The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 41

of II prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the n&me of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward."-0. H. L yers. 18~7.-Death 11ntl restora™"!- This is a touching story. It is a story for ch_ild':'8n· It 1s a story for parents. It 1s a story for every one. The circumstances of this httle boy's death were peculiarly sad. He had been an unexpected gift of God to his parents. His mother had not sought for him; but God sent her a son as a reward for her kindness to his servant, and in answer to the prophet's prayer. Perhaps when !his sudden stroke came upon her, a1;1d sh~ watched the little fellow pine away and die in her arms, the poor mother felt a httle disposed to murmur at the strange providence. She no doubt wondered why God had tried her thus, to send her a child entirely unex- pected and unasked by her, and then-when he had reached that most interesting age, when he was able to run merrily to and fro, when his childish prattle filled the house with gladness, and when his parents' affections had begun to twine themselves about him-then to take him from her! She may not, perhaps, have had hard thoughts of God, but, with all the faith and patience which she afterwards showed, she certainly was II little disposed to blame Elisha. For we find her saying to him, when she went to tell him of her trouble, "Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say Do not deceive me?" But God's hand was in it all, as she soon learned. Perhap; she was beginning to make an idol of this child, and God took this way of reminding her that the child was his, that on earth there is none abiding, and that he himself should have the supreme homage of the human heart. Ah yes, she knew something of God's love before, but she never would have known half so much of it but for this trial. 'l'he sunshine is beautiful ; but sometimes in a time of continued drought we learn that the world would not get on with perpetual sunshine. We are positively glad to see the clouds and the min. If we could only learn the same lesson for our spiritual life I The sunshine is sweet, but the clouds have their uses too. • No shattered box of ointment We ever need regret, For out of disappointment Flow sweetest odours yet. • The discord that involveth Some startling change of key, The Master's hand resolveth In richest harmony." We have here- I. A BELIEVING KOTHEB. We see her strong faith in God in that answer which she gave to Gehazi. At Elisha'• command he asked her, "Is it well with thee? ts it well with thy husband? is it well with the child?" And she answered, " It is well." Not a woman of many words, this. But a woman of great thoughts, of practical faith, of heroic patience. L It was well with the child. She had no doubt of that. She knew less about the hereafter than we do. She did not know what we know about him who is the Resurrection and the Life, who was himself dead and is alive again. She did not know what we know about heaven-about the angels' soug and the pearly gates and the golden stret:ts. But this she felt assured of, that t,here was a hereafter; that, though the body died, the soul still lived; that her child was with Goel, and that, therefore, it was well with him. 2. It was well with her hmband. It was well with herself. Ye.s, although sorrow had entered their home, still she could feel and say that it wa~ well all round. She could have anticipated Paul in his unfaltering assertion, for " we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the ca.lfod according to his purpose." Calmly and confidently, even though perhapti her tears were falling while she spok~, she uttered the single Hebrew word which meaus " It is well." Thank God for beli.eving mothers. A mother's faith in God has rescued many a son from the very grasp of hell itself. How many an eminent servant of Go:J ha.s owed his conversion t-0 the prayers of a believing mother I St. Augustine and Jc,hri Newton are well-known instances. A word here to bereaved parents. You too may havt watched a dear child droop and die. Perhaps you murmured rebelliously ur,,J~r your afiliction. Leara to look away beh.wd the veil, into that happy lanJ of OIi. IV, 1-44.] THE SECOND BOOK 01!' THE KINGS. 77