Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-05-27
"WHO TOUCHED ME ?"
DR.. Talmage Discourses on the Help
ing Of Others.
There Must lie Some Self DISQUALIFICATION
Christ Felt That Strength Had Gone
Out OF Him when He Made the
Woman Whole.

In recent sermon ut Brooklyn Rev.
r. Dewitt Talmagc chose for his sub
jcct the inquiry addressed by the Sa-
viour to those who surrounded Him
when. the invalid woman having
touched His garment, lie asked. "Who
Touched Nle"r-Marli v. 81. DR.. Tai
mage said:
A great crowd of excited people ell
bowing each other this way and that
and Christ in the midst of the commo-
ton. They were on the way to see
Him restore to complete health n dying
person. Some thought lie could effect
the cure, others that lie could not. At
any rate, it would be an interesting
experiment. A very sick woman of
twelve years invalidism is in the
crowd. Some say her name was Mar
tina. others say it was Veronica. ! do
not know what her name was: but this
is certain, she had tried all styles of
cure. She had employed many of
tho doctors of that time, when medical
science was more rude and rough and
ignorant than we can imagine ut this
time, when the words physician or sur
geon stand for potent and educated
skill. suppose she had been blistered
from head to foot, and had tried the
compress. and had used all styles of as
tringent herbs. and she had been
maulcd and hacked and cut and LAGER
ated until life to her was plague.
What, poor woman, are you doing in
that jostling crowd? Better go home
and to bed and nurse your disorders.
No. Wan and wasted and faint she
stands there, her face distorted with
suffering, and ever and anon biting her
lip with some acute pain, and sobbing
until her tears fall from the hollow
eye upon the faded dress; only able to
stand because the crowd is so close to
her pushing her this way and that.
Stand back! Why do You crowd that
poor body? Have you no consideration
for dying woman? But just at that
time the crowd parts and this invalid
comes almost up to Christ; but she is
behind Him and His human eye
does not take her in. She has
heard so much about His kind
ness 10 the sick, and she does
feel so wretched. she thinks if she can
only touch Him once it will do her
good. She will not touch Him on the
sacred head. for that might be irrevcr-
.ent. She will not touch Him on the
hand for that might seem too familiar.
She says: II will. | think, touch
Him on his coat, not on the top of it,
or on the bottom of the main fabric.
lat on the border, the blue border. the
long threads of the fringe of that blue
border; there can be no harm in that.
don't think lie will hurt me, have
heard so much about Him. Beside that,
can stand this no longer. Twelve
years of suffering have worn me out.
This is my last hope" And she presses
through the crowd and reaches for
Christ, but cannot quite touch Him.
She pushes through the crowd and
kneels and puts her finger to the edge
of the blue fringe of the border. She
just touches it. Quick as an electric
shock there thrilled back into her shat
tered nerves and shrunken veins and
exhausted arteries and painting lungs
and withered muscles, health, beauti-
full health. rubicund health. God-given
and complete health. The twelve
years march of pain and pang and
suffering over suspension-bridge of
nerve through tunnel of bone instantly
halted.
Christ recognizes somehow that mag
netic and healthful influence through
the medium of the blue fringe of His
garment had shot out He turns and
looks upon that excited crowd, and
startles them with the interrogatory
of my text, "Who touched Me?" The
insolent crowd in substance replied:
''How do you know? You get in a
crowd like this, and you must expect
to be jostled. You ask us question
You know we cannot answer" But the
roseate and rejuvenated woman came
up and knelt in front of Christ, and
told of the touch, and told of the resto-
ration, and Jesus said: Daughter, thy
faith bath made thee whole. Go in
peace" So Mark gives us dramatiza-
ton of the gospel. Oh, what a doctor
Christ il! In every one of our house
holds may he be the family physician.
Notice that there is no addition of
help to others without subtraction of
power from ourselves. The context
says that as soon as this woman was
healed, Jesus felt that virtue or
strength had gone out of Him. No ad-
dition of help to others without sub
traction of strength from ourselves.
Did You never get tired for others?
Have you never risked your health for
Others? Have you never preached
sermon, or delivered an exhortation, or
offered burning prayer, and then felt
afterward that strength had gone out
of you? Then you have never initiated
Christ.
IL Omninotence cannot help others