Bible Commentaries
Matthew 9

Verse 36

The Compassion of Jesus

A Sermon

by

C.H. SPURGEON

"He was moved with compassion."-- Matthew 9:36 .

This is said of Christ Jesus several times in the New Testament. The

original word is a very remarkable one. It is not found in classic Greek. It

is not found in the Septuagint. The fact is, it was a word coined by the

evangelists themselves. They did not find one in the whole Greek language

that suited their purpose, and therefore they had to make one. It is

expressive of the deepest emotion; a striving of the bowels--a yearning of

the innermost nature with pity. As the dictionaries tell us-- Ex intimis

visceribus misericordia commoveor. I suppose that when our Saviour

looked upon certain sights, those who watched him closely perceived that

his internal agitation was very great, his emotions were very deep, and then

his face betrayed it, his eyes gushed like founts with tears, and you saw that

his big heart was ready to burst with pity for the sorrow upon which his

eyes were gazing. He was moved with compassion. His whole nature was

agitated with commiseration for the sufferers before him.

Now, although this word is not used many times even by the evangelists,

yet it may be taken as a clue to the Saviour's whole life, and I intend

thus to apply it to him. If you would sum up the whole character of Christ

in reference to ourselves, it might be gathered into this one sentence, "He

was moved with compassion." Upon this one point we shall try to insist now,

and may God grant that good practical result may come of it. First, I shall

lead your meditations to the great transactions of our Saviour's life;

secondly, to the special instances in which this expression is used by the

evangelists; thirdly, to the forethought which he took on our behalf; and

fourthly to the personal testimony which one's own recollections can

furnish. Let us take a rapid survey of:

I. THE GREAT LIFE OF CHRIST, just touching, as with a swallow's wing, the

evidence it bears from the beginning. Before ever the earth was framed;

before the foundations of the everlasting hills were laid, when as yet the

stars had not begun their shining, it was known to God that his creature

man would sin; that the whole race would fall from its pure original state

in the first Adam, the covenant head as well as the common parent of the

entire human family; and that in consequence of that one man's disobedience

every soul born of his lineage would become a sinner too. Then, as the

Creator knew that his creatures would rebel against him, he saw that it

would become necessary, eventually, to avenge his injured law. Therefore,

it was purposed, in the eternal plan, ere the stream of time had commenced

its course, or ages had began to accumulate their voluminous records, that

there should be an interposer--one ordained to come and re-head the race,

to be a second Adam, a federal Chief; to restore the breach, and repair the

mischief of the first Adam; to be a Surety to answer for the sons of men on

whom God's love did light; that their sins should be laid upon him, and

that he should save them with an everlasting salvation. No angel could

venture to intrude into those divine counsels and decrees, or to offer

himself as the surety and sponsor for that new covenant. Yet there was

one--and he none other than Jehovah's self--of whom he said, Let all the

angels of God worship him, the Son, the well beloved of the Father, of whom

it is written in the Word, "When he prepared the heavens I was there, when

he set a compass upon the face of the depth, when he established the clouds

above, when he strengthened the fountain of the deep"; then, "I was by him

as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always

before him; rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth; and my delights

were with the sons of men." He it is of whom the Apostle John speaks as the

Word who was God, and was in the beginning with God. Was he not moved with

compassion when he entered into a covenant with his father on our behalf,

even on the behalf of all his chosen--a covenant in which he was to be the

sufferer, and they the gainers--in which he was to bear the shame that he

might bring them into his own glory? Yes, verily, he was even then moved

with compassion, for his delights even then were with the sons of men. Nor

did his compassion peer forth in the prospect of an emergency presently to

diminish and disappear as the rebellion took a more active form, and the

ruin assumed more palpable proportions. It was no transient feeling. He

continued still to pity men. He saw the fall of man; he marked the subtle

serpent's mortal sting; he watched the trail as the slime of the serpent

passed over the fair glades of Eden; he observed man in his evil progress,

adding sin to sin through generation after generation, fouling every page of

history until God's patience had been tried to the uttermost; and then,

according as it was written in the volume of the Book that he must appear,

Jesus Christ came himself into this stricken world. Came how? O, be

astonished, ye angels, that ye were witnesses of it, and ye men that ye

beheld it. The Infinite came down to earth in the form of an infant; he who

spans the heavens and holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand,

