Now, you cannot have a better type of a sinner than Naaman was. I don’t care who nor what he is, nor what position he holds—all men alike have sinned, and all have to bear the same burden of death. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” All men must stand in judgment before God; what a gloom that throws over our whole life! But he was a leper. There was
NO PHYSICIAN
to help him in Syria. None of the eminent doctors in Damascus could do him any good. Neither could any in Jerusalem. There was no balm in Gilead. If he was to get rid of the leprosy, the power must come from on high. It must be some one unknown to Naaman, for he did not know God.
THE LITTLE MISSIONARY.
But I will tell you what they had in Syria—they had one of God’s children there, and she was a little girl, a simple captive maid. Naaman knew nothing about her, though she was one of his household. He knew nothing about this little Israelite. I can imagine her one day as she said to Mrs. Naaman, her mistress, that there was a prophet in her country that could cure her master of his leprosy. “Would to God,” the maid said, “my lord were with the prophet in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.” There’s faith for you! “Why,” says the mistress, “what are you talking about? Did you ever hear of anybody being cured of leprosy?” “Ah,” said the little girl, “it is true, I can assure you; we have got physicians down there that can cure any one.”
So at last some one told the king about what the little maid of Israel had said. Now, Naaman stood high in the king’s favour, for he had recently won a great victory. He was called a lord, perhaps he was a prince, a sort of Syrian Prince Bismarck, who stood near the throne. So the king said, “You had better go down to Samaria, and see if there is anything in it, and I will give you letters of introduction to the king of Israel.”
MONEY WILL NOT BUY SALVATION.
Yes, he would give Naaman letters of introduction to the king. That’s just man’s idea. The notion was, that if anybody could help him, it was the king, and that the king had power both with God and man. Oh, my friends, it is a good deal better to know a man that knows God! A man acquainted with God has more power than any earthly potentate. Gold can’t do everything.
Well, away goes Naaman down to Samaria with his kingly introduction, and he takes with him a lot of gold and silver. That is man’s idea again; he is going to pay for a great doctor, and he took about £100,000 sterling, as far as I can make it out, to pay for the doctor’s bill. There are a good many men who would willingly pay that sum if with it they could buy the favour of God, and get rid of the curse of sin. Yes, if money could do it, how many would buy salvation! But, thank God, it is not in the market for sale. You must buy it at God’s price, and that is “without money and without price.” Naaman found that out.
And now, my dear friends, did you ever ask yourselves, Which is the worst—the leprosy of sin, or the leprosy of the body? Why, for my own part, I would a thousand times sooner have the leprosy of the body eating my eyes out, and feet, and arms! I would rather be loathsome in the sight of my fellow-men, than die with the leprosy of sin in my soul, and be banished from God for ever! The leprosy of the body is bad, but the leprosy of sin is a thousand times worse. It has cast angels out of heaven, it has ruined the best and strongest men that ever lived in the world. Oh, how it has pulled men down! The leprosy of the body could not do that.