Elijah being to carry his body with him, this heavenly guard appeared visibly, not in a human shape as usual, though they might have borne him up in their arms, or carried him up as on eagle's wings; but they appear in the form of a chariot and borses, that he may ride in state, may ride in triumph, like a prince, like a conqueror, yea, more than a conqueror:" the angels are called in scripture cherubim and seraphim, and their appearance here, though it may seem below their dignity, answers to both those names; for seraphim signifies fiery, and God is said to make them a flame of fire, Psalm civ. 4. Cherubim, as many think, signifies chariots, and they are called "the chariots of God," Psalm 1xviii. 17. and he is said. to "ride upon a cherub," Psalm xviii. 10. to which perhaps there is an allusion in Ezekiel's vision of four living creatures and wheels, like horses and chariots; in Zechariah's vision they are so represented, Zech. i. 8. vi. 1. compare Rev. vi. 2, &c. See the readiness of the angels to do the will of God, even in the meanest services, for the good of them that are heirs of salvation; Elijah must remove to the world of angels, and therefore to shew how desirous they were of his company, some of them come to fetch him; the chariot and horses appeared like fire, not for burning, but brightness, not to torture or consume him, but to render his ascension conspicuous and illustrious in the eyes of those that stood afar off to view it; Elijah had through grace burned with holy zeal for God and his honour, and now with a heavenly fire he was refined and translated.

Ver. 12. "And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof."] --These words contain a reverential and triumphant expression of Elisha's love to Elijah. "My father;" which is expressive of his reverence, duty, and love, that he owed to him, and of the quick sensation which he had of the loss of Elijah. The "chariot of Israel," is a poetical or triumphant expression of this prophet's usefulness to Israel, to ask counsel of God, to guide them and go before them as their leader. When the Lord calls to the church triumphant his faithful servants, who preach the gospel, and are, as it were, the chariots and horsemen of his spiritual Israel, it is matter of lamentation to the church militant; and those hearts may justly be said to be hard, who are not affected with such awful dispensations of providence.

Ver. 14. "And said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah?"-That is, Where is the power of the Lord God of Elijah? Which Elisha spoke with reverence and humble expectation that the God of Elijah would appear for him, as he had done for Elijah. Thus we see that a church should not be distrustful of help, even when the Lord takes their minister from them: for he will raise up Elishas in the room of his Elijahs, and favour them with bis power and presence.

Ver. 21. "Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters."]-Hence observe, that the true servants of the Lord always acknowledge his power in whatever blessing he is pleased to make them the instruments of to his people, whether providential or spiritual: hence let us learn to hope for the appearance of divine mercy, even when there seems a barrenness.

CHAPTER III.

We are now called to attend the public affairs of Israel, in which we shall find Elisha concerned. Here is, 1. The general character of Jehoram king of Israel, ver. 1—3. 2. A war with Moab, in which Jehoram and his allies were engaged, ver. 4-8. 3. The straits which the confederate army was reduced to in their expedition against Moab, and their consulting of Elisha in that distress, with the answer of peace he gave them, ver. 9-14. 4. The glorious issue of this campaign, ver. 20-25. and the barbarous method the king of Moab took to oblige the confederate army to retire, ver. 26, 27. The house of Ahab is doomed to destruction; and though in this chapter we have both its character and its condition better than before, yet the threatened ruin is not far off.

VER. 12. "And Jehoshaphat said, the word of the Lord is with him."]-Thus we see that the Lord's servants have an honourable employment, for his mind is revealed to them; and by the word of the Lord being with the prophet, we may understand the Lord Jesus, the essential Word, the Shekinah, or glory of the Lord, manifesting himself to him, and thereby revealing his Father's counsels and designs in providence as well as in grace.

Ver. 15.Now bring me a minstrel."]-It was usual with the prophets to prophecy with instruments of music before them; therefore Elisha calls for a minstrel, that is, a player on a musical instrument, one that played on his harp,

and sung spiritual psalms, in which Elisha delighted, and which he now used as a means to enjoy the Lord's presence, and the revelation of his will. Thus they that prize com

munion with God, will always prize the means thereof.

CHAPTER IV.

Great service Elisha had done in the foregoing chapter for the three kings; to his prayers and prophecies they owed their lives and triumphs; now one would have expected that the next chapter should have told us what honours and what dignities were done to Elisha for this: that he should presently have been preferred at court, and made prime minister of state that Jehoshaphat should have taken him home with him, and advanced him in his kingdom. No, the wise man delivered the army, but no man remembered the wise man, Eccles. ix. 15. Or if he had preferment offered him, he declined it: he preferred the honour of doing good in the schools of the prophets, before that of being great in the courts of princes. God magnified him, and that sufficed him; magnified him indeed, for we have him here employed in working no less than five miracles. (1.) He multiplied the poor widow's oil, ver. 1-7. (2.) He obtained for the good Shunamite the blessing of a son in her old age, ver. 8-17. (3.) He raised that child to life, when it was dead, ver. 18-37. (4.) He healed the deadly pottage, ver. 38— 41. (5.) He fed a hundred men with twenty small loaves, ver. 42 -44.

