Chapter I: Thought

There it is; I never knew a man yet who, when talked to about his sins, didn't always say, "Yes, but I _thought_ so and so." "Mr. Moody," they say, "I will tell you what _I think_; I will tell you _my opinion_." In the fifty-fifth chapter of Isaiah it says, "God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways." And so it was with Naaman. In the first place he thought a good big doctor's fee would do it all, and settle everything up. And besides that there was another thing he thought; he thought going to the king with his letters of introduction would do it. Yes, those were Naaman's first thoughts.

_I thought_. Exactly so. He turned away in rage and disappointment. He thought the prophet would have come out to him very humble and very subservient, and bid him do some great things. Instead of that Elisha, who was very likely busy writing, did not even come to the door or the window; he merely sent out the message, "Tell him to dip seven times in the Jordan." And away went Naaman, saying, _I thought, I thought, I thought_. I have heard that tale so often that I am tired of it. I will tell you just what I think about it, and what I advise you to do--"Give it up," and take God's words, God's thoughts, God's ways. I never yet knew a man converted just in the time and manner he expected to be. Now there is a class of people in our country who have been looked down upon there, just as they have been in yours; I mean the Methodists. And I have heard people say, "Well, if ever I am converted, it won't be in a Methodist church; you won't catch me there." Now, I never knew a man say that but, at last, if converted at all, it was in a Methodist church.

A man to be converted has to give up his will, his ways, and his thoughts. And I have noticed this, that when a man says, "Well, if ever I am converted, it will be in this way or that," God leads him in quite a contrary direction. And so Naaman, after his anger had abated and cooled down a little, took a second thought, which proved the best, although his pride had been so dreadfully humbled.

THE SIMPLE REMEDY.

Whilst Naaman was thus wavering in his mind, and thinking on what was best to be done, one of his servants drew near and made a very sensible remark: "My lord, 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?" Yes, and there is a great deal of truth in that.

Why, if Elisha had said to him, "Go back to Syria on your hands and knees," he would most likely have done it. If he had said, "Go back all the way on one foot," he would have tried to do it. Or if he had said, "Give ten thousand pieces of gold for the medicine I shall offer thee, and thou shalt be cleansed," no doubt he would have done it. But to tell him merely to dip in the river Jordan seven times, why, it seemed absurd on the face of it. Well, this servant suggested to him that he had better go down to the Jordan and try the remedy, as it was a very simple one.

I can fancy Naaman, still reluctant to believe in it, saying, "Why, if there is such cleansing power in the waters of Jordan, would not every leper in Israel go down and dip in them, and be healed?" "Well, but you know," urges the servant, "now that you have come a hundred and fifty miles, don't you think you had better do what he tells you; for after all you can but try it; and he sends word distinctly, my lord, that your flesh shall come again as that of a little child." And so Naaman accepts this word in season. His anger is cooling down; he has got over the first flush of his indignation, and he says, "Well, I think I might as well try it." That was the starting-point of his faith, although still he thought it a foolish thing, and could not bring himself to believe that the result would be what the prophet had said.

How many men have told me right to my face they did not believe a man could be saved by simply obeying God. Faith, they thought, was not enough, they must do something. They will have it that there must be a little asking, and reasoning, and striving, and wrestling with God, before they can get the blessing.

FOOLISH QUESTIONS.

I recollect once praying with a man for his conversion, and just when I thought conviction had been brought home to him, he turned round and said, "Who do you think Melchisedek was, Mr. Moody?" And then I have had others who, when I have been praying with them that their sins might be taken away, would turn round and ask me, "Do you believe in infant baptism, Mr. Moody?" My friends, you need not trouble yourselves about those questions, but, if you wish to be saved, just do as the Bible tells you. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved (Acts xvii. 31).

The salvation of God requires from the sinner an

UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.

Well, at last Naaman's will was conquered, and subdued, and broken; and he had faith, and he surrendered. I recollect when General Grant was besieging a town which was the stronghold of the Southern Confederacy, some of the officers sent word that they would leave the city if he would let them go with their men. But General Grant sent word, "No, nothing but an unconditional surrender!" Then they sent word that they would go if he would let them take their flag with them. But the answer was, "No, an unconditional surrender." At last the beleaguered walls were broken down, and the city entered, and then the enemy made a complete and unconditional surrender. Well, it was so with Naaman, he got to that point when he was willing to obey, and the Scripture tells us, "To obey is better than to sacrifice."

OBEDIENCE.

So he goes down to the river and takes the first dip, and as he comes up, I can imagine him looking at himself, and saying to his servant, "There, there I am, no better than I was when I went in. If one-seventh of the leprosy was gone, I should be content." Well, down he goes a second time, and he comes up puffing and blowing as much a leper as ever; and so he goes down again and again, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth time, with the same result, as much a leper as ever. And the people standing on the banks of the river probably said, as they certainly would in our day, "Why, that man has gone clean out of his mind." So when he comes up the sixth time, he looks at himself, and says, "Ah, no better. What a fool I have made of myself. How they will all laugh at me. I wouldn't have the generals and aristocracy of Damascus know that I have been dipping in this way in Jordan for all the world. However, as I have gone so far, I'll make the seventh plunge." He has not altogether lost faith, and down he goes the seventh time, and comes up again. He looks at himself, and shouts aloud for joy. "Lo, I am well! My leprosy is all gone, all gone! My flesh has come again as that of a little child. I never knew such a thing. I never felt so happy in all my life. I thought I was a great and a happy man when I accomplished that victory; but, thank God, praise God, I am the happiest man alive!"

So he comes up out of Jordan and puts on his clothes, and goes back to the prophet, and wants to pay him. That's just the old story, Naaman wants to give money for his cure. How many people want to do the same nowadays? Why, it would have spoiled the story of grace if the prophet had taken anything. You may give a thank-offering to God's cause, not to purchase salvation, but because you are saved.

The prophet Elisha refused to take anything, and I can imagine no one felt more rejoiced than he did. So Naaman starts back to Damascus a very different man than he was when he left it. The dark cloud has gone from his mind; he is no longer a leper, in fear of dying from a loathsome disease. He lost the leprosy in Jordan when he did what the man of God told him; and if you obey the voice of God, even while I am speaking to you, the burden of your sins will fall from off you, and you shall be cleansed. It is all done by the power of faith.

Well, you may be sure when he got home there was no small stir in Naaman's house. I can just see his wife, Mrs. Naaman, when he gets back; she has been watching and looking out of the window for him with a great burden on her heart. And when she asks him, "Well, husband, how is it?" I can see the tears running down his cheeks as he says, "Thank God, I am well"; and then they embrace each other, and pour out mutual expressions of rejoicing and gladness; and the servants are just as glad as their master and mistress, as they have been waiting eagerly for the news; and there never was a happier household than Naaman's now that he has got rid of the leprosy. And so, my friends, it will be with your own households if you will only get rid of the leprosy of sin to-day. Not only will there be joy in your own hearts and at home, but there will also be joy among the saints in heaven.

Another thought is suggested to us by this history of Naaman in the fifteenth verse of the chapter; and which shows what Naaman's faith led him to believe. "And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant." Now what I want particularly to call your attention to is the words,