The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-06-06

captive was delivered from the prison
house of sin and the power of Satan.
The crowd that day saw and realized
only the healing, and since that day
the majority of those who have read
the record of this wonderful incident
have marveled at the raising to his |
feet of the paralytic, and have passed |
lightly over the cleansing from sin of
this man, and thus they have lost the
very heart of the matter and its deep |
est lesson. 1t has come to be known |
as the healing of the man sick with the |
palsy, when it ought to be entitled, |
The miracle of the cleansing from sin |
of the man sick of the palsy.
A palsied soul is more awful and |
deadly condition than palsied body. |
The sum of the years of this life are |
soon passed, and the palsied body is |
left behind, but the palsied soul, insen-
safe from sin and selfishness, passes |
on beyond the grave. into the presence |
of the One who could have given life, |
but where the potency of the cross to
that soul is then lost forever, for "he |
that believeth not is condemned al |
ready, because he hath not believed in |
the name of the only begotten Son OF
God"
You may not realize your condition.
Only God can show it to you. He will
if you will but let His Spirit have en-
trance to your heart, where hidden
sins lie, for when He the Spirit is
come He will convince the world OF
sin, and of righteousness and of judg-
ment.'' David, with his ingly robes
about him and the elegance and ease
| of his magnificent palace, with his vo-
| taries about him to please and tiatter
| him, and lull his conscience to sleep,
almost forgot the awful sins that lay
| hidden in the depths of his heart. But
when Nathan, the prophet, came, and
by his little parable resurrected all
the awful record and exclaimed:
| "Thou art the man." David began to
realize the exceeding sinfulness of sin.
But instead of trying to excuse HIM
self, or instead of becoming angry and
turning from Gods messenger, we find
| David crushed to the ground before
| the Lord with the consciousness of his
guilt. His cry is now: Against Thee,
| Thee only, have 1 sinned and done this
evil in Thy sight" In the fifty-frst
Psalm David has recorded his heart
searching experience before the Lord,
and has shown guilty sinners the way
to forgiveness and salvation.
And what more wonderful miracle
can you find anywhere recorded in
Gods word than here in the case OF
David, who comes murderer, an
adulterer. thief, and throwing him
self at the feet of his Savior as
penitent he is raised up, redeemed
soul cleansed winter than snow.
Yes, when we get over on the other
side and mingle with the hosts of
the redeemed and meet the paralytic
and the lepers, and the multltudes
of others who felt the healing touch
of the Savior's hands. we will not
marvel so much at the healing of
the body as the saving of the soul.
And / do not believe we Will hear
them going about telling of their
wonderful cures, but they will have
their whole thought conferred in the
Christ, and will sing new song,
saving: Thou vast slain, and
hast redeemed us to God by Thy
blood out of every kindred, and
tongue. and people, and nation"
The greatest miracle, the greatest
: blessing that came to the Paralytic
of our text was his cleansing from
. sin. The secondary blessing was the
supplying of his bodily needs. This
is the way God always works. As
: he left the presence of Jesus and
passed along the street with spring
: ing step and joyful tongue, the sky
seemed bluer, the birds sang sweet
l er, the very air vibrated with the
} blessed presence of God. See HIM
= as he enters his home. The as
2 founded wife and wondering children
gather about him and hear his won
= derful story. While he is yet talk
I ing a strange sadness fits over her
face and a dread strikes into her
2 heart. VIII he go back to his old
= life of sin? Will the blessing be but
S feeting? She recalls the successive
2 steps by which he had been reduced
2 to the helpless condition in which
2 Jesus found him. She realizes that
he has been restored to health by
e the merciful hand of God, but will
it only be for a season? And while
8 she is bordering these things in her
Y heart, he begins to tell her of the
: greater blessing which has come to
= him. AS he realizes the sinfulness
f of his life, with the tears streaming
4: down his face, he tells her that the
Z: Lord has forgiven him his sins and
e will she, too, forgive him for the
$ grief he has caused her. Then the
:. ioy of the new-found hope begins to
l. creep into her heart, her face begins
t to tighten up and she knows that her
husband is. a changed man inside and
X out, and that the old sinful life that
had filed his body with the deadly
palsy has no longer power over him
Delivered! Delivered from the pow
n er of Satan. Oh, what Joy in that
l. home that day. Oh, what joy comes
II into every home when Jesus gets
Il into the hearts of those who dwell
e there. Everything runs smoother
/ work becomes a pleasure and weari
e ness makes the heart rejoice that il
IS belongs to the Saviour, who said:
"Come unto Me, all We that labor and
are heavy laden, and 1 will give yor
rest. Take My yoke upon you, and
IL learn of Me; for L am meek and low
e ly in heart; and We shall find RESI-
IL unto YOUR souls" A double blessing
II Yea, verify, with the cleansing from
sin, comes not another blessing, but
a perfect stream of blessings which
~ in ever-broadening measure flow
through this life to the very gate OF
:. Heaven.
"a Damaging Testimony.