December 15

practice, our disposition, our prayer with regard to all this? Can we say, sincerely and earnestly—

"Make me to walk in thy commands, 'Tis a delightful road; Nor let my head, nor heart, nor hands, Offend against my God."

DECEMBER 15.—"But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him."—2 Kings 3:16.

We have here a narrative of the expedition of Jehoram king of Israel against Moab. He drew into the enterprise not only the king of Edom, but Jehoshaphat the king of Judah; a good man, but who was here led into temptation, for which he would have perished, if the Lord had dealt with him after his desert. We are not to hate the irreligious, or refuse to do them good as we have opportunity; but with regard to unhallowed intimacy and alliances, we are to remember that evil communications corrupt good manners, and that as for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity. This was not the first time Jehoshaphat had erred in the same thing. He had some years before joined with Ahab the father of Jehoram, and had paid dear for his folly. The proverb says, a burnt child dreads the fire. Even an animal, who has once suffered, will avoid the cause for ever after. But men are not equally wise—"Why will ye be stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more."

To return. "So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them. And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!" But was it the Lord's doing? The distress was from him, but not the cause. But so it is; "the foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth against the Lord." Yet a godly man will differ from others, even in a common mistake or calamity; and "Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him?" He should have consulted before he took a step, both as to the war itself, and the direction they were to take. It was thus David always did, and prospered. Yet it was better done late than entirely neglected. We have also here an image of what frequently takes place. God's servants are not thought of in ease, prosperity, and health: but when conscience is alarmed, when trouble comes, when sickness and death threaten—then where is the minister? Send for the minister!

But how came Elisha here? In such a place! In such company! He was not here as the king's chaplain, or the army's chaplain; he was deemed by both the troubler of Israel. It is probable, as God designed to put honour upon him, that he was there by a divine impulse. However this may be, he was there: for "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." Upon this Jehoram is silent. But Jehoshaphat commends him, and says, "The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king

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of Edom went down to him. And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab."

It seems surprising that Jehoram did not resent this. But his haughty spirit was bowed down, and his conscience sided with the man of God.

It is a character of a citizen of Zion, how much more of a messenger of Divine truth, that in his eyes a vile person is condemned, while he honours them that fear the Lord. What a difference is there between the righteous and the wicked! And we should feel it, and show it in our conduct—But we must show it properly. And here some distinction is necessary. Elisha does not here speak as a subject; there is a respect due to a sovereign officially, whatever be his character; and therefore Paul retracted an exceptionable expression, remembering that it was said, "Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people." But it was the prophet who here spoke in the name of the Most High God. Yet something of nature, it would seem, mingled with it; so that he was irritated and ruffled, and was rendered for the time unsusceptible of the prophetic inspiration. And what does he? "Bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him."

Minstrels were persons who played on the harp, and also sung, and sometimes with dancing. They are now unusual; but they were very common formerly, in most countries. There were many of them in Israel.

The love of music is generally reckoned a sign of a good temper, and the use of it may help a bad one. The indulgence of it may be carried to excess, and be abused; but upon the whole, it is one of the most innocent, as well as agreeable employments. It has often been called in to inflame unhallowed mirth; but the Moravians, and Luther, and Calvin, and a thousand more, have proved that it is not only consistent with devotion, but aidful of it. It is founded in human nature. God has constructed us alive to it. Pythagoras used it always before he retired to bed. Plato recommends the use of it in the laws of his republic. David, by his harp, often chased away the evil spirit from Saul. It was much practised by the students in the schools of the prophets: hence Samuel said to Saul, at a certain place "thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man." And here we find Elisha called in a devout Levite, to play and sing before him, to calm and raise his spirits, to receive the message of the Almighty.

Who thinks sufficiently of the dependence of spirit on matter? Does not every thing religious first address itself to the senses?

But let us derive an example from Elisha. Let us serve God without distraction. Let us lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting. Let us cherish in religious exercises serenity, and love, and gentleness of mind, and feeling—