condescended to hang upon a woman's breast--the King eternal became a

little child. Let Bethlehem tell that he had compassion. There was no way

of saving us but by stooping to us. To bring earth up to heaven, he must

bring heaven down to earth. Therefore, in the incarnation, he must bring

heaven down to earth. Therefore, in the incarnation, he had compassion,

for he took upon himself our infirmities, and was made like unto ourselves.

Matchless pity, indeed, was this!

Then, while he tarried in the world, a man among men, and we beheld his

glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and

truth, he was constantly moved with compassion; for he felt all the griefs of

mankind in himself. He took our sicknesses and carried our sorrows: he

proved himself a true brother, with quick, human sensibilities. A tear

brought a tear into his eye; a cry made him pause to ask what help he could

render. So generous was his soul, that he gave all he had for the help of

those that had not. The fox had its hole, and the bird its nest, but he had no

dwelling-place. Stripped even of his garments, he hung upon the cross to

die. Never one so indigent in death as he, without a friend, without even a

tomb, except such as a loan could find him. He gave up all the comforts of

life--he gave his life itself; he gave his very self to prove that he was

moved with compassion. Most of all do we see how he was moved with

compassion in his terrible death. Oft and oft again have I told this story,

yet these lips shall be dumb ere they cease to reiterate the old, old tidings.

God must punish sin, or else he would relinquish the government of the

universe. He could not let iniquity go unchastened without compromising

the purity of his administration. Therefore, the law must be honoured,

justice must be vindicated, righteousness must be upheld, crime must be

expiated by suffering. Who, then, shall endure the penance or make the

reparation? Shall the dread sentence fall upon all mankind? How far shall

vengeance proceed before equity is satisfied? After what manner shall the

sword do homage to the sceptre? Must the elect of God be condemned for

their sins? No; Jesus is moved with compassion. He steps in, he takes upon

himself the uplifted lash, and his shoulders run with gore; he bares his

bosom to the furbished sword, and it smites the Shepherd that the sheep

may escape. "He looked, and there was no man, and wondered that there

was no intercessor; therefore, his arm brought salvation." He trod the wine-

press alone, and "bore, that we might never bear, his Father's righteous

ire."

Are ye asked what means the crucifixion of a perfect man upon a felon's

cross, ye may reply, "He was moved with compassion." "He saved others;

himself he could not save." He was so moved with compassion, that

compassion, as it were, did eat him up. He could save nothing from the

general conflagration: he was utterly consumed with love, and died in the

flame of ardent love towards the sons of men. And after he had died and

slept a little while in the grave, he rose again. He has gone into his glory;

he is living at the right hand of the Father; but this is just as true of him,

"He is moved with compassion." Is proof wanted? Let faith pass within the

veil, and let your spirits for a moment stand upon that sea of glass mingled

with fire where stand the harpers tuning their never-ceasing melodies.

What see you there conspicuous in the very midst of heaven but One who

looks like a lamb that has been slain, and wears his priesthood still? What

is his occupation there in heaven? He has no bloody sacrifice to offer, for

he has perfected for ever those that were set apart. That work is done, but

what is he doing now? He is pleading for his people; he is their perpetual

Advocate, their continual Intercessor; he never rests until they come to

their rest; he never holds his peace for them, but pleads the merit of his

blood, and will do so till all whom the Father gave him shall be with him

where he is. Well indeed does our hymn express it:--

"Now, though he reigns exalted high,

His love is still as great;

Well he remembers Calvary,

Nor will his saints forget."

