,illustration3 ,jesus ,arraigned ,before ,pilate ,then led they ,jesus from ,caiaphas unto the hall of judgment3 and it was early2 and they themselves went not into the judgment hall1 lest they should be defiled2 but that they might eat the passover4 ,pilate then went out unto them1 and said1 ,what accusation bring ye against this man8--,and they began to accuse him1 saying1 ,we found this fellow perverting the nation1 and forbidding to give tribute to ,csar1 saying that he himself is ,christ a ,king4--,st4 ,john xviii3 #bh1 #bi2 ,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #b4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,priding themselves upon their strict administration of justice1 the ,romans not infrequently erected their tribunals in the open air1 by the city gate1 in the market-place or theatre1 or even at the roadside1 in order that all might have the opportunity of seeing and hearing4 ,the design of ,herod's magnificent palace1 now the official residence of ,pilate1 evidently made permanent provision for this method of official procedure1 the 8,gabbatha0--a platform--being a tesselated pavement in front of the ,judgment ,hall1 to which access was obtained by a flight of steps4 ,in the centre of this pavement was a slightly-raised platform1 upon which was placed the curule chair of the procurator1 with seats to right and left for the assessors2 other officers of the court occupying benches on the lower level4 #fa ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ ,,for ,,the ,,young ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,richard ,,newton1 ,d4,d4 ,,and ,,his ,,life ,,depicted ,,in ,a ,,gallery ,,of ,,eighty ,,paintings ,,by ,,william ,,hole ,,royal ,,scottish ,,academy ,,vol4 ,,iv ,,philadelphia ,,george ,,barrie',s ,,sons1 ,,publishers ,,all ,,rights ,,reserved ,,copyrighted1 #ahgf-ahhj1 ,,by ,g4 ,b4 ,,renewed1 #aijd-aijg1 ,,by ,,george ,,barrie ,,sons ,,copyrighted1 #aiac1 ,,by ,,george ,,barrie ,,sons ,,contents ,,volume ,,iv ,,chapter ,,page ,,the ,,gallery ,,of ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ vii ,i ,,jesus ,,in ,,gethsemane #a ,,ii ,,the ,,betrayal ,,and ,,desertion #bi ,,iii ,,the ,,trial #ei ,,iv ,,the ,,crucifixion #hi ,v ,,the ,,burial #aba ,,vi ,,the ,,resurrection #aea ,,vii ,,the ,,ascension #agi ,,viii ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,pentecost #baa ,,ix ,,the ,,apostle ,,peter #bci ,x ,,st4 ,,john ,,and ,,st4 ,,paul #bga ,,analytical ,,index #cja ,,index ,,of ,,poems #cai ,,the ,,gallery ,,of ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ ,,volume ,,iv ,,number ,,page #fa4 ,,jesus ,,arraigned ,,before ,,pilate ,fronts4 #fb4 ,,jesus ,,privately ,,examined ,,by ,,pilate #ad #fc4 ,,herod ,,expecteth ,,to ,,be ,,amused #bh #fd4 ,,jesus ,,is ,,scourged #db #fe4 ,,jesus1 ,,arrayed ,,in ,,mock ,,state1 ,,is ,,crowned ,,and ,,beaten #ef #ff4 ,,pilate ,,washeth ,,his ,,hands #gj #fg4 8,,daughters ,,of ,,jerusalem1 ,,weep ,,not ,,for ,,me0 #hd #fh4 ,,jesus ,,attached ,,to ,,the ,,cross #ih #fi4 ,,jesus ,,commendeth ,,his ,,mother ,,to ,,john #aab #gj4 ,,jesus ,,yieldeth ,,up ,,the ,,ghost #abf #ga4 ,,the ,,body ,,of ,,jesus ,,laid ,,in ,,the ,,tomb #adj #gb4 8,,he ,,is ,,not ,,here1 ,,but ,,is ,,risen0 #aed #gc4 ,,peter ,,and ,,john ,,in ,,the ,,sepulchre #afh #gd4 ,,jesus ,,revealeth ,,himself ,,to ,,mary ,,magdalene #ahb #ge4 ,,on ,,the ,,road ,,to ,,emmaus #aif #gf4 ,,jesus ,,appeareth ,,to ,,and ,,pardons ,,simon ,,peter #baj #gg4 ,,the ,,incredulity ,,and ,,confession ,,of ,,thomas #bbd #gh4 ,,jesus ,,showeth ,,himself ,,at ,,the ,,sea ,,of ,,tiberius #bed #gi4 ,,jesus1 ,,his ,,work ,,accomplished1 ,,ascends ,,into ,,heaven #bfh #hj4 ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ #bhb ,,jesus ,,in ,,gethsemane ,in sailing across the ocean1 if we attempt to measure the depth of the water in different places1 we shall find that it varies very much4 ,there are hardly two places in which it is exactly the same4 ,in some places it is easy enough to find the bottom4 ,in others1 it is necessary to lengthen the line greatly before it can be reached4 ,and then there are other places where the water is so deep that the longest line ordinarily used cannot reach to the bottom4 ,we know that there is a bottom1 but it is very hard to get down to it4 ,and1 in studying the history of our ,saviour's life1 we may compare ourselves to persons sailing over the ocean4 ,the things that he did1 and the words that he spoke1 are like the water over which we are sailing4 ,and when we try to understand the meaning of what ,jesus said and did1 we are like the sailor out at sea who is trying to fathom the water over which he is sailing1 and to find out how deep it is4 ,and in doing this we shall find the same difference that he finds4 ,some of the things that ,jesus did and said are so plain and simple that a child can understand them4 ,these are like those parts of the ocean where a very little line will reach the bottom4 ,other things that ,jesus did and said require hard study1 if we wish to understand them4 ,but then1 there are other parts of the sayings and doings of ,jesus which the best and wisest men1 with all their learning and study1 cannot fully understand or explain4 ,these are like those places in the sea where we cannot reach the bottom with our longest lines4 ,we find our illustration of this in the garden of ,gethsemane4 ,some of the things that were done and said there we can easily understand4 ,but other things are told us1 of what ,jesus did and said there which are very hard to explain4 ,in speaking about this part of our ,saviour's life1 there are two things for us to notice4 ,these are what we are told about ,gethsemane1 and what we are taught by the things that took place there4 ,or1 a shorter way of stating it will be to say that our subject now is--the facts--and the lessons of ,gethsemane4 ,let us look now at the facts that are told us about ,gethsemane4 ,it is a fact that there was such a place as ,gethsemane1 near ,jerusalem1 when ,jesus was on earth1 and that there is such a place there now4 ,it is a fact that ,gethsemane was a garden or orchard of olive trees then1 and so it is still4 ,everyone who goes to ,jerusalem is sure to visit this spot1 because it is so sacred to all ,christian hearts on account of its connection with our ,saviour's sufferings4 ,the side of the ,mount of ,olives on which ,gethsemane stands is dotted over with olive trees4 ,a portion of the hill has been enclosed with stone walls4 ,this is supposed to be the spot where our ,lord's agony took place4 ,inside of these walls are eight large olive trees4 ,they are gnarled and crooked1 and very old4 ,some suppose they are the very trees which stood there when ,jesus visited the spot1 on the night in which he was betrayed4 ,but this is not likely4 ,for we know that when ,titus1 the ,roman general1 was besieging ,jerusalem1 he cut down all the trees that could be found near the city4 ,but the trees now there have probably sprung from the roots of those that were growing in ,gethsemane on this very night4 ,it is a fact that after keeping the last ,passover1 and observing1 for the first time the ,lord's ,supper with his disciples1 ,jesus left ,jerusalem near midnight with the little band of his followers4 ,he went down the side of the hill on which the city stood and crossed the brook ,kedron on the way to ,gethsemane4 ,it is a fact that on going into the garden he left eight of his disciples at the entrance4 ,it is a fact that he took with him the chosen1 favored three1 ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john1 and went further into the garden4 ,it is a fact that then he 8began to be sorrowful and very heavy4 ,then saith he--my soul is exceeding sorrowful1 even unto death40 ,it is a fact that he withdrew from the three disciples1 and1 alone with ,god1 he bowed himself to the earth1 and prayed1 saying1 8,o1 my ,father1 if it be possible1 let this cup pass from me40 ,it is a fact that after offering this earnest prayer he returned to his disciples and found them asleep1 and said to ,peter1 8,what6 could ye not watch with me one hour8 ,watch and pray1 that ye enter not into temptation40 ,it is a fact that he went away again1 8and being in an agony he prayed more earnestly1 and his sweat was1 as it were1 great drops of blood falling down to the ground40 ,it is a fact that in the depths of his agony1 8there appeared unto him an angel from heaven strengthening him40 ,we are not told what the angel said to him4 ,no doubt he brought to him some tender1 loving words from his ,father in heaven1 to comfort and encourage him4 ,it is a fact that he returned to his disciples again and found them sleeping1 for their eyes were heavy4 ,it is a fact that he went away again1 and prayed1 saying1 8,o1 my ,father1 if this cup may not pass from me except ,i drink it1 thy will be done40 ,it is a fact that he returned the third time to his disciples1 and said--8,sleep on now1 and take your rest3 behold the hour is at hand1 and the ,son of ,man is betrayed into the hands of sinners4 ,rise1 let us be going3 behold he is at hand that doth betray me40 ,and it is a fact that1 immediately after he had spoken these words1 the wretched ,judas appeared with his band to take him4 ,these are the facts told us by the evangelists respecting ,jesus and his agony in ,gethsemane4 ,they are very wonderful facts1 and the scene which they set before us in our ,saviour's life is one of the most solemn and awful that ever was witnessed4 ,and now1 let us go on to speak of the lessons taught us by these facts4 ,these lessons are four4 ,the first lesson we learn from ,gethsemane is a lesson--,,about ,,prayer4 ,as soon as this great trouble came upon our blessed ,lord in ,gethsemane1 we see him1 at once separating himself from his disciples1 and seeking the comfort and support of his ,father's presence in prayer4 ,and this was what he was in the habit of doing4 ,we remember how he spent the night in prayer before engaging in the important work of choosing his disciples4 ,and now1 as soon as the burden of this great sorrow comes crushing down upon him1 the first thing he does is to seek relief in prayer4 ,the apostle ,paul is speaking of this1 when he says1 8he offered up prayers and supplications1 with strong crying and tears1 unto him that was able to save him from death1 and was heard in that he feared40 ,heb4 v3 #g4 ,this refers particularly to what took place here in ,gethsemane4 ,the earnestness which marked our ,saviour's prayers on this occasion is especially mentioned4 ,he mingled tears with his prayers4 ,it appears from what the apostle here says1 that there was something connected with his approaching death upon the cross that ,jesus particularly feared4 ,we are not told what it was4 ,and it is not worth while for us to try and find it out1 for we cannot do it4 ,but the prayer of ,jesus1 was not in vain4 8,he was heard1 in that he feared40 ,no doubt this refers to what took place when the angel came to strengthen him4 ,his prayer was not answered literally4 ,he was not actually saved from death2 but he was saved from what he feared in connection with death4 ,our ,lord's experience1 in this respect1 was like that of ,st4 ,paul when he prayed to be delivered from the thorn in the flesh4 ,the thorn was not taken away1 but grace was given him to bear it1 and that was better than having it taken away4 ,the promise is--8,cast thy burden upon the ,lord1 and he shall sustain thee40 ,ps4 lv3 #bb4 ,and so1 from the gloomy shades of ,gethsemane1 with our ,saviour's agony and bloody sweat1 there comes to us a precious lesson about prayer4 ,we see ,jesus praying under the sorrows that overwhelmed him there3 his prayer was heard1 and he was helped4 ,and thus1 by the example of our blessed ,lord1 we are taught1 when we have any heavy burden to bear1 or any hard duty to do1 to carry it to the ,lord in prayer4 ,let us look at some examples from every day life of the benefit that follows from prayer4 8,washington's ,prayer40 ,general ,washington was one of the best and greatest men that this country1 or any other1 ever had4 ,he was a man of piety and prayer4 ,while he was a young man1 he was appointed by ,governor ,dinwiddie1 of ,virginia1 to the command of a body of troops1 and sent on some duty in the western part of that state4 ,a part of these troops was composed of friendly ,indians4 ,there was no chaplain in that little army1 and so ,washington used to act as chaplain himself4 ,he was in the habit of standing up1 in the presence of his men1 with his head uncovered1 and reverently asking the ,god of heaven to protect and bless them in the work they were sent to do4 ,and no doubt1 the great secret of ,washington's success in life1 was his habit of prayer4 ,he occupied many positions of honor and dignity during his useful life4 ,but1 never did he occupy any position in which he appeared so manly1 so honorable1 and so truly noble1 as when he stood forth1 a young man1 in the presence of his little army1 and tried to lift up their thoughts to ,god above1 as the one 8from whom all blessings flow40 8,praying ,better ,than ,stealing40 ,a poor family lived near a wood wharf4 ,the father of this family got on very well while he kept sober2 but when he went to the tavern to spend his evenings and his earnings1 as he did sometimes1 then his poor family had to suffer4 ,one winter1 during a cold spell of weather1 he was taken sick from a drunken frolic4 ,their wood was nearly gone4 ,after dark one night1 he called his oldest boy ,john to his bedside1 and whispered to him to go to the wood wharf and bring an armful of wood4 8,i can't do that10 said ,john4 8,can't do it--why not80 8,because that would be stealing1 and since ,i have been going to ,sabbath-school1 ,i've learned that ,god's commandment is1 #8,thou shalt not steal4'0 8,well1 and didn't you learn that another of ,god's commandments is--#8,children1 obey your parents8'0 8,yes1 father10 answered the boy4 8,well1 then1 mind and do what ,i tell you40 ,johnny was perplexed4 ,he knew there must be some way of answering his father1 but he did not know exactly how to do it4 ,the right thing would have been for him to say that1 when our parents tell us to do what is plainly contrary to the command of ,god1 we must obey ,god rather than men4 ,but ,johnny had not learned this yet4 ,so he said3 8,father1 please excuse me from stealing4 ,i'll ask ,god to send us some wood4 ,praying's better than stealing4 ,i'm pretty sure ,god will send it4 ,and if it don't come before ,i come home from school at noon to-morrow1 ,i will go and work for some1 or beg some4 ,i can work1 and ,i can beg1 but ,i can't steal40 ,then ,johnny crept up into the loft where he slept1 and prayed to ,god about this matter4 ,he said the ,lord's prayer1 which his teacher had taught him4 ,and after saying--8give us this day our daily bread20 he added--8and please ,lord send us some wood too1 and let father see that praying is better than stealing--for ,jesus' sake4 ,amen40 ,and at noon next day when he came home from school1 as he turned round the corner1 and came in sight of their home1 what do you think was the first thing he saw8 ,why1 a load of wood before their door6 ,yes1 there it was4 ,his mother told him the overseers of the poor had sent it4 ,he did not know them4 ,he believed it was ,god who sent it4 ,and he was right4 ,the first lesson from ,gethsemane is about prayer4 ,the second lesson from this hallowed spot is--,,about ,,sin4 ,here1 in ,gethsemane1 we see ,jesus engaged in paying the price of our redemption3 this means1 what he had to suffer for us before our sins could be pardoned4 ,the pains and sorrows through which ,jesus passed1 in the agony of the garden1 and the death on the cross3 the sighs he heaved--the groans he uttered--the tears he shed--the fears1 the griefs1 the unknown sufferings that he bore--all these were part of the price he had to pay1 that we might be saved from our sins4 ,when we read of all that ,jesus endured in ,gethsemane3 when we hear him say--8my soul is exceeding sorrowful1 even unto death30 when we see him fall to the earth1 in such an agony that 8his sweat was1 as it were1 great drops of blood falling down to the ground30 we may well ask the question--what was it which caused him all this fearful suffering8 ,and there is only one way of answering this question2 and this is by saying that he was bearing the punishment of our sins4 ,there was nothing else that could have made him feel so sad and sorrowful4 ,but this explains it all4 ,then1 as the prophet says--8,he was wounded for our transgressions1 he was bruised for our iniquities2--and the ,lord had laid on him the iniquity of us all40 ,is4 liii3 #e1 #f4 ,our sins had provoked the wrath of ,god against us1 and ,jesus was bearing that wrath for us4 ,in all the world1 there is nothing that shows so clearly what a fearful thing sin is1 as the awful sufferings of ,jesus when he was paying the price of our sins1 or making atonement for us4 ,and it is by knowing what took place in ,gethsemane1 and on ,calvary1 and only in this way1 that we can learn what a terrible evil sin is1 and how we are to be saved from it4 ,some years ago1 there was a good ,christian lady in ,england who had taken into her family a deaf and dumb boy4 ,she was anxious to teach him the lesson of ,gethsemane and ,calvary2 that ,christ had suffered and died for our sins4 ,signs and pictures were the only means by which she could teach him4 ,so she drew a picture of a great crowd of people1 old and young1 standing near a deep1 wide pit1 out of which smoke and flames were issuing1 and into which they were in danger of being driven4 ,then she drew the figure of one who came down from heaven1 representing ,jesus1 the ,son of ,god4 ,she explained to the boy that when this person came1 he asked ,god not to throw those people into the pit1 because he was willing to suffer and to die for them1 that the pit might be shut up and the people saved4 ,the deaf and dumb boy wondered much3 and then made signs that the person who offered to die was only one1 while the guilty ones who deserved to die were many4 ,he did not understand how ,god could be willing to take one1 in the place of so many4 ,the lady saw the difficulty that was in the boy's mind4 ,then she took a gold ring off from her finger1 and put it down by the side of a great heap of withered leaves1 from some faded flowers1 and then asked the boy1 by signs1 which was the more valuable1 the one gold ring1 or the many withered leaves8 ,the boy took in the idea at once4 ,he clapped his hands with delight1 and then by signs exclaimed--8,the one--the golden one40 ,and then to show that he knew what this meant1 and that the life of ,jesus was worth more than the world of sinners for which he died1 he ran and got his letters1 and spelled the words--8,good6 ,the golden one good60 ,the deaf and dumb boy had learned two great lessons that day4 ,for one thing he had learned this lesson about sin which we are trying to learn from ,gethsemane4 ,he saw what a dreadful thing sin is1 when it was necessary for ,jesus to die before it could be pardoned4 ,and then1 at the same time1 he learned a lesson about ,jesus4 ,he saw what a golden1 glorious character he is3 that he is perfect man1 and perfect ,god4 ,this made his blood so precious that the shedding of that blood was a price sufficient to pay for the sins of the whole world4 ,illustration3 ,jesus ,privately ,examined by ,pilate ,then ,pilate entered into the judgment hall again1 and called ,jesus1 and said unto him1 ,art thou the ,king of the ,jews8 ,jesus answered him1 ,sayest thou this thing of thyself1 or did others tell it thee of me8 ,pilate answered1 ,am ,i a ,jew8 ,thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me3 what hast thou done8 ,jesus answered1 ,my kingdom is not of this world3 if my kingdom were of this world1 then would my servants fight1 that ,i should not be delivered to the ,jews3 but now is my kingdom not from hence4 ,pilate therefore said unto him1 ,art thou a king then8 ,jesus answered1 ,thou sayest that ,i am a king4 ,to this end was ,i born1 and for this cause came ,i into the world1 that ,i should bear witness unto the truth4 ,every one that is of the truth heareth my voice4 ,pilate saith unto him1 ,what is truth8--,st4 ,john xviii3 #cc-ch4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,if ,herod's palace was built according to the customary ,roman method1 the private examination of ,jesus would naturally be conducted either in the library1 or in ,pilate's business room--apartments which usually occupied positions on opposite sides of a short passage leading from the further extremity of the spacious atrium to the inner halls and chambers of the palace4 ,there were six examinations of our ,lord3 7#a7 before ,annas for fact2 7#b7 before ,caiaphas for determinations2 7#c7 before the ,sanhedrim for official confirmation2 7#d7 before ,pilate for preliminary enquiry2 7#e7 before ,herod ,antipas as ,tetrarch of ,galilee2 7#f7 before ,pilate for final acquittal or condemnation4 #fb ,and now1 let us see1 for a moment1 how much good is done by telling to poor sinners this story of ,gethsemane and ,calvary1 and of the sufferings of ,jesus there4 ,here is an illustration of the power of this story1 for which we are indebted to one of the ,moravian ,missionaries in ,greenland4 ,kazainak was a robber chief1 who lived among 8,greenland's icy mountains40 ,he came1 