THE SCRIPTURES.

3

eousness that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." U. Yes, and you must all remember that Timothy had not so much of the Bible as we have, for it is most probable that his mother and his grandmother taught him out of the Old Testament only "the things which were able to make him wise unto salvation."

Jesus Christ himself said that those Scriptures, which we call the Old Testament, spoke of Him. We shall find His words in the 24th chapter of Luke, at the 44th verse. "All things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me."

And what a beautiful verse follows!

"Then

opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures," verse 45. Do you know what this verse means, Emma?

Emma. Yes, Uncle; it means that Jesus explained to them that the words were written about Him.

we did not take any notice of your Cousin Walter. This time I mean to admit him into

our party.

"You have often read this story about Naaman, I dare say; but as there is a great difference between only reading and really understanding what we read, I think we may see whether we cannot find out what God means us to learn from this part of His holy word.

Perhaps, Walter, you can read what St. Paul said about the Bible, when he wrote to Timothy; you will find it in the 3d chapter of the 2d Epistle, from the 14th verse.

W. "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in right

THE SCRIPTURES.

that the man of God may

3

be per

eousness fect, throughly furnished unto all good works." U. Yes, and you must all remember that Timothy had not so much of the Bible as we have, for it is most probable that his mother and his grandmother taught him out of the Old Testament only "the things which were able to make him wise unto salvation."

Jesus Christ himself said that those Scriptures, which we call the Old Testament, spoke of Him. We shall find His words in the 24th chapter of Luke, at the 44th verse. "All things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me."

"Then

And what a beautiful verse follows! opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures," verse 45. Do you know what this verse means, Emma?

Emma. Yes, Uncle; it means that Jesus. explained to them that the words were written about Him.

Uncle. Jesus told His disciples that the holy men who wrote those books pointed to Him as the Great Prophet which should come into the world.

I am going to talk to you all about the great Prophet Elisha; but while I do so, I wish to point to that far greater Prophet, who was, and is, and ever will be, able to do much greater things than all the prophets who came before Him.

First, we shall go through the history of the great Captain Naaman; we shall see that, though he was a very great man, he was a leper; we shall find a little captive maid wishing, and almost praying, that her great master would go to the Prophet Elisha to be cured; and then we shall see what became of this man of war when he went to the man of God.

This will make enough for the first part of my story, and then we shall turn from the leper Naaman, the little maid, and the great Prophet, to speak of the lepers we read

NAAMAN, THE GREAT CAPTAIN.

5

about in the New Testament; and, last of all, to talk of that leprosy of which you, and I, and all people, must be healed before we can go to heaven.

Now, if we read the first verse of the fifth chapter of the Second Book of Kings, we shall see that Naaman was a great man, a captain of the host of the King of Syria; and although neither he nor his master knew the Lord, yet God had enabled him to gain many battles, and so to deliver the King of Syria from his enemies. In those days one country often fought battles with other countries; and God punished the wickedness of many kings and their people by suffering other armies to conquer them. Now, if Naaman and the King of Syria did not fear the Lord, can Walter tell me what they did worship?

Walter. They must have prayed to idols of wood and stone, Uncle.

U. Yes, Walter, they worshipped a god they called Rimmon; but we know that it was of no