diff options
Diffstat (limited to '11509-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 11509-0.txt | 7603 |
1 files changed, 7603 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/11509-0.txt b/11509-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e2efa48 --- /dev/null +++ b/11509-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7603 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11509 *** + +THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE YOUNG + +BY + +THE REV. RICHARD NEWTON, D.D. + +_ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY_ + +VOL. III + + + + + + +THE GALLERY OF THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST + +VOLUME III + +CONTENTS: + +I THE APOSTLES CHOSEN + +II THE GREAT TEACHER + +III CHRIST TEACHING BY PARABLES + +IV CHRIST TEACHING BY MIRACLES + +V CHRIST TEACHING LIBERALITY + +VI CHRIST TEACHING HUMILITY + +VII CHRIST AND THE LITTLE CHILDREN + +VIII THE TRANSFIGURATION + +IX THE LESSONS FROM OLIVET + +X THE LORD'S SUPPER + +ILLUSTRATIONS: + +MAP OF PALESTINE, IN COLORS + +41. THE WOMAN OF CANAAN + +42. SIMON PETER'S FAITH IN CHRIST + +43. THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST + +44. JESUS HEALETH A LUNATIC + +45. LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN AMONG YOU + +46. ONE OF TEN LEPERS CURED IS GRATEFUL + +47. JESUS, MARTHA, MARY, AND LAZARUS + +48. JESUS BLESSETH LITTLE CHILDREN + +49. THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS, FOUR DAYS DEAD + +50. CONVERSION OF ZACCHAEUS, A PUBLICAN + +51. JESUS RESTORETH SIGHT TO BARTIMAEUS + +52. CHRIST'S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM + +53. CHRIST AVOUCHETH HIS AUTHORITY + +54. AT NIGHT, JESUS ABODE ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES + +55. JESUS WASHETH HIS DISCIPLES' FEET + +56. THE BETRAYAL FORETOLD AT THE SUPPER + +57. IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE + +58. THE ARREST OF JESUS + +59. JESUS EXAMINED BY CAIAPHAS + +60. JESUS IS THRICE DENIED BY PETER + + + + + + +THE APOSTLES CHOSEN + + + + + +As soon as he returned victorious from the temptation in the +wilderness, Jesus entered on the work of his public ministry. We find +him, at once, preaching to the people, healing the sick, and doing +many wonderful works. The commencement of his ministry is thus +described by St. Matt. iv: 23-25. "And Jesus went about all Galilee, +teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the +kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of +disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria; and +they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers +diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, +and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he +healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from +Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and +from beyond Jordan." What a blessed beginning of the most blessed of +all ministries this was! He came to bless our world. He did bless it, +as no one else could have done. And here, we see, how he entered on +his work. + +And one of the first things he did, after thus beginning his +ministry, was to gather his disciples round him. The first two that +we find named among his disciples are John and Andrew. They had been +disciples of John the Baptist. Their master pointed them to Jesus, +and said--"Behold the Lamb of God." When they heard this they +followed Jesus, and became his disciples. When Andrew met with his +brother Simon Peter, he said to him "we have found the Messias--the +Christ. And he brought him to Jesus." After this we are told that +"Jesus findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me." He was an +acquaintance of Andrew and Peter, and lived in the same town with +them. He obeyed the call at once and became one of the disciples of +Jesus. + +Philip had a friend named Nathanael. The next time he met him, he +said, "we have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets +did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." But Nazareth was a +despised place, and had a bad reputation. Nathanael had a very poor +opinion of the place, and he asked--"Can there any good thing come +out of Nazareth?" Philip saith unto him--"Come and see." + +And this is what we should say to persons when we wish them to become +Christians. There is so much that is lovely and excellent in Jesus +that if people will only "come and see," if they will only prove for +themselves what a glorious Saviour he is, they will find it +impossible to help loving and serving him. Nathanael came to Jesus. +And when he heard the wonderful words that Jesus spoke to him he was +converted at once, and expressed his wonder by saying--"Rabbi, thou +art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel." We can read all +about this in John i: 43-51. Nathanael became a disciple of Jesus, +and one of the twelve apostles, and is supposed to be the same one +who bears the name of Bartholomew in the different lists of the +apostles. + +After this we read of Jesus calling Matthew the publican, who was a +tax-gatherer. This is what is meant by his "sitting at the receipt of +custom." "Follow me," were the words spoken to him. He obeyed at +once; left all and followed Jesus. St. Luke and St. Mark mention this +same call, but they give the name of Levi to the person thus called. +This is not strange, for it was common among the Jews for persons to +have two names. Sometimes they were called by one of these names and +sometimes by the other. + +Here we have the account of six persons, who became disciples of +Jesus; and of the different ways in which they were led to follow +him. No doubt many others were led to become his disciples from +simply hearing him preach; and from listening to the gracious words +that he spoke. + +And very soon after he had gathered together a large company of +disciples, he made choice of twelve, out of this number, who were to +be his apostles. He wished these men to be with him all the time. +They were to hear his teaching, and see his miracles, and so be +prepared to take his place, and carry on his work when he should +return to heaven. + +It was necessary for these men to be chosen. When Washington was +appointed to conduct our armies during the Revolution, he chose a +number of generals to help him. And it is natural for us to think of +Washington and his generals. But just as natural it is to think +of--Jesus and his apostles. + +And this is the subject we have now to consider--_The Apostles +Chosen_. + +And in considering this subject there are four things of which to +speak. + +_The first, is the condition and character of the men whom Jesus +chose as his apostles. + +The second, is the work these men were called to do. + +The third, is the help that was given them in doing this work; and + +The fourth, is the lesson taught us by this subject._ Or, to make the +points of the subject as short as possible, we may state them thus: + +_The men. The work. The help. The lesson. + +We begin then with speaking of_--THE MEN--_or the condition and +character of those whom Jesus chose to be his apostles or helpers_. + +Now we might have thought that Jesus would have chosen his apostles, +or helpers, from among the angels of heaven. They are so wise, and +good, and strong, that we wonder why he did not choose them. But he +did not. He chose _men_ to be his apostles. And what kind of men did +he choose? If we had been asked this question beforehand, we should +have supposed that he would certainly have chosen the wisest and the +most learned men, the richest and greatest men that could be found in +the world. But it was not so. Instead of this he chose poor men, +unlearned men, men that were not famous at all; and who had not been +heard of before. Fishermen, and tax-gatherers, and men occupying very +humble positions in life, were those whom Jesus chose to be his +apostles. + +And one reason, no doubt, why Jesus made choice of men of this +character to be his apostles was that when their work was done, no +one should be able to say that it was the learning, or wisdom, or +riches, or power of men by whom that work was accomplished. The +apostle Paul teaches us that this is the way in which God generally +acts; and that he does it for the very reason just spoken of. He +says, "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound +the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to +confound the mighty; and base things of the world, and things which +are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring +to nought the things that are; that no flesh should glory in his +presence." I. Cor. i: 27-29. The meaning of this passage is that God +loves to work by little things. This was the reason why Jesus chose +poor, unlearned fishermen to be his apostles. And we see God working +in the same way continually. + +Look at yonder sun. God made it, and hung it up there in the sky that +it might give light to our world. But the light which this sun gives +comes to us in tiny little bits, smaller than the point of the finest +needle that ever was made. They are so small that hundreds of them +can rush right into our eyes, as they are doing all the time, and not +hurt them the least. Here we see how God makes use of little things, +and does a great work with them. + +And then look at yonder ocean. The waves of that ocean are so +powerful that they can break in pieces the strongest ships that men +have ever built. And yet, when God wishes to keep that mighty ocean +in its place, he makes use of little grains of sand for this purpose. +Here again we see how God employs little things, and does a great +work with them. And we find God working in this way continually. Let +us look at one or two illustrations. + +"What a Plant Did." A little plant was given to a sick girl. In +trying to take care of it, the family made changes in their way of +living, which added greatly to their comfort and happiness. First, +they cleaned the window, that more light might come in to the leaves +of the plant. Then, when not too cold, they opened the window, that +fresh air might help the plant to grow; and this did the family good, +as well as the plant. Next the clean window made the rest of the room +look so untidy that they washed the floor, and cleaned the walls, and +arranged the furniture more neatly. This led the father of the family +to mend a broken chair or two, which kept him at home several +evenings. After this, he took to staying at home with his family in +the evenings, instead of spending his time at the tavern; and the +money thus saved went to buy comforts for them all. And then, as +their home grew more pleasant, the whole family loved it better than +ever before, and they grew healthier and happier with their flowers. +What a little thing that plant was, and yet it was God's apostle to +that family! It did a great work for them in blessing them and making +them happy. And _that_ was work that an angel would have been glad to +do. + +"Brought In by a Smile." A London minister said to a friend one day; +"Seven persons were received into my church last Sunday, and they +were all brought in by a smile." + +"Brought in by a smile! Pray what do you mean?" + +"Let me explain. Several months ago, as I passed a certain house on +my way to church, I saw, held in the arms of its nurse, a beautiful +infant; and as it fixed its bright black eyes on me, I smiled, and +the dear child returned the smile. The next Sabbath the babe was +again before the window. Again I smiled, and the smile was returned, +as before. The third Sabbath, as I passed by the window, I threw the +little one a kiss. Instantly its hand was extended and a kiss thrown +back to me. And so it came to pass that I learned to watch for the +baby on my way to church; and as the weeks went by, I noticed that +the nurse and the baby were not alone. Other members of the family +pressed to the window to see the gentleman who always had a smile for +the dear baby--the household pet. + +"One Sunday morning, as I passed, two children, a boy and a girl, +stood at the window beside the baby. That morning the father and +mother had said to those children: 'Get ready for church, for we +think that the gentleman who always smiles to the baby is a minister. +When he passes you may follow him, and see where he preaches.' + +"The children were quite willing to follow the suggestion of their +parents, and after I had passed, the door opened, and the children +stepped upon the pavement, and kept near me, till I entered my +church, when they followed me, and seats were given them. + +"When they returned home, they sought their parents and eagerly +exclaimed: 'He is a minister, and we have found his church, and he +preached a beautiful sermon this morning. You must go and hear him +next Sunday.' + +"It was not difficult to persuade the parents to go, and guided by +their children they found their way to the church. They, too, were +pleased, and other members of the family were induced to come to the +house of God. God blessed what they heard to the good of their souls, +and seven members of this family have been led to become Christians, +and join the church, and, I repeat what I said before: 'they were all +brought in by a smile.'" + +What a little thing a smile is! And yet, here we see how God made use +of so small a thing as this, to make seven persons Christians, and to +save their souls forever! Of the God who can work in this way, it +may well be said that he loves to work by little things. It is the +way in which he is working continually. + +How eagerly, then, we may try to learn and to practise what has been +very sweetly expressed in + +THE MITE SONG. + + "Only a drop in the bucket, + But every drop will tell, + The bucket would soon be empty, + Without the drops in the well. + + "Only a poor little penny, + It was all I had to give; + But as pennies make the dollars, + It may help some cause to live. + + "A few little bits of ribbon, + And some toys--they were not new, + But they made the sick child happy, + And that made me happy, too. + + "Only some out-grown garments; + They were all I had to spare; + But they'll help to clothe the needy, + And the poor are everywhere. + + "A word now and then of comfort, + That cost me nothing to say; + But the poor old man died happy, + And it helped him on the way. + + "God loveth the cheerful giver, + Though the gifts be poor and small; + But what must he think of his children + Who never give at all?" + +God loves to work by little means. We see this when we think of the +men whom Jesus chose to be his apostles. The first thing about this +subject is--_the men_. + +_The second thing to speak of, in connection with this subject, +is_--THE WORK--_they had to do_. + +What this work was we find fully stated in the fourteenth chapter of +St. Matthew. In this chapter Jesus told the apostles all about the +work they were to do for him, and how they were to do it. In the +seventh and eighth verses of this chapter we have distinctly stated +just what they were to do. "As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of +heaven is at hand; Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, +cast out devils." + +On this occasion Jesus sent his apostles to do the work committed to +them, not among the Gentiles, but only among the Jews; or as he calls +them--"the lost sheep of the house of Israel," v. 5,6. But, after his +resurrection, and just before he went up to heaven, he enlarged their +commission. His parting command to them then was--"_Go ye into all +the world, and preach the gospel to every creature_." St. Mark xvi: +15. + +When Jesus, their Master, went to heaven they were to take up and +carry on the great work that he had begun. Those twelve men were to +begin the work of changing the religion of the world. They were to +overturn the idols that had been worshiped for ages. They were to +shut up the temples in which those idols had been worshiped. They +were to "turn men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan +unto God." Acts xxvi: 18. They were to go up and down the world, +everywhere, telling the wondrous story of Jesus and his love. And in +doing this work they were to be the means of saving the souls of all +who believed their message, and in the end of winning the world back +to Jesus, till, according to God's promise, he has "the heathen for +his inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for his +possession." Ps. ii: 8. + +This was the grandest and most important work that men were ever +called upon to do. The apostles spent their lives in doing this work; +and then they left it for others to carry on. The work is not +finished yet. And, if we learn to love and serve Jesus, we may help +to carry it on. We may be apostles, too, though in a lower sense than +that in which the first twelve were apostles. An apostle means--one +_sent_. But Jesus _sends_ into the vineyard to work for him all who +become his loving children. And, in this sense it is true that all +who love and serve Jesus are his apostles. He says to each of +us--"Go, work to-day, in my vineyard." St. Matt, xxi: 28. And in +another place he says--"Let him that heareth, say, Come." Rev. xxii: +17. + +And when we are trying to tell people of Jesus and his love, and to +bring them to him, then we are helping to carry on the same great +work that Jesus gave his apostles to do. Let us look at some examples +of persons who have been apostles for God and helped to do the work +of apostles. + +"Aunt Lucy." I heard the other day of a good old woman in the State +of Michigan, known as Aunt Lucy. She is eighty-four years old, and +lives all alone, supporting herself principally by carpet-weaving. +All that she can save from her earnings, after paying for her +necessary expenses, she spends in buying Bibles, which she +distributes among the children and the poor of the neighborhood. +Thirteen large family Bibles, and fifty small ones, have thus been +given away--good, well-bound Bibles. + +A neighbor, who has watched this good work very closely, says that +two-thirds of the persons to whom Aunt Lucy has given Bibles have +afterwards become Christians. In doing this work Aunt Lucy was an +apostle. + +"The Charcoal Carrier." One Sunday afternoon, in summer, a little +girl named Mary, going home from a Sunday-school in the country, sat +down to rest under the shade of a tree by the roadside. While sitting +there she opened her Bible to read. As she sat reading, a man, well +known in that neighborhood as Jacob, the charcoal carrier, came by +with his donkey. Jacob used to work in the woods, making charcoal, +which he carried away in sacks on his donkey's back, and sold. He was +not a Christian man, and was accustomed to work with his donkey as +hard on Sunday as on week-days. + +When he came by where Mary was sitting, he stopped a moment, and +said, in a good-natured way: + +"What book is that you are reading, my little maid?" + +"It is God's book--the Bible," said Mary. + +"Let me hear you read a little in it, if you please," said he, +stopping his donkey. + +Mary began at the place where the book was open, and read:--"Remember +the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do +all thy work." + +"There, that's enough," said Jacob, "and now tell me what it means." + +"It means," said Mary, "that you mustn't carry charcoal, on Sunday, +nor let your donkey carry it." + +"Does it?" said Jacob, musing a little. "I tell you what then, I must +think over what you have said." + +And he _did_ think over it. And the result of his thinking was, that +instead of going with his donkey to the woods on the next Sunday, he +went with his two little girls to the Sunday-school. And the end of +it all was that Jacob, the charcoal carrier, became a Christian, and +God's blessing rested on him and his family. + +Little Mary was doing an apostle's work when she read and explained +the Bible to Jacob and was the means of bringing him to Jesus. + +"The Use of Fragments." In the Cathedral at Lincoln, England, there +is a window of stained glass which was made by an apprentice out of +little pieces of glass that had been thrown aside by his master as +useless. It is said to be the most beautiful window in the Cathedral. +And if, like this apprentice, we carefully gather up, and improve the +little bits of time, of knowledge, and of opportunities that we have, +we may do work for God more beautiful than that Cathedral window. We +may do work like that which the apostles were sent to do. Here are +some sweet lines, written by I know not whom, about that beautiful +window, made out of the little pieces of glass: + + "Great things are made of fragments small, + Small things are germs of great; + And, of earth's stately temples, all + To fragments owe their weight. + + "This window, peer of all the rest, + Of fragments small is wrought; + Of fragments that the artist deemed + Unworthy of his thought. + + "And thus may we, of little things, + Kind words and gentle deeds, + Add wealth or beauty to our lives, + Which greater acts exceeds. + + "Each victory o'er a sinful thought, + Each action, true and pure, + Is, 'mid our life's engraving, wrought + In tints that shall endure." + +The second thing about the apostles is, _the work_--they did. + +_The third thing, for us to notice about the apostles, is_--THE +HELP--_they received_. + +In one place, we are told that Jesus "gave them power against unclean +spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and +all manner of disease." St. Matt. x: 1. In another place we are told, +that for their comfort and encouragement in the great work they had +to do, Jesus said to them, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the +end of the world." St. Matt. xxviii: 20. And if they only had Jesus +with them, no matter what the work was they had to do, they would be +sure of having all the help they might need. The apostle Paul +understood this very well, for he said, "I can do all things through +Christ, which strengtheneth me." Phil. iv: 13. + +And then, as if his own presence with them were not enough, Jesus +promised that his apostles should have the help of the Holy Spirit in +carrying on their work. Just before leaving them to go to heaven, he +said to the disciples--"Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy +Ghost is come upon you." Acts i: 8. And what this power was we see in +the case of the apostle Peter; for the first sermon he preached +after the Holy Ghost came upon him, on the day of Pentecost, was the +means of converting three thousand souls. Acts ii: 41. + +And the same God who gave the apostles all the help they needed, has +promised to do the same for you, and me, and for all who try to work +for him. There are many promises of this kind in the Bible to which I +might refer. But I will only mention one. This is so sweet and +precious that it deserves to be written in letters of gold. There is +no passage in the Bible that has given me so much comfort and +encouragement in trying to work for God as this I refer here to Is. +xli: 10. "Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I +am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea--I WILL HELP THEE." This +promise was not given for prophets and apostles only, but for all +God's people to the end of time. You and I, if we are trying to serve +God, may take it as ours. God meant it for us. And when we get this +promised help from God, we can do any work he has for us to do, and +be happy in doing it. + +"For Thine is the Power." "I can't do it--it's quite impossible. I've +tried five times, and can't get it right"--and Ben Hartley pushed his +book and slate away in despair. Ben was a good scholar. He was at +the head of his class, and was very anxious to stay there. But the +sums he had now to do were very hard. He could not do them, and was +afraid of losing his place in the class. Most of the boys had some +one at home to help them; but Ben had no one. His father was dead, +and his mother, though a good Christian woman, had not been to school +much when a girl, and she could not help Ben. + +Mrs. Hartley felt sorry for her son's perplexity, and quietly said, +"Then, Ben, you don't believe in the Lord's prayer?" + +"The Lord's prayer, mother! Why, there's nothing there to help a +fellow do his sums." + +"O, yes; there is. There is help for every trouble in life in the +Lord's prayer, if we only know how to use it. I was trying a long +time before I found out what the last part of this prayer really +means. I'm no minister, or scholar, Ben, but I'll try and show you. +You know that in this prayer we ask God for our daily bread; we ask +him to keep us from evil; and to forgive us our sins; and then we +say: 'for _thine_ is the _kingdom_, and _the power_, and the glory.' +It's God's power that we rely on--not our own; and it often helps +me, Ben, when I have something hard to do. I say, 'For _thine_ is the +power--this is my duty, heavenly Father; but I can't do it myself; +give me thy power to help me,' and he does it, Ben, he does it." + +Ben sat silent. It seemed almost too familiar a prayer. And yet he +remembered when he had to stay home from school because he had no +clothes fit to go in, how he prayed to God about it, and the +minister's wife brought him a suit the very next day. "But a boy's +sums, mother! it seems like such a little thing to ask God about." + +"Those sums are not a little thing to you, Ben. Your success at +school depends on your knowing how to do them. _That_, is as much to +you, as many a greater thing to some one else. Now I care a great +deal about that, because I love you. And I know your Father in heaven +loves you more than I do. I would gladly help you, if I could; but he +_can_ help you. His 'is the power;' ask him to help you." + +After doing an errand for his mother, Ben picked up his book and +slate and went up to his little room. Kneeling down by the bed he +repeated the Lord's prayer. When he came to--"thine is the kingdom," +he stopped a moment, and then said, with all his heart--"'And thine +is the power,' heavenly Father. I want power to know how to do these +sums. There's no one else to help me. Lord, please give me power, for +Jesus' sake, Amen." + +Ben waited a moment, and then, still on his knees, he took his slate +and tried again. Do you ask me if he succeeded? Remember what Saint +James says, "If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God, who giveth to +all men liberally, and upbraideth not: _and it shall be given him_." +Jas. i: 5. That is God's promise, and heaven and earth must pass away +before one of his promises shall fail. Ben had prayed to God to help +him, and God answered his prayer. He tried once more to work out +those sums. After thinking over them a little while, he saw the +mistake he had made in neglecting one of the rules for working the +sums. He corrected this mistake, and then he found they all worked +out beautifully. The next day he was head of the class; for he was +the only boy who could say that he had done the sum himself, without +getting any one at home to help him. + +"And yet I was helped, mother," said Ben, "for I am sure my Father in +heaven helped me." But that was not what the teacher meant. After +this, Ben never forgot the last part of the Lord's prayer. When he +needed help he knew where the power was that could help him. + +Here was where the apostles got the help they needed in doing the +hard work they had to do. And how much help we might get in doing our +work if we only make a right use of this "power which belongeth unto +God;" and which he is always ready to use in helping us. + +The help they received, is the third thing to remember when we think +about the apostles and their work. + +_The last thing to bear in mind when we think of Jesus choosing his +twelve apostles, is_--THE LESSON--_it teaches us_. + +There are many lessons we might learn from this subject; but there is +one so much more important than all the rest that we may very well +let them go, and think only of this one. When St. Luke tells us about +Jesus choosing the twelve apostles, he mentions one very important +thing, of which St. Matthew, in his account of it says nothing at +all. And it is this thing from which we draw our lesson. In the +twelfth verse of the sixth chapter of his gospel, St. Luke +says--"And it came to pass in those days, that he (Jesus) went out +into a mountain to pray, and _continued all night in prayer to God_." +And after this, the first thing he did, in the morning, was to call +his disciples to him, and out of them to choose the twelve, who were +to be his apostles. And the lesson we learn from this part of the +subject is: + +"The Lesson of Prayer." Jesus spent the whole night in prayer to God, +before he chose his apostles. How strange this seems to us! And yet +it is easy enough to see at least two reasons why he did this. One +was because _he loved to pray_. We know how pleasant it is for us to +meet, and talk with a person whom we love very much. But prayer +is--talking with God--telling him what we want, and asking his help. +But Jesus loved his Father in heaven, with a love deeper and stronger +than we can understand. This must have made it the most delightful of +all things for him to be engaged in prayer, or in talking with his +Father in heaven. And, if we really love Jesus, prayer will not be a +hard duty to us, but a sweet privilege. We shall love to pray, +because, in prayer we are talking to that blessed Saviour, "whom, +not having seen, we love." And this was one reason why Jesus spent +the whole night in prayer, before choosing his twelve apostles. + +But there was another reason why Jesus spent so much time in prayer +before performing this important work, and that was to _set us an +example_. It was to teach us the very lesson of which we are now +speaking--the lesson of prayer. Remember how much power and wisdom +Jesus had in himself; and what mighty things he was able to do. And +yet, if _He_ felt that it was right to pray before engaging in any +important work, how much more necessary it is for us to do so! + +Let us learn this lesson well. Let it be the rule and habit of our +lives to connect prayer with everything we do. This will make us +happy in our own souls, and useful to those about us. + +How full the Bible is of the wonders that have been wrought by +prayer! Just think for a moment of some of them. + +Abraham prays, and Lot is delivered from the fiery flood that +overwhelmed Sodom and Gomorrah. Gen. xix: 29. Jacob prays, and he +wrestles with the angel, and obtains the blessing; his brother +Esau's mind is wonderfully turned away from the wrath he had +cherished for twenty years. Moses prays and Amalek is discomfited. +Joshua prays and Achan is discovered. Hannah prays and Samuel is +born. David prays and Ahithophel hangs himself. Elijah prays and a +famine of three years comes upon Israel. He prays again, and the rain +descends, and the famine ends. Elisha prays, and Jordan is divided. +He prays again, and the dead child's soul is brought back from the +invisible world. Isaiah and Hezekiah pray, and a hundred and +eighty-five thousand Assyrian soldiers are slain in one night by the +unseen sword of the angel. These are Bible illustrations of the help +God gives to his people in answer to prayer. And the Bible rule for +prayer, as given by our Saviour, is, "that men ought _always_ to +pray," Luke xviii: 1. St. Paul's way of stating it is--"Praying +always, with all prayer," Ephes. vi: 18. In another place he +says--"Pray without ceasing," I. Thess. v: 17. And even the heathen +teach the same rule about prayer. Among the rules of Nineveh, an +inscription on a tablet has been found, which, on being translated, +proved to contain directions about prayer. It may be entitled: + +"An Assyrian Call to Prayer." These are the words of the call: + + "Pray thou! pray thou! + Before the couch, pray! + Before the throne, pray! + Before the canopy, pray! + Before the building of the lofty head, pray! + Before the rising of the dawn, pray! + Before the fire, pray! + By the tablets and papyri, pray! + By the side of the river, pray! + By the side of a ship, or riding in a ship, or leaving the ship, pray! + At the rising of the sun, or the setting of the sun, pray! + On coming out of the city, on entering the city, pray! + On coming out of the great gate, on entering the great gate, pray! + On coming out of the house, pray! on entering the house, pray! + In the place of judgment, pray! + In the temple, pray!" + +This is like the Bible rule of--"praying always." + +"Praying for a Dinner." "Grandma, aren't we going to church this +morning?" asked a little girl. + +"My child, we have had no breakfast, and have no dinner to eat when +we come back," said her grandma. + +"But the Lord Jesus can give it to us if we ask him," said the little +girl. "Let's ask him." So they kneeled down, and asked that God, "who +feedeth the young ravens when they cry," to remember them, and help +them. + +Then they went to church. They found it very much crowded. An old +gentleman took the little girl upon his knee. He was pleased with her +quiet behaviour. On parting with her at the close of the service, he +slipped a half crown into her hand. "See, Grandma," she said, as soon +as they were out of church, "Jesus has sent us our dinner." + +But when we ask God to help us, we must always try to help ourselves. + +"Working as well as Praying." Two little girls went to the same +school; one of them, named Mary, always said her lessons well, the +other, named Jane, always failed. One day Jane said, "Mary, how does +it happen that you always say your lessons so well?" Mary said she +prayed over her lessons, and _that_ was the secret of her success. + +Jane concluded to try praying. But the next day she failed worse than +ever. In tears, she reproached Mary for deceiving her. "But, did you +study hard, as well as pray over your lesson?" asked Mary. + +"No; I thought if I only prayed, that was all I had to do," replied +Jane. "Not at all. God only helps those who try to help themselves. +You must study hard as well as pray, if you wish to get your lessons +well," was Mary's wise answer. The next day Jane studied, as well as +prayed, and she had her lesson perfectly. + +The greatest work we can ever do, is to bring a soul to Jesus, or to +convert a sinner from the error of his way. Here is an illustration +of the way in which this may be done by prayer and effort combined: + +"The Coachman and His Prayer." "I was riding once, on the top of a +stage-coach," said a Christian gentleman, "when the driver by my side +began to swear in a dreadful manner. I lifted up my heart for God's +blessing on what I said; and presently, in a quiet way, I asked him +this question: 'Driver, do you ever pray?' He seemed displeased at +first; but after awhile he replied, 'I sometimes go to church on +Sunday; and then I suppose I pray, don't I?' 'I am afraid you never +pray at all; for no man can swear as you do, and yet be in the habit +of praying to God.' + +"As we rode along he seemed thoughtful. 'Coachman, I wish you would +pray now,' I said. '"Why, what a time to pray, Sir, when a man is +driving a coach!"' 'Yet, my friend, God will hear you,' '"What shall +I pray?"' he asked, in a low voice. 'Pray these words: '"O Lord, +grant me thy Holy Spirit, for Christ's sake. Amen."' He hesitated, +but in a moment he repeated them; and then, at my request, he said +them over a second, and a third time. The end of the journey was +reached, and I left him. + +"Some months passed away, and we met once more. 'Ah, Sir,' said he, +with a smile, 'the prayer you taught me on that coach-box was +answered. I saw myself a lost, and ruined sinner; but now, I humbly +hope, that through the blood which cleanseth from all sin, and by the +power of the Holy Spirit, I am a converted man.'" + +And so, when we think of the twelve apostles, appointed by Jesus to +preach his gospel, these are the four things for us to remember in +connection with them, viz.:--_the men_ whom he chose; _the work_ they +had to do; _the help_ given them in doing that work; and _the lesson_ +we are taught by this subject--the lesson of prayer. + +Whatever we have to do, let us do it with all our hearts, and do it +as for God, and then we shall be his apostles--his sent ones. Let me +put the application of this subject in the form of some earnest, +practical lines that I lately met with. The lines only speak of +boys, but they apply just as well to girls. They are headed: + +DRIVE THE NAIL. + + "Drive the nail aright, boys, + Hit it on the head, + Strike with all your might, boys, + While the iron's red. + + "Lessons you've to learn, boys, + Study with a will; + They who reach the top, boys, + First must climb the hill. + + "Standing at the foot, boys, + Gazing at the sky, + How can you get up, boys, + If you never try? + + "Though you stumble oft, boys, + Never be downcast; + Try and try again, boys, + You'll succeed at last. + + "Ever persevere, boys, + Tho' your task be hard; + Toil and happy cheer, boys, + Bring their own reward. + + "Never give it up, boys, + Always say you'll try; + Joy will fill your cup, boys, + Flowing by and by." + + + + + +THE GREAT TEACHER + + + + +Teaching was the great business of the life of Christ during the days +of his public ministry. He was _sent_ to teach and to preach. The +speaker in the book of Job was thinking of this Great Teacher when he +asked--"_Who teacheth like him_?" Job xxxvi: 22. And it was he who +was in the Psalmist's mind when he spoke of the "good, and upright +Lord" who would teach sinners, if they were meek, how to walk in his +ways. Ps. xxv: 8-9. And he is the Redeemer, of whom the prophet +Isaiah was telling when he said--He would "_teach us to profit_, and +_would lead us by the way that we should go_." And thus we know how +true was what Nicodemus said of him, that "he was a _teacher sent +from God_." John iii: 2. Thus what was said of Jesus, before he came +into our world, would naturally lead us to expect to find him +occupied in teaching. And so he _was_ occupied, all through the days +of his public ministry. St. Matthew tells us that--"Jesus went about +all Galilee, _teaching_ in their synagogues." Ch. iv: 23. Further on +in his gospel he tells us again that "Jesus went about all the +cities, and villages, teaching in their synagogues." Ch. ix: 35. When +on his trial before Pilate, his enemies brought it as a charge +against him that he had been--"_teaching_ throughout all Jewry." Luke +xxiii: 5. We read in one place that--"the elders of the people came +unto him _as he was teaching_." Matt. xxi: 23. Jesus himself gave +this account of his life work to his enemies--"I sat _daily_ with you +_teaching_ in the temple." Matt. xxvi: 55. And so we come now to look +at the life of Christ from this point of view--as a Teacher. There +never was such a Teacher. We do not wonder at the effect of his +teaching of which we read in St. John vii: 46, when the chief priests +sent some of their officers to take him prisoner, and bring him unto +them; the officers went, and joined the crowd that was listening to +his preaching. His words had such a strange effect on them that they +could not think of touching him. So they went back to their masters +without doing what they had been sent to do. "And when the chief +priests and Pharisees said unto them--Why have ye not brought him? +The officers answered, _Never man spake like this man_." Jesus was +indeed--_The Great Teacher_. In this light we are now to look at him. +And as we do this we shall find that there were _five_ great things +about his teaching which made him different from any other teacher +the world has ever known. + +_In the first place Jesus may well be called the Great Teacher, +because of the_--GREAT BLESSINGS--_of which he came to tell_. + +We find some of these spoken of at the opening of his first great +sermon to his disciples, called "The Sermon on the Mount." This is +the most wonderful sermon that ever was preached. Jesus began it by +telling about some of the great blessings he had brought down from +heaven for poor sinful creatures such as we are. The sermon begins in +the fifth chapter of St. Matthew, and the first twelve verses of the +chapter are occupied in speaking of these blessings. As soon as he +opened his mouth and began to speak a stream of blessings flowed out. + +It was a beautiful thought, on this subject, which a boy in +Sunday-school once had. The teacher had been talking to his class +about the beginning of this sermon on the mount. He had spoken of the +sweetness of the words of Jesus, when "He opened his mouth and +taught" his disciples. "How pleasant it must have been, my dear +boys," said he, "to have seen the blessed Saviour, and to have heard +him speak!" + +A serious-minded little fellow in the class said, "Teacher, don't you +think that when Jesus opened his mouth, and began to speak to his +disciples, it must have been like taking the stopper out of a scent +bottle?" I cannot tell whether this boy had ever read the words of +Solomon or not; but he had just the same idea that was in his mind +when he said of this "Great Teacher," "thy name is _as ointment +poured forth_." Cant, i: 3. We perceive the fragrance of this +ointment as soon as Jesus opens his mouth and begins to speak. If we +had been listening to Jesus when he began this sermon, saying:--" +Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are the meek; blessed are the +pure in heart; blessed are the peace-makers"--and so on till he had +spoken of _nine_ different kinds of blessing, we might have thought +that he had nothing but blessings of which to tell. It would have +seemed as if his mind, and heart, and lips, and hands were all so +filled with blessings that he could do nothing else till he had told +about these. And the blessings spoken of here are not all the +blessings that Jesus brought. They are only specimens of them. The +blessings he has obtained for us are innumerable. David says of them, +"If I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be +numbered." Ps. xl: 5. And these blessings are not only very numerous, +but very _great_. Look at one or two of these blessings that Jesus, +the Great Teacher, brings to us. He says, "Blessed are they that +mourn, for they shall be comforted." Jesus came to bring comfort to +the mourners. Hundreds of years before Christ came the prophet Isaiah +had said of him that he would come to "_comfort all that mourn_." Is. +lxi: 2. And to show how complete this blessing would be which he was +to bring, Jesus said himself--"_As one whom his mother comforteth_ +--_so will I comfort you_." Is. lxvi: 13. A young girl was dying. +A friend who came in to see her said: + +"I trust you have a good hope." + +"No," she answered, distinctly; "I am not hoping--I am certain. My +salvation was finished on the cross. My soul is saved. Heaven is +mine. I am going to Jesus." + +What a great blessing it is to have comfort like that! + +When Jesus was speaking to the woman of Samaria, as he sat by Jacob's +well, he compared the blessing of his grace to the water of that +well. Pointing to the well at his side, he said: "Whosoever drinketh +of this water will thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water +that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall +give him, shall be _in him, a well of water, springing up unto +everlasting life_." John iv: 13, 14. This is one of the most +beautiful illustrations of the blessing Jesus gives that ever was +used. It is a great blessing to have a well of clear, cold water in +our garden, or near our door. But, only think of having a well of +water _in our hearts_. Then, wherever we go, we carry that well with +us. We never have to go away from it. No one can separate between us +and the water of this well. Other wells dry up and fail. But this is +a well that never dries up, and never fails. This well is deep, and +its water is all the time "springing up unto everlasting life." How +happy they are in whose breasts Jesus opens this well of water! + +Coleridge, the English poet, in writing to a young friend, just +before his death, said: + +"Health is a great blessing; wealth, gained by honest industry, is a +great blessing; it is a great blessing to have kind, faithful, loving +friends and relatives, _but, the greatest, and best of all blessings +is to be a Christian_." + +One of the most able and learned lawyers that England ever had was +John Selden. He was so famous for his learning and knowledge that he +is always spoken of as "the learned Selden." On his deathbed he +said--"I have taken much pains to know everything that was worth +knowing among men; but with all my reading and all my knowledge, +nothing now remains with me to comfort me at the close of life but +these precious words of St. Paul: 'This a faithful saying, and worthy +of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save +sinners;' to this I cling. In this I rest. This gives me peace, and +comfort, and enables me to die happy." + +William Wilberforce was another of the great and good men who have +been a blessing and an honor to England. When he was on his deathbed, +he said to a dear friend: + +"Come, let us talk of heaven. Do not weep for me. I am very happy. +But I never knew what happiness was till I found Christ as my +Saviour. Read the Bible. Let no other book take its place. Through +all my trials and perplexities, it has been my comfort. And now it +comforts me, and makes me happy." + +Here we see "this well of water springing up unto everlasting life." +And Jesus, who came to tell us of this water, and to open up this +well in our breasts, may well be called, "the Great Teacher," because +of the great blessings--of which he tells. + +_In the second place Jesus may be called "the Great Teacher" because +of the_--GREAT SIMPLICITY--_of his teachings_. + +I do not mean to say that we can understand every thing that Jesus +taught. This is not so. He had some things to speak about that are +not simple. He said to his disciples, "_I have yet many things to say +unto you, but ye cannot bear them now_." John xvi: 12. This means +that there are some things about God, and heaven, of which he wished +to tell them, but they were too hard for them to understand, although +they were full-grown men. And so he did not tell them of these +things. But even among the things that Jesus did tell about, there +are some which the wisest and most learned men in the world have +never been able to understand or explain. Some one has compared the +Bible to a river, in which there are some places deep enough for an +elephant or a giant to swim in; and other places where the water is +shallow enough for a child to wade in. And it is just so with the +teachings of Jesus. Some of the most important lessons he taught are +so plain and simple that very young people can understand them. + +We have a good illustration of this in that sweet invitation which +Jesus gave when he said,--"_Come unto me, all ye that labor and are +heavy laden, and I will give you rest._" Matt. xi: 28. Very young +people know what it is to feel tired and weary from walking, or +working too much, or from carrying a heavy burden. And, when they are +too tired to do anything else, they know what it is to go to their +dear mother and throw themselves into her arms, and find rest there. +And, in just the same way, Jesus invites us to come to him when we +are tired, or troubled, that our souls may find rest in him. We come +to Jesus, when we pray to him; when we tell him all about our +troubles; when we ask him to help us; and when we trust in his +promises. + + "Was there ever gentlest shepherd + Half so gentle, half so sweet, + As the Saviour, who would have us + Come and gather round his feet? + + "There's a wideness in God's mercy, + Like the wideness of the sea; + There's a kindness in his justice + Which is more than