His tender heart pities all the griefs of his dear people. There is not a pang

they have but the head feels it, feels it for all the members. Still doth he

look upon their imperfections and their infirmities, yet not with anger, not

with loss of patience, but with gentleness and sympathy, "He is moved with

compassion." Having thus briefly sketched the life of Christ, I want you to

turn to:--

II. THOSE PASSAGES OF THE EVANGELISTS IN WHICH THEY TESTIFY THAT HE WAS

MOVED WITH COMPASSION.

You will find one case in Matthew 20:31 : "Two blind men sat by the

wayside begging, and when they heard that Jesus passed by, they said, 'O

Lord, thou Son of David, have mercy on us.'" Jesus stood still, called them,

questioned them, and they seem to have had full conviction that he both

could and would restore their sight, so Jesus had compassion on them,

touched their eyes, and immediately they received sight.

Yes, and what a lesson this is for any here present who have a like

conviction. Do you believe that Christ can heal you? Do you believe that he

is willing to heal you? Then let me assure you that a channel of

communication is opened between him and you, for he is moved with

compassion towards you, and already I hear him command you to come to

him. He is ready to heal you now. The sad condition of a blind man should

always move pity in the breast of the humane, but a glance at these two

poor men--I do not know that there was anything strange or uncommon

about their appearance--touched the Saviour's sensibility. And when he

heard them say that they did believe he could heal them, he seemed to

perceive that they had inward sight, and to account it a pity that they

should not have outward sight too. So at once he put his fingers upon their

eyes, and they received the power of seeing. O soul, if thou believest Christ

can save thee, and if you wilt now trust in him to save thee, be of good

cheer, thou art saved; that faith of thine hath saved thee. The very fact that

thou believest that Jesus is the Christ, and doth rely upon him, may stand

as evidence to thee that thou art forgiven, that thou art saved. There is no

let or bar to thy full redemption. Go thy way and rejoice in thy Lord. He

hath compassion on thee.

The next case I shall cite is that of the leper, Mark 1:41 . This poor man

was covered with a sad and foul disease, when he said to Jesus, "Lord, if

thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." He had full faith in Christ's ability,

but he had some doubts as to Christ's willingness. Our Saviour looked at

him, and though he might very well have rebuked him that he should doubt

his willingness, he merely said, "I will, be thou clean," and straightway he

was made whole of that loathsome plague. If there is in this assembly one

grievously defiled or openly disgraced by sin, seest thou the leprosy upon

thyself, and dost thou say, "I believe he could save me if he would"? Hast

thou some lingering doubt about the Saviour's willingness? Yet I beseech

you breathe this prayer, "Lord, I believe, I believe thy power. Help thou

mine unbelief which lingers round thy willingness." Then little as thy faith

is, it shall save thee. Jesus, full of compassion, will pity even thine

unbelief, and accept what is faith, and forgive what is unbelief. There is a

second instance.

The third I will give you is from Mark 5:19 . It was the demoniac. There

met Christ a man so possessed with a devil as to be mad, and instead of

belief in Christ or asking for healing, this spirit within the man compelled

him to say, "Wilt thou torment us before the time?"--and rather to stand

against Christ healing him than to ask for it; but Christ was moved with

compassion, and he bade the evil spirit come out of the evil man. Oh! I am

so glad of this instance of his being moved with compassion. I do not so

much wonder that he has pity on those that believe in him, neither do I so

much marvel that he has pity even on weak faith; but here was a case in

which there was no faith, no desire, nor anything that could commend him

to our Lord's sympathy. Is there no such case among the crowds gathered

together here? You do not know why you have come into this assembly.

