in his kingdom, of whose miraculous power he had already had personal experience. So far had the ungrateful monarch succeeded in banishing this man of God, together with his miracle, out of his remembrance. You see, there. fore, that what still betrays the son of Israel in the king is only a slight tinge, which even Jehoram cannot entirely lay aside; but in other respects, he presents himself to us as a despicable being, an apostate, without faith, without a consciousness of any spiritual necessities, and entirely destitute of all true life.

Jehoram's embarrassment at the request of the Syrian fills us with indignation. Let us turn, however, the weapons against ourselves. How often do we hazard in a similar manner, I might say, for a mere trifle, the honour of God, and of that kingdom to which we belong! The slightest mishap, or the most insignificant intricacy in our lives, makes us present an appearance as if we had been imposed upon and miserably deceived by the Lord and his promises. It was an excellent expression, and worthy of being taken to heart, which I heard one Christian brother make use of to another, who told him, with a shrug of the shoulders and bitter ill-temper, how long the Lord had suffered him to want even the most needful sustenance. "Stay," replied the former; "we must not be so ready to give the Lord a bad name, nor immediately spread it abroad, if he ever seems to act harshly and strangely towards us." It is true. Our spiritual loyalty ought to be more refined than to suffer us, even in the most inscrutable dispensation that may befal us, to put on such looks as might bring the good city of Jerusalem into discredit with others. Instead of immediately sounding the alarm when any strange thing happens to us, we ought, on the contrary, to feel ourselves impelled, by a Divine jealousy, to

boast of the manifestations of grace and faithfulness which we have experienced. The idea, that we might give others occasion to think lightly of the land of promise and its agreeable things, ought to make us tremble, and, wherever one of the two is unavoidable, we ought to be infinitely more inclined to bring up an evil report of our. selves, than of the territories of that kingdom whose citi. zens we are become. We have also infinitely more to relate, from the book of our experience, of help and mercy than of adverse events, and our complaints of the latter are sure to terminate in bitter confusion before the Lord. For what else are the enigmas of our guidance which are so frequently able to astonish and confuse us beyond measure, than mysterious and only seemingly discordant preludes to the stupendous harmonies of the Divine procedure, which will inevitably follow? The name of the Lord continues eternally glorious in Israel, in spite of all the singularities attendant upon his providential guidance, and always rises above every obscuring cloud in the end, with a radiance and a glory only the more bright and brilliant.

But what must now become of our invalid, the poor man, who had arrived at Samaria so full of hope, and who now saw himself so suddenly stripped of all his pleasing expectations? Benhadad knew not how to help him, any more than the Syrian physicians and magicians; and now that he comes to Jehoram, this only star that had still inspired him with courage and hope in the night of his sorrow, the latter appears suddenly like a man in despair, and confesses that he is unable to help, or to point out any one who is able. This was a painful situation for Naaman. But be patient, my friends, be patient! It was necessary that it should come to this, that the place might be prepared for the Lord, on which he could glorify his name and

manifest his power. The period is arrived in which Elisha can stand forth and obviously prove that his Lord is God, and not Baal, nor any other. The world is now evidently unable to help, and there is no one left who can render assistance, with the exception of this simple and despised man. And the intention of this is, that there may be finally cause for rejoicing, and that the God whom Elisha adores may be glorified.

When the world is no longer able to afford help or comfort, it becomes apparent that the little church of God upon earth is not so despicable as is generally supposed. How pleasing, under such circumstances, may the affection of a believing Christian be, and his faithfulness; how desirable his discourse, which is then felt to be more precious than a world full of gold and silver! Where the jurisdiction of human art and assistance terminates, the sphere of the ability and activity of true Christians commences. When the sun of earthly power and glory sets, the children of God rise as lovely stars in the darkness. Where kings and princes shrug up their shoulders, and are obliged to confess that they know of no remedy, the former lift up their hands in their closets, and procure from heaven what the world is no longer able to afford; and where troubles overwhelm a heart, which neither the wisdom of the wise, nor the sagacity of the men of understanding can remove, they approach with the balm of the Word of their God, and the wounds cicatrize, and an eternal cure is accomplished. The sources of help and consolation from whence they derive their supplies are never exhausted. The Lord is their strength; who will overpower it? God acts through them, and they through him. He is the source and spring of their works, they his instruments and channels.

XII.

THE BEGGAR'S BADGE.

"THROUGH death unto life"-this is the law of the kingdom of heaven. "He that loses his life shall find it." A day of penitence precedes the day of exaltation. John stands at the gate of the sanctuary of grace, and exclaims, "Bring forth fruits meet for repentance." (Matt. iii. 8.) But the Sunday coat does not constitute such a day of penitence, any more than the going to church, the downward inclination of the head, or an assumed expression of countenance. When is a day of repentance celebrated in the proper manner? I will tell you. It is, then, first of all, my friends, when the proper bells usher in the solemni. ty. And which are they? the bells of our church, or ot the whole town? It would be well if this were the case. We would ring them day and night till the tongues of them glowed, and the ropes broke. The true bells hang on high, indeed, but in no stone-built tower. They give a clear sound; but they are not made of metal. No mortal hand puts them in motion; they ring of themselves, or else not at all. Where do they hang? High above the stars; in the Divine counsel of grace. When it is there

said, "Such a one shall weep at my feet," the true bells are then rung, and a day of penitence and repentance is solemnized upon earth. Saul no longer kicks against the pricks; Nebuchadnezzar becomes a writhing worm; and the king of Nineveh sits in sackcloth and in ashes.

But when is a day of penitence of the proper kind cele

brated? I reply further, when the true church is thrown open. The true church-is that the building in which we are assembled? Would that it were! But I am afraid that the present day again shows us, that its doors being open constitutes no day of penitence. The church that I mean is contained within thee. It is thy heart. O, how is it closed by nature! What a dreadful bar has the evil one drawn before it! There is no want of those who attend this church. We preachers send out many every Sunday, with directions to enter the church. Those who thus attend the church are the sayings of the living God, the words of eternal truth; such as, 66 'Awake, thou that sleepest;""Deliver thy soul;" "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ;" "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." These and similar passages, we send with a mission into the midst of you, and say to them, "Enter into the temple of this or that unconverted individual's heart," and they go forth; but when they reach you, they find, indeed, your bodily ear open, or at most, the cellar door of your memory and understanding, in the coldness of which they freeze to death; whilst the temple of your heart is fast closed, and is inwardly dead and desolate, and only a flock of night-birds, such as unbelief, error, the love of the world, and sin, horde together there, like so many spectres and frightful phantoms. How gladly would we open the gates to these worthy guests, the passages of Divine truth, that they might expel the vile rabble. But however we may attempt to make an opening, whether knocking violently, with the hammer or the axe-whether gently, with the golden keys of entreaty and exhortation—it is all in vain; it is not the work of Another must perform it, even he who opened the heart of Lydia. Lydia then gave heed to the things which

man.