Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-09-11

ago. Ainsworth, the historian, tells lis
that during those narrowing and grew
some months the London stores were
nearly all closed. The doors of the pri-
vate homes were nearly all barred and
bolted save when they were opened at
the approach Of the bell ringer who
was seated upon pile Of stenchful
corpses because he was out driving the
dead cart and collecting the different
bodies Of the dead. Yet at that time in
London there were men and women
who whistled and laughed and danced
and sang and blasphemed under the
very shadow of these horrors.
But, though the leprosy Of the soul,
like the leprosy Of the flesh, be dis
ease beyond the reach of the human
soul, I would again draw your atten-
ton to the fact that 1t yields to the
touch Of the Divine Physician. as the
affliction Of Nnaman yielded at the Jor.
dan waters. And there are especially
two or three incidents about the phys
ical cure of Naaman with which I
would drive this truth home and lead
you to the fountain of life. The first
was that he was induced to travel
from Damascus to the home of the
Prophet Elisha through the influence
of a little captive Jewish maiden who
was slave Of Naaman's wife. l can
imagine the little Jewish slave lying
awake upon her humble couch as night
after night she hears the great Syrian
general tramping up and down in his
palace rooms. She hears him groan
when he is awake. She hears him
moan in his sleep because he is a hope
less leper. She hears him toss restlessly
about upon his bed. She hears him
the more readily because she is Sleep
ing in a nearby room, at the foot of
Naaman's wife's bed, or in an adjacent
room to her mistress. Then she hears
the general and his wife talking of the
cause of Naaman's trouble. So one
day she timidly pulls at her mistress
skirts and says: Mistress why do you
not have master seek the prophet Of
Israel? He would cure him Of his
leprosy!' Then the horses were hitch
ed to the chariots. Then the journey
was taken to the farof prophets
home.
The Chrtsfian's DUTY.
Here, my brother, is the Christians
duty. The humblest child of God can
perform it. The service rendered to the
great general by this captive child you
can render to the moral lepers around
you. | am doing no more than this
from this pulpit. l am telling you
where there is cure for this fatal dis
] lon [
you have in your nature the germ Of
sin. l say, as did the Hebrew maid.
would God you would go to Jesus, for
he would restore you" l cry to you
as did that humble preacher who, one
stormy day, started Charles H. Spur
geon upon his glorious work when he
cried: Young man, afflicted with
doubts and troubles, look to Jesus
Look! Look Will you battle in
Christ's bloodx Will you battle now?
Will you go to Christ and be spiritually
cured? The second fact about the cure
of the leper Naaman with which
would impress you was that Elisha, the
prophet, told him to go and battle in
the river Jordan. He did not tell Naa-
man to go and battle in pool He did
not tell him to wash out Of small
basin. Elisha told Naaman to go and
dip in the Jordan. There he would have
plenty of room. That river was so
wide and deep that Naaman could
wade into it up to his thighs his Shout
ders, his chin. He could dip into 1t
again and again and again. So today,
as with Naaman, would bid you who
are covered with the scales Of leprosy
to wade down into the river Of life. |
would bid you to dip into that river
which flows from out Of the throne Of
the Lamb because it is a wide river.
1t is a river so wide and deep that all
of us can enter it at once side by side
and there will yet be enough water to
cleanse us al! from our sins. | would
have you wade today into the river of
life because | want to take your hand
in mine, and, as your pastor and friend,
want to enter this Saviour's river so
that ! also can be cleansed Of my own
sins by your side and have my flesh
and yours, like Naaman's, become as
)ure as a little child's. My dear friends
leprous with sin, will you let me lead
you to the river of eternal cleansing?
Copyright. 1902 Louis Klopsch. N VI