The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1922-02-14


but whose hearts are wrong. Sin Is
the transgression OF Gods law. That
means It's going across Gods law.
Now we have considered what
wages the devil pays What does God
offer? Listen! Jesus Christ offers
salvation to every man. He offers de-
liverance from the thing that curses
you. What does He want you to do?
lie wants you to do that which ele'
Yates you in the sight Of God and
man-that which makes life beautiful
and living sublime.
He wants you to live, not to your
lusts, but unto God
He wants you to do that which
makes you fit for this world and pre-
pares you for the next.
Say! Isn't 1t amystery why the dew
II has anyone to work for him? God
calls you today What are you going
to do with the call?
Moral Leprosy
Last evenings subject wa, moral
Lcpfosy," the text being taken from
II Kings 81, "But he was a lep-
err" He said in part:
We have many things here concern
ing Naaman. But the seal of the text
follows-that he was a leper. Lepro-
sy was and Is today one of the most
dreaded diseases of the orient. 1t was
thought to have been incurable. Most
loathsome. Resembles cancer of to-
day. Begins small Eats fatally. Con-
tagious
But am not surprised tonight that
God describes lprosy as type of sin!
Sin, like leprosy begins small. Ask
the drunkard, libertine, harlot. Sin,
like leprosy, eats fatally.
However bad physical leprosy is in
the eyes of men, moral leprosy is a
Thousand times worse in the eyes Of
Cod. What a turmoil there would be
in society if every moral leper was
governed by as stringent laws as
those governing physical leprosy.
Listen! A man can be upright. in
dustrious, honorable, and still without
Jesus Christ he is as destitute as a
leper. If you are what the world terms
moral man there is greater reason
why you should accept Jesus Christ
than there is why the drunkard in the
gutter should accept Him. No one will
point to you and if you are without
Jesus Christ you're going as straight
| to a devils hell as the man in the gut
ter.
/ am also told here that Naaman
was man of ,valor. He led armies to
battle and on the bloodstained battle
fields he proved his patriotism and
courage.
Now, suppose that Naaman tried
every cure. Imaginable. But nothing
cured himl n can take you men to-
night who have been taking man.
made remedies for their souls dis
cases-hut they are not cured!
On one of Naaman's military eXpe-
ditions he captured little Jewish
maid, and she became servant in
his home 1t didn't take her long to
learn the wretchedness of that home.
Perhaps Naaman wa cross around
the house and disagreeable! Why is
there so much unhappiness in homes?
Why one. out of seven marriages in
this country terminate in divorce
court. It's moral leprosy.
Perhaps Naaman's wife told her
that their domestic happiness was de.
stroyed because Naaman was a leper
At any rate the little maid said
There is prophet in our country
whose God cures folks of leprosy."
Someone went in and told Ben Ha-
dad the king, what the maid had said,
and he called Naaman, and said you
hetter go down and give him chance.
So Naaman gets ready to go. He has
his servants, horses, chariots. Picture
| it!
| He takes ten talents of silver, 5000
pieces of gold, $4,000; total $51, 900.
That was just his spending money.
Resources of the king his! He took
dlotesrr aa hhSthWwt,ti'm n:Thr
ten changes of raiment. He didn't
have to wear them through the week
and press them up for Sunday!
And in his luxury and wealth, he
starts down toward Samaria But lis
ten! A rich man can't find God any
quicker than a poor man!
So in the pomp and splendor of his
wealth he moves on. He reaches the
city of Jezrlel and drives up to the
kings palace. He dare not enter the
palace for palace doors are closed to
A,J tbo doo,., ~ cociaty