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Delightful Excursions.
Great Aggregation of Tourist Points for the Season of 1898.
FOR the Tourist season of 1898 the Grand Trunk Railway System offers a list of summering places beyond which the tourist need not look for variety, as they will meet every desire, whether for sightseeing, fashion, hunting, fishing, or absolute rest. The itinerary will comprise the following: Chicago to Toronto, Muskoka Lakes, Alexandrian Bay, Thousand Islands, River St. Lawrence, Montreal, Quebec, Saguenay River points, White Mountains, and North Atlantic Coast resorts.
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1 “Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given victory unto Syria; he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! then would he recover him of his leprosy. 4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. 5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, 6 and ten changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, And now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. 7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. 8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? 13 So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, 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? 14 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, and he was clean.”
Golden Text: “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved.” Jer. 17:14.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What was the position held by Naaman? Why was he deemed a great man and honorable? For what characteristic was he specially noted? How was he afflicted? V. 1. Notes 1, 2. (2) What Jewish captive is here brought to notice? And how was she employed? V. 2. (3) What did this little maid say to her mistress? V. 3. Note 3. (4) To whom and by what means were the girl’s words carried? V. 4. (5) What command did the king give? What did Naaman take with him? V. 5. Note 4. (6) What was contained in the letter to the king of Israel? V. 6. (7) How was the king affected by the letter? What did he say? V. 7. (8) What did Elisha say when he heard of the matter? V. 8. Note 5. (9) What then did Naaman do? V. 9. (10) How did Elisha receive this “great man” from Syria? V. 10. Note 6. (11) How was Naaman affected by this want of deference to his rank? What had he expected the prophet would do? V. 11. Note 6. (12) How did the enraged general compare the waters of Israel and Syria? V. 12. Note 7. (13) What more reasonable view did Naaman’s servants take of the matter? V. 13. (14) Then what did he decide to do? And what was the result? V. 14. Note 8.
NOTES.
1. A great man, but a leper.—No position of honor in this world can render one immune from the leprosy of sin, nor from the consequences or wages of sin, which is death. Rom. 6:23. Only the Prophet of Israel, whose Spirit was in Elisha, by His own blood, of which the Jordan was a type, can heal the sin-stricken soul: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” Ps. 103:2, 3.
2. “The Lord had given deliverance.”—The Scriptures do not say from whom the Lord had given deliverance to Syria; but the Syrians had defeated Israel under Ahab, father of Jehoram, who was king at the time of which our lesson treats. In this battle Ahab was killed. However, the statement that “the Lord had given deliverance,” shows that God overrules in the affairs of all nations; “the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.” Dan. 4:17, 25, 32. And this is just as true to-day as it ever was.
3. “Love your enemies.”—The little Jewish maid was a captive, obliged to serve the wife of the man whose soldiers had torn her away from her home and made her a slave. Yet she had a sympathy for the afflicted, and desired to see him healed. Hers was the true missionary spirit, and, like Joseph in Egypt, and Daniel in Babylon, she became the instrument of making Jehovah known to the enemies of his people. So God can use any instrument, no matter how little or how weak, if there be only a heart full of His love.
4. The king’s anxiety.—The king’s name was Benhadad (son, or worshiper, of Hadad, a Syrian god), yet he was glad to have the efficient commander of his troops healed by any means, and at any cost. But his ignorance of the power of the God of Israel was shown in his sending a letter and a present to the king of Israel in order to secure divine favor. But there is not so much occasion for surprise at this action of a heathen king, as that the so-called Christianity of the present day should seek the healing of the sins of the people at the hands of the government. And if the king of Israel should be so shocked at being asked to heal a leprosy, as tho he were asked to take the place of God, how much more should the rulers of professed Christian States be astonished when asked to take away the sins of the people, or prevent their sinning, by enacting religious laws!
5. “Why hast thou rent thy clothes?”—This question is pertinent. If the king of Syria did not know any better than to ask the king of Israel to heal a leprosy, the latter king should have known that the God of Israel had all power, and that His recognized prophet was accessible. The king of Israel, being the son of Ahab, certainly knew of Elijah’s great victory over the prophets of Baal, and he knew that Elisha was the recognized successor of Elijah.
6. “No respecter of persons.”—Naaman came with great pomp and display, supposing that the people whom his armies had conquered would all show him much deference. But Elisha, actuated by the Spirit of God, gave him no more attention than if he had been the commonest peasant. He simply sent his servant to tell the “great man” what to do. God is no respecter of persons; there is one law and one Gospel for the rich and for the poor, for the high and for the low.
7. No, Naaman, the waters of your Syrian rivers are not “better than all the waters of Israel.” But they are just as good. It is not the water that does the healing; it is the Word of the Lord, and the blessing comes of obedience. If the Lord had said, “Wash in Abana or Pharpar,” obedience would have brought the same result as did the dipping in Jordan.
