The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-09

fose him, or his parents before him." Whyl
Because they thought that blindness was the
punishment for SIN, and because the maD was
born blind the sin must have been committed
before he was born, if it was his SIM and, there
fore, they asked Jesus whether being blind, and
blindness being punishment for sin, this man
was not punished for some crime or some sin that
his parents had committed You see that idea
running all through the Jewish mind, that when
ever they found man thus afflicted, it was be-
cause of his sius, and Jesus knew that they
had that idea and therefore Jesus knew exactly
how to approach them and how to win their at
tenticn, and how to confound them And so,
instead of saving to this man, Your palsy be
healed, sir" He said to him Son, thy sins be
forgiven thee" And then, when they questioned
and said, "Who is this man that utters this bias
phenly7 Only God can forgive SIM they re-
coenized that other fact that nobody but God
could forgive sin, and when Jesus got them to
that declaration He had them just where He
wanted them; and He said to them (which is
easier now to say to this man, Son, thy sins be
forgiven thee, or to say to him Arise, take uu
thy bed and Walk" He put conundrum to
them that stumped them and put them to think
ing. and when those Jews began to think on that
question they argued it about this way: Only
God can forgive sin. This man is afflicted with
palsy. No one has ever cured man in his con-
diton. They are ncurable to all human skill,
and nobody but God can cure man with the
afflicted with it on account of his sin. Now this
man asks which is easier to say, "Son, thy sins be
forgiven thee" or to say, SON. arise take up thy
bed and walk They came to the conclusion it
is just as easy to do the other, because
nobody can do either except it be God; and when
they had reached that point where they were
obliged to confess in answer to the question OF
Jesus, that 1T is as easy to say to mau.
''Thy sins be forgiven thee as to
say to him. 'arise, take up thy bed and
liz hao az affaof
because no one but God can say either and have
it come true; then Jesus said unto him, Arise,
take up thy bed. go to thy house." and the man
arose. and shouldered his bed and went WhyY
Because Jesus had brought them to the point
where they confessed that if He could do either
He was God, and if He was God He could do
both; and when He said to him, 'Arise. take up
thy bed and walk" and the man walked with his
bed, then the evidence was indisputable that He
was God, and, therefore, He had power to say to
him. "Son. thy sins he forgiven thee" and the
telling of the man to arise, take up thy bed and
walk" was to give them the tangible, visible
evidence Of His power to do thing that they
could not see. and that God alone could know
was efficacious, or could give the man the inter
nal witness of by His spirit.
When Christ healed that man with the palsy
it was tremendous, unimpeachable argument,
and bankrupted every jew. from that day to
this, that rejects Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
1t has bankrupted every man. Gentle or Jew,
fuses now to believe it. Every man that be-
lieves not that record and goes to judgment
without believing In Christ, will be damned
eternaly There will be excuse for him,
because human logic is exhausted in the en-
daavor to 90 behind that tangible evidence that
He was Jesus Christ. the Son of God, and God
had given, Him power to forgive sins on earth.
Doubts are yet abroad in the world. There
are men still questioning, WAS this historical
parsonage the Son of God?' There are men to-
doxy xxybo hol;o
only great moral teacher. l can knock at the
door of the great academy Of France. where the
forty immortals are in session, and ask Monsieur
Renau the great man, who has written life of
Jesus, and he will answer that He was the great
est moral teacher that ever lived in the world.
And he denies His divinity. There are sects,
and isms, and creeds to which men
are pinning their faith to-day that say He is not
the son of God, but He was a grea. moral teacher.
When man comes to that point he denies the
Bible and denies God; there is no such thing as
sin and no necessity for it's forgiveness. 1t is
out of such platitudes and bullheaded thinkers
that in6delity and all these things about evolu-
ton get their followers. What is the value of
religion to me or to you at ALL if there Is nothing
in it that gives a man the hope that all
that is evil back of him inherent In
his nature, worked out by the lusts in
his nature can be changed. / would as soon
have my own good resolution to live on and live
by, as to have the moral patitudes if they were
that is in Christ The reason there is more in
the principles of Christ than in all the philoso
ply and all the manners of life that all the phil
osophers on earth have ever communicated, are
that the principles of Jesus Christ are injected
with His divine life. and realize to me that By
believing on Him / may have my sins forgiven
and be brought back into reconciliation with
God, and finally 60 to heaven.
/ interest myself for my own salvation and
the salvation of my fellow men, because be-
in in ha in 1acJ1 Cbrict
believe He was from God and God gave Him the
power to forgive my sins, and the one thing that
gives me hope in the world is that my sins are
forgiven by Jesus Christ For that reason,
am going to live close to Him, initiate Him and
follow Him to the end. Voices! "Amen!"l
Some say But the days of miracles are past.
are gone by" 1t is a lie. If a man walks up to
me and proves it, he will plunge me into ever
Lasting despair, for only through miracle of
Jesus Christ was I saved at ALL / was de-
bauched wreck. had lost all integrity of moral
character; had lost all the teaching of a fond
and virtuous mother and of a God fearing father.
I was in the very smoke of hell when Christ
came, spoke to my soul of the peace that passeth
and power enjoy to- night. He made me saved
man, and ! believe in Him by whose power this
was accomplished. Cries of Praise the Lord >"
They don't want to see the miracles because
they don't want to see the Christ who is working
them. l believe these miracles will continue
until His name will be sounded from pole to pole,
and around the earth's circumference roll aud
every knee bend at the name OF Jesus
If there is any lingering doubt as to whether He
was the Son of God, Danish it to night, in the
face of the fact that when He came He accom-
plished all these miracles, and in doing so ex-
hausted every argument that can be made
against Him.
Christians, it is about time for you to begin
to show your nand in these meetings You
didn't brihg Sam Jones or Sam Small here to
convert anybody We do not come to this coun-
MANI night That has to be done by the man
himself with the word of God, the faithful
preaching of God, and the help of the spirit
If this is to be work Of evangei
cation in this city, every one
OF you Christians is under obligations to urge
YOUR unconverted neighbors to come We only
come u, help you. We don't want to tear our
selves to pieces talking to you and You sit there
f6oSiuc for nzna.. thing TO hannah II L.