Wondrous Love, and other Gospel addressesMoody, Dwight Lyman
Religion
Wondrous Love, and other Gospel addresses
Moody, Dwight Lyman
Sermons, American -- 19th century
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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