340 ENCOURAGEMENT FROM § 2. Let the consideration of what the Saviour is, fill your soul with comfort. There is nothing in him to render him an object of dread to the suppliant at his feet. When the apostle John saw his glory, beheld "his countenance as the sun shining in his strength,” and “his eyes as a flame of fire,” while he heard "his voice as the sound of many waters,”e he fell as dead at his Redeemer's feet; but Jesus said, "Fear not; I am the First and the Last: I am he that liveth and was dead." Though he appeared in such tremendous majesty, his humble follower had no cause for fear; and he still remembered what he had borne for man. Doubtless the same compassion still dwells in his breast. The flight of a few short years changes man; but the revolution of eternal ages will not change the compassionate Son of God. Think what tenderness he displayed, in a thousand forms, during his short sojourn below. His business was to save. His office, to heal the brokenhearted. Imperfect friends and bitter foes received the tokens of his tender compassion. Behold the Saviour in his intercourse with friends. Sympathizing with them in their sorrows, he wept at the grave of Lazarus. He bore with the dulness and errors of his disciples; and though he corrected their faults, treated them with one unvarying flow of kindness. When they, who should have watched with him in his agony, slept, instead of severely reproving them, he tenderly excused their fault, and said, "The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak." When Peter denied him, and afterwards repented, he still owned him as a brother, and said, when sending a message to him and the other disciples, that had so lately been fugitives in the hour of his sorrow, “ Go, tell MY BRETHREN that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.' When Thomas, after his resurrection, said, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe," he gratified his unreasonable scruples; and said to Thomas, "Be not faithless, but believing." "s Even when he severely rebuked the dreadful lukewarmness of his professed friends at Laodicea, he did not conclude the solemn warning without expressing affection for them. "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent." "h To the sons and daughters of affliction, who 66 (e) Rev. i. 14, &c. (f) Matt. xxviii. 10. (g) John xx.25, 27. (h) Rev. iii. 19. mיי THE SAVIOUR'S COMPASSION. 341 Often sought his aid, he ever showed tenderness and love. The centurion besought him to heal his servant, and Jesus said, I will come and heal him." Jairus, worshipping him, said, My daughter is even now dead; but come, and lay thy hands on her, and she shall live."k Attentive to the cry of sorrow, Jesus arose and went. The leper said, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Jesus answered, "I will; be thou clean." Blind Bartimeus cried, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me." The disciples, less compassionate than their Lord, rebuked the importunate sufferer; but Jesus said unto him, "Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee." The widow of Canaan implored his help for her afflicted daughter. At first he seemed to hesitate; but only hesitated to prove her faith; and then said to her, " O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt." unsolicited he bestowed his aid. Thus to him, who lay by the pool of Bethesda, he said, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."o When he met the widow, who mourned the loss of her only son, he said, "Weep not ;" and with a voice, powerful as that which shall at length awaken all the dead, he said to the lamented object of her affection, that lay stretched lifeless on the bier, "Young man, I say unto thee, arise."P Even the poor guilty adulteress, that was conveyed into his presence, experienced his mercy. When Jesus said to her, "Hath no man condemned thee?" and she said, "No man, Lord;" he said, "Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more."q The tenderness of Jesus was strongly displayed even to his bitterest foes. He wept over impenitent Jerusalem; shed tears at the misery of those, who were about to shed his blood. He prayed for his murderers, and desired their life who wrought his death; their happiness who loaded him with woe. Not in an hour of cool reflection, before or after his dreadful sorrows; but in the midst of those sufferings he prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they are doing." And after his resurrection, breathing forth the same unconquered tenderness, he directed the tidings of mercy to be proclaimed first to his murderers; and commanded his apostles to begin publishing forgiveness at Jeru (i) Matt. viii. 7. (k) Matt. ix. 18. (1) Matt. viii. 2, 3. 342 ENCOURAGEMENT FROM שיי salem. The tenderness thus displayed in his conduct is re presented as essential to his character. While, as a Shepherd he feeds all his flock, he shows peculiar compassion to the weak. It is said, He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom; and shall gently lead those that are with young.' How safe is the lamb on the shepherd's arm! or folded within the shepherd's bosom! How happy their lot whom Jesus gently leads in security and comfort on to heaven, the fold where all his flock will meet! "The bruised reed he will not break, and the smoking flax he will not quench." Weak as a reed, might be a proverb for weakness; but a bruised reed is still weaker: yet those, who are thus weak, will he not reject, but support: and where grace is like a little spark, he will not despise or quench that spark; but will fan it to a flame. § 3. All the tenderness the Saviour ever displayed, stil! governs in his breast. He is not less compassionate because removed to his eternal throne; nor less interested in the welfare of his flock, because he has left the wilderness where they sojourn. In the most expressive language he represented his interest in their happiness, his feeling for them, when stopping Saul in his persecuting career, he said, “Saul, Saul! why persecutest thou ME?" Thee, Lord! were not thy sorrows ended; wast thou not far above the reach of his mighty malice and his cruel hand! Thou wast; but still didst say, Why persecutest thou ME?" Thy flock was persecuted; and injury done to them, was done to thee. The head in heaven felt with the members suffering upon earth. 