The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-12-18

|
the Hem of His Garment" anC
Heavenly Home" The subject of Mr.
Irvine's address was Touch, Human
and Divine" The speaker said in part
MEN who are well informed on tn,
life of the nations are said to be il
touch with the world, but this is no
always true There are men who live
in well stocked libraries and who de
YOUR the newspapers and magazines OF
| the day with an Unsuitable thirst fol-
knowledge, who are no more in touch
with the life around them than if they
were dead and in their graves. On the
other hand there are men less erudite
men who have little time for book
| learning, who are in closest touch with
| the world and who are spending and
being spent in the solution of its prob
| lens. There are various ways in which
a man may be In touch with the world
In our day, as in the days of Micah,
| there are professional reformers who
| touch the world with soiled hands. Our
great cities have felt the blithing touch
Of such men.
Touch OF inspiration. Isaiah de-
scribes the end of Uzziah's reign. 1t
had been brilliant but a fatal act of
| the king terminates 1t in dishonor.
| The prophet il conscious in his share
| in the guilt of his day and nation and
| cries out from the depth of his soul L
am a man of unclean lips and l dwell in
| the midst of a people of unclean lips
Then from the altar of God comes the
purifying agent A great enthusiasm
steals over the heart and mind as one
reads the vision Of the prophet. Swift
from the altar flies a seraphim with a
live coal. He has caught 1t with his
tongs from the glowing embers. He
bears it in his hand to the mouth of
the prophet and straightway his leps
are clean and he is commissioned to
serve his God. What did this touch
mean? Read Isaiah vi ard know. The
sin of the prophet was purged, his mi
guilty was taken away! That is always
Gods order. Publication and then ser
vice. Isaiah not only bore his own,
but part of the sin Of his nation God
has not changed The sin in our hearts
eating like cancer is not the only
one. Every man here is responsible for
the sin Of our nation and our city. If
we are to join the forces of God We
must be purged from sin. We must
get rid of self1shness and quit our
meanness. You men remind me of
Carlyles saying. He is the greatest sin
ner who is conscious Of none Not one
in ten of the hundreds who are here
to-day are conscious Of sin. wish I
could lay bare your heart so that you
could get a good look at it. The only
sinners, according to some modern
standards are the murderers, thieves,
harlots and drunkards. To this species
Jesus was ever tender and forgiving,
but to the proud hypocrites whose re-
spectability veneered a rotten heart he
had but scorn and lash and outer dark
ness. We have a very healthy scorn
for the Pharisee of nineteen centuries
ago, but how much was ne different
from the Pharlsee of to-day? Are
there not men sitting in this opera
house to-day saying in their hearts n
thank thee, Lord, that l am not as
other men!' Probably, nay of surety
here you are and as long az you in
trench yourself in sin and refuse the
cleansing, purifying touch OF the Mas
ter. so long is your life incapable OF
service. | appeal to you now, while
you have health and power OF service.
DR.. Guthrie tells story of man who,
while wandering along a lonely rocky
shore at the ebb of the tide, slipped his
foot into a narrow crveice Imagine
his horror at finding he could not with
draw the imprisoned limb. Dreadful
predicament! There he sat with his
back to the shore and his face to the
sea. How he shouted to the distant
boatl How his heart sank as her yards
swung around and she went off on
another tack How his cries sounded
high above the breakersl How bitter
ly he envinew the white sea NEW her
wing, as wondering at this intruder on
her lone domain, she sailed above his
head and shrieked back his shrek!
How at length, abandoning all hope of
help from the man he turned his face
to heaven and cried loud and long>to
God. All that God only knows. But
as sure as there was terrific struggle, |
so sure while he watched the waters
rising inch by inch, these cries never
ceased till the waves swelled up and |
washing the dieing prayer from his lips
broke over his head with a melancholy |
moan. There was no help for him. Now
taht is the kind of grip that sin has
upon some of you. 1t paralyzes the |
nerve of endeavor blights and withers |
the spiritual sense, blunts the keen |
sense touch The waves of time roll |
In upon you with increased volume each
year and the follies OF life stifle your
feeble cries. But standing within your
reach to-day is one who saws. 1T is / |
be not afraid He comes with the touch |
If redemption; of resuscitation. When
by the touch of the Master
YOU transmit it to others. The Has
ter's touch is the touch of sympathy.
Daniel is in prayer and perhaps some
what discouraged and the angel Gabriel
comes and touches him and whispers
to him o Daniel, greatly beloved
Elijah lies down under the juniper tree
and feels deserted of God and man, but
IN angel touches him with sympathy
and he arises to duty. Peter makes
bold dash over the side of the boat, but
beginning to sink he called to help and
he Master pulled him out. A sensitive
,oul plagued for years with disease
,reeps up stealthily in the crowd and
ulches the hem of His garment and is
made whole. How little will save you!
4 touch.
She only touched the hem of His garment
IS To his side she stole:
Amid the crowd that gathered around Him