Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-03-03

son Of David. have mercy on uS3' BE
quiet says some one. There IL no
good of your shouting. Your eyeballs
are useless. Christ can do nothing
for you But stlll the blind men cry
more vocifcrously. Thou son Of Da-
vid, have mercy on u.s. Christ hears
their supplinmt voices above the cheers
OF the multitude. lie stops and says
to them practically this: Blind men,
do you believe | am able to open your
eycsI" They answer. Yea. Lord"
Thus Christ says. According to your
faith he II unto you" At first. | think,
the blind men could not realize the
full import of the sentence: then
smile irradiatcd their features, and
then the curtains of the eyelids parted,
and the men saw. That was the re-
limited only by the measure of their
belief. According TO their faith" and
as they believed for the opening OF
their eyes. that boon was granted to
them.
Supported by Faith.
not see any connection between the
blind men of my text and faith in God
giving TO Il man physical powers to do
what God wants him to do" Instances
of the stimulus of faith are to be seen
in every walk Of life. Everywhere you
can see men and women Of slight
physical frames doing the work Of
giants. because they have faith. tri-
umphant faith. Here comes frail lit
tie body like Frances H. Willard. Why,
frcm the day that she was born she
was II physical weakling She was
frail child. She was n frnil girl She
was Il frail young woman. Then came
the call To the semi-iuvalid to go forth
ns warrior to fight the curse OF the
saloon. "Oh. Frances" said her friends.
temperance crusade. You have no
chest. no throat. Why. that is the work
which calls for the physical stamina OF
n giant" But the young, frail looking
woman, Frances l.. Willard. calmly an
swcrs. If God calls me To this work.
God will give me physical strength to
do IT," Did not God give to her phys
ical strength in proportion To her
faith? | tell you that the work Fran
ces T.. Willard did was enough To break
down the physical resource OF n Du-
mas had she not been re.cnforccd by
divine strength. As an organizer of
women she was Il marvel As a public
speaker she went up and down this
land addressing audiences night after
night, year in and year out. The mid
against her when she, night after night.
had to change cars. Miserable hotel
meals. badly ventilated audience
rooms. mental strain enough To ex-
haust the strongest of nerves. were all
hers. And yet that frail body went on
and on In its herculean tasks supported
by faith
Open the leaves of history and what
do you find? The greatest of workers
have often been those who were work
ing under the shadow of death. by the
command of physicians and friends
and by the reasoning of every physical
law these men and women should
have ceased to work: John Richard
Green. an invalid. Alexander II. ste
phens. an invalid: Robert Hall, an in
valid: John Summerteld. an invalid;
Richard Baxter, an invalid; Edward
Pnyson, an Invalid: Frederick W. Rob
ertson. an invalid; Philip Doddridge, an
invalid; Wilherfurce. an Invalid; L. 5.
Grant. writing his memoirs OF the civll
war when lie was writing In the ago
nies OF physical torture; Robert Louis
Stevenson. an invalid; Henry Fawcctt,
the ally and helper of English states
men. yet blind from Il youth of four
teen. oh. do not tell me that the mira
Gle of the blind men has not been du
plicated in the eighteenth and nine
faith they have compelled their frail
bodies TO achieve marvels.
Now. what is the practical deduction
OF this principle: DO not he hypochon
driacs. DO not talk about your physic-
al ailments. DO not spend most OF
your iililt ttlllHE Abui Il'i- y iiN INV
bad you feel. DO not humor your pains
and your aches by continually taking
an inventory OF them There is moth
Ing In the world which will make the
body more Of n weakling than the hab
1t of getting the Idea into your minds
that il Is weak and that II can do
nothing. In almost every sanitarium In
the world you can find these notices
being hung up everywhere around the
walls: Don't talk about your sick
nesscs," II you have faith in God that
he will give you physical strength to do
your work. believe me. that physical
strength, In most eases, will come TO
you. Better throw away those circu-
lars which advertise the benefits OF
patent medicines. Get up and get out,
and your body will grow in strength as
you obey the call of duty.
But If triumphant faith Is important
IN reference 20 the physical body how
much more Is II important in reference
10 The mind. If II is important In ref
ercnce To the action Of my lungs and
heart. how much more II II important