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Letter to an Orphan Boy
277
Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the
leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than
all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So
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he turned and went away in a rage.” His servant 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
[merely], and be clean?” Yes, this great man considered it beneath
his dignity to go to the humble river Jordan, and wash. The rivers
he mentioned and desired were beautified by surrounding trees and
groves, and idols were placed in these groves. Many flocked to these
rivers to worship their idol gods; therefore it would have cost him no
humility. But it was following the specified directions of the prophet
which would humble his proud and lofty spirit. Willing obedience
would bring the desired result. He washed, and was made whole.
Your case is similar in some respects to Naaman’s. You do
not consider that in order to perfect a Christian character you must
condescend to be faithful in the littles. Although the things you are
called to do may be of small account in your eyes, yet they are duties
which you will have to do just as long as you live. A neglect of these
things will make a great deficiency in your character. You, my dear
boy, should educate yourself to faithfulness in small things. You
cannot please God unless you do this. You cannot gain love and
affection unless you do just as you are bidden, with willingness and
pleasure. If you wish those with whom you live to love you, you
must show love and respect for them.
It is your duty to do all in your power to lighten the cares of the
sister with whom you live. You see her, pale and feeble, cooking for
a large family. Every extra job she has to perform wears upon her
and lessens her vitality. She has no young hands and feet to perform
little errands. They received you into their family, as they told you
and us at the time, expressly to do these things. Now if you neglect
to do the very things they think will help them most, and choose to
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follow your will in an independent course of your own choosing,
you must lose your place, and they must have one that will do the
very things you consider too small for you to do. You are now doing
larger and heavier work than your strength will admit. You love to
do the work of a man. You have a set will of your own which must
be given up. You must die to self, crucify self, gain the victory over