liberty. + + "There is no place where earth's sorrows + Are more felt than up in heaven; + There is no place where earth's failings + Have such kindly judgments given. + + "There is plentiful redemption + In the blood that has been shed; + There is joy for all the members + In the sorrows of the head. + + "If our love were but more simple, + We should take him at his word; + And our lives would all be sunshine, + In the sweetness of our Lord." + +The prophet Isaiah foretold that when Jesus came, he would teach his +doctrines to children just weaned. Chap. xxviii: 9. This shows us +that his teaching was to be marked by great plainness and simplicity. +And this was just the way in which he did teach when he uttered those +loving words:--"_Suffer the little children to come unto me, and +forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God._" Mark x: 14. +None of the other famous teachers known to the world ever took such +interest in children as Jesus did. And none of them ever taught with +such great simplicity. What multitudes of young people have been led +to love and serve Jesus by thinking of the sweet words he spoke about +children! + +"The Child's Gospel." A little girl sat still in church listening to +the minister. She could not understand what he was saying till he +quoted these words of Jesus about the children. But she understood +them. She felt that they were words spoken for her. They made her +feel very happy. And when she went home she threw her arms around her +mother's neck, who had been kept at home by sickness, and said, "O, +mother, I have heard the _child's gospel_ to-day." + +"It's For Me." Little Carrie was a heathen child, about ten years +old. After she had been going to the Mission School for some time, +her teacher noticed, one day, that she looked sad. + +"Carrie, my dear," she said, "why do you look so sad to-day?" + +"Because I am thinking." + +"And what are you thinking about?" + +"O, teacher, I don't know whether Jesus loves me, or not." + +"Carrie, what did Jesus say about little children coming to him when +he was on earth?" + +In a moment the sweet words she had learned in the school were on her +lips--"Suffer the little children to come unto me, &c." + +"Well, Carrie, for whom did Jesus speak these words?" At once she +clapped her hands and exclaimed: "It's not for you, teacher, is it? +for you are not a child. No: it's for me! it's for me!" + +And so this dear child was drawn to Jesus by the power of his love. +And thus, through all the hundreds of years that have passed away +since "Jesus was here among men," these same simple words have been +drawing the little ones to him. + +And so, because of the great simplicity which marked his teaching, +Jesus must truly be called--the Great Teacher. + +_But in the third place there was_--GREAT TENDERNESS--_in Jesus, and +this was another thing that helped to make him the Great Teacher_. + +It was this great tenderness that led him, when he came to be our +Teacher and Saviour to take our nature upon him and so become like +us. He might have come into our world in the form of a mighty angel, +with his face shining like the sun, as he appeared when the disciples +saw him on the Mount of Transfiguration. But then we should have been +afraid of him. He would not have known how we feel, and could not +have felt for us. But instead of this, his tenderness led him to take +our nature upon him, that he might be able to put himself in our +place, and so to understand just how we feel, and what we need to +help and comfort us. This is what the apostle means in Heb. ii: 14, +when he says--"Forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and +blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same." He did this +on purpose that he might know, by his own experience, how we are +tried and tempted; and so be able to sympathize with us and help us +in all our trials. + +Here is a little story, very simple, and homely; but yet, one that +illustrates very well the point of which we are speaking. It is a +story about: + +"A Lost Horse Found." A valuable horse was lost, belonging to a +farmer in New England. A number of his neighbors turned out to try +and find the horse. They searched all through the woods and fields +of the surrounding country, but in vain. None of them could find the +horse. At last a poor, weak-minded fellow, who was known in that +neighborhood as "simple Sam," started to hunt the horse. After awhile +he came back, bringing the stray horse with him. The owner of the +horse was delighted to see him. He stroked and patted him, and then, +turning to the simple-minded man who had found him, he said: + +"Well, Sam, how came you to find the horse, when no one else could do +it?" + +"Wal, you see," said Sam, "I just 'quired whar the horse was seen +last; and then I went thar, and sat on a rock; and just axed mysel', +if I was a horse, whar would I go, and what would I do? And then I +went, and found him." Now, when Sam, in the simplicity of his feeble +mind, tried to put himself, as far as he could, in the horse's place, +this helped him to find the lost horse, and bring him back to his +owner again. And so, to pass from a very little thing to a very great +one, when Jesus came down from heaven to seek and to save sinners +that were lost, this is just the way in which he acted. He put +himself in our place as sinners. As the apostle Paul says: "he who +knew no sin, was made sin for us," that he might save us from the +dreadful consequences of our sins. + +And we see the tenderness of Jesus, not only in taking our nature +upon him and becoming man, but in what he did when he lived in this +world as a man. "_He went about doing good_." It was his great +tenderness that led him to do this. Suppose that you and I could have +walked about with Jesus when he was on earth as the apostles did. +Just think for a moment what we should have seen. We should have seen +him meeting with blind men and opening their eyes that they might +see. We should have seen him meeting with deaf men, and unstopping +their ears that they might hear. We should have seen him meeting sick +people who were taken with divers diseases and torments and healing +them. We should have seen him raising the dead; and casting out +devils; and speaking words of comfort and encouragement to those who +were sad and sorrowful. If we could have looked into his blessed +face, we should have seen tenderness there, beaming from his eyes and +speaking from every line of his countenance. If we could have +listened to his teaching we should have found tenderness running +through all that he said. Just take one of his many parables as a +sample of his way of teaching--the parable of the lost sheep--and see +how full of tenderness it is. The sweet lines of the hymn, about the +shepherd seeking his lost sheep, that most of us love to sing, bring +out the tenderness of Jesus here very touchingly. + + "There were ninety and nine that safely lay + In the shelter of the fold, + But one was out on the hills away, + Far off from the gates of gold-- + Away on the mountains, wild and bare, + Away from the tender shepherd's care. + + "'Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine; + Are they not enough for Thee?' + But the Shepherd made answer: 'One of mine + Has wandered away from me; + And, although the road be rough and steep, + I go to the desert to find my sheep.' + + "But none of the ransomed ever knew + How deep were the waters crossed; + Nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through, + Ere he found his sheep that was lost. + Out in the desert he heard its cry-- + Sick and helpless, and ready to die. + + "'Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way + That mark out the mountain's track?' + They were shed for one who had gone astray, + Ere the shepherd could bring him back. + 'Lord, why are Thy hands so rent and torn?' + They are pierced, to-night, by many a thorn. + + "But all through the mountains, thunder-riven, + And up from the rocky steep, + There rose a cry to the gates of heaven, + 'Rejoice! I have found my sheep!' + And the angels echoed around the throne, + 'Rejoice, for the Lord brings back his own.'" + +And all that we know of Jesus as "the good Shepherd," demonstrates +his great tenderness for his sheep. + +But perhaps there was no act in all the life of our blessed Redeemer +that showed his tenderness more than taking the little children in +his arms, and putting his hands upon them, and blessing them. + +To think of the Son of God, who made this world, and all worlds, and +whom all the angels of heaven worship, showing so much interest in +the little ones; this proves how full of tenderness his heart was. + +"I Like Your Jesus." An English lady who had spent six months in +Syria, writes: "Going through the places where the Mohammedans live, +you continually hear the girls singing our beautiful hymns in Arabic. +The attractive power of Christ's love is felt even by the little +ones, as we learned from a dear Moslem child, who, when she repeated +the text, 'Suffer the little children,' said, 'I like your Jesus, +because he loved little children. Our Mohammed did not love little +children.'" + +And if we all try to imitate the tenderness of Jesus, then, though we +may have no money to give, and no great thing to do, yet by being +tender, and gentle, and loving, as Jesus was, we shall be able to do +good wherever we are. + +"Doing Good by Sympathy." A Christian mother used to ask her children +every night if they had done any good during the day. One night in +answer to this question, her little daughter said: "At school this +morning I found little Annie G----, who had been absent for some +time, crying very hard. I asked her what was the matter? Then she +cried more, so that I could not help putting my head on her neck, and +crying with her. Her sobs grew less, and presently she told of her +little baby brother, whom she loved so much; how sick he had been; +and how much pain he had suffered, till he died and was buried. Then +she hid her face in her book, and cried, as if her heart would break. +I could not help putting my face on the other page of the book, and +crying, too, as hard as she did. After awhile she kissed me, and told +me I had done her good. But, mother, I don't know how I did her good; +_for I only cried with her!_" + +Now this little girl was showing the tenderness of Jesus, the Great +Teacher. Nothing in the world could have done that poor sorrowing +child so much good as to have some one cry with her. Sometimes tears +of tenderness are worth more than diamonds. And this is why the Bible +tells us to "weep with them that weep." Rom. xii: 15. Jesus did this +in the tenderness of his loving heart. And this was one of the things +that made him the Great Teacher. + +_But then there was_--GREAT KNOWLEDGE--_in Jesus; and this was +another thing that made him great as a teacher_. + +If we wish to be good teachers, we must study, and try to understand +the things we expect to teach. If a young man wishes to be a +minister, he must go through college; and then spend three years in +the Divinity School, so that he may understand the great truths of +the Bible, which he is to teach the people who hear him. But Jesus +never went to college, or to a divinity school. And yet he had +greater knowledge about all the things of which he spoke than any +other teacher ever had. We are told in the book of Job that "He is +_perfect_ in knowledge." Job xxxvi: 5. And the apostle Paul tells us +that "in him are hid _all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge_." +Col. ii: 3. This is more than can be said of any man, or any angel. +If we could take all the knowledge of all the best teachers who ever +lived, and give it to one person, it would be as nothing compared to +the knowledge which Jesus, "the Great Teacher" had. He knew all about +heaven; for that had always been his home before he came into our +world. He knew all about God; for, he was "in the bosom of the +Father," John i: 18; and, as he tells us himself, had shared his +glory with him, "before the world was." John xvii: 5. He knew all +about the world we live in, for he made it. John i: 10. He knew all +about all other worlds, for he made them, too. John i: 3; Heb. i: 2. +He knew all about his disciples and every body else in the world, for +he made them all. He saw all they did; he heard all they said; he +knew all they thought, or felt. Wise and learned men have been +studying, and finding out things for hundreds of years, about +geography and natural history--and astronomy;--about light, and heat, +and electricity--and steam--and the telegraph, and many other things. +Jesus knew all about these things when he was on earth. He could have +told about them, if he had seen fit to do so. But he only told us +what it is best for us to know, in order that we might be saved; and +kept back all the rest. The things that Jesus did teach us when he +was here on earth were wonderful; but it is hardly less wonderful to +think of the things that he might have taught us, and yet did not. +When we think of the great knowledge of Jesus, as a Teacher, we are +not surprised that some of those who heard him "wondered at the +gracious words" he spake; or that others asked the question: "Whence +hath this man this knowledge, having never learned?" + +Some one has written these sweet lines about Christ as--_The Great +Teacher_: + + "From everything our Saviour saw, + Lessons of wisdom he could draw; + The clouds, the colors in the sky; + The gentle breeze that whispers by; + The fields all white with waving corn; + The lilies that the vale adorn; + The reed that trembles in the wind; + The tree, where none its fruit could find; + The sliding sand, the flinty rock, + That bears unmoved the tempest's shock; + The thorns that on the earth abound; + The tender grass that clothes the ground; + The little birds that fly in air; + The sheep that need the shepherd's care; + The pearls that deep in ocean lie; + The gold that charms the miser's eye; + The fruitful and the thorny ground; + The piece of silver lost and found; + The reaper, with his sheaves returning; + The gathered tares prepared for burning; + The wandering sheep brought back with joy; + The father's welcome for his boy; + The wedding-feast, prepared in state; + The foolish virgins' cry, 'too late!'-- + All from his lips some truth proclaim, + Or learn to tell their Maker's name." + +But the difference between Jesus, the Great Teacher, and all other +teachers is seen, not only in the greater knowledge he has of the +things that he teaches, but in this also, that he knows how to make +us understand the lessons he teaches. Here is an incident that +illustrates how well Jesus can do this. We may call it: + +"The Well Instructed Boy." A minister of the gospel was travelling +through the wildest part of Ireland. There he met a shepherd's boy, +not more than ten or twelve years old. He was poorly clad, with no +covering on his head, and no shoes or stockings on his feet; but he +looked bright and happy. He had a New Testament in his hand. "Can you +read, my boy?" asked the minister. + +"To be sure I can." + +"And do you understand what you read?" + +"A little." + +"Please turn to the third chapter of St. John, and read us a little," +said the minister. The boy found the place directly, and in a clear +distinct voice, began: + +"There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the +Jews; the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi." + +"What does Rabbi mean?" + +"It means a master." + +"Right; go on." + +"We know thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these +miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." + +"What is a _miracle_?" + +"It is a _great wonder_. 'Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, +verily, I say unto thee.'" + +"What does _verily_ mean?" + +"It means 'indeed.' 'Except a man be born again.'" + +"What does that mean?" + +"It means a great change, a change of heart." + +"Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." + +"And what is that kingdom?" + +He paused a moment, and with a very serious, thoughtful look, placing +his hand on his bosom, he said, "It is _something here_;" and then, +raising his eyes to heaven, added, "_and something up yonder_." This +poor boy had been taking lessons from "the Great Teacher," and he had +taught him some of the most important things that we can ever learn. +Jesus may well be called "the Great Teacher," because of his great +knowledge. + +_But there is one other thing that Jesus has, which helps to make him +"the Great Teacher," and that is_--GREAT POWER. + +Other teachers can tell us what we ought to learn, and to do, yet +they have no power to help us learn, or do what they teach. But Jesus +_has_ this power. Let us take a single illustration from many of the +same kind that occurred while he was on earth. One day he was going +about teaching in the streets of Jerusalem. As he went on, he passed +by the office of a man who was gathering taxes for the Roman +government. The persons who did this were called _publicans_. This +man, sitting in his office, was named Matthew. He was busily engaged +in receiving the taxes of the people. It was a very profitable +business. The men engaged in it generally made a great deal of money. +Jesus stopped before the window or door of this office. He beckoned +to Matthew, and simply spoke these two words:--"_Follow me_." + +Now, if any other teacher had spoken these words to Matthew, and had +tried to make him quit his business and engage in something else, he +would have said: "No; I can't leave my office. This is all the means +I have of getting a living. The business pays well, and I am not +willing to give it up." But when Jesus spoke to him, he did, at once, +what he was told to do. We read that "He left all, rose up, and +followed him." Matt. ix: 9; Luke v: 28. He became one of the twelve +apostles and wrote the gospel which bears his name. But it was the +great power which Jesus has over the hearts of men that made Matthew +willing to do, at once, what he was told to do. + +And the power which Jesus exercised over Matthew, in this case, he +still has, and still uses. And when he is pleased to use this power +the very worst people feel it, and are made good by it. And Jesus, +"the Great Teacher," uses this power sometimes in connection with +very simple things. Here is an illustration. We may call it: + +"Saved by a Rose." Some time ago, a Christian gentleman was in the +habit of visiting one of our prisons. It occurred to him, one day, +that it would be a good thing to have a flowering plant in the little +yard connected with each cell. He got permission from the officers of +the prison to do so. He had a bracket fastened to the wall, in each +yard, and a flower pot, with a plant in it, placed on each bracket. +One of these prisoners was worse than all the rest. He was the most +hardened man that had ever been in that prison. His temper was so +violent and obstinate that no one could manage him. The keeper of the +prison was afraid of him, and never liked to go near him. He was such +a disagreeable-looking man that the name given to him in the prison +was "Ugly Greg." A little rose bush was put on the bracket in Ugly +Greg's yard, and the effect produced by it is told in these simple +lines, which some one has written about it: + + "Ugly Greg was the prisoner's name, + Ugly in face, and in nature the same; + Stubborn, sullen, and beetle-browed, + The hardest case in a hardened crowd. + The sin-set lines in his face were bent + Neither by kindness nor punishment; + He hadn't a friend in the prison there, + And he grew more ugly and didn't care. + + "But some one--blessings on his name! + Had caused to be placed in that house of shame, + To relieve the blank of the white-washed wall, + Flower-pot brackets, with plants on them all. + Though it seemed but a useless thing to do, + Ugly Greg's cell had a flower-pot, too, + And as he came back at the work-day's close, + He paused, astonished, before a rose. + + "'He will smash it in pieces,' the keeper said, + But the lines on his face grew soft instead. + Next morning he watered his plant with care, + And went to his work with a cheerful air; + And, day by day, as the rose-bush grew, + Ugly Greg began changing, too. + + "The soft, green leaves unfolded their tips, + And the foul word died on the prisoner's lips; + He talked to the plant, when all alone, + As he would to a friend, in a gentle tone; + And, day by day, and week by week, + As the rose grew taller, so Greg grew meek. + + "But, at last they took him away to lie + On a hospital bed, for they knew he must die, + They placed the rose in the sunny light, + Where Greg might watch it, from morn till night, + And the green buds grew, from day to day, + As the sick man faded fast away. + + "The lines which sin and pain had traced, + Seemed by the shadowing plant effaced, + Till, came at last, the joyful hour, + When they knew that the bud must burst its flower. + Greg slept, but still one hand caressed + The plant; the other his pale cheek pressed. + The perfumed crimson shed a glow + On the old man's hair, as white as snow; + The nurse came softly--'Look, Greg!' she said, + Ay, the rose had bloomed, but the man was dead." + +And the meaning of all this is, not that the rose itself saved this +hardened sinner. No; but it led him to think of the lessons of his +childhood, when he had been taught about Jesus, "the Rose of +Sharon". It led him to think about his sins. It led him to repent of +them; to pray to Jesus; to exercise faith in him; and in _this way_ +he became a changed man, and was saved. And so, though we speak of +him as--"a man saved by a rose;" yet it was the power of Jesus, "the +Great Teacher," exercised through that rose, which led to this +blessed change and saved Greg's soul from death. + +And thus we have spoken of five things which help to make up the +greatness of Jesus as a Teacher. These are--The Great Blessings--The +Great Simplicity--The Great Tenderness--The Great Knowledge--and the +Great Power connected with his teachings. Let us seek the grace that +will enable us to learn of him, and then we shall find rest for our +souls! + + + + + + +CHRIST TEACHING BY PARABLES + + + + + +We have spoken of our Saviour as "The Great Teacher," and tried to +point out some of the things in his teaching which helped to make him +great. And now, it may be well to speak a little of the illustrations +which he made use of as a Teacher. These are called--_parables_. Our +Saviour's parables were illustrations. This is what is meant by the +Greek word from which we get the word parable. It means something +_set down by the side of another_. When we teach a lesson we are +setting something before the minds of our scholars. But suppose it is +a hard lesson and they do not understand it. Then we use an +illustration. This is something set down beside the lesson to make it +plain. Then this, whatever it be, is a parable. + +At the beginning of his ministry, our Saviour did not make much use +of parables. But, after he had been preaching for some time, he made +a change in his way of teaching, in this respect. He began to use +parables very freely. His disciples were surprised at this. On one +occasion, after he had used the parable of the Sower, they came to +their Master and asked him why he always spake to the people now in +parables? We have our Saviour's answer to this question in St. Matt, +xiii: 11-18. And it is a remarkable answer. The meaning of it is that +he used parables for two reasons: one was to help those who really +wished to learn from him to understand what he was teaching. The +other was that those who were not willing to be taught might listen +to him without understanding what he was saying. These people had +heard him when he was teaching without parables. But, instead of +thanking him for coming to teach them, and of being willing to do +what he wanted them to do, they found fault with his teaching, and +would not mind what he said. + +Now, there is a great difference between the way in which we are to +learn what the Bible teaches us about God and heaven; and the way in +which we learn other things. If we want to learn what the Bible +teaches us we must be careful that we are having right feelings in +our hearts; but if we want to learn other things it does not matter +so much what our feelings are. For instance, suppose you have a +lesson to learn in geography; no matter how you are feeling, whether +you are proud, or humble; whether you are cross, or gentle; yet if +you only study hard enough, and long enough, you can learn that +lesson. But, if you want to learn one of the lessons that Jesus +teaches, no matter how hard, or how long you study it, yet while you +are giving way to proud, or angry feelings in your heart, you can +never learn that lesson. And the reason is that we cannot learn these +lessons unless we have the special help of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit. +But this help can never be had while we give way to wrong feelings in +our hearts. In learning geography, and other such lessons, we do not +need the _special_ help of God. We can learn them ourselves, if we +only try. But we cannot learn the lessons that Jesus teaches in this +way. This is what the Psalmist means when he says:--"The _meek_ will +he teach his way." Ps. xxv: 9. And this was what our Saviour meant +when he said: "If any man will do his will, _he shall know_." St. +John vii: 17. We must be willing to be taught;--and willing to obey; +if we wish to understand what Jesus, "The Great Teacher," has to tell +us. + +Some one has well said that truth, taught by a parable, is like the +kernel hid away in a nut. The parable, like the shell of the nut, +covers up the kernel. Those who really want the kernel will crack the +shell, and get it: but those who are not willing to crack the shell +will never get the kernel. The shell of the nut keeps the kernel safe +_for_ one of these persons, and safe _from_ the others. + +But, after the time of which we have spoken, Jesus used parables +freely. We are told that--"without a parable spake he not unto the +people." St. Mark xiii: 34. He used parables among his disciples for +two reasons: these were to help them to _understand_, and to remember +what he taught them. + +We have a great many of the parables of Jesus in the gospels. A full +list of them will contain not less than _fifty_. It would be easy +enough to make a sermon on each of these parables. But that would +make a larger work than this whole LIFE OF CHRIST, on which we are +now engaged. It is impossible therefore to speak of all the parables. +We can only make selections, or take some specimens of them. We may +speak of five different lessons as illustrated by some of the +parables of Christ. These are--_The value of religion: Christ's love +of sinners: The duty of forgiveness: The duty of kindness: and the +effect of good example_. + +_Well then, we may begin by considering what Jesus taught us of_--THE +VALUE OF RELIGION--_in his parables._ + +The parable of The Treasure Hid in the Field teaches us this truth. +We find this parable in St. Matt. xiii: 44. Here Jesus says, "The +kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which +when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and +selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." The words "kingdom +of heaven" are used by our Saviour in different senses. Sometimes, as +here, they mean the grace of God, or true religion. And what Jesus +teaches us by this parable is that true religion is more valuable +than anything else in the world. + +The next parable, in the forty-fifth and forty-sixth verses of the +same chapter, is about The Pearl of Great Price. This teaches the +same lesson. It reads thus:--"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a +merchantman seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl +of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it." By this +"pearl of great price" Jesus meant true religion, as he did by the +treasure hid in the field in the former parable. And the truth he +teaches in both these parables is that religion is more important to +us than anything else in the world. Let us look at some incidents +that may help to illustrate for us the value of religion. + +"Jesus Makes Everything Right." A poor lame boy became a Christian, +and in telling what effect this change had upon him, these are the +words he used to a person who was visiting him: "Once every thing +went wrong at our house; father was wrong, mother was wrong, sister +was wrong, and I was wrong; but now, since I have learned to know and +love Jesus it is all right. I know why everything went wrong +before:--it was because I was wrong myself." And this is true. The +first thing that religion does for us is to make us _be_ right +ourselves, and then to _do_ right to others. + +"Be." A young lady had been trying to do something very good, but had +not succeeded. Her mother said, "Marian, my child, God gives us many +things to _do_, but we must not forget that he gives us some things +to _be_; and we must learn to _be_ what God would have us be, before +we can _do_ what God would have us do." + +"O dear mother, please tell me about _being_, and then I shall know +better about doing." + +"Well, listen my child, while I remind you of some of the Bible be's: +God says: + +"_Be_--ye kindly affectioned one to another." + +"_Be_--ye also patient." + +"_Be_--ye thankful." + +"_Be_--ye children in malice." + +"_Be_--ye therefore perfect." + +"_Be_--courteous." + +"_Be_--not wise in your own conceits." + +"_Be_--not overcome of evil." + +"Thank you, dear mother," said Marian. "I hope I shall have a better +day to-morrow; for I see now that _doing_ grows out of _being_." + +This is a point worth dwelling on, and so I will introduce to your +notice here: + +A SWARM OF BEES WORTH HIVING. + + "Be patient, Be prayerful, Be humble, Be mild, + Be wise as a Solon, Be meek as a child. + + "Be studious, Be thoughtful, Be loving, Be kind, + Be sure you make matter subservient to mind. + + "Be cautious, Be prudent, Be trustful, Be true, + Be courteous to all men, Be friendly with few. + + "Be temperate in argument, pleasure and wine, + Be careful of conduct, of money, of time. + + "Be cheerful, Be grateful, Be hopeful, Be firm, + Be peaceful, benevolent, willing to learn; + + "Be courageous, Be gentle Be liberal, Be just, + Be aspiring, Be humble, because you are dust. + + "Be penitent, circumspect, sound in the faith, + Be active, devoted; Be faithful to death. + + "Be honest, Be holy, transparent and pure; + Be dependent, Be Christ-like and you'll be secure." + +Here is a swarm of between forty and fifty bees. The religion of +Jesus will help us to make these all our own. How great then must the +value of religion be! Surely it is worth while for each of us to try +and secure it! + +I think I never saw a better view of the value of religion than is +seen in the following statement of what it does for us. I know not by +whom it was written, but it is put in the form of that sacred sign to +which we owe all the blessings of salvation--the sign of + +THE CROSS. + + "Blest they who seek + While in their youth, + With spirit meek, + The way of truth. + To them the sacred scriptures now display + Christ as the only true and living way; + His precious blood on Calvary was given + To make them heirs of endless bliss in Heaven. + And e'en on earth the child of God can trace + The glorious blessings of the Saviour's grace. + For them He bore + His Father's frown; + For them He wore + The thorny Crown; + Nailed to the Cross, + Endured its pain, + That his life's loss + Might be their gain. + Then haste to choose + That better part, + Nor dare refuse + The Lord thy heart, + Lest he declare,-- + 'I know you not,' + And deep despair + Should be your lot. + Now look to Jesus, who on Calvary died, + And trust on him who there was crucified." + +"Leaving it All with Jesus." Annie W ... was a young Christian. In +her fourteenth year she was taken with a severe illness, from which +the doctor said she could not recover. When she became too weak to +leave the sofa, she would send for one and another of the neighbors +to come in to see her, and then she would speak to them of Jesus and +his great salvation. One day a poor old woman who was not a +Christian, came in to see her. + +"You are very ill, my dear," she said to Annie. + +"Yes," she replied, "but I shall soon be well." + +The poor woman shook her head as she looked at Annie's mother, +saying, "Poor dear creature; she cannot possibly get well. No: she +will never get over it." Then turning to Annie, she said: + +"Don't you know, my dear, that you are going to die?" + +"I know I am going to live," she said with a sweet smile. "I shall +soon be with Jesus in heaven, and live forever with him." + +"Oh, how can you know that, my dear? We must not be _too_ sure you +know," said the poor woman. + +"Oh," said Annie, pointing to a card hanging on the wall, near her +bed, on which was printed in large letters the hymn headed--"I leave +it all with Jesus." "That's what I do! That's what I do." These are +the words of the hymn which gave that dear child so much comfort on +her dying bed: + + "I leave it all with Jesus, + Then wherefore should I fear? + I leave it all with Jesus, + And he is ever near. + + "I leave it all with Jesus, + Trust him for what must be; + I leave it all with Jesus, + Who ever thinks of me. + + "I bring it all to Jesus, + In calm, believing prayer; + I bring it all to Jesus, + And I love to LEAVE it there! + + "Each tear, each sigh, each trouble, + Each disappointment,--all + I love to GIVE to Jesus, + Who loves to TAKE them all." + +And here we have a beautiful illustration of one of the things which +Jesus taught us in his parables, namely--_the value of religion_. + +_Another thing we are taught in these parables is_--CHRIST'S LOVE FOR +SINNERS. + +The parable of the lost sheep teaches us this truth: but as we had +occasion to speak of this in our last chapter, when illustrating the +tenderness of Christ, as the Great Teacher, we may let that pass now. +But the parable of the lost piece of money teaches the same lesson. +We have this parable in St. Luke xv: 8th and 9th verses. Here we are +told of a woman who had ten pieces of silver, and lost one of them. +Then she laid the others aside, and searched diligently for the lost +piece till she found it. This woman represents Jesus. The lost piece +of money represents our souls lost by sin. The efforts of the woman +to find the lost piece represent what Jesus did, when he left heaven, +and took our nature upon him, and came as "the Son of man to _seek +and to save that which was lost_." And it was the love of Jesus for +poor sinners which led him to do all this for us. And everything +connected with the history of Jesus when he was on earth shows the +greatness of his love. Think of Bethlehem and its manger; there we +see the love of Jesus. Think of Gethsemane with its bloody sweat; +there we see the love of Jesus. Think of Calvary with its cross of +shame and agony; for _there_ we see the love of Jesus. + +And the parable of the prodigal son teaches us the same lesson. We +read of this in the same chapter, St. Luke xv: 11-32. This son had +been disobedient and ungrateful. He had taken the money his father +gave him and had gone away and spent it in living very wickedly. And +when the money was all spent and he was likely to starve, he went +back to his father, hungry and ragged, and asked to be taken in. And +instead of scolding and punishing him as he deserved, as soon as his +father saw him, he ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him; and took +off his rags, and dressed him in good clothes, and made a great feast +for him. How beautifully this parable illustrates the love of Christ +for sinners! + +And when we learn to know and feel the love of Christ for us, it does +two blessed things for us. + +One is, _it makes us good_. We hear a great deal about _conversion_. +This word conversion simply means--_turning_. When a person has been +living without trying to serve or please God, and is led to see how +wrong it is to live in that way, and then feels an earnest desire to +turn around, and live differently, and really does so:--that is +conversion. The teaching or preaching of the gospel is the chief +means that God employs to convert men. And the thing about the gospel +in which this converting power lies is--_the love of Christ_. Here +is an illustration of what this means. + +"He Loved Me." An English minister of the gospel was traveling in +Switzerland one summer. As he passed from place to place, he preached +by means of an interpreter in various churches. One Sunday night he +preached from the words, "_He loved me, and gave himself for me_." +Gal. ii: 20. Then he went on his way without knowing what effect had +followed from his preaching. + +One Saturday evening, several weeks after, the minister of this +church was sitting in his study. There came a faint knock at his +door. He opened it, when, to his great surprise he saw there a young +man, who was known as the wickedest young man in that neighborhood, +and the leader of others in all sorts of wickedness. He invited him +in, gave him a seat, and asked him what he wished. Judge of his +surprise when the young man said he wished to inquire if he might +come to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, which was to be +celebrated in his church the next day! + +"But are you not aware, my young friend," said the minister, "that +only those who love Christ, and are trying to serve him, have any +right to come to that holy ordinance?" + +"I know it, sir," said the young man, "and I am thankful to feel +that I am among that number." + +"But," asked the astonished pastor, "are you not known in this +village as the ringleader in all evil doings?" + +"Alas! it is too true that it has been so," he replied, "but thank +God all is changed now." + +"I am happy indeed to hear it; but pray tell me what led to this +great change." + +"I was in your church, sir," said he, "some weeks ago, when that +English minister preached from the words, 'Who loved me and gave +himself for me,' That was the first time I ever understood about the +love of Christ. It led to my repentance and conversion; and now I +wish to show my love to Jesus by trying to serve and please him." + +Here we see how the love of Christ makes us good. + +But it _makes us happy_, as well as good. Here is a little story that +illustrates this point very well. We may call it: + +"Maggie's Secret." "Maggie Blake, how can you study so hard, and be +so provokingly good?" This question was asked by Jennie Lee, who was +one of the largest and wildest girls in the school. Maggie hesitated +a moment, whether to tell her secret or not. But, presently she +lifted up her eyes, looked her companion bravely in the face, and +said--"It's for Jesus' sake, Jennie." + +"But do you think he cares?" asked Jennie in a soft, subdued +voice,--"do you think he cares how we act?" + +"I _know_ he does," said Maggie. "And it makes it so pleasant you +see, even to study and get hard lessons, when I know he is looking at +me, and is pleased to have me working my best for him. He always +helps me to get my lessons; and then helps me to say them right. You +know I used to be so frightened I could not say them, even when I had +learned them well." + +"Yes," said Jennie, remembering very well how Maggie had changed in +that respect. + +"That was before I thought of learning them for Jesus. After that he +helped me all along. It makes me like school; and even disagreeable +things are pleasant when I think of doing them for him." + +Jennie had often watched Maggie, and wondered what made her have such +a bright, cheerful, happy look. Now she knew the secret of it. It was +doing everything "for Jesus' sake." + +She felt she would gladly give everything she had to be as happy as +Maggie. She asked Maggie to pray for her, and she began to pray for +herself. Then Jesus helped her, and she soon had Maggie's secret for +her own. The girls in school wondered at the change which had come +over Jennie. But when they heard that she had been confirmed, and had +joined the church, they understood it all. They knew she "had been +with Jesus;" and that it was learning to know and feel his wonderful +love which had made Jennie so good, and so happy. + +And so, we see that Jesus was doing a blessed thing for us when he +taught the parables which show his love for sinners. + +_A third thing taught us by some of the parables of Jesus is_--THE +DUTY OF KINDNESS. + +One day, while Jesus was on earth, a young man came to him with the +great question, what he should do to obtain eternal life. Jesus +referred him to the Ten Commandments; and reducing them to two, he +told the young man that these commandments required him to love God +with all his heart, and his neighbor as himself; and then said if he +would do this he would be saved. + +This is perfectly true. Any one would be saved who would do this. +But no one ever has done this except our blessed Lord Himself. He +"magnified the law and made it honorable" by keeping it perfectly. I +suppose that Jesus intended to give this young man some lessons about +the commandments of God which would lead him to see that he never +could keep them himself; and that he would need some one to keep them +for him, and that _this_ was the only way in which he, or any one +else could be saved. It may have been that the young man did not want +to hear any thing more on that subject, and so he gave the +conversation a different turn by asking--"who is my neighbor?" when +Jesus said he must love his neighbor as himself. And then, in answer +to this question Jesus told the parable of the "Good Samaritan." We +have this parable in St. Luke x: 30-37. + +Here we are told of a certain man who was going down from Jerusalem +to Jericho, and fell among thieves. They robbed him; and wounded him; +and left him half dead. While he was lying there helpless and +suffering, a priest and a Levite came, and looked on him, and passed +by on the other side, without giving him any help. Then we are told +that a certain Samaritan came by, and when he saw the poor wounded +man lying there, although he was a Jew, and the Jews and the +Samaritans hated each other very much, yet he pitied him, and went up +to him, and bound up his wounds, and set him on his own beast, and +carried him to an inn, and told them to take care of him, and said +that he would pay all his expenses. Then Jesus asked the question, +"Which now, of these three thinkest thou was neighbor to him that +fell among thieves? And he said, he that showed mercy on him. Then +said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise." + +Thus Jesus taught the duty of kindness. This kindness we must show, +not to our friends only, but to our enemies. _Kindness to all_ is the +duty that Jesus teaches. + +Let us look at one or two illustrations of the way in which we should +do this. + +"The Honey Shield." It is said that wasps and bees will not sting a +person whose skin is covered with honey. And so those who are exposed +to the sting of these venomous little creatures smear their hands and +faces over with honey, and this, we are told, proves the best shield +they can have to keep them from getting stung. And the honey here +very well represents the kindness which Jesus teaches us to practise. +If kindness, gentleness, and forbearance are found running through +all our words and actions, we shall have the best shield to protect +us from the spiteful stings of wicked people. + +"Androcles and the Lion." Most of those who read these pages may have +heard this story, but it illustrates the point before us so well that +I do not hesitate to use it here. + +Androcles was a Roman slave. To escape the cruel treatment of his +master he ran away. A lonely cave in the midst of the forest was his +home for a while. Returning to his cave one day he met a lion near +the mouth of the cave. He was bellowing as if in pain; and on getting +nearer to him, he found that he was suffering from a thorn which had +run into one of his paws. It was greatly swollen and inflamed, and +was causing him much pain. Androcles went up to the suffering beast. +He drew out the rankling thorn and thus relieved him of his pain. His +nature, savage as it was, felt the power of the kindness thus shown +to him. He became attached to the lonely slave, and shared his prey +with him while they remained together. + +But, after a while the retreat of Androcles was discovered. He was +taken and carried back to his master. The lion also was made a +prisoner soon after. Androcles was kept in prison for some time; and +finally, according to the custom of the Romans, he was condemned to be +devoured by wild beasts. The lion to be let loose on Androcles had +been kept a long time without food and was very hungry. When the door +of his den was opened he rushed out with a tremendous roar. The +Colosseum was crowded with spectators. They expected to see the poor +slave torn to pieces in a moment. But, to the surprise of everyone, +the great monster, hungry as he was, instead of devouring the +condemed man, crouched at his feet, and began to fondle him, as a pet +dog would do. He recognized in the poor prisoner his friend of the +forest and showed that he had not forgotten his kindness. The +kindness of Androcles had been like the honey shield to him. It saved +his life, first from the savage beast in the forest; and then from +the savage men in the city. Let us all put on this shield, and wear +it wherever we go. The lesson of kindness which Jesus teaches in +this parable, has been very well put by some one in these sweet +lines: + +THE LESSON OF KINDNESS. + + "Think kindly of the erring! + Thou knowest not the power + With which the dark temptation came + In some unguarded hour; + Thou knowest not how earnestly + They struggled, or how well, + Until the hour of weakness came, + And sadly then they fell. + + "Speak kindly to the erring! + Thou yet may'st lead him back + With holy words, and tones of love, + From misery's thorny track: + Forget not _thou_ hast often sinned + And sinful yet must be:-- + Deal kindly with the erring one + As God hath dealt with thee!" + +The duty of kindness was the third lesson Jesus taught in the +parables. + +_A fourth lesson taught us in some of the parables of Jesus is_---- +THE DUTY OF FORGIVENESS. + +The apostle Peter came to Jesus one day, and asked him how often he +ought to forgive a brother that offended him; and whether it would be +enough to forgive him _seven_ times. The answer of Jesus was, "I say +not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven." + +St. Matt. 18: 22. Then Jesus spoke the parable of the two debtors. +St. Matt. 18: 23-35. One of these owed his master ten thousand +talents. If these were talents of silver they would amount to more +than fifteen millions of dollars. If they were talents of gold, they +would amount to three hundred millions. This would show that his debt +was so great that he never could pay it. Then his master freely +forgave him. But not long after, he found one of his fellow-servants, +who owed him a hundred pence, or about fifteen dollars of our money. +The man asked him to forgive him the debt. He would not do it; but +put him in prison. When his master heard this he was very angry, and +put him in prison, where he should be punished until he had paid all +his great debt. And Jesus finished the parable by saying--"_so +likewise, shall my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye, from your +hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses_." And here +we are taught the great duty of forgiveness. And this same duty is +taught us in the