The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-11-22
FIHE LEPROSY OF SIN.
|pR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
lesson Drawn from ths Story OF
Naaman, the Syrian.

here We have \ warrior sick, not with
|arisies or theumatisms or consumptions,
With disease worse than all these put
[s,her A red mark has come out on the
[,heai. precursor OF complete disfigure-
y, and dissolution. have something
|nl 20 tell you. General Na7man. the
Erander In chief OF all the Syrian forces,
| the leprosy IL IL on his hands. on HIS
i On his feet. on his entire person. Tho
|-oyl Get out OF the way OF the pesti-
|~' n his breath strike You. vou are n
man. The commander in chief OF all
forces of Syria And yet he would be
/ 10 exchange conditions with the boy Mt
|sirrup or the hostler that blankets his
Irrpr The news goes like wlldnrs all
|,1gh the realm, ami the people are SYM
|he;Ic. and they cry out, "Is II possible
4 our great hero. who slew Ahab and
|1u1 whom we came with snch vocifera-
\ when he returned from victorious bat
ran n be possible that our grand aud
Eious Naaman has the leprosy?"
H.. Everybody hns something he wishes
Al not-Davld. an Absalom TO disgrace
Paul, n thorn to sting him JOB, car
! ,les TO plague him Samson. a Delilah
hear him Ahah. n Naboth TO DENY him ,
han. n Mordecal to irritate him George
khinCton, n childlessness 10 affll,t him
In Wesley, n termagant wife to poster
Leah, weak eyes Pope. n crooked
|, Byron. n club foot; John Milton.
! eyes Charles Lamb. nm insane sister.
you and You ard you something which
! never bargained for and would like to
| hi of. The reason OF this Is that God
J. not want this world to be too bright.
3stwise we would always want TO stay and
these fruits and lie on these lounges and
ke hands in the pleasant society. We
only in the vestibule of n grand temple.
| does not want ia to stand on the door
! and therefore He sends aches and annoy
es aud sorrows an1 bereavements OF all
10 push us on and push us up toward
sfruits and brighter society and more
ant prosperities. God IL only whipping
khead. The reason that Edward Payson
Robert Hall had more rapturous views oi
yen than other people had was because.
kugh their aches and pains. God pushed
nesrer up to II. II God dashes out one
our pictures, IL is only 10 show to you n
|hter one. IL He sting YOUR foot with
(, your brain with neuralgia, your tongue
an inextingushabls thirst. IL Ia only be-
y lie is preparing to substitute a better
than you ever dreamed of, when the
ral shall put on Immortality.
is 10 push YOU on and TO push you M
st1 something grander and better that
sends upon you, as He did upon Cen
Naaman. something you do not want.
ed In his Syrian mansion, all the walls
erng with the shields which he had cap
Ia battle. the corridors crowded with
lring visitors who Just wanted TO see
once, music and mirth and banquetinc
g all the mansion from tessellated floor
tused ceiling, Naaman would have for
IN that there was anything better and
4 have been glad 10 stay there 10000
T. but. oh, how the shields dim, aud
the visitors fly the hall, and how the
c drops dead from the string, and how
yates OF the mansion slam shut wit!
chral bang as you read the closing
i of the eulogidm "He was II leper
vas leperr
Lere was ons person more sympathetic
General Naaman than anv other per,
Naanan's wife walks the floor. wiring
Der hands and trying to think what sh,
10 10 alleviate her husbands suffering
fenedies nave failed. The surgeon gen
and the doctors of the royal staff hav,
aadl lhay havs shake: :he'- ha"s" 80
ns 10 say. "No cure, no Gu
the office seekers had all fola
lamentations and gone home.
Of the employees ot tne cstab,
iropped their work and wefe tn,
oking for some o.her situation.
now become of poor Naaman's .
must have sympathy somewhere. H.
lespair she goes TO little Hebrew cap
a servant girl in her holse, to whom
els the whole story, as sometimes.
Oyerborne by the SORROWS OF the wcSd
ending no sympathy anywhere else, you
s., 81. a 4
ne humble dompstic-Rose or DInah oi
set--1 heip wh!en the world could no
you.
at a sceae II was-ona OF tne gran lest
en in all Syria IN cabinet council with 1
ng maid over the declining health o
hi;hrv general ~ know something,
the little captive maid. n know some
as she bounds TO her bare feet. al
md from watch i was stolen thero IS ;
In prophet known by the nlmo o
a, who can cure almost anything. anC
olldn't wonder IL he could cure my
ei Send for him right away" "Oh
you say. III the highest medica
3 in all the land cannot cure that leper
Is no need OF your listening to any tall
!. esyant girl" But do not scoff do no
The finger OF that little captive mai
htinS in the right direction. She Nigh
said This Is a judgment upon you
I ealing me from my native lani. Didn'
snatch me of in the night. breakiny ny
rs and mothers hearts, and muny 1
have lain and criei all night becaus,
so homesick?" Then. flushing vi
nlldlsh Indignation, she might nav,
Good tor them. I'm gla Nalman'
Do eleprosy. | wish all the Syrians haC
prosy." No. Forgetting her persona
VS., she sympathlZAs with the suiferlng
master and commends him 10 tn
Is Hebrew prophet.
how often It Is that the finger O
POOL has pointet grown persons IN tn,
l. direction! o Christian soul. how Ions
nee YOU got rid OF the leprosy OF sin
u ~, Let mo see. IL must he five year
Five years. Who was It that pointe,
- the Divine Physician? son, you
VI was my little Amie or Fred o.
T" ey that clamered up on my knees an
INTO my lace and asked me why
become CHRISTIAN, and, all IN,
uok!ng my cheek, so coull
|. angry, insisted upon knowing VIII,
have family prayers. Taere ar,
rs parents who have been brought I,
oy their little grandchildren. Their,
alreds of Christian mothers who hat
y" Nention first called TO Jesus by thei
Ig hlldren. How did you get rid OF tn,
o. oi sin2 How did you find your wa,
,.1 Divine Physician? "Oh," you say
ehlli, my dying child. with wal
ts wasted finger, pointed that way
V never shall forget" you say, ''tha
4' Tue cradle and the crib that awiu
"a 1t was hard, har !, very hard, but /
', We one on its dying bed had no
lh me TO Christ i don't think eve
nave got rid OF my leprosy." Go int
~ ooath-school amy Sunday, and you will
aS ndreds OF little fingers pointing in III,
rect on, toward Jesus Christ and 10
eayen.