Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-08-14
GOD WARNED PARALYT|C
TO SAVE THE MANS SOUL
Sin No More Lest a Worse
Thing Come Unto Thee,
Was Warning.
NEEDED INWARD ADJUSTMENT
Neccssary for Sclf-Crntcrcd Habits
of Mind to Feel Sense Of Obligation
Z" God. snys HcN. W. a.
Wright.

of Mind to Feel Sense Of Obligation
4" God. snys Rev. W. a.
Wright.
The warning TO the paralytic was
tho subject OF Rev. ". a. Wr!ght's
sermon to the congregation OF the
Woodland Heights ~. L. Church.
South. yesterday. He took his text
from John V. 16: Behold thou art
made whole; sin no NOR" lest
worse thing come unto thee" Rev
Wright said. In part:
The warning was addressed to one
VINO FOR years had been ii helpless
paralytlc. For some vice or sin OF
his early days he had suffered "a
lifelong disability. We are not told
the nature Of hts sin, bu, some Of
its consequences are evident from
the narrative. with the collapse of
his physical powers there had been
startling cancellation Of moral
strength In all tho ministry of
Jesus there is no recorded case
whore he healed one whose faith
vas so weak. and In whom viii pow
"r was so completely destroyed. In
ms brain was II tiny spark OF con-
sciousness incapable OF stirring his
half-defunct faculties His con.
science. like his body, was shrunk-n
almost TO nothing When Jesus
spoke tho word OF power that made
MN whole. IL aroused no enthusiasm
in his heart Finding himself in con
'rovcrsy with tho Jewish authorities
~ appears that he had made no
cnort TO aQuaint himself with tn.
name of hts henefactor Had there
been any soundness In the mans
soul. he would have found some
1ne@od OF Identifying Jesus But
hc lid not caro- His body was
healed. Why trouble abou, being
thankful,
Some time later Jesus found the
man In the icmple-thc only redeem
ing thing said Of h!in--and sounded
me grave warning: Sin no more lest
wore thing come unto thee Jesus
appreciated the mans moral !npo-
t"ncc. He knew that he must be
stirred 10 fight and stimulated TO
'Tort II his restored lie was 10 be
% any service. His cowardly. hali-
hearted spirit would ruin him. Jesus
a!msd not only al healing the mans
pody. but saving his soul. The mis-
"ratIe rh!rker having lodged the
i'sue with the opponents Of Jesus
mus, have another word to arouse
his sense Of moral obligation.
Inward Adjustment Sccessnr!.
i! one IL 10 save his soul not only
= the touch o. God required. but
al IN" better qualities % human
nature must be cultivated. IN IN
ward adjustment must accompany
tn" spiritual regeneration. The self
conferred habit OF mind must he made
- feel sense OF obligation 10 God
and ones fellows. II was at this
point where the man OF tho ;ext
failed. His effort 10 avoid confessing
christ IN order 10 escape embarrass
~ m "a r.
void in His heart, There had been no
inward adjustment to correspond 70
MS outward healing. lie was going
10 spend his new life as he pleased
30 nigh moral sense had been
aroused within him. He might take
his restored powers back to hts old
sir, TO b. dIvinely healed, might.
u such Il man. mean no more than
- nrw opportunity for dchauch.
When Gods blessing does not lead
" TO fcrvent gratitude. to larger
service for our fellows. 10 a finer
constellation II is largely il!usory. II
takes our confession in the form OF
service 10 make permanent Gods
touch Of healing To fail in thankful
confession IL TO testify that our in
ward disposition has remained up-
touched, without which we can never
bc kept from the bitter shame OF
repeated trhUSBTcSSlph
Lest q wors" tIlnE con-" unto
thee. what could he worse titan mir
ty-ciGht years a helpless paralytic?
Think wha, those years meant. Lone
", bedridden. hopeless burden
10 himself hers.
During rhr gloom OF those creeping
Years the world had swept ON. lcnv-
!ng IN" sufferer forgotten rs tic
many and d"spls"l by The few who
rere forced 10 know him. His cup
~ bitterness was full to the brim
Death, were better than the stern
discipline OF those years hat death
passed him by. Others who were
strong and full o. vigor were called.
while tho miserable paralytic shrunk
into mumm!nId parody OF man.
And Jesus said something worse
might com" upon him. What chas-
tiscmcnts were left? What further
discipline could be used? Had he
not been dead while alive to view
his own decay?
But his Healer looked upon the
breakup of the soul as worse than
the decay OF the body. His body.
Ike one alive from the dead. had
been restored 10 him. what would
II" do with it? II ne continued as
lie had begun he would ruin both
soul and body. The recrudcscencc %,
his past threatened his whole ru-
turc. lie must be saved from that
further fall. Hence, the warning
lest worse thing come unto thee.
Unknown Retributions.
There are unknown retributions
for sin which kindly Providence
has largely yelled from our gaze:
hut. according To Christ's warning.
they arc worse than lifetime OF
dcathiikc disability. And il was al
ways in this strain that Jesus re-
ferred TO the loss OF one's soul. He
never viewed without alarm tho
breakup of ones finer qualities. TO
eliminate gratitude, love. and gen
erOsity from the heart. making life
the expression OF mcanness, selfish
ness and unworthy ambition. is To
allow the rot OF the world to destroy
the life OF God in the soul. This is
the worst OF all calamIties. for il
strikes at all that is good in the uni