You scarcely feel at home in this place. Though you have led a very sad

life, you do not want to be converted--not you. You almost shun the

thought. Yet it is written, "He will have compassion on whom he will have

compassion." Well we have known it in this house, and I hope we shall

know it again and again that the Lord has laid violent hands of love upon

unprepared souls. They have been smitten down with repentance, renewed

in heart, and saved from their sins. Saul of Tarsus had no thought that he

should ever be an apostle of Christ, but the Lord stopped the persecutor,

and changed him into a preacher; so that ever afterwards he propagated the

faith which once he destroyed. May the Lord have compassion on you

tonight. Well may we offer that prayer; for what will be your fate if you die

as you are? What will be your doom eternally if you pass out of this world,

as soon you must, without being sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and

forgiven your iniquities? Jesus knows the terrors of the world to come. He

describes the torments of hell. He sees your danger; he warns you; he pities

you; he sends his messengers to counsel you; he bids me say to the very

chief of sinners, "Come unto me, and I will give you rest." "Only return

unto me and confess thine iniquity, and I will have mercy upon thee," saith

the Lord. May God grant that the compassion of Christ may be seen in thy

case.

As I turned over the Greek Concordance to find out where this word is

repeated again and again, I found one instance in Luke 7:13 . It refers to the

widow at the gates of Nain. Her son was being carried out--her only son.

He was dead, and she was desolate. The widow's only son was to her her

sole stay; the succour as well as the solace of her old age. He was dead and

laid upon the bier, and when Jesus saw the disconsolate mother, he was

moved with compassion, and he restored her son. Oh! is there not

refreshment here for you mothers that are weeping for your boys; you that

have ungodly sons, unconverted daughters, the Lord Jesus sees your tears.

You weep alone sometimes, and when you are sitting and enjoying the

Word, you think, "Oh! that my Absalom were renewed; oh! that Ishmael

might live before thee." Jesus knows about it. He was always tender to his

own mother, and he will be so to you. And you that are mourning over

those that have been lately taken from you, Jesus pities you. Jesus wept, he

sympathises with your tears. He will dry them and give you consolation.

"He was moved with compassion."

Still the occasions on which we find this expression most frequently used

in the Evangelists are when crowds of people were assembled. At the sight

of the great congregations that gathered to hear him, our Lord was often

moved with compassion. Sometimes it was because that they were hungry

and faint, and in the fulness of his sympathy he multiplied the loaves and

fishes to feed them. At the same time he showed his disciples that it is a

good work to feed the poor. He would not have them so spiritually-minded

as to forget that the poor have flesh and blood that require sustenance, and

they need to eat and to drink, to be housed and clothed: the Christian's

charity must not lie in words only, but in deeds. Our Lord was moved with

compassion, it is said, when he saw the number of sick people in the

throng, for they made a hospital of his preaching place. Wherever he

paused or even passed by, they laid the sick in the streets; he could not

stand or walk without the spectacle of their pallets to harrow his feelings.

And he healed their impotent folk, as if to show that the Christian does

well to minister to the sick--that the patient watcher by the bedside may be

serving the Lord, and following his example, as well as the most diligent

teacher or the most earnest preacher of the glorious gospel. All means that

can be used to mitigate human suffering are Christlike, and they ought to

be carried out in his name, and carried to the utmost perfection possible.

