Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-05-22
WHO TOUCHED ME?'
REV. DR. TALMAGES TABERNACLE SERMON
YESTERDAY.
Csrisns Question When he Invalid Woman
Touched Els Garmani-A Power
fal Discourse

Srsci02 TSIscran 70 tss Rs9ssisT.
BRooKLYN, May, 81. 1S93.-Rev. DR..
Talmage to-day chose for the subject OF
his discourse, the inquiry addressed oy
the Saviour 70 those who surrounded
him, when, the invalid woman having
touched bis garments, he asked, VINO
Touched Me ?" Mark 3; 81.
A great crowd OF people ei6Owing each
other this way and that, and Christ In
themidst of the cOmmotiOn. They were
on the way 10 see him restore 70 COM
plete health a dying person. Some
tbought he could effect cure, others
that be could not. At any rate, 10
would be an interesting experiment
A very sick women OF twelve years In
validism Is ia the crowd. Some say her
name was Martha, others say &c was
Veronica. don't know what her name
was; but this is certain: she had tried all
STYLES of cures. Every shelf of her hHm-
bic home had medicines on II. She
had employed many Of the doctors or
that time when medical service was
more rude and rough and ignorant
than we can imagine In this time, when
the word physicians or surgeon stands
for potent and educated skill Pro-
fessor LightfoOt gives a list OF what
he supDOses may have been tho rene
dies she had applied. j suppose she
had been bllstered from head 10 foot,
and had tried % compress, and had
used all styles OF astringent herbs, and
she had been mauled and backed and
cut and lacerated until life TO her
was plague. Besides that, the Bible
indicates her doctors bill had run up
frightfully, and she had paid money
for medicines and for attendance and
for hygienic apparatus Until her purse
was
AS EXHAUSTED AS HER BODY.
What. poor woman, are you doing in
that iostling crowd? Better 20 home
and TO bed and nurse your disorders
No! Wan and wasted and faint she
stands there, her face distorted with spf-
fering, and ever and anon biting her lip
with some acute pain, and so06ing untii
her tears fall from the hollow eye upon
the faded dress; only able 70 stand be-
cause the crowd in so close TO her push
ing her this way and that. Stand back.
Why do you crowd that poor body?
Have you no consideration for a dying
woman? But just az that time the crowd
parts and this invalid comes almost up
10 Christ: out she is behind him and his
human eve does not take her in. She has
heard so much abOut his kindness TO the
sick, and she does feel so wretched, she
thinks If she can only just touch him
once 10 will do her good. She will
not touch him on the sacred head,
for that might be irreverent. 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 10, or on the bottom
Of the main fabric, but on
the border, the blue border, the long
threads OF the fringe OF that blue Dor,
der; there can be DO harm in that. !
don't think he will hurt ne, l have
heard so much about him. Beside that
/ can stand this no longer. Twelve
years OF Offering have worn me OUT
This is 10Y last hope" Ane she presses
fOugR the crowd still further and
ehes Cor Christ, but cannot quite
ch him, She pushes still further
Ough the crowd aud kneels, and puts
finger 20 the edge of the blue
2 OF the border. She just touches
Lnick as an electric shock there
RFllled back intO her shattered nerves
~and shFunken veins and exhausted AZ
teFies and painting lungs and withered
muscles, health, beautiful health, rubi-
cund health. God-giYen and complete
health. The twelve years march OF pain
and pang aud suffering over suspension
bridge OF nerve aud through funnel OF
bone instantly halted.
CHRIST RECOGNIZES SOMEHOW
that magnetic aud healthful influence
through the medium OF the blue fringe
Of his garment had shot out He turns
and looks Upon that excited crowd, and
staFtleS them with the interF0gatoFy OF
my text: "WhO touched me?" The
insOlent crowd in substance replied,
How do we know? You got In
crowd like this and you most expect 20
be j0stled. You ask US question you
RnOW We cannot answer" But the
frOseate aud rejuvenated woman came
up and knelt in front OF Christ, and
told Of the touch, and told OF the res
\toratiOn, and Jesus said: daughter,
My faith hath made thee whole. Go
iApeace." So Mark gave us drama
tizRtion of the Gospel. Oh, what a
doctor Christ isl In every one OF our
households may be the family physi-
clan.
Notice that there is no addition Of
help TO others without subtraction OF
power from ourselves. Tue, e0ntext
says that as s0OR as this woman was
healed, Jesus felt that virtue or strength
had gone out of him. No addition Of
help 10 others without subtraction OF
strength from ourselves. Did you
never get tired for others? Have you
never risked yoRr health for others?
Have you never preached sermon,
or delivered an eXhOrtation, or offered
a burning prayer. and then felt after
ward that strength had gone out Of
you? Then you have never initiated
Ch Fist.
You know that In telegraphy there
are two currents Of electricity. So when
you put out your hand Of prayer to
Christ there are two currents cur
rent Of sorrow rolling up from your
heart TO Christ, and current OF CON-
miseratlon rolling from the heart OF
Christ 10 you. Two currents. Oh,
why do you 60 unhelped? Why do you go
wondering about this and wondering
about that? Why do you not touch
him?
ABE YOU SICK2
do not think you are any worse of
than this invalid of the text. Have you
had long struggle? do not think il
has been more than twelve years. Is
your case hopeless? So was this OF
which my text Is the diagnosis and
nrognoSis Doh " Won say, "thore are