Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-12-05
NO. 81.

less has gone out OF his throat. He bows
the sixth time and comes up, and all the
soreness and anguish have gone out of this
body. why" he says, 81 am almost we'll,
but will make a complete cure. and SO hs
bows the seventh time into the flood and he
comes up, and not 50 much as tester or q
Scale or an eruption as big as the head of a
pin is to be seen on him.
He steps out on the bank and says, ais il
possible?" And the attendants LOOK and say,
''Is it possible?" And with the health of
an athlete he bounds back into the chariot
and drives on there goes up from all his at
tendants a wild "Huzza, huzza! OF cours,
tney go back to pay and thank the man OF
GOD for his counsel so fraught with wisdom.
When they let the prophets house, they
went off mad. They nave come back glad.
People always think better of a minister az
ter they are converted than they do before
conversion. Now we are to them an intoler-
able nuisance because We tell them to do
things that go against the grain, buc some @!
us have great many letters fro N those wac
tell US that once they were angry at wnat W,
preached, but aftarwari glad received
the gospel at our hands. They once called
US fanatics or terrorists or enemies. Nov
they call us friends. Yon1er is man VINO
said he would never come into the church
again. He said that two years ago. He sail,
MY family shall never come here again Il
such doctrines as that ara preac ned" But
he came again, and his family cane again.
He is Christian. his wife a Christian, all
his children Christians, the whole house.
hold Christians. and you shall dwell with
them in the house of the Lord forever. Gu:
undying coadjutors arS those who oEce
heard the gospel and 'went away in a
rage"
Now, my hearers, you know that this GeE-
eral Naaman did two things in or Ter to get
well. Tae first was, he got out of his char
lot. He might have staii there with his
swollen feet on the stuffed ottoman, seated
on that embroidered cushion, until his last
gasp; he would never have got any RELIEF
He mad to get down out of his chariot AMI
you have got to get down out OF the ciario.
OF your pride If you ever become a Chris-
tian. You cannot drive up to the cross with
me spangles. You seem to think that ths
Lori Is going to be complimentei by
your coming. Oh, no, you poor. mis-
cradle, scaly, leprous sinner. get down
out of that. We all come in the
into the kingdom of God. Never
until We get down on our knees will we find
mercy. The Lord has unhorsed US, un-
charioted US. Get down out OF your pride.
Get down out o. your self Righteousness AMI
your hypercrticism. We have ali got to do
that. That is the journey we have to make
on our knees. Il Il our internal pride that
keeps US from getting rid of the leprosy OF
sin. Dear Lord, wlat have we to be proud
otl Proud of our scales? Proud OF our un-
Bring US down at Thy feet. weeping, pray
Ing, penitent, believing supplants.
For sinners, Lord. Thou carn'st to bleed
And I'm a sinner vile indeed.
Lord, believe Thy grace is tree,
On, magnify that grace in me.
But he had not only to get down out OF
his chariot. He had to wash. "Oh." you
say, II am very careful with my abutions
Every day plunge into bright ami beauti-
iul bath" All, my hearer, there is a food
t.ryrvf %t.%
hills. 1t is the fool that breaks from the
granite of the eternal hills. 1t is the flood
of pardon AMI peace and life and heaven.
That fool starte1 in the tears of Christ and
the sweat OF GatnSen9na and rollei on, ac-
cumulatng food, until all g !rtn an heaven
could bathe in II. z Zachariah called it the
fountain open for sin and uncleanness."
William Cowper called it tne fountain filed
with blood" Your fathers AMI mothers
washed all their sins and sorrows away in
that fountain. Oh. nv hearers. do you not
feel like wadinS into it? Wade down now
into this glorious food, deeper, deeper.
ieeperl Plunge once, twice, thrice, tour
times, five times. six times, seven times. II
will take as much as that to cure your soul.
Oh, wash, wash and be clean!
suppose that was great time at Oamas-
Gus when General Naaman got back. The
rharioteers did not have TO drive slowly any
longer, lest they jolt the invalid. but as the
horses dashed through the streets of Damas-
Gus think the people rushed out to hail
back their chieftain. Naaman's wife hardly
recognized her husband. He was so Won
ierfuly changed she had to look at him two
Dr. three times before she made out that it
was her restored husband. And the little cap
tive maid, she rushed out. clapping her
hands and shouting ''Did he cure you? Did
he cure you?" Then music woke up the pal
ace, and the tapestry of the windows
lrawn away, that the multitude outside
might mingle with the prncely mrth inside,
md the feet went up and down in the dance,
md all the streets of Damascus that night
echoed and re-echoed with the news: 'Naa-
mans cured! Naaman's curei!' But d
,ladder time than that it would be if your
'oul should get cured of its leprosy. Tne
'wiftest white horses hitched TO the Kings
chariot would rush the news into the eternal
,ity. Our loved ones before the throne
would welcome the glai tilings. Your chill
iren on earth, with more emotion than the
title Hebrew captive. would notice the
,hange in your look and the change in your
manner and would put their arms around
,our neck and say "Mother, L guess you
must have become Christian. Father, /
hink you have got rid OF the leprosy.' 0
Lord God of Elisha, have mercy on u5l