The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-12-05

an athlete he bounds back Into the char1ot
and drives on there goes up from all his al
tendants wild "Huzza, huzza" or course
they go back to pay and thank the man or
God for his counsel 80 fraught with wisdom.
When they left the prophets house, they
went off mad. They have come back glad.
People always think better Of minister al
ter they are converted than they do before
conversion. Now we are to them an 1ntoler'
able nuisance because we tell them to DO
things that 20 against the grain, but some OF
US have great many letters from those who
tell us that once they we're angry at what We
preached, but afterward gladly received
the gospel at our hands. They once called
US fanatics or terrorists or enemies. Now
they call US friends. Yonder is a man who
said he would never come into the church
again. He said that two years ago. He said,
"My family shall never come here again II
such doctrines as that are preached" But
he came again, and lis family came again.
He Is Christian. his wife Christian, all
his children Christians, the whole house
hold Christians, and you shall dwell with
them in the house Of the Lord forever. Our
undying coadiutors are those who once
heard the gospel and event away In q
rage"
Now, my hearers, you know that this Gen.
eral Naapnan did two things In order to get
well. The first was, he got out OF his char
lot. He might have staid there with his
swollen feet on the stuffed ottoman, seated
on that embroidered cushion, until his last
gasp, he would never have got any retef.
He had to get down out Of his chariot. And
you have got to get down out OF the char1or
of your pride II you ever become Chris
tian. You cannot drive up to the cross with
q coach and four and be saved among all
the spangles. You seem to think that the
Lord Is going to be compHmented BY
your coming. Oh, no, you poor, mis-
cradle, scaly, legrous sinner. get down
out Of that. We all come In the
same naughty way. We expect to ride
into the kingdom Of God: Never
| until we get down on our knees will We find
mercy. The Lord has unhorsed US, un-
| cbarioted US. Get down out OF your pride.
| Get down out of your self righteousness and
YOUR hypercriticism. We have all got to do
that. That Is the journey we have to make
| on our knees. It Is our internal pride that
keeps us from getting rid of the leprosy OF
sin. Dear Lord, what have we to be proud
of? Proud Of our scales? Proud Of our un-
cleanliness? Proud of this killing infectionp
Bring US down at Thy feet, weeping, pray
ing, penitent, believing suppliants.
For sinners, Lord, Thou camst to bleed,
And I'm sinner vile indeed.
Lord, believe Thy grace Is tree;
Oh, magnify that grace in me.
But he had not only to get down out OF
his chariot. He had to wash. "Oh," you
saw, IT am very careful with my ablutions.
Every day plunge into bright and beautl-
full bath" All, my hearer, there is food
brighter than any that pours from these
hills. It is the food that breaks from the
granite Of the eternal hills. It Is the food
of pardon and peace and Life and heaven.
That food started in the tears Of Christ and
the sweat of Gethsemane and rolled on, ac-
cumulating food, until all earth and heaven
could battle In II. Zechariah called 1t the
fountain open for sin and uncleanness."
william Cowper called It the fountain filled
with blood" Your fathers and mothers
washed an their sins and sorrows away In
that fountain. Oh, nv hearers. do you not
feel like wading into It? Wade down now
into this glorious food, deeper, deeper,
deeper! Plunge once, twice, thrice, lour
times, FIVE times, six times, seven times. It
will take as much as that to cure your soul.
Oh, wash, wash and be cleanl
Isuppose that was great time at Damas-
Gus when General Naaman got back. The
charioteers 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 30 Won
derfully changed she had to look at MIN TWO
or three times before she made out that 1t
was her restored husband. And the little cap
tive maid, she rushed out. clapping her
hands and shouting: "Did he cure you9 Did
he cure you2" Then music woke up the pal
ace, and the tapestry OF the windows was
drawn away. that the multitude outside
might minglewith the princely mirth inside,
and the feet went up and down in the dance,
and all the streets OF Damascus that night
echoed and re-echoed with the news "Naa-
mans cured Naaman's cured" But a
eladder time than that It would be If your
soul should get cured Of its leprosy. The
swiftest white horses hitched to the Kings
chariot would rush the news into the eternal
city. Our loved ones before the throne
would welcome the glad tidings. Your chill.
dren on earth, with more emotion than the
little Hebrew captive. would notice the
change in your look and the change In your
manner and would put their arms around
your neck and say "Mother, I guess you
must have become Christian. Father, I
think you have got rid Of the leprosy..' 0
Lord God Of Elisha. have mercy on US!