undertaken, and Naaman the Syrian at length stands before the prophet. What thrilling wonders shall usher in the scene? None! The simple message, "go, wash in Jordan seven times," is all that greets his eye or ear. For a time he is wroth, but finally bathes his diseased body in the soothing waters, and is made whole. Then did he acknowledge Israel's God, and returning to Elisha's cottage, the prophet advances to meet him with a friendly greeting and congratulation. What heavenly streams of hallowed love and rapture here flow together from Naaman's heart and from Elisha's. The prophet worked not for earthly reward, and therefore refused the proffered gift in return.

The Lord sustains his people, and afterward, when the Syrians would have taken Elisha, the Lord smote them with blindness, and thus delivered his servant from their power. We soon see him, with his usual spirit of love, predicting peace and plenty to the beseiged inhabitants of Samaria.

Words of comfort and consolation ever seemed to flow spontaneously from his heart. Love was the grand seal stamped upon his mission, and with a sweet halo it clothed his whole prophetic ministry.

He continued his prophetic labors to the last, intent upon his Master's will in his last sickness. Having accomplished it, it is simply said of him, "and Elisha died, and was buried."

His character needs no eulogy. It speaks for itself. It was a life by God approved and blessed, and his reward is sure as heaven, and lasting as immortality.

CHAPTER XI.

Job.

JOB'S EXISTENCE DOUBTED; NOTED FOR WISDOM, WEALTH, AND PIETY; DEP
RIVATION OF ALL EARTHLY POSSESSIONS; SMITTEN WITH GRIEVOUS
DISEASE; PERFECT SUBMISSION; FINAL RESTORATION OF HIS
HOPES AND JOYS; REFLECTIONS ON THE BOOK OF JOB.

HERE are writers, and not a few, who seem disposed to regard this character of sacred history as a mere creation of genius, produced to subserve the purpose of a writer, whose design was, indeed, the inculcation of important truth, yet who found not in any phase of actual life a sufficiently elevated standard for his purpose.

We are, however, inclined to receive the unqualified declaration of the inspired penman, that "there was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job."

Instead, therefore, of considering him an ideal being, invested with certain feelings and attributes, drawn only from imagination, we have him at once presented to us as a living, actual being, and in a manner so interesting and engaging, that we are constrained at the very outset, to award to him a character of surpassing excellence, and singular integrity.

Eminent for his wisdom, wealth and piety, he is acknowledged to be the "greatest of all the men of the East," and attracts signal admiration by his rare preservation of pious virtues amid a scene of almost unexampled prosperity, as well as heroic fortitude under the most melancholy reverses ; which latter circumstance not only obtained for him transient fame, but rendered him to all coming generations, a bright example of christian patience and resignation under accumulated sorrows.

The sacred historian at once introduces us to his Eastern home, surrounded by affluence, and gladdened by the presence of sons and daughters; thus leaving imagination to

draw a grateful picture of domestic and social happiness, which their loving intercourse between themselves seems to justify.

Job had large possessions; flocks and herds numbered by thousands, and a numerous retinue of servants at his command to minister to his pleasure, and promote his advantage. He seems, however, to have been far from giving himself up to the sole enjoyment of sensual gratification, and a life of luxurious ease, but betrays aims and aspirations higher and nobler than the accumulation of earthly treasures, or their mere enjoyment.

The first occasion of his action given us, shows the prevailing sentiments of his heart,-a high regard for the best interests of others, with a holy solicitude for the Divine honor. The frequent festivals that called his children together being ended, he called them to his presence and "sanctified them;" or, as we may suppose, with true parental tenderness and anxiety, affectionately and faithfully counseled them, and then "offered burnt offerings to the number of them all," to atone for the sins they perhaps might have committed.

But the position and character of such a man escapes not the malicious darts of the enemy, and Satan accuses him to God, as a selfish person who serves him only for the hope of secular rewards,-whose conduct, so exemplary, is occasioned by the thought that it will procure for him more. abundant prosperity.

Thereupon he receives power to test the purity of his motives, and the strength of his character, restrained, however, from personal attack. Accordingly he goes forth, and while Job was in the midst of bright and prosperous days, with a seemingly cloudless sky above him, and every thing hopeful and promising around him, he suddenly crushes his fondest hopes, and blights his fairest prospects.

Behold him at the arrival of the unexpected messenger, who tells him how the Sabeans have not only taken his cattle, but slain his servants who were with them, he alone escaping to tell him! And see how ere the first feeling of surprise is

over, another and still anotner comes to proclaim the desolation which fires from heaven and Chaldean bands have made in his vast possessions, depriving him at once not only of his numerous flocks, but his faithful servants.

Surely this were enough for one man to bear, but were this all, it were comparatively light. Scarcely had the last finished his story, when the climax appeared in the astounding intelligence that his family too were destroyed, and one fearful stroke had bereft him of his ten children.

The loss of all worldly goods might be endured; and the sudden change from affluence to penury be tolerable, were the love and sympathy of his children retained. But all is gone. Surely, human nature will no longer be able to sustain the crushing weight of sorrow, and will sink irrecoverably beneath it. But no! he cherished no rebellious feelings, uttered no murmuring words, and in the intensity and poignancy of his grief gave utterance to that expressive language of resignation which has found a response in so many christian hearts since then, and showed his own, firmly anchored where earth's sweeping billows could not reach it, even this: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

He did not charge God with acting unkindly toward him, but felt as perfectly satisfied with the privation which the hand of God had occasioned, as he was with the affluence and health that hand had bestowed.

This is a transaction indeed, that gives a strong and vivid coloring to the character of Job, and makes him a perfect pattern of patience and holy submission under the most severe and complicated trials.

In this Satan was utterly disappointed; he found a man who loved his God more than his earthly portion, and enraged to be thus baffled, he presented himself once more before God, and asserted that Job continued thus faithful because he knew that God would reward his constancy with an equal or even greater portion of earthly blessings; but if he would afflict his body by some grievous disease, he would soon bandon his service, and be at the end of his patience.

In order fully to show the piety of this exemplary man, the Lord permitted him to do as he pleased, and he became the subject of continued and protracted suffering, the aggravation of which was heightened by the loss of his usual comforts, in a temporal point of view.

His wife, who was still spared him, thought his situation sufficiently trying to excite bitter murmurings, and with a spirit not at all in unison with his, intimated the worthlessness of his confidence, and the folly of maintaining his integrity, since it was of so little apparent advantage. The afflicted, suffering husband heard only to rebuke, and with a still trusting heart exclaimed:-"Shall we receive good at the the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" As if to say, "shall we murmur when he afflicts us for a day, since he has given us health for so many years? Shall we complain about momentary privations, when he has given us such a long successson of enjoyments? His blessings are his own; he never gave, but only lent them. We have had the long, the free, the unmerited use of them, and shall we be offended at the owner, when he comes to claim his own property?"

The testimony given of Job in all this, is that "he sinned not." He still exercised the same pious trust in heaven,showed the same devout submission, though property, family and health had all forsaken him.

His friends came together to comfort him, but his was that silent, soul-felt grief, that words only mock; and for seven days and nights they sat by him, with no attempt to answer the design of their visit; but at length he opened his mouth to wish he had long since reached that land where the weary rest, and the wicked trouble not.

Then follows those chapters of protracted converse between themselves, which drew from Job the expression that his friends were "miserable comforters," and strongly marks in the case of the former, the struggle of piety and resignation with continued affliction, violent temptation, and gloomy providences.

At one time Satan seems to have access to his mind, and