66 Conformably with this representation, it is elsewhere declared, that he nourisheth and cherisheth the church: "For we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones." How gracious a representation! Man naturally feels interested in the welfare of his body; and anxious to supply it with food, to shield it from harm, to guard it from pain, and to minister to its comfort and welfare. This care to nourish and cherish the body, is declared to be like that care, which the Lord Jesus entertains to nourish and cherish his flock, and to be but an imitation of his care. With more than the fondness of a parent bird fostering her young; with more than the tenderness of a nurse cherishing her infant charge; with more (t) Luke xxiv. 47. (u) Iзa, xl. 11. (v) Matt. xii. 20. THE SAVIOUR'S TENDERNESS. 343 than the affection of a mother fondling her tender offspring; with a love powerful as that self-love, which prompts man to feel for his own body, does the Lord Jesus feel for his church; and tend, and watch, and cherish, and feed, and bless his flock. Think of him, whose love fills heaven with happiness; whose dying sorrows have procured immortal life for countless multitudes; whose compassion shines like the noon-day sun, but has no setting beam; and can you distrust such tenderness? or droop beneath the noon-day warmth of such compassion? Is he so kind, why do you not rejoice incessantly in him? Surely when you droop in sadness, he might say, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? didst thou find in thy Redeemer aught to occasion thy fears? Dost thou see any want of love in him? any want of richness in his grace? or of freeness in his promises ?" O look more to him for peace! Say of this compassionate Jesus, He is God my Saviour; of this tender yet almighty Shepherd, He is my Shepherd; and you may add, "I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." wיי § 4. The disciples of Jesus are also taught to view him as their Intercessor; and hence should flow into their souls that 'peace which passeth all understanding." The Most High hath not revealed the mode of the Saviour's intercession for his flock; but has fully asserted its reality. Christ "is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for "If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.' 19X "He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."y "We have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of us. need."z To intercede, is to present petitions in behalf of another; to act as an advocate, is to plead another's cause, and attend to (w) Rom. viii. 34. (x) 1 John ii. 1. (z) Heb. iv. 14, 16. 344 ENCOURAGEMENT FROM his interests. This the Lord Jesus Christ is declared to do for his disciples. He intercedes in their behalf; he pleads as their advocate; and so prevalent is his intercession, and of such immense moment in advancing their salvation, that on his ever living to intercede, is grounded his ability for ever to save: and because he acts as their High Priest in heaven, his disciples are exhorted to go boldly to the throne of grace, and to hold their profession fast. aיי Look to Jesus as your advocate. What efficacy must his intercession impart to the sighs and lispings of his weakest follower! Think of him as the Son of God, the brightness of his Father's glory: and can he plead your cause in vain ? or can it fail when trusted in his hands? His intercession has availed for multitudes, which no man can number. Go then, O go to him! He loved thee as angels cannot love; and feels for thee as angels cannot feel. They know not what it is to sigh, to sorrow, and to weep; but he, for thee, has felt all this. They know not what it is to hunger and thirst, to be weary and faint, to be persecuted and scorned, to pray in sadness, and to die in woe; but he, who is thy intercessor, knows all this; for he has felt it all. And since he "himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.' Tell him of thy sorrows-he once had sorrow. Tell him of thy enemies-he once had enemies. Unfold to him all the secret sadness of thy heart -he once felt the bitterness of woe. When weak, ask his grace to strengthen thee; when troubled, implore his smile to cheer; when fallen, beg his strength to raise thee. In darkness look to him; and when thy poor defective prayers are but the moanings of a broken heart, still look to him, who lives to plead thy cause. Solace thy soul, by thinking what an intercessor thou hast. An intercessor for ever the same. Let faith display him to thee as exalted in eternal day; yet think that among the praises of the blest, he hears the lispings of thy feeble voice. He is thy advocate with his Father and thy Father. Thou mayst go to him and say, Blessed Jesus! angels praise and saints adore thee. They are as holy as they are happy; but I, thy poor disciple, have many sorrows, and all I do deserves thy frown. So much unbelief mingles with my faith; so much coldness with my love; so much (a) Heb. ii. 18. |