GEHAZI.

Gehazi answered, “ Yes: all is well.
but just now, two young prophets
have come to my master; and he
has sent me to thee to ask for some
silver and garments for them, be-
cause they are poor.” This story
was not true; but Naaman believed
it, and gave the silver and the gar-
ments to two of his servants, and
they carried them before Gehazi.
But when they came near Elisha’s
house, Gehazi took Naaman’s pres-
ents away from the servants, and
sent them back; and then he took
the garments and the money, and
hid them in the house, and went
into Elisha’s room and stood before
his master. Then Elisha asked,
“Where hast thou been,. Gehazi ?”
The wicked servant was afraid to
confess his deceit and his covetous-
ness, and said, “ J went no where.”
But Gehazi could not deceive the
prophet. Elisha knew all that Ge-
hazi had been doing, and he looked
very gravely upon him, and said,
“Went not my heart with thee,
when Naaman came out of his cha-
riot to meet thee ? Did he not give

 

 

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thee silver and garments: hast thou
not coveted and taken all these
things? And now God will punish
thee for this wickedness; the lep-
rosy of Naaman shall be upon thee,

}and upon thy children for ever.”

And directly Elisha had said this,
God smote Gehazi with leprosy, and
he went out “a leper as white as
snow.” His riches could do him no
good now; they could not cure his
leprosy. He could stay no longer
with his good master, and hear the
holy things he taught. No; Ge-
hazi had made God angry, and
Elisha, and therefore, he must go
away far from God’s holy people,
and live alone in pain and sorrow.
Covetousness and deceit and lying
are dreadful sins, which God always
punishes. The Bible says, “No
covetous man, who is an idolater,
hath any inheritance in the king-
dom of Christ and of God.”
Ephesians vy. 5. And “All liars
shall have their part in the lake
which burneth with fire and brim-
stone.” revelation xxi. 8.