Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1914-12-23
is a demand to a


is demand to a
man who was sure he could not obey,
and who had not the strength to do IT,.
It is call for the adventure of faith,
even as Abraham was called to go out
and did SO, not knowing whittier ne
went. 1t boldly asks me to do the I'M
possible and discloses the source OF
power to do it, revealing the synpa-
thetic, human Jesus as the one able to
save. A man with withered hand.
Stand forth Stretch it forth. Whole
as the other. And Jesus. What a gos-
pei the story breaches! What Saw
ior it reveals! How it rebukes our IN
faith! Good news is better than good
advice This man needed good news;
he got it; he believed it; he received
1t; he rejoiced in it; so may you.
HelpIessness.
There was a man there which had
withereG hand. This is a typical case,
an illustration of what Jesus Christ
can do for this and other spiritual dis
orders and diseases set forth by all
his cases Of healing. And nc case ever
is too hard for the great physician.
There was only one thing wrong; with
this man, he was by no means the
worst in Capernaum A withered hand
is not SO bad as leprosy. But the man
was helpless. Tradition says he was
carpenter; what could he do with a
-withered hand?
What is your condition before God?
You may think it only as insignificant
as withered hand, but you are a sin:
ner. The withering Of the muscle, the
paralysis of nerve, is no more disas-
trous to bodily effort than the blight,
mg and enfeeblfng power Of sin is de-
structfve Of all holy, acceptable serv-
Ice with God. Your poverty Of life,
your feeble sensibilities with reference
to Righteousness, your faint and feeble
desires for a godlike life--how elo-
quent Of these is that withered hand.
And if your right hand is withered you
know it, and other people know it too
Your sin will find you out. Your sin
makes you helpless, your work is use
less, and your testimony is fruitless.
May the presence of Christ help you to
realize how vast and vital is the help
lessness OF q withered hand. 20
wretched man that I am! Who shall
deliver me from this body of death?"
NY sins. my sins. nv Savior!
How sad on Thee they fall!
Seen through Thy gentle patience.
tenfold feel them all.
Hope.
Christ's gracious presence brought
sure hope to that otherwise helpless
sufferer. So far as the record goes,
Christ's gracious Intervention was un-
solicited. But he was there to feel for,
and help. and heal the despairing. Do
you not remember the man at the pool
of Bethesda? When Jesus saw him he
said, Wilt thou be made whole? He
seeks out the sick, the sinful. the sore
distressed. He knows about the sheen
that is lost, and he goes after it until
ne finds IT, The sinner may be con-
tent in his sins. but the Savior seeks
the sinner-blessed be his name. That
is my star of hope in the dark night
of my life; that is the comfort in my
hour Of sorrow; that Is my Joy when
I know that sin is sapping and will de-
stroy my soul. "But God commendeth
his love toward us in that while we
were yet sinners Christ died for. us. :"
Thank God for one in whom we may
hope. He is here, just now, facing US,
and for the very same purpose. He
detects human incompleteness; he
says, I'm me is thy hope"
NV hope rs built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness;
On Christ, the Solid Rock. I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand"
Healing.
How simple is the command to the
man. Stand forth. Christ met the
man on MS lowe taxing h1m
just as he change, no i'm
provement, and no new feeling was
asked-nothing except to act at once,
and because Christ bade it. Stand
forth. The man could do that, and he
did. 1t seemed like simple thing,
and so it was, but also it was the step
which made healing possible. You
cannot save yourself, but you can take
the first step which brings you into
the presence of Jesus. OF course Sa-
tan says, Do not stand forth; the
crowd will laugh at you, and then Je-
sus will deceive you. Stand forth.
Stretch forth thine hand. But that
is Impossible, you say. But the only
was tn health was the obedience Of