Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-23
Leper's Story Theme of Rev.
N. R. FiShburn's Sermon.
SYMPATHY NOT DENIED HIM
Care Given Him Shows World s
Progress in Well-Doing.
UNCLEAN MEN IN CHRIsTs DAY
No Place for Him in That Time.
Healed Man Testimonial of
Savior's Deeds.

The pathCs Of the condition 1f john
Early. the leper, furnished the theme for
the sermon 10y Rev. NJ Ross Fishburn
last evening at the Mount Pleasant CON
Erekational Church.
Room for the Lcper' was given as the
subject. The text was the New Testament
passage. and there came leper be-
scechiny Him. saying: If Thou wilt Thou
canst make me Clean Jesus said: L VIII;
be thou clean
Referring to the case of John Early
the pastor said:
During recent weeks our newspapers
have transported us to Palestine and
carried us back across the centuries as
IN our dailies we have read of the wise
and kindly care given the leper who has
spent upward of three months i'll n tent
on the Eastern branch and who, through
the consdsrate arrangements of our
health depa rtment, is soon TO he eStab-
lished in comfortable brick dwelling.
We have been cheered. have we not. by
these concrete evidences of the worlds
progress and mans advance not only in
science. but also i'm sympathy?'
Mr.. Fishburn quoted n. p. Willis ia
miliar poem which describes mans in
humanity to man in the centuries when
the leper
Went uron his wav
Sick and hearthrokeD ard alone.
Sympathy Not Denied Early.
God be praised said the speaker,
that that pathetic picture finds no coun-
terpart in the scene in our city's sub
urbs; that there is room for the modern
leper in the good home on the District
reservation provided by public funds
room for him also in the sympathies of
this community"
Continuing, Mr. Fishburn said
1T is not, however. from John Early
/ would draw tpe lessons of the hour but
from the man whom Jesus healed in Cali
lee long years ago. In response to that
ancient leper's petition. the writer in
forms us that Jesus moved with COM
passion, put forth his hand and healed
him
There are many beautiful suggestions
in this wondrouS scene enacted in Cali
lee, which We shall be able to understand
only as we keep in mind that the Savior
before whom the leper knelt was moved
with compassion.
But Jesus was more than sympathetic.
His touch was tender. but it was mighty,
too-potent to wipe away the leper spots.
Leper Type of Sin.
From time immemorial leprosy has
been used in literature as type of sin.
both because of its incurableness and
of the way it excludes a man from the
Fellowship of the whole He who was
able to heal that ancient sufferer of his
incurable malady is still able to save
all who are Sin-sick. no matter how dead
ly their spiritual disease may appear.
able to save men from their sins. Jesus
is also able to use the saved life, though
1t be but fragment and to make it
count in the kingdom of righteousness.
OF this we are assured by the conclud-
ing verse in the narrative. where it is
written that as a result of the healed
mans simple telling of his story vast
multitudes came together to hear and to
be healed of their infirmities by the great
Physician.
"All along the centuries we find the
names Of those who. having been re-
deemed were used by their Savior for the
redemption of others. 1t takes great
deal to enable man to win his neiglbor
TO Christ If he knows nothing about
Christ. 1t takes very little to make a
man a power in the kingdom if he does
know anything about Christ.
The leper i'm Gallee did not know
much He was cleansed, and Jesus had
cleansed him. That was all he knew
And yet that man. with only one idea but
witt his flesh that once had been so
1oa.asome, now like the flesh of a little
child-that cleansed man telling his sim
pie story of the mighty Cleanser led a
multitude in his own day, and an increas-
ing number as the years have passed to
seek Him who is abundanty able to
save"