The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1914-09-18

man VINO was sure he COulu not ODeyp
and who had not the strength TO do II.
1t is a call for the adventure OF faith.
even as Abraham was called TO 20 out
and did so, not knowing whittier he
went. II boldly asks me to do the I'm
possible and discloses the source OF
power to do II. revealing the sympa-
thetic, human Jesus as the one able to
save. A man with withered hand.
Stand forth. Stretch II forth. Whole
as the other. And Jesus. What gos.
pei the story breaches! What a Saw.
ior II reveals. How 1t rebukes our un.
advice. This man needed good news;
he got It; he believed It; he received
II; he rejoiced in IT. so may you.
HeIplessness.
There was a man there which had a
withered hand. This is 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 no case ever
is too hard for the great physician.
There was only one thing wrong with
this man. he was by TO means the
worst in Capernaum. A withered hand
is not so bad as leprosy. But the man
was helpless. Tradition says he was
a carpenter; what could he do with q
withered hand?
What is your condition before God7
You may think 1t only as Insignificant
as a withered hand, but you are sin.
ner. The withering OF the muscle, the
paralysis OF nerve, is no more disas-
trous TO bodily effort than the blight
ing and enfeebling power OF sin is de-
structive 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 godlke life-how elo-
quent OF these is that withered hand.
And II your right hand is withered you
know il, and other people know il too,
Your sin will find you out. Your sin
makes you helpless. your work is use-
less. and your testimony is fruitless.
realize how vast and vital is the help
lessness OF withered hand. 20
wretched man that am Who shall
deliver me from this body OF death!"
NV sins, my sins, my 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 sheep
that is lost, and he goes after II until
he finds IT, The sinner may be con.
tent In his sins. but the Savior seeks
the sinner-blessed be his name. That
IL my star Of hope in the dark night
OF my life; that is the comfort In nv
hour OF sorrow; that is my Joy when
7 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. 'In me Is thy hope"
Nv hope II built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness;
On Christ. the soBd Rock. 7 stand.
All other ground II sinking sand
Healing.
How simple is the command to the
man. Stand forth. Christ met the
man on his lowest level, taking him
just as he was. No change. no i'm.
provement. and no new feeling was
asked-nothing except 20 act at once,
and because Christ bade II. Stand
forth. The man could do that, and he
did. II seemed like a simple thing,
and so II was, but also II was the step
which made healing possible. You
cannot save yourself. bu: 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