The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-27

ignorance When 3 moral. bu- selfish.
young man came and wanted 70 buy sal
varion through the deeds OF the Law.
Jesus put the marrow OF the gospel TO him
In the terms OF the young mans own
morality. and he went away sorrowfuL
But when \ mag6alen washed His feet
with her tears. or a chronic sufferer
touched the fringe Of His robe with the
tip % her finger ne responded Immediately
and said: Thy faith hath saved thee:
go IN peace" No sooner had the finger
and the fringe come together than Jesus
felt the exudasion Of power. and quickly
said: who touched ne?' Where did the
virtue reside which He perceived 20 20 out
OF Him. In the garment on. no. In the
Christ Himself. By what means was IL
made curative? BY = sort OF unconscious
power2 No BY an act of the divine will.
Christ knew the woman was there, though
she thought she was unobserved. Christ
perceived and accepted her faith, mixed
with superstition though IL was. Christ
meant 20 heal her. and Immediately after
the miracle drew public attention 10 the
woman by the words OF my text that He
might receive her full confession and pro-
nounce the highest approval and the full
est benediction upon her sublime act
Observe the magnanimity OF Our Lord.
The physicians had taken all her money
without curing her. Christ had cured her
He began 70 restore her soul. He could
not let her slip away unaotiesd. He knew
that for her own eternal peace IL was
necessary that she should make an open
acknowledgements OF His power. He
looked down at her. The gaze troubled
her for an instant. and trembnngly she
Frustrated herself at His feet, and told
Him before all the people why she had
touched Him. It was the moment Of her
greatest JOY and greatest humiliation. She
not only realized that in that contact
hopeless disease had touched perfect
health. but ceremonial uncleanness had
touched purity. weakness had touched
marvellous strength, sin mad touched holi-
ness, and whether she realized IL or not.
humanity had touched manifested God
Her humiliation was Immediately sue
ceeded by honor. Listen 10 Christs re-
ply: Daughter" How encouraging that
title. Surely she need no longer fear
BE of good comfort" How sweet It was
TO hear that voice addressed 10 her. Her
agitated heart grew quiet. She rever-
enced this mighty prophet. Thy faith
hath made thee whole" What wonderful
words were these? Was He giving her
the credit of the cure? My faith?" I
think j hear her say. My faith? Is this
the cause Of all my blessing? is 1t be-
cause / believed on Him? on. how inspir-
ing it is TO be so near the Messiah And
How magnanimous was Jesus. He had
not only healed her but revealed TO her
His Messiahship. He not only received
her touch and accepted her sincerity. but
resided forever in her soul.
Do you know, dear sinner. whether sick
in body or not, Jesus is waiting TO do the
same thing for you now? He wants you
10 recognize Him as your divine Lord.
He has caused this very incident to be
written for this very purpose. He has
sent His Spirit into the world to testify
of Him. He has commissioned me, His
servant, TO declare Him unto you. He is
a compassionate Christ. You cannot sigh
In sorrow but He hears you. You cannot
suffer in pain but He perceives the an
gush in your face. You cannot drag your
weary body along from day TO day, so
tired and yet so misunderstood by those
about you. that the heartache is even
worse than the backache, but He wit
nesses your misfortune. and waits for the
touch that shall open 10 you all the won
ders of His love. What is it. then, that
stands between you and your Lord? Only
a touch VIII you let so little a thing
separate you? II is not Your sin that
really keeps you and your Savior apart.
He provided for that long ago. II is not
your surroundings. He understands all
about them. He was a NaZarene. 1t is
merely your unwillingness to receive His
mercy in a single touch.
The Benedictiou.
Surely this story increases in interest as
We proceed. But we must bring it to a
close. The final impression / receive from
its recital Is in the wording .,f the bene-
diction, Go in peace" The calm had
come. No more pain. No more turbu-
lence. TX was as though the light of even
tide had stolen into her soul, and rising
from her knees. she departed. / wonder
/ w
friends were. I wonder what her subse-
quent history was. We do not even know
her name / read that some conjecturers
say that % was Martha, and some think
IT was Veronica. II makes little differ
ence to US by what name she was called
She appears upon the sacred page and
vanishes in an instant We see her one
moment crowd-environed. pushing her
way toward Christ. weak and suffering
yet persistent in her faith; thu next mo-
ment we see her with two new treasures
10 carry h0me-a healed body and a re-
joicing soul She seems 20 have been per-
mitted to appear for a little that some
ones weak faith might be strengthened
and that some seeking soul might ind
Christ May not that be the result OF our
consideration OF her case this morning?
Christ Is as ready to dismiss you today
with the benediction OF peace as He was
20 dismiss her Remember that In both
cases the confession must prsCede tha
benediction and the touch OF faith must
precede the confession. This Is the divine
order. and no power on earth can alter It,
II is the divine order, not arbitrarily
fixed. but because it is the logical Sc
Quence.
Get healed OF that soul-sickness and
confess thy Lord and the peace will come.
Peace! Ye who have had nothing but
worry and turmoil all your life long,
think Of II. Ye who have fought many a
hard battle because of sin. rest for mo-
meut In tho blessed assurance OF this d.
vine word peace. How beautiful II seems
with It's folded wings and unruffied breast
No human lips can properly pronounce IT.
II cost God TOO much to manufacture Il
for men TO glihly echo II IN the ears Of
their fellows. He only VINO became our
peace can fathom Its calm depth OF bless
eduess. II IS Hts word. and from HIS lips
IT'S cadence must fall upon the soul. Have
YOU ever heard Him speak this benedic-
tion9 Then you have heard the sweetest
sound on earth. Go in peace. Was II not
musics Did not the strains seem 70 fan
from heavenly harps? Have you not
heard this precious wordr Then wait and
let the enthroned Christ speak 4 now.
lie is no longer peasant. but u king
He wants that heart OF thine. He viii
~ IL up Tor a palace for Himself He
wants that life Of thine He viii make II
an honored servant OF his cause he
stands in your midst az this very moment.
How strange You do not see Him How
strange you do not realizs His worth
How strange YOU do not recall His power
20 heal a sin-sick soul. . touch Him
touch Him. and hear His bsne6ictlon. Go
IN peace"'