National Republican., 1886-12-13

disease you would have done 1t. 1t is easy.
Come, my lord, Just get down and wash IN the
Jordan. You take bath every day, anyhow,
and in this climate II Is so hot that IL Will do
you good. Do IL on our account, and for the
sake OF the army you command, and for tho
sake OF the nation that admires you. Come,
he says, ito please you Will do as you say"
The retinue drive to the brink of the Jordan
The horses paw and neigh to get into the
TANKS. Gen. Naaman, assisted by his
attendants, gets =, down out Of the
chariot and painfully comes to the brink OF
TO the ankle, aud goes, on deeper until the
water comes to the girdle, and now standing
so far down in the stream, Just little inclina'
tlon of the head will thoroughly immerse him.
He bows once into the food, aud comes up and
shakes the water out of nOstrs and eyes, and
his attendants look, at him and say why,
general, how much better you do look" Aud
he bows second time into the flood and
comes up, and the wild stare is gone out OF his
eye. He bows the third time Into the flood
and comes up, and the shriveled flesh has got
the flood and comes up, and the hair that had
fallen out is restored in thick locks again all
over, the brow. He bows the iifth time into
the flood and comes up, and the hoarseness has
gone out OF his throat. He bows the sixth
time and comes up, and all the soreness aud
anguish have gone out OF the limbs" Why" he
says ~ am almost well, but / will make COM
plete cure" and he bows the seventh time Into
the flood and he comes up, and not so much as
tester, or scale, or an eruption as big as the
out on the bank and says: SIS 1t possible?'
And the attendants look and say, SIS II POSI-
bleT' And as, with the health of an athlete, he
there goes up from all his attendants avid
"HuZzal huzzal' OF course they go back TO
pay and thank the man of God for his counsel
so fraught with wisdom. When they left the
prophets house, they went OIL mad: they have
come back glad.
People always think better of minister at
ter they are converted than they do before
conversion. Now we are TO them an intolera'
BILE nuisance because we tell them to do things
that go against the graf n but some OF US have
a great many letters from those who tell us
presched dce but TAX wsIS gladly received the
Gospel at our hands. They once called u : iit'
natics, or terrorists, or enemies; now they
Sall US friends Yondsr S09 Is manI SPEAK
years ago. He said: HMy family shall never
come here again ifsuch doctrines as that are
preached" But he came again and his fam
lily came again. He is a Christian, his wife a
Christian, all his children Christians, the
whole household Christian, and | shall dwell
with them in the House OF the Lord forever.
Our undying coadjutors are those who once
heard the Gospel and went away In rdg'.'
=, Now, my hearers, you notice that this q m
The first was She, got out Of his chariot. He
might have stayed there with his swollen feet
on the stuffed ottoman. seated on that en-
would never have got any relief. He had to
get down out OF his chariot. And you have got
TO get down out OF the chariot OF your pride II
you ever become a Christian. You cannot drive
up to the Cross with n coach.and -four and be
saved among all the spangles. You seem TO
think that the Lord Is going to bo compliment
TED TED by your coming on, no. YOU poor miser;
that We all come In the same naughty way.
We expect to ride into the Kingdom Of God,
Never until we get down on our knees will We
n H.
charioted'us. Get down out of your pride,
Get down out OF your self-righteousness
and hgpercriticism. We have all got TO do
make on our knees. II is our Internal pride
that keeps US from getting rid of the leprosy OF
sin. Dear Lord, what have we 70 be proud OFF,
ness Proud of thu, Killing Infection Bring
praying, penitent, believing suppIcints
,For sinners, Lord, Thou camest to bleed,
And I'm sinner vile indeed;
Lord, believe Thy grace Is free,
oh, magnify that grace in me-"
But he had not only to, get down out of his
chariot, He had TO wash; oh" you say ~
am very careful OF my ablutions Every day |
plunge into a bright and beautiful bath" All,
my hearer, there Is n food brighter than any
granite OF the eternal hills II il the flood of
pardon, and peace, and life, ana heaven That
Hood started In the tears of Christ and tls
sweat OF Gethsemane, and rolled on, Occu M,
lating flood, until all earth and heaven CbGl |
bathe In II, Zachariah called II the "ioma.n n
open for sin and uncleanliness," WHIT n
CowpeT called II the fountain filled wi h
blood" Your fathers and mothers washed lll
their sins and sorrows away In that t'ultH n,
Oh, my hearers do you, not to day feel IKE
wadipg into ~ Wade down now Into this gl0-
rlous Hood, deeper, deeper. deeper. Plunge
once, twice, thrice, four times, five timc., six
times, seven times II will take as mach as
that TO cure your soul Oh wash, wash, wash,
and be clean,
suppose that was great time at Damai sous