in the thrilling annals of many a city. But to be afflicted with all three-war, famine and pestilence! Indeed, pestilence and famine generally journey together. Samaria was now suffering from a long and heartrending siege; Israel, from a seven years' famine; and to such a condition had Samaria been reduced that "an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver." Nay, contrary to every feeling of nature, and compelled by the frightful cravings of hunger, a woman had killed and eaten of her own child. This fact reached the king's ears; it clothed him with sackcloth and filled him with sadness; and because Elisha had not interceded with God for the city and rescued it from the power of the Syrians, he threatened his life. But the power of Jehovah was no sooner desired than it was displayed. During the night the Syrians were made to hear the sound as of a mighty army; they imagined that the Hittites and Egyptians had come up against them, and in affright they fled, leaving behind them their tents and all their stores. Four wretched lepers, who sat by the gates of the city ready to die, and who determined to place themselves in the hands of the Syrians, went to their tents, and finding them empty, communicated the joyful tidings to the Samaritans. Sorrow gave place to joy, hunger to a rich repast; the prophet was not only spared, but honored, and the hand of the Lord was recognized in the deliverance.

"Use hospitality" is the short but comprehensive law of Christian neighborhood, enjoined upon his followers by their Lord. So, at least, he inspired his distinguished apostle, Paul, to inculcate. In the fulfillment of this precept, men have "entertained angels unawares." An angel of mercy to the woman of Shunem was Elisha, to whom she had shown no little kindness. When the seven years' famine commenced, he recommended her to take up her abode with her son amongst the Philistines. She was thus saved from many hardships, but one result was that during her absence her property was confiscated. His name, even here, stands in good stead. On her return, and discovering her property

in the hands of others, she went to make her appeal to the king. Happily for her, Gehazi, Elisha's servant, was then talking with Jehoram. He had been telling him of all the mighty works which his master had done, and "how he had restored a dead body to life." As they conversed she drew nigh. Gehazi introduced her to the king as the Shunammite whose son Elisha had revived. She made known her circumstances; the king inquired into her history, and ordered that "all that was hers, and all the fruit of the field since the day that she had left the land even until now," be returned to her and her family.

He who could not be taken to Damascus by force went thither of his own accord. Benhadad, his former enemy, was sick; and when the king heard of his arrival, he sent Hazael with a rich present of every good thing of Damascus, even forty camels' burden, to give to the prophet. He inquired concerning his master's illness. Elisha replied that he might recover, but that he would surely die. He fixed his eyes steadfastly on Hazael till he wept. He asked the cause. The prophet, foreseeing that he was to reign over Syria and become a fearful enemy of Israel, informed Hazael of what he should do. Indignant, he replied, "Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?" But, as Mr. Jay once remarked, "the dog did it." Next day Hazael took the life of Benhadad and reigned in his stead, and, as Elisha had foretold, carried dreadful havoc into the towns and cities of Israel.

At the command of Elisha, Jehu was anointed king of Israel by one of the sons of the prophets. Jehoram had been gathered to his fathers, and Joram also, his brother, was slain. Alas! Elisha himself "fell sick of the sickness whereof he died." He was visited in his illness by Joash, who was then king. Over him Joash wept, and cried, "Oh, my father, my father! the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!" The phrase, it will be remembered, was that used by Elisha on the occasion of the translation of Elijah, and which had now passed into a proverb

expressive of consolation in sickness and encouragement in difficulties. Soon afterward the prophet died, and we are assured by Josephus that with much sorrow and lamentation he was honorably interred. Some time after his death a very memorable circumstance occurred. It is thus narrated: "And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet."

"This miracle," as Dr. Hales well observes, "was the immediate work of God, and concurred with the translation of Elijah to keep alive in a degenerate age the grand truth of a bodily resurrection, which the translation of Enoch was calculated to produce on the antediluvian world, and which the resurrection of Christ in a glorified body fully illustrated." Or, in the language of Calmet: "This great miracle is the symbol and prophecy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there being this important difference that Elisha raised a dead body without raising himself, while Jesus Christ not only raised himself, but gives life to all who believe in him." "After his death," says the son of Sirach, "his body prophesied; he did wonders in his life, and at his death his works were marvelous."

With what satisfaction is the review of such a life as that of Elisha accompanied! His moral character bears the nearest inspection and shines forth without a flaw. His powers, as delineated by the pen of inspiration, were nobly exercised, his time continually occupied, and his life a long discourse, both in words and in actions of benevolence and charity. Truly he possessed his master's spirit in a double portion. His heart was tenderness; his speech fidelity, whether as used to kings or menials; his death, like his life, bespake the service of his Lord; "even in his ashes lived their wonted fires."

Repose, Elisha! Carefully the earth keeps thy hallowed remains. Repose with thy brethren, holy men of old, inspired of God! Surely the world which contains the dust of those so dear to him cannot be doomed to complete destruction. No; the fires shall purify, but not annihilate; the elements shall melt, but it is that they may be remoulded; and out of the universal conflagration will come forth "a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness"--the abode of the Good Shepherd and his flock.

XXIV.

NAAMAN.

ISRAEL was now in a state of much depression and weakness because of the general apostasy of its people from the service and worship of the true God, and Syria, on its northern borders, was the common instru

ment of its humiliation and chastisement.

In one of the frequent forays which marauding companies of Syrians had made into the land for purposes of insult and plunder, they had carried away captive a little Israelitish maiden, who appears to have belonged to one of the few families that, in the midst of widespread degeneracy, had remained faithful to the God of their fathers. Perhaps, in the division of the spoils on their return, she had been allotted to the Syrian household in which we find her; or we may imagine the beautiful and timid captive exposed for sale in the crowded slave-market of Damascus, and in this way becoming a domestic attendant upon the wife of Naaman the Syrian.

This man, distinguished for personal valor and for signal military successes which had made the whole land his debtor, was the commander-in-chief of the armies of Syria, and the confidential adviser of his king, to whom he stood nearest in rank and power. It is natural to picture him as living in a palace, in the midst of one of those orchards of apricots, pomegranates and other trees which, for three thousand years, have made