Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-09-13
iTALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terian Church, Chicago


remedy. His text is II Kings. V. l.
But he was lcper."
The best blood in all Europe flows
Into the army. The keenest Of brains
are covered by the soldiers cap. The
peasaa'.y are. overtaxed and brow
beaten und dung under the iron heel
OF oppression in order that the gilt
laced officer, who Is the scion OF an
aristocratic family. may have soft
couch upon which to sleep and clean
limbcd thoroughbred upon which to
cavort while he salutes the reviewing
officer during dress parade. Every
civilian Is at the beck and call Of the
mlitary-from the innkeepcr's daugh-
ter. tirting with the sergeant or the
young corporal. up to the princess
smiling at the favorite staff officer OF
her father the king. The German
shopkeeper will turn his back upon
you in an instant If the clank of the
sword is heard and the glitter Of the
shoulder strap is seen in the doorway.
On account of this foolish alteration by
cringing populace the foreign officer
or private soldier has grown arrogant
md concelted and snobblsh and super
cilious and petulant and spoiled.
The Syrian nation was u military ma
! ton. with all that the word Implies.
and Captain Naaman was the COM
mnnder in chief OF all its armies, the
headquarters Of which were to be
found in the Damascus capital. But
lNaaman welded higher influence
than that which belongs even to the
greatest soldier of military kingdom.
The phrase used by the inspired his
torian. "a great man with his master.
innd honorable" implies that he held
position more powerful In the king
dom than the head OF the privy council,
the prime minister or the secretary or
state or secretary Of the treasury, and
he may have held. through the prestige
Of his military successes. some or all
Df these offices in his own person. as
great pashas often do in oriental lands.
He occupied practically the same post
tion IN the Damascus capital that the
Duke Of Wcllingtog occupied after the
lhnttle OF Waterloo. The Duke OF Wei
ilington. by the overthrow OF the Ma
polponlc dynasty, not only became the
lprime minister Of England, but for
lnwhile the most influential statesman
lin all Europe. Naaman had in Damas-
rus an influence similar to that or Ju-
lius Cesar when he returned to Rome
from his foreign Victories or which Ma
lnoleon held IN the French nation wnen
lhe was first consul as well ms the COM
mander OF the French legiOns. Naa-
man was as mighty in influence as was
The French cardinal who used to over
awe his king IN the council CHAMBER
when he would stamp up and down
the room. crying: 1T shall be done! |
sav II shall he done. | am liichelieu
who saws it. and it shall be done And
when the great French statesman
would thus speak the frightened king
Jared not answer Il word
The symbol of Sin.
But after have shown you Naamans
fame and power in the Syrian nation
nfter | have fguratively piled stone
unon stone and height upon height and
mountain upon mountain In setting
, forth this pyramid of human greatness
tba whole structure tumbes into rBins
, when | speak the words or my text.
/ hiring the mightiest human influence oi
the east down to the lowest depths oil
earthly misery. bring Naaman down
from his high pedestal until even tne
NOR berrnr In the street might nave
cause TO pity him bring him GOVT
nntiI not ore physically well man II
all the world. no matter how low h'
might be in the social scale. Would eX
= change places with him. Naaman was
prince. Naaman was mighty nli'
tary potentatc. statesman ruler
lie was practically greater than KING
"but he was leper.
Tho disease Of eprosy has often peer
Bibllcally used as the symbol or SIN.
t It is "a most impressing and appalling
6 symbol. We in America cannot reaiiz'
t nil that is implied by comparing an.
4 mans spiritual condition to TINS horrl
ble disease. In the far east | have seel
with loathhg some OF the awiu' raw
apes Of this disease. | would uescrlo
In symbol some of the horrors of sin D.
telling what my own eyes nave see'
and what my own ears have near
t among those poor. creatures physica''
= doomed.
o Lcprosv. humahy speaking. Is an u
f curable Sease Scientists ever Slnc
history began have been studying III
onward march Of this fatal destroye
Although most prevalent in the cas-
II is confined to no climate ana Is p'
cullar TO no age. race or cohdltlol
: Nearly 1000 years before Chr'St wa
horn in Rethlehpm we read that MI
lam, who led the Hebrew maiuehs
the triumphant dance when Pharaon
: host was submerged in the Red SCI
: was afflicted with leprosy because 81
became sinfully Jealous. Miriam Wa
g Jealous because her brother Nose
eighty years OF age, fell In love al
. wanted to take wife. Clear back
!. 1916 Holhein, the artist. painted pl
= ture Of Elizabeth distributing bread
- the unclean lepers OF Augsburg lie
Q ers among the icebergs OF the mort
II Iepers basking In the torrid heats aDo'
IG the equator. lepers in Europe leperS
t Asia, lepers In Africa. lepers III Anne
q lea. lepers in the islands OF the sea
e But, though leprosy has been found
the scientists everywhere. yet one IA
- Is universally recognized about the o.
~ ease-It Is incurable. A man who II
k the leprous poison III MS syet'm b
% no hope from medicine. lie n'
grow worse and worse until he COLI
= to the grave. 1t is as incurable as IL
n disease which we call cancer a
u which is only a little less fatal In
II.