They that war against thee-shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, ELISHA. When encompassed by the Syrians. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation ?-Heb. i. 14. 2 KINGS vi. 15. When the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots: and his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man ; and he saw and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, PRAYER-v. 18. MITE this people, I pray thee, with blindness. SMITE ANSWER. And he smote them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, PRAYER-v. 20. LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. ANSWER-v. 20-23. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. PROMISE-Ps. xxxiv. 7, 8. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good:-blessed is the man that trusteth in him. THE SAILORS OF JOPPA. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Rom. x. 13. JONAH i. 13. The men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, WE PRAYER-v. 14. E beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee. ANSWER- So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows. PROMISE-Ps. cvii. 28-30. They cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm,—so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. JONAH. Out of the Fish's Belly. As Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.-Luke xi. 30. JONAH i. 17; ii. 1. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, and said, PRAYER v. 2. I CRIED by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me ; Out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; And the floods compassed me about:-all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about even to the soul: The depth closed me round about,-the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains :-the earth with her bars was about me for ever: Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord; And my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanks giving; I will pay that that I have vowed.-Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. PROMISE-JOB Xxxiii. 27, 28. He looketh upon men; and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,— and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going into the pit,-and his life shall see the light. When God spared Nineveh. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.-Luke xi. 32. JONAH iii. 10; iv. 1. God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, PRAYER-v. 2. PRAY thee, O Lord, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country? therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me for it is better for me to die than to live. ANSWER-v. 4, 10, 11. Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry? |