reader, that the Syrian convert, after he had made the strongest professions of his acknowledgement of the God of Israel, and solemnly declared, that he would henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto any other gods, but unto the Lord only; should yet immediately request Elisha's permission to go with his master into the temple of Rimmon, and bow down before a Syrian idol. And it may seem still stranger that the prophet should appear to consent to his proposal, and bid him go in peace.

But, whilst the learned have been thus busied in vindicating the sincerity of Naaman, the cor rupt and deceitful have been no less forward in wresting his example to countenance their own hypocrisy and dissimulation in matters of religion. Like him, they know no other God, but the God of heaven and earth: like him, they are ready, in private, to pay him the spiritual worship that is his due: like him, they are willing to build an altar to his name, and raise their hearts, in secret, to the God that made the world: but, at the same time, they are no less ready to fall down before an idol, or to join for convenience in any way of worship; pretending by this example of Naaman, to silence the reproaches of conscience, and to be able to answer for their conduct before God,

Amidst

Amidst this variety of contention and learned labour, it shall be my present business, first, to set the words of the text in as clear a light as I ean, from considering one or two of the principal interpretations, which have been given of them; and, secondly, to shew, that this sort of hypocrisy has no foundation in the example of Naaman.

And 1st, It has been suggested by two learned writers before whose respectable authority I bow down with becoming reverence and humility, that Naaman here asks pardon of God, not for any thing that he was going to do, but for an action that was already past; for a sin committed in the time of his ignorance, before he was enlightened with the knowledge of the true God. And, therefore, agreeably to this interpretation, the words ought to be thus translated: "In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, "that when my master formerly went into the

house of Rimmon to worship there, and he "leaned on my hand, and I bowed myself in "the house of Rimmon, -the Lord pardon thy

servant in this thing." And in support of this interpretation it has been urged, first, that it is much more probable that Naaman should

Lightfoot and Bochart,

supplicate God's forgiveness for a crime already committed, than for one which he was going to commit; secondly, that this interpretation is much more consistent with his former renunciation of idolatry; and, lastly, that it is very agreeable to the idiom of the Hebrew language.

But, in answer to these several arguments, I would briefly observe,

First That the many circumstances here mentioned by Naaman, plainly shew, that something more was meant than a bare general renunciation of idolatry. Secondly, That a deprecation of his past sin in bowing down to Rimmon was no way, at this time, necessary; since he had already declared his intention of worshipping God only, for the future, who, by the miracle wrought in his favour, had clearly expressed his acceptance of him. Thirdly, That there is no appearance of his supplicating forgiveness for a past sin, according to any reason able interpretation. And, lastly, That, though this interpretation may be fairly reconciled to the idiom of the Hebrew language, yet it will not from thence follow, that it is true.

A second interpretation, with greater probability, supposes, that Naaman does not request

leave

leave to go into the temple of Rimmon with his master to worship the idol, or even to pretend to

do it, but only proposes a scruple to him about

his attending him thither, by virtue of that temporal employment which he held under him.

To understand the nature of this interpretation aright, we must consider Naaman on the one hand, as a faithful subject to his royal master, and on the other as a sincere proselyte to the worship of the true God. As a faithful subject, he was ready to pay all obedience to his king; but as a sincere proselyte, he was unwilling to do any thing that might offend his God. Being doubtful, therefore, how far his duty to the one was compatible with his reverence to the other, in the instance mentioned in the text, he proposes his scruple to Elisha, and states it with all its circumstances." In this

thing," says he, "the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the "house of Rimmon; when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon "thy servant in this thing." As if he had said, ---I am fully determined to cleave to the worship of the God of Israel, and to renounce the worship of idols. But I foresee that the duty I owe

to

to my prince will lead me into a situation, which will have the appearance of practising or countenancing idolatry;-will lead me to enter into the idol temple with him, to bow down when he bows down, and, after the eastern custom, to support him whilst he is making his adoration to the idol-deity:-May I, therefore, without of fending God or wounding my conscience, continue in the exercise of this duty? May I enter into the temple of Rimmon, when my master enters there? May I bow down when he bows down? God is my witness, that I will never worship the idol, or even pretend to do it: He, therefore, who knows my heart and the purity of my intentions, will in this thing, I hope, pardon his servant, and not impute it to him as a crime.

To this the prophet answers, "Go in peace:" which being a common form of valediction amongst the Jews, does not indeed contain any direct approbation of Naaman's request, but certainly does not carry with it any mark of disapprobation and, therefore, we may fairly conclude, that the prophet did not think, that such an attendance upon his master would be sinful.

Against this interpretation it has been, indeed, objected, that an Israelite was forbidden to bow before