The former of these stories, that of the widow of Sarepta, you will find recorded in 1 Kings xvii. 8-16. Its main points are mentioned in the text, and they are these. During the prevalence of a famine or scarcity of provisions in the land of Israel and the adjoining countries, the prophet Elijah was sent by God to Sarepta, or Zarephath, a small town not in the land of Israel, but in the adjoining country of Sidon, to be maintained by a poor widow woman who lived there. And when he came there, he found the widow, who had but a handful of meal, and a little drop of oil left, which she was about to bake, in order to get one meal more for herself and child. However, the promise and the power of God prevailed; and the barrel of meal wasted not, and the cruse of oil did not fail, till the time came when provisions were again cheap, and her former means of support returned to her. Very much useful and important instruction is to be gained from this interesting story; but I shall only call your attention to two points, on which our Lord dwells in the text.

Elijah was sent to be maintained by a widow, and a widow who had a child upon her hands to maintain as well as herself; and one too who was very poor-all whose stock of provision was but a little meal and a drop of oil; and when that was gone, who had no money to purchase any more, at the exorbitant rate at which provisions were then sold. Now it may be asked, why was Elijah sent to be maintained by a poor widow, when there were many great and rich people in the place, who could afford to maintain him better than she could?

To this it might be answered, that sometimes it happens, that the more a man has, the less he is

disposed to part with; and the greater the abundance in the storehouse and barn, the less kindness and charity and liberality there is in the heart. There might have been many rich people in Sarepta, but perhaps there was only this poor widow, who had faith enough to receive the prophet into her house, and to trust God to make her amends.

But this is not the true or only reason to be given. God sent his prophet to the widow, to show that He is no respecter of persons; that to be mean and poor and ill off as to this world's goods, is no obstacle to His favour and blessing. It was a great honour to entertain one of His prophets, and a great blessing went with it. And who obtained this honour and blessing? A poor widow, gathering of sticks at the gate of Sarepta. Now if any of us are very poor and of humble occupations, they may take comfort from recollecting that God considered this poor widow. He did not forget her, poor as she was, and humble as was her occupation; and the same great and gracious God, who was her friend, will be theirs also, if they diligently seek Him, and look for His salvation in Christ Jesus His Son.

But observe again, Elijah was sent to be maintained by a person of Sarepta, a place in Sidon, not in Israel. Why was he sent to such a place as this? There were many widows in Israel, our Lord tells us in the text, at the time; many persons who would have been glad of his company in the land where the true God was known and worshipped. Why, then, was he sent to an idolatrous and heathen land, where the true religion was not known, or if known, very little practised?

It might be answered, Elijah was sent there to be out of the way of his enemies. Ahab, the

That

wicked king of Israel, was bent upon his destruction. So the prophet was sent out of his reach, into a land to which his power and authority did not extend. But this is not the true or only reason to be assigned. Elijah was sent to Sarepta, to show, that God bestows His favours on such persons and in such a way as He pleases. which was denied to the Israelites, was given to an inhabitant of a blind and ignorant heathen town; and we may hence learn, that if any persons reject the words of God, and will not receive His messengers and ministers, He will find others who will.

The latter story alluded to in the text, is the story of Naaman the Syrian, recorded 2 Kings v. Naaman was captain of the host of the king of Syria, a great man and honourable, a mighty man in valour; but he was a leper, that is, afflicted with the leprosy, a very filthy and terrible disorder in any country, but especially so in those hot climates. This person was cured by following the direction of Elisha, and washing himself in Jordan seven times. There are two points connected with this story, which I will notice.

That as the widow in the former case, to whom God was merciful, was poor in circumstances, and humble in rank, Naaman, in the present case, was a rich, and great, and honourable man. Hence

learn, that riches are no more a bar to God's favour than the want of them. Rich and poor, high and low, persons of all ranks and in all circumstances, may enjoy God's blessing, if they will.

It may be asked, why did God cure a Syrian of his leprosy, and let many Israelites go uncured?

"Many lepers," says our Lord in the text, "were in Israel, in the time of Eliseus, but none of them was cleansed saving Naaman the Syrian." The answer to this is the same as in the former case, He did it to show that He is a Sovereign-that He has mercy on whom He will-that He dispenses His gifts to such persons and in such ways as He sees fit. It will not do, therefore, to trust to name or outward privilege; for both in the case of the widow of Sarepta and that of Naaman the Syrian, we find those who were called the people of God-persons who had the greatest religious advantages-we find them passed by, in favour of others who had none.

In considering, then, as we proposed,

II. THE DOCTRINES INVOLVED IN THE TEXT, this appears the first and principal, viz.

The absolute sovereignty of Almighty God. This was the doctrine which Christ intended to teach the people of Nazareth, and which so offended them, and made them so angry.

Why did God favour the two gentile persons, the Sidonian widow, and the Syrian soldier, rather than two of His own people the Jews? The only answer which can be given is, Such was His holy will. And to bring this doctrine to bear upon ourselves and our own circumstances, let me ask,

Why has God sent His word, and supplied the means of grace, and caused the true light of the gospel to shine in this country, rather than in others? Why are we more favoured than the Africans or the Indians, who are still in heathen darkness and ignorance? The only answer is, So it seemed good in His sight.

Or to bring the matter still more home to ourselves. If there are any here, who are serious in their minds, and have renounced the ways and works of the world, and are depending on our Lord Jesus Christ for pardon and eternal life, and are earnestly seeking God's grace to carry them to and fit them for God's glory, let me ask,

Why has God put these things into their hearts, and why has He taught them that knowledge, and given them that wisdom, of which so many careless, unconcerned, thoughtless souls are utterly destitute? Here again the only answer is, Such was His holy will and His good pleasure.

If God has mercy on any poor, guilty, condemned sinner here, and saves him from hell, and brings him to heaven, it will be a matter not of right, but of favour; not because the sinner deserves salvation, but because the Saviour pleases and chooses to give him salvation. This is the first and chief doctrine contained in the text. Another is,

How great the number of sinners in need of salvation, compared with the few who attain it! 66 I say unto you," says our Lord in the text, many widows were in Israel." There were many, very many widows in Israel, but Elijah was sent to only one. And again, “Many lepers were in Israel, but none of them was cleansed, save Naaman the Syrian."

How many sinners are there in the world, and how few of them are likely to be saved! This is an awful reflection! "Wide is the gate and broad the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat; but strait is the gate and narrow the way that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it."