The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-10-02
KEEPING LOVE ALIVE
Parable OF the "Withered Hand
Has a Clear Meaning for All
Thinking Christians.


hath power" to heal and emahcipate
the spirit he restored a paralyzed boy
to freedom. He drove the palsy out
Of the soul He could lmpart the same
strength and buoyancy and agility 10
the one as he had given TO the other.
And so II 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
~ithered hand A legend comes along
the centuries that he was bricklayer.
an ordinary nottingham 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 mem.
| 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
I pair the vigor OF moral aspiration and
service.
The faculty OF love can be n with
cred hand. II can shrivel away until
/ II has no strength. no reach. no hold.
/ II Is sometimes said that money can
unlock any door. The statement Ii
4 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"
man with n flne 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 tho
love itself begins 10 wither. like
I limb that shrivels through lack OF VI
| tally. life Is comparatively impotent.
And how frequently We see this spir-
itual tragedy, 81 have something
/ against thee. thou hast lost thy first
I love" II 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 II gives a
man discerning apprehension OF
night and wrong When the feeling IL
really sensitive, what confidence II
/ imparts to life's movements. what
I nrmness. what motion. what decision!
/ But the conscience can be benumbed.
[ II can become as snresponslve as
/ paralyIed 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 II has lost
its exquisiteness. and they no longer
/ finely realize the will OF God. The
whitening is made manifest In ap
parently small disloyalties. We do
not sustain the sense OF honor In the
full round OF common life. have
known people deface other peoples
property by writing scriptural texts
upon Il! They have sensitive desire
/ TO serve the Lord. but their honor In
/ not keen enough TO make them respect
/ the common rights OF their fellows
| The will may be like withered
hand What a strong. pushful. TO
/ sourceful hand II II when Il is en-
dowed with healthy vitality! But when
/ II withers everything Is touched with
| irresolution and hesitancy. Nothing
| In initiated with power Nothing IL
/ addressed with persistence. Nothing
is accomplished with decision. A
/ feeble will makes all lifes doings ane-
mic Everything Is languid. from the
/ sickly promise TO tho imperfect
achievement
/ Bring All to God.
What can we do with all or any OF
these faculties OF the soull 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 DELHI
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 H. 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
withered love TO him. and II need be
! must stretch Il forth" In effort and
service. II he bid me | must act as
though have a healthy love and In
the very effort shall find | have re-
ceived II. must bring my withered
hope to him. At his command I
must stretch II forth. ! must act as
a hopeful man. and shall fnd that
the gracious light Is restored. The
Savior's power goes with the savior's
demand. The Savior's power is re-
lieved In human obedience.-Rev. J. II.
Jowett. ID. ID.