Our text relates, that as one was felling a Beam, the head of his Axe fell into the water; (most probably into Jordan). This was a grief to him, for the reason he assigned, so that he cried to Elisha, and said, _Alas_, _master_, _for it is borrowed_! Possessing a spirit of honesty, and being too poor to make it good to the lender, he applied to Elisha, not to work a miracle, that we can tell, but because the man’s Axe was sunk, and the Prophet’s work stopped. Thus, ministers have constantly something to try them in their work; they well know the world is always ready to reproach them, and the glorious cause they espouse, which fills them with grief, but leads them to the dear Saviour, to appear in the love of his heart, and in the power of his arm, for their deliverance, who always kindly assures them his grace is sufficient for them. Some have conjectured that this man was an hypocrite, or a figure of all false preachers, who run unsent of God; who preach a borrowed experience, a borrowed system of religion; who are only in the letter, and not in the spirit; of whose religion and preaching, like the poor man’s Axe, it may be truly said, _Alas_! _master_, _for it was borrowed_. And hence God threatens the Prophets, that steal his words from others, and declares they shall not profit this people at all; nor can unconverted, graceless preachers profit the experimental children of God. A preacher must be taught the plague of his own heart, the spirituality of God’s Law, the value of a precious Jesus, in his Person and Work, by God the Spirit, before he can be useful to the Church. We must first know, then speak what we know, as the Apostle says, _We can but speak of the things which we have seen_, _and we are his witnesses_. Many may borrow words from real saints, and may appear like believers indeed; nor can even the brightest saint at all times tell a hypocrite from a saint, but the day will declare it—_then_, _then shall ye return_, _and discern between the righteous and the wicked_—a mere borrowed religion will let the soul sink in death, but the free gift of God is eternal life—locked up in Christ, manifested by the Spirit, and leads the soul to rest, live, and rejoice alone in the everlasting love of God, the free, unmerited grace of an everlasting covenant, the glorious person, and finished work of Christ, as its all in all.