Christ is the patron of the hospital: he is the president of all places where

men's bodies are cared for. But we are also told that the multitude excited

his compassion because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he

taught them as a guide that showed the path by leading the way; and he

looked after their welfare as a Shepherd who regarded the health of their

bodies as well as the good estate of their souls. Surely, brethren and

sisters, if you love him, and wish to be like him, you cannot look on this

congregation without pity. You cannot go out into the streets of London

and stand in the high roads among the surging masses for half an hour

without saying, "Whither away these souls? Which road are they

travelling? Will they all meet in heaven?" What! live ye in London, move

ye about in this great metropolis, and do ye never have the heartache, never

feel your soul ready to burst with pity? Then shame upon you! Ask yourself

whether ye have the spirit of Christ at all. In this congregation, were we all

moved with pity as we should be, I should not have to complain, as I

sometimes must, that persons come in and out here in want of someone to

speak with them, to condole, to console, or to commune with them in their

loneliness, and they find no helper. Time was when such a thing never

occurred, but, in conversing with enquirers lately, I have met with several

cases in which persons in a distressed state of mind have said that they

would have given anything for half an hour's conversation with any

Christian to whom they might have opened their hearts. They came from

the country, attended the Tabernacle, and no one spoke to them. I am sorry

it should be so. You used to watch for souls, most of you. Very careful were

you to speak to those whom you saw again and again. I do pray you mend

that matter. If you have any bowels of mercy, you should be looking out for

opportunities to do good. Oh! never let a poor wounded soul faint for want

of the balm. You know the balm. It has healed yourselves. Use it wherever

the arrows of God have smitten a soul. Enough; I must leave this point; I

have given you, I think, every case in which it is said that Jesus was moved

with compassion. Very briefly let me notice:--

III. SOME OF THE FORESIGHTS OF HIS COMPASSION.

The Lord has gone from us, but as he knew what would happen while he

was away, he has, with blessed forethought, provided for our wants. Well

he knew that we should never be able to preserve the truth pure by

tradition. That is a stream that always muddies and defiles everything. So

in tender forethought he has given us the consolidated testimony, the

unchangeable truth in his own Book; for he was moved with compassion.

He knew the priests would not preach the gospel; he knew that no order of

men could be trusted to hold fast sound doctrine from generation to

generation; he knew there would be hirelings that dare not be faithful to

their conscience lest they should lose their pay; while there would be others

who love to tickle men's ears and flatter their vanity rather than to tell out

plainly and distinctly the whole counsel of God. Therefore, he has put it

here, so that if you live where there is no preacher of the gospel, you have

the old Book to go to. He is moved with compassion for you. For where a

man cannot go, the Book can go, and where in silence no voice is heard,

the still clear voice of this blessed Book can reach the heart. Because he

knew the people would require this sacred teaching, and could not have it

otherwise, he was moved with compassion towards us all, and gave us the

blessed Book of inspired God-breathed Scripture.

But then, since he knew that some would not read the Bible, and others

might read and not understand it, he has sent his ministers forth to do the

work of evangelists. He raises up men, saved themselves from great sin,

trophies of redeeming grace, who feel a sympathy with their fellow-men

who are revelling in sin, reckless of their danger. These servants of his the

Lord enables to preach his truth, some with more, some with less ability

than others; still, there are, thank God, throughout this happy realm, and

in other favoured lands, men everywhere, who, because sinners will not

come to Christ of themselves, go after them and persuade them, plead with

them, and intreat them to believe and turn to the Lord. This cometh of

Christ's tender gentleness. He was moved with compassion, and therefore

he sent his servants to call sinners to repentance.

But since the minister, though he may call as he may, will not bring souls

to Christ of himself, the Lord Jesus, moved with compassion, has sent his

Spirit. The Holy Ghost is here. We have not to say:--

"Come Holy Spirit, heavenly dove."

He is here. He dwells in his Church, and he moves over the congregation,

and he touches men's hearts, and he subtly inclines them to believe in

Christ. Oh! this is great mercy when a Prince spreads a feast and gives an

invitation. That is all you can expect him to do. But if he keeps a host of

footmen and says, "Go and fetch them one by one till they do come," that is

more gracious still. But if he goes himself and with sacred violence

compels them to come in--oh! this is more than we could have thought he

would have done; but he is moved with compassion, and he does that.

