Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2215
“And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray, open his eyes, that he may see! And the Lord opened the eyes of the youngman, and he saw. And, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” 2 Kings 6:17.
This young man waited upon a Prophet—he could not have had a more instructive occupation, yet his eyes needed to be opened. He was well disposed towards good things, for the tone of his language to his master shows that he was heartily at one with him—but his eyes were not yet half opened. Being in great alarm for his master’s safety, he ran to him to warn him—good servants should be their master’s best friends. In return, his believing master prays for him. If we desire the good of our servants, our children and our friends, let us take care that we make supplication for them! All that we can do for them at our best is to give them secondary blessings, but if we pray to God for them, they will receive the best of gifts from Him who sends down in His mercy nothing but good gifts and perfect gifts. When we have come to the end of our teaching, example and persuasion, let us hand our young friends over to the Lord who works effectually unto eternal salvation.
Elisha’s petition for this young man was, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes, that he may see!” The young man was, at that time, in the peculiar condition of seeing and yet not seeing. He saw the enemy surrounding the city, but not the greater host of the Lord’s angels who protected the man of God. Looking over the little walls of Dothan, he observed all the country round about to be occupied by the horses and chariots of the king of Syria. And he cried, “Alas, my Master! What shall we do?” He could see the danger, but he could not see the deliverance and, therefore, the Prophet lifted up his heart to Heaven and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes, that he may see!” Elisha reckons his servant’s natural sight as not seeing and regards the vision which detects the invisible as the only true sight.
Perhaps I am addressing some, at this time, who are very friendly to the cause of God and are even connected with it by relationship or occupation. They cheerfully lend a hand at any time in holy service so far as they can and they wish prosperity to the cause of true religion. Yet their eyes have not been opened to see spiritual things or, at least, not sufficiently opened to see the gracious and Divine side of them. They see enough to perceive that they are in danger from a great enemy. They perceive that it is no easy thing to fight the battle of life and in the prospect of it they cry, “What shall we do?” They perceive that it is a difficult thing for a man to stand up for holiness, for truth, for integrity, for purity and to maintain a gracious character throughout the whole of life. They seem, to themselves, to be environed with opposing forces in their business, in their temperament, in their companionships and, perhaps, in their families. As for the cause of godliness, it seems hemmed in by adversaries and they ask—“What is to be done? Is not the matter desperate? Might it not be as well to surrender at once?” For any such timid one I would present to God the prayer of Elisha—“O Lord, I pray, open his eyes, that he may see!” Oh, that the prayer might be answered at this hour!
Very briefly, I shall speak, first, upon our prayer. Secondly, upon our reason for offering such a petition. And thirdly, upon our hope, for we trust that if our prayer is answered, the person whose eyes are opened will behold a vision which will bless him beyond anything he has ever dreamed of.
I. First, then, OUR PRAYER—“Lord, I pray, open the eyes of the young man, that he may see!” This petition bears many senses. I will mention only a few.
For certain of our friends we pray that their eyes may be opened to see the enemy of their souls under the many disguises which he assumes. We fear that many are ignorant of his devices. Young men, especially, are too apt to mistake the
great enemy for a friend. They believe his false and flattering words and are seduced to ruin. He holds forth to them the sparkling cup—but in its beaded bubbles death is lurking! He talks of “pleasure,” but in the lusts of the flesh the pleasure is a shadow and misery is the substance! He wears the mask of prudence and admonishes young men to “mind the main chance,” and leave religion till they have made their fortunes. But that gain which comes of thrusting God aside will prove to be an everlasting loss! The devil as a serpent does more mischief than as a roaring lion. If we had to meet the devil and knew him to be what he is, we might far more easily conquer him—but we have to deal with him disguised as an angel of light—and here is the need of a hundred eyes, each one of them opened by God, that we may see!
Even worse than this is the fact that, at times, he does not meet us at all, but he undermines our path. He digs pits for our feet, he shoots his arrows from afar, or sends forth a pestilence which walks in darkness. Then have we need of a better sight than Nature gives. I would pray for the young man who is just leaving home to go into the world, “O Lord, open the eyes of the young man, that he may see!” May he be able to detect the falsehood which may hide itself beneath the truth, the meanness which may wrap itself about with pride, the folly which may robe itself in learning, the sin which may dress itself in the raiment of pleasure! I would not have you taken, like birds, in a snare. I would not have the youth led, like a bullock to the shambles, by the hand of temptation. Let us breathe such a prayer as that of Elisha for each person in this place who is beginning life. God grant that his eyes may be opened to see sin as sin and to see that evil never can be good, a lie never can be true and rebellion against our God can never be the way to happiness!