Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-04-08

had been quietly closing in upon the village and
contracting ieir circle On every side, advanced
so near that they were jast about to seize their
prey, when Elisha breathed yery difsrent prayer.
| 20 Lord, I pray thee smite this people with
| blindness =
! II would seem as though this prayer, Ike the
o:ber, related not to an outward organic obscura-
ton, but to some inward and reeoudite disturbance
Of the connection between spirit and body. As
GeIazis natural eyes were not opened, so these
mems natural eyes were not shut Ifso large a
detachment of soldiers had been struck blind us to
the natural ey yesight, it would have been impos-
sible for them to have taken care of themselves
during march of twelve miles; much less could
one man have led them.
Think oftwo or three hundred bind men, in the
first shock and dsnay, tco, of their eclipse, man-
aging their fiery chariotsteeds along rockey roads,
for the space Of twelve miles 1t requires some
skill to drive chariot with natal steeds over
a good road by daylight. But here were two or
three hundred chariots to be driven over a rocky
mountain-path by men suddenly plunged into
blaekest midnight And for one man to have led
such helpless cropping set such journey, would
have been slow, and exceedingly difieult and
delicate undertaking, requiring days instead OF
hours. .-.r rs sel-C l--1 -T
But If the blindless he invoked was OF the same
analogy with Gehazi's seeing, then all is easy and
natural. He simply asks the Lord to disturb the
laws connecting spirit and body; unsettle the
connection between outward sight and inward
reason, so that though they might see everything
just az plainly as before, they should recognize
nothing They should recognize reither the road,
nor the points of compass, nor the man that led
them, nor the country persons, aud places they
saw. Like somnambulists, who see all things and
guide themselves with wonderful precision in the
most dangerous situations, yet without Iecogniz-
ing anything. Like men partially intoxicated,
or who have in any way partially lost their wits,
Like the citizens of Sodom when they wearied
themselves to find the door of Lots house, when
they it just before their eyes and did not know
it. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus,
when Jesus walked and talked with them, and
their hearts glowed, and they gazed on him with
glstening eyes, but eyes that "were holden that
they could not know him." until afterward, when
"their eyes were opened, and they knsO him and
he vanished"
When men are thrown into this state, child
can lead them. They helplessly follow any leader
Ike a flock of sheep. So when Elisha said. "This
Is net tie way, nor is this the city, follow me and
| will bring you to the man whom ye SEEK" they
stared bewlderedly at him, and gazed wildly
round. Sure enough, they thought, that was not
the place; they had missed the way the whole
country was strange, and the best thing they could
do was to let this guide set them in the right track
again Sostupidly followed along, the grandest
specimen of Somnambulism the world ever saw
e whole army ofsleep-walkers, their eyes starting
wide Open till at las. hoofs and wheels clattered
on the pavement in the pablic square of Samaria.
Right into the centre of the city he led them,
where, with sword and spear and all the munitions
of war, the troops of Jehoram were drawn up to
receive them.
They halted. "Lord" said the prophet, "Open
the eyes of these men that they may see!" The
trance passed. The illusion was gone. Reason
resumed sway. And in the first glance of recog-
nition, those stern warriors knew where they were,
enclosed in trap, in the midst of deadly foes.
Then the bravest cheek grew pale. Then bronzed
veterans felt their hearts stand still with fear, and
expecting no quarter, all prepared to die as brave
men should
The eye of Jehoram blazed with instructive te-
rocity at the sight. "My fatherP' he exclaimed
hurriedy, "shall smte them shall l smits them g
and then, had the prophet but raised hnger,
there had been q scene of carnage remorseess and
uusparing Not man Of that doomed band
would have trod again the threshold of his home.
aThou shalt not smite them,' was the calm re-
ply, "wouldst thou smite those whom thou had'st
taken captive with thy sword and with thy bowf
Set bread and water before them that they may
eat and drink and go to their master"
And those brave warriors who expected instant
death found themselves suddenly greeted as guests.
thousand rough hands of comrades were thrust
ont in military greeting. They were siezed and
led avav by Jealous friends to splendid banqet-
ting. And when all that Samara had of royal
cheer had been lavished on them, when Oriental
muni6cence of hospitality could go no further,
they returned in all honor to their master Ihey
returned in different mood from that III which
they set out The generous heart OF the Syrian
prince was touched. This unexpected magnanim-
itv ouite vanauished him He withdrew his army
from the frontier. abandoned the campaign, and
for a year the land over the border had rest
How easy for the champions of the Cross to cry,
in hours OF unanticipated peril: Alas Master,
what shall we do!' But let the voice OF PATH,
(which endures as seeing things invisible" ex-
claim: "Lord, open thou their eyes % and straight
way the environing mountains blaze with all the
cohorts of Glory, aud the champion goes forth to
the war excaiming They that be with US are
more than they that be with Them
GREY