one day to a hut1 where the missionary was engaged in translating into the language of that country the gospel of ,st4 ,john4 ,he saw the missionary writing and asked him what he was doing4 ,pointing to the letters he had just written1 he said those marks were words1 and that the book from which they were written could speak4 ,kazainak said he would like to hear what the book had to say4 ,the missionary took up the book1 and read from it the story of ,christ's crucifixion4 ,when he stopped reading the chief asked3 8,what had this man done1 that he was put to death8 had he robbed any one8 or murdered any one8 had he done wrong to any one8 ,why did he die80 8,no10 said the missionary4 8,he had robbed no one2 he had murdered no one2 he had done no wrong to any one40 8,then1 why did he die80 8,listen10 said the missionary4 8,jesus had done no wrong2 but ,kazainak has done wrong4 ,jesus had robbed no one2 but ,kazainak has robbed many4 ,jesus had murdered no one2 but ,kazainak has murdered his brother2 ,kazainak has murdered his child4 ,jesus suffered that ,kazainak might not suffer2 ,jesus died that ,kazainak might not die40 8,tell me that again10 said the astonished chief4 ,it was told him again1 and the end of it was that the hard-hearted1 blood-stained murderer became a gentle1 loving ,christian4 ,he never knew what sin was till he heard of ,christ's sufferings for it4 ,the second lesson we learn from ,gethsemane is--the lesson about sin4 ,the third lesson from ,gethsemane is the lesson ,,about ,,submission4 ,jesus taught us in the ,lord's prayer to say1 8,thy will be done on earth1 as it is in heaven40 ,and this is one of the most important lessons we ever have to learn4 ,it is very easy to say these words--8,thy will be done20 but it is not so easy to feel them1 and to be and do just what they teach4 ,the will of ,god is always right1 and good1 and holy4 ,everything opposed to his will is sinful4 ,st4 ,paul tells us that--8sin is the transgression of the law40 ,to transgress a law1 means to walk over it1 or to break it4 ,but the law of ,god is only his will made known4 ,and so1 everything that we think1 or feel1 or say1 or do1 contrary to the will of ,god--is sin4 ,and when we remember this it should make us very anxious to learn the lesson of submission to the will of ,god4 ,if we could all learn to do the will of ,god as the angels do1 it would make our earth like heaven4 ,and this is one reason why ,jesus was so earnest in teaching us this lesson4 ,he not only preached submission to the will of ,god1 but practised it4 ,when he entered ,gethsemane1 he compared the dreadful sufferings before him to a cup1 filled with something very bitter1 which he was asked to drink4 ,now1 no person1 however good or holy he may be1 likes to endure dreadful sufferings4 ,it is natural for us to shrink back from suffering1 and to try to get away from it4 ,and this was just the way that ,jesus felt4 ,he did not love suffering any more than you or ,i do4 ,and so1 when he prayed the first time in ,gethsemane1 with those terrible sufferings immediately before him1 his prayer was--8,father1 if it be possible1 let this cup pass from me40 ,but the cup did not pass away4 ,it was held before him still4 ,he saw it was his ,father's will for him to drink it4 ,so1 when he prayed the second time1 his words were--8,o1 my ,father1 if this cup may not pass from me1 except ,i drink it3 thy will be done60 ,this was the most beautiful example of submission to the will of ,god the world has ever seen4 ,when ,adam was in the garden of ,eden he refused to submit to the will of ,god4 ,he said1 by his conduct1 8,not thy will1 but mine be done30 and that brought the curse upon the earth1 and filled it with sorrow and death4 ,when ,jesus was in the garden of ,gethsemane1 he submitted to the will of ,god4 ,he said1 8,not my will1 but thine1 be done40 ,this took away the curse which ,adam brought upon the earth1 and left a blessing in the place of it--even life1 and peace1 and salvation4 ,we ought to learn submission to the will of ,god1 because he knows what is best for us4 8,the ,curse of the ,granted ,prayer40 ,a widowed mother had an only child--a darling boy4 ,her heart was wrapped up in him4 ,at one time he was taken very ill4 ,the doctor thought he would die4 ,she prayed earnestly that his life might be spared4 ,but she did not pray in submission to the will of ,god4 ,she said she did not want to live unless her child was spared to her4 ,he was spared4 ,but1 he grew up to be a selfish1 disobedient boy4 ,one day1 in a fit of passion1 he struck his mother4 ,that almost broke her heart4 ,he became worse and worse2 and1 at last1 in a drunken quarrel1 he killed one of his companions4 ,he was taken to prison2 was tried--condemned to be hanged--and ended his life on the gallows4 ,that quite broke his mother's heart4 ,now ,god1 in his goodness1 was going to save that mother from all this bitter sorrow4 ,and would have done so if she had only learned to say--8,thy will be done40 ,she would not say that4 ,the consequence was that she brought on herself all that heart-breaking sorrow4 ,and then we ought to learn submission to the will of ,god--because1 whatever he takes away from us--he leaves us so many blessings still6 ,here is a good illustration of this part of our subject4 ,some years ago1 in a town in ,new ,england1 there was a minister of the gospel who was greatly interested in his work4 ,but he was attacked with bleeding of the lungs and was obliged to stop preaching and resign the charge of his church4 ,about the same time his only child was laid in the grave2 his wife1 for a time1 lost the use of her eyes2 his home was broken up1 and his prospects were very dark4 ,they had been obliged to sell their furniture and take boarding at a tavern in the town where they lived4 ,but1 under all these trials1 he was resigned and cheerful4 ,he felt the supporting power of that precious gospel which he had so loved to preach4 ,his wife had not felt as contented and cheerful under their trials as he was4 ,one day1 as he came in from a walk1 she said to him3 8,husband dear1 ,i have been thinking of our situation here1 and have made up my mind to try and be patient and submissive to the will of ,god40 8,ah10 said he1 8that's a good resolution4 ,i'm very glad to hear it4 ,now1 let us see what we have to submit to4 ,i will make a list of our trials4 ,well1 in the first place1 we have a comfortable home2 we'll submit to that4 ,secondly1 we have many of the blessings of life left to us2 we'll submit to that4 ,thirdly1 we are spared to each other2 we'll submit to that4 ,fourthly1 we have a multitude of kind friends2 we'll submit to that4 ,fifthly1 we have a loving ,god1 and ,saviour1 who has promised to take care of us1 and #8make all things work together for our good2' we'll submit to that40 ,this was a view of their case which his wife had not taken4 ,and so by the time her husband had got through with his fifthly1 her heart was filled with gratitude1 her eyes with tears1 and she exclaimed3 8,stop1 stop2 please stop1 my dear husband2 and ,i'll never say another word about submission40 ,the lesson of submission is the third lesson that we are taught in ,gethsemane4 ,the last lesson for us to learn from this solemn scene in our ,saviour's life is a lesson--,,about ,,tenderness4 ,jesus taught us this when he came back1 again and again1 from his lonely struggles with the sufferings he was passing through1 and found his disciples asleep4 ,it seemed very selfish and unfeeling in them to show no more sympathy with their ,master in the time of his greatest need4 ,he had told them how full of sorrow he was1 and had asked them to watch with him4 ,now1 we should have supposed that1 under such circumstances1 they would have found it impossible to sleep4 ,they ought to have been weeping with him in his sorrow1 and uniting in prayer to ,god to help and comfort him4 ,but1 instead of this1 while he was bearing all the agony and bloody sweat which was caused him by their sins1 they were fast asleep6 ,if ,jesus had rebuked them sharply for their want of feeling1 it would not have been surprising4 ,but1 he did nothing of the kind4 ,he only asked1 in his own quiet1 gentle way--8could ye not watch with me one hour80 ,and then he kindly excused them for their fault1 saying--8,the spirit indeed is willing1 but the flesh is weak60 ,how tender and loving this was6 ,here we have the lesson of tenderness that comes to us from ,gethsemane4 ,we see here1 beautifully illustrated1 the gentle1 loving spirit of our blessed ,saviour4 ,and the exhortation of the apostle1 is--8,let this mind be in you1 which was also in ,christ ,jesus40 ,phil4 ii3 #e4 ,someone has well said1 that 8the rule for us to walk by1 if we are true ,christians1 is1 when any one injures us1 to forget one half of it1 and forgive the rest40 ,this is the very spirit of our ,master4 ,this was the way in which he acted towards his erring disciples in ,gethsemane4 ,and1 if all who bear the name of ,christ were only trying to follow his example1 in this respect1 who can tell how much good would be done8 ,here are some beautiful illustrations of this lesson of tenderness and forbearance which ,jesus taught us in ,gethsemane4 8,the ,influence of ,this ,spirit in a ,christian ,woman40 ,a parish visitor had a district to attend to which contained some of the worst families in town4 ,there was a sick child in one of those families4 ,the visitor called on her every day4 ,the grandfather of this child was a wicked1 hardened man1 who hated religion and everything connected with it4 ,he had a big dog that was about as savage as he was himself4 ,every day1 when he saw this ,christian woman coming to visit the sick child1 he would let loose the dog on her4 ,the dog flew at her1 and caught hold of her dress4 ,but she was a brave woman1 and stood her ground nobly4 ,a few kind words spoken to the dog took away all his fierceness4 ,she continued her visits1 day after day1 bringing to the poor child such nice things as she needed4 ,at first the dog was set upon her every day2 but as she went on in her kind and gentle way1 the old man began to feel ashamed of himself2 and before a week was over1 when he saw this faithful ,christian woman coming to the suffering little one1 instead of letting loose the dog upon her1 he would take his pipe out of his mouth with one hand and lift the cap from his head with the other1 and make a polite bow to her1 saying1 8,good morning1 ma'am3 werry glad to see you40 ,and so the spirit of ,christ1 as practised by that good woman1 won the way for the gospel into that home of sin and misery1 and it brought a blessing with it1 as it always does4 8,the ,spirit of ,christ in a ,little ,girl40 8,sitting in school one day10 says a teacher1 8,i overheard a conversation between a little girl and her brother4 ,he was complaining of various wrongs that had been done to him by another little boy belonging to the school4 ,his face grew red with anger1 and he became very much excited in telling of all that this boy had done to him4 ,he was going on to say how he intended to pay him back1 when his sister interrupted him by saying1 #8,brother1 please don't talk any more in that way4 ,remember that ,charley has no mother4' 8,her brother's lips were closed at once4 ,this gentle rebuke from his sister went straight to his heart4 ,he walked quietly away1 saying to himself--#8,i never thought of that4' ,he remembered his own sweet home and the teaching of his loving mother2 and the question came up to him--#8,what should ,i be if ,i had no mother8' ,he thought how lonely ,charley must feel1 and how hard it must be for him to do right without a mother4 ,this took away all his anger4 ,and he made up his mind to be kind and forbearing to poor ,charley1 and to try to do him all the good he could4 ,this little girl was following the example of ,christ1 and we see what a good effect it had upon her brother40 8,a ,boy with the ,spirit of ,christ40 ,two boys--,bob ,jones and ,ben ,christie--were left alone in a country school-house between the morning and afternoon sessions4 ,contrary to the master's express orders ,bob ,jones set off some fireworks4 ,when afternoon school began1 the master called up the two boys1 to find out who had done the mischief4 8,bob1 did you set off those fireworks80 8,no1 sir10 said ,bob4 8,did you do it1 ,ben80 was the next question4 ,but ,ben refused to answer2 and so the master flogged him severely for his obstinacy4 ,at the afternoon recess the boys were alone together4 8,ben1 why didn't you deny it80 asked his companion4 8,because there were only us two there1 and one of us must have lied10 said ,ben4 8,then why didn't you say ,i did it80 8,because you had said you didn't1 and ,i would rather take the flogging than fasten the lie on you40 ,bob's heart melted under this4 ,ben's noble spirit quite overcame him4 ,he felt that he never could allow his companion to lie under the charge of the wrong that he had done4 ,as soon as the school began again1 ,bob marched up to the master's desk1 and said3 8,please1 sir1 ,i can't bear to be a liar4 ,ben ,christie didn't set off these fire-crackers4 ,i did it1 and he took the flogging rather than charge me with the lie40 ,and then ,bob burst into tears4 ,the master looked at him in surprise4 ,he thought of the unjust punishment ,ben had received1 his conscience smote him1 and his eyes filled with tears4 ,taking hold of ,bob's hand1 they walked to ,ben ,christie's seat2 then the master said aloud3 8,ben1 ,ben1 my lad1 ,bob and ,i have done you wrong2 we both ask your pardon60 ,the school was hushed and still as the grave4 ,you might almost have heard ,ben's big-boy tears dropping on his book4 ,but1 in a moment1 dashing the tears away1 he cried out--8,three cheers for the master40 ,they gave three cheers4 ,and then ,bob ,jones added--8,and now three cheers for ,ben ,christie0--and they made the school-house ring again with three rousing cheers for ,ben4 ,ben ,christie was acting in the spirit of ,christ in what he did that day4 ,and in doing so he did good to his companion1 ,bob ,jones4 ,he did good to the master1 and to every scholar in the school4 ,and there is no way in which we can do so much real good to all about us as by trying to catch the spirit and follow the example of our blessed ,saviour4 ,and so1 when we think of ,jesus in ,gethsemane1 let us never forget the facts and the lessons connected with that sacred place4 ,the facts are too many to be repeated4 ,the lessons are four4 ,there is the lesson about prayer2 the lesson about sin2 the lesson about submission2 and the lesson about tenderness4 ,and1 as we leave this solemn subject1 we may each of us say1 in the words of the hymn3 8,can ,i ,gethsemane forget8 ,or there thy conflict see1 ,thine agony and bloody sweat1 ,and not remember thee8 8,remember thee1 and all thy pains1 ,and all thy love to me2 ,yes1 while a breath1 a pulse remains1 ,will ,i remember thee4 8,and when these failing lips grow dumb1 ,and mind1 and memory flee1 ,when thou shalt in thy kingdom come1 ,jesus1 remember me40 ,illustration3 ,herod ,expecteth to be ,amused ,then said ,pilate to the chief priests and to the people1 ,i find no fault in this man4 ,and they were the more fierce1 saying1 ,he stirreth up the people1 teaching throughout all ,jewry1 beginning from ,galilee to this place4 ,when ,pilate heard of ,galilee1 he asked whether the man were a ,galilan4 ,and as soon as he knew that he belonged unto ,herod's jurisdiction1 he sent him to ,herod1 who himself also was at ,jerusalem at that time4 ,and when ,herod saw ,jesus1 he was exceeding glad3 for he was desirous to see him of a long season1 because he had heard many things of him2 and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him4 ,then he questioned with him in many words2 but he answered him nothing4 ,and the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him4 ,and ,herod with his men of war set him at nought1 and mocked him1 and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe1 and sent him again to ,pilate4--,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #d-aa4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,while in residence in ,jerusalem1 ,herod ,antipas occupied the ancient palace of the ,hasmonan kings1 situated on the western hill1 not far from that built by ,herod the ,great4 ,a weak1 cruel sensualist1 ,antipas1 like other princelings of his family1 affected the dress and manners and the refined luxury of the ,greeks4 ,blas and wearied doubtless with the monotonous pleasures of the dissolute court1 he welcomed the excitement promised by the appearance of ,jesus at his judgment-seat1 anticipating that the prisoner would thankfully purchase his life at the cost of amusing him and his courtiers by some display of the magical power with the possession of which rumor had credited him4 ,herod was devoted to hunting and had special hunting grounds near the ,lake of ,gennesaret1 so a favorite hound is appropriately introduced4 #fc ,,the ,,betrayal ,,and ,,desertion ,one of the darkest chapters in the history of our ,saviour's life is this now before us4 ,here we see him betrayed into the hands of his enemies by one of his disciples and deserted by all the rest4 ,in studying this subject1 we may look at the history of the betrayal and desertion1 and then consider some of the lessons that it teaches4 ,the man who committed this awful crime was ,judas ,iscariot4 ,he was one of the twelve whom ,jesus chose1 in the early part of his ministry1 to be with him1 all the time1 to see all the mighty works that he did1 and to hear all that he said in private as well as in public4 ,he is called ,judas ,iscariot1 to distinguish him from another of the disciples of the same name1 viz41 ,judas1 the brother of ,james4 ,different explanations have been given of the meaning of this name ,iscariot4 ,the most likely is1 that it was used to denote the place of his birth4 ,if this be so1 then it was written at first1 ,judas-,ish-,kerioth--which means a man of ,kerioth4 ,and then this would show us that he belonged to a town in the southern part of ,judah1 called ,kerioth4 ,we know nothing about ,judas before we hear him spoken of as one of the twelve apostles4 ,in the different lists of the names of the apostles1 he is always mentioned last1 because of the dreadful sin which he finally committed4 ,when his name is mentioned he is generally spoken of as 8the traitor0--or as the man 8which also betrayed him40 ,jesus knew1 of course1 from the beginning1 what kind of a man ,judas was1 and what he would do in the end4 ,but1 we have no reason to suppose that ,judas himself had any idea of committing this horrible crime when he first became an apostle2 or that the other apostles ever had the least suspicion of him4 ,there can be no doubt that he took part with the other apostles when ,jesus sent them before his face to 8preach the gospel of the kingdom10 and to perform 8many mighty works40 ,yes1 ,judas1 who afterwards betrayed his ,master1 preached the gospel and performed miracles in the name of ,jesus4 ,his fellow-disciples1 so far from suspecting any harm of him1 made him the treasurer of their little company1 and let him 8have the bag0 and manage their money affairs4 ,and this1 may have been the very thing that ruined him4 ,the first time that we see anything wrong in ,judas is at the supper given to our ,lord at ,bethany4 ,we read about this in ,st4 ,john #ab3 #a-i4 ,on this occasion1 ,mary1 the sister of ,lazarus1 brought a very precious box of ointment1 and anointed the feet of ,jesus with it4 ,judas thought this ointment was wasted1 and asked why it had not been sold for three hundred pence1 and given to the poor4 ,this would be about forty-five or fifty dollars of our money4 ,it is added--8,this he said1 not because he cared for the poor2 but because he was a thief1 and had the bag1 and bore what was put therein40 ,none of his disciples suspected ,judas of being a thief at this time4 ,these words were added1 long after the death of ,judas1 when his true character was well known4 ,but1 when ,jesus rebuked ,judas for finding fault with ,mary1 and praised her highly for what she had done1 he was greatly offended4 ,and then1 it seems1 he first made up his mind to do that terrible deed which has left so deep and dreadful a stain upon his memory4 ,for we read--,st4 ,matt4 xxvi3 #ad-af--8,then one of the twelve1 called ,judas ,iscariot1 went unto the chief priests and said unto them1 ,what will ye give me1 and ,i will deliver him unto you8 ,and they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver4 ,and from that time he sought opportunity to betray him40 ,the paltry sum for which ,judas agreed to betray his ,master was about fifteen dollars of our money--the price of a common slave4 ,very soon after this ,jesus met his disciples in that upper chamber of ,jerusalem1 to eat the ,passover together for the last time4 ,and ,judas came with them4 ,how could the wretched man venture into the presence of ,jesus1 when he had already agreed to betray him8 ,but ,jesus knew all about it4 ,how startled ,judas must have been when he heard ,jesus say before them all--8,one of you shall betray me40 ,it is probable that ,jesus said this to drive ,judas out from his presence1 for it must have been very painful to him to have him there4 ,and1 after ,jesus had given the sop to ,judas1 to show by this that he knew who the traitor was1 we read that--8,satan