VER. 6. "There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed."]-This blessing of oil was given to the widow and her sons, and some think that she was of the tribe of Asher, whose blessing was, "That he should dip his foot in oil,' Deut. xxxiii. 24. and we find that the oil flowed as long as the widow had any vessel to receive it: then why should we fear that the golden oil, which flows from Christ, the good olive tree, should fail as long as there are any lamps to be supplied therefrom?

Ver. 13. "And she answered, I dwell among mine own people."]-She seemed contented, pleased, and satisfied with this, as one of the greatest blessings that she could enjoy in which respect it may be figurative of that satisfaction the believer takes in dwelling with the children of God in church union and communion, in enjoying all the privileges and ordinances of the house of God, dwelling with them in brotherly love, unity, and harmony: these the believer esteems his own people and kindred, as they are loved with the same everlasting love, bought with the same precious blood, taught by the same Spirit, heirs of the same

promises, children of the same Father, and fellow-travellers to the heavenly Canaan. These the believer calls his own. people, and he esteems it a great privilege to dwell among them in the union and fellowship of the gospel: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Ver. 26. "And she answered, It is well."]-It becomes the men of God to enquire into the welfare of their friends, their families, and the welfare of their souls. Under every trial in providence it is our duty to say, "It is well;" because it is the will of the Lord, "who doth all things well." It is the language of faith to say, "It is well," even in the midst of the greatest trials; as there are here, a distressed father, a weeping mother, and a dead child: for faith never complains, but always acquiesces in the will of God.

Ver. 40, 41. "O thou man of God, there is death in the pot."]-What this herb was that made death in the pot we are not told: some think that it was the herb coloquintida, which is of a poisonous nature. May not this be figurative of those, who are now called the sons of the prophets, who attend some academies, which regard human learning too much, and vital religion too little? There is too much ground to fear that many of them gather they know not what; a little free will, a little free grace, a little of the law, a little of the gospel, and a little of the works of righteousness, a little of Christ's righteousness, some promises, some threatenings, and mix them all together, without any distinction or spiritual understanding "to divide the word of truth aright;" and when it is poured forth ministerially, the gracious soul cannot have food from it; and it is to them as "death in the pot:" for it may be said that there is death in free will, death in the law, death in pretended works of righteousness; and there can be no food for the soul, till this death be removed by the blood, righteousness, and atonement of Christ, which may be figured forth by the flour or meal which the man of God cast into the pot; for Christ is set forth as the finest of wheat, Psalm cxlvii. 14.

CHAPTER V.

Two more of Elisha's miracles are recorded in this chapter, 1. The cleansing of Naaman, a Syrian, a stranger, from his leprosy. (1.) The badness of his case, ver. 1. (2.) The providences that brought him to Elisha, the intelligence given him by a captive maid, ver. 2-4. A letter from the king of Syria to the king of Israel to introduce him, ver. 5--7. And the invitation Elisha sent him, ver. 8. (3.) The method prescribed for his cure; his submission with much ado to that method, and his cure thereby, ver. 6—14. (4.) The grateful acknowledgments he made to Elisha hereupon, ver. 15-19. 2. The smiting of Gehazi, his own servant, with that leprosy. (1.) Gelazi's sins, which were belying his master to Naaman, ver. 20-24. and lying to his master when he examined him, ver. 25. (2.) His punishment for this sin, Naaman's leprosy was entailed on his family, ver. 26-27. And if Naaman's cure was typical of the calling of the gentiles, as our Saviour seems to make it, Luke iv. 27. Genazi's stroke may be looked upon as typical of the blinding and rejecting of the Jews, who envied God's grace to the gentiles, as Gehazi envied Elisha's favour to Naaman.

VER. 9 to 16. "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean?"-Observe, Naaman's answer to the prophet may be figurative of the answer of the carnal mind to God's free way of salvation by Christ. "What, (saith he,) are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean?" So perhaps, dear reader, thou art ready to say, Are not good works, a sober and religious life, enough to save us? May we not wash in these, and be clean? These are good between man and man; but what have these to do between God and thy soul in the matter of atonement for thy sins? The Lord points out the only way, saying, "I am the way," John xiv. 6. And again, "This is the way, walk in it," Isaiah xxx. 21. And Christ is so narrow

a way, so straight a door, that, except the Holy Ghost pull off all your rags of righteousness, you cannot get in. Our Saviour wants none of your righteousness: it is all in his pure sight like painted iniquity; it is but filthy rags, Isaiah Ixiv. 6.

Paul, who was born a Jew, gloried as much in this, as you do in your being born christians; but afterwards he found, "That he was not a Jew, who was one outwardly," or did like Jews in outward things, "but he, (saith he) is a Jew who is one inwardly," Rom. ii. 28, 29. The apostle was of