The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-04-19
The sunday School.
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fellow having yielded secretly. 10 the
solicitations q evil thoughts FOR We
eaaaot tel bow i9ag how easy a, last
Be found & to make shipwfeek q him
self
No youth 10 al lsrael had enjoyed
letter advantages for the building up
e lhe h0blesi personal character than
he II i also probable that be poss.
essod superior natural advantages He
bad doubtless been esteemed a highly
gifted and most promising young man.
l. worth while 70 see II We can learn
tde secret Of bic disastrous failure.
GEuAEi a RrpRaESrATivE MASs He
belonged 70 class. His history is rep.
resentatiyo. II be ever was ambitious
8ei u0totiety, verify be has got bis re-
ward II j, be coveted to get ones
name " 10 print aud be talked about.
|Gehazi has bad that. All the world
knows about him However il may be
worlds feeling in respect Of successful
villainy. the discovered rogue pssaes
for fool The leprosy which stained
and stuBg Gehazi's body was not nearly
50 bad as the dishouor that forever
clings TO bis name Perhaps be after.
ward repented and was saved if so,
how 30 must have rejoiced in that as.
suranoe given to the redeemed, that a
aae,o name" shall be given unto them.
The way in which Elisha came TO be
Elijah's attendant, and afterwards bis
successor. we are distinctly informed !;
but how Gehhzi came to be Elishas
servant aud protege there is no intima-
ton. Very likely be offered himself.
He was probably bright, forward, pre-
possessing, He must have appeared
TO be sincere in his zeal for the true
religion, or the prophet would not have
taken him into his intimacy. II is not
unlikely that at first he exhibited un-
common enthusiasm and aptness in the
study Of religious truth, and the fur
therance of refornatory affairs.
Such characters cannot be completely
understood No man ever explained
the origin Of evil. The mystery OF in
EQUITY and the depths of Satan are facts
to be admitted, not explained. Why
did Esau sell his sacred birth.right for
a mess Of pottage? Why does the
drunkard sell the happiness of his home
for whiskey? Why did Achan alone of
all the camp Of Israel yield to the
temptation, disobey the divine com
mand, defy tue all detecting eye of
0mniscience, steal from the Lord, and
try TO hide in bis tent the wedge of
gold aud Babylonish garment? Why
did Judas join with the coufederates
against bis own master, offer to sell
, and betray his own master for thirty
pieces Of silver? Why did Ananias
and Sapphire agree to tempt God aud
lie against the Holy GhostY Or, once
more, why did Gehazi consent to obey
the DEVILS suggestion, tell that lie 10
Naaman, undertake to trade on the mi.
raculous power of God, aud presume
I to hasten back into the prophets pres.
ence and put on face smooth and
sauctimouious enough to conceal the
! impious treachery of which he was
! guilty We cannot tell. But we can
] tell where his sin began.
GEHAn's WICKED THOUGHT: His sin
! began with the indulgence of certain
e evil thoughts, He ran hurridly to
. oyertake Naaman and bis princely es.
( cort laden with unaccepted presents
But he committed his fatal sin before
be ran. The awful transaction Of his
i, guilt was consummated in his hear
) befoie he started. He thou ght the cou
scieutious scruples Of bis master
against receiving what seemed to be
reward for miracle altogether toe
squcamish ; that he had needlessly ant
foolshly missed grand opportunity
Visions Of vast sums Of money anC
what money might procure him-gar
meets, aud oliveyards, and vineyards
aud sheep and oxen, and men servants
aud maid servants, rose up before BIZ
e bewildered Imagination His iudgmen
e was dazed. his conscience bribed, BIZ
will captiyated. Swiner than his owl
y running had been the hurried footsteps
n Of his sinful thoughts, which had over
& taken. accosted. persuaded. ruined
= him
GEHAzI's TREAcHERY He knew how
II positively aud even solemnly bis maste
d the prophet, had refused any present
as II ii were compensation for wha
God alone bad done. As the servant
, 3ehazi's conduct was piece o
!, treaehery 10 his master
4 GtHAzl's DETECTION The trickste
i is after all the greatest blunderer
: There j always some missing link tina
was not thought Of. He is almost sur
10 over do the thing. in just the way
sooner or later, 10 awaken suspicion
There is nothing hid that shalt not, !
: the long run be revealed they ar