The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-04-01
KEEPING LOVE alive
Parable of the "Withered Hand"
Has a Clear Meaning for All
Thinking Christians.

can be wrought In the soul. But
that ye may know that the Son of Man
hath power" to heal and emancipate
the spirit he restored a paralyzed boy
to freedom. He drove the palsy out
OF the soul. He could impart the same
strength and buoyancy and agility to
the one as he had given to the other.
And so it is with all the miracles of
our Lord: they are types OF the
greater things than these" which he
can work among the secret needs Of
the spirit. There was man with the
withered hand. A legend comes along
the centuries that he was a bricklayer,
an ordinary workingman who had
been reduced to impotency by the loss
of the member he needed most. But
his calamity had not embittered him
or made him spiritually insensitive.
He was found in the synagogue seek
ing communion with God. And there
the Master met him and restored to
life his withered limb, and he was
whole again.
Now there are withered faculties OF
the. soul. There are spiritual men,
bers that can become dry and impo-
tent. There are mysterious hands
which can lose their grip and even
their power to apprehend the heights.
And a diseased faculty can impair the
strength OF the entire life. IL can
check our spiritual progress. and i'm.
pair the vigor of moral aspiration and
service
The faculty of love can be a with
cred hand. 1t can shrivel away until
it has no strength, no reach. no hold.
It is sometimes said that money can
unlock any door. The statement is
the merest nonsense. There are treas
ure houses, the most real and the
best, that money can never touch.
Love is the great open sesame" A
man with a fine love burns his way
like fervent iron through ice. He
pierces through every difficulty, and
nothing is allowed to obstruct his way.
Love never faileth." But when the
love itself begins to wither, like a
limb that shrivels through lack of VI
tally. life is comparatively impotent
And how frequently we see this spir-
lLual tragedy! 81 have something
against thee, thou hast lost thy first
love-" 1t is the disease OF the with
cred hand Something has happened
at the very fountain OF vitality, and
love sickens and dies.
Live" or Dead" Conscience.
The conscience can be a withered
hand. A live conscience gives man
fine, nervous. sensitive, feeling"
touch of the mind of God. 1t gives a
man a discerning apprehension of
right and wrong. When the feeling is
really sensitive, what confidence It
imparts to life's movements, what
firmness, what motion. what decision!
But the conscience can be benumbed.
II can become as Hnresponsive as a
paralyzed hand. Common experience
affords abundant illustration. There
are many people who were once en-
dowed with a scrupulous moral sense,
and in some way or other it has lost
It's exquisiteness, and they no longer
finely realize the will of God. The
whitening is made manifest in APP
parently small disloyalties. We do
not sustain the sense of honor in the
full round OF common life. l have
known people deface other peoples
property by writing scriptural texts
upon It! They have O sensitive desire
to serve the Lord, but their honor is
not keen enough to make them respect
the common rights Of their fellows
The will may be like a withered
hand. What strong, pushful, re-
sourceful hand It is when 1t is en-
dowed with healthy vitality! But when
it wIthers everything is touched with
irresolution and hesitancy. Nothing
is initiated with power. Nothing is
addressed with persistence. Nothing
Is accomplished with decision. A
feeble will makes all life's doings ane-
mic. Everything is languid. from the
sickly promise to the imperfect
achievement
Bring All to God.
What can we do with all or any OF
these faculties OF the soul? We have
only one resource. We can bring
them to him who made them, and who
can remake them by the power OF his
grace. But we must bring them delib-
erately, naming the withered member
in the presence OF our Lord. We must
bring them submissively. laying aside
all presumption and pride. We must
bring them obediently. ready and will
ling to carry out the Kings DEGREES.
II he orders us to attempt the impos-
sible we must attempt It. stretch
forth thy hand!" The man might have
replied, Master, that is just what
cannot dol" Stretch forth thy hand. "
and the attempt being made the need
full power was found. and the man was
made whole. So must ! bring my
Sithered love TO him, and IL need be
I must stretch It forth" in effort and
service. II he bid me l must act as
though | have a healthy love and In
the very effort shall find l have re-
ceived It. must bring my withered
hope TO him. AT his command
must stretch It forth. ! must act as
a hopeful man and | shall find that