VIH. THE STAFF AND THE SACRIFICE. i^ 



proceed from a true knowledge of the case, and it 

 did not contain the requisite amount of faith. For 

 these reasons it did not succeed. Death would not 

 release his prey at the bidding of such a feeble and 

 inadequate instrumentality. Elisha himself did not 

 manifest any surprise when Gehazi returned from his 

 fruitless errand, and told him, saying, " The child is 

 not awaked." Having adopted the measure as a 

 human precaution, and not at the instigation of God's 

 Spirit, he could not count upon success ; and therefore 

 there was no revulsion of feeling, no shock to his faith. 

 He knew by the result that he had committed an error 

 in judgment, that he had adopted the wrong expedient; 

 and upon its failure he was prepared to try the personal 

 method, by going himself to the scene of death, and 

 doing what he could himself to raise the dead to life. 



It will be lawful, in the first place, to apply this 

 incident to the mode of salvation that existed in the 

 time of Elisha the method of imparting life to the 

 dead body of humanity by the dispensations previous 

 to the Gospel. These modes were all impersonal. 

 God Himself did not come into closest contact with 

 men, did not identify Himself with their interests, did 

 not assume their nature or tabernacle with them. As 

 Elisha sent his servant to restore the dead child, so He 

 sent His prophets and priests and godly men, and spoke 

 to mankind at sundry times and in divers manners. 

 He sent His servants with His commission, and gave 

 them His staff, the rod of His power. He entered into 

 covenant with Israel, and gave them laws and institu- 