Lord's Prayer, where he says--"Forgive us our +trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us." If we +use this prayer without forgiving those who injure us, then, in so +using it, we are really asking God _not_ to forgive us. And Jesus +_practised_ what he _preached_. As he hung bleeding and agonizing on +the cross, while his enemies were cruelly mocking his misery, he +looked up to heaven, and uttered that wonderful prayer--"_Father +forgive them; for they know not what they do_." Here we have the best +illustration of forgiveness that the world has ever seen. + +"Example of Forgiveness." In a school in Ireland, one boy struck +another. The offending boy was brought up to be punished, when the +injured boy begged for his pardon. The teacher asked--"Why do you +wish to keep him from being flogged?" The ready reply was--"Because I +have read in the New Testament that our Lord Jesus Christ said that +we must forgive our enemies; and therefore I forgive him, and beg +that he may not be punished for my sake." + +"Good for Evil." At the foot of a street in New York, stood an +Italian organ grinder, with his organ. A number of boys had gathered +round him, but they were more anxious to have some fun than to hear +music. One of them said to his companions: + +"See! I'll hit his hat!" + +And sure enough he did. Making up a snow ball, he threw it with so +much force that the poor man's hat was knocked into the gutter. A +gentleman standing by expected to see him get very angry, and swear +at the boy. But, very different from this was the result that +followed. The musician stopped; stepped forward and picked up his +hat. Then he turned to the rude boy, and gracefully bowing, said: + +"And now, I'll play you a tune to make you merry!" There was real +Christian forgiveness. + +"The Power of the Gospel." Years ago some carpenters moved to the +Island of New Zealand, and set up a shop for carrying on their +business. They were engaged to build a chapel at one of the Mission +Stations. One of these carpenters, a pleasant, kind-hearted man, +engaged a native Christian to dig his garden for him. When the work +was done the man went to the shop for his pay. Another of the +carpenters there, who was a very ill-tempered man, told the native to +get out of the shop. "Don't be angry," was the gentle reply; "I have +only come to have a little talk with your partner, and to get my +wages from him." "But I _am_ angry." And then taking hold of the New +Zealander by the shoulder, he abused and kicked him in the most cruel +manner. + +The native made no resistance till the carpenter ceased. Then he +jumped up, seized him by the throat, and snatching a small axe from +the bench, flourished it threateningly over his head. "Now, you see," +said he, "your life is in my hand. You see my arm is strong enough to +kill you; and my arm is quite willing, but my heart is not. I have +heard the missionaries preach the gospel of forgiveness. You owe your +life to the preaching of the gospel. If my heart was as dark now as +it was before the gospel was preached here, I should strike off your +head in an instant!" + +Then he released the carpenter without injuring him and accepted from +him a blanket as an apology for the insult. How faithfully this man +was practising the duty of forgiveness which Jesus taught! + +_The only other thing of which we shall now speak, as taught by our +Saviour in the parables, is_--THE INFLUENCE OF GOOD EXAMPLE. + +The parable which teaches this lesson is that of the lighted candle. +It is one of the shortest of our Lord's parables, and yet the truth +it teaches is very important. We first find this parable in the +sermon on the mount. These are the words in which it is given: +"Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a +candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let +your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, +and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matt, v: 15. This +parable is so important that we find it repeated in three other +places. Mark iv: 21, Luke viii: 16, and xi: 33. + +We find the same idea taught by one of England's greatest writers. +Looking at a candle shining through a window, he says: + + "How far yon little candle throws its beam! + So shines a good deed in a naughty world." + +And the lesson we are here taught is that we should always set a good +example by doing what we know to be right, and then, like a candle +shining in a dark place, we shall be useful wherever we go. Let us +look at one or two incidents that illustrate this. + +"A Boy's Influence." Two families lived in one house. In each of +these families there was a little boy about the same age. These boys +slept together. One of them had a good pious mother. She had trained +him to kneel down every night, before getting into bed, and say his +prayer in an audible voice, and to repeat a text of scripture which +she had taught him. Now the first time he slept with the other little +boy, who never said any prayers, he was tempted to jump into bed, as +his companion did, without kneeling down to pray. But he was a brave +and noble boy. He said to himself--"I am not afraid to do what my +mother taught me. I am not ashamed for anybody to know that I pray to +God. I'll do as I have been taught to do." He did so. He let his +light shine. And see what followed from its shining! + +The little boy who had never been taught to pray learned his +companion's prayer, and the verse he repeated, by hearing them, and +he never forgot them. He grew up to be an earnest Christian man. When +he lay on his deathbed, quite an aged man, he sent for the friend, +whose prayer he had learned, to come and see him, and told him that +it was his little prayer, so faithfully said every night when they +were boys, which led him to become a Christian. He repeated the +prayer and the verse, word for word, and with his dying lips thanked +his friend for letting his light shine as he did, for _that_ had +saved his soul. + +Here is another illustration of a Christian letting his light shine +and the good that was done by it. We may call it: + +"The Shilling Bible, and what Came of It." Some years ago a +Christian gentleman went on a visit for three days to the house of a +rich lady who lived at the west end of London. After tea, on the +first evening of his arrival, he called one of the servants, and +telling her that in the hurry of leaving home he had forgotten to +bring a Bible with him, he requested her to ask the lady of the house +to be kind enough to lend him one. + +Now that house was beautifully furnished. There were splendid +pictures on the walls, and elegantly bound volumes in the library and +on the tables in the parlor; but there was not a Bible in the house. +The lady felt ashamed to own that she had no Bible. So she gave the +servant a shilling and told her to go to the book store round the +corner and buy a Bible. The Bible was bought and given to the +gentleman. He used it during his visit, and then went home, little +knowing how much good that shilling Bible was to do. + +When he was gone the lady at whose house he had been staying said to +herself: + +"How strange it is that an intelligent gentleman like my friend could +not bear to go for three days without reading the Bible, while I +never read it at all, and don't know what it teaches. I am curious +to know what there is in this book to make it so attractive. I mean +to begin and read it through." She began to read it at first out of +simple curiosity. But, as she went on reading she became deeply +interested in it. It showed her what a sinner she was in living +without God in the world. It led her to pray earnestly for the pardon +of her sins; and the end of it was that she became a Christian. Then +she desired that her children should know and love the Saviour too. +She prayed for them. She talked with them, and taught them the +precious truths contained in that blessed book. And the result was +that, one by one, they were all led to Jesus and became Christians. +And so _that whole family were saved by means of that shilling +Bible_. + +When that gentleman asked for the use of a Bible in the house where +he was visiting, he was setting a good example. He was putting his +candle on a candlestick and letting it shine. And the result that +followed gives us a good illustration of the meaning of our Saviour's +words when he said:--"Let your light so shine before men, that they +may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." + +And so, when we remember the parables that Jesus taught, among other +things illustrated by them, we can think of these,--_the value of +religion;--Christ's love for sinners;--the duty of kindness;--the +duty of forgiveness;--the influence of a good example_. + +I know not how to finish this subject better than in the words of the +hymn: + + "Father of mercies! in thy word, + What endless glory shines! + Forever be thy name adored + For these celestial lines. + O, may these heavenly pages be + My ever dear delight; + And still new beauties may I see, + And still increasing light." + + + + + + +CHRIST TEACHING BY MIRACLES + + + + + +We have seen how many valuable lessons our Saviour taught while on +earth by the parables which he used. But we teach by our lives, as +well as by our lips. It has passed into a proverb, and we all admit +the truth of it, that "Actions speak louder than words." If our words +and our actions contradict each other, people will believe our +actions sooner than our words. But when both agree together, then the +effect is very great. This was true with our blessed Lord. There was +an entire agreement between what he said, and what he did. His words +and his actions, the teaching of his lips, and the teaching of his +life--were in perfect harmony. He practised what he preached. + +But then, in addition to the every day common actions of the life of +Christ, there were actions in it that were very uncommon. He was +daily performing miracles, and doing many mighty and wonderful +works. And the prophets before him, and apostles after him, performed +miracles too; yet there were two things in which the miracles of +Christ differed from those performed by others. One was as to the +_number_ of them. He did a greater number of wonderful things than +anyone else ever did. Indeed if we take the miracles that were done +by Moses, by Elijah and Elisha, in the Old Testament, and those that +were done by the apostles in the New Testament and put them all +together we shall find that they would not equal, in number, the +miracles of Christ. There are between thirty and forty of the mighty +works wrought by our Saviour mentioned in the gospels. And these, as +St. John says, are only a small portion of them. Ch. xxi: 25. + +The other thing in which the miracles of Christ are different from +those performed by other persons, is _the way in which they were +done_. The prophets and apostles did their mighty works in the name +of God, or of Christ. Thus when Peter and John healed the lame man at +the gate of the temple they said:--"_In the name of Jesus Christ of +Nazareth_, rise up and walk." Acts iii: 6. But Jesus had all the +power in himself by which those wonderful things were done. He could +say to the leper,--"_I will_; be thou clean." He could say to the +sick man:--"Take up thy bed and walk." When speaking of his death and +resurrection, he could very well say that it was his own power which +would control it all. His life was in his own hands. It was true, as +he said, "No man taketh it from me; but I lay it down of myself. I +have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again." John x: +18. And it was the same with all his other mighty works. He had all +the power in himself that was needed to do them. + +And these miracles of Christ were the proofs that he was the Messiah, +the great Saviour, of whom the prophets had spoken. This was what +Nicodemus meant when he said to Jesus:--"We know that thou art a +teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou +doest, except God be with him." John iii: 2. And Jesus himself +referred to his miracles as the proof that God had sent him. John v: +36; x: 25. + +And this was what he meant by the message which he sent to John the +Baptist, when his disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Are thou he that +should come, or look we for another?" Jesus answered and said unto +them, "Go, and show John again those things which ye do hear and see; +the blind receive their sight; and the lame walk; the lepers are +cleansed; and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up; and the poor +have the gospel preached unto them." Matt, xi: 2-6. These were the +very things which the prophets had foretold that Christ would do when +he came. Is. xxix: 18. xxxv: 4-6. xlii: 7. + +It is clear from these passages that all the miracles performed by +our Lord were intended to teach this lesson, that he was the great +Saviour of whom the prophets had spoken. But then, in addition to +this, these wonderful works of Jesus were made use of by him to show +that he has power to do everything for his people that they may need +to have him do. + +It is impossible for us to speak of all the miracles of Christ. We +can only make selections from them, as we did with the parables in +the last chapter. In looking at these we may see Jesus teaching us +that he has power to do _four_ things for his people. + +_In the first place some of the miracles of Christ teach us that he +has great power to_--HELP. + +We see this in the account given us of the miraculous draught of +fishes. Luke v: 1-11. + +Peter was a fisherman before he became a disciple of Jesus. And James +and John, the sons of Zebedee, were partners with him in the same +business. On one occasion they had been busy all night throwing out +and hauling in their nets, but without catching a single fish. Early +the next morning, Jesus was walking along the shore of the lake, near +where their boats were. He knew how tired and discouraged they were, +and how much they needed help; and he wished to show them what +wonderful power he had to help in time of need. So he told them to +cast their net on the other side of the ship. They did so; and +immediately their nets were full; and they had more fish than they +could well manage. Here we are taught that even in the depths of the +sea nothing can be hid from the all-seeing eye of our divine Saviour. +He knows where everything is that his people can need; and he has the +power to bring it to them. + +And then, by his miracle of walking on the sea Jesus taught the same +lesson. We have an account of this miracle in three places. Matt, +xix: 22-33. Mark vi: 45-52. John vi: 14-21. + +At the close of a busy day, in which he had been teaching the people +and feeding them by miracle, Jesus told his disciples to go on board +a vessel and cross over to the other side of the lake. Then he sent +the multitude away, and went up into the mountain to pray to his +Father in heaven whom he loved so much. It proved to be a stormy +night. The wind was dead ahead; and the sea was very rough. The +disciples were having a hard time of it. Tired of rowing, and making +little progress, there was no prospect of their getting to land +before morning. But, dark as the night was, Jesus saw them. It is +true as David says, that--"_The darkness and the light are both alike +to thee._" Ps. cxxxix: 12. He saw they needed help and he resolved to +give it to them. But there was no boat at hand for him to go in. +True: but he needed none. He could walk on the water as well as on +the land. He steps from the sandy shore to the surface of the +storm-tossed sea. He walks safely over its troubled waters. The +disciples see him. Supposing it to be a spirit, they are alarmed, and +cry out in their fear. But presently the cheering voice of their +Master comes to them, saying: "_It is I. Be not afraid_." He steps on +board. The wind ceases, and immediately, without another stroke of +the oars, the mighty power of Jesus brings them "in safety to the +haven where they would be." Other miracles might be referred to as +teaching the same lesson. But these are sufficient. And Jesus has the +same power to help now that he had then. + +Here are some illustrations of the strange way in which he sometimes +helps his people in their times of need. + +"The Dead Raven." A poor weaver in Edinburgh lost his situation one +winter, on account of business being so dull. He begged earnestly of +his employer to let him have work; but he said it was impossible. +Well said he, "I'm sure the Lord will help." When he came home and +told his wife the sad news she was greatly distressed. He tried to +comfort her with the assurance--"The Lord will help." But as he could +get no work, their money was soon gone; and the day came at last, +when there was neither food nor fuel left in the house. The last +morsel of bread was eaten one morning at breakfast. "What shall we do +for dinner?" asked his wife. + +"The Lord will help"--was still his reply. And see how the help came. +Soon after breakfast, his wife opened the front window, to dust off +the sill. Just then a rude boy, who was passing, threw a dead raven +in through the window. It fell at the feet of the pious weaver. As +he threw the bird in, the boy cried out in mockery, "There, old +saint, is something for you to eat." The weaver took up the dead +raven, saying as he did so:--"Poor creature! you must have died of +hunger!" + +But when he felt its crop to see whether it was empty, he noticed +something hard in it. And wishing to know what had caused its death, +he took a knife and cut open its throat. How great was his +astonishment on doing this, to find a small diamond bracelet fall +into his hand! His wife gazed at it in amazement. "Didn't I tell +you," he asked, in grateful gladness, "that the Lord will help?" + +He went to the nearest jeweler's, and telling how he had found the +precious jewels, borrowed some money on them. On making inquiry about +it, it turned out that the bracelet belonged to the wife of the good +weaver's late employer. It had suddenly disappeared from her chamber. +One of the servants had been charged with stealing it, and had been +dismissed. On hearing how the bracelet had disappeared, and how +strangely it had fallen into the hands of his late worthy workman, +the gentleman was very much touched; and not only rewarded him +liberally for returning it--but took him back into his employ, and +said he should never want work again so long as he had any to give. + +How willing, and how able our glorious Saviour is to help those who +trust in him! + +"The Sailor Boy's Belief." One night there was a terrible storm at +sea. All at once a ship, which was tossing on the waves, keeled over +on her beam ends. "She'll never right again!" exclaimed the captain. +"We shall all be lost!" + +"Not at all, sir!" cried a pious sailor boy who was near the captain. +"What's to hinder it?" asked the captain. "Why you see, sir," said +the boy, "they are praying at this very moment in the Bethel ship at +Glasgow for all sailors in danger: and I feel sure that God will hear +their prayers: Now see, sir, if he don't!" + +These words were hardly out of the boy's mouth, before a great wave +struck the ship, and set her right up again. And then a shout of +praise, louder than the howling of the storm, went up to God from the +deck of that saved ship. + +And so, in the miracles that he performed, one thing that Jesus +taught was his power to help. + +_In the next place, among the miracles of Christ, we find some that +were performed in order to teach us his power to_--COMFORT. + +One day, a great multitude of people waited on Jesus from morning +till evening, to listen to his preaching. They were so anxious to +hear that even when hungry they would not go away to get food. As the +evening came on, the disciples asked their master to send the people +away to get something to eat. But Jesus told them to give the people +food. They said they had only five loaves and two fishes. Jesus told +them to make the people sit down on the grass. And when they were +seated he took the loaves and blessed, and brake them, and gave them +to the disciples, and they gave them to the people. And great as that +multitude was the supply did not fail. This was wonderful! Those +loaves were very small. They were not bigger than a good-sized roll. +The whole of the five loaves and two fishes would not have been +enough to make a meal for a dozen men. And yet they were made +sufficient to feed more than five thousand hungry people. How strange +this was! The mighty power of Jesus did it. We are not told just +_where_, in the interesting scene, this wonder-working power was put +forth. It may have been that as Jesus brake the loaves and gave the +pieces to the disciples, the part left in his hands grew out at once, +to the same size that it was before. Or the broken pieces may have +increased and multiplied while the disciples were engaged in +distributing them. It is most likely that the miracle took place in +immediate connection with Jesus himself. The power that did it was +his: and in his hands, we may suppose that the wonderful work was +done. As fast as he broke the loaves they increased, till all the +people were fed. This was indeed not _one_ miracle, but a multitude +of miracles, all performed at once. The hungry multitude ate till all +were satisfied: and yet the fragments left filled twelve baskets. +Five thousand men were fed, and then there was twelve times as much +food left as there was before they began to eat. All this was done to +satisfy that hungry crowd, and to teach them, and us, what power this +glorious Saviour has to comfort those who are in need or trouble. + +And when he healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman, as we +read in St. Matt, xii: 21-28; when he healed the lunatic child, as we +read in St. Matt, xvii: 14-21; and when he raised Lazarus from the +dead, after he had lain four days in the grave, as we read in St. +John xi: 1-54, he was working miracles to show his power to comfort +those in trouble. + +And we see him using his power still to comfort persons who are in +distress. Here are some illustrations of the way in which he does +this: + +"Shining in Every Window." A Christian lady, who spent much time in +visiting among the poor, went one day to see a poor young girl, who +was kept at home by a broken limb. Her room was on the north side of +the house. It did not look pleasant without or cheerful within. "Poor +girl!" she said to herself, "what a dreary time she must have!" On +entering her room she said: + +"I am sorry, my friend, that your room is not on the other side of +the house, where the sun could shine upon you. You never can have any +sunshine here." + +"Oh, you are mistaken," she said: "the sunshine pours in at every +window, and through every crack." + +The lady looked surprised. + +"I mean Jesus, 'the Sun of righteousness,' shines in here, and makes +everything bright to me." + +Here we see Jesus showing his power to comfort. + +"Ice in Summer." Some years ago a Christian merchant, in one of our +eastern cities, failed in business, and lost everything he had. After +talking over their affairs with his wife, who was a good Christian +woman, they concluded to move out to the west and begin life again +there. He bought some land on the wide rolling prairie, built a log +cabin, and began to cultivate his farm. In the midst of the second +summer, hard work and exposure to the sun brought on an attack of +sickness, and a raging fever set in. They were twelve miles away from +the nearest town. One of the neighbors went there and came back with +a doctor. He examined the case very carefully, and left some medicine +with them, and told them what to do. He said it was a very dangerous +attack. If they could only get some ice to apply to the burning brow +of the sick man, he thought he might get over it; but, without that, +there was very little prospect of his recovery. + +As soon as the doctor was gone, the sorrowful wife gathered her +family and friends round the bedside of her sick husband, and kneeled +down with them in prayer. She told God what the doctor had said, and +prayed very earnestly that he who has the power to do everything, +would send them some ice. + +When the prayer was over, some of the neighbors whispered to each +other that the poor distressed woman must be losing her mind. "The +idea of getting ice here," they said, "when everybody knows there +isn't a bit of ice in all the country! It would be contrary to all +the laws of nature to have ice in summer." + +The wife of the sick man heard their remarks, but they did not shake +her faith in God, and in the power of prayer. Silently, but +earnestly, her heart breathed forth the cry for ice. + +As the day wore on, heavy clouds began to gather in the western sky. +They rolled in darkness over the heavens. The distant thunder was +heard to mutter. Nearer and louder it was heard. The lightning began +to flash. Presently the storm burst in its fury. It came first in +rain, and then in hail. The hail-stones came in lumps of ice as big +as eggs. They lay thick in the furrows of the field. The thankful +wife went out, and soon came in rejoicing with a bucket full of ice. +It was applied in bags to her husband's head. The fever broke, and he +was restored to life and health. + +This grateful woman never troubled herself with any questions about +whether it was a miracle or not. She only knew that she had prayed +for ice in summer, and that the ice had come. And her faith was +stronger than ever that the gracious Saviour, who did so many +miracles when he was on earth, has just the same power now to comfort +his people when they are in trouble. + +_In the third place, we see Jesus performing miracles to teach us +what power he has to_--ENCOURAGE--_his people_. + +We have an account in St. Luke xiii: 10-17, of the miracle he +performed on the woman who had "a spirit of infirmity." This means +that she was a cripple. Her body was bound down, so that she had no +power to straighten herself or to stand upright. She had been in this +condition we are told for _eighteen_ years. How hard to bear--and how +discouraging this trial must have been to her! No doctor could give +her any relief, and she had made up her mind, no doubt, that there +was no relief for her till death came. But when Jesus saw her, he +pitied her. A miracle of healing was performed upon her. He laid his +loving hand upon her bent and crippled body, and in a moment her +disease was removed. She stood straight up, and glorified God. What +encouragement that must have given to her! + +One day, when Jesus was at Capernaum, the tax-gatherers came to Peter +to get the tribute, or tax-money, that was due to the Roman +government, for himself and his master. But, it happened so that +neither of them had money enough with which to pay that tax. Peter +went into the presence of Jesus to speak to him about this matter. +But Jesus knowing what was in his mind, before Peter had time to say +anything on the subject, told him what to do. He directed him to take +his fishing-line and go to the lake, and cast in his line, and catch +the first fish that should bite; and said that in its mouth he would +find a piece of money with which he might pay the tribute that was +due for them both. + +Peter went. He threw in his line. He soon caught a fish. He looked +into the fish's mouth and lo! there was a piece of money called a +stater. It was worth about sixty cents of our money, and was just +enough to pay the tribute for two persons. How wonderful this was! If +Jesus made this piece of money in the mouth of the fish, at the time +when Peter caught it, how wonderful his _power_ must be! And if, +without making it then, he knew that _that_ one fish, the only one in +the sea, probably, that had such a piece of money in its mouth, would +be the first to bite at Peter's line, then how wonderful his +_knowledge_ must be! + +Peter would not be likely to forget that day's fishing as long as he +lived. And when he thought of the illustration it afforded of the +wonderful power and the wonderful knowledge of the master whom he was +serving, what encouragement that would give him in his work! + +And Jesus is constantly doing things to encourage those who are +trying to serve him. + +Let us look at some of the ways in which this is done. Our first +illustration is from the life of Washington Allston, the great +American painter. We may call it: + +"Praying for Bread." Many years ago Mr. Allston was considered one of +the greatest artists in this country. At the time to which our story +refers, he was living in London. Then he was so poor that he and his +wife had not a morsel of bread to eat; nor a penny left with which to +buy any. In great discouragement he went into his studio, locked the +door, and throwing himself on his knees, he told the Lord his +trouble, and prayed earnestly for relief. + +While he was still upon his knees, a knock was heard at the door. He +arose and opened the door. A stranger stood there. + +"I wish to see Mr. Allston," said he. + +"I am Mr. Allston," replied Mr. A. + +"Pray tell me, sir, who has purchased your fine painting of the +'Angel Uriel,' which won the prize at the exhibition of the Royal +Academy?" + +"That painting has not been sold," said Mr. A. + +"Where is it to be found?" + +"In this very room," said the artist, bringing a painting from the +corner, and wiping off the dust. + +"What is the price of it?" asked the gentleman. + +"I have done fixing a price on it," said Mr. A., "for I have always +asked more than people were willing to give." + +"Will four hundred pounds be enough for it?" was the next question. + +"That is more than I ever asked." + +"Then the painting is mine," said the stranger, who introduced +himself as the Marquis of Stafford; and from that day he became one +of Mr. Allston's warmest friends. + +What a lesson of encouragement the great painter learned that day, +when he asked for bread, and while he was asking, received help that +followed him all his days! + +"The Hushed Tempest." A minister of the gospel in Canada gives this +account of a lesson of encouragement to trust God in trouble, which +he once received. + +"It was in the year 1853, about the middle of the winter that we had +a succession of snowstorms, followed by high winds, and severe cold. +I was getting ready to haul my supply of wood for the rest of the +winter. I had engaged a man to go out the day before and cut the wood +and have it ready to haul. I borrowed a sled and two horses from a +neighbor and started early in the morning to haul the wood. Just as I +reached the place, it began to snow hard. The wind blew such a gale +that it was impossible to go on with the work. What was I to do? If +it kept on snowing, I knew the roads would be impassable by the next +day. Besides, that was the only day on which I could get the help of +the man or the team. Unless I secured the wood that day it would not +be in my power to get the fuel we needed for the rest of the winter. +I thought of that sweet promise, 'Call on me, in the day of trouble, +and I will deliver thee,' Ps. i: 15. + +"I kneeled down amid the drifting snow, and said, 'O, my God, this is +a day of trouble to me. Lord help me. The elements are subject to thy +will: Thou holdest the winds in thy hands. If thou wilt speak the +word, there will be a great calm. O Lord, for the sake of my helpless +little ones, let this snow lie still, and give me the opportunity of +doing what I came to do, and what it is so necessary to do to-day, +for Jesus' sake. Amen!' + +"I do not think it was more than fifteen minutes from the time I +began to pray, before there was a visible change. The wind became +more moderate; the sky was calm; in less than half an hour all was +still; and a more pleasant time for wood-hauling than we had that day +I never saw, nor desire to see. While I live, I never shall forget +the lesson of encouragement to trust in God that was taught me on +that day." And this was one of the lessons Jesus taught us by his +miracles. + +_In the fourth place, among the miracles of Jesus we see some that +were intended to teach us his power to_--PROTECT--_his people_. + +And there is no lesson that we more need to be taught than this; +because we are exposed to many dangers, from which we are too weak +to protect ourselves. + +One day, Jesus went into the house of the apostle Peter, and found +the family in great distress, because the mother of Peter's wife was +very ill and in danger of dying. We judge from the history that she +was the head of the family. Her death would have been a great loss to +them all, and yet it seemed as if no human power could protect them +from that loss. But Jesus performed a miracle to save them from this +threatened danger. He went into the room where she lay. He put his +healing hands upon her, and at once she was well. Immediately she +rose up from that sick bed, and took her place in the family and +waited on Jesus. + +On another occasion he was crossing the sea of Galilee with his +disciples. Weary with the work of love in which he had been engaged, +he laid down in the hinder part of the ship and fell asleep. While he +was lying there a sudden storm burst upon the sea. The wind howled in +its fury. The angry waves rose in their might and dashed against the +vessel in hissing foam. The ship was full of water, and in danger of +sinking. The terrified disciples came to their sleeping Master with +the earnest cry:--"Lord save us: we perish." He heard their cry. He +rose at once. Quietly he took his stand by the side of the +storm-tossed vessel. He rebuked the winds, and said unto the sea:--" +Peace: be still." They recognized their Master's voice and obeyed. +"The wind ceased, and immediately there was a great calm." + +As long as those disciples lived they never would forget the lesson +he taught them by that miracle of his power to protect in danger. + +And then many of the miracles of our Saviour were performed for the +purpose of showing what power he had to protect his people from +Satan, and the evil spirits that serve him. It pleased God to allow +these evil spirits to have more power over men during the time when +Jesus was on earth than they had before, or than they have now. We +often read in the gospels of men who were "possessed of devils." This +means that the evil spirits entered into the bodies of these men, and +used them as their own; just as you, or I, might go into an empty +house, and use it as if it belonged to us. But Jesus performed a +number of miracles to show that he was able to control those spirits; +to cast them out of the bodies of men and to protect his people from +their power. We have an account of one of these miracles in St. Matt, +viii: 28, 34; of another in St. Mark v: 1-20; and of another in St. +Luke viii: 26-39. + +The Bible speaks of Satan "going about, like a roaring lion, seeking +whom he may devour." I. Peter v: 8. But he is a chained lion: and +Jesus holds the chain. If we are trying to love and serve Jesus, we +need not be afraid of this roaring lion. He cannot touch us till our +Saviour gives him permission; and he will not let him hurt us. We see +this illustrated in Job's case. Satan wanted very much to injure Job +in some way. But he could not do it. And the reason of it was, as he +said himself, that God had "put an hedge about him, and about his +house, and about all that he had on every side." Job i: 10. This +hedge, or fence, means the power which Jesus exercises to protect his +people from the harm that Satan desires to do to them. In this way he +protected Job. And in this way he protects all who love and serve +him. + +Let us take an illustration or two to show how he is doing this +continually. + +"Providential Deliverance." One of the best men, and one of the most +useful ministers in London, during the last century, was the Rev. +John Newton. Before entering the ministry he held an office under +the government. One of the duties of this office was for him to visit +and inspect the vessels of the navy as they lay at anchor in the +river Thames. One day he was going out to visit a man-of-war that lay +there. He was a very punctual man. When he had an engagement he was +always ready at the very moment. But when he reached the dock on this +occasion the boat which was to take him off to the man-of-war was not +there. He was obliged to wait five, ten, fifteen minutes before the +boat came. This displeased him very much. But the hand of God was in +this delay. For, just as the boat was leaving the dock, a spark fell +into the powder magazine on board the man-of-war. An explosion took +place. The huge vessel was blown to pieces, and all the men on board +of her were killed. That delay of a quarter of an hour saved Mr. +Newton's life. In this way that gracious Saviour whom he served +protected him from the danger to which he was exposed. + +"Willie's Heroism." One summer afternoon a teacher told her geography +class that they might close their books and rest a little, while she +told them a story. The story was about William Tell, the famous hero +of Switzerland. She told the scholars how a wicked governor placed an +apple on the head of Tell's little boy and then compelled the father +to take his bow and arrow and shoot the apple from the head of his +son. He was very unwilling to do it, for he was afraid the arrow +might miss and kill his child. But the brave boy stood firm, and +cried out--"Shoot, father! I am not afraid." He took a steady aim; +fired, and knocked the apple off without hurting his son. + +Just as the teacher was telling this story a sudden storm burst from +the sky. There was a flash of lightning, and a loud crash of thunder. +Some of the children screamed, and began to cry and ran to the +teacher for protection. But a little boy named Willie Hawthorne, kept +his seat and went on quietly studying his lesson. + +When the storm was over the teacher said: + +"Willie why were you not afraid like the other children?" + +"Because," said he, "I knew the lightning was only an arrow in my +Heavenly Father's hand, and why should I be afraid?" + +How well Willie had learned the lesson which Jesus taught his +disciples when he performed so many miracles to show what power he +has to protect his people from danger! + +Here is just one other story to illustrate this truth. We may call +it: + +"The Widow's Tree," Some years ago a violent storm, with wind and +thunder, swept through the valley of Yellow Creek, in Indiana County, +Georgia. For more than a mile in width trees were uprooted, houses, +barns, and fences were thrown down, and ruin and desolation was +spread all over the land. + +In the centre of the region over which this hurricane swept stood a +small cabin. It was occupied by an aged Christian widow, with her +only son. The terrible wind struck a large tree in front of her +humble dwelling, twisting and dashing it about. If the tree should +fall it would crush her home, and probably kill herself and son. The +storm howled and raged, and the big trees were falling on every hand. +In the midst of all the danger the widow knelt in prayer, and asked +God to spare that tree, and protect her home, and save her own life, +and that of her son. Her prayer was heard. And when the storm was +over, the widow's tree was spared, and strange as it may seem, was +the only one left amidst that scene of desolation. There it stood, +as if on purpose to show what power our loving Saviour has to protect +from danger those who trust in him! + +_But, in the last place, we see that Jesus performed some of his +miracles for the purpose of teaching us that he has power +to_--PARDON. + +A man was brought him, one day, who was sick of the palsy. His limbs +were helpless. He was not able to come to Jesus himself, so his +friends carried him on a bed. At this time Jesus was preaching in the +yard, or court, connected with some rich man's house. In those +eastern countries the houses were not built as ours are, with a yard +back of them. There is a square yard in the centre, and the house is +built round the four sides of this square. This open space is +generally used as a garden. It has a fountain playing in it, and a +covering of cloth or mats spread over it to keep off the sun. It was +in one of these open courts that Jesus was preaching on this +occasion. A great crowd had gathered round him, so that the friends +of the palsied man could not get near him with the bed on which the +sufferer lay. Then they concluded to carry him up to the top of the +house, and lower him down inside. This would not be easy to do with +us. But the eastern houses are not so high as ours. And then they +have flat roofs, and a flight of steps leading from the ground, on +the outside, to the top of the house. This made it very easy to get +up. When they were on the roof they removed the covering from the +inner court, and let down the bed, with the sick man on it, directly +in front of our Saviour. When he saw him he pitied him, and said, +"Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." The people were +surprised at this. The Pharisees said among themselves "This man +blasphemeth." Jesus knew their thoughts and told them it was as easy +for him to heal the souls of men, as it was to heal their bodies. And +then, to show them that he had power on earth to forgive sins, he +said to the sick man--"Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine +house. And he arose, and went to his house," Matt, ix: 1-8. Certainly +the object Jesus had in view, in performing this miracle, was to +prove that he had power to forgive sins; or to pardon. + +And when he healed the leper it was to teach us the same great truth. +This disease was not only like all other diseases, the result of sin; +but, unlike most other diseases, it was a type, or figure of sin. It +affected the body as sin affects the soul. And then, leprosy was a +disease which none but God could cure; just as sin is an offence +which none but God our Saviour can pardon. And so Jesus performed the +miracle of healing the palsied man and the lepers in order to teach +his disciples the great lesson that he "had power on earth to forgive +sins." + +And he has the same power still. Here are some illustrations of the +way in which he exercises this power now. + +"No Pardon but From Jesus," There was a heathen man in India once, +who felt that he was a sinner, and longed to obtain pardon. The +priests had sent him to their most famous temples, all over the +country, but he could get no pardon, and find no peace. He had fasted +till he was about worn to a skeleton, and had done many painful +things--but pardon and peace he could not find. At last he was told +to put pebbles in his shoes and travel to a distant temple, and make +an offering there; and he would find peace. He went. He made the +offering; but still he found no relief from the burden of his sins. + +Sad, and sorrowful, he was returning home with the pebbles still in +his shoes. Wearied with his journey, he halted one day in the shade +of a grove, by the wayside, where a company of people was gathered +round a stranger who was addressing them. It was a Christian +missionary preaching the gospel. The heathen listened with great +interest. The missionary was preaching from the words:--"The blood of +Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." He showed what power Jesus had +to forgive sins and how able and willing he is to save all who come +unto him. The heart of the poor heathen was drawn to this loving and +glorious Saviour. He took off his shoes and threw away the pebbles, +saying "This is the Saviour I have long sought in vain. Thank God! I +have found salvation!" + +Here is one more illustration of the way in which Jesus pardons our +sins, and of the effect which that pardon has on those who receive +it. We may call it: + +"Pardon and Peace." An officer who held a high position under the +government of his country, and was a favorite with the king, was once +brought before the judge and charged with a great crime. He took his +place at the bar with the greatest coolness, and looked at the judge +and jury and the great crowd of spectators as calmly as if he were +at home, surrounded by his own family. + +The trial began. The witnesses were called up, and gave clear +evidence that he was guilty. Still he remained as calm and unmoved as +ever. There was not the least sign of fear visible on his +countenance; on the contrary, his face wore a pleasant smile. + +At last the jury came in, and while the crowd in the court-room held +their breath, declared that the prisoner was guilty. In an instant +every eye was turned upon the prisoner to see what effect this +sentence would have upon him. But just then, he put his hand in his +bosom, drew out a paper, and laid it on the table. It was a pardon, a +full, free pardon of all his offences, given him by the king, and +sealed with the royal signet. This was the secret of his peace. This +was what gave him such calmness and confidence in his dreadful +position as a condemned prisoner. + +And so Jesus gives his people pardon in such promises as these: +"Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow: though +they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool," Is. i: 16. "Let +them return unto the Lord, for he will _abundantly pardon_." Is. lv: +7. "All that believe are justified from _all_ things." Acts xiii: +39. These promises are like the king's pardon which the officer had +received. Faith in these promises brings pardon, and the pardon +brings peace. And so, by what he is doing now, as well as by the +miracles he performed when on earth, we are taught the precious +truth, that--"The Son of man hath power to forgive sins." + +Then when we think of the wonderful miracles that Jesus did, let us +always remember the illustrations they afford of the power he had to +_help_--_to comfort_--_to encourage_--_to protect_--_and to pardon_. + +Let us seek to secure all these blessings to ourselves, and then we +shall find that what Jesus taught by his miracles will be very +profitable teaching to us! + + + + + + +CHRIST TEACHING LIBERALITY + + + + + +If we should attempt to mention all the parables which Jesus spoke, +and the miracles which he performed, and the many other lessons which +he taught, it would make a long list. As we have done before we can +only take one or two specimens of these general lessons which Jesus +taught. + +We have one of these in the title to our present chapter, which +is--_Christ Teaching Liberality_. This was a very important lesson +for Jesus to teach. One of the sad effects of sin upon our nature is +to make it selfish, and covetous. We are tempted to love money more +than we ought to do. We are not so willing to part with it as we +should be. And we never can be good and true Christians unless we +overcome the selfishness of our sinful hearts, and not only learn to +give, but to give liberally. The Bible teaches us that God not only +expects his people to give, but, as St. Paul says, in one place, to +give "_cheerfully_." II. Cor. ix: 7. + +And this is the lesson Jesus taught when he said to his +disciples,--"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, +pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give +into your bosoms." St. Luke vi: 38. + +And when we come to consider these words of Jesus, there are three +things to engage our attention. _The first of these is the_--LESSON +OF LIBERALITY--_here set before us_. + +_The second is_--THE PROOF--_that this lesson is taught all through +the Bible_. + +_And the third is_--THE ILLUSTRATIONS--_of this lesson_. + +And then, when put into its shortest form, our present subject may be +thus expressed--_the lesson of liberality; its proofs; and its +illustrations_. + +And the lesson which Jesus here taught