The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-21
PREACHED ABOUT
 SAMARIAN LEPERS
The Rev. W. R. Hendrix Talks to a Large Congregation.
THE FOUNDING OF SAMARlA
Draws Lesson Illustrating the Great ness of Sympathy and the Ten der Mercies of God To-
 wards the Poor.

The Rev. w R. Hendrix. pastor of the St. Johns Methodist church, preached an impressive sermon yesterday morning to a large congregation, the subject of his discourse being "The Lepers of Samaria." :" The scripture reading was taken from the 7th chapter of 2d Kings An excellent pro- gramme of music was rendered by the choir.
 At the beginning of her sermon MT. Hendrix asked his congregation to assist him in finding employment for three boys between the ages of 10 and 12, whose fam flies were in dire distress and who were dependent on the boys for support.
 His sermon was as follows
 The Lepers at samara.
 Probably because of the series of bloody revolutions immediately preceding his accession to the throne of Israel, Omri determined to found a new city and trans fer the seat of government to this place. In the midst of a beautiful valley six miles to the northwest of Schechem there rises an oblong hill, with steep, yet access sible sides. and long fiat top. This hill
  two talents of silver for it, and here he built a city which he named Samaria Samaria at once became the capital of the ten tribes and remained their capital until the overthrow of their government.
 During the reign of Ahab, Ben-hadad, king of Syria, laid siege to Samaria, and though the Syrians suffered an ignomin- ious defeat they never abandoned their purpose to destroy this city and subju- gate these people. About seven years later when Jehoram had succeeded his father Ahab as king of the ten tribes, Ben-hadad returned with his army and laid siege to Samaria.
 A great drought throughout the country had so impoverished the people that to withstand a siege seemed a hopeless en- deavor. Though the walls of this city protected them against the weapons of the Syrians they could not drive back the wolf of starvation that was already destroying their families. The famished condition is stril1ingly set forth In the re- cord of an incident In connection with the siege. As the king was walking on tho walls of the city, doubtless looking for some way of escape, a woman cried out: Help. my lord O king! He replied: "If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barn floor or out of the wine press? What aileth thee?" And she said this woman said unto me, Give thy son that we may eat him to- day. and we will eat my son tomorrow. And we boiled my son and ate him, and she hath hid her son." No wonder that the king rent his garments when he heard the words of the woman, and as he walk ed away the people saw that he was wear ing sackcloth within upon his flesh.
 Were Furnishing.
 On the day following four leprous men were sitting just outside the city walls waiting for something to eat. They doubtless knew of the scarcity of food, but hunger had driven them again to the place where they had been fed. They came The fading glories in the western sky seemed a parable of their dying hopes; and the darkness that had man. tied the eastern horizon and was now settling about them was a fit accompani- ment of that despair into which they were entering. It may have been the glow of the Syrian camp fires from the valley below that kindled a single star of hope in the Armament of their de- spair. That silence which makes de- spair doubly tragic was broken and they said Why sit we here until we die? Let us fall unto the Syrians; perhaps they may save us from perishing, and if they kill us we shall but die" In the strength of this last resolve and urged by the bangs of death-hunger, they rose and journeyed toward the Syrian camp. Any of us may imagine their surprise when they found the camp In order, yet utterly deserted but only those who have been at the point of death from hunger can imagine with what avidity they de- voured the meal prepared for the Syrian officer Finding silver and gold and rai- ment in great abundance, they gathered good supply of these and hid them probably in some cavern in the hillside which had served as a shelter to the leper from the winter storms. From the weakness of a prolonged fast, and the slugglshness following a heavy supper, they doubtless sat down when they had deposited their treasures to rest and talk over the events of the day. When men, tion was made of the hungry people in the city they said: 'We do not we'll this Is a day of good tidings. Let us return and tell the king what we have seen" And with a magncnmity of heart that inspires the reader today, in the darkness of the night. and in their feeble condition they climbed the hill to the