entered into him4 ,then ,jesus said unto him1 ,that thou doest do quickly40 ,then he 8went immediately out20 and hastened to the chief priests to make arrangements for delivering ,jesus unto them4 ,it is clear1 ,i think1 from this that ,judas was not present while ,jesus was instituting the ,lord's ,supper4 ,it must have been a wonderful relief to ,jesus when ,judas left their little company4 ,and we are not surprised to find it written--8,when he was gone out ,jesus said1 ,now is the ,son of man glorified1 and ,god is glorified in him10 ,st4 ,john xiii3 #ca4 ,then followed the ,lord's ,supper2 and the glorious things spoken of in the #adth1 #aeth1 and #afth chapters of ,st4 ,john1 and the great prayer in the #agth chapter4 ,after this came the agony in the garden of ,gethsemane4 ,just as this was over1 ,judas appeared with the band of soldiers and servants of the chief priests 8with lanterns1 and torches1 and weapons40 ,jesus went forth to meet them1 and asked whom they were seeking4 ,they answered1 8,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,jesus saith unto them1 ,i am he4 ,as soon as he had said unto them ,i am he1 they went backward and fell to the ground40 ,then ,judas came to ,jesus according to the signal he had given them1 and said1 ,hail1 ,master1 and kissed him4 ,but ,jesus said unto him1 ,judas1 betrayest thou the ,son of man with a kiss8 ,then ,peter drew his sword to defend his ,master1 and struck a servant of the high-priest1 and cut off his right ear4 ,jesus touched the ear1 and healed it2 and told ,peter to put up his sword4 ,then they came to ,jesus and bound him1 and led him away to the high-priest2 and it is added3 8,then all the disciples forsook him and fled40 ,he was betrayed by one of his own disciples and forsaken by all the rest4 ,nothing is said about ,judas during the time of the trial of ,jesus4 ,some suppose that he expected our ,lord would deliver himself out of the hands of his enemies4 ,we have no authority for thinking so4 ,but1 when he found1 at last1 that ,jesus was condemned and was really to be put to death1 his conscience smote him for what he had done4 ,he brought back the thirty pieces of silver--the beggarly price he had received for betraying his ,master--and threw them down at the feet of the chief priests1 saying--8,i have sinned1 in that ,i have betrayed the innocent blood4 ,and they said--,what is that to us8 ,see thou to that4 ,and he went and hanged himself40 ,this was the end of the wretched man1 so far as this world is concerned4 ,and such is the history of the betrayal and desertion of ,jesus4 ,we might refer to many lessons taught us by this sad history1 but we shall speak of only four4 ,two of these relate to ,jesus1 and two of them to ,judas4 ,one of the lessons about ,jesus1 taught us here1 refers to--,,the ,,loneliness ,,of ,,his ,,sufferings4 ,we all know how natural it is1 when we are in trouble1 to desire to have one near who loves us4 ,the very first thing a child does when worried about anything is to run to its mother and throw itself into her loving arms4 ,it would almost break the child's heart if it could not have its mother's presence and gentle sympathy at such a time4 ,and it is the same when we grow older4 ,we naturally seek the company of our dearest friends in times of trouble4 ,and it adds greatly to our suffering if we cannot have those we love near us when we are in sorrow4 ,but1 in the history of our ,saviour's betrayal and desertion1 we see how it was with him4 ,in the midst of his great trouble1 when the wrath of ,god1 occasioned by our sins1 was pressing heavily upon him1 he was betrayed into the hands of his enemies by one of the little band of his own chosen followers4 ,how much this must have added to his sorrow6 ,and if the rest of his apostles had only stood by him faithfully1 as they had promised to do1 during that night of sorrow1 it would have been some comfort to him4 ,but they did not4 ,as soon as they saw the traitor ,judas deliver him into the hands of his enemies1 we read these sad1 and melancholy words1 8,then all the disciples forsook him1 and fled60 ,how hard this must have been for ,jesus to bear6 ,the cup of his sorrows was full before2 this must have made it overflow4 ,he knew it was coming4 ,for1 not long before1 he had told them that 8the hour was coming1 when they would be scattered1 and leave him alone40 ,this shows how deeply he felt1 and feared this loneliness4 ,seven hundred years before he came into our world1 the prophet ,isaiah represented him as saying--8,i have trodden the wine-press alone10 chap4 lxiii3 #c4 ,and this was what he was doing now4 ,in the midst of the multitudes he came to save he was left--alone4 ,there was not an earthly friend to stand by him--to speak a kind word to him--or to show him any sympathy in this time of his greatest sorrow4 ,the only comfort left to him was the thought that his ,father in heaven had not forgotten him4 ,when he spoke of his disciples leaving him alone1 he said1 8,and yet1 ,i am not alone1 because the ,father is with me40 ,st4 ,john xvi3 #cb4 ,jesus never forgets how lonely he felt at this time2 and he loves to come near and comfort us when we are left alone4 ,we should always remember at such times how well able he is to help and comfort us4 ,here are some simple illustrations of the blessing which those find who look to ,jesus in their loneliness4 ,an aged ,christian was carried to a consumptives' hospital to die4 ,he had no relation or friend to be near him except the nurse and the doctor4 ,yet he always seemed bright and happy4 ,the doctor1 in talking with him one day1 asked him how it was that he could be so resigned and cheerful8 ,his reply was--8,when ,i am able to think1 ,i think of ,jesus2 and when ,i am not able to think of him1 ,i know he is thinking of me40 ,and this was just the way ,king ,david felt when he said1 8,i am poor and needy2 yet the ,lord thinketh upon me40 8,not ,alone40 ,little ,bessie was sitting on the piazza4 ,the nurse came in and found her there4 8,ah6 ,bessie dear1 all alone in the dark10 said the nurse1 8and yet not afraid80 8,no1 indeed10 said little ,bessie1 8for ,i am not all alone4 ,god is here4 ,i look up and see the stars1 and ,god seems to be looking down at me with his bright eyes40 8,to be sure10 said the nurse1 8but ,god is up in the sky1 and that is a great way off40 8,no10 said ,bessie2 8,god is here too2 sometimes ,he seems to be clasping me in his arms1 and then ,i feel so happy40 8,the ,help of ,feeling ,jesus ,near40 ,there was a poor man in a hospital4 ,he was just about to undergo a painful and dangerous operation4 ,they laid him out ready1 and the doctors were about to begin1 when he asked them to wait a moment4 8,what shall we wait for80 was the inquiry of one of the doctors4 8,oh1 wait a moment10 said he1 8till ,i ask the ,lord ,jesus ,christ to stand by my side4 ,i know it will be dreadful hard to bear2 but it will be such a comfort to think that ,jesus is near me40 ,one thing we are taught by the betrayal and desertion of ,christ1 is the loneliness of his sufferings4 ,another thing1 taught us by this part of our ,saviour's history is--,,his ,,willingness ,,to ,,suffer4 ,we often make up our minds to suffer certain things1 because we have no power to help it4 ,but it was not so with ,jesus4 ,he had power enough to have saved himself from suffering1 if he had chosen to do so4 ,sometime before this1 when he was speaking to his disciples about his death1 or1 as he called it1 laying down his life1 he said--8,no man taketh it from me1 but ,i lay it down of myself4 ,i have power to lay it down1 and ,i have power to take it again40 ,john x3 #ah4 ,and he showed plainly what his power was at the very time of his betrayal4 ,when his enemies came to take him1 he 8went forth1 and said unto them1 ,whom seek ye8 ,they answered him1 ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,jesus saith unto them1 ,i am he40 ,john xviii3 #d4 ,but he put such wonderful power into these simple words--8,i am he0--that1 the moment they heard them1 the whole multitude1 soldiers1 servants1 and all1 fell to the ground before him4 ,it was nothing but the power of ,jesus which produced this strange effect4 ,it seems as if ,jesus did this1 on purpose to show that the mighty power by which he had healed the sick1 and raised the dead1 and cast out devils1 and walked on the water1 and controlled the stormy winds and waves1 was in him still4 ,he was not taken by his enemies because he had no power to help himself4 ,the same power which made his enemies fall to the ground with a word could have held them there while he walked away2 or could have scattered them1 as the chaff is scattered by the whirlwind2 or could have made the earth open and swallow them up4 ,but he did not choose to exercise it in any of these ways4 ,he was willing to suffer for us2 and so he allowed himself to be taken4 ,as the ,jews were seizing him ,peter drew his sword1 and smote one of the servants of the high-priest1 and cut off his right ear4 ,jesus touched the ear1 and healed it1 in a moment1 thus showing again what power he had4 ,then he told ,peter to put up his sword1 and said--8,thinkest thou that ,i cannot now pray to my ,father1 and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels80 ,st4 ,matt4 xxvi3 #ec4 ,a full ,roman legion contained six thousand men4 ,jesus had power enough in his own arm to keep himself from being taken1 if he had chosen to use it4 ,and more than seventy thousand angels would have flown with lightning speed to his deliverance1 if he had but lifted his finger2 or said--8come40 ,there was so much power in himself1 and so much power in heaven1 at his command1 that all the soldiers ,rome ever had could not have taken him1 unless he had been willing to be taken4 ,but he was willing4 ,and when they came to crucify him1 all the nails ever made could not have fastened him to the cross1 unless he had been willing to be fastened there4 ,but his wonderful love for you and for me and for a world of lost sinners1 made him willing to be fastened there1 to suffer and to die1 that our sins might be pardoned and that we might enter heaven4 ,and it is the thought of this amazing love of ,christ1 making him willing to suffer for us1 which gives to the story of the cross the marvellous power it has to melt the hardest hearts and win the worst of men to his service4 ,there is a power in love to do what nothing else can do1--to make men good and holy4 ,and this is what we are taught when told that--8,christ suffered for sins1 the just for the unjust1 that he might bring us to ,god40 ,i4 ,peter iii3 #ah4 ,and when we find people acting in this way towards each other in everyday life it has just the same effect4 ,here is an illustration of what ,i mean4 ,we may call it3 8,the ,power of ,love2 or1 ,the ,just for the ,unjust40 ,in a town near ,paris1 is a school for teaching poor homeless boys who are found wandering about the streets of that city and are growing up in idleness and crime4 ,when one of the boys breaks the rules of the school and deserves punishment1 the rest of the school are called together1 like a jury1 to decide what shall be done with the offender4 ,one of the punishments is confinement for several days in a dungeon1 called 8the black-hole40 ,the prisoner is put on a short allowance of food1 and1 of course1 forfeits all the liberties of the other boys4 ,after the boys have1 in this way1 passed sentence on one of their companions and the master approves of it1 this question is put to the rest of the school3--8,will any of you become this boy's substitute8 i4 e41 take his place1 and bear his punishment1 and let him go free80 ,and it generally happens that some little friend of the criminal comes forward and offers to bear the punishment instead of him4 ,then the only punishment the real offender has to bear is to carry the bread and water to his friend as long as he is confined in the dungeon4 ,in this way1 it generally happens that the most stubborn and hard-hearted boys are melted down1 by seeing their companions willingly suffering for them what they know they deserved to suffer themselves4 ,illustration3 ,jesus is ,scourged ,and ,pilate1 when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people1 said unto them1 ,ye have brought this man unto me1 as one that perverteth the people3 and1 behold1 ,i1 having examined him before you1 have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him4 ,no1 nor yet ,herod3 for ,i sent you to him2 and1 lo1 nothing worthy of death is done unto him4 ,i will therefore chastise him1 and release him4 7,for of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast47 ,and they cried out all at once1 saying1 ,away with this man1 and release unto us ,barabbas4 7,who for a certain sedition made in the city1 and for murder1 was cast into prison47--,then ,pilate therefore took ,jesus1 and scourged him4--,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #ac-ai2 ,st4 ,john xix3 #a4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,in endeavoring to apprehend1 however imperfectly1 the sufferings endured by ,jesus during this terrible day1 there may be a tendency to under-estimate the significance of one detail which is only incidentally mentioned by the evangelists1 namely1 the punishment of scourging4 ,but this was nevertheless so barbarously cruel1 that the mind recoils in horror from the effort to realize the awful agony which it entailed4 ,bound in a crouching attitude to the pillar of torment1 the quivering flesh lacerated by the fragments of bone and metal intertwisted with the thongs1 few of its victims1 save such as were in perfect physical health1 were able to survive the infliction of the scourge1 but perished either then and there1 or shortly afterwards1 from nervous shock or from mortification of the wounds4 ,yet it was a punishment so common1 such an everyday occurrence1 that the scourging of one more malefactor--,jesus by name--the justice or injustice of whose sentence they neither knew nor cared to know1 would be regarded with utter indifference by the brutal soldiery charged with its infliction4 #fd ,not long ago1 a boy about nine or ten years old1 named ,pierre1 was received into this school4 ,he was a boy whose temper and conduct were so bad that he had been dismissed from several schools4 ,he behaved pretty well at first2 but soon his bad temper broke out1 and one day he quarrelled with a boy about his own age1 named ,louis1 and stabbed him in the breast with a knife4 ,louis was carried bleeding to his bed4 ,his wound was painful1 but not dangerous4 ,the boys were assembled1 to consult about what was to be done with ,pierre4 ,louis was a great favorite with the boys1 and they all agreed at once that ,pierre should be turned out of the school and never allowed to come back4 ,this was a very natural sentence under the circumstances1 but the master thought it was not a wise one4 ,he said that if ,pierre was turned out of school1 he would grow worse and worse1 and probably end his life on the gallows4 ,he asked them to think again4 ,they then agreed upon a long imprisonment1 without saying how long it was to be4 ,they were asked as usual1 if any one was willing to go to prison instead of ,pierre4 ,but no one offered and he was marched off to prison4 ,after some days1 when the boys were all together1 the master asked again if any one was willing to take ,pierre's place4 ,a feeble voice was heard1 saying--8,i will40 ,to the surprise of every one this proved to be ,louis--the wounded boy1 who was just getting over the effect of his wound4 ,louis went to the dungeon and took the place of the boy who had tried to kill him2 while ,pierre was set at liberty4 ,for many days he went to the prison carrying the bread and water to ,louis1 but with a feeling of pride and anger in his heart4 ,but at last he could bear it no longer4 ,the sight of his kind-hearted1 generous friend1 still pale and feeble from the effects of his wound1 pining in prison--living on bread and water--and willingly suffering all this for him--who had tried to murder him--this was more than he could bear4 ,his fierce temper and stubborn pride broke down under it4 ,the generous love of ,louis had fairly conquered him4 ,he went to the master1 fell down at his feet1 and with bitter tears confessed his fault1 begged to be forgiven1 and promised to be a good boy4 ,he kept his promise1 and became one of the best boys in the school4 ,and so it is the love of ,christ in being willing to suffer for us that wins the hearts and lives of men to him1 and gives to the story of the cross all its power4 ,the willingness of ,christ to suffer is the second thing taught us by the history of the betrayal and desertion4 ,these are the two things taught us about ,jesus by this history3 his loneliness in suffering1 and his willingness to suffer4 ,but1 there are two things taught us about ,judas1 also1 by this history4 ,one of these is--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,sin4 ,the sin of ,judas was covetousness1 or 8the love of money40 ,the apostle ,paul tells us that this--8is the root of all evil40 ,i4 ,tim4 vi3 #aj4 ,the little company of the apostles made ,judas their treasurer4 ,he carried the purse for them4 ,he received the money that was contributed for their expenses1 and paid out what was needed from day to day4 ,we may suppose that1 soon after his appointment to this office1 he found himself tempted to take some of this money for his own use4 ,perhaps he only took a penny or two1 at first1 but then he soon went on to take more4 ,now1 if he had watched and striven against this temptation1 at the very first1 and had prayed for strength to resist it1 what a different man he might have been6 ,there is an old proverb which says--8,resist the beginnings40 ,our only safety is in doing this4 ,judas neglected to resist the beginning of his temptation and the end of it was his ruin4 ,we never can tell what may come out of one sin that is not resisted4 ,if you want to sink a ship at sea1 it is not necessary to make half a dozen big holes in her side2 one little hole1 which you might stop with your finger1 if left alone1 will be enough to sink that ship4 ,judas gave himself up to the power of one sin1 and that led him on to betray his ,master4 ,let us look at some illustrations of the power of one sin4 8,clara's ,obstinacy40 ,little ,clara ,cole was saying her prayers one evening before going to bed4 ,part of her evening prayer was the simple hymn--8,and now ,i lay me down to sleep40 ,when she came to the last line she stopped short and would not say it4 8,go on1 my dear1 and finish it10 said her mother4 8,i can't10 she said1 although she knew it perfectly well1 and had said it hundreds of times before4 8,oh1 yes6 go right on1 my child40 8,no2 ,i can't40 8,my dear child1 what makes you talk so8 ,say the last line directly40 ,but1 in spite of her mother's positive commands and loving entreaties1 ,clara was obstinate1 and would not do it4 8,very well10 said ,mrs4 ,cole at last3 8you can get into bed2 but you will not get up till you have said that line40 ,next morning ,mrs4 ,cole went into ,clara's room as soon as she heard her stir4 8,now1 ,clara10 she said pleasantly1 8say the line1 and jump up40 8,i can't say it10 said ,clara1 obstinately1 and she actually lay in bed all that day1 and part of the next rather than give up4 ,the second day was her birthday and a number of little girls had been invited1 in the evening1 to her birthday party4 ,that little1 strong1 cruel will of hers held out till three o'clock2 then she said1 8,i pray the ,lord my soul to take10 and bursting into tears asked her mother's forgiveness4 ,how much power there was in that one sin6 ,no one can tell what trouble it might have caused that poor child if she had not been taught to conquer it4 ,but after that it never gave her much trouble4 8,one ,drop of ,evil40 8,i don't see why you won't let me play with ,willie ,hunt10 said ,walter ,kirk1 with a frown and a pout4 8,i know he doesn't always mind his mother4 ,he smokes segars1 and once in a while he swears just a little2 but ,i've been brought up better than that2 he won't hurt me4 ,i might do him some good40 8,walter10 said his mother1 8take this glass of pure water1 and put just one drop of ink into it40 ,walter did so1 and then in a moment exclaimed1 8,oh6 mother1 who would have thought that one drop would blacken a whole glass so60 8,yes1 it has changed the color of the whole4 ,and now just put one drop of clear water in it1 and see if you can undo what has been done40 8,why1 mother1 one drop1 or a dozen1 or fifty won't do that40 8,that's so1 my son2 and that is the reason why ,i don't want you to play with ,willie ,hunt4 ,for one drop of his evil ways1 like the drop of ink in the glass1 may do you harm that never can be undone40 ,here we see the power of a single sin4 8,one ,worm ,did ,it40 ,one day a gentleman in ,england1 went out with a friend who was visiting him1 to take a walk in the park4 ,as they were walking along1 he drew his friend's attention to a large sycamore tree1 withered and dead4 8,that fine tree10 said he1 8was killed by a single worm40 ,in answer to his friend's inquiries1 he said3 8,about two years ago1 that tree was as healthy as any in the park4 ,one day ,i was walking out with a friend1 as we are walking now1 when ,i noticed a wood-worm about three inches long forcing its way under the bark of the tree4 ,my friend1 who knew a great