Vers. ~11.-The right and the prudent. "Then they said one to another, We do not well." etc. These verses record tbe conference which these four lepers had with one another after they bad succeeded in working out their resolution to go unto the "host of the Syrians; " and in this conference we discover- I. 'l'EE RIGHT. "They said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tiding~, and we hold our peace." The silver and the gold which they had dis- covered they had hidden away; and now, perhaps, conscience told them it was not right. It is not right for us to conceal ihe good we have discovered, or to appropriate it entirely to our own use; let us communicate it. The distribution of good is right. Every man should be "ready to communicate." The monopoly of material good is a huge wroag, and the cryiag sin of the age. Legislation will have to deal with this social abomication sooner or later; it is crushing the millions to the dust. Monopolies must be broken up; the wants of society and the claims of eternal justice demand it. What is truly "glad tidings" to us we should proclaim to others. The rays of joy that fall over our own lives we should not'retain, but reflect. IL THE PRUDEl."T. Whether these poor men felt it was right to communicate to others the tidings of the good they had received or not, they certainly felt it was prudent. "If we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household." Accordingly they acted. "So they came acd called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We ea.me to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of mac, but horses tied, a1,d asses tied, and the tents as they were. And he called to the porters; and they told it to the king's house within." Not to do the right thing must cause some" mischief "-mischid not only to the body, but to the soul as well, to the ectire man. There is no prudence apart from rectitude. What is wrong in moral principle is mischievous in conduct. He who is in the right, however outvoted by hie age, is always in the majority, for he bas that vote which carries all material universes and spiritual hierarchies with it. Right is infallible uti!itarianism.-D. 'I'.
Vere. 12-16.-Tl,e Mlp that comu to diatressed men from withou,t. "And the king arose in the night," etc. These verses suggest a few thoughts concerning the help that eometimes comes to distressed men from without. The best help that a man can get OJI, VII, 1-20.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. l,j!)
in nny case is from within-from e. right working or his own faculties, independence on his Moker. Still, help from without is often most ve.luable. There are three kinds of humon helpers without. 1. 'l'hose that help men by their will. These are men, the chosen of the race, who lay themselves out for philanthropic service. 2. Those that help men against their will. It often tarns out, as in the case of Joseph's brethren, that our enemies really serve us. 3. Those that help men irrespective of their will. We are helped in me.ny ways by those who know and care nothing about us. We come into possession of their knowledge, inventions, property. The property of the ruen of the last age is ours to-day. Such is the kind of help which the Syrians now rendered the Israelites, and we offer three remarks concerning this help. I. IT WAS NEEDED. 'l'he men of Samaria were in the utmost distress, e.nd the king arose in the night and sent forth two of his servants (ver. 12) in pursuit of the Syrians to see what had happened. As tbey approached the spot they found that the Syrians had departed, but had left their property behind. "And the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste." Thus in the height of their distress they found relief. It is often so in passing throngh life; often so in individual as well as in social life. In the greatest extremity help appears. When the cloud is darkest a beam of light breaks on it. II. IT WAB UNDESERVED. Did these Samaritans deserve help? By no means. They were nearly all idolatrous and worthless people. They merited condign punish- ment, everlasting ruin. This is true of all men as sinners. Whatever help we receivo is utterly undeserved. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed." III. IT WAB UNEXPEOTED. They went forth longing for food, but quite uncertain whether they would find any. They found that the enemy had fled, and in their haste had left provisions behind. 11 So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel." Are not all men, in the providence of God, constantly receiving wnnpected favours? The choicest blessings come when least expected.-D. T. Vers. 17-20.-God's promise realized and his truth vindicated. 11 And the king appointed the lord on whose band be leaned to have the charge of the gate," etc. We have here an i:lstance of two things. I. Goo's PROMISE REALIZED. Jn the first verse of this chapter Elisha had said, •• Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel." 'J'be morrow had come, and here is the fine flour and the barley being sold in the gate of Samaria. Here is the Divine pro- mise fulfilled to the letter. God is ever faithful who hath promised. If e. being makes a promise, and it is not fulfilled, it must be for one of three reasons-either because he was insincere when he made the promise, or subsequently changed his mind, or met with unforeseen difficalties which he had not the power to surmount. None of these can be applied to the all-truthful, unchangeable, e.11-seeing, and almighty God. II. Goo's TRUTH VINDIOATED. The haughty courtier said to the prophet yesterday, when he was told that e. measure of fine flour would be sold for e. shekel, " If the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?" As if he had said, "Do not presume to impose on me, e. man of my intelligence and importance. The intel- lectual rabble may believe in you, but I cannot." Whereupon the prophet replied, 11 'l'hou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof." And so it came to pas~. Here are the flour and the barley, and there lies dead the haughty sceptic. "And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died." Truth has ever vindicated itselF, and will ever do so. Men's unbelief in facts does not either destroy or weaken facts; the facts remain. Though all the world deny the existence of a God, moral obligatiun, e.nd future retribution, the facts romain.-D. T.