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| TE HOA MAORI. Heoi ra ka matau tatou ki nga taha e rua o ta, Naamana kahua. Kowai ra i rahi ake i a ia ? He tangata whai mana, rangatira, toa; he aha ra i kore i a ia? Ki ta te tangata whakaaro atu, ko ia te mea i hira ake. Ko ia te tino rangatira o nga ope taua o Hiria; i whakawhirinakitia ia i paingia e te Kingi; a i runga i a ia e mau ana te tohu o te toa. "Otira he repara ia!" Aue! ko te raru tenamau kau ana ko nga tohu rangatira, ko te mamae tenei i whakapouritia ai tona kororia. Kahore ho wahi maori o tona tinana i tenei mate whakarihariha, a, na konei te whai ahua reka ia ki nga tohu rangatira kua opea atu ki runga ki a ia, otira waiho rawa ano enei tohu hei whaka- pouri i tona ngakau. Na tona whakaara- hanga kia teitei mai ka marama te titiro atu a te tangata ki tona mateko te ingoa i kake ko te tinana he pirau. Kakahu noa ana ia i te kakahu whakapaipai o te rangatira hoia, kaore, he hipoki enei no nga pirau o te repera. E kore pea te tino tutua rawa o a Naamana pononga, mehemea i reperatia ia, e pera te mamae o tona ngakau me to Naamana. Na te teitei o tona ata tangata i mamae rawa ai tona ngakau ki tera mate whakarihariha. Ina ano te nui rawa atu o tana e utu ai ki te tangata tohunga mana ia e whakaora i tona repera- tanga. Kaore ra meake ano ia ora i runga i te utu kore. Na, ka titiro atu tatou ki tenei i na te whakaaturanga a nga karaipiture, ka kite tatou he pera ano me Naamana te tangata hara katoa, i tona ahua maori ake. Kua kapi katoa ia i te mate, o te hara o te kino. Ae ra; kua kani katoa a waho ona, a ko roto ano hoki tokii tonu i te mate o te hara, kahore nei a te tangata rongoa e ora ai. Tera pea, he pera ia me Naamana e kara- potia ana e te taonga o te rangatira; ko te mea ia he tangata hara iakua ngaro ia i te atarangi o te matekua he ia; a ka whakakitea tenei ki ona kanohi, ma enei mea i Whakahonoretia ai ia, a ia e tino whakapouri ki roto ki tona ngakau. KUA NGAEO IA, KO TANA E HIAHIA AI HE * * * WHAKAORANGA, * * * Ka rapu ia ko tona mate kia whaka- orangia, kia horoia tona hara, kia tahia te "valiant;" what more could he be? He was. as men would say, one of fortune's most highly favoured sons. He was com- mander-in-chief of the forces of Syria ; he possessed the confidence and esteem of the king; and he wore upon his brow the laurel of victory. "But he was a leper" Alas! this was a sad drawbacka grievous blight upon all his dignitiesa heavy cloud upon all his glory. The foul disease which covered his person not only prevented his enjoyment of the honours which fortune had heaped upon him, but actually changed them into so many sources of humiliation and chagrin. His very elevation made his malady con- spicuous, and the sunshine of prosperity made his personal vileness apparent. His military costume enwrapped the person of a leper, and his laurel of victory crowned a leper's brow. In short, the lowest menial in Naaman's establishment would not have felt the humiliation of leprosy so keenly as the noble captain himself. The higher he was in position, the more intensely he must have felt the degradation and depression of his loathsome disease. What would he not have given to any one who would but take his leprosy ? And yet. he was soon to have it taken away for nothing! Now, when we look at all this from an evangelical point of view, we discern, in the person of Naaman, the case of a sinner in his natural state. He is covered with the : disease of sin. Yes; outwardly he is cover- ed, and inwardly pervaded with the incurable malady of sin. He may. like Naaman, be surrounded by wealth and splendour, pillowed on the bosom of fortune, nursed in the very lap of luxury; but he is a sinnerhe is losthe is undone; and when once he is brought to see this, his very honours and dignities only serve to make his inward wretchedness all the more in- tense. * * * * * * * HE IS LOST, AND HE WANTS SALVATION. He wants to have his malady removed, his guilt cancelled, his conscience cleansed. This is what he wants, and this is what God has provided for him. As in Naaman's case, God had the water of Jordan to cleanse him from every trace of his disease, so in |