HEALING THE LEPROSY OF DEBT.
By Alexander Ritchie
I BELIEVE there is an important event recorded in God's holy word which has a special meaning for us in relation to the work of selling “Christ's Object Lessons;” namely, the healing of Naaman the leper. He was anxious to behold a display of miracle-working power. “Behold,” he said, “I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.” This, in Naaman's eyes, would have been a great work, worthy of a true prophet, and would have been a fitting recognition of the dignity of the commander-in-chief of the armies of Syria. But instead of doing what Naaman “thought” he would do, Elisha simply sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.” There was healing power in these simple words, but Naaman did not believe, and did not obey at once; consequently he kept his leprosy. Because there was no visible prophet, no solemn invocation, no magic touch and thrill, the poor leper turned away from his only source of help. And then, as if to show how little he understood of the source from which his healing must come, he found fault with the river Jordan, and turned away in a rage—and in his leprosy. But why?—Simply because he refused to “receive with meekness the engrafted word,” which was able to save him from both spiritual and physical leprosy. But there was no cleansing in disobedience, and so the servants of Naaman said to him, “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” At last he obeyed the word—and he was clean. Now this cause is, in some respects, like poor Naaman. About eighteen months ago our colleges and schools were leprous with debt. The people were leprous with sin, especially the sin of inactivity and criticism. The servant of the Lord said to them, “Here is a plan for your schools to get out of debt. Here is a plan to give all the people work. Take this book, and ‘go . . . seven times [which means that we should keep going until the work is done], and you shall be clean before the world.” As in Naaman's case, there was no outward show, nothing but the simple miracle-working word. Some said, “I'd rather go to Africa than canvass.” Some bought a number of books, and gave them all away. One woman I know said, “I'd rather be lost than canvass.” But since the Lord has chosen canvassing as the way through which to bring deliverance, it cannot come in any other way. The question is not, Will you canvass? but, Will you obey? If you have been doing as Naaman did at first, will you not repent as he did? The Lord will sell these books if you will only carry them for Him. One sister in our church sold fifteen in one afternoon. Her husband, a busy man, sold eight between Monday and Friday. Another sister who has recently begun to observe the Sabbath, and who has never canvassed before, sold eight. Another brother sold nine in one hour, among business men chiefly. I have sold a few myself; and I tell you, brethren, it is the Lord who sells the book, and we deliver it. This church sold 127 books last week, and has 433 more to sell as its quota; but trusting and obeying the word of the Highest, it will be done.