Furthermore, brethren, the Lord Jesus knew that after we were saved from

the damning power of sin, we should always be full of wants, and therefore

he was moved with compassion, and he sets up the throne of grace, the

mercy-seat, to which we may always come, and from which we may always

obtain grace to help in time of need. Helped by his Spirit, we can bring

what petitions we will, and they shall be heard. And then, since he knew

we could not pray as we ought, he was moved with compassion when he

sent the Holy Spirit to help our infirmities, to teach us how to pray. Now I

do not know a single infirmity that I have or that you have, my Christian

brother, but what Christ Jesus has been moved with compassion about it,

and has provided for it. He has not left one single weak point of which we

have to say, "There I shall fail, because he will not help there"; but he has

looked us over and over from head to foot, and said, "You will have an

infirmity there: I will provide for it. You will have a weakness there: I will

provide for it." And oh! how his promises meet every case! Did you ever

get into a corner where there was not a promise in the corner too? Had you

ever to pass through a river but there was a promise about his being in the

river with you? Were you ever on the sick bed without a promise like this,

"I will make thy bed in thy sickness?" In the midst of pestilence have not

you found a promise that "he shall cover thee with his feathers, and under

his wings shalt thou trust?" The Lord's great compassion has met the wants

of all his servants to the end. If our children should ever need much

patience to be exercised towards them as Christ needs to exercise towards

us, I am sure there would be none of us able to bear the house. They have

their infirmities, and they full often vex and grieve us, it may be, but oh!

we ought to have much compassion for the infirmities of our children--ay,

and of our brethren and sisters, and neighbours--for what compassion has

the Lord had with us? I do believe none but God could bear with such

untoward children as we ourselves are. He sees our faults, you know, when

we do not see them, and he knows what those faults are more thoroughly

than we do. Yet still he never smites in anger. He cuts us not off, but he

still continues to show us abounding mercies. Oh! what a guardian Saviour

is the Lord Jesus Christ to us, and how we ought to bless his name at all

times, and how his praise should be continually in our mouth. One thought

strikes me that I must put in here: he knew that we should be very

forgetful; and he was moved with compassion with our forgetfulness when

he instituted the blessed Supper, and we can sit around the table and break

bread, and pour forth the wine in remembrance of him. Surely this is

another instance of how he is moved with compassion, and not with

indignation, towards our weaknesses. And now let me close with:

IV. PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST.

I shall only recall my own experience in order to stir up your pure minds

by way of remembrance, my brethren and sisters. I do well remember when

I was under conviction of sin, and smarted bitterly under the rod of God,

that when I was most heavy and depressed there would sometimes come

something like hope across my spirit. I knew what it was to say, "My soul

chooseth strangling rather than life," yet when I was at the lowest ebb and

most ready to despair, though I could not quite lay hold of Christ, I used to

get a touch of the promise now and then, till I half hoped that, after all, I

might prove to be God's prisoner, and he might yet set me free. I do

remember well, when my sins compassed me about like bees, and I thought

it was all over with me, and I must be destroyed by them, it was at that

moment when Jesus revealed himself to me. Had he waited a little longer, I

had died of despair, but that was no desire of his. On swift wings of love he

came and manifested his dear wounded self to my heart. I looked to him

and was lightened, and my peace flowed like a river. I rejoiced in him.

Yes, he was moved with compassion. He would not let the pangs of

conviction be too severe; neither would he suffer them to be protracted too

long for the spirit of man to fail before him. It is not his wont to break a

leaf that is driven by the tempest. "He will not quench the smoking flax."

Yea, and I do remember since I first saw him and began to love him many

sharp and severe troubles, dark and heavy trials, yet have I noted this, that

they have never reached that pitch of severity which I was unable to bear.

