The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-12-16

freds of little fingers pointing in the saros
direction toward Jesus Christ and toward
heaven.
Years ago the astronomers calculated that
there must be a world hanging at a certain
point in the heavens, and large prize was
offered for some one who could discover that
world The telescopes from the great OBJ
servatories were pointed in vain, but girl
at Nantucket Mass, fashioned 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 people cannot 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.
Not many mighty men, not many wise
men are called; but God hath chosen
the weak Things of the world to
confound the mighty; and base things
and things that are not to bring to
naught things that are" Oh, do not despise
the prattle OF little children when they are
speaking about God, and Christ, and heaven!
You see the way your child is pointing; will
you take that pointing or wait until, In the
wrench of some awful bereavement, God shall
lift that child to another world, and then it
viii beckon you upward2 VIII you take the
pointing or will you wait for the beckoninga
Blessed be God that the little Hebrew captive
pointed in the right directionl Blessed be
God for the saving ministry Of Christian
children!
No wonder the advice of this little Hebrew
captive threw all Naaman's mansion and
Ben-hadad's palace into excitement. Good-by,
Naamanl With face scarified and rigid and
inflamed by the pestilence, and aided bf'
those who supported him either side, be
staggers out to the chariot. Hold fast the
fiery coursers of the royal stable while the
poor sick man lifts his swollen feet and pain
struck limbs into the vehicle. Bolster him
up with the pillows and let him take hnger-
ing look at his bright apartment, for perhaps
the Hebrew captive may be mistaken, and
the next time Naaman comes to that place he
may be dead weight on the shoulders Of
those who carry him-an expired chieftsin
seeking sepulture amid the lamentations Of
an admiring nation. Good-by, Naamanl
Let the charioteer drive gently over the
hills of Hermon, lest he jolt the invalid.
Here goes the bravest man of all his day
captive of a horrible disease. AS the ambu-
lance winds through the streets of Damascus
the tears and prayers of all the PEOPLE go
after the world-renowned iIfSalid. Perhaps
you have had an invalid go out from your
house on a health excursion. You know how
the neighbors stood around and 3aid: "Ah,
he will never come back again aIfgel" Oh, it
was a solemn moment, l tell you, when the
invalid had departed, and you went into the
room to make the bed and to remove the
medicine vials from the shelf. and to throw
open the shutters so that the fresh air might
rush into the long-closed rooml Good-by,
Naaman There is only one cheerful
face looking at him, and that is the
face of the little Hebrew captive, who
is sure he will get cured and who is so glad
el,o Ae oh Of 10
and the escort Of mounted courtiers, and the
mules, laden with sacks of gold and silver
and embroidered suits of apparel, went
through the gates of Damascus and out on
the long way, the hills of Naphtah and Eph-
rain look down on the procession, ard the
retinue goes right past the battle fields where
Naaman, in the days of his health, used to
rally his troops for fearful onset; and then the
procession stops and reclines a while in the
groves of olives and oleander, and Gen.
Naaman so siclc-and SO very, very sckl
How the countrymen gaped as the pro
cession passed. They had seen Naaman go
past like a whirlwind in days gone by, and
had stood aghast at the clank of his war
equipments; but now they commiserate him.
They say; "Poor man, he viii never get
home alivel Poor mani" Gen. Naaman
wakes from restless sleep in the chariot
and he says to the chari0teer! "How long be-
fore we shall reach this Prophet Elisha's7"
The charioteer says to a waysider: "How far
is it to Elisha's houses" He says: 1.-TWO miles"
"Two miles" Then they whip up the
lathered and tagged out horses. The whole
procession brightens up at the prospect of
speedy arrival. They drive up to the door
of the prophet. The charioteers shout:
'Whoa" to the horses, and the tramping
hoofs and grinding wheels cease shaking the
earth.
Come out, Elisha, come out, you have
company; the grandest company that ever
came to your house has come to it now. No
stir inside Elisha's house The fact was, the |
Lord had informed Elisha that the sick cap
tain was coming and just how to treat him.
Indeed, when you are sick and the Lord |
wants you to get well, He always tells the |
doctor how to treat you; and the reason we
have so many bungling doctors is because
they depend upon their own strength and in |
structions and not on tho Lord God, and that |
always makes malpractice Come out Eli |
sha, and attend to your business. Gen Naa- |
man and his retinue waited, and waited and |
waited. Tho fact was Naaman had two diseases |
pride and leprosy; the one was as hard TO get |
rid of as the other. Elisha sits quietly in his |
house and does not go out. After a while, l
when he thinks he has humbled this proud /
man, he says to a servant: AGO out and tell /
Gen. Naaman to bathe seven times in the /
River Jordan, out yonder five miles, and he /
will get entirely we'll"
The message comes out "Whatp says the L
in chief of the Syrian forces, his
Eye kindling with an animation which it had
not shown for weeks, and his swollen foot |
stamping on the bottom of the chariot, re-
yardlesS of pain: "Whati Isn't he coming .
9ut to see met Why, I thought certainly he
would come and utter some cabaliStie words
lver me or make some enigmatical passes
,ver my wounds. Why, 1 don't think he /
Knows who am Isn't he coming outl Why,
whom the Shunamnite woman came to him
le rushed out and cried: ais it well with
heel Is it with thy husbandl Is it well
With thy child And will he treat poor un-
Known woman like that, and let me, titled |
sit here in my chariot and wait
md waltz 1 won't endure it any longer.
Jharioteer, drive onI Wash in the Jordani
Hal hal The Shiny Jordan-the muddy
monotonous Jordan. 1 wouldn't
,e seen washing in such a river as that.
Why, we wAtered our horses in better
iver than that on our way here-the beau
iful river, the jasper paved river of Phar-
var. Besides that, we have ia our country |
mother Damascene river ALBANIA with
oliaged banks and torrent over swift and
ver clear, under the flickering shadows of
ycamore and oleander. Are not ALBANIA and |
'harpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all i
he waters of Israelp
I suppose Naaman felt very much as we
would feel If, by way of medical prescription,
ONE one should tell US to go and wash in the
danube or the Rhine. We would answer:
Are not the Connections or the Hudson just
s goodr Or, as an EnGlishman would feel
he were told, by way OF medical prsscrip-
ion, he must 60 and wash in the Mississippi
T St Lawrence. BE would cry out; "Are
ot the Thames and the Shannon tlst as
Eellin The fact was that naughty Ntaman
eeded to learn what every Englishmal and
very American needs to learn-that when
iod tells you to do thing, you must 60 and
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