Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-03-01
SeliSipns department.
THE TOUCH OF CHRISTS
HAND.

earthly life is very small in compass,
and yet large in particulars. 1t is
the book of the acts of Christ Jesus,
not of his words. 1t describes
more infinitely than either of the
Gospels the Saviour's looks, gestures
and modes of doing his wondrous
deeds. Especially does it empha-
size the use of his hands. When the
mother-in-law of Simon was lying
under the power OF the fever, He
"came and took her by the hand and
lifted her up, and Immediately the
fever left her," The same gesture is
practiced with the lifeless daughter
of Jairus; the contact of the Divine
hand with the dead hand sets the
pulse in motion, and sends the flush
of life back into the maiden's cheeks.
When the deaf man is cured, Jesus
puts his fingers into his ears, and the
sound breaks in; when the blind
man is restored, Jesus lays his hands
upon the sightless eyes, and bids the
man 'Elook up" That touch opens
the world to one who had walked in
darkness.
One of the sweetest pictures in
Marks story of the Wonderful Be-
ING with whom everybody felt at
home is that Of the group of little
children brought to Him that "He
should touch them" Whether it was
superstition or faith that presented
them, we know not but the home
less, childless Nazarene took the
darlings in his arms and blessed
them. Any one might be willing
to caress q sweet babe; but who
would care, or even dare to touch
loathsome leper whose very breath
was deadly contagion? One of these
wretched outcasts, with disease run
ming riot over his countenance, APP
proaches our Lord, and kneels to the
ground. No wife or child or kins-
man could give the poor wretch a
kiss if he were dying. eff Thou
wilt, Thou canst make me clean -
What q model prayer for Us all !!
With a yearning of Divine pity Jesus
puts forth his clean, pure hand, and
touches the living putrefaction. In
an instant the leprosy is gone ;
Christ's hand has opened all other
hands to hitherto detested outcast.
Here is an object lesson for us. Nay
it is a rich grape cluster of lessons
we'll worth the picking.
az 1t teaches, as in symbol, the
sublime truth of Chrst's incarnation
in order to reach our sin-poluted hu.
mainly. The Revised Version OF
the Hebrew tells us that "verily MOI
of the angels did he lag hold, but He
taketh hold of the seed of Abraham
Did the contact defile his infinite
purity? No; but the touch of hi:
spotless Divinity to our foul, sin
cursed nature brought the first thrill
of healthy. heavenly life we eve
tasted The wondrous Atonemen
was Just "bearing Our sins in hi
own body on the tree That con
tract redeemed us from hell. l
Christ had drawn back from it W
must have sunk under the leprosy o
sin TO endless death.
(2) Our Lords ministry of love
one of personal contact still, Faith
in turn, puts us into living contac
with Him. His omnipotent low
touches our hearts; our faith lay
hold on Him. This defines faith a
something much deeper and stronge
than mere opinion about Chris
or even confidence IN Christ; it
an act, the act of grasping, holdin
and of uniting itself to the Blesse
Lord of life. Jesus lays hold on |
not with mere touch, but wit
such prodigious and perenni
grasp that He says, ''no man sha
ever be able to pluck you out of n
hand" My only guarantee of ev
seeing heaven is in the Almigh
clutch of my Saviour's love. b
cause He lives / shall live also. Re
erently be it said that living fai
makes every true Christian as mu'
part Of Christ as the branch is
the vine. ''Abide IN me and
shall bear much fruit.
(3) What sweetness there is
our loving Masters touch when I
lays it upon the sore aching hear
He knows just where it hurts, al
what balm to lay next the bleedil
spot. In that poor creature tn
crouched at his feet and bathed the
with her tears, the sore spot was t
sense of her guilt. "Thy sins be fC
given thee" was the healing bal
My suffering brother, my grief-sm
ten sister, can't you trust that han
II may have cast you down, but J
may rest assured that it will neS
cast you off. When his hand US
the lancet or the pruning knife, it
unfaltering love which holds the
strument. Not one cruel blow |
my Saviour ever given you or me.
al But what rebuke that TOT
of the leper gives to our hatef
selfish spirit of caste and pric
Shame on US that we are so will
to touch jewelled hands, and sit
side silks and sealskins, and
shun the i'll clad, ill-odored outca
as not fit TO be touched This is