Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-11-23

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 if such doc
trines as that are preached. But he
came again, and his family came again.
He is a Christian, his wife a Christian,
all his children Christians the whole
household Christians, and you shall
dwell with them in the house Of the
Lord forever. Our undying coadjutors
arc those who once heard the gospel and
event away in a rage"
The True Remedy.
Now, my hearers, you know that this
General Naaman did two things in or
der to get well. The first was he got
out Of his chariot he might have staid
there with his swollen feet on the stuff
ed ottoman, seated on that embroidered
cushion, until his last gasp he would
never have got any relief. He had to
get down out Of his chariot. And you
have got to get down out Of the chariot
of your pride if you ever become a Chris
tian. You cannot drive up to the cross
with a coach and four and be saved
among all the spangles. You seem to
think that the Lord is going to be COM
plimented by your coming. Oh, no, you
poor, miserable, scaly, leprous 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 endorsed US,
uncharioted us. Get down out Of your
pride. Get down out of your self right
eousness and your hypercriticism. We
have all got to do that. That is the
journey we have to make OH our knees.
1t 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
uncleannoss? Proud of this killing in
lection? Bring US down OF thy feet,
weeping, praying, penitent, believing
suppliantS
For sinners, Lord, thou cam'st to bleed.
And I'm a sinner vile indeed.
Lord, l believe thy grace is free.
Oh, magnify that grace IN ne.
But he had not only TO get down out
Of his chariot He had to wash. "Oh, "
you say, Il am very careful with my
additions. Every day 1 plunge into
bright and beautiful bath. " All, my
nearer, there is food brighter than any
that pours from these hills. 1t is the
food that breaks from the granite Of
the eternal hills 1t is the food Of par
don and peace and life and heaven. That
food started in the tears Of Christ and
the sweat Of Gethsemane and rolled on,
accommodating food, until all earth and
heaven could battle in it. Zechariah
called it the fountain open for sin and
uncleanness. " William Cowper called it
the fountain filled with blood. " Your
fathers and mothers washed all their
sins and sorrows away in that fountain.
Oh, my hearers, do you not feel like
wading into it? Wade down now into
this glorious food, deeper, deeper, deep
er! Plunge once, twice, thrice, four
times, five times, six times, seven times.
1t will take as much as that to cure your
soul. Oh, wash, wash and he clean!
Naaman's Cure.
I suppose that was great time at
Damascus when General Naaman got
back The characters did not have to
drive slowly any longer, lest they jolt
the invalid, but as the horses dashed
through the streets Of Damascus l think
the people rushed ont to hail back their
chieftain. Naaman's wife hardly recog-
nized her husband He was SO wonder
fully changed she had to look at him
two or three times before She made out
that it was her restored husband. And
the little captive maid, she rushed ont,
clapping her hands and shouting: did
he cure you? Did he cure you:" Then
music woke up the palace, and the tap
ostry Of the windows was drawn away,
that the multitude outside might min
gle with 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: "Naaman's cured Naaman's
curedw But n gladder time than that
it would be if your soul should get cur
ed Of its leprosy. The swiftost 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
children 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 be-
come a Christian. Father, l think you
have got rid of the leprosy. o Lord
- r I-ls-to harro ,,,arov~ on