other person were in full possession of our ideas, we are offended at him for not acting as we would have him ; when most pro- bably we ourselves, had we been in his situation, should not have followed the line of conduct which we had marked out for him. It is surprising how much disquietude this mistaken spirit occasions in men's own minds, and how many disagree- ments it produces in the world.]
3. His reigning unbelief —
[Though Naaman came expecting that a miracle should be wrought by the prophet, yet would he not use the means which the prophet prescribed. He did not expect the effect to be produced by the power of God, but by the mere act of washing in a river ; and then he concluded, that the rivers of his own country were as competent to the end desired, as any river in Israel. Thus, because he saw not the suitableness of the means to the end, he would not use the means in order to the end, notwithstanding they were so easy, and so safe.
It is thus that unbelief continually argues : ' God, I am told, would do such and such things for me, if I would apply to him in the use of such and such particular means : but what can those means effect V This is an absurd mode of arguing : for, when God commanded Moses to smite the rock with his rod, did the promised effect not follow, because a stroke of his rod could not of itself produce it ? God can work equally by means or without means ; and whatever he prescribes, that it is our wisdom to do, in full expectation that what he promises shall surely be accomplished.
When Naaman was made sensible of his folly, and complied with the direction of the prophet, then his disorder vanished ; and " his flesh became like the flesh of a little child." And thus shall we find in relation to every thing which God has promised, that *' according to our faith it will be unto us."]
We now proceed to consider this history,
II. In a way of spiritual accommodation —
We are not in general disposed to take Scripture in any other than its true and primary sense : though, as the inspired writers occasionally take passages of Holy Writ in an accommodated sense, we feel it to be a liberty which on some particular occasions we are warranted to take. We think it would be too much to say that this history was hitemled to shew how the Gentiles are to be washed from the guilt of sin; but sure we are that it is well adapted for that end : and, as the leprosy was certainly a type of sin.