Search -
Hours of communion in a season of affliction
Hours of communion in a season of affliction Author:Neil Smith Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: NAAMAN THE SYRIAN. " 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 ... more »deliverance unto Syria ; he was also a mighty man in valour ; but he was a le])er."— 2 Kings v. 1. The story of Naaman the Syrian is at once deeply interesting and richly instructive. The history, so far as it is recorded for us in the page of inspiration, of the converts from heathenism, whether written in the pages of the Old Testament or of the New, is highly illustrative of God's sovereignty; and the strength and docility of their faith, read us, in our happier circumstances, a lesson of humility and of gratitude to Him who has cast our lot so much more auspiciously than theirs. Their faith, great in itself, stands out with marvellous brightness, from the dark background of a heathen birth and a heathen up-bringing. Such examples of faith under conditions so little favourable to its very existence, and still less to such a noble devolopment of it, cannot, if honestly regarded by us, fail to stir us up to persevering prayer for an increase of faith, and provoke us to love and to good works. The course of these heathen converts began at the furthest possible remove from Godand truth, even from the darkness and degradation of lords many and gods many; yet even in this world they attained to a high degree in the faith that is in Christ Jesus, became indeed ensamples of faith, and having begun their course at the remotest distance from Christ, went from strength to strength, and will no doubt appear in the kingdom of God, examples and monuments of the truth of Christ's word, " The last shall be first, and the first last." Naaman had attained a rank and standing among his countrymen, enough we may believe to make, if n...« less