deal about trees1 said--#8,let that worm alone1 and it will kill this tree4' ,i did not think it possible1 and said--#8well1 we'll let the black worm try1 and see what it can do4'0 ,the worm tunnelled its way under the bark4 ,the next summer the leaves of the tree dropped off1 very early4 ,this year the tree has not put out a single green leaf4 ,it is a dead tree4 ,that one worm killed it4 ,here we see the power of one sin4 ,the third lesson taught us by the history of the betrayal and desertion1 is--the power of sin4 ,the fourth lesson taught us by this history is--,,the ,,growth ,,of ,,sin4 ,solomon says1 8,the beginning of strife0--and the same is true of all sin--8is as when one letteth out water40 ,prov4 xvii3 #ad4 ,there is a bank of earth that keeps the water of a mill-dam in its place4 ,you notice one particular spot where the bank seems weak4 ,the water is beginning to make its way through4 ,at first1 it only just trickles down1 drop by drop4 ,by and by1 the drops come faster4 ,now1 they run into each other1 and make a little rill4 ,every moment the breach grows wider and deeper1 till1 at last1 there is a roaring torrent rushing through that nothing can stop4 ,every sin is like a seed4 ,if it be planted in the heart and allowed to spring up1 no one can tell what it will grow into4 ,suppose1 that you and ,i knew nothing about the growth of trees4 ,we are sitting under the wide-spreading branches of a vast oak tree4 ,a friend picks up a tiny1 little acorn1 and holding it up before us1 says--8,this giant tree1 under whose shade we are sitting1 has all grown out of a little acorn1 like this40 ,it would seem impossible to us4 ,we could hardly be made to believe it4 ,but we need no argument to prove this4 ,we know it is so4 ,but the growth of sin in the hearts and lives of men is quite as surprising as the growth of trees in the forest4 ,we see this in the case of ,judas4 ,suppose that we could have seen him when he first let his love of money lead him to do wrong4 ,perhaps he only stole a penny or two1 at first4 ,that was not much4 ,and then1 suppose we had not seen ,judas again till the night in which he had made up his mind to commit that greatest and most awful of all sins--the sin of betraying his ,master6 what a wonderful change we should have seen in him6 ,the growth of a river from a rill--of a giant oak from a tiny acorn--would not be half so surprising as the monstrous growth in wickedness that we should have seen in ,judas4 ,when we saw him committing his first sin1 he was like a little child4 ,when we saw him committing his last awful sin--the child had sprung up into a huge1 horrible giant4 ,jesus said he had become a devil4 ,st4 ,john vi3 #gj4 ,how fearful it is to think of such growth in wickedness6 ,and yet1 if we allow the seed of sin to be sown in our hearts1 and to spring up there1 we cannot tell but what its growth may be as fearful in us as it was in ,judas4 ,let us look at some illustrations of the growth of sin4 8,the ,growth of ,lying40 ,some time ago a little boy told his first falsehood4 ,it was like a solitary little thistle seed1 sown in the mellow soil of his heart4 ,no eye but that of ,god saw him as he planted it4 ,but1 it sprung up--,o1 how quickly6 and1 in a little time1 another seed dropped from it into the ground1 and then another1 and another1 each in its turn bearing more and more of those troublesome thistles4 ,and now1 his heart is like a field of which the weeds have taken entire possession4 ,it is as difficult for him to speak the truth as it is for the gardener to clear his land of the ugly thistles that have once gained a rooting in the soil4 8,the ,snake and the ,spider40 ,a black snake1 about a foot long1 lay sunning itself on a garden-bed one summer's day4 ,a spider had hung out his web on the branches of a bush1 above where the snake lay4 ,he saw the huge monster lying there1 for huge indeed he was compared to the little spider1 and he concluded to take him prisoner4 ,but1 you ask1 is not the snake a thousand times stronger than the spider8 ,certainly he is4 ,then how can he take him prisoner8 ,well1 let us see how he did it4 ,the spider spun out a fine1 slender thread4 ,he slipped down1 and touched the snake with it4 ,it stuck4 ,he took another1 and touched him with that1 and that stuck too4 ,he went on industriously4 ,the snake lay quiet4 ,another1 and another thread1 was fastened to him1 till there were hundreds and thousands of them4 ,and1 by and by1 those feeble threads1 not one of which was strong enough to hold the smallest fly1 when greatly multiplied1 were strong enough to make the snake a prisoner4 ,the spider webbed him round and round1 till1 at last1 when the snake tried to move1 he found it was impossible4 ,the web had grown strong out of its weakness4 ,by putting one strand here1 and another there1 and drawing1 first on one1 and then on another1 the spider had the snake bound fast1 from head to tail1 to be a supply of food for himself and family for a long while4 ,and so1 if we give way even to little sins1 they may make us their prisoner as the spider did the snake1 and before we are aware of it1 we may be bound hand and foot and unable to help ourselves4 8,sin ,like a ,whirlpool40 ,the ,columbia river1 in ,oregon1 has a great bend in it at one place where it passes through a mountain range4 ,when the water in the river is high there is a dangerous whirlpool in this part of the river4 ,an officer connected with the ,united ,states ,exploring ,expedition was going down this river1 some years ago1 in a boat which was manned by ten ,canadians4 ,when they reached this bend in the river1 they thought the water was so low that the whirlpool would not be dangerous4 ,so they concluded to go down the river in the boat1 as this would save them the labor of carrying the boat with its baggage across the portage to the place where they would take the river again below the rapids4 ,but1 the officer was put on shore1 to walk across the portage4 ,he had to climb up some high rocks4 ,from the top of these rocks he had a full view of the river beneath and of the boat in her passage4 ,at first1 she seemed to skim over the waters like a bird4 ,but1 soon he saw they were in trouble4 ,the struggles of the oarsmen and the shouts of the man at the helm showed that there was danger from the whirlpool1 when they thought there would be none4 ,he saw the men bend on their oars with all their might4 ,but1 in spite of all1 the boat lost its straightforward course1 and was drawn into the whirl4 ,it swept round and round1 with increasing force and swiftness4 ,no effort they could make had the least control of it4 ,a few more turns1 each more rapid than the rest1 and at last1 the centre was reached2 and the boat1 with all her crew1 was drawn into the dreadful whirlpool1 and disappeared4 ,only one of the ten bodies was found afterwards1 in the river below2 and that was all torn and mangled by the rocks1 against which it had been dashed4 ,just such a whirlpool is sin4 ,judas was drawn into it when he first gave way to his covetousness and began to steal money from the purse with which he was entrusted4 ,like the men in the boat1 he soon lost all control of himself and was carried round and round1 till at last he was 8drowned in destruction and perdition40 ,and thus we have considered the history of the betrayal and the lessons that it teaches4 ,two of these lessons refer to ,jesus4 ,they show us the loneliness of his sufferings1 and his willingness to suffer4 ,two of them refer to ,judas4 ,they show us the power1 and the growth of sin4 ,there is a beautiful ,collect in the ,prayer ,book which is very suitable to use in connection with such a subject as this4 ,it is the ,collect for the ,fourth ,sunday after ,epiphany1 and teaches us to pray thus3 8,o ,god1 who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers1 that by reason of the frailty of our nature1 we cannot always stand upright2 grant to us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers1 and carry us through all temptations1 through ,jesus ,christ1 our ,lord4 ,amen40 ,the blessings asked for in this prayer are just what we need amidst the dangers and temptations that surround us in this evil world4 ,if we only obtain for ourselves 8the strength and protection0 here prayed for1 and which ,god has promised to give to those who truly seek it1 we need not be afraid either of the power or the growth of sin4 ,this strength will be a safeguard to us against the power of sin1 and this protection will check the growth of sin in our hearts4 ,it will indeed1 8support us in all dangers1 and carry us through all temptations40 ,if ,judas had used such a prayer as this1 and had earnestly sought 8the strength and protection0 here spoken of1 he would never have been known as 8the traitor10 and the end of his earthly life would never have been wound up with this shameful sentence--8he went and hanged himself40 ,but1 as wrecks along the shore show us where the danger lies1 so1 when we see the wrecks we should try to avoid the rocks on which they struck and go on our way in safety4 ,i know not how to finish this subject better than for each of us to say1 in the words of the hymn3 8,my soul1 be on thy guard2 ,ten thousand foes arise2 ,and hosts of sins are pressing hard ,to draw thee from the skies4 8,o watch1 and fight1 and pray2 ,the battle ne'er give o'er2 ,renew it boldly every day1 ,and help divine implore40 ,illustration3 ,jesus1 ,arrayed in ,mock ,state1 is ,crowned and ,beaten ,then the soldiers of the governor took ,jesus into the common hall1 and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers4 ,and they stripped him1 and put on him a scarlet robe4 ,and when they had platted a crown of thorns1 they put it upon his head1 and a reed in his right hand3 and they bowed the knee before him1 and mocked him1 saying1 ,hail1 ,king of the ,jews6 ,and they spit upon him1 and took the reed1 and smote him on the head4--,st4 ,matt4 xxvii3 #bg-cj4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,had it been possible to add a pang to the suffering already endured1 this must surely have been effected by the foul jests and ribald mockery which ,jesus was now called upon to endure at the hands of the ruffians of the barrack-room4 ,the lust of cruelty1 delight in inflicting and witnessing torture1 marks the lowest depth of human depravity2 and to sorrow of heart beyond what we can comprehend1 to physical suffering as great as any which mortal man can endure and live1 was now added the humiliation of being the object of sport and derision to the dregs of mankind4 ,for these men were not even ,romans1 save in name2 the ranks of the imperial armies called upon for foreign service being mainly recruited from the scum of the population of tributary provinces4 #fe ,,the ,,trial ,we come now to another of the dark and sad chapters in the history of our ,saviour's life4 ,we have seen how he was betrayed by one of his disciples1 and forsaken by all the rest4 ,then his enemies seized him1 and led him away to those who had sent them--the priests and rulers of the ,jewish church4 ,we speak of what then took place at the trial of our ,saviour4 ,but it was only the form or mockery of a trial4 ,it was not conducted at all in the way in which regular trials were required to be conducted among the ,jews4 ,the simple truth is that the enemies of ,jesus had made up their minds to put him to death1 and they merely pretended to have a trial because they were afraid to do it without4 ,and in studying this part of the life of our ,saviour1 we may look1 very briefly1 at the history of his trial2 and then at some of the lessons that it teaches us4 ,when the band of soldiers and servants had seized ,jesus1 and made him prisoner1 they led him away to the house of ,caiaphas the high-priest4 ,he had gathered together the chief-priests and other members of the ,jewish high council1 called the ,sanhedrim4 ,this was the highest court among the ,jews4 ,it was composed of seventy1 or seventy-two of the oldest1 the most learned1 and honorable men of the nation4 ,the high-priest was generally the president of this council4 ,their usual place of meeting was in one of the courts of the temple4 ,but1 on special occasions1 they met in the house of the high-priest1 as they did now4 ,jesus was brought before this council4 ,here they tried to bring some charge against him of teaching false doctrines1 or of doing something contrary to the laws of their church4 ,but though they had hired many false witnesses against him1 the witnesses did not agree in their testimony1 and they found it impossible to prove anything wrong against him4 ,then the high-priest made a solemn appeal to him1 and asked him to say whether he was the ,son of ,god4 8,jesus saith unto them--,i am4 ,hereafter shall the ,son of man sit on the right hand of the power of ,god40 ,then they said he was guilty of blasphemy1 and deserved to be put to death4 ,st4 ,matt4 xxvi3 #ei-ff2 ,st4 ,mark xiv3 #ee-fd2 ,john xviii3 #ai-bd4 ,after this1 the servants of the priests blindfolded ,jesus1 and began to mock him1 to smite him1 to spit on him1 and to say all manner of insulting and blasphemous things to him4 ,st4 ,matt4 xxvi3 #fg1 #fh2 ,st4 ,mark xiv3 #fe2 ,st4 ,luke xxii3 #fb-fe4 ,then the priests and other members of the council seem to have gone home1 leaving ,jesus to the mockery and insults of the servants4 ,as soon as it was morning the priests and scribes met again4 ,they asked him once more if he were the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god4 ,again he declared that he was4 ,then they arose and led him to ,pilate1 the ,roman governor1 to get his consent for them to put him to death4 ,this was necessary because ,jerusalem was then under the power of the ,romans1 and no one but the governor1 whom they appointed1 had the power of putting a prisoner to death according to law4 ,but1 when the priests brought ,christ before ,pilate1 they changed their plan4 ,they did not accuse him of blasphemy now1 because they knew very well that ,pilate would not care at all about that4 ,so they pretended that he had been trying to stir up the people in opposition to the ,roman government4 ,this was a very serious charge1 and one for which1 if it could be proved1 the punishment would be death4 ,but1 they could not prove their charge4 ,as soon as ,pilate looked on ,jesus1 he seemed to be satisfied that he was an innocent man4 ,then he took him aside and had a long conversation with him1 alone by himself4 ,the result of this was that ,pilate was perfectly satisfied of the innocence of ,jesus1 and was resolved to release him4 ,but1 on returning to the judgment hall and telling the ,jews what he wished to do1 he found that they would not listen to this for a moment4 ,thus he was in trouble1 and knew not what to do4 ,just then something was said about ,galilee4 ,this was in the northern part of ,palestine1 and out of the dominion of ,pilate4 ,herod was the governor of ,galilee4 ,he happened to be in ,jerusalem at that time4 ,pilate resolved to send his prisoner to him1 and hoped in this way1 to get rid of any further trouble in connection with him4 ,so ,jesus was sent to ,herod--the ,herod under whose dominion ,john was beheaded4 ,he asked him many questions2 but ,jesus declined to answer one of them4 ,then ,herod1 with his men of war1 mocked him and sent him back to ,pilate1 only saying that he found no fault in him4 ,st4 ,matt4 xxvii3 #a1 #b1 #aa-ad2 ,mark xv3 #a-e2 ,luke xxiii3 #a-ab2 ,john xviii3 #bh-ch4 ,after this ,pilate made several attempts to release ,jesus2 but the ,jews were so fierce in their opposition that he was afraid to do it4 ,then he thought he saw his way out of the difficulty by the help of a custom that had prevailed in connection with the feast of the ,passover1 which was then about to be kept4 ,he had been in the habit of allowing the ,jews to ask for the release of some prisoner who deserved to be put to death1 and of setting him at liberty1 when they requested it1 while they were keeping the feast4 ,there was a prisoner then in ,jerusalem named ,barabbas4 ,he had been guilty of murder and other dreadful crimes4 ,pilate thought that when he should bring ,jesus and ,barabbas before the people1 side by side1 and offer to release to them whoever they should choose1 they would be sure to ask for the gentle1 loving ,jesus1 in preference to a wretched1 blood-stained murderer4 ,and no doubt they would1 if they had been left to their own choice4 ,but they were not so left4 ,the priests and scribes had made up their minds that ,jesus should be put to death4 ,so they went about among the people1 when this offer was made1 and persuaded them to cry out--8,not this man1 but ,barabbas40 ,thus ,pilate was disappointed again4 ,while this was going on1 his wife sent a message to him saying she had had a dream about this prisoner ,jesus1 which troubled her greatly4 ,she said he was a just and good man1 and begged her husband not to have anything to do with putting him to death4 ,this made ,pilate feel still more resolved than ever to let him ago4 ,then he told the ,jews that ,jesus had done no wrong1 and he would therefore chastise him and let him go4 ,this made the ,jews very furious4 ,they told ,pilate that if he let this man go1 it would show that he was not a true friend of the emperor1 ,csar4 ,they gave him to understand that they would complain of him to the emperor1 and in this way he would be likely to lose his office4 ,this alarmed him so that he could stand out no longer4 ,he let the ,jews have their way1 and delivered ,jesus up to them1 to be crucified4 ,then the soldiers took ,jesus and stripped him of his own clothes1 and put a purple robe upon him2 and platted a crown of thorns and put it on his head1 and bowed the knee before him in shameful mockery1 and cried--8,hail6 king of the ,jews60 ,then they smote him with the palms of their hands1 and with the reed1 and showed their utmost contempt by spitting on him4 ,then ,pilate had him brought forth before the ,jews1 wearing the crown of thorns1 and the purple robe1 and pointing to him in scorn1 said--8,behold the man6 ,behold your king60 8,and he delivered him to be crucified40 ,st4 ,matt4 xxvii3 #aa-cj2 ,st4 ,mark xv3 #a-bj2 ,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #a-be2 ,st4 ,john xviii3 #ac-bd1 #bh-dj2 xix3 #a-af4 ,such is the history of our ,saviour's trial4 ,and now1 we may go on to speak of five lessons taught us by this history4 ,the first lesson is about--,,the ,,weak ,,ruler4 ,we refer1 of course1 here to ,pontius ,pilate4 ,we know very little about him beyond what we learn from the gospels4 ,he belonged to a highly honorable ,roman family4 ,he had been the governor of ,judea for several years4 ,he was not a very cruel or oppressive ruler1 although he sometimes did hasty and unjust things4 ,our ,saviour referred to one of these when he spoke of--8the ,galileans whose blood ,pilate had mingled with their sacrifices40 ,we know none of the particulars of this event4 ,but1 from reading the history of our ,lord's trial we can see1 very well1 what sort of a man ,pilate was4 ,he was a weak man4 ,i do not mean weak in body1 but weak in character4 ,he could see what was right1 and was willing to do it1 if it could be done without injury to himself4 ,when ,jesus was brought before him as a prisoner1 he soon saw that he was an innocent man1 and that it would be wrong to put him to death4 ,but1 at the same time1 he saw that unless he did put him to death1 he would give great offence to the ,jews4 ,and if he offended them1 he was afraid they would complain of him to the emperor1 and he would lose his office4 ,and so his fear led him to condemn an innocent man to death1 although he knew it was wrong to do so4 ,he tried to get rid of the guilt connected with this act by washing his hands before the ,jews1 and saying 8,i am innocent of the blood of this just person3 see ye to it40 ,but this was very foolish4 ,why1 all the waters in the ocean could not wash away the stain of the ,saviour's blood from the hands of ,pilate4 ,he knew that the right thing for him to do was to let ,jesus go3 but he was afraid to do it4 ,this shows what a weak man he was4 ,and the wrong that he did on this occasion did not save him from the dangers that he dreaded4 ,the ,jews did accuse him to the emperor for some other things4 ,he lost his office in disgrace4 ,and of what happened to him after losing his office1 different accounts are given4 ,one of the stories about him is that he retired into ,switzerland and spent the rest of his days on a mountain1 near the city of ,lucerne4 ,this mountain is named ,pilatus after him4 ,the story says that he lived a very unhappy life there1 and that he finally drowned himself in a lake on the top of that mountain4 ,but the things for us to remember about ,pilate are that he was a weak man2 that he committed a dreadful sin when he condemned ,jesus to death2 and that the punishment of his sin which followed him in this life was the loss of his office1 and the deep disgrace which it has fastened on his name4 ,wherever the two great creeds of the church are repeated1 all over the earth1 we hear it publicly proclaimed that ,jesus--8suffered under ,pontius ,pilate40 ,we see plainly illustrated in ,pilate's case the punishment that followed from his weakness in not doing what he knew to be right4 ,if we have the courage to refuse to do what is wrong1 we shall always be rewarded for it4 