Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1914-02-12
Marx i.2G

Peters house. and
I see him cure Peters aged mother Of
= a fever. and there spend the afternoon
in quiet and rest Towards sunset
We see the people OF the village bring
ing to him a great number Of sick
folks on whom he lays his hands and
! heals. Thus Jesus spent one Of the
days OF his life. And a busy day 1t
was
, Our lesson sets Christ forth as one
who taught with authority. and not As
the scribes" The teaching Of Jesus
struck the people like a panic. They
had been used 20 the dry-as-dust
teaching OF the scribes. Jesus spoke
living. not a mechanical, message.
, He explained the scriptures not as a
commentator. but as the author.
Chrtst's message was first-hand- He
spoke as one who knew.
The word and teaching of Jesus, not
conscience. Is the ultimate rule OF
life. the final arbiter in the questions
OF the soul While we recognize that
the conscience Is the vicegerent OF
God In the soul. the religious instinct
In man. yet We must admit that Il "a
q faculty that can be warped. druggsd.
misguided and sIienced. Therefore. Il
cannot be depended upon as an ab.s-
iutely correct criterion Of truth ani
conduct
A man may say that he needs m
other revelation than his own reason.
or that he will accept nothing in the
Bible saving what sccords with his I
reason. thereby making his reason.
and not the revelation OF God the cri- /
terion OF right and wrong Inasmuch. /
however as different men have differ I
ent reasons" for doing. believing and /
Judging things. we become at once In I
volved in a maze Of conflicting stand I
ards Of truth and are Jeff hopelessly |
in the dark Reason. therefore. can
not be the ultimate authority In mat
tiers Of faith and practice
When Jesus Christ has spoken.
there IL nothing more 20 be said
When Chris, has passed his judgment.
there is no appeal from IL his words
are final and authoritative. Jesus
said: He that reiecteth me. and re-
ceiveth not my words. hath one that
fudgeth him: the word that I have
spoken, the same shall Judge him in
the last day Thus We see that the
word Of God is not only TO be the
standard OF cur conduct here and
now, but the standard by which We
shall be judged hereafter
Miracles were not the principal part
OF Christ's work They we're always
subordinate More than once Christ
expressed the fear that men might be
tempted to make miracles the most
prominent part OF his work. and thus
advertise him as a healer OF mems
bodies rather than the savior OF their
. souls. That was the reason why
again he forbade those whom he had
healed to advertise the healing This
is vastly different from certain sects
today who make healing the principal
;. thing. and souEsaving subsidiary
Miracles were merely incidental &c
n the soulsaving work Of Christ.
Jesus wrought miracles merely &c
q prove to the people that he was the
Messiah. Indeed. the challenge &c
cast himself down from the pinnacle
OF the temple was a temptation Of the
" devil to make Christ miraculously
prove to the waiting people in ths
courts below that he was the Mes
D. siah- This he resolutely refused q
10 do Nor were his miracles performed
for the mere purpose Of persuadins
men. They were tokens OF Christ.
willingness TO relieve the distresses o.
ID men In so far as Jesus was abb
i" thus TO help and relieve he felt him
Is self called upon so TO do.
Is Christ's mission is ours likewise
As he was sent irto the world BY N.
father. so are we sent BY the son
Our fellows are bowed down VIII
N spiritual ailments far more serious
than the physical diseases Of Christ,
ID day The soul has its diseases Jus
as well as the body. The SPIRITUAL,
blind. the moral leper. the man deaf
TO the things Of God. all these nee,
the healing touch Of the Christ. IL 1.
Ill the duty Of the church to see to I
10 that people thus afflicted are brough
into contact with the great physician
Demoniacal possession was comno,
in the day Of Christ Whether II 1,
still in existence. whether or no me,
is are still possessed OF demons. NAV b.
IN open question Returned mission
aries from China. India. and other for
eign countries are very emphatic II
. the declaration Of their belief in de
" mon possession today. Possibly som,
forms Of insanity may be attribute,
10 this source. II may be said tina
d. there Is nothing contrary to our ores
H. ent knowledge in the statement tina
evil spirits may and sometimes A,
gain control over man, and 10 a Rres.
er or lesser extent govern their az
tons. There is no certainty tha
such cases do not occur az the presen
time, and there is much 10 suRge~
that active agents Of evil do beset IN,
human spirit and this is the mos
reasonable way Of Interpreting m,
tragedies Of human sin and the mn
explained remainders' OF human life
Modern science is not in a position :,
deny the existence today Of demonia
cal possession Ill-temper. vice. lust
lasciviousnesS drunkenness = thess
wherever found. are indications, Z
say the least. that satan is in control