The Russellville Democrat., 1880-07-01
A GREAT MORAL BATHING SHOW.
Mir. Talmage Puts Naaman, the Syrian, on
 the Stage and Washes Him There.

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 Rev. MT. Talmage had subject to hi liking and administered what might bs called spectacular didactics" to his au dience, as he only can. After the pre-
 hminary instrumental concert by the cornet and accompanying organ and the gathering in of the offering" which MT. Talmage said he hoped would be large, the text, II. Kings, ", l, was an nounced-"He was mighty man in valor, but he was leper"
 T have preached" said MT. Talmage, l probably fifty times from this part oi the Scriptures, but it is too full of practi- cal lessons for me to lay aside because it is trite. All Christian doctrines are trite and have been preached over and over again, but they are ever fresh and full oi meaning for us sinners of to-day, You are, all of you, in need of the same sul- phur and treacle which put your grand fathers blood in good order, and his grandfather's before him. Our text speaks of Naaman, who was captain oi the host of the King of Syria. Yet he was leper, the vilest of the vile, and he envied the boy at his stirrup or the officer ot the stable who harnessed his horse. If he could only rid himself of his lep- rosy, if he could only clear his flesh of that cancer, what man he would con | slider himselfi Everybody has some special thorn in the flesh. Washington grieved because he was childless, andwe may all share in his griet and wish that | the race of Washingtons had multiplied over all the earth. Wesley had a terma- eant wife. Milton was blind. Lamb had | an cictnr ox,J I x~I nf us have each our particular trouble. Naaman was casting about him how to 1 get rid of his leprosy. Relief came from a most unexpected quarter-from the lit 1 tie maid whom the wife of Naa man had picked out from among the captlves of | Israel. She suggested visit to her own | country just as you would suggest visit | to the warm springs of Virginia or Ar kansas. The visit was made, and you know how the King of Israel referred | the Syrian leper to Elisha, that holy man l of God. Then the great patient came, l surrounded by hIs troops and his squad- rons of cavalry. There was champing of bits and a clanking of sabres. The | Syrians came to assist in the process ot cure, but they were all as nothing to the man of God who stood in his simple grandeur"
 Here Mr. Talmage, who moment be- fore had been using the platform as a corral, and had been acting the Syrian | cohorts, drew himselfup to represent the | simple grandeur on the other side of the picture. The legions had come with | clouds of dust, he said, and he stamped on the platform till this fancy was re- aliZed. Then as the srmy of Syrians tin | tho Al T, r,e,A Il n book-stand. winch was the hut of Elisha, the voice of Naaman, through the mighty mouth of Talmage, uttered tremendous "Whoap which went as the sound of the horn of Gabriel into the ears of every sleeper ip the back pews of the Taber- nacle. Then Mr. Talmage resu aed:
 But Naaman was disgusted with the | advice he got. He was almost insulted l and went out in high dudgeon (Retreat of cohorts. legiens, squadronsin the per son of Talmage). He did not look for | that kind of treatment. He may have looked for an allopathic dose and he got | only the hydropathic. He did not seem | to appreciate the water treatment pre- scribed for him and. as the story says, was wroth' He expected laying on of hands, but instead got only aprescrip- | ton to go and wash himself in the Jor- dan. He thought at least that the pro- | phet would haze selected Abana or Pharfar. rivers of Damascus, where the waters flowed bright and swift, instead of the dirty, muddy Jordan, which was not even fit for the watering of his horses. Well, finally hIs counsellors got about him and persuaded the sick war rlor to at least try the prescription of the prophet, and he went down to the Jor- dan. He was to dip seven times in the | waters of that river. He went in first ankle deep and stood and considered then he got in knee deep and there was another pause. He was in half a mind to turn back and not go through the ceremony. Then he went in further and further, the water crawling up his person until his girdle was reached and then his chin touched the water, and then, with great effort, he made a plunge and went under for an instant"
 This bathing scene" needed only a tank under the platform, and wet and dripping Talmage would certainly have | personated Naaman. As it was the preacher went through an air bath Stepping forward he imagined himself ankle deep in the water and frolicked about there. Then knee deep and he shivered after the manner of neophytes at Coney Island Then his hands meas. ured the rise of the water past his brooches pockets up to the cloye and coffee pocket, This was the girdle; then | up again until the hands had reached his chin. Then there was a duck and great gulp, and Talmage submerged was the climax of this great moral bathing ncene All seven dips were faithfully One straightened Talmage's limbs, an other restored his voice, yet another caused his hair to sprout after the man, ner of a hair-renewer advertiseme and finally at the last submersion Tal
 mage, alias Naaman, sprang out a perfec
 man ready to draw the lesson of tht pantomime and point the mocal of ths performance. The moral was:
 First. the power of children. Al
 this result was brought about by the lit
 tie Hebrew maid. Children are offer thus the ministers of God, and a child
 less household is in far more danger O going to destruction than one where tn,
 heads of the family are united in these joint efforts oi affection. Next. Elisha acted for God. Physicians who depend or themselves are apt to be bungles, anC Kill as often as they cure, but when Goo
 helps the doctor the results are sure anC certain. To obey his laws is to live, anc
 to disobey them is to die, and it is tn,
 part of the medical practitioner to act a,
 a missionary inpointing out Gods laws
 to suffering humanity. People oiter