The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1903-09-19

q, once breaches Christ Jesus and Hin
crucined. and 5000 men are converted
The women are not mentioned, but (
they cusnumeerca the men in tina
esr,y day In thor acceptance 81 tn,
GOSPEL ss they % to-day there mus
have eccn about ls.eeo women con
ve--cd. 100. besides children Blu
lssvsng the women ont 81 the reckon.
ms and corntfne only the men What
tremendous ireaiherine, Jesus fec
AhN men neksde women and children
Nus Peter. through the Holy Spirit. Is
aAss ~ feed 500 men with the bread
q lsre and win them for Christ and
scsrliu. Greater works. Then fol-
sov the Gays of mighty miracles which
ar eStnumbered those which Jesus
performed
DCT what In our thought constitutes
ID greater works! Do we consider
the miraeles-the healing. the raising
Of the dead. the feeding Of the multi
tudes. tho nets filled with hshes-as
the greatest fruits of Jesus ministry,
and must there be larger realization
Of such miracles in the service and
ministry Of Jesus disciples to-day In
order that we may feel that Jesus
promise has been fulfilled! Is there
not a tendency always to associate
with the thought Of greater works the
healing of the sick. the giving sight to
the blind. the raising Of the dead? So
often do we hear the mournfui regret
expressed that the disciples to-day
have not the gift of healing so that the
preaching Of the Gospel might be at
tended by mighty works of the Spirit
which would bear visible testimony
to the power of God. The greater
works" has come almost to be a
synonym for miracles. as though God
dealing with the physical was greater
than God dealing with the spiritual. AS
a rule am inclined to believe that the
longing and unrest for another day OF
miracles such as ushered In the birth
Of the apostolic church is rather an
evidence of unbelief than Of faith. 1t
Is that old weakness of the natural
man which desires to see. Seeing
Is believing" is the thought which un-
consciously sways the heart. The heal
ing Of the sick. the raising Of the dead,
what glorious and indisputable testi-
mony they would be to the world!
Thus we think and reason, and almost
believe that God Is short-sighted and
careless in not pouring out His gift
Of healing upon the church to-day.
Greater works. or in other words.
miracles.
DUT are miracles greater works?
- Did Jesus so consider them? Why
was His heart heavy. why was He sad.
when the multitude had been healed at
Capernaum and the 5000 fed in the
wilderness? Was 1t not because there
was not the greater work of the crea-
ton of new heart through faith in
Him? "Ye must be born again." was
Jesus message to Nicodemus. and the
miracle of the new birth was greater
work than that Of physical healing, or
bringing to life again the dead body,
wonderful to the natural eye of man.
That Jesus forgave the sins of the man
sick of the palsy before He raised him
up to health and strength Is signifi-
cant. The greatest need OF that man
was not a healed body for this life,
although his case was so pitiable and
his need SO great. but 1t was cleansed
and redeemed soul which would live
with God throughout the eternities. This
Jesus gave to him first. It was a
greater work. It Is evident from
Jesus first words to the man-"Son,
be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven
thee"-that the man was troubled
more by his sin-sick soul than he was
by his disease-racked body. Jesus saw
deeper than the physical, and because
the man himself realized his greater
need, Jesus at once met that need and
gave forgiveness and salvation. Then
came the healing as secondary
work. that we may know that the Son
OF Man hath power on earth to forgive
sins" The miracles were proof of His
Divinity. The continuation of the
miracles through the early years of
the church was for the purpose of link
Ing the Christ before the cross with
the risen and assembled Christ and es-
tablishing the Divinely- ordered way of
salvation. That which Jesus began to
do. His disciples continued to more
gloriously and fully do after He had
ascended and the Holy Spirit had
descended upon them. But a greater
work than the speaking with tongues
was the raising from the deafness in
sin to newness Of life In Christ Jesus
Of 5000 souls. A greater work than
the healing Of the lame man at the
Beautiful Gate was the healing Of 5000
sin-sick souls which followed. A mira
Gle might cause the world to pause and
wonder, but a soul cleansed In jesus
blood and given life In Him IL able IL
set all Heaven to rejoicing. Think
Of It!
A ND in considering the greater
~ works which Jesus disciples are to
do in fulfillment Of His promise. we
must not forget that although the dis
ciples of Christ may do greater works
than their Master. yet His. and His
aIone Ia the enabling Dower oyVitb