The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1910-03-17
Digit
u JusIAS Rutland, VI.
Observation-Disclosures
THE KING OF THE
SPIRITUAL WORLD
International Bible Lesson for Mar,
20, 'io.-(Matt. e:1.13).

Sin is the chronic disease of every
nation. every tribe on this terrestrial
bail. II is the one universal and all.
conqlering curse which has bafled
an the physicians and dcncd all the
remedies. From the first man until
now there has not been an accounta.
bic human being who could Law his
hand upon his heart and say This
heart has never sinned.
The Age.long Problem.
The problem of the ages has been.
How to get rid OF sin Heathcnisn
asks il as well as civilization. Nm.
uuus in darkness and i'm death h.r,
ha.i on the banks of rivers. and ON
the shores Of seas, and in the le.,-.
.g Wngles, and on the mountain tu.s
stretching out pleading hands 90 g..
stars and to the waters ana to .,
shadows, wailing forth the uniy,'
,y. What shall we do to be .l,.fr
B.t tne rivers have rolled ON mdt ...
,g'y, and the waves have spit r...r
spray into their faces, and ne STATS
have sent not one ray of light into ..p.
darkness of the soul, nor headed the
wound Of the world
The old Romans had horrib,. r.s.
shmont sometimes inflicted ur..
murderer They bound The body ~
the victim TO the assas-in's back aud
compelled him to carry that loltlso.o
object until life or reason He'd. /, Wis
iu reference to this custom that Paul
represents the man who Is conscious
%. his inability to escape from his s.ua
crying out, O wrctrGyd man that I
am. who shall deliver me from this
body Of DEATH?
A New Creation.
lt is into such a world as this that
the King comes to institute q kingdom
into which there shall enter no.N!us
tla, detileth. Where then will hc Had
bis subjects If he expects to build that
Kingdom out of human hearts, since
all have sinned and come short Of
the glory of God? There is only one
alternative. He must prove Himself
the king Of the spiritual world
There would be no advantage in
forming a new kingdom on earth II it
was to be no improvement over those
already in existence. Change Of rul.
vr3 would be OF no value If the sub
iocts were not also changed. To mere.
ly teach men without affecting their
hearts is to add to their ability to sin.
Enlightenment without righteousness
is curse. What is needed is puri.
ication of the stream of life al the
fountain head. so that the current
will flow pure and sweet.
He must be able to accomplish
practically n new creation. We have
seen that He Is King OF the physical
vOrld.--He can reconstruct the body.
We have seen that He is King of the
material world,-He can control the
laws of nature. Is He also the King
Of the spiritual world-has the Son
Of Man power on earth to forgive sim
The answer is not far. to seek. The
time has now come To show that lie
can deal effectually with the dark dis.
ease of sin, and when a man sick OF
the palsy" Is brought TO Him, be looks
into the patients heart, touches the
springs of His conscience. discovers
that the sufferer is troubled about bis
sin more than about his disease and
recognizing the broken and Contr.t'
spirit, announces His absolutiuu i'm
tho words, Be of good cheer. thy a'as
are forgiven. Then having healed .a'
wound of the soul, the Saviour goes on
to give the lesser blessing of physical
healing and the palsied man Era.
home to his house every whit wAoe
The Divine Method.
.a. .I
failed to claim and exercise the poNg'
to forgive sins. Whenever and wher
ever He found a peuitent lie pro.
rounced the divine absOiUton. my
faith hath saved thee go in peace.
Neither do | condemn thee, go, aNa
sin no more" l came not to call the
righteous, but sinners TO rcpcnan f..
That ye may know, that the Son o..
Man hath power on earth TO iors.'"
sins" This is the method the II ns
adopted to secure candidates for the
spiritual kingdom. He took all sorts
OF sinners, men and women, great and
small-Nicodemus and Mary MaEaI
lene-the publican, the Pharisec, tH"
marriott the profane fisherman, the cuE
ured, intellectual giant, Paul. Ana
tie made out of such material, Whitt
saints, great-hearted Christians, cor
ner stones in the spiritual temple. -
commonwealth of kings and queons,
lie not only forgave their iniqu!tIe'
Dut He gave them power TO walk
henceforth unspotted from the worIo.
Ihey lived their lives Thereafter
among men, advocating the very h!gh'
est standards, and We're known ana
real of all. men. The world has been
Obliged to confess of them as of their
Master, We find no fault in them.
Evidence Conclusive.
And what the King did in HIS
earthly sojourn He is doing yet Thou'
sands of men and women have been
redeemed from all iniquity by TINS
royal ruler of the spiritual world, lie