The New York herald., 1869-02-22
FIFTH AVENUE uNlvsasALET CHURCH.
Sermon BY Rev. DIR. ChnpIn.

Rev. Dr. Chaplin preached to large and highly
fashionable congregation yesterday morning. taking
as his text the following words from the second
chapter, TENTH eleventh and twelfth verses OF the
Gospel OF st. Mark:-"That ye may know that the
Son OF Man hath power on earth to forgive sin.
say unto thee Arise take up thy bed and go thy way
into thine house, and Immediately he arose, took up
his bed and went forth before them ALL" This Incl
dent the preacher said, occurred at Capernaum.
Jesus Christ was in the midst OF Pharisees and GER
tain doctors OF the law. and was surrounded by o
great crowd, when four men came towards Him bear
ing man afflicted with the palsy. Unable to OBJ
tain to Jesus Christ by reason OF the immense
crowd, the bearers OF the sick man ascended to the
ties and making an entrance through the root.
they let down the pallet with the man on 1t through
the midst OF the crowd and placed 1t before Jesus
when Christ looked on the man and knew what
brought him there He Immediately said, 'son, thy
sins are forgiven thee" "Who - this" said the
can forgive SINS but God alone =, Jesus replied,
'sWhy reason We these things In your mndf Whether
is easter TO say thy SINS be forgiven thee or to say
take up thy bed and walk; but that We may know
that the son OF Man hath power to forgive sins,
say to thee. Arise, take up tiny bed and go thy way'
set work OF forgiveness. 'SoD, tiny sins are Tor
given thee" Perhaps this sentence might seem as
singular to us now as IL did to those who were pre-
Saviour apparently took no notice Of the
bodily disease Of the man, but addressed Him.
se ou@ 70 no se nx s9n % n sean
II was quite possible that that poor man lay on his
couch, not only suffering from physical calamity
but with consciousness OF guilt and feelings OF re-
morse. Something like this must have been In the
mind Of Christ when ne said, .on, be OF good cheer
thy SINS are forgiven thee" This poor paraytic SUI
ferer was in the presence OF the Great Physician,
not only OF bodies, but OF souls: one who not only
knew the deep wounds OF the human heart but who
when the poor paraytic was brought before Him,
the saviour gave him better and more blessed re-
lief than the mans friends had asked for II this
man with palsy had not been brought before Christ
suffering under the actual CONSCIOUSNESS OF sin. there
was another reason why Christ may have raised him
thus thus; SIN sin rs .ta, tne transsression Of the
True, we should hardly be warranted
In any specific case OF disease In assert
direct personal sin. We might also fail 10 look on Il
a. the consequence OF hereditary sin. We might
remember that Jesus said in one particular instance
"Nether has this mans sin nor his parents aught
to do with that he was born bnd.n Notwithstand-
ing 1t was intrinscay true thatflisease does come
from violation OF moral and physical law. The
healing OF the souls disease may insure the health
OF the body. From this point OF view he might sug-
ges that Christ struck a. the root Of the poor mans
malady when He said ''fhy sins are forgiven thec.n
There was another reason why Christ took
this course. The very method He adopted
authority. Now, II Christ ns' had performed i'Ha
mere act OF healing by itself. II he had simply said
"Be thou healed It might not have conveyed 50
striking testimony to Ills peculiar power and arg
nity. Christ was more than prophet. he was
more than st. Peter. He showed Himself as one
who stood In peculiar relation TO God and Gods
people. on the other hand II lie had made this
declaration and said. "Thy sins be forgiven thee,n
lie would have furnished no visible or tangible
proof that the mans sins were forgiven. SO II
seemed to be proper and ftting that the two pro-
cesses should work topctherthat s the declaration
OF the fact OF his sins being forgiven, and also the
actual curing OF the palsy-two things produc-
ing the kind OF evidence which seemed TO
be demanded by the occasion. There
was great deal OF discussion about these things In
our day; but he had fear but that these sublime
and wonderful miracles Of the Gospel would survive
always In the minds OF the faithful. There were
those vino SAID that miracles were no proof OF di-
vine authority; that they only prove there s arung
power In the world operating higher than mans
power. but II was one Of the most shallow Of all
things the cared not how large q mans scientific
attainments were) for any man 10 stand up In the
midst OF this great universe and say there cannot be
such thing as q miracle. II all this world were
fashioned out OF chance there was no miracle ever
required OF Christ that was as wonderful a. that.
The moment they believed In God ruling nature aud
moral nature that moment they must be lieve IN
miracles.