The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-10-20
Elisha and Naaman

Happy the government which has
at its disposal a commander of skill,
experience, and integrity. He may
repay his country in a single hour the
expense of his own support in all the
piping years OF peace. Three thous-
and wears ago there was such an of
ficer in the employ of the Syrian En-
pire. He was the incarnation of bon
homie, his very name signifying
good fellow" He was chief prop of
the throne, and very rich. But there
are four words which heavily discount
the situation, He was leper
\ little slave girl acts well her part
in this stirring scene. She might
have felt herself excused by her sex
and serYitude, but she carried her re-
ligion with her into her new and fore
ed environment. She was alert and
intelligent. She knew her masters
malady and the deadliness of it. Her
memory was stored with all the mira
Giles of mercy the prophet had been
working in Samaria. She steadfast-
ly and joyously believed her master
could be included in the charmed cir
Gle of divine healing. She skillfully
and at the earliest possible moment
dropped the seed of hope in the heart
where it would likely to take quick
est and deepest root. She said to her
mistress, Would God my lord were
with the prophet that is in Samaria,
then he would recover him of his
leprosy."
The king acted quickly on behalf of
the commandments of his army.
Self-interest, if not humanity, prompt
ed him. Naaman was not yet inca
pacitated for soldierly duties, and for
half generation the king mad sue
cessfully detied the whole power of
the Assyrian Empire through his
clear brain and brave heart. But
King Benhadad die not rise to true
conception of the prophets character
OF function. He seemed to think him
a court magician like his own, sub
ject to the order of a king. So the
letter was addressed to Jehoram
rather that to Elisha. Great treasures
were also carried, as if a cure could be
bought by them.
Sinking times are praying times. -
When Jehoran was in adversely he
resorted to the prophet gladly, but
now that he was riding the crest of
the wave, he had actually forgotten
the very existence of the prophet. He
thought he read between the lines of
the kings letter pretext for war.
He was in abject horror and alarm,
and gave the Oriental sign of it. Eli
sha humbled the king at the same
time that he relieved his fears by his
message, Let him come to me, and
he shall know that there is a prophet
in Isreal." There was the dignity of
conscious power.
ANY one who imagines that Elisha
was grumpyandsurly toward Naaman
misses the spirit of the incident. The
leper brought his old heather ideas
with him to the prophets very door.
He had to be dispossessed of them.
The prophet wanted not merely to
cure him but to convert him. Naaman
fhn1phf Elicho L =
like Syrian necromancer, take a
ceremonious attitude, repeat some
formula of incarnation, and wave his
hand in solemn gesture. Instead of
this, the prophet gave a brand-new
receipt for leprosy. All Naaman's
money and show went for naught,
| for the meanest Syrian slave could
have met the terms prescribed by the
prophet. And that was the very
lesson to be learned The cure was
to be without money or price, but by
the power of Jehovah. So the man
who had come with gifts and pomp.
according to heather ideas, to induce
the prophet to work the cure by some
subtle charm or Lecromancy, must
be emptied of his crude notions and
humbly submit to a ceremony which
was patiently imperative of itself. He
must accept his cleansing as a gift.
He must express his faith in an act
| of obedience. Naaman's greatest
victory was his victory over himself.
His pride, his stubbornness, his
heather faith-he slew them all and
buried them along with his leprosy
demonstrations, deep in the waters of
| Jordan.
The Teachers Lantern.
"a mighty man-but." That butt
is the wolf-note" that DESTROYS the
harmony. The meanest Syrian scnll-
ion would not have exchanged cuti-
Giles with Naaman.
Private war, freebootery on land,
piracy on sea is at an end forever.
That is one mark of the progress of
civilization, Such wars as that in
which the little maid of Israel was