is all wrapped up in this +little word--"_Give_." Here we learn what the will of Jesus is on +this subject. This is not simply the expression of his opinion. It is +not merely his advice; no, but it is his _command_. He is speaking +here as our Master--our King--our God. He _commands_ us to--give. +And when we remember how he said to his disciples, "If ye love me, +_keep my commandments_," we see plainly, that we have no right to +consider ourselves as his disciples if we are neglecting this or any +other of his plain commands. + +And this command about giving is not intended for any _one_ class of +persons among the followers of Christ, but for _all_ of them. It is +not a command designed for kings, or princes, or rich men only, but +for the poor as well. It is not a command for grown persons alone, +but for children also. As soon as we begin to _get_, God expects us +to begin to _give_. + +Jesus says nothing here about _how much_ he expects us to give. But, +from other places in the Bible, we learn that he expects us to give +_at least one-tenth_ of all that we have. If we have a thousand +dollars he expects us to give one hundred out of the thousand. If we +have a hundred he expects us to give ten. If we have ten dollars we +must give one of them to God. If we have only one dollar we must give +ten cents of it to Him. If we have but ten cents we must give one of +them. If we have no money to give, God expects us to give kind words, +and kind actions, our sympathy and love. + +Jesus does not tell us here _how often_ we are to give, but +simply--give. This means that we are to learn the lesson and form the +habit of giving. His command is--give. And in giving us this command +he is only asking us to imitate his own example. _He is giving all +the time_. The apostle Paul tells us that Jesus is "exalted to the +right hand of the Father to--give." He never tires of giving. "He +giveth to all life, breath, and all things." And if we have not the +Spirit of Christ in this respect, "we are none of his." + +This, then, is the lesson of liberality that Jesus taught when he +said--"give." And that _giving is God's rule for getting_ is what we +are taught by our Saviour, when he said--"_Give, and it shall be +given unto you_." + +And now, having seen what this lesson of liberality is, which Jesus +taught, _let us look at some of the Scripture proofs of it_. The same +lesson is taught in other places in the Bible. Let us see what is +said about it in some of these places. + +In Ps. xli: 1 David says--"Blessed is he that considereth the poor: +the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble." Considering the poor +here, means being kind to them, and giving them such things as they +need. And the blessing promised to those who do this means that God +will reward them by giving to them good things in great abundance. +And, if this is so, then we have proof here that "giving is God's +rule for getting." + +We have another proof that "giving is God's rule for getting," in +Prov. iii: 9, 10. Here Solomon says--"Honor the Lord with thy +substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: So shall +thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with +new wine." + +When the Jewish farmers gathered in their harvests they were required +to make an offering to God, of what had been gathered, before they +used any part of it for themselves; and the offerings thus made were +called "the first-fruits." God considered himself honored by his +people when they did this, because they were keeping his commandments +and doing what he wished them to do. And the meaning of this command, +when we apply it to ourselves, is that we should give something to +the cause of God from all the money, or property we have, and from +all the gain, or increase that we make to the same. This is the Bible +rule--the will or command of God for all his people. And then, in +the other part of this passage we have the promise of God to all who +do this. "So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses +shall burst out with new wine." + +This means that they shall be rich and prosperous. And so we see that +this passage from the book of Proverbs, teaches the same lesson of +liberality that our Saviour taught when he said--"_Give and it shall +be given unto you_." It proves that "giving is God's rule for +getting." + +And Solomon teaches the same, again, when he says, "The liberal soul +shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also +himself." Prov. xi: 25. + +A "liberal soul" means a person who is in the habit of giving; and to +be "made fat" means to be prospered and happy. If you undertake to +water a garden, you are _giving_ to the thirsty plants that which +they need to make them grow and thrive; and when it is promised that +the person who does this shall "be watered also himself," the meaning +is that he shall have given to him all that is most important to +supply his wants, and make him happy. And this, we see, is only +teaching what our Saviour taught when he said, "Give, and it shall be +given unto you." It furnishes us with another proof that "giving is +God's rule for getting." + +In the nineteenth chapter of Proverbs and seventeenth verse we have a +very clear proof of the lesson we are now considering. Here we find +it said: "_He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord; +and that which he hath given will he pay him again_." Having pity on +the poor, as here spoken of, means giving them such things as they +need. Whatever we use in this way God looks upon as so much money +lent unto him; and we have his solemn promise that when we lend +anything to him, in this way, "He will pay us again." And when he +pays again what has been lent to him, it is always with interest. He +pays back four, or five, or ten times as much as was lent: to him. +This proves that "giving is God's rule for getting." + +One other passage is all that need be referred to in order to prove +that the lesson of liberality which our Saviour taught is the same +lesson which the Bible teaches everywhere. In Eccles. xi: 1, God +says, "_Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after +many days_." + +If we should see a man standing on the end of a wharf and throwing +bread upon the waters, we should think that he was a foolish man, +who was wasting his bread, or only feeding the fishes with it. But +suppose that you and I were travelling through Egypt--the land of the +celebrated pyramids and other great wonders. The famous river Nile is +there. During our visit the inundation of that river takes place. It +overflows its banks, and spreads its water over all the level plains +that border on the river. This takes place every year. And when the +fields are all overflowed with water, the farmers go out in boats, +and scatter their grain over the surface of the water. The grain +sinks to the bottom. The sediment in the water settles down on the +grain, and covers it with mud. By and by the waters flow back into +the river. The fields become dry. The grain springs up and grows. The +mud that covered it is like rich manure, and makes it grow very +plentifully, and yield a rich harvest. And here we see the meaning of +this passage. God makes use of this Egyptian custom to teach us the +lesson of liberality that we are now considering. He tells us that +the money which we give to the poor, or use to do good with, is like +the grain which the Egyptian farmer casts upon the water, and which +will surely yield a rich harvest by and by. + +This teaches us the lesson of liberality. And when we think of all +these passages, we see very clearly that the Bible teaches the same +lesson which Jesus taught when he said to his disciples, "Give, and +it shall be given unto you." And what we learn, both from the +teaching of Christ, and from the different passages referred to, +is--that "giving is God's rule for getting." + +And now, having seen some of the Bible, proofs for this lesson of +liberality, or for this rule about giving and getting, _let us go on +to speak of some of the illustrations of this rule_. These are very +numerous. + +And we may draw our illustrations from three sources, viz.:--_from +the Bible; from nature; and from everyday life_. + +There are two illustrations of which we may speak from the Bible. We +find one of these in the history of the prophet Elijah. You remember +that there was a great famine in the land of Israel during the +lifetime of this prophet. For more than three years there was not a +drop of rain all through the land. The fields, the vineyards, and +gardens dried up, and withered, and yielded no fruit. During the +first part of the time when this famine was prevailing, God sent +Elijah to "the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan," I. Kings xvii: +7-17. There the ravens brought him food, and he drank of the water of +the brook. + +But after awhile the brook dried up. Then God told him to go to the +city of Zarephath, or Sarepta, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, +and that he had commanded a widow woman there to sustain him. He did +not tell him the name of the woman; nor the street she lived in; nor +the number of her house. Elijah went. When he came near the place he +met a woman, picking up some sticks of wood. I suppose God told him +that this was the woman he was to stay with. Elijah spoke to her, and +asked her if she would please give him a drink of water. When she was +going to get it, he called to her again, and said he was hungry, and +asked her to bring him a piece of bread. Then she told him that there +was not a morsel of bread in her house. All she had in the world was +a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse, and that +she was gathering a few sticks, that she might go and bake the last +cake for herself and her son, that they might eat it and die. And +Elijah said, "Fear not; go, and do as thou hast said; but make me +thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make +for thee, and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, +The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil +fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth." + +This was a hard thing to ask a mother to do. It was asking her to +take the last morsel of bread she had, and that she needed for +herself and for her hungry boy, and give it to a stranger. Yet she +did it; because she believed God. I seem to see her turning the meal +barrel up, to get the meal all out. Then she pours out the oil from +the cruse, and drains out the last drop. She mixes the meal and the +olive oil together, as is the custom in that country still, and makes +a cake which can soon be baked. She takes it to the man of God, who +eats it thankfully, and is refreshed. Then she returns to the empty +barrel and cruse, and finds as much in them as she had lately taken +out. She prepares some bread for herself and her son, and they eat it +thankfully as bread sent from heaven. The next day it is the same, +and the day after, and so on through all the days of the famine. We +are not told how long it was after Elijah went to the widow's house +before the days of the famine were over. But suppose we make a +calculation about it. The famine lasted for three years. Now let us +suppose, that the first half of this time was spent by the prophet at +the brook Cherith. Then his stay at the widow's house must have been +at least eighteen months. And, if this miracle of increasing the meal +and the oil was repeated only once a day, there would be for the +first twelve months, or for the year, three hundred and sixty-five +miracles; and for the six months, or the half year, one hundred and +eighty-two more; and adding these together we have the surprising +number of _five hundred and forty-seven_ miracles, that were +performed to reward this good widow for the kindness she showed to +the prophet Elijah, when she gave him a piece of bread, and a drink +of water! What an illustration we have here of the truth we are +considering, that _giving is God's rule for getting_. + +But the best illustration of this subject to be found in the Bible is +given in our Saviour's own experience. He not only _preached_ the +lesson of liberality, but _practised_ it. He is himself the greatest +giver ever heard of. In becoming our Redeemer he showed himself the +Prince of givers. He gave--not silver and gold; not all the wealth of +the world, or of ten thousand worlds like ours; but "He gave +_Himself_ for us." He can say indeed, to each of us, in the language +of the hymn: + + "I gave my life for thee, + My precious blood I shed, + That thou might'st ransomed be, + And quickened from the dead." + +And what is the result of this glorious giving to Jesus himself? St. +Paul answers this question when he says, "Wherefore God also hath +highly exalted him; and given him a name which is above every name; +that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, +and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every +tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God +the Father," Phil, ii: 9-11. Because of what he gave "for us men, and +for our salvation," he will be loved and praised and honored in +heaven, on the earth, and through all the universe, above all other +beings, for ever and ever. What a glorious illustration we have here +of the truth of this statement, that "giving is God's rule for +getting." These are some of the illustrations of this lesson of +liberality that we find in the Bible. + +_And now, let us look at some illustrations of this subject, that we +have in nature_. + +Solomon suggests one of these when he says, "_There is that +scattereth, and yet increaseth_." Prov. xi: 26. He is evidently +speaking here of a farmer sowing his fields with grain. + +Now suppose that we had never seen a man sowing; and that we knew +nothing at all about the growth of grain, or how wonderfully the seed +sown in the spring is increased and multiplied when the harvest is +reaped. Then, the first time we saw a farmer sowing his fields, we +should have been ready to say, "What a foolish man that is! He is +taking that precious grain by the handful, and deliberately throwing +it away." + +Of course, we should have expected that the grain thus thrown away, +or scattered over the ground, would all be lost. But, if we could +have come back to visit that farmer when he was gathering in his +harvest, how surprised we should have been! Then we should have +learned that for every handful of grain that the farmer had +scattered, or, as we thought, thrown away, in the spring, when he was +sowing, he had gained forty or fifty handfuls when he reaped in his +harvest. Then we should have understood what Solomon meant when he +said, "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth." And we should +have here a good illustration of our Saviour's lesson of liberality, +when he said, "Give, and it shall be given unto you;" and of the +Bible truth we are now studying, that "giving is God's rule for +getting." + +Yonder is the great ocean; it is one of the grandest of nature's +works. And the ocean gives us a good illustration of the lesson of +liberality which our Saviour taught. The waters of the ocean are +spread out for thousands of miles. As the sun shines on the surface +of the ocean, it makes the water warm, and turns it into vapor, like +the steam that comes from the boiling kettle. This vapor rises into +the air, and helps to form the clouds that are floating there. These +clouds sail over the land, and pour out the water that is in them, in +refreshing and fertilizing showers of rain. This rain makes the rills +start from the sides of the mountains. The rills run down into the +rivers, and the rivers flow back into the sea again. In this way the +ocean is a great giver. It has been giving away its water for +hundreds and thousands of years, ever since the day when God made it. + +Now, let us suppose that the ocean could think, or speak; and that it +had power to control its own motions. And suppose that the ocean +should say:--"Well, I think I have been giving away water long +enough. I am going to turn over a new leaf. The sun may shine as much +as it pleases. I won't let another drop of water go out from my +surface. I am tired of giving, and I mean to stop doing it, any +longer." Let us pause for a moment here, and see what the effect of +this would be upon the ocean itself. + +We know that all the water in the ocean is salt water. But when the +sun takes water from the ocean, in the form of vapor, it is always +taken out as fresh water. It leaves the salt behind it. Then the +water on the surface of the ocean, from which this vapor has been +taken, has more salt in it than the water underneath it. This makes +it heavier than the other water. The consequence of this, is that +this heavier water, on the top of the ocean, sinks to the bottom; and +at the same time the lighter water at the bottom rises to the top. +And so a constant change is taking place all over the ocean. The +water from the top is sinking to the bottom, and the water from the +bottom is rising to the top. And this is one of the means which God +employs to keep the waters of the ocean always pure and wholesome. +But if the ocean should stop giving away its water, as it has always +been doing, then this constant change of its waters would cease. The +ocean would be left still and stagnant. It would become a great mass +of corruption; and the breezes from the ocean, that now carry health +and life to those who breathe them, would carry only disease and +death. And the thousands of people who now love the ocean and seek +its shores every summer, to get strong and well by breathing the air +that sweeps over its surface, and by bathing in its foaming surf, +would all be afraid of the ocean; and would keep as far away from its +shores as they could. And so we see how the ocean stands before us as +a grand illustration of the lesson of liberality which our Saviour +taught when he said, "Give, and it shall be given unto you." The +ocean gives away its water continually, and, in return for this, God +gives it freshness and purity, and makes it a blessing to the world. +And so the ocean illustrates the truth of the lesson we are now +studying, that "giving is God's rule for getting." + +And yonder is the great sun, shining up in the sky. We do not know as +much about the sun as we do about the ocean, because it is so far +away from us. The ocean is very near us. We can walk along its +shores, and plunge into its waters, and sail over its surface. We +can study out all about the laws that govern it, and what the effect +of those laws is upon it. But it is very different with the sun. It +is about ninety millions of miles away from us. This is too far off +for us to know much about it. And yet, we know enough about the sun +to get from it a good illustration of God's rule about giving and +getting. The sun, like the ocean, is a great giver. It is giving away +light all the time. It was made for this purpose; and for this +purpose it is preserved. If the sun should stop giving, and should +try to keep all its light and heat for itself, the effect would be +its ruin. By ceasing to give it would be burnt up and destroyed. And +so, when we see the sower sowing his seed, or the reaper gathering in +his harvest; when we look upon the ocean, and see the clouds formed +from its waters, as they go sailing through the sky; or when we see +the sun rising in the morning, going forth again to his appointed +work of giving light to a dark world; let us remember that these are +nature's illustrations of the lesson of liberality which Jesus taught +when he said, "Give, and it shall be given unto you." They all help +to show how true it is, that "giving is God's rule of getting." + +_And now we may go on to look for our illustrations of this subject +from everyday life_. + +If we are only watchful we shall meet with illustrations of this kind +continually. It would not be difficult to fill a volume with them. +Here are a few out of many that might be given. + +"The Travellers in the Snow." Two travellers were on a journey in a +sleigh during a very severe winter. It was snowing fast as they drove +along. One of the travellers was a liberal, generous-hearted man, who +believed in giving; and was always ready to share whatever he had +with others. His companion was a selfish ungenerous man. He did _not_ +believe in giving; and liked to keep whatever he had for himself. As +they drove along, they saw something covered up in the snow that +looked like the figure of a man. "Look there," said the generous man +to his friend, "that must be some poor fellow overcome by the cold. +Let's stop and see what we can do for him." + +"You can get out, if you like," was his reply, "but it's too cold for +me. I intend to stay where I am;" and he wrapped his furs closely +round him. + +The other traveller threw aside his furs and jumped out of the +sleigh. He found it was a poor man, who had sunk down in the snow a +short time before, overcome by the cold. He shook the snow from him, +and began to rub his hands and face and feet. He kept on rubbing for +a good while. At last the man began to get warm again and was saved +from death. Then the generous-hearted traveller helped him into the +sleigh, and shared his wrappings with him. The exertion he had made +in doing this kind act put him all in a glow of warmth. He made the +rest of the journey in comfort. But when they stopped at the end of +their journey, the selfish man, who was not willing to do anything +for the help of another, had his fingers, and toes, and nose, and +ears frozen. This illustrates the lesson of liberality; and shows +that "giving is God's rule for getting." + +Here we see the truth of the lines which someone has written: + + "Numb and weary on the mountain + Wouldst thou sleep amidst the snow? + Chafe the frozen form beside thee, + And together both shall glow. + Art thou stricken in life's battle? + Many wounded round thee moan; + Lavish on their wounds thy balsams, + And that balm shall heal thine own." + +"The Officer and the Soldier." In one of the terrible battles in +Virginia, during the late war, a Union officer fell wounded in front +of the Confederate breastwork, which had been attacked. His wounds +brought on a raging fever, and he lay on the ground crying piteously +for water. A kind-hearted Confederate soldier heard the touching cry, +and leaping over the fortifications, with his canteen in his hand, he +crawled up to the poor fellow and gave him a drink of water. O, what +a comfort this was to the wounded man! His heart was filled with +gratitude towards this generous and noble soldier. He pulled out his +gold watch from his pocket, and cheerfully offered it to his +benefactor; but he refused to take it. Then he asked the soldier's +name and residence. He said his name was James Moore, and that he +lived in Burke County, North Carolina. Then they parted. This noble +soldier afterwards lost a limb in one of the Virginia battles, and +returned to his home as a cripple. + +The officer recovered from his wounds; but he never forgot the +kindness of that Confederate soldier. And when the war was over, and +he was engaged in his business again, he wrote to James Moore, +telling him that he intended to send him the sum of ten thousand +dollars in four quarterly installments of twenty-five hundred +dollars each; and that he wished him to receive the same in token of +the heartfelt gratitude with which his generous kindness on the +battle-field was remembered. Certainly these were two noble men. It +is hard to tell which was the more noble of the two. But when the +crippled soldier thought of the drink of water which he gave to the +wounded officer, and of the ten thousand dollars which he received +for the same, he must have felt how true our Saviour's words were, +when he said: "Give, and it shall be given unto you." And he must +have felt sure of the lesson we are now considering, that "Giving is +God's rule for getting." + +"The Secret of Success." Some time ago a Christian gentleman was +visiting a large paper mill that belonged to a friend of his, who was +a very rich man. The owner of the mill took him all through it, and +showed him the machinery, and told him how the paper was made. When +they were through the visitor said to his friend, "I have one +question to ask you; and if you will answer it, I shall feel very +much obliged to you. I am told that you started in life very poor, +and now you are one of the richest men in this part of the country. +My question is _this_: will you please tell me the _secret_ of your +success in business?" + +"I don't know that there is any great secret about it," said his +friend, "but I will tell you all I know. I got a situation, and began +to work for my own living when I was only sixteen years old. My +wages, at first, were to be forty dollars a year, with my board and +lodging. My clothing and all my other expenses were to come out of +the forty dollars. I then made a solemn promise to the Lord that +_one-tenth_ of my wages, or four dollars out of the forty, should be +faithfully laid aside to be given to the poor, or to some religious +work. This promise I kept religiously, and after laying aside +one-tenth to give away, at the end of the year, besides meeting my +expenses, I had more than a tenth left for myself. I then made a vow +that whatever it might please God to give me, I would never give +_less_ than one-tenth of my income to him. This vow I have faithfully +kept from that day to this. If there be any secret to my +success--_this is it_. Whatever I receive during the year, I feel +sure that I am richer on nine-tenths of it, with God's blessing, than +I should be on the whole of it, without that blessing. I believe that +God has blessed me, and made my business prosper. And I am sure that +anyone who will make the trial of this secret of success, will find +it work as it has done in my case." + +This man was certainly proving the truth of our Saviour's words, when +he said--"Give, and it shall be given unto you." And his experience +shows most satisfactorily that "giving is God's rule for getting." + +"The Steamboat Captain and the Soldier." During the late war there +was a steamboat, one day, in front of a flourishing town on the Ohio +River. The captain, who had charge of her was the owner of the boat. +The steam was up; and the captain was about to start on a trip some +miles down the river with an excursion party, who had chartered the +boat for the occasion. While waiting for the party to come on board, +a poor wounded soldier came up to the captain. He said he was +suffering from severe sickness, as well as from his wounds. He had +been in the hospital. The doctor had told him he could not live long; +and he was very anxious to get home, and see his mother again, before +he died; and he wished to know if the captain would give him a +passage down the river on his boat. On hearing where his home was, +the captain said that the party who had chartered his boat were +going near that place; and he told the poor soldier that he would +gladly take him to his home. + +But, when the excursion party came on board, and saw the soldier, +with his soiled and worn clothes, and his ugly-looking wounds, they +were not willing to let him go; and asked the captain to put him +ashore. The captain told the soldier's sad story, and pleaded his +cause very earnestly. He said he would place him on the lower deck +and put a screen round his bed, so that they could not see him. But +the young people refused. They said as they had hired the boat, it +belonged to them for the day, and they were not willing to have such +a miserable-looking object on board their boat; and that if the +captain did not put him off, they would hire another boat, and he +would lose the twenty dollars they had agreed to give him for the +day's excursion. + +The good captain made one more appeal to them. He asked them to put +themselves in the poor soldier's place, and then to think how they +would like to be treated. But still they refused to let the soldier +go. Then the noble-hearted captain said: "Well, ladies and gentlemen, +whether you hire my boat or not, I intend to take this soldier home +to-day." + +The party did hire another boat. The captain lost his twenty +dollars. But, when he returned the poor dying soldier to the arms of +his loving mother, he felt that the tears of gratitude with which she +thanked him were worth more than the money he had lost. The gentle +mother dressed the wounds of her poor suffering boy; and nursed and +cared for him, as none but a mother knows how to do. But she could +not save his life. He died after a few days; and the last words he +spoke, as his loving parents stood weeping at his bedside +were--"Don't forget the good captain." And he was not forgotten. For +after the soldier's funeral was over, his father went up the river to +the town where the captain lived. He found him out. He thanked him +again for his kindness in bringing home his dying boy; and made him a +present that was worth four or five times the twenty dollars he had +lost for the hire of his boat. + +But this was not the end of it. For not long after this, the captain +and his wife were taken suddenly ill with a fatal disease that was +prevailing in that region of the country. They both died; leaving two +little orphan children, with no one to take care of them. The +soldier's father heard of it; and he went at once and asked that he +might be permitted to take the two helpless little ones and adopt +them as his own children. He took them home; and was a father and a +friend to them as long as he lived. + +How beautifully our Saviour's words--"Give, and it shall be given +unto you," are illustrated in this story! How clearly we see here, +that "Giving is God's rule for getting!" + +I have just one other illustration before closing this subject. We +may call it: + +"The Miser and the Hungry Children." In a village in England were two +little motherless girls who lived in a small cottage. Sally, the +elder, was about eight years old and her sister Mary was six. They +were very poor. Their father was a laboring man, and he found great +difficulty in supporting himself and his children. + +Once, in the midst of winter, these two little girls were left alone +all day, as their father had gone out to work. They had their +breakfast in the morning with their father, before he left. But they +had no dinner, nor anything to eat during the rest of the day. About +the middle of the afternoon, Mary said to her sister: "Sally, I'm +very hungry. Is there anything in the closet that we can get to eat?" + +"No," said Sally; "I've looked all through the closet; but there +isn't a crust of bread, or a cold potato; nor anything to eat. I wish +there was something; for I'm hungry too." + +"O, dear! what shall we do?" cried Mary; "I'm too hungry to wait till +father comes home!" + +"Mary," said her sister, "suppose we ask our Father in heaven to give +us something to eat? Let us kneel down, and say the Lord's Prayer. +When we come to that part about 'daily bread' we'll say it over three +times, and then wait, and see if God will send us some." + +Mary agreed to this. They both kneeled down, and Sally began: "Our +Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; +thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven: give us this day our +daily bread; give us this day our daily bread; give us this day our +daily bread." Then they waited quietly, to see if anything would +come. + +And now, while this was going on inside of that little cottage, let +me tell you what was taking place outside. + +Not far from this cottage lived an old man who was a miser. He had a +good deal of money, but he never gave any of it to others; and never +would spend a penny for himself, if he could possibly help it. But, +on that afternoon, he had left home to go to the baker's and buy a +loaf of bread. He got the loaf, and, as it was a stormy afternoon, he +put it under his coat before starting to walk home. Now, it happened, +that just as he was passing the cottage in which the little girls +were, a strong blast of wind blew the rain in his face, and he +stepped into the porch of the cottage and crouched down in the +corner, to shelter himself from the wind and rain. In this position +his ear was brought quite close to the keyhole of the door. He heard +what the little girls had said about being hungry. He heard their +proposal to pray to the Father in heaven to give them bread. He heard +the thrice repeated prayer--"give us this day our daily bread." And +then came the silence, when the little ones waited, and watched for +the bread. This had a strange effect on the miser. His hard, selfish +heart, which had never felt a generous feeling for anyone, warmed up, +and grew suddenly soft in tenderness towards these helpless, hungry +little ones. Tears moistened his eyes. He put his thumb on the latch +of the door. The latch was gently lifted and the door opened. He took +the loaf from under his coat and threw it into the room. The little +girls, still waiting and watching on their knees, saw the loaf go +bouncing over the floor. They jumped up on their feet, and clapped +their hands for joy. + +"O, Sally," said little Mary, "how good God is to answer our prayer +so soon! Did He send an angel from heaven to bring us this bread?" + +"I don't know who brought it," answered Sally, "but I am sure that +God sent it." + +And how about the miser? For the first time in his life he had given +to the poor. Did the promise fail which says, "Give, and it shall be +given unto you?" No; God's promises _never_ fail. He went to the +bakery and bought another loaf for himself, and then he went home +with different feelings from what he had ever had before. The warm, +soft feeling that came into his hard heart when he gave the loaf to +those children did not pass away. It grew upon him. He had found so +much pleasure in doing that one kind act that he went on and did +more. And God blessed him in doing it. He began to pray to that God +who had answered the prayer of those little girls for bread in such a +strange way. He read the Bible. He went to church. He became a +Christian; and some time after, he died a happy Christian death. But +before he died, as he was the owner of the cottage in which the +little girls lived, he gave it to their father. What a beautiful +illustration we have here of our Saviour's words--"Give, and it shall +be given unto you!" This miser gave _a loaf of bread_ to these hungry +children and God gave him _the grace that made him a Christian_! And +as we think of this we may well say that "giving _is_ God's rule for +getting." + +And thus we have considered the lesson of liberality which our +Saviour taught; the proofs of that lesson found in the Bible; and the +illustrations of it from the Bible, from nature, and from everyday +life. The three things to be remembered from this subject are _the +lesson_--_the proofs_--_the illustrations_. + +I will quote here, in finishing, three verses which teach the same +lesson that our Saviour taught when he spoke the words from which I +have tried to draw the lesson of liberality. The title at the head of +them is taken from Solomon's words in one of the passages from the +book of Proverbs, which we have already used. + +"THERE IS THAT SCATTERETH AND YET INCREASETH." + + "Is thy cruse of comfort wasting? + Rise, and share it with another; + And through all the years of famine, + It shall serve thee and thy brother. + God himself will fill thy storehouse, + Or thy handful still renew: + Scanty fare for _one_ will often + Make a royal feast for _two_. + + "For the heart grows rich in giving; + All its wealth is living grain: + Seeds which mildew in the garner, + Scattered, fill with gold the plain. + Is thy burden hard and heavy? + Do thy steps drag wearily? + Help to bear thy brother's burden,-- + God will bear both it and thee. + + "Is thy heart a well left empty? + None but God its void can fill; + Nothing but a ceaseless fountain + Can this ceaseless longing still. + Is the heart a living power? + Self-entwined its strength sinks low; + It can only live in loving, + And by serving love will grow." + + + + + + +CHRIST TEACHING HUMILITY + + + + + +During the earthly life of our blessed Saviour, we see how +everything connected with it teaches the lesson of humility. This is +pointed out in the beautiful collect in The Book of Common Prayer for +the first Sunday in Advent. Here we are taught to say:--"Almighty +God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put upon +us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which +thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in--great _humility_." + +If Jesus had come into our world as an angel, it would have been an +act of humility. If he had come as a great and mighty king, it would +have been an act of humility. But when he was born in a stable, and +cradled in a manger; when he could say of himself, "the foxes have +holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath +not where to lay his head;" when there never was an acre, or a foot +of ground that he called his own, although he made the world and all +things in it; when he sailed in a borrowed boat, and was buried in a +borrowed tomb; how well it might be said that he was teaching +humility all the days of his life on earth! Yet he did not think that +_this_ was enough. And so he gave his disciples a special lesson on +this subject. + +We have an account of this lesson in St. John xiii: 4-15. It is +taught us in these words:--"He riseth from supper, and laid aside his +garments; and took a towel and girdled himself. After that he poureth +water into a bason, and began to wash his disciples' feet, and to +wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded." Then occurs the +incident about the objection which Peter made to letting Jesus wash +his feet, and the way in which that objection was overcome. And then +the story goes on thus:--"So after he had washed their feet, and had +taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, 'Know +ye what I have done unto you? Ye call me Master, and Lord; and ye say +well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your +feet; ye ought also to wash one another's feet. For I have given you +an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.'" + +This was a very surprising scene. How astonished the angels must have +been when they looked upon it! They had known Jesus in heaven, before +he took upon him our nature, and came into this fallen world. They +had seen him in "the glory which he had with the Father, before the +world was." They had worshipped him in the midst of all that glory. +And then, when they saw him, girded with a towel and washing the feet +of poor sinful men whom he came from heaven to save, how surprising +it must have seemed to them! And when Jesus told his disciples that +his object in doing this was to set them an example, that they should +do as he had done to them, he did not mean that they should literally +make a practice of washing each other's feet; but that they should +show the same humility to others that he had shown to them, by being +willing to do anything, however humble it might be, in order to +promote their comfort and happiness. It is not the act itself, here +spoken of, that Jesus teaches us to do; but the spirit of humility in +which the act was performed that he teaches us to cultivate. We might +go through the form of washing the feet of other persons, and yet +feel proud and haughty all the time we were doing it. Then we should +not be following the example of Jesus at all. When Jesus washed his +disciples' feet, what he wished to teach them, and us, and all his +people, is how earnestly he desires us to learn this lesson of +humility. And when we think of the wondrous scene which took place on +that occasion, the one thought it should impress on our minds, above +all others is--_the importance of humility_. + +And if any one asks what is meant by humility? No better answer can +be given to this question than we find in Romans xii: 3, where St. +Paul tells us "not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to +think, but to think soberly." Pride is "thinking of ourselves more +highly than we ought to think." Humility is--_not_ "thinking of +ourselves more highly than we ought to think." And humility is the +lesson we are now to study. This is the lesson that Jesus wishes all +who love him to learn. It is easy to speak of _five_ reasons why we +should learn this lesson. + +_And the first reason for learning it is--the_ COMMAND--_of Jesus_. + +When he had finished washing his disciples' feet, he told them that +"they should do as he had done to them." This was his command to his +disciples, and to us, to learn the lesson of humility. And this is +not the only place in which Jesus taught this lesson. He gave some of +his beautiful parables to teach humility. We find one of these in St. +Luke xiv: 7-12. + +On one occasion when he saw the people all pressing forward to get +the best seats for themselves at a feast, he took the opportunity of +giving his disciples a lesson about humility. He told them, when they +were bidden to a wedding feast, not to take the highest seats; +because some more honorable person might be bidden, and when the +master of the feast came in he might say to them 'let this man have +that seat, and you go and take a lower seat'; then they would feel +mortified, and ashamed. And then he gave his disciples this command: +"When thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room," or seat; +"that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go +up higher: then shalt thou have worship"--or honor--"in the presence +of them that sit at meat with thee." Here we have Jesus repeating +his command to all his people to learn and practise the lesson of +humility. + +And then we have another of our Saviour's parables in which he taught +this same lesson of humility, and that is the parable of the Pharisee +and the Publican. We find it in St. Luke xviii: 10-15. The parable +reads thus: "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a +Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed +thus with himself, 'God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men +are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I +fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.'" Here +we have a picture of a proud man. He pretended to pray, but asked for +nothing, because he did not feel his need of anything. And so his +pretended prayer brought him no blessing. + +And then in the rest of the parable we have our Saviour's description +of a man who was learning the lesson of humility, and of the blessing +which it brought to him. + +Here is a story told by one of our missionaries of the way in which +this parable brought a heathen man to Christ. + +"That's Me." A poor Hottentot in Southern Africa lived with a Dutch +farmer, who was a good Christian man, and kept up family prayer in +his home. One day, at their family worship he read this parable. He +began, "Two men went up into the temple to pray." The poor savage, +who had been led to feel himself a sinner, and was anxious for the +salvation of his soul, looked earnestly at the reader, and whispered +to himself, "Now I'll learn how to pray." The farmer read on, "God, I +thank Thee that I am not as other men are." "No, I am not," whispered +the Hottentot, "but I'm worse." Again the farmer read, "I fast twice +in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess." "I don't do that. +I don't pray in that way. What shall I do?" said the distressed +savage. + +The good man read on till he came to the publican, "standing afar +off." "That's where I am," said the Hottentot. "Would not lift up so +much as his eyes unto heaven," read the farmer. "That's me," cried +his hearer. "But smote upon his breast saying, God be merciful to me +a sinner." "That's me; that's my prayer," cried the poor creature, +and smiting on his dark breast, he prayed for himself in the words of +the parable,--"God be merciful to me a sinner!" And he went on +offering this prayer till the loving Saviour heard and answered him, +and he went down to his house a saved and happy man. + +Thus we see how this poor man learned the lesson of humility which +Jesus taught, and how much good it did to him. + +And it is Jesus who is speaking to us and commanding us to learn this +lesson of humility, when we read, in other passages of Scripture, +such words as these:--"Put on therefore--humbleness of mind, +meekness, long-suffering." Col. iii: 12. "Humble yourself therefore +in the sight of God." James iv: 10. "Be clothed with humility." I. +Pet. v: 5. In all these places we have Jesus repeating his command to +us to learn the lesson of humility. And this command is urged thus +earnestly upon us because it is so important. + +When St. Augustine, one of the celebrated fathers of the early +Church, was asked--What is the first important thing in the Christian +religion? his reply was--"Humility." "What is the second?" +"Humility." "And what is the third?"--the reply still was--"Humility." + +And if this be true, we need not wonder that Jesus should have been +so earnest in teaching this lesson; or that he should have urged so +strongly on his disciples to learn it. + +The _command_ of Christ is the first reason why we should learn the +lesson of humility. + +_But the second reason why we should learn this lesson is, because of +the_--EXAMPLE--_of Christ_. + +There are many persons "who say and do not." There are some ministers +who preach very well, but they do not _practise_ what they preach. +Such persons may well be compared to finger-boards. They point out +the way to others, but they do not walk in it themselves. But this +was not the case with our blessed Saviour. He practised everything +that he preached. And when he gave us his command to learn this +lesson of humility, he gave us, at the same time, his example to show +us _how_ to do it. + +He was illustrating this command by his example when he washed his +disciples' feet. And this was only one out of many things in which he +set us this example. When he chose to be born of poor parents, he was +giving an example of humility. When he lived at Nazareth till he was +thirty years of age, working with his reputed father as a carpenter, +and during the latter part of the time, as is supposed, laboring for +the support of his mother, he was giving an example of humility. When +he said, "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to +minister," Matt. xx: 28; and again--"I am among you as he that +serveth," Luke xxii: 27, he was giving an example of humility. When +he borrowed an ass to make his triumphal entrance into Jerusalem; +though he could say in truth, "every beast of the forest is mine, and +the cattle upon a thousand hills;"--(Ps. 1: 10), he was setting an +example of humility. When he hid himself away from the people because +he saw that they wanted to take him by force and make him king, he +was giving a lesson of humility. When he allowed himself to be taken +prisoner, though he knew that if he had asked his Father in heaven, +he would, at once, have sent "more than twelve legions of angels" to +deliver him, he was giving an example of humility. When he kept +silence, at the bar of the high-priest, of Herod, of Pontius Pilate, +like "a lamb dumb before her shearers," while his enemies were +charging him falsely with all kinds of wickedness; when he allowed +the Roman soldiers to scourge him with rods, till his back was all +bleeding; to put a crown of thorns upon his head; to array him in a +purple robe in mockery of his being a king; to smite him with the +palms of their hands, and spit upon him; and then to nail him to the +cross, and put him to the most shameful of all deaths--as if he were +a wicked man, who did not deserve to live--he was giving the most +wonderful example of humility that ever was heard of. Jesus, the Lord +of glory hanging on the shameful cross!