National Republican., 1886-12-13

look down on the procession and the retinue
goes right past the battle fields where Naa'
his troops for fearful onset; and then the pro-
cession stops and reclines a while in the
groves of olives and oleander. and Gen.
Mow tie 90 countrymen Ted saPed $ as the hep
sion passed. They had seen Naawan 90 past
like a whirlwind in days gone by, and had
ments but now they commiserate him. They
say: "Poor man, he will never get home alive:
poor man." Gen. Naaman wakes up from
restless sleep in the chariot, and he says to the
charloteer "lIow long before we shall reach
this Prophet Elisha't2' The charioteer says
TO waysider: SLOW far is IT to Elishas house2'
they Whip up the iathered and fagged.out
horses. The whole procession brightens up at
the prospect Of speedy arrival. ~ They drive up
sSda e as dSSf S S Rs GhS aha tae s%
ing hoofs and grinding wheels cease shaking
the earth.
Come out, Elisha, come ont, you have com.
the gTTands Sha' eyer 20
Elishas house. The fact was the Lord had
informed Elisha that the sick captain was
coming and Just how to to treat him: Indeed,
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 instructions and not on
the Lord God, and that always makes NAL
practice. Come out, Elisha, and attend to
your business. Gen; Naaman and his retinue
was Naaman had two diseases-pride and
leprosy-the one was as hard To- get rid OF as
the other. Elisha sits quietly in bis house and
thinks he has humbied this proud man, he
says to his servant: "Go out and tell Gen.
Naaman to bathe seven times In the River Jor-
tireiy we'll"
The message comes out. "Whatv says the
commander.in-chief OF the Syrian forces, his
eye kindling with an animation which II had
stamping on the bottom OF the chariot, regard
less Of pain: what Isn't he coming out TO
see me? Why, 1 thought certainly he would
come and utter some Ga6allsiS words over ,ye me-
Why, don't think he knows who l am
Isn't he coming out2 Why, when the
shunammile woman came came @ 70 him he rushed 81 q
well with thy husband2 Is 1t well with the
childP And Will he treat poor unknown
woman like that, and let me, a titled person:
won't endure II any longer. .Charioteer
drive on Wash in the Jordan Ha ha!
The slimy Jordan-the muddy Jordan-the mo-
nUtonous Jordan. wouldn't be seen washing
in such a river as that. Why, we watered our
horses in better river than that on our way
here.a The beautiful river the J9sper'paved
river of Pharper. Besides that we have in our
country another Damascene river, Abana,
with folaged bank and torrent ever SWIM and
ever clear, under the hiokering shadows OF
PharpHr, rivers Of Damascus, better than all
the waters of Israeli
suppose Naaman felt very much as we
some SHC one should tell Us to 60 and wash IN the
Danube or Rhine. We would answer. Are
not the Connecticut or the Hudson Just as
good? p or, as an Engllshm9n would feel If he
must go and wash in the Mississippi or st
Lawrence. He would cry out, Are not the
Thames and the shannon just as wellg' The
IA m ant nnpHnn N
what every Engllshman and every American
needs 10 learn--that when God tells you to do
thing you must go and do II whether you uu-
derstand the reason or not Take the pre-
scription whether you likeit or not. one thing
is certain Unless naughty Naaman does ms
Elisha commands him, he will die Of his awful
mands you you will be seized upon by an
everlasting wasting away. Obey aud liyei dis
obey and die. Thrilling, overarching, UNDER
gilning, stupendous alternative
WClf, Gen NaamRn could not stand the test
The charloteer gives jerk to the right line
until the bit snaps In the horses mouth, ana
dust show the indignation of the great COM
mHnder. "He turned and went away in a
I1ge." so people now often get mad at religion.
GbhSy ytupeSste asaiRSt ministers asalGs ns
would think from their irate behavior that
God had been studying how to annoy aud ex-
aspeTate and demolish them. What has He
been doing2 Only trying to cure their death
dealing leprosy, That Is all. Yet they who
up their horses, they dig in the spurs, and they
go away in a rage.
So, after all, II seems that this health exour-
sion Of Gen. Naampn Is TO be dead failure.
That little Hebrew captive might as wei have
not told him OF the prophet, and this long
journey might as we'll not have been taken.
Poor, SICK, dying Naaman are you going away
In high dudgeon and worse than when you
came2 AS his chariot halts u moment his
servants Chamber up in It and coax him To do
as Elisha said, They say; "Its easy, If the
prophet had told you TO walk for mile on
sharp spikes in order to get rid Of this awful