The Brookhaven leader., 1886-12-16
LEPROSY AND PRIDE.
Sermon by Rev. T. De Witt Tai
, - mage. D. D. sa &C.,
The Sick Warrior and How He Was
- Cured-Obedience and Life-The
- One Flood of Pardon. Peace,
II Life and Heaven.


~ One Flood of Pardon. Peace,
- "a Life and Heaven.
tgefSs --a fs&.ses
BROOKLYN, NJ Y, Dec. -12.-Rev... DE-.
Talmage took for ms text this morning the
first verse of the. fifth chapter Of Second
Kings: ''He Was p Leper,",. The preacher
said: e -.s1rrs..a,S 80
Here we have q warrior sick, not with
pleurisy or rheumatism or consumption,
but with a disease worse than all these put
together. A red mark has come out on his
forehead, precursor of complete disfigure-
ment and dissolution. j have something
awful to tell you: General Naaman, the
Commander in, Chief of all. the Syrian
forces, has the 1eprosy; it is on his hands,
on his face, on his feet, on his entire per-
son. The leprosyl Get out of the way of
the pestilence! II his breath strikes you you
are dead man. The COMMANDMENTS Chief
Of all the forces of Syria! And yet he
would be GLAD to exchange conditions with
the boy at his stirrup or the hostler that
blankets his charger. The news goes like
wildfre all through the realm, and the peo-
pie are sympathetic, and they cry out: 'Is
it possible that cur great hero who shot
Ahab, and around whom we came with
such vociferation when he returned from
victorious ~battle-can it be possible that
our grand and glorious Naaman has the
leprosy:n.
Yes. Every body.has something he wishes
he had not-David, an Absalom to disgrace
him; Paul, athorn to sting HIM; Job, car
buncles to plague him; Samson, Delilah
to shear him; Ahab, q Naboth to deny him;
Hannah, Mordecai to irritate him; George
Washington, childlessness to afflict hinls
John Wesley, termagant wife to poster.
him; Leah, weak eyes; Pope, a crooked
back Byron, a club foot; John Milton,
blind eyes; Charles Lamb, an insane sister,
and You, and you, and you, and you. some
thing which you never bargained for and
would like to get rid of. The reason of this
is, that God does not want this world to be
want to stay and eat these fruits, and lie
on these lounges, and shake hands in this
pleasant society,
We are only in the vestibule of a grand
temple. God does not want US to stay on
the doors step, and, therefore, He sends
aches, and annoyances, and sorrows, and
bereavements of all sorts, to push US up
toward ripper fruits, and brighter society,
and more radiant properties. God is only
whipping US ahead. The reason that Ed
ward PaySon and Robert Hall had moro
rapturous views of Heaven than other
people had was because, through their
aches and pains, God pushed them up
nearer to it, Ii God dashes out one of
your pictures, it is only to show you a
brighter one. If He sting your foot with
govt, Your brain with neuralgia, your
tongue with an inextinguishable thirst, it
is only because He is preparing to substi,
tute better body than you ever dreamed
of, when the mortal shall put on immor-
tality
Seated in his Syrian mansion all the
walls glittering with the shields he had
captured in battle, the corridors crowded
with admiring visitors who just wanted to
see him once, music and mirth and ban
quoting filling all the mansion, from tessel-
ated floor to pictured ceiling -Naamah
would have forgotten that there was any
thing better, and would have been glad to
stay there ten thousand years. But, oh,
how the shields dim, and how the visitors
fly from the hall, and how the music drops
dead frem the string, aud how the gates OF
the mansion slam shut with sepulchral
bang, as you read the closing words Of the
eulogium: He was lepera"
There was one person more sympathetic
with General Naaman than any other per-
wringing her hands and trying to think
what she can do to alleviate her husbands
suffering. All remedies have failed The
Surgeon General and the doctors OF the
royal staff have met, and they have shaken
their heads as much as to say: mo cure;
no cure" L think that the office-seekers
had all folded up their recommendations
and gone home. Probably most of the
employees of the establishment had dropped
their work and Were thinking of looking
for some other situation. What shall now
become OF poor Naaman's wifef She must
have sympathy somewhere. In her de-
SPAR she goes to little Hebrew captive,
servant CIR! In her house, to whom she
tells the whole story, as sometimes, when
overborne with the sorrows OF the world,
and finding no sympathy anywhere else,
you have gone outsaed found in the.svmpa-
thy of some humble domestic-Rosa, or Di.
nah, or Rringet-a help which the world
could not give you.
What a scene it was. One of the grand
est womenin all Syria in cabinet council
with a waiting maid over the declining
health OF the mighty General. II know
somethins,'' says the little captive maid,
VI know something as she bounds to her
bare feet. SIN the land from which 1 was
Stolen there is certain prophet known by
the name of Elisha, who can cure almost
every thing, and shouldn't wonder if he
could cure my master. Send for him right
away" 'Oh, hush" you say s'If the
highest medical talent III all the land can
not cure that leper, there is no need of your
listening to any talk of servant girl" But
40 not scott, do not sheer. The finger of that
nttle captive maisiIs pointing in the right
direction. She might have said: "Ths is
Judgment on you for stealing me from my
nat've land. Didn't they snatch me off in
the night, breaking my fathers and moth,
er's heart, and many a time l have laid
and cried all night because was so home
sick.ss Then flushing up into childish in.
dignation she might have said. Good for
them; am glad Mammals got the lepro-
sy; wish all the Syrians had the leprosy.n
No Forgetting her own personal sorrows,
she sympathizes with the suffering of her
master and recommends him to the famous
Hebrew prophet. =. H.
Years ago the astronomers calculated
that there must be world hanging at a
certain point in the Heavens, and a large
prize was offered for some one who could
discover that world. The telescopes from
the great observatories were pointed in
vain, but a girl at Nantucket, Mass. fash.
toned telescope, and, looking through it,
discovered that star, and won the prize and
the admiration of all the astronomical
world, that stood amazed at her genius.
And SO it is often the case that grown peo-
ple.e not see the light, while some little
Child beholds the star of pardon, the star
of'hope, the star of consolation, the star of
Bethlehem, the morning star of Jesus.
mot many mighty men, not many wise
men are called; but God has chosen the
weak things of the world to confound the
mighty; and base things and things that
are net to bring to naught things that are.''
On, DO not despise the prattle Of little chill
dren when they are speaking about God,
and Christ, and Heaven!. You see the way
your child is pointing; win you take that