The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1906-02-15


Copyright 1906 by Joseph B. Bowles)
Scripture: Mark 1:21-3i
Golden Text: "He healed many that
we're sick"
Some one has said that in this les.
son we spend q Sabbath with Jesus
We go with Him to church, listen tc
His preaching. watch Him when inter.
rupted by a maniac cast out the evil
spirit, and then make the cure a
powerful aid to preaching After the
service we accompany Him to Peters
house, and see Him cure Peters aged
mother of a fever. and there spend the
afternoon In quiet and rest. Towards
sunset we see the people of the village
bringing to Him a great number OF
sick folk on whom He lays His hands
and heals. Thus Jesus spent one oil
the days Of His life. And a busy day
II was.
Christ as a Teacher.
Our lesson sets Christ forth as "ons
Who taught with authority, and not as
the scribes." The teaching OF Jesus
struck the people like panic They
had been used to the dry-as-dust teach.
ing of the Scribes; Jesus spoke a liv.
ing. not mechanical message He ex.
planned the Scriptures not as a com.
mentator but as the author Christ s
message was first.hand He spoke as
one who knew.
Christ's Teachings Authoritative To-
Day.
Conscience Is not the ultimate rule
OF life, the final arbiter in the ques.
tions of the soul. While we recognize
that the conscience is the viceregent
of God in the SOUL the religious in
stinct in man, yet we must also be
aware that II is faculty that can be
warped, drugged, misguided and 81.
fenced. Therefore II cannot be de
pended upon as an absolutely correct
criterion of truth and conduct.
Reason Is Not the Ultimate Author
ity.
A man may say that he needs nc
other revelation than his own reason
or that he will accept nothing in the
Bible saving what accords with hi
reason. thereby making his reason
and not the revelation of God the cri
terion OF right and wrong. Inasmuch
however, as different men have differ.
ent reasons" for doing, believing and
juuging things, we become at once in
volved in a maze Of conflicting stand
ards of truth and we are left hope.
lessly in the dark. Reason therefore
cannot be the ultimate authority ir
matters Of faith and practice.
Words of Jesus Final and Authorita-
tive.
When Jesus Christ has spoken there
Is nothing more TO be said. When
Christ has passed His judgment, there
is no appeal from It. His words are
final and authoritative. Jesus said,
He that rejecteth Me, and receivett
not My words. hath one that judgett
him: The word that | have spoken
the same shall Judge him In the last
day" Thus we see that the words oi
Christ are not only to be the stand
ard Of our conduct here and now. but
the standard by which we shall bt
judged hereafter.
Jesus as a Miracle Worker.
Miracles were not the principal part
OF Christs work. They we're always
subordinate. More than once Christ
expressed the fear that men might b,
tempted 20 make miracles the mos
pror' 'aent part Of His work. and thus
| advertise Him as a healer of mems
bodies rather than the saviour o.
their souls. That was the reason why
again and again He forbade thos,
Whom He had healed to advertise tn,
healing. This is vastly different from
certain sects to-day who make heal
ings" the principal thing and soul-sav
ing subsidiary. Miracles were merel!
I incidental to the soul-saving work o.
Christ.
Miracles Typical of Jesus Desire tc
Help Men.
Jesus never wrought miracles L
/ prove to the people that He was tn,
Messiah. Indeed the challenge to cas-
Himself down from the pinnacle o
the temple was temptation of tn,
devil to make Christ miraculousl,
prove to the waiting people In tn,
courts below that He was the Mes
siah. This He resolutely refused 4
do. Nor were the miracles performed
for the purpose of persuading men
They we're tokens of Christ's willing
ness to relieve the distresses of men
We Should Help Men.
Christ's mission is ours likewise
AS He was sent into the world b!
the Father, so are we sent by tn,
Son. Our fellows are bowed dowI
with spiritual ailments far more seri
GUS tn the physically Of Christ
day. The s3Il has its diseases JUS
as we'll as the boIy. The spiritual!
blind, the moral leper, the man deat
to the things OF God, all these neet
the healing touch Of the Christ. It 4
the duty of the church to see to 1
that these are brought into contac
with the Great Physician.
Christ Casts Out Demons.
Demoniacal possession was common
in the day of Christ. Whether It 4
still in existence, whether or not mel
are still possessed by demons may b
an open question. Returned mission
aries from China, India and othe
foreign countries are very emphati
In the declaration OF their belief Il
demon possession to-day.
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