8,brave ,charlie40 ,two little boys were walking along a village street one day1 when they stopped before the garden connected with a gentleman's house and gazed with admiration on the many beautiful flowers that were growing there4 ,presently the smaller of the two boys exclaimed1 8,oh1 how ,i wish ,i had one or two of those beautiful roses1 to take home to my sick sister4 ,every day she says she wishes she could see some flowers again40 8,then1 why don't you take some of them1 you little goose10 said the other boy4 8,here1 ,i am taller than you1 and ,i can reach over the fence4 ,i'll get some for both of us40 8,no1 no1 ,tim10 said the little boy1 seizing his arm2 8,i wouldn't steal even a flower1 if ,i never had one in the world2 but ,i'll go in and ask the lady for a rose for ,ellen40 8,well1 you'll only get sent away for your pains10 said the older boy2 8for my part ,i shall help myself40 ,but1 just as ,tim was reaching over the fence and had seized a branch of beautiful roses1 the gardener spied him1 and dropping a basket that was in his hand1 he rushed after the boy and caught him4 ,he gave him a sound flogging and told him that if he ever found him doing that again1 he would have him put in jail as a thief4 ,in the meantime little ,charlie had gone up the steps and rung the door-bell4 ,the door was opened immediately by a kind-looking lady4 8,please1 ma'am will you give me a rose or two for my sick sister80 asked ,charlie4 8,yes1 indeed1 my little man10 said the lady4 8,i have been sitting at the window and ,i heard your conversation with the boy who wished you to steal some of my roses2 and ,i'm very glad to see that you would not steal #8even a flower4' ,now come with me1 and ,i will cut you a beautiful bunch of roses40 ,then she asked him about his mother and sister1 and told him to come and get some flowers whenever his sister wanted them4 ,after this she went to see his sick sister and mother and helped them in many ways4 ,she kept up her interest in ,charlie1 and when he had done going to school1 she got him a nice situation and remained his friend for life4 ,and when we think of ,pontius ,pilate1 the weak ruler1 let us remember that if we do wrong1 we must always suffer for it2 and that if we do right ,god will surely reward and bless us4 8,dare to do right6 dare to be true6 ,you have a work that no other can do2 ,do it so bravely1 so kindly1 so well1 ,angels will hasten the story to tell4 8,dare to do right6 dare to be true6 ,the failings of others can never save you2 ,stand by your conscience1 your honor1 your faith2 ,stand like a hero1 and battle till death4 8,dare to do right6 dare to be true6 ,god1 who created you1 cares for you too-- ,treasures the tears which his striving ones shed1 ,counts1 and protects every hair of your head40 ,illustration3 ,pilate ,washeth ,his ,hands ,pilate therefore went forth again1 and saith unto them1 ,behold1 ,i bring him forth to you1 that ye may know that ,i find no fault in him4 ,then came ,jesus forth1 wearing the crown of thorns1 and the purple robe4 ,and ,pilate saith unto them1 ,behold the man6 ,when the chief priests therefore and officers saw him1 they cried out1 saying1 ,crucify him1 crucify him4 ,pilate saith unto them1 ,take ye him1 and crucify him3 for ,i find no fault in him4--,and the governor said1 ,why1 what evil hath he done8 ,but they cried out the more1 saying1 ,let him be crucified4 ,when ,pilate saw that he could prevail nothing1 but that rather a tumult was made1 he took water1 and washed his hands before the multitude1 saying1 ,i am innocent of the blood of this just person3 see ye to it4 ,then answered all the people1 and said1 ,his blood be on us1 and on our children4 ,then released he ,barabbas unto them3 and when he had scourged ,jesus1 he delivered him to be crucified4--,st4 ,john xix3 #d-f2 ,st4 ,matt4 xxvii3 #bc-bf4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,once more the scene is 8,gabbatha0--the place where ,pilate sat2 and ,jesus1 his lacerated shoulders covered with a cast-off soldier's cloak of scarlet1 and wearing a crown of thorns1 is exposed to the gaze of the rabble of ,jerusalem1 who now surged and thronged in the courtyard of the palace4 ,pilate vainly hoped that the sight of the sufferings the prisoner had already endured might satisfy the fury of his enemies2 but the relentless hatred of the priests was voiced through the insensate yells of the ignorant and bloodthirsty mob1 and their final argument was cunningly directed to the point of least resistance4 ,pilate's sense of justice yielded to that of self-interest4 8,he released unto them one who 7,barabbas71 for sedition and murder1 was cast into prison1 whom they had desired2 but he delivered ,jesus to their will40 #ff ,the second lesson that we may learn from the history of ,christ's trial is a lesson about--,,the ,,wicked ,,priests4 ,if our ,saviour had been persecuted and put to death by infidels or by men who did not profess to be religious1 it would not have been surprising4 ,but1 when we find that it was the priests--men occupying the highest places in the church1 and whose business it was to study the ,scriptures1 and teach them to the people--when these were the men most forward in having ,jesus put to death--it seems very strange4 ,and yet1 it was just so4 ,when ,jesus began his ministry1 the priests were the first to oppose him4 ,as he went on with the work of his ministry1 they were always the most ready to persecute him1 and give him trouble4 ,and at the last1 it was the priests who resolved he should be put to death and who took the lead in bringing about that awful result4 ,it was the priests who hired ,judas to betray him4 ,it was the priests who brought false charges against him4 ,and1 when ,pilate was willing to let him go1 it was the priests who stirred up the people to insist on his being put to death4 ,jesus had come at the time and in the way that the prophets had said he should come2 and yet the priests would not receive him4 ,he had been loving1 and gentle1 and kind2 and yet they hated him4 ,he had spent his life in going about doing good2 and yet the priests made up their minds that he must be put to death4 ,and the question that comes up here is--how was it possible that these men--these priests--should be so wicked8 ,this is a very serious and important question4 ,and the answer to it is this3 that being ministers1 or priests1 or being engaged in the outward duties of religion will do us no good and make us no better than other people1 unless we are careful to have our hearts made right in the sight of ,god2 unless we are willing to believe what he tells us1 and to think1 and feel1 and speak1 and act1 as he wishes us to do4 ,the best things1 when spoiled1 always become the worst things4 ,women have many things that help to make them better than men4 ,but a bad woman is always worse than a bad man4 ,satan was once an archangel4 ,but he sinned4 ,he fell4 ,he is now an angel ruined1 and this makes him the worst1 the wickedest person to be found in all the universe4 ,there is one passage of ,scripture which explains to us how it was possible for those priests to become so wicked4 ,this passage is found in ,,ii4 ,thess4 ii3 #aa1 #ab4 ,here the apostle ,paul tells us that if we are not willing to let ,god be our teacher1 and if we do not love the teachings that he gives us1 ,god will let ,satan come and deceive us1 and lead us to believe what is not the truth4 ,this will make us very wicked2 and the end of it will be that our souls will be lost4 ,this explains to us how it was that those ,jewish priests became so wicked4 ,they were not willing to let ,god be their ,teacher4 ,they would not receive the things that ,god had taught about ,jesus in the ,old ,testament4 ,then ,satan came and deceived them4 ,he made them believe what was not true about ,jesus4 ,and it was this which led to their becoming such wicked men4 ,they were the wickedest men in the world at the time they lived4 ,and this should make us very careful not to think too much of ourselves or of our own opinions4 ,it should make us willing to believe all that ,god tells us about ,jesus1 or about ourselves1 in the ,bible1 whether we understand it or not4 ,this is the only way in which we can become wise1 and good1 and happy2 and be kept from following the example of these wicked priests4 ,there is only room for one illustration here3 8,the ,two ,brothers40 ,some years ago there lived in the ,state of ,rhode ,island two boys who were brothers1 twin-brothers4 ,they grew up together4 ,they both had the same home1 the same education1 and everything about them the same4 ,they were very much alike in size and appearance4 ,they were both bright1 intelligent1 sensible1 good-natured boys4 ,this continued till they were about sixteen years of age4 ,then one of them read an infidel book--called ,paine's ,age of ,reason4 ,he made up his mind to follow the teachings of that book4 ,the other brother had read the ,bible and resolved to take that as his guide and teacher through life4 ,and from this time1 the two brothers1 who had been so much alike before1 soon began to be very different from each other4 ,one of them turned around and walked in a wrong way1 the other went on in the right way4 ,one of them fell into habits of intemperance1 and so was led on to all kinds of wickedness4 ,the other learned the lessons which the ,bible teaches1 and practised them in his daily life4 ,one of them became an idle1 worthless vagabond1 while the other became a useful1 prosperous1 and happy citizen4 ,one of them sank down to the low level of a wretched gambler1 while the other rose to occupy a seat in the ,legislature of the ,state in which he lived4 ,and the end of these two men was that one of them committed murder4 ,he was put in prison2 was tried1 found guilty1 condemned to be hanged1 and died upon the gallows4 ,the other lived a long and useful and happy life1 and died at last loved and honored by all who knew him4 ,this is the lesson about the wicked priests4 ,the next lesson from this history of the trial is about--,,the ,,patience ,,of ,,christ4 ,there are many things told us of the life of ,christ which are wonderful1 but the most wonderful of all is his patience4 ,there are other examples of patience in the ,bible1 but none that can be compared with the example of ,jesus4 ,the apostle ,james tells us of 8the patience of ,job40 ,ch4 v3 #aa4 ,he was indeed very patient4 ,in one day he lost all his property and his children4 ,the messengers that brought him the sad tidings of his losses followed each other1 like the waves of the sea4 ,it must have been very hard for him to bear4 ,and if we had been told that he was very much excited and had said some very violent and bitter words on hearing of all that had happened to him1 we should not have been at all surprised4 ,but he did nothing of the kind4 ,after hearing of all his terrible losses1 he simply bowed himself to the earth1 and said--8,the ,lord gave1 and the ,lord hath taken away2 blessed be the name of the ,lord40 ,job i3 #ba4 ,here is a noble example of patience4 ,joseph was very patient4 ,when he first saw his brethren1 as they came down to ,egypt to buy corn1 he remembered all the bitter wrongs they had done to him4 ,he was now the governor of all the land of ,egypt4 ,they were completely in his power4 ,how easily he could have taken revenge upon them by throwing them all into prison or putting them to death6 ,but there was no such feeling in his heart4 ,he was forgiving and patient4 ,he only thought of doing them good and showing them kindness4 ,but1 all other examples of patience dwindle into nothing when compared to the example of ,christ4 ,what a beautiful picture of his patience the prophet ,isaiah gives when he thus speaks of him3 8,he was oppressed and he was afflicted1 yet he opened not his mouth2 he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter1 and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb1 so he opened not his mouth40 ,is4 liii3 #g4 ,he let his enemies say all manner of evil things against him falsely2 he let them mock him1--and smite him on the face1--and spit upon him4 ,yes1 he whom the angels of heaven had been accustomed to honor and worship1 as they bowed in reverence before him1 allowed himself to be so shamefully treated by sinful worms of the dust1 by the very men he had come down from heaven to save2 and yet1 he never spoke one cross or angry word to them6 ,how wonderful this was6 ,how amazed the angels must have been when they saw it6 ,oh6 what an example of patience we have in ,jesus6 ,and if we call ourselves the friends and followers of ,christ1 let us try to have the same mind in us that was in him1 by imitating the example of his patience4 ,there is no way in which we can do so much good to others1 and make them think well of the religion of ,christ1 as by trying to practise the same patience which he practised4 8,how to ,learn ,patience40 ,a good many years ago there was a celebrated physician in ,germany1 named ,boerhave4 ,he was famous for his learning and also for his piety4 ,he had learned well this lesson of patience4 ,one day he had been greatly provoked1 but without getting angry in the least4 ,a friend who had witnessed it1 asked him if he knew what it was to be angry4 8,o1 yes10 said he1 8my temper was naturally very violent and passionate40 8,then1 pray tell me10 said his friend1 8how you ever learned to be so patient40 ,now mark what that great and good man said in answer to this inquiry4 8,i learned to be patient10 was his reply1 8by doing two things2 one was by thinking of ,christ2 the other was by asking him to help me40 ,we may all learn patience in this way4 8,a ,soldier's ,example of ,patience40 ,some years ago an ,english missionary in ,india baptized a soldier4 ,this man had been a famous prize-fighter in ,england4 ,he was a powerful1 lion-looking1 lion-hearted man4 ,with a single blow he could level the strongest man to the ground4 ,the men in his regiment were all afraid of him4 ,he had not been in the habit of going to church1 but1 as he afterwards told the missionary1 8he sauntered into the chapel one evening1 hardly knowing where he was going40 ,what he heard that night led him to repentance and he became a ,christian4 ,the change which took place in his temper and conduct was very surprising4 ,the lion was changed into a lamb4 ,a month or so after this1 when they were dining in the mess-room one day1 some of his comrades1 who had always been afraid of him1 began to ridicule him on account of his religion4 ,one of them said1 8,i'll find out whether he is a real ,christian or not20 and taking a bowl of hot soup1 he threw it into his breast4 ,the whole company were alarmed at this4 ,they looked on in speechless silence1 expecting to see the roused lion leap up1 and spring in fury on his foe4 ,but he quietly opened his waistcoat1 and wiped his scalded breast4 ,then turning calmly round he said1 8,this is what ,i must expect4 ,if ,i become a ,christian1 ,i must suffer persecution4 ,but my ,saviour was patient1 and ,i want to be like him40 ,his comrades were filled with astonishment4 ,but they were satisfied he was a true ,christian and he had no more trouble from them4 ,the patience of ,christ is the third lesson for us to learn from his trial4 ,the fourth lesson taught us by this subject is--,,the ,,humiliation ,,of ,,christ4 ,if we desired to put the whole history of the life of our blessed ,saviour into a single sentence1 ,i do not think we could find a better one than that which the apostle ,paul uses when he says of him that--8,he humbled himself40 ,phil4 ii3 #h4 ,before he came into our world he was 8in the form of ,god1 and thought it not robbery to be equal with ,god40 ,this means that he was ,god4 ,now if he had chosen to become an angel1 holy1 and pure1 and good1 he would have had to humble himself very much1 even for that4 ,but1 instead of becoming an angel1 he became a man4 ,and1 in becoming a man1 he took our nature upon him in its fallen state4 ,he was made like us in all points1 except sin4 ,how he humbled himself here6 ,and1 in coming into our world1 if he had chosen to come as one of the richest men in it1--as a great king or emperor--that would have been an act of great humiliation4 ,but he came as a poor man4 ,he was one of the poorest men that ever lived on the earth4 ,he had made the world1 and was the owner of all its treasures1 and yet he could say of himself with truth--8,the foxes have holes1 and the birds of the air have nests1 but the ,son of man hath not where to lay his head40 ,what humiliation there was here6 ,we see his humiliation in the poverty and suffering that he endured4 ,his whole life was an act of humiliation4 ,but how greatly this humiliation was increased during the time of his trial6 ,think how his back was torn by the cruel scourges6 ,what humiliation was there6 ,think how he was mocked1 and insulted6 ,think how the soldiers put an old purple robe upon him3 how they platted a crown of thorns1 and put it upon his head2 how they put a reed in his hand in mockery for a sceptre3 how they bowed the knee before him in scorn1 and cried--8,hail6 king of the ,jews60 ,how wonderful this was ,o1 never let us forget the humiliation of ,christ6 ,and when we think of all this--how can we1 as ,christians1 ever feel proud8 ,our great duty is1 as the apostle says1 to be 8clothed with humility40 ,no wonder that ,augustine1 one of the old fathers of the early church1 when asked--8,what is the first thing for a ,christian to learn80 should have said--8humility40 8,what is the second80--8humility40 8,and what is the third80 should still have said--8humility40 8,examples of ,humility40 ,a converted ,south ,sea ,islander was helping to translate the ,new ,testament into his native language4 ,on coming to the passage1 8,behold what manner of love the ,father hath bestowed upon us1 that we should be called the sons of ,god20 ,i4 ,john iii3 #a1 he hastened to ,mr4 ,williams1 the missionary and said1 8,no1 no1 this is too much1 too much6 let us say--#8,now are we allowed to kiss ,god's feet4'0 ,that man was clothed with humility4 ,a pious nobleman in ,england was in the habit of attending a prayer meeting in the country village where he lived1 and where a few of the poor people of the neighborhood were accustomed to assemble on a week-day evening4 ,when he first came in they were surprised to see him1 and they all rose up at once to offer him the best seat in the room4 ,this troubled him greatly4 ,he gently said to them1 8,please take your seats my friends1 and have the kindness not to do this again4 ,when ,i go to the #8,house of ,lords1' ,i go as one of the lords of the realm4 ,but when ,i come to this cottage prayer meeting1 ,i come simply as a disciple of ,jesus among my fellow disciples1 and must be allowed to take any seat that may be empty40 ,that nobleman was clothed with humility4 8,the ,humble ,king40 ,a ,french monarch was found one day by some of his attendants engaged in instructing out of the ,bible a boy belonging to his cook4 ,they said it was beneath his dignity as the ,king of ,france to be engaged in teaching the child of his cook4 ,his answer was a noble one4 8,my friends10 said he1 8this boy has a soul that is as precious as mine1 and it was bought with the same precious blood4 ,if it was not beneath the dignity of my ,saviour1 the ,king of heaven1 to die for him1 it is not beneath my dignity as king of ,france to tell him what has been done for his salvation40 ,that king was clothed with humility4 ,the humiliation of ,christ is the fourth lesson taught us by this trial4 ,the last lesson we learn from the history of the trial is about--,,the ,,glory ,,of ,,christ4 ,perhaps some may think it strange to speak of the glory of ,christ in connection with this part of his history4 ,here we see him betrayed1 and deserted by his own disciples4 ,he is delivered into the hands of his enemies4 ,they pretend to try him4 ,but it is only the form of a trial through which he is made to pass4 ,he is charged with great crimes4 ,these cannot be proved against him4 ,but still he is condemned to the most disgraceful of all deaths4 ,he is handed to the soldiers to do what they please with him4 ,and is it right to speak of the glory of ,christ in connection with such scenes as these8 ,yes4 ,for this was just what ,jesus did himself4 ,it was1 as he was about to enter on all this humiliation and suffering1 when ,judas went out from his presence to betray him1 that ,jesus said3--8,now is the ,son of man glorified40 ,thus he himself connected the thought of his glory with these very scenes4 ,and surely he was not mistaken4 ,he knew what he was saying4 ,now just think what it is in which true glory consists4 ,it is not in wearing fine clothes4 ,it is not in occupying high positions4 ,it is not in having people say fine and flattering things about us4 ,no2 but it is in thinking1 and feeling1 and saying1 and doing1 and suffering that which is right and according to the will of ,god4 ,and this is just the position that ,jesus was occupying during his trial4 ,he was fulfilling the will of ,god in things that were the hardest of all for him to do and to suffer4 ,and that was what made him glorious4 ,if we were asked to point to that part of our ,saviour's life in which he appears to us in the greatest glory1 there would probably be considerable difference of opinion among us4 ,some of us1 no doubt1 would point to his transfiguration2 