December 22

and offer thy gift.” “The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Though Elisha was animated by religious zeal, yet as there was some passionateness of his own mixed with it, when he said to Jehoram, “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 thee, nor see thee;” the spirit of prophecy could not descend upon him, till he had called for a minstrel to compose and soften him. What can we do without the help of the Holy Spirit? But that Spirit is a spirit of love, and is held forth by the emblem of a dove. Therefore says our Apostle, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

The Fourth is confidence. This is also negatively expressed: without “doubting.” This requires us to pray in faith. “Let him ask in faith nothing wavering.” “Let us draw near, in full assurance of faith.” This is very distinguishable from a personal persuasion of our actual interest; but it is an encouragement against despair. We are to believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; that we are as welcome as we are unworthy; that he waits to be gracious, and never said to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. It also takes in a belief of the lawfulness of what we implore. I could not pray in faith, if I prayed for assistance and success in any enterprize which his word forbids; or in asking to be saved without being sanctified: for “this is the will of God, even our sanctification.” “This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.”

We talk of being humbled for our sins—What think we of our duties? Can we reflect even upon our holy things, even upon our prayers themselves, and not cry, “Enter not into judgment with thy servants, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified.”

DECEMBER 22.—“And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”—2 Kings 6:15—17.

THE king of Syria had resolved to punish Elisha, because as a prophet he divulged to the king of Israel all his warlike plans and designs, and thereby prevented the accomplishment of them. How sin infatuates!—otherwise a moment’s reflection might have convinced him that the same God who had given Elisha supernatural knowledge could afford him supernatural protection. Yet, finding upon inquiry that the prophet was now in Dothan, “he sent thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.”

Elisha’s servant first discovers the danger. But who was this

servant? We have no reason to believe that it was now Gehazi, whose avarice, fraud, and lying, his master had lately so awfully punished: "The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow." Even exclusive of his distemper, Elisha would not have had such a servant any longer about him; but have said with David before him, "Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight." Of the name of his new servant we are not informed, but it is here said, he "rose up early in the morning." New servants often behave best at first, especially in the article of early rising. Perhaps, however, it was a continued thing with him. This will be the case with a wise and good servant. By means of this he will do his work with ease and order. What confusion and hurry are often produced by beginning the concerns of the day an hour or two later, for the precious privilege of a little more insensibility!

What happened? When the servant had gone forth and saw the horses and chariots he ran back breathless, and exclaimed, "Alas, my master! what shall we do? We are in the hands of our enemies, and there is no way of escape."

Yet if the servant be terrified, the master is calm, and fears no evil. But a Godly man wishes others to be satisfied as well as himself; and he is no better than a brute, and wholly unworthy of his service, who feels no concern for the accommodation and comfort of his servant. To tranquillize him therefore, Elisha said, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." This only filled him with astonishment, for he saw no defenders of any kind near him. But "Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." What a number of reflections here offer themselves to our minds!

What were these horses and chariots of fire? The angels of God. "And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." These were the convoy of Elijah. These were the body guard of Elisha. When Jacob went on his way the angels of God met him; and when he saw them he said, "This is God's host." "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

We behold here an instance of the dominion and agency of God, in the opening of this man's eyes. He can suspend the use of any of our powers, or he can increase the use of them. He that endued us with the five inlets of perception, called the senses, could, as far as we know to the contrary, have given us fifty, as distinguishable from each other in their operations and objects as hearing and seeing. And who can tell, as Baxter (not the Divine) intimates, but that there is a faculty in the human system as adapted to an intercourse with the invisible world as our known senses are suited to the material existences around us, but which power is dormant unless when for some important end it is called into exercise? We are very im-