, and for ever." Were this more stedfastly believed and thought upon, we should see more of the glory of God.