The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-11-21

of childhood has pointed grown per-
sons in the right direction. o, Christian
soul, how long is it since you got rid OF
the leprosy Of sin2 You say; LET me
see. 1t must be FIVE years now" Five
years Who was it that pointed you
to the divine physician? "O," you say,
SIT was my little Annie, or Fred, or
Charley, that clambered upon my
knees, and looked into my face, and
asked me why didn't become Chris
tian, and, all the time stroking my
cheek so couldn't get angry, insisted
upon knowing why l didn't have fami'
ly prayers" There are grandparents
who have been brought to Christ by
their little grandchildren. There are
hundreds of Christian mothers who had
their attention first called to Jesus by
their little children. How did you get
rid Of the leprosy Of sin? How did you
find your way to the divine physicianP
80" you say, my child-my dying
child. with wan and wasted finger,
pointed that way. o, never shall for
get" you say, "that awful night. 1t
was hard, hard, very hard; but If that
little one on its dying bed had not
pointed me to Christ, don't think /
ever would have got rid of my leprosy. ("
Go into the Sabbath school any Sun
day and you will find hundreds Of little
fingers pointing in the same direction,
toward Jesus Christ and toward Heaven.
Years ago the astronomers calculated
that there must be world hanging at
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 girl at Nam
tucket, Mass, fashioned telescope,
ann, 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 par
don, the star of hope, the star of conso-
lation the star of Bethlehem, the morn
ing star of Jesus. mot 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 nought things that
are" 0, 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 be-
reavement, God shall lift that child to
another world, and then it will beckon
you upward? Will you take the point
ing, or will you wait for the beckon-
ing? Blessed be God that the little
Hebrew captive pointed in the right
direction. Blessed be God for the saw
ing ministry of Christian children.
No wonder the advice of this lite
Hebrew captive threw all Naaman's
mansion and Ben-hadad's palace into
excitement. Good-by, Naaman! With
face scarifed, and ridged and infamed
by the pestilence, and aided by those
who supported him on either side, he
staggers out to the chariot Hold fast
the fiery coursers of the royal stable
while the poor sick man lifts his swol-
len feet and pain-struck limbs into the
vehicle. Bolster him up with the pill
lows, and let him take lingering
look at his bright apartment, for per-
haps the Hebrew captive may be mis-
taken, and the next time Naaman
comes to that place he may be dead
weight on the shoulders of those who
carry him-an expired chieftain seek
ing sepulture, amid the lamentations
of an admiring nation. Good-by, Naa-
mani 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 horri-
BILE disease. AS the ambulance winds
through the streets of Damascus, the
tears and prayers of alr the people go
after the world-renowned invalid.
Perhaps you have had an invalid GO
out from your house on health excur-
sion. You know how the neighbors
stood around and said: "Ah, he will
never come back again alive" o, it
was solemn moment, l tell you, when
the invalid had departed and you went
into the room to make the bed, and tc
remove the medicine phials from the
shelf, and to throw open the shutters so
| tnat the fresh air might rush in the
long-closed room. Good-by, Naamanl
There is only one cheerful face looking
at him, and that is the face of the little
Hebrew captive, whois sure he will get
cured, and who is so glad she helped
him. AS the chariot winds out, and
the escort of mounted courtiers, and
the mules, laden with sacks of gold,
and silver, and embroidered suits Of ap.
parel, went through the gates of Da
mascus and out on the long way, the hills
of Naphtali and Ephraim look down on
the procession, and the retinue goes
right past the battle fields where Naa-
man, in the days of his health, used to
rally his troops for fearful onset, and
then the procession stops and reclines
while in the groves of olive and
oleander; and Gen. Naaman so sick
SO very, very sick.
How the countrymen gaped as the
procession passed! They had seen Naa-
man 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 will never get home
alive; poor mani"
! General Naaman wakes up from a
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