some to the times when he walked upon the water1 or controlled the winds and the waves with his word2 and others would point to the times when he healed the sick1 or raised the dead1 and cast out devils4 ,but it was not so4 ,no2 but it was when he was betrayed and forsaken--when he was condemned to death1 and mocked1 and insulted by his enemies that ,jesus appeared most glorious3 for it was then that he was showing1 in the strongest possible light1 his desire to do his ,father's will and the greatness of his love for the people he came to save4 ,it is not clothing1 but character that makes us great or glorious4 ,and the more we try to be like ,jesus1 in doing the will of ,god as he did it1 in this part of his life1 the greater will be the glory belonging to us4 ,illustration3 8,daughters of ,jerusalem1 ,weep ,not for ,me0 ,and when they had mocked him1 they took off the purple from him1 and put his own clothes on him1 and led him out to crucify him4--,and there followed him a great company of people1 and of women1 which also bewailed and lamented him4 ,but ,jesus turning unto them said1 ,daughters of ,jerusalem1 weep not for me1 but weep for yourselves1 and for your children4 ,for1 behold1 the days are coming1 in the which they shall say1 444 to the mountains1 ,fall on us2 and to the hills1 ,cover us4 ,for if they do these things in a green tree1 what shall be done in the dry8--,st4 ,mark xv3 #bj2 ,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #bg-ca4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,needless to say1 the route followed by the actual 8,via ,dolorosa0 is lost beyond recovery1 its very direction being entirely dependent upon that of ,calvary1 the site of which has for long been a matter of controversy4 ,in any case the veritable ,path of ,sorrow lies concealed beneath a mass of dbris1 the ruins of the ancient city upon which modern ,jerusalem is built4 ,the street in the painting does not form part of the traditional route2 it is the 8,street of the ,shoemakers10 a coincidence which recalls the medival legend of 8,the ,wandering ,jew10 who1 it may be remembered1 was a follower of this craft4 #fg 8,the ,true ,hero40 ,a number of boys were playing after school one day4 ,the playground was on the bank of a river4 ,one of the biggest boys was named ,tom ,price4 ,he was the strongest boy in the school4 ,he loved to get up quarrels among the boys to show how easily he could whip any of them4 ,but there was one boy in the school who never would fight4 ,his name was ,joe ,wilson4 ,he was not so big or so strong as ,tom ,price4 ,but it was not this which made him unwilling to fight4 ,he was trying to be a ,christian4 ,he knew it was wrong to fight1 and so he always refused to do it4 ,one day ,tom ,price agreed with some of the other boys to try and force a fight on ,joe ,wilson4 ,so while they were playing after school1 ,tom knocked ,joe's cap off his head1 and it fell into the river4 8,tom threw your cap over on purpose1 ,joe10 said one of the boys2 8fight him for it40 8,yes1 give it to him1 ,wilson10 said the other boys1 8we'll see that you have fair play40 ,price squared off and stood in a fighting position4 8,i won't fight10 said ,wilson4 8,i'm sorry you threw the cap over1 ,price2 for it was all but new1 and ,i don't see any fun in such mischief4 ,but1 ,i'm not going to fight about it40 8,come on1 if you dare10 said ,price1 shaking his fist at him4 ,all the boys gathered round and urged ,wilson to 8go on1 and give it to him40 8,no1 ,i don't think it right to fight10 said ,wilson1 8and ,i won't do it40 8,coward6 coward6 he's afraid10 cried the boys4 8,i am not a coward10 said ,wilson2 8,i dare do anything that's right4 ,but this is not right1 and ,i won't do it40 8,go home1 coward6 go home1 coward60 shouted the boys after him1 as he turned to go home4 ,he had not gone far before there was a sound of a heavy splash4 8,he's in6 ,he'll drown6--he can't swim6 ,price is drowning10 cried the boys as they stood on the edge of the bank4 ,joe ,wilson heard these shouts and ran to the bank of the river4 ,he saw ,price struggling in the stream4 ,the other boys were running about and shouting1 but they were afraid to go in4 ,in a moment ,joe ,wilson threw off his jacket1 stepped back a few paces--ran--and jumped into the river4 ,he swam out to ,price--caught him by the hair of his head1 and managed1 though with great difficulty and at the risk of his own life1 to bring him safely to the shore4 ,wilson walked quietly home1 not only to change his wet clothes1 but also to avoid the praise of those who but a moment ago were calling him a coward4 ,an old gentleman was standing there who had witnessed this whole scene4 ,as soon as ,wilson was gone1 he called the boys to him and said3 8,boys6 learn a lesson from what has just taken place4 ,don't mistake a hero for a coward next time4 ,the boy who is afraid to do what he knows to be wrong in ,god's sight1 is the true hero4 ,he is not afraid of anything else2 not afraid of man--of danger--or of death40 ,the point of greatest glory in ,joe ,wilson's conduct that day was not when he bravely plunged into the river4 ,no2 but it was when he nobly stood his ground among his companions1 and said 8,i think it wrong to fight2 and ,i won't do it40 ,and so1 even amidst the sorrowful scenes of our ,saviour's trials1 we see his glory shining out in the way in which he did and suffered what was according to the will of ,god4 ,and from this study of the trial of our ,saviour1 let us carry away with us the five lessons of which we have spoken4 ,these are the lesson about the weak ruler3--the wicked priests3--the patience--the humiliation--and the glory of ,christ4 ,,the ,,crucifixion ,we read in ,st4 ,matthew's gospel these three simple1 but solemn words3 8,they crucified him40 ,chap4 xxvii3 #ce4 ,here we have set before us the greatest event in the history of our ,saviour while he was on earth4 ,they tell us of the most important event that ever took place in our own world1 or in any other world4 ,we have no reason to suppose that ,jesus ever took upon himself the nature of any other race of creatures1 as he did take our nature4 ,we have no reason to suppose that he ever died1 in any other world1 as he died in ours4 ,how wonderful this makes the thought of his crucifixion6 ,and how diligently we should study it1 and try to understand what it was intended to teach6 ,this is what we come now to do4 ,and in doing this1 the two great things for us chiefly to consider1 are--,the history of the ,crucifixion2 and its ,lessons4 ,and in looking at this history the first thing for us to notice is--the place of the crucifixion4 ,in speaking of this place1 ,st4 ,matt4 xxvii3 #cc1 says it was--8a place called ,golgotha1 that is to say a place of a skull40 ,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #cc1 says it was a place 8called ,calvary40 ,golgotha is a ,hebrew word1 and ,calvary is a ,latin word2 but they both mean the same thing1 namely a skull1 or the place of a skull4 ,some have thought that this name was given to it because it was the spot where public execution took place and criminals were buried4 ,but there is no proof of this4 ,it is often spoken of as 8the hill of ,calvary03 but it is never so called in the ,new ,testament4 ,it is supposed to have received its name from the fact of its being a smooth and rounded piece of ground1 resembling somewhat the shape of a skull1 and looking like what we call the brow of a hill4 ,exactly where this place was we cannot tell4 ,in the ,church of the ,holy ,sepulchre at ,jerusalem they show a hole in a rock1 which they pretend to say was the very hole in which the cross of ,jesus was placed4 ,but it is impossible to prove this4 ,and the thought which shows how unlikely this is to be the ,calvary where ,jesus died is this1 that ,jesus died outside the walls of ,jerusalem1 but this is inside the walls1 and we know that the city at that time was much larger than the present city4 ,the apostle ,paul tells us that 8,jesus suffered without the gate40 ,heb4 xiii3 #ac4 ,we are sure then that ,calvary1 or ,golgotha1 the place of the crucifixion1 was outside the walls of ,jerusalem1 but nigh unto the city4 ,this is all that we can find about it with any certainty4 ,the time of the crucifixion is the next thing to consider4 ,it was on ,friday of the last week of his earthly life4 ,what is called 8,good ,friday10 in the week before ,easter1 known as ,passion ,week1 is kept by a large part of the ,christian ,church in memory of this event4 ,as to the hour of the day when the crucifixion took place1 there is some difference in the statements made by the different evangelists4 ,st4 ,matthew says nothing about the hour when ,jesus was crucified4 ,he only says that during the time of the crucifixion1 8from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour40 ,st4 ,matt4 xxvii3 #de4 ,this means from twelve o'clock at noon1 till three o'clock in the afternoon4 ,st4 ,luke and ,st4 ,john both say that it was--8about the sixth hour10 when this great event took place4 ,but it is clear from their way of speaking of it1 that they did not wish to be understood as stating the time very exactly4 ,st4 ,mark says--ch4 xv3 #be1 8,and it was the third hour1 and they crucified him40 ,there seems to be a disagreement between these statements4 ,but it is easy enough to reconcile the difference4 ,there are two ways of doing this4 ,one is by supposing that when ,st4 ,mark says3 8,it was the third hour1 and they crucified him10 he was speaking of the time when they began to make preparations for the crucifixion1 while ,st4 ,luke and ,st4 ,john refer to the time when the preparations were all finished1 and the crucifixion had actually taken place4 ,but there is another way of reconciling this apparent difference4 ,the ,jews were accustomed to divide their day into four parts1 corresponding with the four watches into which the night was divided4 ,beginning at six o'clock in the morning1 which was the time when their day commenced1 they sometimes called the first three hours1 from six to nine o'clock1 the first hour4 ,the next three hours1 from nine to twelve o'clock1 they called the second hour2 and then1 according to this way of reckoning1 the three hours following1 from twelve to three o'clock1 would be the third hour4 ,and if this was the way in which ,st4 ,mark was speaking1 then his third hour would agree exactly with the sixth hour mentioned by ,st4 ,luke and ,st4 ,john4 ,and so1 when we think of the time of the crucifixion1 we may remember that ,jesus hung upon the cross1 in dreadful agonies1 from 8about0 twelve o'clock at noon-day until three in the afternoon4 ,o1 how long and painful those hours must have seemed to him6 ,the next thing to notice is--the manner of the crucifixion4 ,suppose that you and ,i had been standing on ,calvary at the time of our ,saviour's death3 what should we have seen8 ,why1 lying there on the ground1 we should have seen the great wooden cross1 on which ,jesus was to suffer4 ,it is made of two pieces4 ,there is one long1 upright piece of timber1 and a shorter one fastened across this upright beam1 at the upper end4 ,there is ,jesus standing by--bound1 and bleeding1 and crowned with thorns4 ,the soldiers take him and lay his body on the cross1 with his back towards it4 ,they stretch out his arms to their full length1 along the upper beam of the cross4 ,they take heavy hammers and drive great rough nails through the palms of his hands1 and through the tender part of his feet4 ,how terrible the suffering caused by every blow of those hammers6 ,and see1 when this is done1 the soldiers raise up the cross1 and place the lower end of it in a hole they had prepared for it4 ,it comes down with a jar4 ,what terrible tortures that jar sends through every part of the suffering ,saviour's frame6 ,about the middle of the cross is a projecting piece of wood1 to form a sort of seat1 so as to prevent the whole weight of the body from hanging from the nails1 and tearing the flesh of the hands and feet4 ,and there the ,son of ,god is left to suffer tortures that cannot be expressed1 till death shall come and bring relief4 ,the witnesses of the crucifixion is the next thing of which to speak4 ,near the cross was his mother and the good women who were her companions4 ,john is the only one of the apostles found near the cross at the time when their ,lord was crucified4 ,the soldiers and the priests were there4 ,the walls of ,jerusalem were1 no doubt1 lined with people looking anxiously on2 and crowds of strangers were standing by1 beholding this sad event2 for ,jerusalem was always full of persons from a distance at that season who came to keep the feast of the ,passover4 ,and then1 if our eyes had been opened1 as the eyes of ,elisha's servant were1 7,,ii4 ,kings vi3 #ag71 so that we could have seen as spirits do1 we should have beheld multitudes of angels among the spectators of the crucifixion4 ,we should have seen them hovering over the cross and gazing with wonder on the sight that met their view there--the ,son of ,god--hanging on the cross in agonies and blood6 ,the wonders attending the crucifixion is another thing to notice4 ,there was the darkness over all the land from the sixth to the ninth hour1 or from twelve to three o'clock4 ,this was not a natural darkness caused by an eclipse of the sun1 for the ,jewish ,passover was held at the time of the full moon1 and it is impossible to have an eclipse then4 ,no2 it was a miraculous darkness4 ,the sun hid his face1 as if he was ashamed to look on and see 8,when ,god1 the ,mighty ,maker died1 ,for man1 the creature's sin40 ,and then there was an earthquake4 ,the great globe itself seemed to tremble at the thought of the dreadful deed that was taking place on its surface4 ,the solid rocks were rent in pieces4 ,the graves were opened1 and many of the dead buried in them rose1 and came back to life4 ,and then1 at the same time1 the vail of the temple--that thick1 strong vail--which hung between the holy place and the most holy place1 without any one touching it1 was rent in twain from the top to the bottom4 ,this was done by miracle4 ,if you and ,i had been there1 with our eyes opened1 as ,i said a little while ago1 we should probably have seen two mighty angels1 taking hold of that vail and rending it4 ,these were the wonders that attended the crucifixion4 ,and then there are the words spoken by ,jesus on the cross1 to notice4 ,seven times the blessed ,lord opened his mouth and spoke as he hung amidst the torturing agonies of the cross4 ,the first time he spoke there1 was to pray for his murderers4 ,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #cd4 ,then he spoke to his disciple ,john1 who was standing near the cross1 and asked him to take care of his mother4 ,st4 ,john xix3 #be-bg4 ,then he answered the prayer of the dying thief1 and told him he should be with him in paradise that day4 ,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #ci-dc4 ,then he said--8,i thirst40 ,st4 ,john xix3 #bh4 ,then came the awful cry which he uttered when his ,father in heaven forsook him and left him alone4 ,st4 ,matt4 xxvii3 #df4 ,then he said--8,it is finished60 ,st4 ,john xix3 #cj4 ,then he 8cried with a loud voice10 and said--8,father1 into thy hands ,i commend my spirit40 ,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #df4 ,and then he meekly bowed his head and died4 ,such is the history of the crucifixion--the most solemn1 the most awful1 the most important event that ever took place since the world was made4 ,illustration3 ,jesus ,attached to the ,cross ,and there were also two other1 malefactors1 led with him to be put to death4 ,and when they were come to the place1 which is called ,calvary1 there they crucified him1 and the malefactors1 one on the right hand1 and the other on the left4 ,then said ,jesus1 ,father1 forgive them2 for they know not what they do4 ,and they parted his raiment1 and cast lots4 ,and the people stood beholding4 ,and the rulers also with them derided him1 saying1 ,he saved others2 let him save himself1 if he be ,christ1 the chosen of ,god4 ,and the soldiers also mocked him1 coming to him1 and offering him vinegar4 ,and saying1 ,if thou be the king of the ,jews1 save thyself4 ,and a superscription also was written over him in letters of ,greek1 and ,latin1 and ,hebrew1 ,,this ,,is ,,the ,,king ,,of ,,the ,,jews4--,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #cb-ch4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,in spite of all that has been spoken and written on the subject1 the site of the place called 8,golgotha0 remains1 as has been said1 and must always remain1 undecided4 ,but to those who can maintain an open mind1 unbiased by sentimental associations1 the weight of evidence bears heavily against the traditional ,calvary 7which shares with many other 8sacred sites0 the shelter of the church of the ,holy ,sepulchre7 and in favor of a little knoll overhanging the grotto of ,jeremiah1 about an arrow-flight beyond the ,damascus ,gate of ,jerusalem4 #fh ,a great many very valuable lessons are taught us by the history of the crucifixion4 ,we can speak of only five4 ,the first lesson taught us by the crucifixion is--the lesson of forgiveness4 ,it was probably while the ,roman soldiers were driving the rough nails through his tender hands and feet1 or just after the cross was set up in its place1 that ,jesus taught us this lesson4 ,he looked on his murderers with a pitying eye4 ,if he had asked ,god to punish them1 as they deserved for their cruelty1 or if he had spoken to them ever so severely1 it would not have been surprising4 ,but though they were causing him so much suffering1 when he had done them no harm1 still there was not one angry feeling in his heart towards them1 and not one unkind word fell from his lips4 ,instead of this1 he lifted up his eyes to heaven1 and offered the prayer--8,father1 forgive them2 for they know not what they do40 ,here we have the most perfect pattern of forgiveness the world has ever known4 ,if we wish to be true followers of ,jesus1 we must try to be like him in this respect4 ,we must learn well this lesson of forgiveness4 8,examples of ,forgiveness40 ,dr4 ,duff1 the late excellent missionary to ,india1 once read our ,saviour's sermon on the mount to some ,hindoo young men whom he was teaching4 ,as he read on he came to the passage in which ,jesus says1 8,i say unto you love your enemies1 bless them that persecute you1 and pray for them that despitefully use you1 and persecute you40 ,one of the young men was so impressed by our ,saviour's words that he exclaimed1 with great earnestness1 8,o how beautiful6 how divine6 this is the truth60 ,and for days and weeks afterwards he would exclaim1 from time to time1 8,love your enemies6 who ever heard such teaching8 ,how beautiful this is6 ,this is heavenly teaching60 8,a ,forgiving ,boy40 8,mamma10 said little ,charley1 8now ,i've got a new sled1 what shall ,i do with my old one80 ,presently he added1 8,mamma1 there's a chance to do something real good40 8,what is it1 ,charley80 8,why1 you see1 mamma1 if there's any boy ,i hate1 it's ,tim ,tyson4 ,he's always plaguing and teasing me and all the other little boys4 ,it never does any good to get cross1 for that is just what he likes3 but then ,tim likes sledding very much and he has no sled4 ,i've a notion to give the old sled to him4 ,it will show him that ,i forgive him4 ,it might make him think1 and do him good4 ,mightn't it80 8,yes1 it might10 said the mother4 ,so ,tim got ,charley's sled4 ,the kind1 forgiving spirit of the little boy he had teased so much touched him greatly4 ,it made him think4 ,it did him good4 ,after that ,tim never teased ,charley again1 or any of the other little boys4 8,how a ,bishop ,taught ,forgiveness40 ,there was once a good bishop who lived at ,alexandria in ,egypt4 ,one day a nobleman came to see him4 ,he told the bishop about a person who had done him a great wrong4 ,he got very angry about it4 8,i never will forgive him10 said he1 8as long as ,i live40 ,just then the bell tinkled for prayers in the bishop's private chapel4 ,he rose to go into the chapel and asked the nobleman to follow him4 ,the bishop kneeled at the railing of the little chancel4 ,he asked his friend to repeat the ,lord's prayer after him1 sentence by sentence4 ,this was done till they came to the sentence 8,forgive us our trespasses1 as we forgive those who trespass against us40 ,when the bishop had offered this prayer he waited for the nobleman to say it after him1 but he was silent4 ,he said it again but there was no answer4 ,then the bishop was silent and gave his friend time to think4 ,presently the nobleman rose to his feet and said3 8,i dare not offer that prayer1 while ,i feel as ,i now do4 ,it would be asking ,god never to forgive me4 ,i must forgive if ,i expect to be forgiven40 ,then he left the chapel1 sought out the person who had injured him1 and told him that he freely forgave him4 ,after this he went back and finished his prayer with the good bishop4 ,the lesson of forgiveness1 is one lesson taught us by the crucifixion of our ,saviour4 ,the second lesson we are here taught is--the lesson of duty to our parents4 ,when we think of ,jesus hanging on the cross and bearing all the dreadful pains of crucifixion1 it seems to us that he must have been so fully occupied with his own terrible sufferings as to have had no thought or feeling for any one but himself4 ,but