Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-07-27

1t took n God TO make the ear. aud Il
takes n God TO mend II. That makes
me curious TO see how Christ the Sur.
geon succeeds as an aurist.
We are told OF only two cases he Cd
Grated on as an ear surgeon. Ills
friend Peter. naturally high. tempered
saw Christ insulted by a man by the
name OF Malchus. and Peter let his
sword fly. aiming at the mau's head
but the sword slipped and hcwed OF
the outside ear. and our surgeon touch
ed the liberation snd another ear
blOomed i'm the place OF the one that
had been siashed away. But II is nj
the outside. ear that hears That is
only funnel for gathering sound and
pouring ii into the hidden and more
elaborate ear. On the beach of Lake
Galilee our surgeon found a man deaf
and dumb. The patient dwelt i'm per.
petual silence and was specchless He
could not hear a note OF music or q
clap OF thunder. He could not call IA.
Their or mother or wife or children by
name. What power can waken that
dull tympanum or reach that chain OF
small bones or revive that auditory
nerve or open the gate between the
brain and the outside world? The sur
geon put his fingers I'm the deaf ears
and agitated them and kept on agitat
ing them until the vibration gave vital
energy TO all the dead parts. and they
responded. and when our surgeon with.
drew his fingers from the ears the two
tunnels OF sound were clear for all
sweet voices of music and friendship
For the first time I'm his life he heard
the dash of the waves of Galilee
Through the desert of painful silence
had been built kings highway of res
onance and reclamation. But yet he
was dumb No word had ever lcaped
over his lip. Speech was chained I'M
der his tongue. Vocalization and &C.
centuation were 60 him an impossible
ity. He could express neither love noI
indignation nor worship. Our surgeon
having unbarred his ear. will now un-
loose the shackle OF his tongue. The
surgeon will use the same Imminent OF
Salve that he used on two occasions for
the cure of blind pcople-namely the
moisture of his own mouth. The ap-
| plcation is made, and To- the rigidity
of the dumb tongue is relaxed. and be
1
whole vocabulary aud words few in
to expression. He not only heard. but
| he talked. One gate OF his body swung
in TO let sound enter. and the other
| gate swung out to let sound depart.
/ Why is il that, while other surgeons
used knives and forceps and probes
and stcthoscopes, this surgeon used on.
| ly the ointment of his own Inns? To
show that all the curative power we
ever feel comes straight from Christ
| And IL he touches US not we shall be
deaf as rock and dumb as n tomb
Oh, thou greatest of all artists. compel
us to hear and help us to speak,
Free to All.
But what were the surgeons fees for
all these cures of eyes and ears and
tongues and withercd hands and crook.
ed backs? The skill and the painless.
ness of the operations were worth
hundreds and thousands of dollars. Do
not think that the cases he took were
all moneylcss. Did he not treat the no.
bleman's son? Did he not doctor the
rulers daughter2 Did he not effect \
cur: In the house of centurian of
great wealth who had out of his own
pocket built synagogue? They would
have paid him large fees. and there
were hundreds of wealthy people i'm Je-
rusalem and among the merchant cas-.
ties along Lake Tiberias who would
have given this surgeon houses and
lands and all they had for such cures
as he could effect. For critical cases in
our time great surgeons have received
! $1,000, $1,000 and in one case know
or $4,000. but the surgeon OF whom
| speak received not n shekcl. rot n pen.
ny. not n farthing. In his whole earth.
ly life we know OF his having had bat
62i2 cents. When his taxes were due,
by his omniscience he knew of n fish
In the sea which had swallowed n piece
or silver money. as fish are apt TO swal-
low anything bright. and he sent Peter
! with hook which brought up that
fish. and from its mouth was extracted
n Roman slater, or G2Is cents. the only
money he ever had. and that he paid
out for taxes. This greatest surgeon of
all the centuries gave all his services
then and offers all his services now
free or all charge. without money
and without price" you may spiritually
have your blind eyes opened. and your
deaf ears unbarred. and your dumb
tongues loosened, ana your wounds
healed. and your soul saved. II Chris
tan people get hurt Of body, mind or
soul. let them remember that surgery
Is apt 10 hurt. but IL cures, and you can
AFFORD present pain for future glory.
Besides that. there are powerful anms-
thetics In the divine promises that
soothe and alleviate. No ether or chic
reform or cocaine ever made one so SUI
| perior TO distress as n few drops OF
that magnificent anodyne: "All things
work together for good TO those who
love God" Weeping may endure for a
night, but joy cometh in the morning."
A Glorious Day.
What grand thing for our poor hui
man race when this surgeon shall have
completed the treatment Of the worlds
wounds! The day will come when
there VIII be no more hospitals, for
there VIII be no more sick, and no
more eye and ear infirmaries. for there
will be no more blind or deaf. and no
more deserts, for the round earth shall
be brought under arboriculture, and no
more billiards or sunStrokes, for the
! atmosphere will be expurgated of
scorch and chill. and no more war, for
the swords shall come out of the foun-
dry bent into pruning hooks, while In
the heavenly country we shall see the
victims Of accident or malformation or
hereditary ills on earth become the ath-
ietes in Elysian fields. Who is that
man with such brilliant eyes close be-
fore the throne? Why. that is the man
who, near Jericho. was blind and our
surgeon cured his ophthalmia! Who is
that erect and graceful and queeniy
woman before the throne? That was
the one whom our surgeon found bent
almost double and could in nowise lift
up herself. and he made her straight.
Who is that listening with such rap
ture to the music of heaven, solo melt
ing into chorus. cymbal responding to
trumpet. and thnD birncalf iOin;,>.~ a.,