Evening journal., 1905-09-09

come. In the little meanwhile their
rest is in Him and His rest in them
His own city
Into this city helpless paralytlc
lis borne to Him. lying on a bed. Bod
lily healing ever a feature OF the
Kingdom, is sought and obtained, but
liz is preceded by the far more im-
portant spiritual healing, the forgive
ness Of sins according TO the riches or
His grace. The Scribes protest
against this and bring for the
first time the charge Of blasphemy
against the King He meets the ac-
cusatlon by proving His divine au-
thority, but the result was discourag-
ing for though the people marveiled
and gloriied Cod it was not because
He had Himself come down to dwell
lamongst men, but because lie had
given such authority unto men, The
lparalytic is the picture Of a helpless
sinner. who must be brought to Jesus
| in all His impotence and who receives
power to walk. The expression, he
arose and departed to His own house
is suggestive Of resurrection. And IN
deed every conversion is a resurrec-
tion: the sinner hears the words OF
Jesus and believes Him that sent Him.
and the instant result is that he hath
eternal life. and cometh not into Judg-
ment, but hath passed out of death into
llife.' (John s. 24.) Every time the
gospel is preached unto sinners, It is
the dead hearing the voice OF the Son
of God. and they that hearken shall
live (John 8: 25).
~
for all men. without distinction, is
shown by the call OF Matthew, the
lwriter Of this book we are now study
ling. He was a despised tax-coilectoi
under the hated Roman rule and was
looked upon as an apostate by his fell
low countrvmen. But Jesus called
him, saying, Follow Me- and there
was instant response. He arose and
followed Him.
and the blessing was not for Mat
thew alone among the Publicans, oi
for few Of them one here and there
lat dinner the King sits down viii
Imany Publicans and sinners. The
Pharisees are amazed at this, but Je-
sus presses home the truth that the
loutward righteousness Of the Phar-
lisees did not commend them to God
lThey themselves were also sinners, II
lthey did but know it. As they die
lnot know it, however, and would moi
Ilearn it, He had no mission to them
1.-The Physician had not come to minis
tier to those who did not need Him
His call was not for the righteous bu
for sinners. He was about to die fol
the ungodly-the Just for the unjust
that He might bring us to God. This
lis a faithful saying, and worthy of al
lacceptation that Christ Jesus came in
Ito the world TO save sinners. The Sor
of Man came to seek and to save thai
(which was lost
1.-THE disciples Of John the Baptis
were puzzled because the Kings dis.
ciples did not fast. as did they them
selves and the Pharisees. The Kinl
reminded them that true fasting is =;
sign of mourning and with the Bride
groom present. the sons of the bride
chamber could not mourn. The days
would come. however when He SHOULD
depart from them for a season an,
then there would come the fasting
The fasting Of Pharisees was a matte
lof Judaism and the King had no
lcome to patch up that old and ragge,
garment with the new cloth Of tn
Gospel. He was too wise to try sucl
a thing for He well knew that the ex
pertinent could not succeed. The new
cloth. instead Of filling up the hole fl
1.-THE old garment would tear it furthe
land make the hole larger. The ney
wine of Christianity was not to be pu
Into the old wineskin bottles of Juda
ism, for to try such a thing would b
Ito destroy the meaning both Of Lay