Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1916-11-30

Maw and around the
pool porches
Hs erected for the
ailing who gath
cred there for its
| physical benefits. In these porches
were many sick folk, but there was
nj whose case was most hopeless of
all: For eight and thirty years had
he been a sufferer. and oh! how long
had he waited to get into the pool, but
in vain. He was too weak to walk
or crawl into it himself, and never
had there been a friend ready at the
right moment to help him in. Hope
less was he as well as helpless. Type
of the sinner who conscious Of his
lost condition before God, has tried
every human means to save himself
without avail.
To this man Jesus addressed him
self, not merely because his condition
was the worst, but because he knew
he had come to the end Of himself.
Jesus can never aid q man until he
gets there, simply because the man is
not ready to receive his aid, to yield
himself up to be saved.
~ The question he put to him is
one Of health, "Wilt thou be made
whole?" In this case physical health
was In the foreground, but as the
story goes on spiritual health followed.
In the case Of the sinner today spirit
ual health is usually In the foreground,
but not infrequently physical health
follows. Sin Is the cause of many of
our diseases, and when that is put
away through faith in Christ, we get
well all round. However, spiritual
health means salvation-full salvation.
"Christ Jesus makes thee whole" He
removes the guilt Of sin by his work
on the cross, and the power Of sin by
his work within us through his Holy
Spirit.
(2) But this is also a question Of
will, "Wilt thou be made whole?"
There was no doubt about 1t in this
mans case, SO far as his bodily better
ment was concerned, but there often is
on the part Of men whose souls are In
danger.
In an evangelistic meeting a few
weeks ago I talked with a man who
was literally trembling under convic-
ton Of sin. He said he knew he was
lost, yet he could not be persuaded to
receive Jesus as his Savior. In his
instance it was a fear that he would
not be able to hold out, for he could
not be brought to see that the one
who was able to q v him was equally
able to keep him saved.
Others hesitate, however, because
Of som secret sin they are hugging
to their breasts, or some gratifying
habit they will not relinquish, or some
| Ubiquitous business whose profits they
are loath to lose. Let any such think
Of it just now, that present and eternal
salvation from sin and its conse
quences is here offered them in Christ
If they really want 1t, If they are will
ing to be saved! What a responsible
ity rests upon us human beings In the
possession of q free will!
(3) In the third place, therefore,
this is a question Of faith. "Wilt
thou be made whole?" It is not some
thing you can do for yourself, but
which another must do for you, only
you must yield yourself to him to do
It. How often men trust themselves
absolutely to a,physician Of the body.
permitting him to administer poison
to them, or to plunge his knife into
their vitals If he says 1t Is needful for
their recovery They trust them
selves to other men in business and in
vest their all upon advice they give
them. In q higher moral sense a
woman trusts her life to the man
she marries as her husband. We are
all trusting ourselves every day in the
fullest physical sense to mechanical
and scientific appliances Of men,
which, II they should fail, would drop
or hurl us into eternity in a moment.
Yes, even in the mental and religious
spheres we are trusting ourselves to
quacks, and frauds and counterfeits
who are promising peace. and prosper
ity and future blessings aud 80 maxi
ing merchandise Of u souls.
Why not trust Jesus Christ? Why
not commit ourselves to him7 He has
said, IF any man willeth to do his
will Il. e., the will of G6d) he shall
know Of the doctrine. Whether 1t
is Of God or whether I speak Of my
self" No man yer lost anything by
btrusting him. No a ever regretted
surrendering his life to him. Suppose
you do SO and r disappointed, you
are no worse OFF than you were before;
but suppose you fail to do SO and are
forever lost, what then?
(4) In the last analysis, therefore,
this Is a question for you, swift thou
be made wholeT Do not seek to
avoid It, Do not imagine It must be
| meant for someone else. For the pur.
pose Is disclosed there is not another
being In the universe just now but thy
self. What is thy manner Just SUBJ
sttute It for the word 'thou." Should
you like your sins forgiven. your soul
justified, your heart cleansed, your
life changed, your future absolutely
and gloriously securedf o. heafken
TO Jesus, II that is true, and know
what It IL as this nan did to "rise up
and walk"
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