Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1911-03-30
PLEASANT FIELDS OF HOLY WRIT
The international S. S. Lesson.
Second Quarter, Lesson 1; 2 Kings
vi Ia April z 1911
Elisha Heals Naaman The Syrian

his support in all the piping years
of peace. Three thousand years
ago there was such an officer in the
employ of the Syrian Empire. He
was the incarnation of bonh0mie,
his name signifying good fellow,
Ae was chief prop Of the throne and
very rich. But there are four words
that discount the situation, lie was
a leper!" A little slave girl acts
well her part in the stirring scene.
Sex and servitude might have eX-
cused her, but she carried her relig-
ion with her in her new and en-
forced environment. She dropped
a seed of hope in the heart where
it was most likely to take root, say
ing to her mistress, Would God my
lord were with the prophet in Sa-
maria!' The king acted promptly
in behalf of his officer, but did not
rise to a conception of the prophets
character or function, looking on
him as a mere court magician.
Sinking times are praying times. ;"
When Jehoram was in adversely ne
resorted to the prophet, but now he
had forgotten even that there was a
seer. Elisha relieved the kings
fears Of trouble with the Syrian
monarch, saying Let him come to
mel" Anyone who imoSines that
Elisha was grumpy toward Naaman
misses the spirit Of the incident,
The leper had to be disposed of his
heather ideas. So the man who
had come with gifts to induce the
prophet to work the cure must be
emptied of his crude notions and
accept cleansing as a gift, The
great generals greatest victory was
his victory over himself. So he
buried his pride with his leprOus in
crustations in the waters of the
Jordan.
The Teachers Lantern.
"A mighty man-but!' That
but" is the WOlf-note destroying
the harmony, The meanest Syrian
scullion would not have exchanged
cuticles with Naaman! Private war,
free-bootery on land, piracy at sea,
is practically at an end. That is
one gague Of the progress of civiliz-
ationi Such wars as that in which
the little maid was taken are no
longer tolerated. She did not NOPE
over her lot, but showed a cheerful
and helpful disposition. Her con-
tributiOn was caught up and woven
into the providence which makes
God known to man. Help often
comes from unexpected quarters.
It was not the first nor the last
time when word of wisdom was
on lin of a slave. And when adj
versity is severe no advice is con-
temptible. The reason Elisha re-
fused Naaman's gift was his unWil-
lingness to put himself on the plane
with heather magi. "Kaiser's beard"
came to be known as a fictitious
cause for war. A water bucket was
once casus belli between two Italian
cities. No wonder Benhadad seemed
to be picking a QUARREL. Not sur
prising Naaman admired the rivers
of his own country! ALBANIA means
Golden flowing" In the morning
it shines like sapphire, in the even
ing like an emerald. But Jordan is
only a muddy stream. 1t is to
Naaman's everlasting honor that he
returned to give thanks! He is
brother to the Samaritan among the
ten lepers of Jesus time. The in
cident is a parable of sin and saliva
ton. Sin is a morbid condition of
the moral nature resultant upon an
evil choice. It can only be corrected
when the will is enlightened, and
strengthened to make the good
choice. There can be no true soci-
ology which ignores this condition.
There is a current preference for
the streams of education and cul-
ture to the river of salvation. Truth
is human nature needs ALBANIA,
Pharpar and Jordan! All the rivers
education, culture and religionl