--O, this was an example of +humility that must have filled the angels of heaven with surprise, +and wonder! + +And when we think of all that Jesus did and suffered, to set us an +example of humility, it should make us ashamed of being proud; and +anxious, above all things, to learn this lesson which he did so much +to teach us. + +"Imitating Christ's Humility." I think I never heard of a more +beautiful instance of persons learning to imitate the humility of +Christ, than is told of some Moravian Missionaries. These good men +had heard the story of the unhappy slaves in the West Indies. Those +poor creatures were wearing out their lives in hard bondage. They had +very little comfort in this life, and no knowledge of that gracious +Saviour who alone can secure, for sinful creatures, such as we are, a +better portion in the life to come. These missionaries offered to go +out to the West Indies, and teach those slaves about Jesus, and the +great salvation that is to be found in him. But they were told that +the owners of the slaves would not let them go to school or to +church. They would not allow them to take time enough from their work +to learn anything about the salvation of their souls. There was only +one way in which those poor slaves could be taught anything about +Jesus and his love, and that was, for those who wished to teach them, +to go and be slaves on the plantations, to work, and toil, if need +be, under the lash, so that they could get right beside them and then +tell them about the way of salvation that is in Christ Jesus. This +was a hard thing to undertake. But those good missionaries said they +were willing to do it. And they not only _said_ it, but _did_ it. +They left their homes, and went to the West Indies. They worked on +the plantations as slaves. And working thus, by the side of the +slaves, they got close to their hearts. The slaves heard them. Their +hearts were touched because these teachers of the gospel had humbled +themselves to their condition. While they were teaching the commands +of Christ, they were illustrating and following his example. How +beautiful this was! How grand! How glorious! + +And yet Christ's own example was still more glorious. He laid aside +the glory of his Godhead, and came down from heaven to earth, that he +might get by our side. He laid himself beside us that we might feel +the throbbings of his bosom and the embrace of his loving arms; and +he draws us close to himself, while he whispers in our ears the sweet +words, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, +that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have +everlasting life." + +And so, when we think of the example of Christ, we should strive to +learn the lesson of humility which he taught. + +_A third reason why we should learn this lesson of humility is +because of the_--COMFORT--_that is found in it_. + +Just think for a moment what God says on this subject, in Is. lvii: +15. These are his words:--"Thus saith the high and mighty One that +inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy +place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to +revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the +contrite ones." Here, the same loving Saviour who gave us the command +to learn the lesson of humility promises to give comfort to all who +learn this lesson. And the way in which he secures this comfort to +them is by coming and dwelling in their hearts. And who can tell +what a comfort it is for a poor pardoned sinner to have Jesus--the +Lord of heaven and earth--dwelling in his heart? It is his presence +in heaven which makes those who dwell there feel so happy. This is +what David taught, when he looked up to him, and said--"In thy +presence is fulness of joy." Ps. 16: 11. And when that presence is +felt, here on earth, it gives comfort and joy, as certainly as it +does in heaven. It was the presence of Jesus which enabled Paul and +Silas to sing at midnight, for very joyfulness, in the prison at +Philippi, though their feet were fastened in the stocks, and their +backs were torn and bleeding from the cruel scourging which they had +suffered. And it was this presence of Christ in the hearts of his +people that good John Newton was speaking of, in one of his sweet +hymns, when he said: + + "While blest with a sense of his love + A palace a toy would appear; + And prisons would palaces prove, + If Jesus would dwell with me there." + +But it is only those who learn the lesson of humility that Jesus will +dwell with. He says himself, "If any man love me, he will keep my +words; and My Father will love him; and we will come unto him, and +make our abode with him." St. John xiv: 23. And among the words of +Christ which we must keep, if we wish him to dwell in our hearts, are +those in which he commands the lesson of humility. It is only the +humble with whom he will dwell. For "every one that is proud in heart +is an abomination unto the Lord." Prov. xvi: 5. + +The reason why so many people are unhappy in this world is that they +do not learn the lesson of humility. + +"Learn to Stoop." The story is told of some celebrated man--I think +it was Dr. Franklin--who had a friend visiting him on one occasion. +When the gentleman was about to leave, the doctor accompanied him to +the front door. In going through the entry there was a low beam +across it, which made it necessary to stoop, in order to avoid being +struck by it. As they approached it the doctor stooped himself, and +called out to his friend to do the same. He did not heed the caution, +and received a severe thump on his head as the result of his neglect. +In bidding him good-bye, the doctor said--"Learn to stoop, my friend; +and it will save you from many a hard knock, as you go on through +life." This illustrates the comfort which comes from learning the +lesson of humility. It is those who are unwilling to stoop; or to be +anything, or nothing, as God wants them to be, who have no comfort. + +"The Fable of the Oak and the Violet." In a large garden there grew a +fine oak tree, with its wide-spreading branches, and at its foot +there grew a sweet and modest violet. The oak one day looked down in +scorn upon the violet, and said: "You, poor little thing, will soon +be dead and withered; for you have no strength, no size, and are of +no good to anyone. But I am large and strong; I shall still live for +ages, and then I shall be made into a large ship to sail on the +ocean, or into coffins to hold the dust of princes." + +"Yes," answered the violet, in its humility, "God has given _you_ +strength, and _me_ sweetness. I offer him back my fragrance, and am +thankful. I hope to die fragrantly, as I have lived fragrantly, but +we are both only what God made us, and both where God placed us." + +Not long after the oak was struck by lightning and shivered to +splinters. Its end was to be burned. But the violet was gently +gathered by the hand of a Christian lady, who carefully pressed it, +and kept it for years, in the leaves of her Bible to refresh herself +with its fragrance. Here we see illustrated the difference between +pride and humility. + +"The Secret of Comfort." Some years ago there was a boy who had been +lame from his birth. He was a bright intelligent boy, but he was not +a Christian. As he grew up, with no other prospect before him but +that of being a cripple all his days, he was very unhappy. As he sat +by his window, propped up in his chair, and saw the boys playing in +the street, he would say to himself: "Why has God made me thus? Why +have I not limbs to run and jump with like other boys?" + +These thoughts filled him with distress, and caused him to shed many +bitter tears. + +One day a Christian friend, who was visiting him, gave him a book and +requested him to read it. He did so; and it led to his becoming a +Christian. His heart was renewed; the burden of his sin was removed; +and the love of God was shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost. +He learned the lesson of humble submission to the will of God. After +this, as he looked out, and saw the young people happy at their +sports; or, as he gazed on the green earth and the beautiful sky, and +knew that he must remain a helpless cripple as long as he lived, he +yet could say, with the utmost cheerfulness:--"It's all right. My +Father in heaven has done it. I love him. He loves me. I know he is +making all things work together for my good." He had learned the +lesson we are now considering, and we see what comfort it gave him. +And the thought of the comfort which this lesson gives, should be a +good reason with us all for learning it. + +_A fourth reason why we should learn the lesson of humility is +because of the_--USEFULNESS--_connected with it_. + +Jesus tells us, by his apostle, that "God resisteth the proud, but +giveth grace to the humble." St. James iv: 6. If we have the grace of +God we can be useful in many ways, but, without that grace we cannot +be useful at all. And this is what our Saviour taught his disciples, +when he said to them--"without me ye can do nothing." St. John xv: 5. +By the words "without _me_" he meant without my help, or without my +grace; or without the help of my grace. And it was of this grace that +St. Paul was speaking when he said--"I can do all things through +Christ who strengtheneth me." Phil, iv: 13. + +And we could not possibly have a stronger reason for trying to learn +the lesson of humility than this, that our receiving the grace of +God, and consequently our usefulness, depends upon it. God will not +give us his grace to enable us to be truly good and to make ourselves +useful, unless we learn this lesson. And unless we have the grace of +God, we cannot be useful. Like barren fig-trees we shall be useless +cumberers of the ground. + +Now let us look at one or two illustrations which show us how pride +hinders the usefulness of men, while humility helps it. + +"The Fisherman's Mistake." An English gentleman was spending his +summer holidays in Scotland. He concluded to try his hand at fishing +for trout in one of the neighboring streams. He bought one of the +handsomest fishing rods he could find, with line and reel, and +artificial flies, and everything necessary to make a perfect outfit +for a fisherman. He went to the trout stream, and toiled all day, but +never caught a single fish. + +Towards the close of the day he saw a ragged little farmer boy, with +a bean pole for a rod, and the simplest possible sort of a line, who +was nipping the fish out of the water about as fast as he could throw +his line in. He watched the boy in amazement for awhile, and then +asked him how it was that one, with so fine a rod and line, could +catch no fish, while he with his poor outfit was catching so many. +The boy's prompt reply was:--"Ye'll no catch ony fish Sir, as lang as +ye dinna keep yersel' oot o' sicht." + +The gentleman was proud of his handsome rod and line, and was showing +it off all the time. His pride hindered his usefulness as a +fisherman. The farmer's boy had nothing to show off; so he kept +himself out of sight, and thus his humility helped his usefulness in +fishing. + +"The Thames' Tunnel Teaching Humility." Most strangers who visit the +great city of London go to see the famous tunnel under the river +Thames. This is a large, substantial road that has been built, in the +form of an arch, directly under the bed of the river. It is one of +the most wonderful works that human skill ever succeeded in making. +The man who planned and built it was made one of the nobility of +England. His name was Sir Isambard Brunel. He was so humble that he +was willing to learn a lesson from a tiny little ship worm. These +worms bore small round holes through the solid timbers of our ships. + +One day Mr. Brunel visited a ship-yard. An old ship was on the +dry-dock getting repaired. A quantity of worm-eaten timber had been +taken out from her sides. He picked up one of these pieces of timber, +and saw a worm at work, boring its way through. If he had been a +proud man, he might have thrown the timber aside, and said--"Get away +you poor little worm. I am a great master builder. You can't teach me +anything." And if he had done so that famous tunnel under the Thames +would probably never have been built. But Mr. Brunel had learned the +lesson of humility. He was willing to learn from anything that God +had made, however insignificant it might be. So he sat down and +watched the worm at its work. He studied carefully the form of the +hole it was boring. The thought occurred to him how strong a tunnel +would be, that was made in the shape of this hole! And when he was +asked whether it would be possible to build a tunnel under the +Thames, he said he thought it could be done. He undertook to build +it. He succeeded in the work. But, in accomplishing the great +undertaking that little ship-worm was his teacher. + +And now, if any of my young friends who may read this book should +ever visit London, and go to see the great tunnel, as they gaze in +wonder at it, let them remember Sir I. Brunel, and that little +ship-worm; and then, let them say to themselves: "This mighty tunnel +is an illustration of the truth that humility helps to make us +useful." + +"George Washington and His Humility." Here is a story connected with +the great and good Washington--"the Father of his country," which +illustrates very well this part of our subject. + +During the war of the American Revolution, the commander of a little +squad of soldiers was superintending their operations as they were +trying to raise a heavy piece of timber to the top of some military +works which they were engaged in repairing. It was hard work to get +the timber up, and so the commander, who was a proud man and thought +himself of great importance, kept calling out to them from time to +time, "Push away, boys! There she goes! Heave ho!" + +While this was going on, an officer on horseback, but not in military +dress, rode by. He asked the commander why he did not take hold, and +give the men a little help. He looked at the stranger in great +astonishment, and then, with all the pride of an emperor, said: + +"Sir, I'd have you know that I am a corporal!" + +"You are--are you?" replied the officer, "I was not aware of that," +and then taking off his hat, and making a low bow, said, "I ask your +pardon Mr. Corporal." + +After this he got off his horse, and throwing aside his coat, he took +hold and helped the men at their work till they got the timber into +its place. By this time the perspiration stood in drops upon his +forehead. He took out his handkerchief and wiped his brow. Then +turning to the commander he said: + +"Mr. Corporal, when you have another such job on hand, and have not +men enough to do it, send for your Commander-in-chief, and I will +come and help you again." + +It was General Washington who did and said this. The Corporal was +thunderstruck! The great Washington, though honored above all men on +the continent, was humble enough to put his hand and shoulder to the +timber, that he might help the humblest of his soldiers, who were +struggling for the defence of their country, to bear the burdens +appointed to them. + +This is an excellent illustration of the truth we are now +considering. And certainly we should all try to learn the lesson of +humility which Jesus taught, when we see how it helps to make us +useful. + +_And then there is one other reason why we should learn this lesson, +and that is because of the_--BLESSING--_that attends it_. + +Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in her noble song about the birth of her +wonderful Son, said that God "filleth the hungry with good things, +and sendeth the rich empty away." By the "_hungry"_ she meant the +_humble_ and by the "_rich"_ the _proud_. And the "good things" with +which God fills them mean the blessings He bestows on the humble. Our +Saviour taught the same truth when he said, "he that humbleth himself +shall be exalted." Luke xiv: 11. Being exalted here means being +honored and blessed. These passages teach very clearly the truth of +which we are now speaking. They show us that we must learn the lesson +of humility if we hope to have God's blessing rest upon us. And it is +not more true that two and two make four, than it is that God's +blessing _does_ attend and follow those who learn the lesson of +humility. + +How many illustrations of this truth we find in the Bible! Moses had +learned the lesson of humility before God sent him on his great +mission, which has given him a name and a place among the most +famous men of the world. + +Gideon had learned the lesson of humility before God made choice of +him to be the deliverer of his people Israel from the hands of their +enemies; and then, for years to be their honored ruler. John the +Baptist was so humble that he said of himself that he was not worthy +to stoop down and unloose the latchet of our Saviour's shoe; and yet +Jesus said of him that he was one of the greatest men that ever had +been born. + +The apostle Paul was so humble that he considered himself "less than +the least of all saints," and "the chief of sinners;" and yet God +honored and blessed him till he became the most famous and useful of +all the apostles. + +If we turn from the Bible, and look out into the world around us, we +may compare proud people to the tops of the mountains; these are bare +and barren, and of little use to the world. We may compare humble +people to the plains and valleys. These are fertile and beautiful, +and are the greatest blessing to the world, in the abundance of +grain, and fruit, and other good things which they yield. + +And then, if we take notice of what is occurring in the scenes of +daily life, we shall meet with incidents continually which furnish +us with illustrations of the part of our subject now before us, that +God crowns the humble with his blessing. Let us look at one or two of +these illustrations. + +"The Little Loaf." In a certain part of Germany, some years ago, a +famine was prevailing, and many of the people were suffering from +hunger. A kind-hearted rich man sent for twenty of the poorest +children in the village where he lived, to come to his house. As they +stood on the porch of his house, he came out to them bringing a large +basket in his hand. He set it down before him and said: "Children, in +this basket there is bread for you all. Take a loaf, each of you, and +come back every day at this hour, till it shall please God to send us +better times." + +Then he left the children to themselves and went into the house, but +watched them through the window. The hungry children seized the +basket, quarreled and struggled for the bread, because each of them +wished to get the best and largest loaf. Then they went away without +ever thanking the good gentleman for his kindness. + +But one little girl, named Gretchen, poorly but neatly dressed, +remained, humbly standing by, till the rest were gone. Then she took +the last loaf left in the basket, the smallest of the lot. She looked +up to the window where the gentleman stood; smiled at him; threw him +a kiss, and made a low curtsey in token of her gratitude, and then +went quickly home. + +The next day the other children were just as ill-behaved as they had +been before, and the timid humble Gretchen received a loaf this time +not more than half the size of the one she had on the previous day. +But when she came home, and her poor sick mother cut the loaf open, a +number of new silver pieces of money, fell rattling and shining out +of it. + +Her mother was frightened, and said, "Take the money back at once to +the good gentleman; for it must certainly have dropped into the dough +by accident. Be quick Gretchen! be quick!" + +But when the little girl came to the good man and gave him her +mother's message, he kindly said, "No, no, my child, it was no +mistake. I had the silver pieces put into the smallest loaf as a +reward for you. Continue to be as humble, peaceable, self-denying, +and grateful as you have now shown yourself to be. A little girl who +is humble enough to take the smallest loaf rather than quarrel for +the larger ones, will be sure to receive greater blessings from God +than if she had silver pieces of money baked in every loaf of bread +she ate. Go home now, and greet your good mother very kindly for me." +Here we see how God's blessing attends the humble. + +"Humility Proving a Blessing." Some time ago a young man went into +the office of one of the largest dry-goods houses in New York and +asked for a situation. He was told to call again another day. + +Going down Broadway that same afternoon, when opposite the Astor +House, he saw an old apple woman, in trying to cross the street, +struck by an omnibus, knocked down, and her basket of apples sent +scattering into the gutter. + +The young man stepped out of the crowd, helped the old woman to her +feet, put her apples into her basket, and went on his way, without +thinking of it. + +Now a proud man would never have thought of doing such a thing as +that. But this young man had learned the lesson of humility, and did +not hesitate a moment to do this kind act. + +When he called again to see about the situation, he was asked what +wages he expected. + +He stated what he thought would be right. His proposal was accepted. +The situation was given him, and he went to work. + +About a year afterwards, his employer took him aside one day, +reminded him of the incident about the old apple woman; told him he +was passing at the time, and saw it; and that it was this +circumstance which induced him to offer the vacant situation to him, +in preference to a hundred others who were applying for it. + +Here we see what a blessing this young man's humility proved to him! + +And thus we see that there are five good reasons why we should learn +the lesson of humility. These are the _command_ of Christ; the +_example_ of Christ; the _comfort_ that humility gives; the +_usefulness_ to which it leads; and the _blessing_ that attends it. + +The first verse of the hymn we often sing contains a very suitable +prayer to offer when we think of the lesson of humility we have now +been considering: + + "Lord forever at thy side + Let my place and portion be; + Strip me of the robe of pride + Clothe me with humility." + + + + + + +CHRIST AND THE LITTLE CHILDREN + + + + + +If, when Jesus was here on earth, he had shown a great interest in +kings, and princes, in rich, and wise, and great men, it would not +have been surprising; because he was a king and a prince, himself; he +was richer than the richest, and wiser than the wisest, and greater +than the greatest. But he did not do this. He took no particular +notice of them; but he showed the greatest possible interest in +children. When mothers brought their little ones to him, the +disciples wanted to keep them away. They thought, no doubt, that he +was too busy to take any notice of them. But they were mistaken. He +was very busy indeed. He had many lessons to teach. He had sermons to +preach; and sick people to heal; and blind eyes to open; and deaf +ears to unstop; and lame men to make whole; and dead men to raise to +life again. He had all his Father's will to make known to men; and +all his Father's commandments to keep. He had to suffer, and to die +for the sins of the world; that he might "open the kingdom of heaven +to all believers." He was the busiest man that ever lived. Nobody +ever had so much to do as he had. And yet, he was not too busy to +attend to the little children. He had time to give to them. So he +rebuked his disciples for trying to keep the children away from him. +He told the mothers to bring them near. They did so. And then, one by +one, "he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them and +blessed them." And when he had done this, as though that were not +enough, he spoke those precious, glorious, golden words:--"_Suffer +the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such +is the kingdom of heaven_," "verily I say unto you, whosoever shall +not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter +therein." + +These things are told us by three of the evangelists. St. Matthew +mentions them in chapter xix: 13-15. St. Mark x: 13-16, and St. Luke +xviii: 15-17. + +On another occasion, when he was in the temple, the children sang +hosannas to him as the son of David. The chief priests and scribes +were greatly displeased, when they heard it, and "said unto him, +hearest thou what these say? and Jesus said unto them, yea: have ye +never read, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast +perfected praise?" Matt, xxi: 15, 16. Here he quoted from the Old +Testament (Ps. viii: 2) to prove to them from their own scriptures, +that God loves little children, and delights to have them engage in +his service, and sing his praises. + +And there was one other occasion on which Jesus spoke about the +children, and showed his interest in them. This was after his +resurrection. We read about it in St. John xxi: 15-18. He met his +disciples, one day, on the shore of the sea of Galilee. Peter, who +had shamefully denied his Master on the night in which he was +betrayed was present with them. Jesus said to him, as if to remind +him of his great sin, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" "Yea, +Lord, thou knowest that I love thee," said the penitent disciple. +"Feed my lambs," was his Master's reply. Here again, how beautifully +Jesus showed his great love for the little ones of his flock! + +From these different passages, we see clearly how dear little +children are to the heart of our blessed Saviour! He is the only +great Teacher who ever showed such an interest in children. And the +religion of Jesus is the only religion which teaches its followers to +love and care for the little ones. The worshipers of the idol Moloch, +mentioned in the Bible, used to offer their children as +burnt-sacrifices to their cruel god. Mahometans look upon their women +and children as inferior beings. The Hindoos neglect their infants, +and leave them exposed on the banks of the Ganges, or throw them into +the river to be devoured by the hungry crocodiles. In the city of +Pekin many infants are thrown out into the streets every night. +Sometimes they are killed by the fall. Sometimes they are only half +killed, and linger, moaning in their agony, till the morning. Then +the police go around, and pick them up, and throw them all together +into a hole and bury them. + +In Africa, the children are sometimes buried alive; and sometimes +left out in the fields or forests for the wild beasts to devour them. +In the South Sea Islands three-fourths of all the children born used +to be killed. Sometimes they would strangle their babies. Sometimes +they would leave them, where oxen and cattle would tread on them, and +trample them to death; while, at other times, they would break all +their joints, beginning with their fingers and toes, and then go on +to their wrists, and elbows, and shoulders. How dreadful it is to +think of such practices! And when we turn from these scenes of +heart-rending cruelty and think of the gracious Saviour,--the "gentle +Jesus, meek and mild," stretching forth his arms in loving +tenderness, and uttering the sweet words,--"Suffer the little +children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the +kingdom of God,"--what a wonderful contrast it makes! + +And when we think of all that Jesus did and said to show his interest +in children, we may well ask ourselves such questions as these,--Why +was it so? What did he do it for? And when we come to look carefully +into this part of the life of Christ, we can see four great things in +it; and these are the reasons why Jesus did and said so much about +children. + +_In the first place we see_--GREAT LOVE--_in the interest Christ +manifested towards the young_. + +It was the same love which brought him down from heaven, and made him +willing to become a little child himself; the same love which made +him willing to live in poverty--and suffer the dreadful death upon +the cross that led him to show such interest in the little ones. But +if he had not told us himself how he feels on this subject, we could +not have been sure of it. Children might well have said, when they +heard about the love of Christ, "Yes, we have no doubt that Jesus +does love grown up people, men and women in general. We believe this +because the Bible tells us so; but how do we know that he loves us +children?" If he had not told us so himself, we could not have been +sure of it. But we know it now. And when we hear, or read of the love +of Christ, we may be sure that it takes the children in. + +During a famine in Germany, a family became so poor that they were in +danger of starving. The father proposed that one of the children +should be sold, and food provided for those that remained. At last +the mother consented; but then the question arose which one of the +four should be selected. The eldest, their first-born, could not be +spared; the second looked like the mother, the third was like his +father, and they could not give either of them up; and then the +youngest--why, he was their pet, their darling, how could they give +_him_ up? So they concluded that they would all perish together, +rather than part with one of their little ones. When those children +knew of this, they might very well feel sure that their parents loved +them. But Jesus did more than this for us, he was willing to die upon +the cross, and he did so die, that "not one of his little ones should +perish." + +"Being Loved Back Again." Little Alice Lee sat in her rocking chair. +She was clasping a beautiful wax doll to her bosom, and singing sweet +lullabies to it. But every little while she looked wistfully at her +mother. She was busy writing, and had told Alice to keep as quiet as +possible till she got through. + +It seemed a long time to Alice; but after awhile her mother laid down +her pen, and pushed aside her papers, and said:--"Now I am through +for to-day, Alice, and you can make as much noise as you please." + +In a moment Alice laid down her doll, and running to her mother, +threw her arms round her neck, and nestled sweetly in her loving +bosom. + +"I'm so glad," said Alice, "I wanted to love you so much, mamma." + +"Did you, darling?" and the mother clasped the little one tenderly in +her arms. "I am very glad that my little girl loves me;" replied her +mother, "but I thought you were not very lonely while I was writing; +you and dollie seemed to be having a good time together." + +"Yes, we had, mamma; but I always get tired of loving dollie after +awhile." + +"Do you, dear? Tell me why?" + +"O, because she never loves me back again." + +"And is _that_ why you love me?" + +"That is _one why_, mamma; but not the first one, or the best one." + +"And what is the first, and best?" + +"Why, mamma, can't you guess?" and the little girl's blue eyes grew +very bright, as they gazed earnestly into her mother's face. "It's +because you loved me when I was too little to love you back; _that's_ +why I love you so." + +And what a reason this is why we should love Jesus! He loved us when +we were too little to love him back. The Bible says--"We love him +because _he first_ loved us." He loved us before we knew him, or had +ever heard of him. He loved us before we were born. Before the world +was made Jesus thought of you and me, and loved us. This is what he +means when he says:--"I _have loved thee with an everlasting love."_ +Jer. xxxi: 3. This means a love that never had a beginning, and that +will never have an end. This is very wonderful. And when we think of +it, we may well sing out our thankfulness in the words of the hymn: + + "I am glad that our Father in heaven + Tells of his love in the Book he has given; + Wonderful things in the Bible I see; + This is the sweetest, that Jesus loves me. + I am so glad that Jesus loves me, + Jesus loves--_even me_" + +And when we think of all the kind words and actions of Jesus, by +which he showed his interest in little children, the first thing that +we see in them is--great love. + +_Now, let us take another look at this part of our Saviour's life, +and the second thing that we see in it is_--GREAT WISDOM. + +It is wise to take care of the children and try to bring them to +Jesus when young, _because then they are easily controlled_. + +Suppose we plant an acorn in a corner of our garden. After awhile a +green shoot springs out from it. We go to look at it when it is about +a foot high. We find it getting crooked; but with the gentlest touch +of thumb and finger, we can straighten it out. We wish it to lean in +a particular direction. We give it a slight touch, and it leans just +that way. Afterwards we conclude to have it lean in the opposite +direction. Another slight touch, and it takes that direction. It is +true, as the poet says, "Just as the twig is bent, the tree's +inclined." But, suppose we let it grow for twenty or thirty years, +and then come back to it. It is now a great oak tree. There is an +ugly twist in its trunk. We try to straighten it out; but in vain. No +power on earth can do that now. You can cut it down; or saw it up; or +break it into splinters; but you cannot straighten it. + +Suppose, that you and I should go to one of the highest summits of +the Rocky Mountains. In a certain place there, we should find two +little fountains springing up near each other. With the end of a +finger we might trace the course in which either of those little +springs should flow. We could lead one down the eastern side of the +mountains, and the other down the western side. It would be very easy +to control them then. But suppose now we travel down the side of the +mountain till we reach the plain, at its base. Now see, yonder is a +great river, rolling on its mighty flood of waters. That is what the +little spring has grown to. It is too late to control it now. The +time for controlling it was up yonder near the spring. + +It is easy to control the spring; it is very hard to control the +river. Jesus wished to control the spring when he directed us to +bring the children to him. And in this he showed his wisdom. + +It is wise to take an interest in children, and bring them early to +Jesus--_because they have great influence in the world_. + +Who can tell the influence that children are exerting in the world? +We have an illustration of this in the words that were once spoken by +Themistocles, the celebrated Grecian governor and general. He had a +little boy, of whom his mother was very fond and over whom the child +had very great influence. His father pointed to him, one day, and +said to a friend, "Look at that child; he has more power than all +Greece. For the city of Athens rules Greece; I rule Athens; that +child's mother rules me, and he rules his mother." + +I feel sure our Saviour must have felt very much as some one has +done, who writes in this way about + +THE GOOD THAT CHILDREN DO. + + "A dreary place would be this earth + Were there no little people in it; + The song of life would lose its mirth + Were there no children to begin it; + + "No little forms, like buds to grow, + And make the admiring heart surrender; + No little hands, on breast and brow, + To keep the thrilling love-chords tender. + + "No babe within our arms to leap, + No little feet towards slumber tending; + No little knee in prayer to bend, + Our loving lips the sweet words lending. + + "Life's song indeed would lose its charm, + Were there no babies to begin it; + A doleful place this world would be, + Were there no little people in it." + +And if children have so great an influence in the world it was wise +in Jesus to desire to have them brought early to him that they might +learn to use that influence in the best possible way. + +And then it was wise in Jesus to desire this, again, _because +bringing children to him prevents great trouble, and secures great +blessing_. + +We are all familiar with Dr. Watts' sweet hymn, which says: + +"'Twill save us from a thousand snares + To mind religion young." + +Here is a striking illustration of this truth in the history of: + +"One Neglected Child." A good many years ago, in one of the upper +counties of New York, there was a little girl named Margaret. She +was not brought to Christ, but was turned out on the world to do as +she pleased. She grew up to be perhaps the wickedest woman in that +part of the country. She had a large family of children, who became +about as wicked as herself; her descendants have been a plague and a +curse to that county ever since. The records of that county show that +two hundred of her descendants have been criminals. In a single +generation of her descendants there were twenty children. Three of +these died in infancy. Of the remaining seventeen, who lived to grow +up, nine were sent to the state prison for great crimes; while all +the others were found, from time to time, in the jails, the +penitentiaries, or the almshouses. Nearly all the descendants of this +woman were idiots, or drunkards, or paupers, or bad people, of the +very worst character. That one neglected child thus cost the county +in which she lived hundreds of thousands of dollars, besides the +untold evil that followed from the bad examples of her descendants. +How different the result would have been if this poor child had been +brought to Jesus and made a Christian when she was young! + +"The Result of Early Choice." Here is a short story of two boys, of +the choice they made when young, and the different results that +followed from that choice. + +A minister of the gospel was preaching on one occasion to the +convicts in the state prison of Connecticut. As he rose in the desk +and looked around on the congregation, he saw a man there whose face +seemed familiar to him. When the service was over he went to this +man's cell, to have some conversation with him. + +"I remember you very well, sir," said the prisoner. "We were boys in +the same neighborhood; we went to the same school; sat beside each +other on the same bench, and then my prospects were as bright as +yours. But, at the age of fourteen, you made choice of the service of +God, and became a Christian. I refused to come to Christ, but made +choice of the world and sin. And now, you are a happy and honored +minister of the gospel, while I am a wretched outcast. I have served +ten years in this penitentiary and am to be a prisoner here for +life." + +Jesus knew what blessings would follow to those who were early +brought to him, and we see that there was great wisdom in the words +that he spake when he said--"Suffer the little children to come unto +me." + +_In the next place there was_--GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT--_in what Jesus +did and said about children_. + +If a company of boys or girls should try to get into the presence of +a monarch, some great king, or emperor, they would find it a pretty +hard thing to do. At the door of the palace they would meet with +soldiers or servants, the guards of the queen or king. They would say +to the children--"what do you want here?" And if the children should +say, "Please sir, we wish to go into the palace and see the queen," +the answer would be: "Go away; go away. The queen is too busy. She +has no time to attend to little folks like you." And the children +would have to go away without getting to see the queen. + +But, Jesus is a greater king than any who ever sat upon an earthly +throne. He has more to do than all the kings and queens in the world +put together. And yet he never gave orders to the angels, or to any +of his servants to keep the children away from him. On his great +throne in yonder heavens he says still, what he said when he was on +earth--"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them +not." And he says this on purpose to encourage the children to come +to him. And the thought that Jesus loves them and feels an interest +in them has encouraged multitudes of little ones to seek him and +serve him. Here are some illustrations of this: + +"Learning to Love Jesus." "A little girl came to me one day," said a +minister of the gospel, and said, "'Please sir, may I speak to you a +minute?' I saw that she was in some trouble; so I took her kindly by +the hand, and said, 'Certainly, my child. What do you wish to say?' + +"'Please, sir,' said she, as her lip quivered and tears filled her +eyes, 'it's a dreadful thing; but I don't love Jesus.' + +"'And are you not going to love him?' I asked. + +"'I don't know; but please sir, I want you to tell me how.' She spoke +sadly, as if it was something she never could do. + +"'Well,' I said, 'St. John, who loved our Lord almost more than any +one else ever did, says that "we love him because he first loved us." +Now if you go home to-night, saying in your heart, "_Jesus loves +me_," I think that to-morrow you will be able to say--"I love +Jesus."' + +"She looked up through her tears, and repeated the words very softly, +'Jesus loves me.' She began to think about it on her way home, as +well as to say it. She thought about his life, about his death on the +cross, and about his sweet words to the little ones, and she began to +feel it too. + +"The next evening she came to see me again; and, putting both her +hands in mine, with a bright happy face, she said: + +"'Oh! please sir, I love Jesus now; for I know he does love me so!'" + +Here was a little one encouraged to come to Jesus by thinking of the +interest he feels in children. + +"Doesn't He Love to Save?" A mother had just tucked her little boy in +bed, and had received his good-night kisses. She lingered awhile, at +his bedside, to speak to him about Jesus, and to see if he was +feeling right toward him. He was a good, obedient boy, but that day +he had done something that grieved his mother. He had expressed his +sorrow for it, and asked his mother's forgiveness. As she stooped +down for the last kiss, he said--"Is it all settled, mother?" + +"Yes, my child," she said, "it's all settled with me; but have you +settled it all with Jesus?" "Yes, mother: I've asked him to forgive +me: and I believe him when he says he will; for _doesn't he love to +help and save children_?" "He does, my child, he does," said his +mother, as she gazed on his happy little face, lighted up with the +joy of that gospel, so often hidden from the wise and prudent, but +revealed to babes. + +Here we see how this little fellow was encouraged to seek Jesus from +the assurance that he feels an interest in children, and loves to +help and bless them. + +"Love Leads to Love." A little boy named Charley stood at the window +with his mother one morning, watching the robins as they enjoyed +their morning meal of cherries from the tree near their house. +"Mother," said Charley, "How the birdies all love father." + +"They do," said his mother, "but what do you suppose is the reason +that the birdies love your father?" + +This question seemed to set Charley to thinking. He did not answer at +first, but presently he said, "Why mother all the creatures seem to +love father. My dog is almost as glad to see him as to see me. Pussy, +you know, always comes to him, and seems to know exactly what he is +saying. Even the old cow follows him around the meadow, and the other +day I saw her licking his hand, just as a dog would. I think it must +be because father loves them. You know he will often get up and give +pussy something to eat; and he pulls carrots for the cow, and pats +her; and somehow I think his voice never sounds so sweet as when he +is talking to these dumb creatures." + +"I think his voice is very pleasant when he is talking to his little +boy," said his mother. + +Charley smiled, and said, "That's so, mother. Father loves me, and I +love him dearly. But he loves the birdies too I am sure. He whistles +to them every morning when they are eating their cherries, and they +don't seem a bit afraid of him, although he is near enough to catch +them. Mother I wish everything loved me as they do father." + +"Do as father does, Charley, and they will. Love all things and be +kind to them. Don't kick the dog, or speak roughly to him. Don't pull +pussy's tail, nor chase the hens, nor try to frighten the cow. Never +throw stones at the birds. Never hurt nor tease anything. Speak +gently and lovingly to them and they will love you, and everybody +that knows you will love you too." + +Now Charley's father, in acting as he did, was trying to make all the +dumb creatures about him know that he was their friend; that he loved +them, and had nothing but kindness in his heart towards them. In +this way he encouraged them to come to him, and not be afraid of him. + +And this is just the way in which Jesus was acting when he did and +said so much to show his interest in children. He wants them all to +understand that he is their friend; that he loves them, and wants +them to come to him and love and serve him. And so every child who +hears or reads about Jesus may feel encouraged to say: + + "Once in his arms the Saviour took + Young children just like me, + And blessed them with his voice and look + As kind as kind could be. + + "And though to heaven the Lord hath gone, + And seems so far away, + He hath a smile for every one + That doth his voice obey. + + "I'd rather be the least of them + That he will bless and own, + Than wear a royal diadem, + And sit upon a throne." + +And so we may well say that in what Jesus did and said about the +children there is great encouragement. + +_And then there are_--GREAT LESSONS--_too, in this part of the life +of Christ_. + +There are two lessons taught us here. One is about _the work we are +to do for Jesus here on earth_. When Jesus said to Peter, "Lovest +thou me? Feed my lambs," he meant to teach him, and you, and me, and +all his people everywhere, the best way in which we can show our love +to him. The lambs of Christ here spoken of mean little children, +wherever they are found. And to feed these lambs is to teach them +about Jesus. When we are trying to bring the young to Jesus and +teaching them to love and serve him, then we are doing the work that +is most pleasing to him:--the work that he most loves to have his +people do. It was thinking about this that first led me to begin the +work of preaching regularly to the young. And this is the lesson that +Jesus would have all his people learn when he says to each of +them:--"Lovest thou me? Feed my lambs." + +"The Angel in the Stone." Many years ago there was a celebrated +artist who lived in Italy, whose name was Michael Angelo. He was a +great painter, and a great sculptor, or a worker in marble. He loved +to see beautiful figures chiseled out of marble, and he had great +power and skill in chiseling out such figures. One day, as he was +walking with some friends through the city of Florence, he saw a +block of marble lying neglected in a yard, half covered with dust and +rubbish. He stopped to examine that block of marble. That day +happened to be a great holiday in Florence and the artist had his +best suit of clothes on; but not caring for this he threw off his +coat, and went to work to clear away the rubbish from that marble. +His friends were surprised. They said to him:--"Come on, let's go; +what's the use of wasting your time on that good-for-nothing lump of +stone?" + +"O, there's an angel in this stone," said he, "and I must get it +out." + +He bought that block; had it removed to his studio, and then went to +work with his mallet and his chisel, and never rested till out of +that rough, unshapen mass of stone he made a beautiful marble angel. + +Now, every child born into our world is like such a block of marble. +The only difference is that children are living