The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-06
Is 1t Well With Thee
(Sermon Delivered by Rev Billy Sunday at City Auditorium
Night of February 81

This evening in the Second Book of
Kings. the fourth chapter and the
twenty-sixth verse: lis 1t Well With
Thee? Is 1t Well With Thy Husband +?
Is 1t Well With Thy Child?"
lem. eight miles from Tabor. and
four and one-half from Jezreel. there
once stood the famous and ancient
city Of Shunam, situated in one
the most beautiful, fertile and pico-
| turesQue spots ever known on the
globe: surrounded by olive orchards
and fields Of waving grain. with bub-
bling springs and babbiing brooks and
shaded grovcs--an ideal place for an
ideal home.
And in this city there was an ideal
home presided over by one OF tho
, famous women Of her day.
Elisha. the prophet, used to pass by
this home on his journeys to Mount
Carmel and back again to the school
Of the prophets at Jericho, of which
he was the head. and there wac some
thing in his actions and conduct that
led this woman to conclude that he
was man Of God. for she had been
watching him. and she said to her
man of God In passing by US contin-
ually. With an invitation from us, he
might stop"
She felt that much benefit might
accrue from this. and she though.
why are we missing all this? l per-
ceive that a man OF God is passing
by US continually. and we are deriving
no benefit from it."
She suggested to her husband that
put In there bed. a stool, and pic
lures and a candlestick. so that he
could ever afterwards make this his
home. They did 1t, and ever after
wards, In his Journeys to and fro. the
prophet of God used to turn aside
from thefroad and stop and enjoy the
Inequalities of this home In Shunam
and rest his weary frame. there on
the bed they had provided out OF their
hospitality and their wealth.
And thfre was in that home an only
chunk of boy, and he was out in the
field one day with his father and the
reapers, and the hot sun of the Orient
beat down upon his head. and sud
denly he threw his hands up TO his
head and cried out. my head! My
head, My head.''
The father said. Garry the lad
to his mother" and they pNked the
boy IN and carried him to the house.
And then, TO my mind. occurs one
OF the saddest statements found in
the Old Testament: He sat upon his
mothers knees until noon. then he
died"
Eroken-hearted, she carried him up
stairs and laid him upon the bed OF
the man Of God. and then she turned
to her servants and said. Saddle me
beast. and drive on. Stay not un-
til bid you"
Rrnkcn- Hearted Mother.
Down here on the highway was the
weeping. broken hearted mother.
Yonder at Mount Carmel was the
only man that she believed In all the
Kingdom that God would hear.
Oh, irn't 1t pitiable that when the
death dew is on the brow OF the loved
one or the black winged messenger
OF death has come. you have got to
turn to strangers for comfort!
And she hurried along the highway
and Elisha sat on the hillside and
looking down the road he saw her
coming. He turned to Gehazi. who
was a sort Of assistant or private Sec
rotary for him. and said "Yonder
comes that Shunamite woman. Run
down and see what she wants"
Gehazi ran down the road and he
net the weeping woman. and he ga
luted her In the words OF my text: lis
i
Thy Husband: Ia 1t Well With Thy
Child?" That included the whole
family. for there was only one child.
She answered back, 1T liz we'll"
Then she came near TO Elisha and.
falling upon her knees, she threw her
arms about the man Of God. sobbing
a. IL her heart would break: and &C.
hazi, possibly thinking her insane.
came and seized her by the shoulders
and was about to tear her away. but
the prophet Of God put out his hand
and stopped him, saying. do not 80
rudeiy use her. The poor woman In
sorely vexed ana troubled within her
and the Lord hasn't revealed It to
me-"
And then he asked her why she had
come and the occasion Of her grief.
She told him that it was because her
boy was dead, and she believed. from
what she had seen and heard OF him
when he was in her home. that God
would hear him and bring that dead
child to life again. 10 she had made
the long trip to have him come down
there and dry her tears and keep the
boy on. Of tho grave.
Elisha turned to Gehaxxi and said.
you 70 down and lay my starr on
the dead child ana he viii live" and
as Gehasi started on. Elisha said.
'As you go, salute no man."
It would be necessary for you to