it was not so4 ,he did not forget his duty to his mother even then4 ,he saw her standing by his cross weeping4 ,joseph1 her husband1 was no doubt dead4 ,she would have no one now to take care of her4 ,john1 the disciple whom ,jesus loved1 was standing near his mother4 ,jesus looked at his mother1 and told her to consider ,john as her own son4 ,then he looked at ,john1 and turning his eye to the weeping ,mary1 he told ,john to treat her as his own mother4 ,and from that time ,john took the mother of ,jesus to his own home and took care of her1 as if she had been his own mother4 ,how thoughtful and tender this was in ,jesus6 ,how much it was like the loving ,saviour6 ,and how touchingly we may learn from this crucifixion scene the lesson of our duty to our parents1 and especially to our mothers6 ,no child can ever fully repay a faithful1 loving mother for all that she has done4 ,let us try to follow the example which ,jesus set us from the cross about our duty to our parents4 ,let us look at some examples of those who have learned and practised this lesson4 8,the ,polish ,prince40 ,here is a story of a ,polish prince who had a very good father4 ,this young man was in the habit of carrying the picture of his father in his bosom4 ,and when he was tempted to do anything that was wrong1 he would take out this picture and look at it1 saying1 8,let me do nothing that would grieve my good father40 8,ashamed to ,tell ,mother40 ,some boys were playing one day after school4 ,among them was a little fellow whom his companions were trying to tempt to do something wrong4 8,i can't do it10 said he1 8because ,i should be ashamed to tell mother of it40 8,well1 but you needn't tell her2 and she won't know anything about it40 8,but ,i should know all about it myself1 and ,i'd feel mighty mean if ,i wouldn't tell mother60 ,the boys laughed at him and said3 8,the idea of a boy running and telling his mother every little thing6 ,what a pity you weren't a girl60 8,you may laugh about it as much as you please10 said the noble little fellow1 8but ,i've made up my mind never1 as long as ,i live1 to do anything ,i would be ashamed to tell my mother40 ,that boy was a hero4 ,he was doing just what ,jesus would have done in his place4 ,many a boy would have been saved from ruin if he had only acted in this way4 8,honoring ,his ,mother40 8,is there a vacant place in this bank1 which ,i could fill80 asked a boy with a glowing face1 as he stood1 with cap in hand1 before the president of the bank4 8,there is none10 was the reply4 8,were you told that we wanted a boy8 ,who recommended you80 8,no one recommended me1 sir10 calmly said the boy4 8,i only thought ,i would see40 ,there was an honesty and manliness about the lad which pleased the president and led him to continue the conversation4 8,you must have friends who could help you in getting a situation2 have you told them80 ,with a saddened feeling1 the boy said3 8,my mother told me it would be useless to try without friends10 then apologizing for the interruption1 he turned to go away2 but the gentleman detained him1 saying3 8,why don't you stay at school a year or two longer1 my young friend1 and then try to get a situation80 8,i have no time for school10 was his reply4 8,i study at home1 and keep up with the other boys as well as ,i can40 8,then you have had a place already10 said the officer1 8why did you leave it80 8,i have not left it1 sir10 quietly answered the boy4 8,but you wish to leave it4 ,what is the matter80 ,the boy was confounded for a moment--but presently said--8,i want to do more for mother1 sir40 ,these brave words of the boy touched the gentleman's heart4 ,and grasping the hand of the little fellow he said3--8,my boy1 what is your name8 and where do you live8 ,you shall have the first vacancy1 for a boy1 that occurs in the bank4 ,and in the meantime if you need a friend1 come to me4 ,but now tell me frankly1 why do you wish to do more for your mother8 ,have you no father80 ,the boy's eyes filled with tears4 ,he had to make an effort before he could speak4 ,but recovering himself directly he said3 8,my father is dead3 my brothers and sisters are dead4 ,my mother and ,i are left alone to help each other4 ,but she is not strong1 and ,i wish to do all ,i can for her4 ,it will please her1 sir1 that you have been so kind to me1 and ,i am very much obliged to you40 ,and then leaving his name and residence with the gentleman1 he made a bow and retired4 ,it was not long before the president of that bank called to see this boy and his mother4 ,he cheered their hearts by telling them that he had a situation for the boy1 who found a warm friend in him as long as he lived4 ,god's blessing followed that boy1 and he rose to occupy an important position in the bank4 ,and ,god's blessing will always follow those who learn and practise the lesson ,jesus taught us on the cross--of honoring our parents4 ,the third lesson we may learn from the crucifixion is about--the power and willingness of ,jesus to save4 ,this lesson is taught us by what took place between ,jesus and the dying thief1 as they each hung upon the cross4 ,jesus was crucified between two thieves4 ,one of them cast reproaches upon ,jesus1 as he hung by his side4 ,the other rebuked his fellow thief2 and then1 turning his eyes towards ,jesus1 said--8,lord1 remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom40 ,jesus at once heard and accepted his prayer1 and told the thief that he should be with him in paradise that day4 ,this was one of the most wonderful things that took place in connection with the crucifixion of our ,saviour4 ,there were many wonders in it4 ,it was wonderful that this dying thief should have understood so clearly as he did the true character of ,jesus4 ,it was wonderful that he should have had faith to trust the salvation of his soul to one who was dying what seemed to be a criminal's death4 ,it was wonderful that he should have repented truly of his sins1 and have prayed earnestly1 as he did1 while hanging on the cross4 ,it was wonderful that ,jesus was able and willing to pardon him1 to change his heart1 and make him fit for heaven at the last hour of his life4 ,and it was wonderful that ,jesus was so ready to help and save another at the very time when he was suffering so much himself4 ,the apostle ,paul tells us that 8he is able to save unto the uttermost1 those who come unto ,god through him40 ,heb4 vii3 #be4 ,there could not be a more striking illustration of the power and willingness of ,jesus to save sinners than we have here in the case of the dying thief4 ,but illustrations of the same kind1 though not so striking as this1 do often occur4 8,the ,cleansing ,fountain40 ,there was once a man who had been a very great sinner4 ,he had long been in the habit of committing all sorts of wickedness4 ,but at last he grew weary of his evil ways1 and wanted to become a ,christian4 ,but he thought his sins were too great to be forgiven4 ,a ,christian man talked and prayed with him4 ,to encourage him he repeated the first verse of the hymn1 which says3 8,there is a fountain filled with blood ,drawn from ,immanuel's veins2 ,and sinners plunged beneath that flood ,lose all their guilty stains40 ,but the poor man shook his head1 and said1 8,there's nothing in that for me4 ,my sins are too great to be washed away40 ,then his friend repeated the second verse3 8,the dying thief rejoiced to see ,that fountain in his day2 ,and there may ,i1 though vile as he ,wash all my sins away40 8,that means me10 said the penitent sinner4 ,he was encouraged to pray to ,jesus1 and he found that he was able and willing to save him4 8,muckle ,bess--,a ,hopeless ,case40 ,this was the name of a woman who lived in ,scotland many years ago4 ,her history illustrates very well the point now before us1 and shows the power and willingness of ,christ to save4 ,she was the daughter of a good1 pious farmer4 ,but she was led into evil company4 ,she left her father's house1 and became a most wicked and abandoned woman4 ,she was a terror to every one1 even to the wicked people among whom she had gone to live4 ,at last she left them and spent her time in wandering among the highlands1 living like a wild beast1 stealing what she could get to eat1 or to wear1 and sleeping in barns or stables1 in sheepfolds1 or in the dens and caves of the mountains4 ,she used to roam over the country begging1 or stealing1 cursing and swearing1 and doing all sorts of wicked things4 ,everybody was afraid of her4 ,no one thought of speaking to her1 or even of praying for her2 and every one looked upon her case as hopeless4 ,at one time1 when ,muckle ,bess had passed middle life1 there was a great religious interest among the churches in that part of the country4 ,on one ,sabbath day they were holding services in the open air4 ,a great crowd of people had gathered round the minister4 ,to the surprise of every one1 who should appear1 at the outside of the crowd1 but poor ,bess4 ,ragged1 and wild-looking1 she seemed just like the witch of ,endor4 ,the women trembled at the sight of her1 and the men thought she had only come for mischief4 ,but she sat quietly down on the grass and listened to the preaching4 ,it led her to think of her wicked life1 and filled her heart with anguish4 ,presently she rose to her feet1 stretched out her brawny arms1 and cried in tones of agony that melted the hearts of all who heard her1 8,oh1 thou ,god o' my fathers2 oh1 thou ,god o' bonnie ,scotland1 that has been steeped in blood for thy name's sake2 look on me a wretched sinner1 who has scorned thee1 and robbed thee1 and defied thee6 ,hast thou na' promised cleansin' to them whose sins are scarlet and crimson8 ,and whose sins are o' deeper dye than mine8 ,god1 be merciful to me a sinner60 ,and then she sank sobbing to the earth4 ,the stillness of death was over that congregation4 ,the minister paused till poor ,bess's sobs were no longer heard4 ,then he went on with the sermon4 ,he spoke of the love of ,christ in being willing to suffer and die for us4 ,he told of his power and readiness to pardon and save all who truly turn to him1 and referred to the case of the dying thief to prove the truth of what he said4 ,this touched the heart of poor ,bess1 and led her to feel that there might be hope1 even for her4 ,then she rose to her feet again1 and cried1 8,hear me1 ye people o' ,god6 ,hear me1 ye angels above6 ,hear me1 ye powers o' evil1 while ,i vow afore ye all1 that ,i will e'en tak' him at his word1 and leave it there60 ,from that time ,muckle ,bess became a changed woman4 ,she went back to her father's house to live4 ,but she occupied her time in going from house to house1 to tell the story of ,jesus and his love4 ,and the rest of her life she spent in speaking kind words and doing kind acts to all about her4 ,she was never tired of telling1 with tears of heartfelt gratitude1 what ,jesus had done for her soul4 ,how beautifully this story illustrates the power and willingness of ,jesus to save6 ,the fourth lesson we learn from the crucifixion of ,christ is about--the depth of his sufferings4 ,the sufferings of his body were very great4 ,when the ,roman soldiers beat him on the back with their rods1 his flesh was torn1 and made to quiver with pain4 ,then his brow was torn by the sharp points of the crown of thorns that were pressed upon his head4 ,his hands and feet were torn by the rough1 cruel nails that were driven through them4 ,and when the cross was set upright in the earth1 and his body was hanging by those nails1 who can tell the agony that must have been wringing every nerve in it8 ,think of him as hanging thus for three or four dreadful hours6 how long the moments must have seemed that made up those hours6 ,and if he tried to change his position in the slightest degree1 every movement must have increased the torture he was feeling a hundred fold4 ,but this was not all3 this was not half the suffering that ,jesus endured4 ,if he had been feeling peaceful and comfortable in his mind while all this was going on1 he would not have cared much for these bodily pains4 ,but he had no such feeling4 ,his mind or soul was enduring sufferings much worse than those which the scourges1 and the crown of thorns1 and the crucifixion1 caused to his body4 ,he said to his disciples as he entered ,gethsemane--8,my soul is exceeding sorrowful1 even unto death40 ,this was the sorrow he felt from thinking that his ,father in heaven was angry with him1 and was looking at him as if he were a sinner4 ,he had taken our sins upon himself1 and ,god was treating him as if he had really been a sinner4 ,he was bearing the wrath of ,god that we had deserved for our sins4 ,the apostle ,paul tells us that--8,he was made a curse for us40 ,gal4 iii3 #ac4 ,we cannot understand what ,jesus had to feel when this curse came down upon him4 ,but it was this which wrung from him that bitter cry when the darkness came around him1 as he hung upon the cross1--8,my ,god6 ,my ,god6 why hast thou forsaken me80 ,this made the sufferings that ,jesus bore for us greater than we can tell1 and greater than we can understand4 ,this part of our subject we must leave without attempting any illustration4 ,there never was any sorrow or suffering like that which he bore for us4 ,i know of nothing that could be used as an illustration here4 ,this thought of the sufferings of ,christ is like one of those places in the ocean which is so deep that we cannot get a line long enough to reach the bottom4 ,and then the last lesson for us to learn from the crucifixion of ,christ is about--,,the ,,wonders ,,of ,,his ,,love4 ,the apostle ,paul tells us that the love of ,christ--8passeth knowledge40 ,ephes4 iii3 #ai4 ,he says the riches of this love are 8unsearchable40 ,the love of ,christ is like a mountain1 so high that we cannot climb to the top of it4 ,it is like a valley1 so deep that we cannot get down to the bottom of it4 ,it is like a plain1 so broad that we cannot get to the beginning of it1 on the one hand1 or to the end of it on the other4 ,and when we are looking at ,jesus as he hangs upon the cross1 we are in the best position we ever can occupy for trying to understand the wonders of his love4 ,it was the love of ,jesus which made him willing to come down from heaven and 8humble himself unto death1 even the death of the cross40 ,it was the love of ,jesus which made him willing to be nailed to the cross1 and to hang there in agony and blood1 till as the ,te ,deum says1 he had 8overcome the sharpness of death1 and had opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers40 ,and as we stand before the cross of ,christ1 and think of the depth of his sufferings1 and the wonders of his love1 we may well ask in the language of the hymn3 8,o ,lamb of ,god6 was ever pain1 ,was ever love like ,thine80 ,and it is this wonderful love of ,jesus1 in dying for us1 which gives to the story of the cross the strange power it has over the hearts of men4 ,illustration3 ,jesus ,commendeth ,his ,mother to ,john ,and one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him1 saying1 ,if thou be ,christ1 save thyself and us4 ,but the other answering rebuked him1 saying1 ,dost not thou fear ,god1 seeing thou art in the same condemnation8 ,and we indeed justly2 for we receive the due reward of our deeds3 but this man hath done nothing amiss4 ,and he said unto ,jesus1 ,lord1 remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom4 ,and ,jesus said unto him1 ,verily ,i say unto thee1 ,to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise4--,now there stood by the cross of ,jesus his mother1 and his mother's sister1 ,mary the wife of ,cleophas1 and ,mary ,magdalene4 ,when ,jesus therefore saw his mother1 and the disciple standing by1 whom he loved1 he saith unto his mother1 ,woman1 behold thy son6 ,then saith he to the disciple1 ,behold thy mother6 ,and from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home4--,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #ci-dc2 ,st4 ,john xix3 #be-bg4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,oft-repeated words are apt1 for this very reason1 to lose the force of their significance2 and the ,cross of ,calvary has furnished so frequent a theme for ,christian literature and ,christian art1 that it is by an effort only1 which we do well to exert1 that the anguish of that lingering death can even dimly be appreciated4 ,the harrowing details have often been recounted1 and it is sufficient here to state in brief1 that it comprised1 in one awful agony1 well-nigh every pang which the human body can be called upon to suffer2 withholding for long the boon of death itself1 and even the pitiful mercy of isolation4 ,for that 8lifting up10 by which artists have striven to indicate the loneliness of ,jesus1 is not in accordance with the facts of the case4 ,no timber in ,palestine is of sufficient size to furnish crosses such as are generally represented1 and we are forced instead to picture the patient sufferer during those many fatal hours1 as raised but slightly above the level of the ground1 and literally face to face with his tormentors4 #fi 8,the ,influence of the ,love of ,christ40 ,we are so accustomed to hear of the blessed ,saviour1 and his amazing love1 that it often gets to be a familiar story to us1 and so it does not have its proper influence on our hearts4 ,but it is different with the missionaries of the gospel4 ,when they tell the heathen about ,jesus1 and his love1 it is new to them1 and sometimes it has a strange effect upon them4 ,here is an instance of this3 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,nott1 an ,english missionary in the ,south ,sea ,islands1 was reading the third chapter of the gospel of ,st4 ,john to a number of the natives4 ,presently he came to that wonderful statement in the #afth verse1 8,god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life40 ,when he heard this1 one of the natives said1 8,what words were those you read8 ,let me hear those words again40 ,the missionary read the verse again1 slowly and deliberately4 ,on hearing them again1 the native rose and said1 8,is that so8 ,can it be true that ,god loved the world1 when the world did not love him80 8,it is true10 said the missionary4 8,and this is the message we bring you4 ,if you believe in ,jesus1 and his love1 it will save your soul1 and make you happy forever40 ,this wonderful love of ,jesus won that heathen's heart1 and he became a ,christian4 ,this illustrates what the apostle ,paul means when he says1 8the love of ,christ constraineth us40 ,to constrain1 means to draw4 ,the power which the gospel has to draw men's hearts to ,god is in the love of ,christ4 8,the ,power of ,love40 ,a teacher was giving a lesson to a class of children1 on metals and minerals4 ,they were told that gold could be melted1 and that all metals could be melted4 ,then the teacher asked3 8,can stones be melted80 8,yes10 said a little boy2 8stones are melted in volcanoes40 8,that is true2 and now1 can you tell me what can melt a heart as hard as stone80 ,after thinking for a few minutes1 the little boy said3 8,i think it is ,god only who can melt a hard heart40 8,you are right1 my child2 and now can you tell me how does ,god melt hard hearts80 8,it is by his love40 8,you are right again1 my child2 it is the love of ,god that melts stony hearts4 ,and it is by giving his ,son to die for us that ,god shows his love40 ,here is a very striking story to show the power of the love of ,christ in melting a hard heart4 ,we may call it3 8,hope for the ,lost40 ,charles ,anderson was the son of a sailor4 ,his father was drowned at sea4 ,charles was left an orphan1 in a seaport town in ,england4 ,having no one to take care of him1 he got in with bad boys1 and grew up an idle1 careless1 swearing1 drunken young man4 ,in a drunken spree one night1 he and his companions broke into a house and robbed it4 ,he was taken to prison1 tried1 and sentenced to seven years' transportation to ,new ,south ,wales4 ,after his arrival there1 thinking that he was unjustly punished1 he became sulky1 obstinate1 and rebellious4 ,he cared for no rules4 ,he minded no orders1 but did just as he pleased4 ,for his bad conduct he was flogged again and again4 ,but punishment did him no good4 ,he grew worse and worse4 ,he became so thoroughly bad and unmanageable that at last he was sentenced to receive three hundred lashes on his back1 and to be chained for two years to a barren rock that stood by itself in the middle of the harbor of ,sydney4 ,the wretched man was fastened by his waist to this rock1 with a chain twenty-six feet long4 ,he had irons on his legs and had hardly a rag to cover him4 ,his only bed was a hollow place scooped out in the rock4 ,he had no other shelter than a wooden lid1 with holes bored in it4 ,this was locked over him at night and removed in the morning4 ,if he had been a wild beast1 instead of a man1 he could hardly have been treated worse4 ,his food was pushed to him once a day1 in a box1 with a long pole4 ,sometimes people going by in boats1 would throw him pieces of bread or biscuit4 ,but no one was allowed to go near him or speak to him4 ,thus he spent two long years1 a prisoner on that lonely rock4 ,of course1 he grew no better1 but worse1 under such treatment4 ,when his time was out1 and he was released from the rock1 he behaved so badly that very soon he was taken up again1 and sent a prisoner to ,norfolk ,island1 to work in chains for the rest of his life4 ,now1 what good could