there ſeemed to be an appearance of Evil in this attion, though done with an honeſt mind, he deſires the Prophets Prayers that God would not charge it upon him as Idolatry, nor be diſpleaſed with him for that praQtice.
19 And he faid unto him, Go in peace ». So he
departed from him 7 a little way.
about this matter,Go,and the Peace or Blefling of God go along with thee. So the Propher both Prays ro God to blets and direct him in this and all other things, and intimates that God would do ſo. Or ſecondly, To the former, wer. 17. trouble not thy ſelf about any of our Earth,but go to thy own Land,and I with thee from God, and doubr not bur God will give thee peace, 1. e- his favour and other Blefſings,which are ofr contained in this Word,if thou doſt periiit in this Religion which thou haſt now received. Or rather, this is only a farewel Salutation, wherewith the Prophet diſnuſſeth him without any further Anſwer to his Requeſts or Inſtruction about his Doubt : which he forbore by the Motion of Gods Spirit, which ſometimes gives and ſometimes demies Inſtructions to Pers ſons or People, as he thinks fir. See 4#.16.6,7. And the Prophet by the Spirits Direction might forbear to give him particular An* ſwers,partly, becauſe theſe matters were nor of ſuch Importance as to concern the Efſence or Foundation of Religion : and partly, be< cauſe he was yet but a Novice, and not able to bear all Truths, which was for a time the condition of the Apoſtles,Foh. 16.12. nor fit to be preſled to the practice of the hardeir Duties, which Chriſt himſelt thought not convenient for his Diſciples,Matth.9.14,15,16,17« And therefore he at preſent accepts of his profeſſion of the true, and his Renunciation of the Falſe Religion ; and of this De- claration, that what he did in the Temple of Rimmen ſhou}d not now be ( as he had formerly intended and practiſed it) a Religious Action towards the Idol, but only a civil Reſpect ro his Maſter. And what was neceſlary for him to know further about the Law-= fulneſs or Sinfulneſs of that Action, the Prophet might take another and a more convenient time to inform him,
20 { Bur Gehazi the ſervant of Eliſha the man of God, ſaid, Behold, my maſter hath ſpared Naaman this Syrian #, In not receiving at his hand that which- he brovght : but as the LORD liveth,I will run afcer him, and take ſomewhat of him p.
o A Stranger,and one of that Nation who are the implacable Ene« mies ofGod's People : whom therefore thy Maſter ſhould not have had ſo much regard to,as to the Lord's Prophets, who better deſer- ved and more needed the Money which he offered, than Naaman himſelf did. p He ſwears,thar he might have ſome pretence for the Action to which he had bound himielf by his Oath; not conſider.
ing that to {wear to do any wicked Action,is ſo far from exculing it, that 1t makes it much worſe,
21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman:and when, Naa- man ſaw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him q, and ſaid, + Is all well ?
me r, ſaying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the ſons of the prophets - give them, I pray thee, a talent of ſilver, and two changes of garments.
7 This was a very unlikely Story ; but Naamaen was not willing
to queſtion it,but glad of the opportunity of ſhewing his Gratitude to the propher,
23 And Naaman ſaid, Be content, take two talents: and he urged him /, and bound two talents of ſilver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his ſervants,and they bare them before him.
J Who at firſt refuſed it upon a pret : Ace ts his Maths pert by pretence of Modeſty and Obe
he let the man go «, and they departed.
t A ſafe and private place which he choſe for that {e, and where pofſibly he hid and kept other things which apt Ge by ſuch like Frauds and Artifices. # Before they came within ſighr of his Maſter.
Eliſha ſaid unto him, Whence comeſt thou Gehazi ? and
DE ——
he ſaid, Thy ſervant went + no whither, =: 26 And
| Or be fas
Vourable to worſhip there, and he leaneth on my hand &, and ] ** 0 Gr,
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n Theſe words may contain an Anſwer : Either,Firſt,To his laſt little piece Petition, v. 18. and fo the ſenſe may be this, Be not too {ollicirous 9 grounds
+ Heb;
q Thereby teſtifying his greatReſpect to the Prophet hisMaſter; 1s there 22 And he faid, All js well : my maſter hath ſent peace?
24 And when he came to the || tower t,he took thew || Or;ſea® trom their hand,and beſtowed chem in the houſe ; and 2/*%
25 But he went in and ſtood before his maſter » ang tHe af
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26 And he ſaid unto him, Went not mine heart rb thee x, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a cime y to receive money, and to re- ceive garments,and oliveyards,and vineyards,and ſheep, and oxen, and meneſervants, and maid-ſervants z ?
x Did not my Mi-1d, being enlightned byGods Spirit,diſcern what thou faidſt and didit ? y Was this a fit ſcaſon for rhis a&ion ? I had but newly and obſtinately refuſed his Gifrs, for great Reaſons ; of which ſee on ver. 16. and now thou haſt given him cauſe to think, that I was a curfed & wicked Impoſtor,who vain-gloriouſly refuſed ;3n Publick,what I inwardly and greedily defired,and ſought only a fitter place & opportunity to take; and that all our Religion is but an Impoſture 3 and that the God who owns ſuch a vile Wretch for his Propher, as thou haſt repreſented me to him. is not ſo holy and righteous as we pretend. 2 Which Gehazr intended to purchaſe with this Money : & therefore the Propher names them,to inform him, That he exaQtly knew by Divine Inſpiration not only Gehazz 5 outward a&ions, but even his moſt ſecret Intentions»
27 The leproſie therefore of Naaman ſhall cleave unto thee, and unto thy ſeed for ever ||. And he went out
from his preſence Þ a leper 4s white as ſnow *.