The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1893-06-22
HELPING OTHERS.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage Talks on
the Higher Christian Duty.
In Helping Others the Christian Finds the
Strongest Test of His Religion, In
voIving, as 1t Does, Sacri-
flee of Self.

nacle from the text:
Who touched Me,-Mark v, 81.
A great crowd of excited people, ell
bowling 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 a dying
person. Some thought He could effect
the cure. others that He could not. At
any rate, it would be an interesting ex-
pertinent. A very sick woman OF
twelve years invalidism is in the
crowd. Some say her name was
Martha, others say it was Veronica. |
do not know what her name was, but
this was certain, she had tried all
styles of cure. Every shelf of her
humble home had medicines on it. She
had employed many doctors of that
time, when medical science was more
rude and rough and ignorant than we
can imagine at this time, when the
words physician and surgeon stand for
potent and educated skill. Prof. Light
foot gives list of what he supposes
may have been the remedies she had
applied. | suppose she had been bis
tered from head to foot, and had tried
the compress, and had used all styles of
astringent herbs, and she had been
mauled and hacked and cut and LAGER
ated until life was to her plague. Be
sides that, the Bible indicates her doc
tors bills had run up frightfully, and
she had paid money for medicines and
for surgical attendance and for n.y.
gienic apparatus until her purse was
as exhausted as her body.
What, poor woman, are you doing in
that jostling crowd? Better go home
and to bed and to 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
adying 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 kindness to 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 irrever-
ent. She will not touch Him on the
hand, for that might seem too familiar.
She says: | will, think, touch Him on
His coat, not on the top of it, 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 no harm in that.
don't think He will hurt me, l have
heard SO much about Him. Besides
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 still further an6
reaches for Christ, but can not quite
touch Him. She pushes still further
through the crowd and kneels and puts
her finger on the edge of the blue fringe
of the border. She just touches it
Quick as an electric shock there thrilled
back into her shattered nerves, anG
shrunken veins, and exhausted arteries
and painting lungs, and withered mus
cles, health, beautiful health, rubi
cund health, God-given and complete
health. The twelve years march O.
pain, and pang, and suffering over sus
pension bridge of nerve and through
tunnel of bone instantly halted
Christ recognizes somehow that mag
netic and healthful influence through
the medium of the blue fringe of Hi.
garment had shot out. He turns ant
looks upon that excited crowd, ant
startles them with the interrogatory O
my text: "Who touched me?' TIL,
insolent crowd in substance replied
"How do we know? You get in a GROVE
like this, and you must expect to b.
jostled. You ask us a question yol
know we can not answer" But tn
roseate and reiuvenated woman cam,
up and knelt in front of Christ, anG
told of the touch, and told of the res
toration, and Jesus said: Daughter
they faith hath made thee whole. G,
in peace" So Mark gives us drama
tization of the Gospel Oh, what
doctor Christ is! In everyone of on
households may He be the family physi
clan.
Notice that there is no addition O
help to others without subtraction O
power from ourselves. The contex
says that as soon as this woman wa
healed, Jesus felt that virtue O.
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 risl1ed your health fol-
others? Have you never preached ;
sermon, or delivered an exhortation. OF
offered burning prayer, and then fell
afterward that strength had gone ou
of You? Then you have never initiated
Christ.
Ale You curious to know how the gar
ment Of Christ should have wrough
such = cure for this suppliant invalid
suppose that Christ was surcharpef
with vitality. You know that disease
may be conveyed from city to city b,
garments in case of epidemic, and SO
suppose that garments may be sur
charged with health. l suppose thai
Christ had Such DhvSical rnarpa+;e,,