stones--marble that +will last forever. And when we bring our children to Jesus, and by +his help teach them to love and serve him, we are doing for them just +what Michael Angelo was doing for his block of marble--we are getting +the angels out of the stones. And this is what Jesus loves to have us +do. + +"How to Get the Angels Out." A Christian mother, whose children had +all been early taught to love and serve Jesus, was asked the secret +of her success in bringing up her children. This was her +answer:--"While my children were infants on my lap, as I washed them +day by day, I raised my heart to God that he would wash them in that +blood which cleanseth from all sin; as I clothed them in the morning, +I asked my heavenly Father to clothe them with the robe of Christ's +righteousness; as I provided them food I prayed that God would feed +their souls with the bread of heaven, and give them to drink of the +water of life. When I prepared them for the house of God I pleaded +that their bodies might be made fit temples for the Holy Ghost to +dwell in. When they left me daily for the week-day school, I followed +their youthful footsteps with the prayer that their path through life +might be like that of the just, which shineth more and more unto the +perfect day. And night after night, as I committed them to rest, the +silent breathing of my soul has been, that their heavenly Father +would take them under his tender care and fold them in his loving, +everlasting arms." + +Let Christian mothers follow this example and they will not fail to +bring the angel out from every block of living marble that God has +given them. + +"The Best Time for Doing This." A faithful minister of Christ had a +dear only daughter. She had been a thoughtful praying child. When +only twelve years old she had joined her father's church. She now lay +on her dying bed. "As I sat by her bedside," says her father, "among +the things she said which I shall never forget were these:--'Father +you know I joined the church when I was young--very young. Some of +our friends thought that I was too young. But, oh! how I wish I could +tell everybody what a comfort it is to me now to think of it.' Then +reaching out her hand--the fingers were already cold--and grasping +mine, she said with great earnestness:--'Father, you are at work for +the young. Do all you can for them while they are young. It's the +best time--the best time. Oh! I see it now as I never did before. It +is the best time--while they are young--the younger the better. Do +all you can for them while they are very young.' And then she fell +asleep in Jesus." + +This is the lesson about the work we are to do for him on earth, that +Jesus taught in what he said concerning the children. + +But when we think of those sweet words of Jesus--"Of such is the +kingdom of heaven," we are _taught a lesson about the company we +shall meet there_. We learn from what our blessed Lord says on this +subject that he saves all the little ones who die before they are +accountable for their actions. And we know that of all the persons +born into our world more than half of them die before they reach this +age. And this makes it very certain that more than half the company +of heaven will be made up of little children. This is a very sweet +thought to those who have lost little ones; and to those who love +them. + +And some people think that when young children die and go to heaven, +they will not grow up to be men and women, but will always remain +children. The Rev. Mr. Bickersteth, of England, in speaking of a +father meeting his little ones in heaven, who died years before he +did, represents him as meeting them there, just of the same age and +size as they were when they died. And then he expresses his own +thought on this subject in a single line: + + "A babe in glory, is a babe forever." + +But God has not said anything on this subject in the Bible. And when +he himself has not spoken on such a point as this, it is impossible +for us to say certainly which way it will be. But when we get to +heaven and find just how it is, we shall all agree that God's way is +the best way. + +And then Jesus shows us plainly _what our character must be if we +hope to go to heaven and join the happy company there_. + +These are the words he spake on this subject; "Verily I say unto you, +whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he +shall not enter therein." Mark x: 15. Jesus refers here to some of +the best things that we find marking the character of a good child. +Such a child is gentle, and loving, and kind; and this must be our +character, if we hope to enter heaven. Such a child is willing to be +taught:--believes all that his parent or teacher tells him; and does +everything that he is told to do; and such must our character be if +we hope to enter heaven. + +And so when we come to study out this part of our Saviour's life, and +think of all that he did and said to show his interest in children, +we see these four great things in it: viz., great love; great wisdom; +great encouragement; and great lessons. + +I know not how to express in a better way the feelings which should +be in the heart of everyone, young or old, on thinking of this great +subject, than in the words of one who has thus sweetly written: + + "Lamb of God! I look to Thee, + Thou shalt my example be; + Thou art gentle, meek and mild; + Thou wast once a little child. + + "Fain I would be as Thou art, + Give me thy obedient heart: + Thou art pitiful, and kind; + Let me have thy loving mind. + + "Let me above all fulfill + God my heavenly Father's will; + Never his good Spirit grieve, + Only to his glory live. + + "Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb! + In thy gracious hands I am; + Make me, Saviour, what Thou art; + Live thyself within my heart. + + "I shall then show forth thy praise; + Serve thee all my happy days; + Then the world shall always see + Christ, the Holy Child in me." + + + + + + +THE TRANSFIGURATION + + + + + +This was one of the most surprising scenes in the life of our blessed +Lord. It forms a great contrast to the other events mentioned in his +history. He "came to visit us in great humility." When we read how he +was born in a stable, and cradled in a manger; how he had "not where +to lay his head;" when we read of the lowliness, and poverty, and +suffering that marked his course, day by day, we come naturally to +think of him as "the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." And +though, when we remember how he healed the sick, and cast out devils, +and raised the dead to life again; how he walked upon the waters, and +controlled the stormy winds and waves with his simple word, he seems +wonderful in his power and majesty; yet there is nothing, in all his +earthly life, that leads us to think so highly of him, as this scene +of the Transfiguration, of which we are now to speak. + +The account of this event is given us by three of the evangelists. We +find it described by St. Matt, xvii: 1-13. St. Mark ix: 2-13. St. +Luke ix: 28-29. + +A short time before this took place, Jesus had told his disciples how +he was to go up to Jerusalem, to suffer many things, to be put to +death, be buried, and be raised again on the third day. St. Matt, +xvi: 21. He also told them of the self-denial, which all who became +his disciples would be required to exercise. This was very different +from what they were expecting and must have been very discouraging to +them. They did not yet understand that their Master had come into the +world to suffer and to die. Instead of this, their minds were filled +with the idea that the object of his coming was to establish an +earthly kingdom and to reign in glory. And, for themselves, they were +expecting that they would share his glory and reign as princes with +him. And so they must have been greatly troubled by his words. To +encourage and comfort them, therefore, he told them that, before they +died, some of them should "see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." + +And then, some days after this, he took three of his disciples, the +favored John and James and Peter, and went up with them "into a +mountain, apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them." We +are not told what mountain it was that was thus honored. Mount Tabor, +near Nazareth, on the borders of the Plain of Esdraelon, has long +been regarded as the favored spot. But, in our day, many persons +think that it was not on the top of Tabor, but on one of the summits +of Mount Hermon, where this wonderful event took place. One of the +principal objections to supposing that Tabor was the place is, that +in those days there was a large fortress on the top of this mountain, +and this, they think, would interfere with the privacy that would be +desired on such an occasion. But, for myself, I still incline to +think that Tabor was the mountain chosen. I went to the top of this +mountain, when in Palestine. And though there is a large convent +there now, yet the summit of Tabor covers a wide space of ground. And +outside of the walls of the convent, and even out of sight of its +walls, I saw a number of retired, shady places that would be +particularly suitable for such a scene as this. + +But, it is impossible to decide positively which was the Mount of +Transfiguration. And it is not a matter of much consequence. Those +who think it was Hermon are at liberty to think so; and those who +think it was Tabor, have a right to their opinion, for none can prove +that they are mistaken in thinking so. + +And when we come to consider this great event in the life of our +Saviour, there are _two_ things to speak of in connection with it; +these are the _wonders_ we see in it; and the _lessons_ we may learn +from it. Or, to express it more briefly--The Transfiguration--its +wonders, and its lessons. + +There are three wonders to be spoken of, and three lessons to be +learned from this subject. + +_The first wonder is_--THE WONDERFUL CHANGE--that took place in the +appearance of our Lord on this occasion. + +Jesus went up the mountain with his disciples. It was probably at the +close of one of his busy days that he did this. It would seem from +St. Luke's account,--chap. ix: 32--that Peter and his companions were +weary with the day's work, and soon fell asleep. But, while they were +sleeping, Jesus was praying. And it was while he was engaged in +prayer that the Transfiguration took place. St. Luke tells us it +was--"_as he prayed_." + +Let us notice now, what the different evangelists tell us about this +change. St. Matthew says--"He was transfigured before them: and his +face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light." +St. Mark says, "His raiment became exceeding white as snow, so as no +fuller"--one who cleans, or whitens cloth--"on earth can white them." +St. Luke says--"As he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was +altered, and his raiment was white and glistening." + +These are the different accounts we have of this surprising scene. If +the disciples had been awake when this marvellous change began to +take place, we cannot for a moment suppose that they would have gone +to sleep while the heavens must have seemed to be opening above them +and this blaze of glory was shining around them. They were, no doubt, +asleep when the transfiguration began. And, as we know that the +taking of an ordinary light into the room where persons are asleep +will often awaken them, it is not surprising that the disciples +should have been aroused from their slumber by the flood of light and +glory that was beaming round their Master then. How surprised they +must have been when they opened their eyes on that scene! They would +never forget it as long as they lived. It was more than half a +century after this when St. John wrote his gospel; and it was, no +doubt, to this scene that he referred when he said, in speaking of +Jesus;--"_we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of +the Father_" St. John i: 14. And, not long before his death, St. +Peter thus refers to it:--"We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For +he received from God the Father, honor and glory, when there came +such a voice from the excellent glory, saying, This is my beloved Son +in whom I am well pleased." II. Pet. i: 16, 17. + +One object for which this wonderful transfiguration of our Lord took +place was, no doubt, to give to the disciples then, and to the +followers of Jesus in all coming time, an idea of what his glory now +is in heaven, and of what it will be when he shall come again in his +kingdom. He had told his disciples about his sufferings and death, +and the shame and dishonor connected with them; and here, as if to +counterbalance that, he wished to give them a glimpse of the glory +that is to shine around him forever. + +How wonderful it must have seemed to the astonished disciples! When +they had last looked on their Master, before going to sleep, they had +seen him as "the man of sorrows," in his plain everyday dress, such +as they themselves wore: but, when they looked on him again, as they +awoke from their sleep, they saw his face shining as the sun, and his +raiment dazzling in its snowy whiteness. + +To what may we compare this wonderful change? Suppose you have before +you the bulbous root of the lily plant. You look at it carefully, but +there is nothing attractive about it. How rough and unsightly it +appears! You close your eyes upon it for a brief space. You open them +again. But what a change has taken place! That plain-homely looking +bulb has disappeared, and in its place there stands before you the +lily plant. It has reached its mature growth. Its flower is fully +developed and blooming in all its matchless beauty! What a marvellous +change that would be! And yet it would be but a feeble illustration +of the more wonderful change that took place in our Saviour at his +transfiguration. + +Here is another illustration. Suppose we are looking at the western +sky, towards the close of day. Great masses of dark clouds are +covering all that part of the heavens. They are but common clouds. +There is nothing attractive or interesting about them. We do not care +to take a second look at them. We turn from them for a little while, +and then look at them again. In the meantime, the setting sun has +thrown his glorious beams upon them. How changed they now appear! All +that was commonplace and unattractive about them is gone. How they +glow and sparkle! Gold, and purple, and all the colors of the rainbow +are blending, how beautifully there! Are these the same dull clouds +that we looked upon a few moments before? Yes; but they have been +transfigured. A wonderful change has come over them. And here we have +an illustration of our Lord's transfiguration. The first wonder about +this incident in his life is the wonderful change which took place in +his appearance then. + +_The second wonder about the transfiguration is_--THE WONDERFUL +COMPANY--_that appeared with our Saviour then_. + +At the close of his temptation in the wilderness, Jesus had some +wonderful company too, but it was different from what he had now. +_Then_, we are told that "_angels came, and ministered unto him_." +And in the garden of Gethsemane, when he was sinking to the earth, +overcome by the terrible agony through which he was passing, he had +more company of the same kind; for we read that--"_there appeared +unto him an angel from heaven strengthening him."_ St. Luke xxii: 43. +But it was not the company of angels that waited on him at the time +of his Transfiguration. No: but we read that, "there appeared unto +him Moses, and Elias," or Elijah. And if we ask why did not the +angels come to him now, as they did on other occasions? Why did these +distinguished persons, of the Old Testament history, come from heaven +to visit him in place of the angels? It is easy enough to answer +these questions. This transfiguration of Christ took place, as he +himself tells us, in order to give his disciples a view of the glory +that will attend him when he shall come in his kingdom. When he shall +appear, on that occasion, all his people will come with him. Those +who shall have died before he comes will be raised from the dead and +come with him, in their glorious resurrection bodies. And those who +shall be living when he comes will, as St. Paul tells us,--"_be +changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye_"--I. Cor. xv: 52, +53--and have beautiful, glorified bodies, like the bodies of those +who have been raised from the dead. And both these classes of +Christ's people were represented by the distinguished persons who +formed the company that appeared with Jesus at the Transfiguration. +Moses had been in heaven nearly fifteen hundred years when this scene +took place. He had died, as other men do, and had been buried. It is +supposed by many wise and good men that his body had been raised from +the dead, that he might appear in it on this occasion. And thus Moses +represented all the dead in Christ, who will be raised to life again +at his coming. Elijah had been in heaven for almost a thousand years. +He had never died, and never lain in the grave. He was translated. +This means that he was taken up to heaven without dying. But St. Paul +tells us that bodies of flesh and blood, like ours, cannot enter +heaven. I. Cor. xv: 50. They must be changed, and made fit for that +blessed place. And so, we know, that as Elijah went up to heaven, in +his chariot of fire, the same wonderful change must have passed over +his body which we have seen will take place with those of Christ's +people who shall be living on the earth when he comes again. + +Jesus was transfigured that we might know how he himself will appear +when he comes in his kingdom. And Moses and Elias "appeared with him +in glory," to show us how the people of Christ will appear when they +enter with him into his kingdom. And this was a good reason why these +very persons, and not the angels, should have formed the company that +came to visit our Saviour on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was +wonderful company indeed that waited on Jesus then. But, it was a +wonderful occasion. None like it had ever occurred before; none like +it has ever occurred since; and none like it will ever occur again +till Jesus shall come in the glory of his heavenly kingdom. The +second wonder of the Transfiguration was the wonderful company. + +_The third wonder connected with this great event was_--THE WONDERFUL +CONVERSATION--_that took place between Jesus and his visitors_. + +All the three evangelists, who tell of the Transfiguration, speak of +this conversation. St. Matthew and St. Mark merely state the fact +that Moses and Elias "were talking with Jesus;" but they do not tell +us the subject of the conversation, or what it was about which they +talked. But St. Luke supplies what they leave out. He says, "_they +spake of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem_" This +means that they talked about the death upon the cross which he was to +suffer. And when we remember that these great and good men had just +come down from heaven, where God, the loving Father of Jesus dwells, +and where all the holy angels are; and that this was the only time +when they were to be present with Jesus, and have an opportunity of +talking with him, during all his life on earth, we may wonder why +they did not choose some more pleasant subject of conversation. And +yet they did not make a mistake. God the Father had sent them from +heaven to meet his beloved Son on this occasion. And, no doubt, he +had told them what subject they were to talk about, and what they +were to say to Jesus, on that subject. And then they knew very well +how Jesus felt about this matter. And painful as the death upon the +cross would be, they knew it was the nearest of all things to the +heart of Jesus. It was the will of his Father that he should die on +the cross, and it was the delight of his heart--the very joy of his +soul to do his Father's will. And here we learn the unspeakable +importance of the death of Christ. The apostle Paul was showing his +sense of its importance when he said, "God forbid that I should +glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus." Gal. vi: 14. He puts the +word "_cross_" of Christ, for the death of Christ, but it means the +same thing. + +Some one has compared the cross of Christ to a key of gold, that +opens the gate of heaven to us, if we believe in Jesus; but if we +refuse to hear and obey the words of Jesus, it becomes a key of iron, +and opens the gate of destruction before us. + +"The Power of the Cross." A heathen ruler had heard the story of the +cross and desired to know its power. When he was sick and near his +end, he told his servants to make him a large wooden cross, and lay +it down in his chamber. When this was done, he said--"Take me now and +lay me on the cross, and let me die there." As he lay there dying he +looked in faith to the blood of Christ, that was shed upon the cross, +and said--_"It lifts me up: it lifts me. Jesus saves me!_" and thus +he died. It was not that wooden cross that saved him; but the death +of Christ, on the cross to which he was nailed--the death of which +Moses and Elias talked with him, that saved this heathen man. They +knew what a blessing his death would be to the world, and _this_ was +why they talked about this death. Here is one of Bonar's beautiful +hymns which speaks sweetly of the blessedness and comfort to be found +in the cross of Christ. + + "Oppressed with noonday's scorching heat, + To this dear cross I flee; + And in its shelter take my seat; + No _shade_ like this to me! + + "Beneath this cross clear waters burst; + A fountain sparkling free; + And here I quench my desert thirst, + No _spring_ like this to me. + + "A stranger here, I pitch my tent + Beneath this spreading tree; + Here shall my pilgrim life be spent, + No _home_ like this to me! + + "For burdened ones a resting place + Beside this cross I see; + Here, I cast off my weariness; + No _rest_ like this for me!" + +Moses and Elias understood how the blessing of the world was to flow +out from that death upon the cross which Jesus was to suffer; and so, +we need not wonder that during the short visit which they made to +Jesus, amidst the glory of his Transfiguration, the subject, above +all others, about which they desired to talk with him--was his death +upon the cross,--"his decease, which he should accomplish at +Jerusalem." + +These are the three great wonders of the Transfiguration--the +wonderful change--the wonderful company--and the wonderful +conversation. + +And this brings us to the second part of our subject, which is--_the +three lessons_ taught by the Transfiguration. + +_The first of these is_--THE LESSON OF HOPE. + +One thing for which the Transfiguration took place was to show us +what we may hope to be hereafter, if we are the servants of Christ. +We are told how Jesus appeared on this occasion. His glory is +described. The brightness and glory that shone around him exceeded +that of the noonday sun. But there is no particular description given +Moses and Elias. We are not told how they looked. It is only said of +them that--"they appeared in _glory_." St Luke ix: 31. I suppose the +meaning of this is that they shared in the glory which Jesus himself +had when he was transfigured. Their raiment was as white as his; and +the same brightness and beauty beamed forth from their faces which +made his so glorious. They shared their Master's glory. And, if we +are loving, and serving Jesus, this is what we may hope to share +with him hereafter. This is what we are taught to pray for in the +beautiful Collect for the sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. These are +the words of that prayer: "O God, whose blessed Son was manifested +that he might make us the sons of God, and heirs of eternal life; +Grant us, we beseech thee, that having this hope, we may purify +ourselves, even as he is pure; that when he shall appear again, with +power and great glory, _we may be made like unto him in his eternal +and glorious kingdom;_ where, with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy +Ghost, he liveth and reigneth, ever One God, world without end. +Amen." + +And it is right to offer such a prayer as this, because the Bible +teaches us to hope for this great glory. How well a hope like this +may be called "_a hope that maketh not ashamed_," Rom. v: 5; "_a good +hope through grace_," II. Thess. ii: 16; "that _blessed hope_," Tit. +ii: 13; "_a lively hope_," I. Peter i: 3. And how well it may be +spoken of as "_a helmet_"--to cover the head in the day of battle; +and as "an anchor" to keep the soul calm and steadfast when the +storms of life are bursting upon it! Moses and Elias appeared with +Jesus at his Transfiguration, and shared his glory on purpose to +teach us this lesson of hope, and to show us what we shall be +hereafter. We shall be as glorious as Jesus was on the Mount of +Transfiguration! This seems something too great and too good to be +true. But no matter how great, or how good it is--_it is true_. Jesus +taught this lesson of hope when he said--speaking of the time when he +shall come in his kingdom, "_Then shall the righteous shine forth as +the sun in the kingdom of their Father_," St. Matt, xiii: 43. He +taught us the same lesson, in his prayer to his Father, when he said, +speaking of all his people, "_And the glory which thou gavest me, I +have given them_," St. John xvii: 21. And the apostle John taught us +the same lesson, when he said,--"We know that when he shall appear +_we shall be like him_," I. John iii: 2. These sweet passages make +this lesson of hope very sure. And this is just the way in which we +are made sure about other things we have not seen. + +"How we Know There is a Heaven." A Sunday-school teacher was talking +to one of her scholars about heaven and the glory we shall have when +we reach that blessed place. He was a bright boy, about nine or ten +years old, named Charlie. After listening to her for awhile, he said: +"But you have never been there, Miss D., and how do you know there +really is any such place?" + +"Charlie," said the teacher, "you have never been to London; how do +you know there is such a city?" + +"O, I know that very well," said Charlie, "because my father is +there; and he has sent me a letter, telling me all about it." + +"And God, my Father, is in the heavenly city," said Miss D., "and he +has sent me a letter, telling me about the glory of heaven, and about +the way to get there. The Bible is God's letter." + +"Yes, I see," said Charlie, after thinking awhile, "there must be a +heaven, if you have got such a nice long letter from there." + +The lesson of hope is the first lesson taught us by the +Transfiguration. + +_The next lesson taught us here is_--THE LESSON + +OF INSTRUCTION. + +The great event of the Transfiguration took place in our Saviour's +life for _this_ reason, among others, that we might learn from it +_how we are to think of Christ_. While the disciples were gazing on +the glory of that scene, and on the distinguished visitors who were +there, there came a cloud and overshadowed them. This cloud, we may +suppose, was like a curtain round Moses and Elias, hiding them from +the view of the disciples. And, as Jesus in his glory was left alone +for them to gaze upon, there came a voice from the overshadowing +cloud, saying--"_This is my beloved Son; in whom I am well +pleased_." This was the voice of God, the Father. It spoke out on +this occasion to teach the disciples then, and you and me now, and +all God's people in every age, what to think about Christ. God, the +Father, tells us here what he thinks about him; and we must learn to +think of him in the same way. His will, his command is that "_all men +should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father_," St. John v: 3. +Moses and Elias were great men in their day. They appeared on this +occasion to add to the honor of Christ. And then they disappeared, as +if to show that they were nothing in comparison with him. He is the +greatest and the best of all beings. He must be first. Prophets and +priests, and kings, and angels even, are as nothing to him. We must +love him--and honor him above all others. The words of the hymn we so +often sing, show us how God would have us think and feel towards him: + + "All hail the power of Jesus' name + Let angels prostrate fall; + Bring forth the royal diadem, + And crown him Lord of all. + + "Let every kindred, every tribe, + On this terrestrial ball, + To him all majesty ascribe, + And crown him Lord of all." + +"How Christ Should be Honored." There is a story told of the Emperor +Theodosius the Great which illustrates very well how we should honor +Christ. There were at that time two great parties in the church. One +of these believed and taught the divinity of Christ--or that he is +equal to God the Father. The other party, called Arians, believed and +taught that Christ was not divine; and that he was not to be honored +and worshiped as God. The Emperor Theodosius favored this latter +party. When his son, Arcadius, was about sixteen years old, his +father determined to make him a sharer of his throne, and passed a +law that his son should receive the same respect and honor that were +due to himself. And, in connection with this event, an incident +occurred which led the emperor to see how wrong the view was which he +held respecting the character of Christ, and to give it up. When +Arcadius was proclaimed the partner of his father in the empire, the +officers of the government, and other prominent persons, called on +the emperor in his palace, to congratulate him on the occasion, and +to pay their respects to his son. + +Among those who thus came, was a celebrated bishop of the church. He +was very decided in the views he held about the real divinity of +Christ, and very much opposed to all who denied this divinity. + +Coming into the presence of the emperor, the bishop paid his respects +to him, in the most polite and proper manner. Then he was about to +retire from the palace, without taking any special notice of the +emperor's son. This made the father angry. He said to the bishop, "Do +you take no notice of my son? Have you not heard that I have made him +a partner with myself in the government of the empire?" + +The good old bishop made no reply to this, but going to Arcadius, he +laid his hand on his head, saying, as he did so--"The Lord bless +thee, my son!" and was again turning to retire. + +Even this did not satisfy the emperor, who asked, in a tone of +surprise and displeasure, "Is _this_ all the respect you pay to a +prince whom I have made equal in dignity with myself?" + +With great warmth the bishop answered--"Does your majesty resent so +highly my apparent neglect of your son, because I do not treat him +with equal honor to yourself? What, then, must the _Eternal God_--the +King of heaven--think of you, who refuse to render to his only +begotten Son, the honor and the worship that he claims for him?" + +This had such an effect upon the emperor that he changed his views on +this subject, and ever afterwards took part with those who +acknowledged the divinity of Christ, and honored the Son, even as +they honored the Father. + +And so we see that the second lesson taught by the Transfiguration +was the _lesson of instruction_. We must learn to think of Christ as +the Father in heaven thinks of him. + +_And then there is_--A LESSON OF DUTY--_that comes to us from this +Transfiguration scene_. + +We are taught this lesson by the last two words that were spoken, by +the voice which the apostles heard from the cloud that overshadowed +them. These are the words:--"_Hear Him."_ "This is my beloved Son, in +whom I am well pleased: _Hear Him_." This is God's command to every +one of us. To hear Jesus, means to listen attentively to what he has +to say, and to do it. And what does Jesus say to us? He says many +things. But the most important thing he has to say to the young, is +what we find in St. Matt, vi: 33: "_Seek ye_ FIRST _the kingdom of +God_." This means that we must give our hearts to Jesus, and serve +him while we are young. We must do this _first_,--before we do +anything else. We cannot hear or obey Jesus in anything, till we hear +and obey him in this. And there are three good reasons why we should +do this. + +We should "hear him" because there is _safety_ in it. We are exposed +to dangers every day, and nothing will so help to keep us safe in the +midst of these dangers as hearing Jesus, and doing what he tells us +to do. Here is an illustration of what I mean. + +"Life in the Midst of Danger." There was an alarm of fire one day, +near one of our large public schools. The children in the school were +greatly frightened. They screamed, and left their places, and began +to rush to the windows and stairs. The stairway leading to the door +was soon choked up; and although the fire never reached the +school-house, many of the children had their limbs broken and were +bruised and wounded in other ways. + +But there was one little girl who remained quietly in her seat +during all this excitement. When the alarm was over, and the wounded +children had been taken home, and order was restored in the school, +the teacher asked this little girl why she sat still in her seat, and +did not rush towards the door, as the other girls had done. + +"My father is a fireman," she said, "and he has always told me that +if ever there was a cry of fire when I was in school, I must remain +quiet in my seat, for that was the safest way. I was dreadfully +frightened; but I knew that what father had told me was best; and so +I sat still, while the others were running to the door." This little +girl _heard_ her father. She minded him. She did what he told her to +do, and she found safety in doing so. And if we "_hear him_" of whom +the voice from the Mount of Transfiguration speaks to us--we shall +find safety from many a danger. + +We ought to learn this lesson of duty, and "hear him," because there +is _success_ in it. + +In old times, when the racers were running in the public games, if a +man wished to be successful in the race, it was necessary for him to +fix his eye on the prize, at the end of the race-course, and keep it +fixed there till he reached the end. No one could have any success in +racing who did not do this. + +Here is an incident about some boys at play that illustrates the +point now before us. + +"How to Walk Straight." A light snow had fallen in a certain village, +and some of the village boys met to make the best use they could of +the new fallen snow. It was too dry for snowballing, and was not deep +enough for coasting; so they thought they would improve the occasion +by playing at making tracks in the snow. + +There was a large meadow near by, with a grand old oak tree standing +in the centre of it. The boys gathered round the tree, and stood, on +opposite sides, each one with his back against the tree. At a given +signal they were to start, and walk to the fence opposite to each of +them; and then return to the tree, and see which had made the +straightest track. + +The signal was given. They started. They reached the fence, and +returned to the tree. "Now, boys, who has made the straightest +track?" said one of the boys, named James Allison. + +"Henry Armstrong's is the only one that is straight at all," said +Thomas Sanders. + +"I don't see how we all contrived to go so crooked, when the meadow +is so smooth, and there is nothing to turn us out of the way," said +one of the boys. + +And then, looking to their successful companion, they said--"Tell us, +Harry, how you managed to make so straight a track?" + +Now mark what Harry said:--"I fixed my eye on yonder tall pine tree +on the other side of the fence towards which I was to walk, and never +looked away from it till I reached the fence." + +The other boys were walking without any particular aim in view. No +wonder that their walk was crooked. After the apostle Paul became a +Christian, he made one of the straightest tracks through this world +to heaven that ever was made. And he made it in just the same way in +which Harry Armstrong made his straight track through that meadow. We +have seen what Harry said of his track through the snow; now see what +St. Paul says of the way in which he made his straight track through +this world to heaven. _This_ is what he says: + +"One thing I do; forgetting those things which are behind, and +reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the +mark, for the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus," +Phil, iii 13,14. This was just what the racer used to do in the +ancient games, when he fixed his eye on the prize and pressed right +forward till he reached it. And it was just what Harry Armstrong did +in his play. He fixed his eye on the big pine tree and never turned +to the right hand or to the left till he reached it. The apostle Paul +fixed his eye on Jesus, and made a straight track through the world +till he reached the glorious heaven where Jesus dwells. And, in doing +this, the great apostle was only practising the lesson of duty taught +by the voice that speaks from the Transfiguration scene. "_Hear +him_," said that voice. And if you and I listen to it, and obey it, +as St. Paul did, it will lead us to follow him as he followed Christ; +and then we shall make a straight path through this world to heaven, +as he did in his Christian course. There is success in doing this. + +And then there is--_profit_--in learning this lesson, as well as +safety and success. + +David says, when speaking of God's commands, "In keeping of them +there is _great reward,"_ Ps. xix: 11. This is true of all God's +commands; and it is especially true of the command we are now +considering--"Hear him." + +Samuel obeyed this command, and it made him a blessing and an honor +to the nation of Israel. David obeyed it, and it made him one of the +greatest and most successful kings. Daniel obeyed it, and it covered +him with honor, and made him a blessing to his own nation, and to the +church of Christ in every age. + +"The Reward of Obedience." Here is an Eastern story which illustrates +this point of our subject. The story says there was once an enchanted +hill. On the top of this hill a great treasure was hidden. This +treasure was put there to be the reward of any one who should reach +the top of the hill without looking behind him. The command and the +promise given to every young person who set out to climb that hill, +were--do not look behind you, and that treasure shall be yours. But +there was a threat added to the command and promise. The threat was, +if you look behind, you will be turned into a stone. Many young +persons started, to try and gain the prize. But the way to the top of +the hill led them through beautiful groves, which covered the side of +the hill. In these groves were birds singing sweetly, and sounds of +music were heard, and melodious voices inviting those who passed by +to stop and rest awhile. One after another of those who set out for +the prize at the top of the hill would stop, and look round to see +where the voices came from; and immediately they were turned into +stones. "Hence," says the story, "in a little while the hillside was +covered with stones, into which those had been turned who neglected +the command given them when they started." + +Of course there never was such a hill as this. But the story gives us +a good illustration. Our life may well be compared to such a hill. +The treasure, on the top of it, represents the reward that awaits us +in heaven, if we serve God faithfully. The songs, and the voices, +from the groves, on the hillside, represent the temptations that +surround us in our daily paths. The lesson of duty that comes to us +from the Transfiguration scene--"Hear him"--is the only thing that +can preserve us from these temptations. If we hear Jesus when he says +to us--"follow me;" if we give him our hearts and walk in his way, he +will carry us through all temptations; he will bring us safely to the +top of the hill; and the reward laid up there will be ours. Let us +learn this lesson of duty, because there is safety in it; there is +success in it; there is profit in it. + +And so we have spoken of two things in connection with the +Transfiguration; these are the wonders that attended it, and the +lessons taught by it. The wonders are three--the wonderful +change--the wonderful company--and the wonderful conversation; and +the lessons are three--the lesson of hope--the lesson of +instruction--and the lesson of duty. + +In leaving this subject, let us lift up our hearts to Jesus, and say, +in the beautiful language of the Te Deum: + + "Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ! + Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. + When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death + Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. + Thou sittest at the right hand of God, + In the glory of the Father. + We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge. + We therefore pray thee, help thy servants + Whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood. + Make them to be numbered with thy saints, + In glory everlasting. Amen." + + + + + + +THE LESSONS FROM OLIVET + + + + + +Our last chapter was on the Transfiguration. The next will be on The +Last Supper. Between these two events in our Saviour's life, how many +interesting incidents took place! How many important sayings that +fell from his gracious lips during this period are written for our +instruction by the four evangelists! There is, for instance, the +beautiful lesson about what it is on which the value of our gifts +depend. He taught this lesson when he saw the rich casting their +gifts into the treasury. Among them came "a certain poor widow, +casting in two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that +this poor widow hath cast in more than they all;--for she of her +penury hath cast in all the living she had," Luke xxi: 1-4. But, from +among all these, we have only room for one chapter. A dozen, or +twenty chapters would be needed on this part of the life of Christ. +Where there are so many that might be taken, it has been very +difficult to decide which is the best. In deciding this matter, I do +not think we could do better than join the company of the three +favored disciples, Peter, John, and James, and go, in thought with +them, as they followed their Master from his last visit to the temple +in Jerusalem, up to the top of the Mount of Olives. There Jesus took +his seat, and his disciples sat around him, anxious to ask him some +questions about what he had said to them in the temple. We read in +St. Mark xiii: 1-2, that as he was going out of the temple the +disciples called his attention to the beauty of that sacred building +and the great size and splendor of some of the stones that were in +it. Then Jesus pointed to that great building, and told them that the +time was coming when it would be destroyed, and "there should not be +left one stone upon another that should not be thrown down." This +filled the minds of the disciples with surprise and wonder. They +supposed that their temple would last as long as the world stood. +They thought that it was the end of the world of which Jesus was +speaking; and they were very anxious that he should tell them +something more about it. And so, as soon as they were seated around +him, on the Mount of Olives, they said, "Tell us, when shall these +things be? and what shall be the sign, when all these things shall be +fulfilled?" St. Mark xii: 4. + +And now, we may imagine ourselves sitting with Jesus and his +disciples on the Mount of Olives. As we look down we see the city of +Jerusalem spread out beneath our feet. We see its walls, and its +palaces. And there, just before us, outshining everything in its +beauty, is that sacred temple, that was "forty and six years in +building." Its white marble walls, its golden spires, and pinnacles, +are sparkling in the beams of the sun, as they shine upon them. No +wonder the Jews were so proud of it! It was a glorious building. + +But now Jesus is beginning to speak. Let us listen to what he says. +The lessons that he taught on the Mount of Olives run all through the +twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth chapters of St. Matthew. In the first +of these chapters, Jesus gave them a sign, by which those who learn +to understand what he here says, might know when his second coming is +to take place. These are some of the lessons from Olivet. I should +like, very much, to stop and talk about them. But this cannot be +now. We pass over to the twenty-fifth chapter of St. Matthew. In this +chapter we have three of our Saviour's parables. These are very +solemn and instructive. They all refer to the judgment that must take +place when Jesus shall come into our world again. The second of these +parables is the one we are now to consider. It is called--"The +Parable of the Talents." We find it in St. Matt, xxv: 14-30. And _the +lessons from Olivet_, which we are now to try and learn, are all +drawn from the words of our Saviour, contained in the verses just +mentioned. + +This, then, is our present subject--_The Lessons from Olivet_. And +there _four_ lessons, in this part of our Saviour's discourse, of +which we are now to speak. _The first is--the lesson about the +Master. The second--the lesson about the servants. The third is--the +lesson about the talents; and the fourth, the lesson about the +rewards_. + +_The lesson about_--THE MASTER--_is the first thing of which we are +to speak_. + +In the 14th verse of this 25th chapter of St. Matthew, Jesus speaks +of himself as--"a man travelling into a far country,"--and of his +people as--"his own servants." In the 19th verse he speaks of himself +as "the lord of those servants, coming back, after a long time, to +reckon with them." + +In St. Luke xix: 11-27 we have another of our Saviour's parables, +very similar to the one now before us. There, he speaks of himself as +"a _nobleman_ who went into a far country to receive for himself a +kingdom, and to return." This language was borrowed from a custom +that prevailed in those days. The headquarters of the government of +the world then was in the city of Rome. The kings and rulers of +different countries received their appointments to the offices they +held from the Roman Emperor. Archelaus, the son of Herod, succeeded +his father as king of Judea. But, it was necessary for him to go to +Rome and get permission from the emperor to hold and exercise that +office. He had done this, not very long before our Saviour applied to +himself the words we are now considering. This was a fact well known. +And this is the illustration which Jesus here uses in reference to +himself. He is the Head--the Prince--the Lord--the Master of all +things in his church. He spoke of himself to his disciples as their +"Lord and Master," St. John xiii: 14. He tells us that he has gone to +heaven, as Archelaus went to Rome, "to receive for himself a kingdom +and to return." He said he would be absent "a long time," verse 19. +And this is true. He has been absent more than eighteen hundred +years. He said he would "return," or come again. And so he will. It +is just as certain that he will come again as it is that he went +away. And he will come, not in figure, or in spirit, but in person, +as he went. Remember what the angels said about this to his +disciples, at the time of his departure. "Ye men of Galilee, why +stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken from +you into heaven, shall _so come, in like manner_ as ye have seen him +go into heaven," Acts i: 11. He said he would return, and so he will. + +But, in the meantime, he would have us remember that he is still our +Lord and Master. No master ever had such a right to be Lord and Ruler +as he has. God the Father has appointed him to be "Head over all +things to his church," Ephes. i: 22. He is our Master, because he +_made_ us. This is what no other ever did for his servants. He is our +Master because he _preserves_ us. We cannot keep ourselves for a +single moment, but he keeps us all the time,--by night, and by day. +And he is our Master because, when we had sold ourselves into sin, +and were appointed unto death, _he redeemed us_. He bought us with +the price of his own precious blood. He made our hands to work for +him; and our feet to walk in his ways. He made our hearts to love +him;--our minds to think about him; our eyes to see the beauty of his +wondrous works, our ears to listen to his gracious words, and our +lips and tongues to be employed in speaking and singing his praises. + +We cannot be our own masters. "I am my own master!"