The herald., 1896-08-24
LESSONS FROM THE PULPIT
Rev. Burt Estes Howard
Home Again
GREETED BY A LARGE CONGREGATION
Eloquent Sermon at the First
Presbyterian Church
REV. Mr.. DAYS DISCOURSE
First Congregational Church Filled With
an Appreciative Audience
Character Our First Concern" the Theme
Of the Sermon
REV. MR.. DAYS DISCOURSE
First Congregational Church Filled With
an Appreciative Audience
"Character Our First Concern" the Theme
Of the Sermon
Rev. George e. Dye at the East Side Baptist
Church-Rev. B. r. Huddleson Also De-
Iivers Short Address at the
YIN. G. A. Hall

Rev. Burt Estes Howard, pastor of the
First Presbyterian church, filled the
pulpit again yesterday after an alb
sence of two weeks. A large congrega-
ton greeted him, and listened to an
earnest sermon from. Luke V, IS. And
he stretched forth his hand and touched
him."
Poor fellow! How that touch must
have thrilled him. said the speaker. 1t
seemed as if the tender hand rested on
his very heart All the years since the
dread leprosy had seized him no one be-
fore had touched him. Between him and
the lips of his wife rose the dread wall
of contagion. From safe distance he
could watch with hungry eyes the play
of his children, but he must not show the
love that filed him with any fond car
ess. Men looked on him as God cursed
sinner. To the social world the leper was
dead, but, alas, to himself he was aw-
fully alive Dead to men but denied the
peace and the honor of earth's quiet
resting place. And Jesus touched him.
oh, how it bridged the gulf of heart sick
loneliness and bound him again by a
single link, yet bound him again to his
fellow men. There must have been
something in the Yery presence of Jesus
that drew the needy about him, else the
leper would not have dared to defy the
laws and rush through the multitudes
to the masters feet. Jesus does not
turn away, but waits till the leper comes
so close that he can be touched by
stretching out the arm. The leper
speaks: IF thou wilt thou canst make
me clean" Jesus did not need to touch
him in order to heal the mans body.
Jesus power healed the mans body, but
the touch of Jesus won the mans heart.
And of the two it is better to reach
mans soul than his skin.
Now, however, much might be said OF
Jesus touch as showing his pity and
miraculous power, l will pass them
by. These lessons that apply to our
selves as needy objects of this same
touch of compassion we know already.
1t is "a gravely suggestive saying Of
scripture addressed to the church, ''Ye
are the body of Christ" With the ac-
cent of Jsus, his physical presence
ceased. Henceforth the church was TO
be his body And as our bodies are the
Instruments by which the inner real life
manifests itself, even so we are the in
struments by which the life of Christ
10 lO De IldHlltSlcu " lllc NOllu anu
through which the will of Christ is to be
wrought out into actual service.
We say body is dead when life no
longer manifests itself through it. There
is no other way to display our vitality.
Spirit discovers itself through matter.
When it is written to the church, "Ye
are the body of Christ" it means that
we are to be the medium through which
Christ is to be revealed to the world
! i- 1a6 al oil And " TpGnS
said, He that believeth on me, the
works that | do shall he do also and
greater works than these shall he do, be-
cause l go to the Father" He was lay
ing an injunction on all believing souls
to do his work. The command Go ye
unto all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature" is not
geographical merely. but social as we'll
1t calls for the evangelizing of Com
mercial street as well as the Congo 4
huge, misshapen, diseased body of hu-
manity lies at the feet of Christ's repre-
sentative-Christ's church. Could it
voice its feelings, it would be like the
cry of the leper. Is it our will this sub
merged mass should be healed? Is it our
will, or are we merely willing?
1t is objected some times that the
church can't do this work. What is the
church for then? The only reason the
church has any existence al all is in or
der to do this work. There Is not an or
eanization in the world possessing so
much latent power, SO many facilities,
so much wealth, with as large a field
for operation lying so near at hand. as
the church; yet there is not an organiza-
ton with such q vast preponderance Of
unused material in it as the church
And the blame l would not visit upon
your shoulders, but upon us as preach
ers. 1t is objected that not all are fitted
for this work. True, but let each man,
according as he be able, lay hold on this
service. 1t will be strange if the spirit
Of Christ filling mans heart will not
lead that heart into usefulness. The
same wisdom should shape this work
and determine the fitness of things that
adjusts other matters of everyday ac-
tivity. 1t is idle to pray, "Thy kingdom
come, when we do not recognize our
relation to that kingdom. The kingdom
can't come unless we bring it. 1t is
nothing apart from those who COM
pose it. 1t is not a thing by itself that
flies here and there as we ask it. 1t has
no wings, and the only feet of the king
dom of heaven are the feet that are filling
your shoes. We must meet the needs If
the world by our utter forgetfulness Of
self. Let US go forth upon the morrow
filled with the spirit of Christ. and as
we come into contact with humanity i'm
whatever form we may find it. high m.
low, leave the touch of Christ to mart.
orr massage