Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-12-13


ton, whether you like it or not. One
thing is certain: Unless naughty Naaman
does as Elisha commands him he will die
of his awful sickness. And unless you dc
as Christ commands you, you win be seiz.
ed upon by an everlasting wasting away.
Obey and live-disobey and die. Thrill.
ing, oyer-arching, under-girding, stipend
Gus alternative!
Well, General Naaman could not stand
the test The charioteer gives jerk to
the right line until the bit snaps in the
horses mouth, and the whirr Of the wheels
and the flying Of the dust show the indig.
nation of the great commander. He
turned and went away in a rage" So peo-
pie now often get mad at religion. They
vituperate against ministers, against
churches, against Christian people. One
would think from their irate behavior that
God had been studying how to annoy and
exasperate and demolish them. What has
He been doing? Only trying to cure their
death dealing leprosy. That is all. Yet
they whip up their horses, they dig in the
spurs, and they go away in rage.
So, after all, it seems that this
HEALTH EXCURSION
of General Naaman is to be q dead failure.
That little Hebrew captive might as well
not have been taken. Poor, sick, dying
Naaman! are you going away in high dud-
geon and worse than when you came? As
his chariot halts moment his servants
Chamber up in it and coax him to do as
Elisha said. They say: ats easy. II
the prophet had told you to walk for a
mile on sharp spikes in order to get rid OF
this awful disease you would have done
it. 1t is easy. Come, my lord, just get
down and wash in the Jordan. You take
a bath every day, anyhow, and in this eli.
mate it is so hot that it will do you good.
Do it on our account, and for the sake OF
the army you command, and for the sake
of the nation that admires you. Come,
my lord, Just try this Jordanic bath
"Well," he says, ito please you / will do
as you say" The horses paw and neigh
to get into the stream themselves and cool
their hot flanks General Naaman, assist
ed by his attendants, gets down out of the
chariot and painfully comes to the brink
of the river, and steps in until the water
comes to the ankle, and goes on deeper
| uuLll luC WdpCl w thC ShuiC, aht
now standing so far down in the stream
just little inclination of the head viii
thoroughly immerse him. He bows one,
into the flood, and comes up and shake:
the water out of his nostrils and eyes; anC
his attendants look at him and say: "Why
General, how much better you do look. ,
And he bows second time into the flood
and comes up, and the wild stare is gon,
out of his eye.
HE BOWS THE THIRD TIME
into the food and comes up, and the shriv
elled flesh has got smooth again. He bows
the fourth time into the flood and come:
up, and the hair that had fallen out is re
stored in thick locks again all oyer the
brow. He bows the fifth time into the
food and comes up. and the hoarseness ha'
gone out of his throat He bows the sixth
time and comes up, and all the soreness
and anguish have gone out Of the limbs
why" he says, II am almost well, but
l will make a complete cure" and he
bows the seventh time into the flood and
he comes up, and not so much as a tester
or scale, or an eruption as big as head o
q pin, is to be seen on him. He steps out
OH Uue IL ~ pOooiDiS'
And the attendants look and say: us il
possible?" And as, with the health of M
athlete, he bounds back into the chariot
and drives on. there goes up from all his
attendants wild "Huzza! huzzam Ol
course they 90 back to pay and TO thank
the man of God for his counsel sc
fraught with wisdom. When they left
the prophets house, they went off mad
they have come back glad.
People often think better of a minister
after they are converted than they do be,
fore conversion. Now we are TO them IN
intolerable nuisance because we tell them
to do things that 60 against the grain; but
some of US have great many letters from
those who tell us that once they were angry
at what we preached, but afterwards glad
ly received the gospel at our hands. They
once called US fanatics or terrorists OF
enemies; now they call us friends. Yonder
is a mani speak literal fact-who said
that he never would come into the church
again. He said that two years ago. He
said: "My family shall never come here
again if such doctrines as that are
preached" But he came again, and his
family came again. He is o Christian, his
wife Christian, all his children Chris
tians, the whole household Christians, and
shall dwell with them in the house Of the
Lord forever. Our undying ooadiutors arr
those who once heard the gospel and
went away in rage.
Now my hearers, you notice that this
General Naaman did
TWO THINGS
in order to get well. The first was-h'
got out of his chariot. He might have
: STAYED there with his swollen feet on thu
stuffed ottoman, seated on that embrold
! cred cushion, until his last last gasp, ht
would never have got any relief He hat
to get down out of his chariot. And yor
have to get down out Of the chariot o
, your pride if you ever become Christian
; You cannot drive up TO the cross with
, coach-and- -four, and be saved among al
: the spangles. You seem to think that th'
/ Lord is going to be complimented by you
coming. Oh, no; you poor, miserable
, scaly, leprous sinner, get down out o
) that! We all come in the same naughty
way. We expect to ride into th'
Kingdom of God. Never until we ge
y QOWn Oh OuI kuCCo VIM We Ahe s@sS'>J
: The Lord has unhorsed rs, uncharioted
/ us. Get down ont Of your pride. Ge
| down out of your selfHgheousness ant
, your hypercriticism. We have all got q
E do that. This is q journey we have got t.
make on our knees. 1t is our inferna
= pride that keeps us from getting nd of tn
ieprosy of sin. Dear Lord, what have w
8 to be proud Off Proud of our scales
Proud of our uncleanness? Proud Of thi
: killing infection? Bring us down to Tn!
| feet, weeping, praying, penitent, believing
supplicantsl
"For sinners, Lord, Thou caIneSt to bleed,
And I'm a sinner vile indeed;
. Lord, believe Thy grace Is free,
, oh, magnify that grace
But he had not only to get down out O
t his chariot.
HE HAD TO WASH.