Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-11-04

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rhvo sid: Good frr them. I'm glad
Naaman's got the prosv. wish ali
the Syr'ans lad t'e lerrosy." No. For.
getting her p rsonal sorrows, she SYM
pathlzes with the suffering of her mas.
Ter and commends him to the fa.nons
Hebrew prophet.
Pointed In the Right Direction.
And how often it is that the finger Of
ohlldhood has pointed grown persons in
the right directionl o Christian soul.
row long is it since you got rid of the
leprosy of sin? You say, Let me see.
IT must be five years now." Five years.
Who was it that pointed you to the di-
vine physician? "Oh," you saw. "it
was my little Annie or Fred or Charley
that olambered up ON my knees and
looked into my face and asked me why
l didn't become a Christian, and, all
the time stroking my cheek, so 1 could
not get angry, insisted upon knowing
why l didn't have family prayers. -
There are grandparents who have been
brought to Christ by their little grand
children. There are hundreds Of Chris
tian mothers who had their attention
first called to Jesus by their little chill.
dren. How did you get rid Of the lepro-
sy of sin? How did you find your way
to the divine physician9 "Oh, (" you say,
my child, my dying child, with wan
and wasted finger, pointed that way.
Oh. l never shall forget" you say,
that scene at the cradle and the crib
that awful night. 1t was hard, hard,
very hard, but if that little one on its
dying bed had not pointed me to Christ
l don't think l ever would have got rid
of my leprosy." Go into the Sabbath
school any Sunday, and you will find
hundreds Of little fingers pointing in the
same direction, toward Jesus Christ and
toward heaven.
Years ago the astronomers calculated
that there must be q world hanging at
certain point in the heavens, and
large prize was offered for some one
who could discover that world. The tel
escopes from the great observatories
were pointed in vain, but a girl at Nan
tucket, Mass, fashioned a telescope,
and looking through it discovered that
star and won the prize and the admira-
ton of all the astronomical world, that
stood amazed at her genius. And so II
is often the case that grown people can,
not see the light, while some little child
beholds the star of pardon, the star Of
hope, the star of consolation, the star Of
Bethlehem, the morning star of Jesus
"Not many mighty men, not many wise
men, are called, but God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to con-
found the mighty and base things and
things that are not to bring to naught
things that are. Oh, do not despise
the prattle of little children when they
are speaking about God and Christ and
heaven. You see the way your child is
pointing. Will you take that pointing
or wait until, in the wrench of some
awful bereavement, God shall lift that
child to another world, and then it will
beckon you upward? Will you take the
pointing, or will you wait for the beck
oningp Blessed be God that the little
Hebrew captive pointed in the right di-
rection. Blessed be God for the saving
ministry of Christian children.
A Sick Man.
No wonder the advice of this little
Hebrew captive threw all Naaman's
mansion and Ben -hadad g palace into ex-
citement. Goodby, Naaman With face
scarified and ridged and inflamed by
the pestilence and aided by those who
supported him ON either side, he stag
gers out to the chariot. Hold fast the
fiery coursers of the royal stable while
the poor sick man lifts his swollen feet
and pain struck limbs into the vehicle.
Bolster him up with the pillows and let
him take lingering look at his bright
apartment, for perhaps the Hebrew cap
tive may be mistaken, and the next
time Naaman comes to that place he
may be dead weight ON the shoulders
of those who carry him, an expired chief
tain seeking sepulture amid the lamen-
tations of an admiring nation. Goodby,
Naaman Let the charioteer drive gen.
tly over the hills of Hermon, lest he
Jolt the invalid. Here goes the bravest
man of all his day captive Of horri-
BILE disease. AS the ambulance winds
through the streets of Damascus the
tears and prayers of all the people go
after the world renowned invalid.
Perhaps you have had an invalid go
out from your house on health excur-
sion. You know how the neighbors
stood around and said, "Ah, he will
never come back again alive" Oh, 1t
was solemn moment, tell you, when
the invalid had departed, and You went
into the room to make the bed, and to
remove the medicine vials from the
shelf, and to throw open the shutters,
go that the fresh air might rush into the
long closed room. Goodby, Naamani
There is only one cheerful face look
ing at him, and that is the face OF the
little Hebrew captive, who is sure he
will get cured, and who is so glad she
helped him. AS the chariot winds out
and the escort of mounted courtiers,
and the mules, laden with sacks Of gold
and silver and embroidered suits OF ap-
parel, went through the gates OF Da-
mascus and out on the long way. the
hills of Naphtali and Ephraim look
down ON the procession, and the retinue
goes right past the battlefelds where
Naaman in the days Of his health used
TO rally his troops for fearful onset, and
4, ..ooo,gfor, cfonQ and rQoliu0e