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
L100,000 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.
And now, my dear friends, did you ever ask yourselves, Which is the
worst--the leprosy of sin, or the leprosy of the body? Why, for my own
part, I would a thousand times sooner have the leprosy of the body
eating my eyes out, and feet, and arms! I would rather be loathsome in
the sight of my fellow-men, than die with the leprosy of sin in my
soul, and be banished from God for ever! The leprosy of the body is
bad, but the leprosy of sin is a thousand times worse. It has cast
angels out of heaven, it has ruined the best and strongest men that
ever lived in the world. Oh, how it has pulled men down! The leprosy
of the body could not do that.
But to proceed. There is one thing about Naaman that I like, and that
is his earnestness of purpose.