--said a young +man, proudly, to a friend who was trying to persuade him from doing a +wrong thing; "I am my own master!" + +"That's impossible," said his friend. "You can not be master of +yourself, unless you are master of everything within, and everything +around you. Look within. There is your conscience to keep clear, and +your heart to make pure, your temper to govern, your will to control, +and your judgment to instruct. And then look without. There are +storms, and seasons; accidents, and dangers; a world full of evil men +and evil spirits. What can you do with these? And yet, if you don't +master them, they'll master you." + +"That's so," said the young man. + +"Now, I don't undertake any such thing," said his friend. "I am sure +I should fail, if I did. Saul, the first king of Israel, wanted to be +his own master, and failed. So did Herod. So did Judas. No man can be +his own master. 'One is your Master, even Christ,' says the apostle. +I work under his direction. He is my regulator, and when he is Master +all goes right. Think of these words,--'_He is your Master even +Christ_.' If we put ourselves under his leadership we shall surely +win at last." + +And as we cannot be our own master, if we refuse to take Christ as +our Ruler, there is nothing left for us but to have Satan as our +master. These are the only two masters we can have. We must make our +choice between them. If Jesus is not our Master, Satan must be. If +Jesus is our Master here, he will share his glory with us hereafter. +If we serve Satan here, we must share his punishment hereafter. This +is one of the solemn lessons that Jesus taught on Olivet. He is +speaking of the day of judgment. He represents himself as on the +judgment-seat. Two great companies are before him. On his right hand +are those who took him for their Master. To them he says--"Come, ye +blessed children of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, +from the foundation of the world," St. Matt, xxv: 34. + +On his left are those who took Satan for their master. The awful +words he speaks to them are:--"Depart from, ye cursed, into +everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." St. Matt. +xxv: 41. + +This is our first lesson from Olivet--the lesson about the Master. + +_The second lesson from Olivet is the lesson about_--THE SERVANTS. + +We are told that before this nobleman went away to the far country, +he called to him "his own servants." The nobleman here spoken of +means Jesus, our blessed Master. And now the question is--who are +meant by "his own servants?" He has three kinds of servants. The +first kind is made up of those who serve him _ignorantly_. This takes +in all those things that have no knowledge or understanding. There, +for instance are the sun,--the moon,--the stars,--the mountains,--the +hills,--the plains,--the valleys,--the rivers,--the seas,--the wind +that blows,--the rains that descend,--and the dews that distil; these +all serve God, without knowing it. He made them to serve him, and +they do it; but they do it ignorantly. "His kingdom _ruleth over +all_," and it makes all these things his servants. They do exactly +what they were made for, but they do it ignorantly. + +And there is another class of our Lord's creatures who serve him +_unwillingly_. This is a very large class. It takes in all the wicked +men, and the wicked spirits who are to be found anywhere. They do not +wish to serve God, and yet, in spite of themselves, they are obliged +to do it. We see this illustrated, when we think of the way in which +the crucifixion of our blessed Saviour was brought about. Satan +stirred up the Jews to take Jesus and put him to death. God allowed +them to do it. They did it of their own choice--as freely, and as +voluntarily, as they ever did anything in their lives. They did it +because they hated him, and wished to get him out of their way. So +they nailed him to the cross in their malice and their rage. This was +the very thing God had determined should be done, that he might save +and bless the world. He allowed Satan, and the Jews, to do just what +their wicked hearts prompted them to do; and then he overruled it for +good. And, in this way, as David says, he "makes the wrath of man to +praise him, and the remainder of it he restrains." And thus we see +how evil men, and evil spirits, are God's servants _unwillingly_. + +But then, there is another class of persons who serve God +_willingly_. This takes in all those who know and love him. He speaks +of them, in this parable as "_his own_ servants." When they find out +what he has done for them, the thought of it fills their hearts with +love; and then they desire to serve him, and do all he tells them to +do, in order to show their love to him. And this is what Jesus means +when he says--"Take my yoke upon you; for my yoke is easy, and my +burden is light," When we really love a person, anything that we can +do for that person is easy and pleasant to us. And so it is the great +love for Jesus, that his people have, which makes his yoke easy, and +his burden light to them. + +"How to Become a Willing Servant to Jesus." A little boy came to his +grandmother one day, and asked her how he could become a Christian. +She answered very simply, "Ask Jesus to give you a new heart, _and +believe he does it when you ask him_." + +"Is that all?" said the little fellow joyfully; "oh! that is easy +enough." So he went to his room, and kneeling beside his bed, asked +Jesus to give him a new heart. He believed that the dear Saviour, +who loves little children, did hear and answer his prayer. And he +left his room with a happy heart, for he felt sure that he was now +one of Christ's own loving children, and willing servants. And this +is the way in which we must take the yoke of Jesus upon us, and +become his willing servants. And then in everything that we do we can +be serving him. As St. Paul says--"whether we eat or drink, or +whatsoever we do, we can do all to the glory of God." + +A good man once said "that if God should send two angels down from +heaven, and should tell one of them to sit on a throne and rule a +kingdom, and the other to sweep the streets of a city, the latter +would feel that he was serving God as acceptably in handling his +broom as his brother angel was in holding his sceptre. And this is +true. We see the same illustrated in the fable of: + +"The Stream and the Mill." "I notice," said the stream to the mill, +"that you grind beans as well and as cheerfully as you do the finest +wheat." "Certainly," said the mill; "what am I here for but to grind? +and so long as I work, what does it signify to me what the work is? +My business is to serve my master, and I am not a whit more useful +when I turn out the finest flour than when I turn out the coarsest +meal. My honor is, not in doing fine work, but in doing any thing +that is given me to do in the best way that I can." That is true. And +this is just the way in which Jesus wishes us to serve him when he +says to "_his own_ servants," "Occupy till I come." This means serve +me, in everything, as you would do if you saw me standing by your +side. + +"How to Serve God." Willie's mother let him go with his little sister +into the street to play. She told them not to go off the street on +which their house stood. Willie was a little fellow, and lisped very +much in talking; but he was brave, and he was obedient. Presently his +sister asked him to go into another street; but he refused. "Mamma +thaid no," was Willie's answer. "The thaid we muthn't do off thith +threet," said Willie in his lisping way. "Only just a little way +round the corner," said his teasing sister. "Mamma'll never know it." + +"But I thall know it my own thelf; and I don't want to know any thuch +a mean thing; and I won't!" And Willie straightened himself, and +stood up like a man. That was brave and beautiful in Willie. And that +is the way in which we should try to serve our heavenly Master. + +"How a Boy May Serve God." A gentleman met a little boy wheeling his +baby brother in a child's carriage. "My little man," said the +gentleman, "what are you doing to serve God?" The little fellow +stopped a moment, and then, looking up into the gentleman's face, he +said:--"Why, you see, Sir, I'm trying to make baby happy, so that he +won't worry mamma who is sick." That was a noble answer. In trying to +amuse his baby brother, and to relieve his poor sick mother, that +little boy was serving God as truly and as acceptably as the angel +Gabriel does when he wings his way, on a mission of mercy, to some +far off world. + +And this is the lesson about the servants that comes to us from +Olivet. + +_The lesson about_--THE TALENTS--_is the third lesson that comes to +us from Olivet_. + +This parable tells us that before the Master went away, he "called +his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. Unto one he gave +five talents, to another two, to another one; to every man according +to his several ability." verses 14, 15, In St. Luke's account of the +parable, what the master gave to his servants is spoken of as +_pounds_, and each servant is said to have received one pound. These +talents or pounds both mean the same thing. They denote something +with which we can do good, and make ourselves useful. And it is +plain, from both these parables, that the Master gave at least _one_ +talent, or one pound, to each of his servants. None of them were left +without some portion of their Master's goods. And the lesson from +Olivet which comes to us here is that every one of us has a talent, +or a pound, that our Master Jesus, has given us, and which he expects +us to use for him. And the most important thing for us is to find out +what our talents are, and how we can best use them, so as to be ready +to give a good account of them when our Master comes to reckon with +us. + +A TALENT FOR EACH. + + "God entrusts to all + Talents few or many; + None so young and small + That they have not any. + + "Little drops of rain + Bring the springing flowers; + And I may attain + Much by little powers. + + "Every little mite, + Every little measure, + Helps to spread the light, + Helps to swell the treasure. + + "God will surely ask, + Ere I enter heaven, + Have I done the task + Which to me was given?" + +"One Talent Improved." One day, amidst the crowded streets of London, +a poor little newsboy had both his legs broken by a dray passing over +them. He was laid away, in one of the beds of a hospital, to die. On +the next cot to him was another little fellow, of the same class, who +had been picked up, sick with the fever which comes from hunger and +want. The latter boy crept close up to his poor suffering companion +and said: + +"Bobby, did you ever hear about Jesus?" + +"No, I never heard of him." + +"Bobby, I went to the mission-school once; and they told us that +Jesus would take us up to heaven when we die, if we axed him; and +we'd never have any more hunger or pain." + +"But I couldn't ax such a great gentleman as he is to do anything for +me. He wouldn't stop to speak to a poor boy like me." + +"But hell do all that for you Bobby, if you ax him." + +"But how can I ax him, if I don't know where he lives? and how could +I get: there when both my legs is broke?" + +"Bobby, they told us, at the mission-school, as how Jesus passes by. +The teacher said he goes around. How do you know but what he might +come round to this hospital this very night? You'd know him if you +was to see him." + +"But I can't keep my eyes open. My legs feels awful bad. Doctor says +I'll die." + +"Bobby, hold up yer hand, and he'll know what you want, when he +passes by." They got the hand up; but it dropped. They tried it +again, and it slowly fell back. Three times they got up the little +hand, only to let it fall. Bursting into tears he said, "I give it +up." + +"Bobby," said his tender-hearted companion, "lend me yer hand. Put +your elbow on my piller: I can do without it." So the hand was +propped up. And when they came in the morning, the boy lay dead; but +his hand was still held up for Jesus. And don't you think that he +heard and answered the silent but eloquent appeal which it made to +him for his pardon and grace, and salvation, to that poor dying boy? +I do, I do. + +Bobby's friend had been once to the mission-school. He had but a +single talent; but, he made good use of it when he employed it to +lead that wounded, suffering, dying boy to Jesus. + +"Good Friends." "I wish I had some good friends, to help me on in +life!" cried lazy Dennis, with a yawn. + +"Good friends," said his master, "why you've got ten; how many do you +want?" + +"I'm sure I've not half so many; and those I have are too poor to +help me." + +"Count your fingers, my boy," said the master. + +Dennis looked down on his big, strong hands. "Count thumbs and all," +added the master. + +"I have; there are ten," said the lad. + +"Then never say you have not ten good friends, able to help you on in +life. Try what those true friends can do, before you go grumbling and +fretting because you have none to help you." + +Now, suppose that we put the word talents, for the word friends, in +this little story. Then, we may each of us hold our two hands before +us, and say "here are ten talents, which God has given me to use for +him. Let me try and do all the good I can with these ten talents." + +THE BEST THAT I CAN. + + "'I cannot do much,' said a little star, + 'To make the dark world bright; + My silvery beams can not struggle far + Through the folding gloom of night; + But I'm only a part of God's great plan, + And I'll cheerfully do the best I can.' + + "A child went merrily forth to play, + But a thought, like a silver thread, + Kept winding in and out, all day, + Through the happy golden head. + Mother said,--'Darling, do all you can; + For you are a part of God's great plan.' + + "So he helped a younger child along, + When the road was rough to the feet, + And she sung from her heart a little song + That we all thought passing sweet; + And her father, a weary, toil-worn man, + Said, 'I, too, will do the best I can.'" + +"A Noble Boy." "Not long ago," said a Christian lady, "I saw a boy do +something that made me glad for a week. Indeed it fills my heart with +tenderness and good feeling whenever I think about it. But let me +tell you what it was. + +"As I was walking along a crowded street I saw an old blind man +walking on without any one to lead him. He went very slowly, feeling +his way with his cane. + +"'He's walking straight to the highest part of the curb-stone,' said +I to myself. 'And it's very high too. I wonder if some one won't help +him and start him in the right direction.' + +"Just then, a boy, about fourteen years old, who was playing near by, +ran up to the old man and gently putting his hand through the man's +arm, said:--'Allow me, my friend, to lead you across the street.' By +this time there were three or four others watching the boy. He not +only helped the old man over one crossing, but led him over another +to the lower side of the street. Then he ran back to his play. + +"Now this boy thought he had only done an act of kindness to that old +man. But just see how much farther than that the use of his one +talent went. The three boys with whom he was playing, and who had +watched his kind act, were happier and better for it, and felt that +they must be more careful to do little kindnesses to those about +them. + +"The three or four persons who stopped to watch the boy turned away +with a tender smile upon their faces, ready to follow the good +example of that noble boy. I am sure that I felt more gentle and +loving towards every one, from what I saw that boy do. + +"And then, another one that was made happy was the boy himself. For, +it is impossible for us to do a kind act, or to make any one else +happy, without feeling better and happier ourselves. To _be_ good and +to _do_ good, is the way to be happy. This is our mission here in +this world. Whatever talents our Master has given us, he intends that +we should use them in this way." + +"Tiny's Work for God." Two little girls, Leila and Tiny, were +sitting, one summer day, under the tree which grew beside their home. + +Both children had been quiet for a little while, when suddenly Tiny +raised her blue eyes and said, "I _am_ so happy, Leila. I do love the +flowers, and the birdies, and you, and everybody so much." Then she +added, in a whisper, "And I love God, who made us all so happy. +Sister, I wish I could do something for him." + +"Mother says if we love him, that is what he likes best of all," said +Leila. + +"Yes, but I do want to _do_ something for him--something that would +give me trouble. Can't you think of anything?" + +Leila thought a little, and said, "Perhaps you could print a text +for the flowers mother sends every week to the sick people in the +hospital. They are so glad to have the flowers, and then the text +might help them think about our Father in heaven." + +"Oh! thank you, sister, that will be so nice! I will write--'Suffer +the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.'" + +But Tiny was only a little over four years old, and it was hard for +her to hold a pen, but she managed to print two letters every day +till the text was finished. Then she went alone to her room, and +laying the text on a chair, she kneeled down beside it, and +said--"Heavenly Father, I have done this for you: please take it from +Tiny, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen." And God heard the prayer, for +he always listens when children truly pray. + +So Tiny's text was sent up to London, and a lady put a very pretty +flower into the card and took it to the hospital. She stopped beside +a bed where a little boy was lying. His face was almost as white as +the pillow on which he lay, and his dark eyes were filled with tears. + +"Is the pain very bad to-day, Willie?" + +"Yes, miss; its dreadful-like. But it's not so much the pain as I +mind. I'm used to that, yer know. Father beat me every day a'most, +when he was drunk. But the doctor says I'm too ill for 'im to 'ave +any 'opes for me, and I'm mighty afeard to die." + +"If you had a friend who loved you, and you were well, would you be +afraid to go and stay with him, Willie?" + +"Why no, I'd like to go, in course." + +"I have brought you a message from a Friend, who has loved you all +your life long. He wants you to trust him, and to go and live with +him. He will love you always, and you will always be happy." + +Then the lady read Tiny's text, "_Suffer the little children to come +unto me, and forbid them not._" She told him how Jesus had died, and +then had risen again, and had gone to heaven, to prepare a place for +_him_, and for many other children. She told him how Jesus is still +saying "Come," and his hand is still held out to bless. + +So Willie turned to the Good Shepherd, and was no longer afraid. A +few days afterwards he whispered--"Lord Jesus, I am coming;" and he +died with Tiny's text in his hand. + +That little girl used the talent that was given her, and it helped +to bring a soul to Jesus. + +EVERY TALENT USEFUL. + + "Though little I bring, + Said the tiny spring, + As it burst from the mighty hill, + 'Tis pleasant to know, + Wherever I flow, + The pastures are greener still. + + "And the drops of rain + As they fall on the plain, + When parched by the summer heat, + Refresh the sweet flowers + Which droop in the bowers, + And hang down their heads at our feet. + + "May we strive to fulfill + All His righteous will, + Who formed the whole earth by His word! + Creator Divine! + We would ever be Thine, + And serve Thee--our God, and our Lord!" + +Let us never forget this third lesson from Olivet, the lesson +about,--the talents. + +_The fourth, and last lesson from Olivet is the lesson about_--THE +REWARDS. + +The parable tells us that when the Master came back, and reckoned +with his servants, he said to each of those who had made a right use +of his talents:--"Well done, good and faithful servant, thou hast +been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many +things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord." In the parable in St. +Luke we are told that the servant who had gained ten pounds was made +ruler over ten cities; and he who had gained five pounds was made +ruler over five cities. This shows us that God will reward his +people, hereafter, according to the degree of faithfulness with which +each one shall have used the talents given to him. And this is the +lesson which the apostle Paul teaches us when he says that, "Every +man shall receive _his own reward_ according to _his own labor."_ I. +Cor. iii: 8. + +All the willing, loving servants of God will receive a crown of life +when Jesus comes to reckon with them. But those crowns will not be +all alike. They are spoken of as "crowns of gold:" Rev. iv: 4; as +"crowns of glory:" I. Peter v: 4, and as "crowns of life:" Rev. iii: +11. But still there will be very great differences between these +crowns. Some will be simply crowns of gold, or of glory, without any +gems or jewels to ornament them. Some will have two or three small +jewels shining in them. But, others again will be full of the most +beautiful jewels, all glittering and sparkling with glory. And this +will all depend upon the way in which those who wear these crowns +used their talents while they were on earth, and the amount of work +they did for Jesus. There is an incident mentioned in Roman history +about a soldier, which illustrates this part of our subject very +well. + +"The Faithful Soldier and His Rewards." This man had served forty +years in the cause of his country--of these, ten years had been spent +as a private soldier, and thirty as an officer. He had been present +in one hundred and twenty battles, and had been severely wounded +forty-five times. He had received fourteen civic crowns, for having +saved the lives of so many Roman citizens; three mural crowns, for +having been the first to mount the breach when attacking a fortress; +and eight golden crowns, for having, on so many occasions, rescued +the standard of a Roman legion from the hands of the enemy. He had in +his house eighty-three gold chains, sixty bracelets, eighteen golden +spears, and twenty-three horse trappings,--the rewards for his many +faithful services as a soldier. And when his friends looked at all +those honors and treasures which he had received, from time to time, +how well they might have said as they pointed to those numerous +prizes--that he had "received _his own reward_, according to _his own +labor_," and faithfulness! And so it will be with the soldiers of the +cross, who are faithful in using the talents given them by their +heavenly Master. + +"A Great Harvest from a Little Seed," Some years ago there was a +celebrated artist in Paris whose name was Ary Scheffer. On one +occasion he wished to introduce a beggar into a certain picture he +was painting. Baron Rothschild, the famous banker, and one of the +richest men in the world, was a particular friend of this artist. He +happened to come into his studio at the very time he was trying to +get a beggar to be the model of one which he desired to put into his +painting. + +"Wait till to-morrow," said Mr. Rothschild, "and I will dress myself +up as a beggar, and make you an excellent model." + +"Very well," said the artist, who was pleased with the strangeness of +the proposal. The next day the rich banker appeared, dressed up as a +beggar, and a very sorry looking beggar he was. While the artist was +engaged in painting him, another friend of his came into the studio. +He was a kind-hearted, generous man. As he looked on the model +beggar, he was touched by his wretched appearance, and as he passed +him, he slipped a louis d'or--a French gold coin, worth about five +dollars of our money--into his hand. The pretended beggar took the +coin, and put it in his pocket. + +Ten years after this, the gentleman who gave this piece of money +received an order on the bank of the Rothschilds for ten thousand +francs. This was enclosed in a letter which read as follows: + +"Sir: You one day gave a louis d'or to Baron Rothschild, in the +studio of Ary Scheffer. He has invested it, and made good use of it, +and to-day he sends you the capital you entrusted to him, together +with the interest it has gained. A good action is always followed by +a good reward. + +"JAMES DE ROTHSCHILD." + +In those few years that one gold coin, of twenty francs, had +increased to ten thousand francs. And this illustrates the way in +which Jesus the heavenly Master rewards those who use their talents +for him. See how he teaches this lesson, when he says--"Whosoever +shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold +water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall +in _no wise lose his reward_." St. Matt, x: 42. And in another place +we are told that the reward shall be "an hundred fold," and shall run +on into "everlasting life." St. Matt, xix: 29. How sweetly some one +has thus written about + +THE REWARD OF HEAVEN. + + "Light after darkness, gain after loss, + Strength after weariness, crown after cross; + Sweet after bitter, song after sigh, + Home after wandering, praise after cry; + Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain, + Light after mystery, peace after pain; + Joy after sorrow, calm after blast, + Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last; + Near after distant, gleam after gloom, + Love after loneliness, life after tomb. + After long agony, rapture of bliss, + Christ is the pathway leading to this!" + +The last lesson from Olivet is the lesson about the rewards. And +taking these lessons together, let us remember that they are--the +lesson _about the Master_: the lesson _about the servants_: the +lesson _about the talents_: and the lesson _about the rewards_. + +The Collect for the thirteenth Sunday after Trinity is a very +suitable prayer to offer after meditating on the lessons from Olivet: + +"Almighty and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy +faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service: Grant, we +beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that +we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; which exceed all +that we can desire; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. +AMEN!" + + + + + + +THE LORD'S SUPPER + + + + + +We are approaching now the end of our Saviour's life. The last week +has come, and we are in the midst of it. This is called Passion week. +We commonly use this word _passion_ to denote anger. But the first +and true meaning of the word, and of the Latin word from which it +comes, is--suffering. And this is the sense in which we find the word +used in Acts i: 3. There, St. Luke, who wrote the Acts, is speaking +of Christ's appearing to the apostles, after his resurrection, and he +uses this language: "To whom he showed himself alive, after his +_passion_;" or after his suffering and death. + +In the midst of this last week--this passion week--one of the +interesting things that Jesus did was to keep the Jewish Passover for +the last time with his disciples. This Passover feast had been kept +by the Jews every year for nearly fifteen hundred years. It was the +most solemn religious service they had. It was first observed by +them in the night on which their nation was delivered from the +bondage of Egypt and began their march towards the promised land of +Canaan. We read about the establishment of this solemn service in +Exodus, twelfth chapter. The first Passover took place on the +fourteenth day of the month Nisan. This had been the seventh month of +the year with the Jews. But God directed them to take it for their +first month ever afterwards. They were to begin their year with that +month. Every family was to choose out a lamb for themselves, on the +tenth day of the month. They were to keep it to the fourteenth day of +the month. On the evening of that day, they were to kill the lamb. +The blood of the lamb was to be sprinkled on the two side-posts and +upper lintels of every door. They were to roast the lamb and eat it, +with solemn religious services. And, while they were doing this, the +angel of the Lord was to pass over all the land of Egypt, and, with +his unseen sword, to smite and kill the first-born, or eldest child, +in every family, from Pharaoh on his throne to the poorest beggar in +the land. But the blood, sprinkled on the door-posts of the houses in +which the Israelites dwelt, was to save them from the stroke of the +angel of death as he passed over the land. And so it came to pass. +The solemn hour of midnight arrived. The angel went on his way. He +gave one stroke with his dreadful sword--and there was a death in +every Egyptian family. But in the blood-sprinkled dwellings of the +Israelites, there was no one dead. What a wonderful night that was! +Nothing like it was ever known in the history of our world. It is not +surprising that the children of Israel, through all their +generations, should have kept that Passover feast with great +interest--an interest that never died out, from age to age. Nor do we +wonder that our blessed Saviour looked forward longingly to the +occasion when, for the last time, he was to celebrate this Passover +with his disciples. As they began the feast he said to them, "With +desire I have desired" that is, I have earnestly, or heartily desired +"to eat this passover with you before I suffer," St. Luke xxii: 15. +It is easy to think of many reasons why Jesus should have felt this +strong desire. Without attempting to tell what all those reasons +were, we can readily think of some things which would lead him, very +naturally, to have this feeling. It was the last time he was to eat +this Passover with them on earth. This showed that his public work, +for which he came into the world, was done. He had only now to suffer +and die; to rise from the dead, and then go home to his Father in +heaven. + +This Passover had been one of the services established and kept for +the purpose of pointing the attention of men to himself as the Lamb +of God who was to take away the sins of the world. And now, the time +had come when all that had thus been pointed out concerning him, for +so many hundred years, was about to be fulfilled. He, the one true +Lamb of God, had come. He was about to die for the sins of the world. +Then the Jewish church would pass away, and the Christian church +would take its place. And then the blessings of true religion, +instead of being confined to one single nation, would be freely +offered to all nations; and Jews and Gentiles alike, would be at +liberty to come to Christ, and to receive from him pardon, and grace, +and salvation, and every blessing. + +There was enough in thoughts like these to make Jesus long to eat +this last Passover with his disciples. In each of the four gospels we +have an account of what took place when the time came for keeping +this Passover. What is said concerning it we find in the following +places: St. Matt xxi: 17-30, St. Mark xiv: 12-26, St. Luke xxii: +7-39. St. John begins with the thirteenth chapter, and ends his +account at the close of the seventeenth chapter. He is the only one +of the four evangelists who gives a full and particular account of +the wonderful sayings of our Lord in connection with this last +passover, and of the great prayer that he offered for all his +people. + +Here is a brief outline of these different accounts. When the time +came to keep the Passover, Jesus sent two of his disciples from +Bethany, where he was then staying, to Jerusalem. He told them, that, +when they entered the city, they would meet a man bearing a pitcher +of water. They were to ask him to show them the guest-chamber, where +he and his disciples might eat the Passover together. There were +always great crowds of strangers in Jerusalem at the time of this +festival; and many furnished chambers were kept ready to be hired to +those who wished them, for celebrating the Passover. This man, of +whom our Saviour spoke, was probably a friend of his, and according +to our Lord's word, he showed the disciples such a room as they +needed. Then they made the necessary preparations; and, when the +evening came, Jesus and his disciples met there to keep this solemn +feast. + +Many of the pictures that we see of this last Supper, represent the +company as seated round a table, very much in the way in which we are +accustomed to sit ourselves. But this is not correct. The people in +those Eastern countries were not accustomed to sit as we do. On this +occasion the roasted lamb, with the bread and wine to be used at the +feast, was placed on a table, and the guests reclined on couches +round the table, each man leaning on his left arm, and helping +himself to what he needed with his right hand. + +Various incidents took place in connection with this last Supper. The +disciples had a contest among themselves about which of them should +be greatest. This led Jesus, in the course of the evening, to give +them the lesson of humility, by washing his disciples' feet, of which +we have already spoken. Then he told them how sorrowfully he was +feeling. He said they would all forsake him, and one of them would +betray him that very night. This made them feel very sad. Each of +them suspected himself--and asked sorrowfully--"Lord, is it I?" They +did not suspect each other; and none of them seems to have suspected +Judas Iscariot at all. Then Peter whispered to John, who was leaning +on the bosom of Jesus, to ask who it was that was to do this? In +answer to John's question, Jesus said it was the one to whom he +should give a piece of bread when he had dipped it in the dish. Then +he dipped the sop and gave it to Judas. + +After this, we are told that Satan entered into him, and he went out +and made preparation for doing the most dreadful thing that ever was +done from the beginning of the world--and that was the betrayal of +his great, and good, and holy Master, into the hands of his enemies. +When Judas was gone, and before the Passover feast was finished, +making use of some of the materials before him, Jesus established one +of the two great sacraments to be observed in his church to the end +of the world--the sacrament of the Lord's Supper--or the holy +Communion. + +This is St. Luke's account of the way in which it was done, chapter +xxii: 19, 20--"And he took the bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, +and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: +this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, +saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for +you." St. Matthew adds, and--"for many." + +Such is the account we have of the first establishment of the Lord's +Supper. It was to take the place of the Jewish Passover, and to be +observed by the followers of Christ all over the earth, until the +time when he shall come again into our world. + +And this solemn sacrament--this holy communion--this Supper of our +Lord, ought to be observed, or kept, by all who love him, for three +reasons: these are its connection with _the word of his command--the +memory of his sufferings--and the hope of his glory_. + +Jesus connected this sacrament with _the word of his command_ when he +said--"_This do_ in remembrance of me." St. Luke xxii: 19. This is +the _command_ of Christ. It is a plain, positive command. Jesus did +not give this command to the apostles only, or to his ministers, or +to any particular class of his followers, but to all of them. It was +given first to his apostles, but it was not intended to be confined +to them. Jesus does not say--"This do," ye who are my apostles; or, +ye who are my ministers. He does not say--"This do," ye old men, or +ye rich men, or ye great men; but simply, "This do." And the meaning +of what he here says, is--"This do," all ye who profess to be my +followers, all over the world, and through all ages. And the words +that he spake on another occasion come in very well here: "If ye love +me, keep my commandments." And _this_ is one of the commandments that +he expects all his people to keep. He points to his holy sacrament, +which he has ordained in his church, and then to each one of his +people he says--"This do." No matter whether we wish to do it or not; +here are our master's words--"This do." No matter whether we see the +use of it, or not; Jesus says--"This do." It is enough for each +follower of Jesus to say, "here is my Lord's command; I _must_ obey +it." + +In an army, if the general issues an order, it is expected that every +soldier will obey it. And no matter how important, or useful, in +itself considered, any work may be, that is done by one of those +soldiers, yet, if it be done while he is neglecting the general's +order, instead of gaining for that soldier the praise of the general, +or of securing a reward from him, it will only excite his +displeasure:--he will order that soldier to be punished. + +But the church of Christ is compared in the Bible to an army. He is +the Captain or Leader of this army. And one of the most important +orders he has issued for his soldiers is--"This do in remembrance of +me." If we profess to be the soldiers of Christ, and are enlisted in +his army, and yet are neglecting this order, he never can be pleased +with anything we may do while this order is neglected. We seem to see +him pointing to this neglected order, and saying to each of us, as he +said to Saul, the first king of Israel, by the prophet Samuel: +--"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice: and to hearken, than the +fat of rams." I. Sam. xv: 22. + +No age is fixed in the New Testament at which young people may be +allowed to come to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. But, as soon +as they have learned to know and love Christ and are really trying to +serve him, they ought to be allowed to come. And yet ministers and +parents sometimes keep them back, and tell them they must wait, and +be tried a little longer, before they receive the help and comfort of +this ordinance of Christ, even when their conduct shows they are +sincerely trying to love and serve the blessed Saviour. + +If a farmer should send his servant out into the field, when winter +was approaching, telling him to put the sheep into the fold, that +they might be protected from the wolves, and from the cold, it would +be thought a strange thing if he should allow him to bring the sheep +into the shelter of the fold, and leave the little lambs outside. +This is a good illustration to show the importance of taking care of +the lambs. But it fails at one point. The shelter of the fold is +absolutely necessary for the protection of the farmer's lambs. They +could not live without it. If left outside of the fold they would +certainly perish. But there is not the same necessity for admitting +young people to the Lord's Supper. They are not left out in the cold, +like the lambs in the field, even when not admitted to this holy +ordinance. They are already under the care and protection of the good +Shepherd. He can guard them, and keep them, and cause them to grow in +grace, even though, for awhile, they do not have the help and comfort +of this sacrament. And, if they are kept back through the fault or +mistake of others, he will do so. This sacrament, like that of +baptism, is, as the catechism says, "_generally_ necessary to +salvation." This means that it is important "where it may be had." +But, if circumstances beyond our control should prevent us from +partaking of it, we may be saved without it. Still, I think that +young people who give satisfactory evidence that they know and love +the Saviour, and are trying to serve him, ought to be allowed to come +forward to this holy sacrament. + +Some people when urged to come to the Lord's Supper excuse +themselves, by saying that--"they are not prepared to come." + +But this will not release any one from the command of Christ--"This +do." + +What the preparation is that we need in order that we may come, in a +proper way, to this holy sacrament, is clearly pointed out in the +exhortation that occurs in the communion service of our church. Here +the minister says--"Ye who do truly and earnestly repent of your +sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to +lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from +henceforth in his holy ways: draw near with faith, and take this holy +sacrament to your comfort." And there is no excuse for persons not +being in the state these words describe: for this is just what God's +word, and our own duty and interest require of us. If we have not +yet done what these words require, we ought to do it at once; and +then there will be nothing in the way of our obeying the command of +Christ, when he says--"This do, in remembrance of me," By all the +authority which belongs to him our Saviour _commands_ us to keep this +holy feast. And the first reason why we ought to "do this," is +because of its connection with the word of his command. + +_The second reason why we ought to "do this"--is because of its +connection with the memory of his sufferings_. + +We are taught this by the word _remembrance_, which our Saviour here +uses. He says, "This do in remembrance of me." This means in +remembrance of my sufferings for you. And _this_ is the most +important word used by him when he established this sacrament. It is +the governing word in the whole service. It is the word by which we +must be guided in trying to understand what our Lord meant to teach +us by all he did and said on this occasion. + +You know how it is when we are trying to understand the music to +which a particular tune has been set. There is always one special +note in a tune, which is called the _key-note_. The leader of a +choir, when they are going to sing, will strike one of the keys of +the organ, or the melodeon they are using, so as to give to each +member of the choir the proper key-note of the piece of music they +are to sing. It is very important for them to have this key-note, +because they cannot have a proper understanding of what they are to +do without it. This holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper is like a +solemn song. And the key-note of the music to which the song is set +is this word--_remembrance_. It teaches us that the sacrament of the +Lord's Supper is a _memorial_ service. And, in going through the +music to which the song of this service has been set, every note that +we use must be a memorial note. And the language used by our blessed +Lord when he established this Supper, or sacrament, must be explained +in this way. When he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, +saying--"This is my body, which is given for you: this do in +remembrance of me," he meant that we should understand him as +saying--"This is the _memorial_ of my body." And when he gave them +the cup, and said--"This is my blood of the New Testament," he meant +that we should understand him as saying--"This is the _memorial_ of +my blood." And we are sure that this was the meaning, for two +reasons. + +One reason for believing this is that _this was the way in which +similar words had been used in the Jewish Passover, which Jesus and +his disciples were then keeping_. + +In the Passover service, when the head of the family distributed the +bread, he always said--"This is the bread of affliction." When he +distributed the flesh of the lamb, roasted for the occasion, he used +to say--"This is the body of the Passover." + +But every one knows, and every one admits, that the Jewish Passover +was a _memorial_ service. It was kept in memory of the wonderful +deliverance of their forefathers from the bitter bondage of Egypt. +And the words used at that service were memorial words. And so, when +Jesus, a little while before, had given to his disciples the Passover +bread, saying--"This is the bread of affliction:" he did not mean to +say that _that_ was the very same bread which their forefathers had +eaten, in the time of their affliction in Egypt. What he meant to say +was--this is the bread which you are to eat in _memory_ of your +forefathers' trial and deliverance. And when he gave to each of them +a piece of the sacrificial lamb, saying, "This is the body of the +Passover;" he did not mean that in any mysterious, or supernatural +sense, _that_ was the very lamb of which their forefathers had eaten +on the solemn night of the Passover; he only meant that it was the +body of which they were to eat in memory of the Passover. The +Passover was a memorial service; and the words used at the Passover +were memorial words. + +And so, when Jesus went on, from the last Passover of the Jewish +church, to the first sacramental feast of the Christian church, and +began by saying, "This do in _remembrance_ of me," what else could +the apostles possibly have thought, but that he intended this new +service of the Christian church to be a memorial service, just as the +old festival of the Jewish church had been? When he gave them the +broken bread, and said, "This is my body;" they could only have +understood him as meaning this is the memorial of my body. And when +he gave them the cup into which he had just poured the wine, and +said: "This is my blood;" they could only understand him as meaning +this is the memorial of my blood. And so, the sense in which he had +just before used the words employed in the Jewish festival must have +led the disciples to understand them in the same way when he used +similar words in the Christian sacrament. This is a good, strong +reason for thinking of this sacramental feast as a memorial service. + +There is indeed, one point of difference between the Jewish Passover +and the Christian sacrament, when we think of them as memorial +services. The Jews kept their solemn festival in memory of a _dead_ +lamb--the Passover lamb that was put to death for them, but never +came to life again. We keep our Christian sacrament in memory of the +Lamb of God, who died for us indeed, but who rose from the dead, and +is alive forevermore. As we keep this solemn festival, we may lift up +our adoring hearts to him and say for ourselves personally, + + "O, the Lamb! the loving Lamb! + The Lamb of Calvary! + The Lamb that was slain, but liveth again, + And intercedes for me!" + +And though they are both memorial services, yet this one thought +makes a world-wide difference between them. The bread and meat which +the pious Jew ate, when he kept the Passover, and the wine which he +drank on that occasion, would strengthen his body, but there was +nothing connected with those material substances that would do any +special good to his soul. It is different, however, with our +Christian festival of the Lord's Supper. And this difference is +clearly brought out in what we find in the catechism of our church on +this subject. In speaking of this holy sacrament, the question is +asked--"What are the benefits whereof we are partakers thereby?" And +the answer to this question