HOMILETICS. VeN. 1-6.-" .All things work together for good to them that love God." The piety of the Shunammite bad been sufficiently shown in the previous record left us of her (eh. iv. 8-37). The i:equel of her st-0ry indicates how, in a wonderful way events and circumstances seemingly fortuitous and unconnected work together forth; advantage and happiness of one who lives virtuously, and seeks in all things to serve God and sdrnnce the cause of religion. "The series of incidents," it has been well said, "forms a marvellous web of Divine dispensations" (Bahr). I. THE FAMINE. This lies at the root of the whole. If God had not ordained a famin•~ upon the land-" en.lied for it," and brought it about-none of the other incidents would have been possible. The woman would not have lost her property, would have had no occasion to "cry " to the king, and would have come into no personal contact either with him or with Gehazi. II. TnE PROPHET'S WARNING. The prophet, when 10 terrible a calamity as a seven years' famine impended over the land, might well have given all his thoughts to the general sufferings of the people, and have forgotten individuals. But God's providence determines otherwise. Elisha bethinks himself of the Shunammite, albeit she is but a unit in the vast mass of suffering humanity, and warns her of the coming evil, bidding her quit the land and sojourn elsewhere. This advice, which she follows, is the second link in the chain. III. THE COINCIDENCE OF THE Knm's DESIRE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ELISHA WITH THE RETURN OF THE WOMAN TO HER OWN LAND. It was, humanly speaking, a pure accident that the curiosity of the king with respect to Elisha happened to be aroused just as the famine was over, and the woman, having returned from Pbilistia into the land of lsrael, found her estate occupied by another. It was another accident that she bethought herself of appealing to the king, instead' of having recourse to any other remedy. IV. THE COINCIDENCE OF GEB.AZI DEmG SPEAKING OF BEB CASE EXAOTLY AS SHE 11ADE HEn APPEARANCE, Gehazi had scores of miracles to relate, and might have been discoursing of any one of them ; but events were so ordered that it was of her child's resurrection that he was telling the king, and not of any other miracle, when she came into the royal presence. 'l'his coincidence it was which so interested the king in her, that he at once gave the order for restoring her estate to her. We may learn from the entire narrative, (1) that our lives are divinely ordered; (2) that nothing happens to us by mere chance; (3) that events which seem to us, at the time when they happen, of the least possible importance, may be necessary links in the chain which Divine providence is forging for the ordering of our lives, and for the working out through them of the Divine purposes. Vers. 7-9.-The power of ca1,a,mity to bend tlie spirit of the proud. Benhadad had hitherto been an enemy of Jehovah and his prophets. He had sought Elisha's life (eh. vL 13-20), and, when baffled in his design to seize his person, had made a bold attempt to crnsh and destroy the whole Israelite nation. But now God had laid his hand upon him ; he was prostrated on a sick-bed; and lo I all was altered. The mighty monarch, so lately glorying in bis strength, and, in bis own opinion, infinitely above any soi-disant ·prophet, is brought down so low that, on hearing of Elisha's having come voluntarily to his capital, instead of seizing him, he sends him a humble embassy. Hazael, a high officer of the court, is bidden to" take a present in his band, and ao meet the man of God, and inquire of Jehovah by him-Will the king recover from"his discas~?" The present is a rich one, made by Oriental ostentation to appear tVen grander than it is in reality. Forty camels bear their burden to the prophet's door, and bring him "every good thing of Damascus," without let or stiot. 'l'he great kina calls biu,sc!f Elisha's son-" Thy son Benhadad has sent me to thee" 0
(ver. 9). Never was there a more complete reversal of human conditions. The hunted enemy is now felt to be the best friend ; is courted, flattered, propitiated bot_h by act and word. The proud king grovels in the dust, is content to be the prophet. s 10n and servant, does him obeisance morally, and haugs upon his words as those of on. vm. 1-29.J THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. li3