Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-05-22

Tert. Msfk y. sf-The Dmnipotent 80.
vices was Never Too fsusy 10 10 Coed.
BnooKtxr, May oi.--Rev. DR.. Tai
mage today chose for the subject OF his
discourse the inquiry addressed by the
Saviour 10 those who surrounded him
when. the invalid woman having touched
his garment, he asked. "who touched
me" MARK v, 8fa
A great crowd Of excited people elbow
ing each other this way and that and
Christ In the midst Of the commotion.
They were on the way 10 see him restore
TO complete health dying person. Some
Thought he could effect the cure; others
that he could not. At any rate, IL would
be an interesting experiment. A very
sick woman Of f2 years invalidism is In
the crowd. Some say her name was
Martha; others say IL was Veronica. |
do not know what her name was, but
this Is certain, she had tried all styles Of
cure. Every shelf Of her humble home
had medicines on IL. She had employed
many of the doctors Of that time, when
medical science was more rude and rough
and ignorant than we can imagine In
this time when the word physician or
surgeon stands for potent and educated
skill. Professor Lightfoot gives a list Of
what he supposes may have been the
remedies she had applied. Isuppose she
had been blistered 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
lacerated until life to her was plague.
Beside 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 hygienic ap-
paratus until her purse was as exhausted
as her body.
What, poor woman, are you doing in
that jostling crowdp Better go home
and to bed and nurse your disorders.
MOI Wan and wasted and faint, she
stands there, her face distorted with suf-
fering, 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 be-
cause the crowd is so close to her, push
ing her this way and that. Stand back
Why do you crowd that poor bodyi
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 kindness to
the sick, and she does feel so wretched
she thinks il she can only just touch
| IL 4 lA G1o will
not touch him on the sacred head. fol-
that might be irreverent. She will moi
touch him on the hand, for that might
seem too familiar.
She says: II will, think. touch hin
on his coat, not on the top of it, or OF
the bottom Of the main fabric, but OF
the border, the blue border, the lont
threads of the fringe of that blue border
there can be no harm in that. / dom
/ think he will hurt me. have heard 81
much about him. Besides that, car
stand this no longer. Twelve years o
suffering have worn me out. This Is m,
last hope" And she presses through tn,
crowd still farther and reaches fol
Christ, but. cannot quite touch him. Sh'
pushes still farther through the Grove
and kneels and puts her finger to th'
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 ex
hausted arteries, and painting lungs, ant
withered muscles, health, beautiful
health, rubicund health, God given an(
complete health. The 10 years marcl
Of pain and pang and suffering over sus
/ pension bridge Of nerve and through tun
mel of bone instantly halted.
THE HEALING TOUCH.
Christ recognizes somehow that mag
netic and healthful influence through
the medium of the blue fringe Of his gar
ment had shot out. He turns and look
upon that excited crowd and startle
them with the interrogatory Of my text
.sWho touched meY' The insolent crow,
in substance replied: "How do we know
You get in a crowd like this and yo'
must expect to be jostled You ask US
question you know we cannot answer.
But the roseate and rejuvenated womal
cameup, and knelt in front of Christ, an
told Of the touch, and told of the restora
ton, and Jesus said; Daughter, tn
faith hath made thee whole. Go 1
peace" So Mark gives US dramatiza
ton of the gospel. Oh, what docto
Christisl In every one of our household
may he be the family physician.
Notice that there is no addition Of hel
to others without subtraction Of powe
! from ourselves. The context says that q
: soon as this woman was healed Jesus fel
I that virtue or strength had gone out {
him. No addition of help to Others with
; out subtraction of strength from oul
/ tselves. Did you never get tired for otl
!. srs? Haye you never risked your healt
for othsrsf Have you never preached
sermon, or delivered an exhortation. {
!. offered q burning prayer, and then fe
: afterward that strength had gone out {
Vou1 Than yos1 have never initiate