is--"The strengthening and refreshing of +our souls, by the body and blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the +bread and wine." + +Here we see that while the Lord's Supper is a memorial service +indeed, it is at the same time something more than that. + +_And then, the actual bodily presence of Christ with them must have +compelled the apostles to understand the words he used on that +occasion, in this memorial sense_. + +They could not possibly have considered him as meaning that the bread +and wine which he gave them at that solemn service did, in any +mysterious and supernatural way, become his actual flesh and blood; +because, these were already before them in the form of his own body. +And they could not be in his body and in the bread and wine, at the +same time. The sense in which Jesus first used these words--"my body" +and "my blood," was clearly the memorial sense. He meant his +disciples to understand him as saying "Take this bread in remembrance +of my body, which is to be crucified for you;" and "Take this wine in +remembrance of my blood which is to be shed for you." + +This was what he taught the apostles when he first used these words +among them; and this was all he taught them; and we have no right to +use these words in any other sense till our blessed Lord himself +shall give us authority to do so. + +Let us never forget the word--_remembrance_, as used by our Saviour +here. It is the root out of which the whole tree of this solemn +service grows. Let us hold on to this root word, and it will save us +from the errors into which many have fallen in reference to this +subject. + +And, surely, there is nothing so precious for us to store away in our +memories as the thought of Christ in the amazing sufferings he once +bore for us, in the great work he is now doing for us, and in the +saving truth he embodies in his own glorious character. The story is +told of Alexander the Great, that when he conquered King Darius he +found among his treasures a very valuable box or cabinet. It was made +of gold and silver, and inlaid with precious jewels. After thinking +for awhile what to do with it, he finally concluded to use it as his +choicest treasury, or cabinet, in which to keep the books of the poet +Homer, which he was very fond of reading. Now, if we use our memory +aright, it will be to us a treasury far more valuable than that +jeweled box of the great conqueror. And the thought of Christ, not in +his sufferings only, but in his work, and in his character, is the +most precious thing to lay up in our memory. And if we keep this +remembrance continually before us it will be the greatest help we can +have in trying to love and serve him better. + +Here is an illustration of what I mean, in a touching story. We may +call it: + +"Love Stronger than Death." Some years ago there was a great fire in +one of our Western cities that stood in the midst of a prairie. A +mother escaped from her burning dwelling. Her husband was away from +home. She took her infant in her arms, and wrapped a heavy shawl +round herself and the baby. Her little girl clung to the dress of +her mother, and they went out into the prairie, to get away from the +flames of the burning buildings. It was a wild and stormy winter's +night and intensely cold. She tried to run; but burdened as she was +that was impossible. Presently she found that the tall dry grass of +the prairie had caught fire. It was spreading on every side. A great +circle of flame was gathering round her. + +A little way off she saw a clump of trees on a piece of rising +ground. Towards that spot she directed her steps, and strained every +nerve to reach it. At last she succeeded in doing so. + +For a moment the poor mother and her child were comparatively safe. +But, on looking around, she saw that the flames were approaching her +from opposite directions. Escape was impossible. Death--a terrible +death by fire, seemed to be the only thing before her. She might wrap +herself in that great shawl, and perhaps live through it. But, there +were the children. Of course a mother could not hesitate a moment +what to do under such circumstances. Wrapping the baby round and +round in the folds of the shawl, she laid it carefully down, at the +foot of one of the trees. Then, taking off her outer clothing, she +covered the other child with it. She laid her down beside the baby, +and then stretched herself across them. In a few moments the helpless +little ones were sound asleep. The long hours of the night passed. +The raging flames licked up the withered foliage about that clump of +trees, and then left their blackened trunks to the keenness of the +wind and frost. + +The next day the heart-broken husband and father returned to find his +home burnt, and his family gone--he knew not whither. He set out to +search for his lost treasures. He found them by that clump of trees. +There lay his wife--her hair and eyebrows, her face and neck scorched +and blackened by the fire--but her body frozen stiff. Whether she +perished by the flames or the frost no one ever knew. But, on lifting +her burnt form they found, warm and cozy beneath, her two sleeping +children. The elder child as they roused her, opened her eyes +exclaiming, "Mamma, is it morning?" Yes: it was morning with that +faithful mother, in the bright world to which she had gone! + +Now, suppose that those children, as they grew up, should have had +preserved among their treasures a piece of the burnt dress, or a lock +of the scorched hair, of their devoted mother. As they looked at it, +every day, it would be in _remembrance_ of her. How touchingly it +would tell of her great love for them, in being willing to lay down +her life to save theirs! And how that thought would thrill their +hearts and make them anxious to do all they could to show their +respect and love for such a mother! + +And so the broken bread and the poured out wine of this solemn +sacrament should melt our hearts in the remembrance of the wonderful +love of Christ to us, and should lead us to show our love to him by +keeping his commandments. + +And as we keep this solemn memorial service, how well we may say, in +the words of the hymn: + + "According to thy gracious word, + In meek humility, + This will we do, our dying Lord, + We will remember thee. + Thy body, broken for our sake, + Our bread from heaven shall be: + Thy sacramental cup we take, + And thus remember thee. + + "Can we Gethsemane forget? + Or there thy conflict see, + Thine agony and bloody sweat, + And not remember thee? + When to the cross we turn our eyes, + And rest on Calvary, + O Lamb of God, our sacrifice, + We must remember thee." + +_But Jesus has connected this blessed sacrament with the hope of his +glory_--as well as with the word of his command and the memory of his +sufferings. + +He made this connection very clear when he said at the institution of +this solemn service--"I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of +the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's +kingdom." St. Matt, xxvi: 29. And the apostle Paul pointed out the +same connection when he said, "As often as ye eat this bread, and +drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death, _till he come_." I. Cor. +xi: 26. This sacrament of the Lord's Supper is the point of meeting +between the sufferings of Christ and the glory that is to +follow--between his cross, with all its shame and anguish, and his +kingdom, with all its honor and blessedness. + +We have sometimes heard or read of magicians who have pretended to +have wonderful mirrors into which persons might look and see all that +was before them in this life. If there were such a mirror, it would +be a strange thing indeed to look into it and find out what was going +to happen to-morrow, or next month, or next year, or twenty years +hence. But, there never was any such mirror. As the apostle says, +"We know not what shall be on the morrow." No mortal man can tell +what will happen to him as he takes the very next step in life. + +Yet, this solemn sacrament is like such a magical mirror. We can look +into it and see, clearly represented there, what will happen to us in +the future, not of _this_ life indeed, but of the life to come. It +leads our minds on to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And a voice +from heaven declares--"Blessed are they who are called to the +marriage supper of the Lamb." Rev. xix: 9. That marriage supper +represents the highest joys of heaven. It gathers into itself all the +glory and happiness that await us in the heavenly kingdom. And this +sacramental service is the type or shadow of all the bliss connected +with that great event in the future. If we are true and faithful +partakers of this solemn sacrament--this memorial feast, we shall +certainly be among the number of those whose unspeakable privilege it +will be to sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb, in heaven. +There we shall be in the personal presence of Jesus, our glorified +Lord. Our eyes "shall see the King in his beauty." And we shall see +all his people too in the perfection of glory that will mark them +there. And in happy intercourse with that blessed company we shall +find all "the exceeding great and precious promises" of God's word +fulfilled in our own personal experience. + +And then there is nothing that can sustain and comfort us under the +many trials of this mortal life like the hope of sharing this joy +with our blessed Lord, when he shall come in the glory of his +heavenly kingdom. + +"The Hope of Glory." A Christian gentleman was in the habit of +visiting, from time to time, a poor afflicted widow woman who lived +in his neighborhood. She had once been very well off, and was the +wife of a well-known and apparently successful merchant. But finally +he failed in business and died soon after, leaving her alone in the +world, and without anything to live on but what she could earn by her +own labor. + +After awhile her health failed, and then she was entirely dependent +for her support on the kindness of her Christian friends. But she was +always cheerful and happy. "On going in to see her one day," says +this gentleman, "I found, on talking with her, that she was feeling +very comfortable in her mind. + +"'Tell me, my friend,' I asked, 'have you always felt as bright and +cheerful as you seem to feel now?' + +"'O, no,' she replied, 'very far from it. When my husband died, and +I was left alone in the world, I used to feel very sad and +rebellious. Many a time I was so sorrowful and despairing as to be +tempted to take away my own life. But, in the good providence of God, +I was led to read the Bible, and to pray for help from above. I +became a member of the church. But, for a while, I did not find much +comfort in my religion. And the reason of it was that I did not have +very clear views of Christ as my Saviour, and of the wonderful things +he has promised to do for his people in the future. + +"'But, on one communion occasion, my minister preached on the +words--"_Christ in you the hope of glory_." That was a blessed +communion to me. I saw then, as I had never seen before, how that +sacred and solemn service was intended by him to be to all his +people, at one and the same time, the means of preserving in their +minds the remembrance of the sufferings he has borne for them in the +past, and also of keeping alive in their hearts the hope of sharing +in the glory which he has prepared for them in the future. And I have +never had any trouble in my mind since then. My communion seasons +were always bright and blessed seasons to me as long as I was able +to go to church. And though I can no longer go up to the sanctuary +and partake of the bread and wine, "the outward and visible signs" +made use of in the heavenly feast; yet, blessed be God's holy name, I +can, and do partake in a spiritual manner of that which those signs +represent. I feel and know what it is to have "Christ in me the hope +of glory." And this "satisfies my longing, as nothing else can do." I +find peace and comfort in simply "looking unto Jesus." I have had +much outward trouble and affliction since then. I live alone. There +is no one here to help me. Sometimes I have nothing to eat, and but +little to keep me warm. You see me _sitting_ here now. Thus I have to +spend my nights. My complaint is the dropsy, and this prevents me +from lying down. _But I would not exchange my place as a forgiven +sinner, with "Christ in me the hope of glory," for all the wealth and +the honor that Queen Victoria could bestow upon me!_'" + +What a blessed Saviour Jesus is, who can thus spread the sunshine of +his peace and hope through the hearts and homes of the poorest and +most afflicted in the land! + +And thus, we have spoken of three good reasons, why all who love our +Lord Jesus Christ should keep this solemn sacrament which he has +ordained; we should do it because we see in it--_the word of his +command--the memorial of his sufferings--and the hope of his glory_. + +And when we partake of this solemn ordinance ourselves, or see others +partaking of it, how well we may say in the beautiful lines of +Havergal, the English poetess: + + "Thou art coming! At thy table + We are witnesses for this, + While remembering hearts thou meetest, + In communion closest, sweetest, + Earnest of our coming bliss. + Showing not thy death alone, + And thy love exceeding great, + But thy coming, and thy throne, + All for which we long and wait. + + "O the joy to see thee reigning, + Thee, our own beloved Lord; + Every tongue thy name confessing, + Worship, honor, glory, blessing, + Brought to thee with glad accord, + Thee our master and our Friend, + Vindicated and enthroned; + Unto earth's remotest end, + Glorified, adored, and owned." + +"_THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME_." + + + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS: + + + + + +THE WOMAN OF CANAAN + + + + +Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and +Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, +and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, _thou_ son of +David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered +her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send +her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not +sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she +and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, +It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast _it_ to +dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which +fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto +her, O woman, great _is_ thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou +wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.--_St. +Matt. xv: 21-28_. + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_The picture illustrates the scenery and gardens in the neighborhood +of Beyrout, which lies on the coast at the foot of Lebanon and within +the Syro-Phoenician border._ + + + + + +SIMON PETER'S FAITH IN CHRIST + + + + +When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his +disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they +said, Some _say that thou art_ John the Baptist: some, Elias; and +others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But +whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art +the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said +unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath +not revealed _it_ unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I +say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will +build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. +And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and +whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and +whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then +charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was +Jesus the Christ.--_St. Matt, xvi: 13-20_. + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_The site of Cæsarea Philippi is one of the loveliest spots in +Northern Palestine. On ground carpeted with an infinite variety of +wild flowers, the traveller rests in the grateful shade of oak and +mulberry, olive and fig tree. The sound of many waters is heard on +all sides as they hasten from the adjacent slopes of Herman to join +the head waters of Jordan, bursting in strength from a cavern at the +foot of a mighty cliff. Hither, with his handful of followers, came +Jesus, weary and in deep depression of spirit, a fugitive from his +own people, who had finally rejected him; and here, in reply to +searching and anxious enquiry, "Whom say ye that I am?" he received +from Simon Peter the memorable confession, "Thou art the Christ, the +Son of the living God_." + + + + + +THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST + + + + +And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, +and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart. And was +transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his +raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them +Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto +Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make +here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for +Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: +and behold a voice out of the cloud which said, This is my beloved +Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples +heard _it_, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus +came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when +they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus +only.--_St. Matt, xvii: 1--8_. + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_From the days of St. Jerome, when pilgrims first began the attempt +to identify sites hallowed by sacred events, Mount Tabor has, until +recent years, been regarded as the Mount of the Transfiguration. But +closer examination of the text and comparison of dates, and the fact +that Tabor itself was at that time the site of a fortified town +containing a Roman garrison, combine in this instance to discredit +tradition. One of the spurs of Herman must therefore be the +alternative and more probable scene of the Transfiguration; the +seclusion of this district of mountain, valley, and woodland +providing opportunity for contemplation, and preparation for the end +which was now imminent, "the decease which Jesus was to accomplish at +Jerusalem"_. + + + + + +JESUS HEALETH A LUNATIC + + + + +And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down +from the hill, much people met him. And, behold, a man of the company +cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he +is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly +crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising +him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast +him out; and they could not. And Jesus answering said, O faithless +and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer +you? Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet a coming, the devil +threw him down, and tare _him_. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, +and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.--_St. +Luke ix: 37-42_. + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_The picture gives an average representation of the outskirts of a +village in Northern Palestine, with its sordid, untidy, mud-built +houses, on the roofs of which are seen the reed booths or_ Succôth, +_occupied by the inhabitants during the oppressive heats of summer. +The snow-capped ridge of Hermon is indicated in the distance_. + + + + + +LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN AMONG YOU + + + + +Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and +taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, +having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is +not mine, but his that sent me. And the scribes and Pharisees brought +unto him a woman ...; and when they had set her in the midst. They +say unto him, ... Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be +stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they +might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with _his_ +finger wrote on the ground, _as though he heard them not_. So when +they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, +He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. +And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which +heard _it_, being convicted by _their own_ conscience, went out one +by one, beginning at the eldest, _even_ unto the last: and Jesus was +left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had +lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, +Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? +She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn +thee: go, and sin no more.--_St. John vii: 14-16; viii: 3-11._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_The scene is represented as taking place in one of the great +cloisters or porticoes which surrounded the Temple courts, and which +like the Forum of Rome, and "Paul's Wall" in Elizabethan, London, +served the purpose of a public promenade and place of meeting. These +porticoes were of magnificent construction and proportions, the Stoa +Basilica alone, upon the south side, with its quadruple colonnade of +one hundred and sixty-two pillars, covering a great area. The Eastern +Cloister, known as "Solomon's Porch," was probably so-called as +having been erected upon the site of a similar construction in the +first Temple_. + + + + + +ONE OF TEN LEPERS CURED IS GRATEFUL + + + + +And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through +the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain +village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar +off. And they lifted up _their_ voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have +mercy on us. And when he saw _them_, he said unto them, Go shew +yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, +they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, +turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God. And fell down on +_his_ face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. +And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where +_are_ the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to +God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy +faith hath made thee whole.--_St. Luke xvii: II--19._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_The town of Cana in Galilee, with its background of low hills, as +seen from the Nazareth Road, supplies a landscape setting for this +picture. The ingratitude of the nine lepers no doubt added to our +Lord's sorrow just now at the growing influence of the opposition of +his enemies_. + + + + + +JESUS, MARTHA, MARY, AND LAZARUS + + + + +Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain +village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her +house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' +feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, +and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister +hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And +Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful +and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful: and Mary +hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from +her.--_St. Luke x: 38-42._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_Bethany is situated on the southern slope of the Mount of Olives, +about two miles from Jerusalem. The house of his friends, Martha, +Mary, and Lazarus, the only place which, during the latter part of +his ministry, Jesus could call a home, was probably that of people in +easy circumstances, and as such is here represented. In the vineyards +of Palestine the vine is cultivated bushlike on the ground; but in +gardens, the plant is occasionally trained erect, as in Europe and +America, or, as in the present instance, for the purposes of shade, +upon a pergola. In the middle of the village of Bethany are the ruins +of an important house. Here some years ago a French explorer +discovered on the base the remains of an ancient chapel This seems to +point with probability to a valid tradition of the site of the house +of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus_. + + + + + +JESUS BLESSETH LITTLE CHILDREN + + + + +And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: +and _his_ disciples rebuked those that brought _them_. But when Jesus +saw _it_, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the +little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is +the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not +receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter +therein. And he took them up in his arms, put _his_ hands upon them, +and blessed them.--_St. Mark x: 13-16._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_In the Hebrew Bible--the Talmud--it is stated that, according to +pious custom, parents brought their little children to the synagogue +that they might receive the benefit of the prayers and blessings of +the elders. Rabbis also, of recognized sanctity, were frequently +appealed to in a like manner; and his fame as a prophet and +benefactor having preceded him into Peraea, infants were now brought +to Jesus, that he might lay his hands upon them in supplication and +blessing. The architectural setting of the picture is adapted from +that of a small square near the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem. This +kindly and gentle act of our Lord has been of incalculable +consequence to the life of children in the development of Christian +civilization._ + + + + + +THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS, FOUR DAYS DEAD + + + + +Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for +your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; +nevertheless let us go unto him. Jesus therefore again groaning in +himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. +Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that +was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath +been _dead_ four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, +that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? +Then they took away the stone _from the place_ where the dead was +laid. And Jesus lifted up _his_ eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee +that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but +because of the people which stand by I said _it_, that they may +believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried +with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came +forth.--_St. John xi: 14., 15,38-44._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_The painting illustrates a form of rock-cut tomb which, though not +so common as others in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, is nevertheless +selected as being in accordance with the description of what took +place in the present instance. It is obviously the type of tomb which +is referred to on a subsequent occasion, and explains the meaning of +"the stone rolled away from the sepulchre" The entrance of the tomb +is at the bottom of a flight of steps, and is covered by a +disc-shaped stone, like a mill-stone, which can be rolled back into a +slot cut in the rock for its reception. (The kneeling man in the +background has apparently just performed this duty?) The entrance is +closed by rolling the stone forward, dropping a small block behind it +to prevent its recession, and finally by covering the +before-mentioned slot with a slab, which, being cemented down, the +tomb is "sealed."_ + + + + + +CONVERSION OF ZACCHAEUS, A PUBLICAN + + + + +And _Jesus_ entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, _there +was_ a man named Zacchæus, which was the chief among the publicans, +and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not +for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, +and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass +that _way_. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw +him, and said unto him, Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for to +day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and +received him joyfully. And when they saw _it_, they all murmured, +saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And +Zacchæus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my +goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man +by false accusation, I restore _him_ fourfold. And Jesus said unto +him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also +is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save +that which was lost.--_St. Luke xix: 1-10_. + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_The sycomore tree referred to in the text is a species of fig +bearing small, coarse fruit, which is used as food only in cases of +necessity. Although occasionally of great size, the tree is easily +climbed, as the trunk is short, and the branches are numerous and +wide spreading. Jericho, rebuilt by Herod, was a somewhat fashionable +town. To signalize the despised tax-gatherer in such a way was to +teach a permanent lesson of absolute unworldliness_. + + + + + +JESUS RESTORETH SIGHT TO BARTIMAEUS + + + + +And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his +disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of +Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it +was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, _thou_ +son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should +hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, _Thou_ son of +David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to +be called. And they called the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good +comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, +rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What +wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, +Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy +way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his +sight, and followed Jesus in the way.--_St. Mark x: 4.6--52._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_The site of Jericho is still an oasis in the surrounding desert, but +neither its fertility nor its dimensions bear comparison with those +which it attained in former days; and hardly a tree remains of the +celebrated groves of balsam, spice, and fruit-bearing trees, and the +palms which earned for Jericho the title of "The City of the Palm +Trees," and which made its neighboring plain the garden of +Palestine--the "divine district" as Joseph us calls it. This +fertility was owing entirely to skilful irrigation, traces of no less +than twelve aqueducts having been discovered. No class of sufferers +more frequently claimed and obtained from Jesus the exercise of his +compassion and healing power than that represented by blind +Bartimaus. The malady of blindness is grievously common in Palestine, +the proportion of those thus afflicted being one in every hundred of +the population, whereas in Europe the proportion is only one in a +thousand_. + + + + + +CHRIST'S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM + + + + +And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, +unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples. Saying unto +them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall +find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose _them_, and bring _them_ +unto me. And if any _man_ say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord +hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was +done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. And +the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them. And brought the +ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set _him_ +thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; +others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed _them_ in the +way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, +saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed _is_ he that cometh in +the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come +into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the +multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of +Galilee.--_St. Matt, xxi: 1-4., 6-11_. + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_Had Jesus omitted to command to bring its mother along with the +colt, upon which he elected to ride, his disciples would probably +have brought her as a matter of course. It is the custom of the +country; and as journeys are accomplished at a walking pace, mares +and she-asses are frequently accompanied by their foals. It may be +noted that in this picture one of the gates of Hebron does duty for +that through which Jesus makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem; +the former being suggestive of far greater antiquity than any which +are to be found at the present day in Jerusalem itself_. + + + + + +CHRIST AVOUCHETH HIS AUTHORITY + + + + +And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the +scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him. And could +not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive +to hear him. And it came to pass, _that_ on one of those days, as he +taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief +priests and the scribes came upon _him_ with the elders. And spake +unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? +or who is he that gave thee this authority? And he answered and said +unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: The baptism +of John, was it from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with +themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why +then believed ye him not? But and if we say, Of men; all the people +will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. And +they answered, that they could not tell whence _it was_. And Jesus +said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these +things.--_St. Luke xix: 47, 48; xx: 1-8._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_The occasion on which Jesus encountered for the last time the +opposition of his priestly enemies to his teaching, and when, in the +presence of the assembled multitudes, he exposed and denounced their +hypocrisy, is supposed to take place in one of the great outer courts +of the Temple, the buildings of which, although begun forty-six years +previously, were at this time still unfinished, and were indeed never +fully completed in accordance with their original design_. + + + + + +AT NIGHT, JESUS ABODE ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES + + + + +And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he +went out, and abode in the mount that is called _the mount_ of +Olives.--_St. Luke xxi: 37._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_As we ascend towards sunset the slopes of Olivet, and pause to gaze +on the scenes beneath, the panorama of the city presented to view is +in its leading features essentially similar to that upon which the +eyes of Jesus rested, when "at night he went out, and abode in the +mount that is called the Mount of Olives" Yonder stands a temple +within that sacred enclosure which, for well-nigh three thousand +years, save for the period during which, "the abomination of +desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stood in the Holy place," +has been dedicated to the worship of Jehovah. The citadel of +Jerusalem breaks the skyline where stood the tower of Hippicus, and +to the left, against the setting sun, the cypresses in a monastery +garden mark the spot once covered by the gardens of the palace of +Herod. Siloam stands as of old on the hither side, overlooking the +valleys of Hinnom and Kidron; while to-day, as in former times, the +olive yards beneath and the trees around, might well give the name +which it bears to the hill on which we stand._ + + + + + +JESUS WASHETH HIS DISCIPLES' FEET + + + + +Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour +was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, +having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the +end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart +of Judas Iscariot, Simon's _son_, to betray him. Jesus knowing that +the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come +from God, and went to God. He riseth from supper, and laid aside his +garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth +water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to +wipe _them_ with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to +Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? +Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but +thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never +wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no +part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but +also _my_ hands and _my_ head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed +needeth not save to wash _his_ feet, but is clean every whit: and ye +are clean, but not all.--_St. John xiii: 1-10._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_A dwelling house, claiming to be one of the most ancient in +Jerusalem, supplied materials for the study of the "large upper +room," represented in this and some other of the paintings. The +general features of the chamber, with its arched ceiling and +flattened dome, its_ leewans _(raised platform) and the +entrance-passage of colored stones, where guests leave their +foot-gear before stepping upon the mat-covered floor of the room, +may, for the reasons adduced elsewhere, be accepted as typical of +similar apartments of the period under consideration._ + + + + + +THE BETRAYAL FORETOLD AT THE SUPPER + + + + +When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, +and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall +betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom +he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, +whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he +should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus' +breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to +whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped _it_. And when he had +dipped the sop, he gave _it_ to Judas Iscariot, _the son_ of Simon. +And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, +That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what +intent he spake this unto him. For some _of them_ thought, because +Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy _those things_ +that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give +something to the poor. He then having received the sop went +immediately out: and it was night.--_St. John xiii: 21-30._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_Comment has already been made upon the custom prevailing at this +time of reclining at meat. We are aware, from other sources of +information, that in partaking of the Passover, the attitude of +standing had, as a point of ritual, long been abandoned in favor of +the recumbent posture, and this is directly evidenced by the words of +the text (v: 23 and 25), which are only compatible with the +supposition that on the present occasion the guest-chamber was +furnished with couches which ran around the three sides of the table +in the usual manner. Authorities differ as to which was regarded as +the "highest seat" some maintaining that this was the outermost place +on the right-hand couch; others, again, preferring the arrangement +followed in the painting, where Jesus occupies the centre_. + + + + + +IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE + + + + +Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith +unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he +took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be +sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is +exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with +me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, +saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: +nevertheless not as I will, but as thou _wilt_. And he cometh unto +the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, +could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter +not into temptation: the spirit indeed _is_ willing, but the flesh +_is_ weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O +my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, +thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their +eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed +the third time, saying the same words. Then cometh he to his +disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take _your_ rest: +behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the +hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that +doth betray me.--_St. Matt, xxvi: 36-46._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_As the word Gethsemane means the "oil press" the "Garden" was in all +probability an olive yard, whose actual site, though it cannot be +determined with certainty, must have been in the immediate vicinity +at least of the spot which age-long tradition indicates as the scene +of the Agony. The great age of the trees in this enclosure has been +urged in favor of the tradition, but it is fatal to their claim as +witnesses, that Titus is known to have cut down, for military +purposes, all the trees in the neighborhood of the besieged city. +This site is now owned by the Russians who have turned it into a neat +and trim garden, and built a bright new white church on the upper +level with five large gilded bulbous domes_. + + + + + +THE ARREST OF JESUS + + + + + +Judas then, having received a band _of men_ and officers from the +chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches +and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come +upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered +him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am _he_. And Judas +also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had +said unto them, I am _he_, they went backward, and fell to the +ground.--Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, +Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And +forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. +And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came +they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. And, behold, one of them +which were with Jesus stretched out _his_ hand, and drew his sword, +and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. +Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for +all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest +thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give +me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the +scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? In that same hour said +Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with +swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in +the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that +the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the +disciples forsook him, and fled.--_St. John xviii: 3-6; St. Matt, +xxvi: 48-56._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_Cunningly conceived indeed was that signal of the kiss; for in the +very act of betrayal, Judas thus covered his own treachery; and, had +the plot failed, it would even have appeared as if, when "all the +disciples forsook him and fled" Judas alone had courage, in the hour +of danger, to stand by and openly to acknowledge Jesus as his +Master_. + + + + + +JESUS EXAMINED BY CAIAPHAS + + + + +And they that had laid hold on Jesus led _him_ away to Caiaphas the +high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But +Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went +in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. Now the chief priests, +and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, +to put him to death. But found none: yea, though many false witnesses +came, _yet_ found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, +And said, This _fellow_ said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, +and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said +unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what _is it which_ these witness +against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered +and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us +whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, +Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see +the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the +clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He +hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? +behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered +and said, He is guilty of death.--_St. Matt, xxvi: 57--66._ + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_The outward ceremonial of the hastily convoked and Irregular +tribunal before which Jesus underwent the mockery of a trial was +similar to that of the ancient Sanhedrim. The members sat on a +semi-circular divan, the president in the centre, and a scribe at +each extremity, who recorded the evidence and the decisions of the +court. It may be noted, that while laws had been carefully formulated +for the conduct of such trials, almost every one of them was +flagrantly violated on the present occasion in order to ensure a +pre-arranged condemnation. For example, these rules provided that +witnesses should be summoned, and that an advocate should plead on +behalf of the accused; and they forbade that criminal trials should +be conducted at night, that condemnation should be pronounced on the +day of trial or on a holy day; and, if the crime were capital, that +execution should follow on the day of sentence_. + + + + + +JESUS IS THRICE DENIED BY PETER + + + + +Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, +saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before +_them_ all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone +out into the porch, another _maid_ saw him, and said unto them that +were there, This _fellow_ was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again +he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came +unto _him_ they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also +art _one_ of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee. Then began he to +curse and to swear, _saying_, I know not the man. And immediately the +cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter +remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the +cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept +bitterly.--_St. Matt, xxvi: 69-74.; St. Luke xxii: 61, 62_. + + * * * * * + +_NOTE BY THE ARTIST_ + +_In the East, the houses of the great and official residences usually +consist of a group of separate yet connected buildings, surrounding a +quadrangular paved court planted with trees and flowering shrubs, and +furnished in the centre with an open cistern or fountain. Such was +probably the construction of the palace of the High Priest +(Caiaphas), and, apparently, this open court, across which Jesus +would be conducted to or from the hall of trial, was the place where +bitterness was added to his sorrow in hearing himself denied by his +friend--and that man who had been the first to profess belief in his +Messiahship, and who, but a few brief hours before, had stoutly sworn +to stand by him, even unto death_. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young +by Richard Newton + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11509 *** |