8. “Like the flesh of a little child.”—The restoration was complete; God always does a complete work, where there is complete submission to Him. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17. “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 18:3. These and many other scriptures show that there must be a complete renovation in the life and character—a beginning of life over again—in order to be acceptable to God. And this can only be wrought by an entire submission to Him, and a thorough washing in His blood, which is His life.
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News and Notes
International
The Italian admiral at Cartagena, Colombia, has given the Colombian Government twenty days in which to guarantee the payment of the claim which a subject of Italy holds against Colombia......A series of earthquake shocks visited the city of Concepcion, Chile, on the night of July 23, destroying many houses, and terrorizing the inhabitants. No deaths are reported......The British steamer Oil Fields, which arrived at Chester, Pennsylvania, on July 21, reports having passed about 200 corpses floating in the ocean off the Newfoundland banks. They are supposed to be the victims of the Bourgogne disaster. The sailors of the Bourgogne who were arrested by the authorities of Havre on account of their conduct at the time the vessel went down, have been released, and it has been recommended that some of them receive rewards for bravery......A general arbitration treaty between Italy and Argentina has been signed at Rome by the representatives of the two countries......General Gilbert Elliot, the Earl of Minto, has been appointed Governor-General of Canada, in succession to the Earl of Aberdeen......Emperor Menelek, of Abyssinia, has established one of his most powerful generals, with 100,000 men, on the Nile, between Khartoum and Uganda, claiming that part of the territory as one of his possessions. In this Menelek places himself squarely across the path of England’s purposes, and England’s minister to Abyssinia has returned to London. It is believed that England and Abyssinia will clash unless Menelek withdraws from the position which he has taken......In view of Russia’s intention to add six battleships and four cruisers to her navy, England has decided to build six more battle-ships, four cruisers, and twelve torpedo-boat destroyers, which will cost $75,000,000......A despatch from Shanghai states that the king of Korea desires to abdicate and to take refuge at the English consulate at Seoul. The British consul, however, declines to receive him......The recent international sugar conference held at Brussels proved to be a failure, because of the refusal of Russia and France to rescind their export bounties......The commission appointed to rectify the boundary between Greece and Turkey having decided that the village of Kutsupliani should belong to Turkey, the Greek inhabitants set fire to the town, and even dug up the coffins of their own relatives and burned them to prevent their falling into Turkish hands......The Spanish officials have declined to receive Miss Jessie Schley, niece of Commodore Schley, who went to Madrid to visit the queen regent and Premier Sagasta in the interests of peace. Miss Schley was requested to leave Spanish territory......Many leading Carlists have been arrested in Spain through fear of a Carlist uprising, and others are fleeing into France. The Spanish provincial authorities report alarming preparations by the Carlists for a rising, and it is known that considerable portions of the Spanish army are Carlist sympathizers. Among these is General Weyler, who is opposed at present to peace between Spain and the United States, and his followers are reported to be ready to join Don Carlos if the concessions granted America are too sweeping......A despatch from Shanghai, China, reports that an anti-foreign riot has broken out at Chan Su. The mob attacked and destroyed the premises of the China Inland Mission, but the missionaries made good their escape......The Chinese rebellion in the province of Kwang-Si has not yet been suppressed. Additional bodies of imperial troops are being pushed into the province, and many of the cities captured by the rebels have been retaken; but the latter are still engaged in active operations.
Domestic Miscellany
The American gunboat Mayflower captured the British steamer Newfoundland, on July 19, while the latter was trying to run the blockade at Cienfuegos, Cuba. The Newfoundland was sent to Charlestown, N. C., in charge of a prize crew......The British steamer Regulus was captured by the gunboat Hawk off Santa Clara province, Cuba, on July 22. The Regulus had run the blockade, delivered her cargo, and was attempting to get to sea again......Suit has been brought in the U. S. Supreme Court to annul the contract between the government and the Spanish steamship company, which has agreed to transport the prisoners of war from Santiago to Spain. The Spanish Government has designated the ports at which it desires that the prisoners be landed......While a heavy freight train was passing the station of Dutch Flat, California, on July 22, the engine exploded, killing the engineer, fireman, and a tramp, and injuring four others......The captain of the Red Cross supply ship Port Victor, carrying 800 tons of Red Cross provisions and a large amount of supplies for the Commissary Department of the army, reports having found a large infernal machine on the deck of his vessel when out at sea, which would have completely destroyed his ship if it had not been discovered. The box, which was found to contain dynamite and guncotton, was dumped into the sea......The steamer Charles Nelson arrived at Seattle, Wash., on July 25, carrying $1,300,000 in gold-dust from the Klondike. Other vessels have arrived during the week with smaller amounts of gold. The best estimates available place the total amount brought out of the Arctic mining regions during the present season at $11,811,000......The American Tract Society has four hundred publications in the Spanish language, and intends to make an effort to have a Spanish primer and New Testament put into the hands of every Cuban family able and willing to read them, as soon as the war is over......The news of the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands has reached Honolulu, and was welcomed with great demonstrations of joy, fireworks, processions, band-playing, and speeches. The flag will be raised by Admiral Miller, who left San Francisco on the United States cruiser Philadelphia, on July 27. Upon the reception of the news of annexation, all the political prisoners held by the Hawaiian Government were released.
