he Lady of Shunem. How jealous he is of his
master's honour! How dear he was to Elisha's soul, "my heart! my other
self!" And yet, he did this thing. He lied, he cheated, he obtained
goods by false pretences, he lowered the prophet in Naaman's sight; and
after all his years of noble service, his master smote him with his
curse, and he went out of his presence a leper!

But was Naaman's the only leprosy that infected Gehazi? Had Elisha any
share in his fall? After all, it is a sorry business to heal a
stranger and send forth one's own friend in this fashion.

Nothing can exonerate Gehazi. His lie remains a lie, say what you
will. But our business is not to apportion blame, but to try to find
out how such things came to be, in order to guard against them in our
own homes. If a servant leaves your employ poorer in character than
when she came to you, if a youth leaves your business harder, colder,
weaker in will, further from God than when you received him from home,
it is a clear case for inquiry. It is our duty to see that young
people are not exposed to moral infection in our homes.

In the matter of physical infection, two facts are familiar to us all.
The first is, that mischief enters the system by means of a germ; and
the second is, that the action of the germ depends very much on the
condition of health in which it finds a man. If the man is healthy, he
is often proof against the arrow that fleeth by day, and the pestilence
that walketh in darkness. But if the body is already enfeebled, the
germs find half their work done for them beforehand.

Well now, these natural laws are valid in the spiritual world. The
rules of moral hygiene are summed up in our Lord's prayer, "_Lead us
not into temptation_," that is to say, do not breathe the germ-laden
air, and in St Paul's precept, "_Be strong in the Lord_," cultivate
general spiritual health, safety lies in strength. Good health is the
best prophylactic. There is no precaution so effective as being well.

Now what have we in this narrative? When the prophet permitted Naaman
to bow in the temple of Rimmon he did very right, say the chorus of
commentators. But the common-sense of mankind has taken a different
view. Bowing in the temple of Rimmon has become a byword and a
reproach. It signifies something which men feel is not quite right.
It was, in fact, an indulgence. Still, perhaps it was wise not to
force the new-born convert. Perhaps it did Naam