II. KINGS V. He by his foolish pride NAAMAN'S LEPROSY CURED. BEFORE CHRIST 894 YEARS. To Elisha the leper goes, 66 Speed to where Jordan's water flows, "NOW Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria, he was also a mighty man of valour, but he was a leper." (2 Kings v. 1.) How great does Naaman appear in the first part of this account; but how was all his glory eclipsed, and all his happiness marred, in being a leper! Not all his splendour, nor his power or influence at court, could save Naaman from this humiliating affliction, when God, for his own wise purposes, thought proper to lay his hand heavy upon him. His case is like that of every man living; however great, however rich or noble, after all, he is a sinner. But Naaman did not always remain a leper; he had in his house a little Israelitish maid, who waited on Naaman's wife, and she said to her mistress, "Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy." (verse 3.) This was told to the king of Syria, who sent a letter to the king of Israel, that he might have Naaman healed. The king, on reading this letter, thought the king of Syria meditated a quarrel with him, in requiring him to do that which he could not accomplish, and he was greatly perplexed in consequence; when Elisha heard this, he begged that Naaman might be sent to him, and he should know that there was a prophet in Israel: upon which he went with all is retinue, and stood at Elisha's door, who did not go out to him, but sent him a message to go and wash seven times in Jordan, and he should be healed. This hurt Naaman's pride; he thought the prophet would have come out to him, have treated him with respect, and recovered him immediately; but this was not the way; his pride required humbling, and if he would be healed, he must submit to the Lord's ruling power. At length, upon the advice of one of his servants, he tried the way prescribed:"Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, |