The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-02-22

Copyright, 1905. by Joseph b Bowles)
Golden Text 1.-THE Son Of Man
hath power on earth to forgive sins"
Mark 2:10.
Lesson: Mark 2:1-12.
And they came unto Him bringing
one sick Of the palsy, which was borne
Of four. And when they could not
come nigh unto Him for the pfess.
they uncovered the roof where He
was; and when they had broken II
up. they let down the bed wherein the
sick OF the palsy lay when Jesus
saw their faith. He said unto the sick
OF thu palsy: Son. thy sins be for
given thee. But there we're certain
OF the scribcs sitting there. and rea
soning in their hearts. Why doth
this man thus speak blasphemies?
Who can forgive sins but God only.
And Immediately when Jesus perceived
in His spirit that they so reasoned
with themselves. lie said unto them:
Why reason ye these things in your
hearts7 Whether Is Il easier TO say
10 the sick OF the palsy; Thy sins be
forgiven thee: OF % say: Arise. and
take mp thy bed and walk? But that
ye may know that the Son OF Man
hath power on earth 10 forgive sins.
(He saith TO the sick OF the palsy
Arise. and take up thy bed. and go
thy way into thine house And I'm.
mediately he arose. took up the bed
and went forth before them all"
Sickness n type Of Sin.
Throughout the Scripture there Is
recognized a very intimate connection
between sickness and sin. Leprosy
r. typical % sin In its beginnings.
growth and contamination. Palsy.
like sin. paralyzos the faculties OF
man: natural blindness Is symbolic OF
the spiritual blindness caused by sin.
In a spiritual sense people may have
eyes and see not: ears and hear not"
The Palsied Man Is a Type Of the
Sinner.
The sinner has certain facultie
which cannot be used until he II cured
OF tho disease Of sin. Sin hlights the
spiritual oycsight. deafens spiritual
hearing. darkcns the understanding
so that Il cannot grasp nor under
stand divine things Sin paraly1ea
the faculties OF the soul. The sinner
Is as helpless 10 walk IA the way OF
Gods commandments az this palsicd
man was 20 walk the streets Of palcs.
tine. Paul. that deep student Of hu.
man nature. said n know that 10
me dwclleth no good things: for 20
will Is present with me. bus how 20
perform that which Is good ] find not
The good that ! would. 90 not
What a confession OF human inability.
Sin and Sickness Closely Connected.
While u s. not true that IN every
case sickness a. the direct result OF
special sin committed by the one ar
nicted. yet the Bible distinctly teaches
that ofttlmes such Is the case. Jesus
taught His disciples In the case OF the
man born blind John 81 that this
sore affection came not because OF any
special sin on the part OF the blind
man Nevertheless By addressing his
spiritual before his physical condition
by saving FIRST Thy sins be for.
given thee and afterward: Rise.
take up thy bed and walk" the Master
distinctly taught us that In this case
at least (as well as IN John 50 the AZ.
hiction was the result OF some par.
ticular sin. "Sin no more lest a worse
thing come upon thee. words like
these emphRtically set forth the close
relation between sin and disease.
How Can Sin Be ForgivenP
How can punishment for sin be
avertedg II has been said that there
are three ways. First inasmuch as
suffering and punishment Is the result
OF sin. let us stop SHINING. and then
we shall cease suffering. That sounds
well But II Is cold. comfortless logic.
Who can stop SHINING; where Is the
man in all the earth that doeth good
and sinneth not. This Is law without
love. Secondly. II "a acknowledged
that there is sin and there is punish
ment for sin, but then God Is kind.
loving. and compassionate that He will
say 20 us at last: We'll. Il II true.
You have been pretty bad. but I will
look over Il; come right into Heaven.
That is love without law. n this were
the real status OF the case. Heaven
would not be 4 place long secure from
the attacks OF sin. Unless holiness
and Righteousness be the center Of
Gods throne. safety and security can
never be its circumference.
Forgiveness Through Christ
There remains Just one other way
OF forgiveness. and that Is the true
way. There Is sin. and there Is pun.
ishment and condemnation for sin.
But God has laid all our sins on Christ.
who bore them In Ills own body on the
tree. Forgiveness then Is by faith in
the redeeming sacrifice OF Christ. We
have forgiveness through His she'd
blood. Here Is law and love combined.
thus allowing God 20 be just and this
justiher OF the sinner who believes In
Jesus.
Sin Must Needle Be Forgiven.
Man must be forgiven or else he