When all gates seemed closed, there has still been with the trial a way of

escape, and I have noted again that in deeper depressions of spirits through

which I have passed, and horrible despondencies that have crushed me

down, I have had some gleams of love, and hope, and faith at the last

moment; for he was moved with compassion. If he withdrew his face, it

was only till my heart broke for him, and then he showed me the light of

his countenance again. If he laid the rod upon me, yet when my soul cried

under his chastening he could not bear it, but he put back the rod, and he

said, "My child, I will comfort thee." Oh! the comforts that he gives on a

sick bed! Oh! the consolations of Christ! when you are very low. If there is

anything dainty to the taste in the Word of God, you get it then; if there be

any bowels of mercy, you hear them sounding for you then. When you are

in the saddest plight, Christ comes to your aid with the sweetest

manifestations; for he is moved with compassion. How frequently have I

noticed, and I tell it to his praise, for though it shows my weakness, it

proves his compassion, that sometimes, after preaching the gospel, I have

been so filled with self-reproach, that I could hardly sleep through the

night because I had not preached as I desired. I have sat me down and

cried over some sermons, as though I knew that I had missed the mark and

lost the opportunity. Not once nor twice, but many a time has it happened,

that within a few days someone has come to tell me that he found the Lord

through that very sermon, the shortcoming of which I had deplored. Glory

be to Jesus; it was his gentleness that did it. He did not want his servant to

be too much bowed down with a sense of infirmity, and so he had

compassion on him and comforted him. Have not you noticed, some of you,

that after doing your best to serve the Lord, when somebody has sneered at

you, or you have met with such a rebuff as made you half- inclined to give

up the work, an unexpected success has been given you, so that you have

not played the Jonah and ran away to Tarshish, but kept to your work? Ah!

how many times in your life, if you could read it all, you would have to

stop and write between the lines, "He was moved with compassion." Many

and many a time, when no other compassion could help, when all the

sympathy of friends would be unavailing, he has been moved with

compassion towards us, has said to us, "Be of good cheer," banished our

fears with the magic of his voice, and filled our souls to overflowing with

gratitude. When we have been misrepresented, traduced, and slandered, we

have found in the sympathy of Christ our richest support, till we could sing

with rapture the verse--I cannot help quoting it now, though I have often

quoted it before:--

"If on my face for thy dear name

Shame and reproach shall be,

I'll hail reproach and welcome shame,

Since thou rememberest me."

The compassion of the Master making up for all the abuses of his enemies.

And, believe me, there is nothing sweeter to a forlorn and broken spirit

than the fact that Jesus has compassion. Are any of you sad and lonely?

Have any of you been cruelly wronged? Have you lost the goodwill of some

you esteemed? Do you seem as if you had the cold shoulder even from good

people? Do not say, in the anguish of your spirit, "I am lost," and give up.

He hath compassion on you. Nay, poor fallen woman, seek not the dark

river and the cold stream--he has compassion. He who looks down with the

bright eyes of yonder stars and watches thee is thy friend. He yet can help

thee. Though thou hast gone so far from the path of virtue, throw not

thyself away in blank despair, for he hath compassion. And thou, broken

down in health and broken down in fortune, scarcely with shoe to thy feet,

thou art welcome in the house of God, welcome as the most honoured guest

in the assembly of the saints. Let not the weighty grief that overhangs thy

soul tempt thee to think that hopeless darkness has settled thy fate and

foreclosed thy doom. Though thy sin may have beggared thee, Christ can

enrich thee with better riches. He hath compassion. "Ah!" say you, "they

will pass me on the stairs; they will give me a broad pathway, and if they

see me in the street they will not speak to me--even his disciples will not."

Be it so; but better than his disciples, tenderer by far, is Jesus. Is there a

man here, whom to associate with were a scandal from which the pure and

pious would shrink?; the holy, harmless, undefiled one will not disdain

even him--for this man receiveth sinners--he is a friend of publicans and

sinners. He is never happier than when he is relieving and retrieving the

forlorn, the abject, and the outcast. He despises not any that confess their

sins and seek his mercy. No pride nestles in his dear heart, no sarcastic

word rolls off his gracious tongue, no bitter expression falls from his

blessed lips. He still receives the guilty. Pray to him now. Now let the

silent prayer go up, "My Saviour, have pity upon me; be moved with

compassion towards me, for if misery be any qualification for mercy, I am a

fit object for thy compassion. Oh! save me for thy mercy's sake!" Amen.