The War with Spain
On the morning of July 18, Commodore Todd, with the gunboats Wilmington, Helena, Scorpion, Hist, Hornet, Wampatuck, and Osceola, entered the harbor of Manzanilla, Cuba, and destroyed three Spanish transports and five Spanish gunboats. Upon the completion of this work, Commodore Todd retired from the harbor, without the loss of a man. It is estimated that the Spanish loss could not have been less than one hundred killed......The harbor and port of Nipe, Cuba, which are almost directly across the island from Santiago, have been captured by the American naval forces, and will be used as a base of supplies both against Porto Rico and the Spanish in the eastern part of Cuba. This port was taken after a brisk bombardment by four American war ships, and a Spanish gunboat in the harbor was sunk during the engagement......On July 25 the 7,000 Spanish soldiers at Guantanamo laid down their arms. The 3,500 troops at Palma Soriana, San Luis, and Longo have also surrendered, and pack trains with provisions have been sent them. Some of the garrisons in the territory surrendered by General Toral were upon the verge of starvation when they surrendered to the Americans......On July 26 the French ambassador at Washington presented to President McKinley, at the White House, a message from the Spanish Government looking to the termination of the war and the settlement of terms of peace......The U. S. hospital ship Relief arrived at New York on July 23 with 125 sick and wounded on board. Her captain reported 13 deaths among the wounded during the voyage......There are many new cases of fever among the American troops in Cuba, 600 new cases having been added to the list in a single day......On July 25 the expedition to Porto Rico, under General Miles, landed at Guanica, on the southern shore of the island. An engagement took place with the enemy at the point of landing, in which forty Spaniards were killed. The landing was accomplished without loss to the Americans.
National
The questions to be discussed at the English-Canadian-American conference at Quebec will be the Bering seal fisheries; coast fisheries and fisheries in international waters and waters contiguous to the frontier; delimitation of the Alaskan-Canadian boundary; alien labor laws; transportation of merchandise in bond through the two countries; naval vessels on the lakes; mining rights of each country in the territory of the other; reciprocity of trade; and the conveyance of persons in custody of officers of one country through the territory of the other......The Navy Department has advertised for bids on the construction of four coast defense monitors recently authorized by Congress. The bids will be opened on October 10......A call has been made, led by the Civic Federation of Chicago, for a national conference to be held at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., August 19 and 20, for the purpose of discussing the future foreign policy of the United States. The call is signed by many influential men all over the country, including governors of States and presidents of colleges. The theme of discussion will be whether the United States of America shall depart from the traditional policy of its founders and enter upon the field of colonial expansion, compelling herself to be recognized in international politics...... The London Times expresses its hearty approval of the instructions issued by President McKinley for the government of Santiago, stating that they “conform completely with the pledges given before the war, a precedent that proves a happy augury in relation to American expansion.”
Casualties and Calamities
The four-masted American ship Kenilworth, bound from the Hawaiian Islands to New York, with a cargo of sugar, took fire and burned off the coast of Chile. The captain, first mate, and an apprentice lost their lives, the rest of the crew arriving at Valparaiso on July 25......The town of Pugwash, Nova Scotia, containing 1,200 inhabitants, a shipping port of considerable importance on the Straits of Northumberland, was wiped out by fire on July 25......A tornado struck the town of Minot, N. D., on the night of July 21, wrecking many buildings and injuring a number of people. The tornado was followed by a hailstorm which destroyed 20,000 acres of wheat......The Beach Hotel, at Galveston, Texas, was destroyed by fire on July 23, entailing a loss estimated at from $200,000 to $250,000......Three successive explosions occurred at the Hercules Powder Works, at Pinole, California, early on the morning of July 27, wrecking several of the buildings of the company, killing four men, and injuring more or less severely fifteen others. A piece of burnt fuse leads to the belief that the explosion was not accidental......The continued drought in Fresno County, California, has so ruined the pasturage that thousands of sheep are dying. It is estimated that 100,000 must perish before the fall rains begin.
Conditions in Cuba
The American officials in Cuba have received a pitiful plea from the inhabitants of Cienfuegos, stating that if the place is not invested at once by the Americans and relief furnished them, they must all perish. It is reported that the War Department is making preparations looking to the capture of Cienfuegos for the special purpose of relieving the distress in that city......At Santiago the distribution of food and supplies to the poor is progressing favorably. Orders have been issued with a view to enforcing cleanliness throughout the city. All houses are subject to inspection, and fines are imposed for failure to heed the sanitary regulations......Refugees from Havana report a deplorable condition of things in that city. Prices of provisions are so high that fifty per cent. of the working people are reported to be actually starving to death.
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