The Bossier banner., 1895-01-03

there is certain prophet known by |
the name of Elisha, who can cure al
most anything, and l shouldn't WON
der if he could cure my master. Send
for him right away" 80 hush!" you
say ''If the highest medical talent of
all the land can not cure that leper,
there is no need of your listening to
any talk of a servant girl" But do not
little captive maid is pointing in the
right direction. She might have said:
''This is a judgement upon you for
stealing me from my native land.
Didn't they snatch me off in the night,
breaking my fathers and mothers
heart? and many a time have lain
and cried all night because was so
homesick." Then, flushing up into
childish indignation, she might have
said: ''Good for them. Pm glad
Naamans got the leprosy." No. For
getting her personal sorrows, she
sympathizes with the suffering of her
master, and commends him to the IA
nous Hebrew prophet.
And how often is it that the finger
of childhood has pointed grown per-
sons in the right direction. Oh, Chris
tian soul, how long is it since you got
rid of the leprosy of sin? You say:
'Let me see. 1t must be five years
now Five years. Who was it that
pointed you to the Divine Physician?
''Oh," you say, ''it was my little Annie,
or Fred, or Charley, that clambered up
on my knees, and looked into my face,
and asked me why didn't become a
Christian, and, all the while stroking
my cheek SO I couldn't get angry, in
sisted upon knowing why didn't have
family prs yers." There are grand
parents who have been brought
to Christ by their little grandchil-
& tian mothers who had their at
tention first called to Jesus by their
little children. How did you get rid
of the leprosy of sin? How did you find
your way to the Divine Physician?
"Oh," you say, "my child-my dying
child, with wan and wasted finger,
pointed that way. Oh, l shall never
forget" you say, shat scene at the
cradle and the crib that awful night.
1t was hard, hard, very hard; but if
that little one on it's dying bed had not
pointed me to Christ, 1 don't think l
ever would have got rid of my lewosy."
Go into the Sabbath-school any Sun
day and you will find hundreds of lit
tie fingers pointing in the same direc-
ton, toward Jesus Christ and toward
| Heaven.
How the countrymen gaped as the
procession passed! They had seen
kNaaman go pass like whirlwind in
days gone by, and had stood aghast at
the clank of his war equipments; but
now they commiserate him. They say:
Poor man, he will never get home
alive; poor mani! .e.
Gen. Naaman wakes up from rest
less sleep in the chariot, and says to
the charioteer: ''How long before we
shall reach the Prophet Elisha?" The
charioteer says to waysider: "How
far is it to Elisha's house!" He says
1.-TWO miles. Two miles?' Then they
whip up the lathered and fagged-out
horses. The whole procession bright
ems up at the prospect of speedy arriv'
al. They drive up to the door OF
the prophet. The charioteers shout
''Whoa!' to the horses, and tramping
hoofs and grinding wheels cease shak-
ing the earth. Come out, Elisha, come
, out; you have company; the grandest
. company that ever came to your house
has come to it now. No stir inside
Elisha's house. The fact was, the
9 Lord has informed Elisha that the
sick captain was coming, and JUS
I how to treat him. Indeed. when yo1
are sick, and the Lord wants you tt
, get we'll, He always tells the docto
I how to treat you; and the reason WI
, have SO many bungling doctors is be
n cause they depend upon their owl
o strength and instructions, and not 0,
: the Lord God, and that always make
. malpractice. Come out, Elisha, AM
. tend to your business Gen. Naama1
G and his retinue waited, and waited, an
9 waited. The fact was, Naaman ha
e two diseases-pride and leprosy; tn
h one was as hard to get rid of as tn
: other. Elisha sits quietly in his house
a and does not go out. After while
when he thinks he has humbled thi
| llS says " bClfdu
" go out and tell Gen. Mama
$ to bathe seven times in the River Jon
= dan, out yonder five miles, and he wi
J. get entirely we'll" The message come
Il out. "Whatr' says the commander-ir
i chief of the Syrian forces. his eye kint
! ling with animation which it had nc
n shown for weeks, and his swollen foe
q stamping on the bottom of the chario
r regardless of pain. "What! Isn't h
r. coming out to see me? Why though
!. certainly he would come and utter som
q cabalistic words over me, or make som
!, enigmatical passes over my wound
% Why, don't think he knows who
a. am. Isn't he coming out? VIII,
4 when the Shunamite woman came
.r him, he rushed out and cried: is
A. well with thee? is it well with thy hu
q band? is it well with thy child? ar
IS will he treat poor unknown woma
r. like that, and let me, titled perso
D. age, sit here in my chariot and wal
10 and wait? l won't endure it al
,e longer. Charioteer, drive on! Wash
IT, II