Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-11-23
THE CURE OF NAAMAN
REV. DR.. TALMAGE breaches UPON
( 1.-THE SICK GENERAL"


Remedy.
Brooklyn, Nov. 1S.-Rov. DR.. Tai
mage has chosen as the subject OF TO-
davis sermon through the press 1.-The
Sick General, the text selected being
II Kings V, 1, HE was a leper. y
Here we have warrior sick, not
with pleurisies or rheumatisms or con-
sumptions, but with a disease worse
than all these put together. A red mark
has come ont on the forehead, precursor
of complete Disagreement and dissolu-
ton. l have something awful to tell
you. General Naaman, the commander
in chief Of all the Syrian forces, has the
leprosyl Il is on his hands, on his face,
on his feet, on his entire person. The
leprosyl Get out Of the way Of the pes
tilencel If his breath strike you, you
are a dead man. The commander in
chief of all the forces Of Syria And yet
he would be glad to exchange conditions
with the boy at his stirrup or the hos
tier that blankets his charger. The news
goes like wildfre all through the realm,
and the people are sympathetic, and
they cry out, "Is it possible that our
great hero, who slew Ahab and around
whom we came with such vociferation
when he returned from victorious bat
tle-can it be possible that our grand
md glorious Naaman has the leprosyT
All Are Afflicted.
Yes. Everybody has something he
wishes he had not-David, an Absalom
to disgrace him; Paul, a thorn to sting
him; Job, carbuncles to plague him;
Samson. O Delilah to shear him; Ahab,
Naboth to deny him. Haman, Nor
decai to irritate him; George Washing
ton. childlessness to afflict him; John
Wesley, termagant wife to poster him;
Leah, weak eyes; Pope, a crooked back
Byron, a club foot; John Milton, blind
eyes; Charles Lamb, an insane sister,
and you and you and you something
which you never bargained for and
would like to get rid of. The reason OF
this is that God does not want this
world to be too bright. Otherwise we
would always want to stay and eat these
fruits and lie on these lounges and shake
hands in this pleasant society. We are
only in the vestibule of grand temple.
God does not want Us to stay on the
doorstep, and therefore he sends aches
and annoyances and sorrows and be-
reavements Of all sorts to push US on
and push US up toward ripper fruits and
brighter society and more radiant pros
perities. God is only whipping US ahead.
The reason that Edward Payson and
Robert Hall had more rapturous views
Of heaven than other people had was
because, through their aches and pains,
God pushed them nearer mp to It, II
God dashes out one Of your pictures, 1t
is only to show to you a brighter one.
II he sting your foot with gout, your
brain with neuralgia, your tongue with
an inextinguishable thirst, it is only be-
cause he is preparing to substitute bet
ter body than you ever dreamed OF, when
the mortal shall put on Immortality.
Il is to push you on and to push you
up toward something grander and better
that God sends upon you, as he did upon
General Naaman, something you do
not want. Seated In his Syrian man
sion, all the walls glittering with the
shields which he had captured in bat
tie. the corridors crowded with admir-
ing visitors who just wanted to see him
once. music and mirth and banqueting
filing all the mansion from tessellated
floor to pictured ceiling, Naaman
would hav' forgotten that there was
anything better and would have been
glad to stay there 10, 900 years. But, oh,
how the shields dim, and how the visit
ors fly the hall, and how the music drops
dead from tho string, and how the gates
Of the mansion slam shut with sepul-
chral bang as you read the closing words
Of the eulogiuml "He was leper He
was leperP'
l. Must Have Sympathy.
There was one person more sympa-
thetio with General Naaman than any
other person. Naaman's wife walks the
floor wringing her hands and trying to
think what she can do to alleviate her
husbands suffering. All remedies have
failed. The surgeon general and the
doctors Of the royal staff have met, and
they have shaken their heads, as much
as to say, mo cure, no cure. d" think
that the Office seekers had all folded up
their recommendation and gone home.
Probably most Of the employees Of the
establishment had dropped their work
and were thinking Of looking for some
other situation. What shall now become
Of poor Naaman's wife? She must have
sympathy somewhere. In her despair
she goes to a little Hebrew captive, q
servant girl in her house, to whom she
tells the whole story, as sometimes
when overborne by the sorrows OF the
world and finding no sympathy any
where else, you have gone out and found
in the sympathy Of some humble domes'
tic-Rose or Dinah or Bridget-a helT
which the world could not give you.
What a scene 1t was-one OF the
prandest women In all Syria in cabinet
council with a waiting maid over the
declining health Of the mighty general
"I know something" says the little
captive maid, II know something, " a'
she bounds to her bare feet. I'm the
land from which l was stolen there II
certain prophet known by the name
Of Elisha, who can cure almost any
thing, and l shouldn't wonder II he
could cure my master. Send for him
right away" "Oh, hushl" you say
''If the highest medical talent in all the
land cannot cure that leper, there is nc
need Of your listening to any talk OF
servant girl" But do not scott, do moi
neer. The finger Of that little captive
maid Is pointing In the right direction
She might have said: "This is judg
ment upon you for stealing mo from
my native land. Didn't they snatch m'
of In the night. breaking my father'i
and mothers hearts, and many time
have lain and cried all night because
was so homeslski" Then, flushing uI
into childish indignation, she nigh
have saids Good for them. I'm glaC
Naaman's got the leprosy. | wish al
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