possibly be expected from such a man8 ,none at all1 if the same hard treatment had been continued towards him4 ,but it was not continued4 ,no1 at ,norfolk ,island1 he came under the care of a good ,christian gentleman4 ,this was ,capt4 ,maconochie1 an officer of the ,english army4 ,he had great faith in the power of kindness and love4 ,he found this man ,anderson one of the very worst men he had ever met with2 but he resolved to try the power of the gospel upon him4 ,he treated him kindly1 as one man ought to treat another4 ,he got him to attend a night school which he had opened1 and there had him taught to read4 ,then he persuaded him to join a ,bible class which he taught4 ,he showed an interest in him and sympathy for him4 ,he often took him apart by himself and talked kindly to him4 ,he told him of the wonderful love of ,jesus1 as shown in the story of the cross4 ,this touched and melted the hard and stony heart of that desperate man4 ,he wept like a child1 at the thought of his life of sin4 ,he prayed earnestly for pardon1 and found it4 ,charles ,anderson--the fierce1 unmanageable man--the man who had been chained1 like a wild beast to that lonely rock1 became a ,christian4 ,and he was a thoroughly changed man in every respect4 ,the change from midnight to mid-day1 from mid-winter to mid-summer1 is not greater than the change that appeared in him4 ,from being an ill-tempered1 gloomy1 disobedient1 idle man who was a plague to all about him1 he became gentle1 and kind1 cheerful1 obedient1 and trustworthy2 a man who gained the respect and the love of all who knew him4 ,capt4 ,maconochie got him released from being a prisoner1 on account of his good behaviour4 ,then he took him into his own service1 and a more useful and excellent servant he never had in all his life4 ,here we see the power of the love of ,christ4 ,and so when we think of the history of the crucifixion1 let us remember these six things1--the place--the time--the manner--the witnesses--the wonders--and the words--which make up that history4 ,and when we think of the lessons it teaches--let us remember the lesson of forgiveness--the lesson of duty to our parents--the lesson about the power and willingness of ,christ to save--about the depths of his sufferings--and the wonders of his love4 ,we cannot better close this subject than with the words of the hymn we often sing3 8,when ,i survey the wondrous cross1 ,on which the ,prince of glory died1 ,my richest gain ,i count but loss1 ,and pour contempt on all my pride4 8,forbid it1 ,lord1 that ,i should boast1 ,save in the cross of ,christ my ,god1 ,all the vain things that charm me most1 ,i sacrifice them to his blood4 8,see from his head1 his hands1 his feet1 ,sorrow and love flow mingled down6 ,did e'er such love and sorrow meet1 ,or thorns compose so rich a crown8 8,were the whole realm of nature mine1 ,that were a tribute far too small2 ,love so amazing1 so divine1 ,demands my life--my soul--my all40 ,,the ,,burial ,in the last chapter1 we left our blessed ,lord hanging dead upon the cross4 ,deep darkness was spread over the land1 as if to hide from view the awful wickedness which men were committing4 ,we have now to consider what became of the dead ,saviour after this4 ,when death enters our homes and lays his icy hand on some one whom we love1 we know that the next thing to follow is the funeral4 ,we have to make preparation1 as ,abraham said on the death of ,sarah1 his wife1 to 8bury our dead out of our sight40 ,gen4 xxiii3 #d4 ,and so1 after the crucifixion1 or death of our ,saviour1 the next thing for us to consider is--his burial4 ,we have an account of this burial in each of the four gospels4 ,we can read all that is said about it in the following places3--,st4 ,matt4 xxvii3 #ef-ff2 ,st4 ,mark xv3 #db-dg2 ,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #ej-ef1 and ,st4 ,john xix3 #ch-db4 ,the history of the burial of ,christ1 given in these different places1 briefly stated1 is1 that as soon as he was dead1 and while he was yet hanging on the cross1 two men came forward and took charge of his burial4 ,one of these is called 8,joseph of ,arimathea40 ,we know nothing about him before this4 ,his name was never mentioned before1 and after this it is never mentioned again in the ,scriptures4 ,what we are told about him is1 that he was a rich man--an honorable counsellor1 or a member of the ,jewish ,sanhedrim3 he was a just and good man--a disciple of ,jesus--but had kept his thoughts and feelings on this subject to himself1 because he was afraid of the ,jews4 ,and with him came ,nicodemus--of whom we read in the third chapter of ,st4 ,john--who came to ,jesus by night to have a talk with him on the subject of religion4 ,he was also a member of the ,jewish ,sanhedrim1 and 8a ruler of the ,jews40 ,joseph went boldly in before ,pilate1 and asked permission from him to take the body of ,jesus down from the cross and have it buried4 ,this was in the afternoon of the same day on which the crucifixion had taken place4 ,pilate was surprised to think that ,jesus could have died so soon4 ,death by crucifixion1 although very painful1 was still a lingering death4 ,it is said that cases have been known of persons who have hung upon the cross for two or three days before death put an end to their sufferings4 ,we do not wonder1 therefore1 that ,pilate should have felt surprised1 when he heard that ,jesus1 who was crucified about twelve o'clock1 should have been dead about three o'clock the same afternoon4 ,he sent for the centurion1 who had charge of the crucifixion1 and asked if it was true that ,jesus was already dead4 ,the centurion had carefully examined the body1 and told ,pilate that he was really dead4 ,then ,pilate gave ,joseph and ,nicodemus permission to take down the body and bury it4 ,immediately they went back to ,calvary and took the body of ,jesus down from the cross4 ,they could hardly do it by themselves1 and they had1 no doubt1 engaged some other persons to help them4 ,we are not told how the body was taken down4 ,in the art gallery1 at ,antwerp in ,belgium1 there is a famous painting of this scene1 by ,rubens the celebrated ,flemish artist4 ,it is called--8,the ,descent from the ,cross40 ,here1 ,joseph and ,nicodemus are represented as having set up ladders against the cross4 ,they have climbed up the ladder1 and have drawn out the nails1 and then we see them carefully handing down the dead body of our blessed ,lord4 ,this would be one way of taking the body down4 ,another way would be to lift the cross up from the place in the earth1 where it was fastened1 and lay it carefully down on the ground1 with the body of ,jesus still nailed to it4 ,it would be much easier to get the nails out1 with the cross in this position1 than while it was standing upright4 ,but we are not told how it was done1 and so we are at liberty to think of either of these ways as the one that was adopted4 ,and now1 the mangled body of the dead ,saviour is removed from the cross4 ,then1 it is reverently wrapped in the linen which ,joseph had brought with him for this purpose4 ,nicodemus had brought a hundred pounds weight of spices1 myrrh and aloes4 ,these were probably in the form of powder4 ,it was the custom of the ,jews to use these spices in the burial of the dead1 because they have the power of preventing decay from taking place immediately4 ,in a warm country like ,palestine1 decay begins very soon after death4 ,and in a body that had been torn and mangled1 as was the case with the body of ,jesus1 it would take place still sooner4 ,and so the use of the spices was necessary4 ,no doubt the wounds made by the nails in the hands and feet of our ,saviour1 and the gash of the spear in his blessed side1 were gently filled with those powdered spices4 ,and then the spices were put freely in between the folds of the linen that were wrapped about his dead cold limbs4 ,the ,jews did not use coffins4 ,their dead were only wrapped in grave-clothes1 as was the case with ,lazarus1 and here with our ,lord4 ,and now the preparations are made4 ,the body is ready for the burial4 ,and the grave is ready for the body4 ,near to ,calvary1 where ,jesus was crucified1 there was a garden4 ,and in that garden was a new tomb1 in which no dead body had ever lain4 ,this tomb was dug out from the solid rock4 ,the rocks around ,jerusalem are filled with such tombs4 ,they are not generally dug down below the surface of the ground1 as we make our graves1 but into the side of the rock1 and on a level with the ground4 ,this tomb belonged to ,joseph of ,arimathea4 ,it had1 no doubt1 been made for himself and family4 ,how little he thought when he had that new tomb made1 that ,jesus1 the ,son of ,god1 and the ,redeemer of the world1 would be the first one to occupy it6 ,what an honor and privilege ,joseph had in being permitted to furnish the tomb in which the dead body of the ,lord of life was to rest till the morning of the resurrection6 ,and now1 the funeral procession is formed4 ,joseph and ,nicodemus1 and their helpers1 take reverently hold of the body of ,jesus1 and bear it quietly and solemnly away to the open tomb in yonder garden4 ,no doubt the good women1 who lingered round the cross1 joined in the procession1 and followed the body of their ,lord to the place where it was to lie4 ,they reach the tomb4 ,on the rocky floor of that tomb1 the lifeless body of ,jesus is gently laid4 ,they linger in silence around it4 ,they gaze at it with loving wonder and amazement4 ,then they go out4 ,a great stone is rolled against the mouth of the tomb4 ,and now1 all that loving hearts can suggest1 or willing hands can do for the buried one has been done4 ,they pause awhile to meditate on that silent tomb1 and then slowly retire to their homes1 to prepare for the ,jewish ,sabbath1 which began at six o'clock on ,friday evening4 ,illustration3 ,jesus ,yieldeth ,up the ,ghost ,and it was about the sixth hour1 and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour4 ,and the sun was darkened1 and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst4 ,and when ,jesus had cried with a loud voice1 he said1 ,father1 into thy hands ,i commend my spirit3 and having said thus1 he gave up the ghost4 ,now when the centurion saw what was done1 he glorified ,god1 saying1 ,certainly this was a righteous man4 ,and all the people that came together to that sight1 beholding the things which were done1 smote their breasts1 and returned4--,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #dd-dh4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,of the various points of evidence which may be adduced in favor of the identity of the spot referred to in picture ,no4 #fh with the ,golgotha of the ,gospels one only need here be dwelt upon4 8,the place of the skull0 is the interpretation of the ,hebrew word as given in the ,authorized ,version1 but according to the ,revised ,version 8the place called the #8,skull'0 is the more accurate translation1 and the singular suitability of this name to the hillock in question is obvious to anyone looking at it from the ,mount of ,olives2 the caves and apertures in the face of the cliff beneath its rounded summit bearing a strange resemblance to the eye-sockets and nostrils of a human skull4 ,the significance also of the words1 8,they that passed by railed on him10 is at once apparent2 as the knoll is in full view of passers-by to east and north1 standing as it does at the junction of the high roads from ,jericho and ,damascus4 #gj ,but there is one other thing to notice in connection with this burial4 ,the priests had heard ,jesus speak of rising from the dead on the third day4 ,they went to ,pilate and told him of this4 ,they said they were afraid that his disciples might come by night and steal away his body1 and then declare that he had risen from the dead4 ,they asked him1 therefore1 to allow them to seal the stone over the mouth of the grave with his seal1 and to have a guard of ,roman soldiers appointed to keep watch over the tomb till the third day was passed4 ,pilate gave them leave to do this4 ,and we read1 8so they went and made the sepulchre sure1 sealing the stone1 and setting a watch40 ,st4 ,matt4 xxvii3 #ff4 ,such is the history of the burial of our ,saviour4 ,and as we stand in thought before the silent tomb in which the body of ,jesus is lying1 we may well say1 in the words of one of our hymns for ,easter even3 8,all is o'er1 the pain1 the sorrow1 ,human taunts1 and ,satan's spite2 ,death shall be despoiled to-morrow ,of the prey he grasps to-night1 ,yet once more1 his own to save1 ,christ must sleep within the grave4 8,fierce and deadly was the anguish ,on the bitter cross he bore2 ,how did soul and body languish1 ,till the toil of death was o'er6 ,but that toil1 so fierce and dread1 ,bruised and crushed the serpent's head4 8,close and still the tomb that holds him1 ,while in brief repose he lies2 ,deep the slumber that enfolds him1 ,veiled awhile from mortal eyes2 ,slumber such as needs must be ,after hard won victory4 8,near this tomb1 with voice of sadness1 ,chant the anthem sweet and low2 ,loftier strains of praise and gladness ,from to-morrow's harps shall flow2 ,death and hell at length are slain1 ,christ hath triumphed1 ,christ doth reign40 ,this is the history of the burial of ,christ4 ,and now we may speak of four lessons taught us by this history4 ,the first lesson taught us is about--,,the ,,certainty ,,of ,,his ,,death4 ,sometimes the enemies of our religion have ventured to say that ,jesus did not really die1 but that he only fainted1 or swooned1 or appeared to die4 ,but it is of the highest importance for us to know that ,jesus did really die4 ,when we are saying or singing that grand old anthem--the ,,te ,,deum1 we look up to ,jesus and say1 8,when thou had'st overcome the sharpness of death1 thou did'st open the kingdom of heaven to all believers40 ,by ,christ's overcoming the sharpness of death is meant his resurrection from the dead4 ,but1 if his resurrection was a real resurrection1 then the death from which he rose1 must have been a real death4 ,we cannot come out of a state1 or place1 if we have never been in it4 ,it is impossible that you1 or ,i1 for example1 should go out of this church1 unless we were first in it4 ,and when we know that none of us could enter heaven1 unless ,jesus had really died for us1 we see how important it is for us to be sure of the certainty of his death4 ,now there was one thing connected with the burial of ,christ which proves that he was really dead1 and that was the drawing out of the nails from his hands and feet4 ,when a great1 rough nail or spike has been driven into a piece of solid wood1 we know how hard it is to draw it out4 ,there were two such spikes driven through the palms of the hands of ,jesus1 and two through his feet4 ,in trying to draw these out1 ,i suppose they must have made use of a large pair of pincers1 or of a hammer with a claw on one side of it4 ,as they came to those nails1 one by one1 they would have to get the nippers of the pincers or the claw of the hammer under the head of the nail4 ,then they would have to press down hard on the bruised and torn part of the hands and feet of our ,saviour4 ,now this must have been so very painful that if he had only fainted on the cross this dreadful operation1 as they went through with it four times1 would certainly have brought him out from his fainting fit4 ,but it did not4 ,it had not the slightest effect upon him4 ,there was no more feeling in his hands or feet than there was in the wood of the cross to which he was nailed4 ,and this proves that he was really dead4 ,but then there was another thing that took place at the crucifixion of ,jesus which also proves the certainty of his death4 ,we read in ,st4 ,john xix3 #cd--8;,but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side1 and forthwith came there out blood and water40 ,if ,jesus had not been dead before this took place1 that cruel spear1 thrust into his heart1 would certainly have killed him4 ,if ,jesus had been alive when the soldier did this1 not blood and water1 but only blood1 would have flowed out from the wound which the spear made4 ,and learned physicians who have examined this matter tell us that two things are clearly proved by this flowing out of blood and water from the wound which the soldier's spear had made in our ,saviour's side4 ,one of these is1 that he was already dead4 ,the soldier's spear did not kill him1 but it proved that he was dead before the wound was made4 ,and then the other thing which it proved was that ,jesus had died of a broken heart4 ,in ,dr4 ,hanna's 8,life of ,christ10 ,vol4 ,,iii4 pp4 #cfi-cgi1 may be found letters from several eminent ,scottish physicians1 showing that nothing but a broken heart could account for the flowing out of 8blood and water0 from the wound in our ,saviour's side4 ,it was not being nailed to the cross that killed our blessed ,lord4 ,neither was it the wound made by the spear4 ,no1 but it was the great sorrow he had felt in being made to bear our sins1 that had really broken his heart4 ,the sixty-ninth ,psalm is one of the passages in the ,old ,testament that refers to ,christ4 ,it is he who is speaking there4 ,and in the twentieth verse of that ,psalm1 we find him saying of himself1 8,reproach hath broken my heart40 ,and so when we think of 8the blood and water0 that flowed out from his wounded side1 and of the drawing out of those nails from his hands and feet1 we may feel perfectly sure about the certainty of the death of ,christ4 ,the next lesson that we learn from the burial of ,christ is about--,,the ,,fulfillment ,,of ,,his ,,word4 ,the prophet ,isaiah had spoken about the death and burial of our ,saviour seven hundred years before he was born into our world4 ,in the ninth verse of the fifty-third chapter of his prophecy1 where he is speaking of ,jesus he says1 8,and he made his grave with the wicked1 and with the rich in his death40 ,this means that it was arranged1 or intended1 that he should be buried with the wicked1 and yet it would so happen that he would be with the rich in his death4 ,we can easily see how it was to be expected that ,jesus would be buried with the wicked1 because he died with them4 ,he was crucified between two thieves4 ,these thieves were buried 8with the wicked10 or in the place where common criminals were generally buried4 ,and as ,jesus had died with them1 so it was to be expected that he would have been buried with them4 ,and this is what would have happened if ,god had not ordered it otherwise4 ,the disciples of ,jesus had all forsaken him4 ,and even if they had not done so1 none of them were rich4 ,pilate would not have given them leave to take charge of the body of their dead ,master4 ,and if they had had it1 they could not have procured a rich man's grave in which to bury it4 ,it seemed impossible1 therefore1 that what ,isaiah had spoken should come to pass4 ,but that was the word of ,god4 ,it was written in the scripture that ,jesus was to be 8with the rich in his death40 ,and 8the scriptures cannot be broken40 ,god's word must be fulfilled4 ,and so1 just when ,jesus was dying1 ,joseph of ,arimathea1 who had been a secret disciple of ,jesus1 made his appearance4 ,he was a rich man4 ,he had a sepulchre near at hand4 ,he asked ,pilate to let him have the body of ,jesus1 for the purpose of burying it4 ,pilate gave it to him4 ,he buried it in his new tomb4 ,and so the words of ,isaiah were fulfilled to the very letter2 although it seemed impossible before that such should have been the case4 ,jesus died with the wicked1 and yet was buried with the rich4 ,and here we see how wonderfully ,god's word was fulfilled4 ,and we meet with instances1 continually1 to show that ,god is still fulfilling his word in ways that are equally wonderful4 8,try ,it40 ,a ,christian woman1 rich in faith1 but poor in this world's goods1 was greatly perplexed about the meaning of the words1 8,give1 and it shall be given unto you40 ,she said to herself3 8the best way to find out the meaning of such a promise1 is to try it4 ,i'll try it40 ,it was ,saturday night4 ,after buying what her children would need for ,sunday1 she had just two dollars left4 ,putting this money in her pocket1 she went out4 ,she had not gone far when a friend met her1 who was in great distress1 and asked the loan of two dollars4 ,she gave the money to her friend1 and resolved she would wait and see how ,god would fulfill his word4 ,monday morning came4 ,she had nothing with which to buy food for her family4 ,while wondering what she should do1 there came a knock at the door4 ,on opening it a lady came in with a bundle in her hand4 8,can you do some work for me80 she asked4 8,certainly40 8,what will you charge80 ,the price was named4 ,the lady put two dollars in her hand1 saying1 8,this is more than you ask1 but you may as well have it40 ,the good woman shouted for joy4 ,she had tried ,god's promise1 and had found out how wonderfully he fulfills his word4 8,the ,bullfinch40 ,andrew ,austin lived in ,scotland4 ,he was a tailor by trade1 a good1 honest1 ,christian man1 but very poor4 ,at the time to which this story refers1 he was in great trouble4 ,sickness in his family had used up all his money4 ,the rent of his cottage was due1 and he had nothing to pay it with4 8,what shall ,i do80 he said to himself1 in great distress4 ,he took down his ,bible1 and opened it at the book of ,psalms4 ,his eye rested on the fourth verse of the seventy-second ,psalm--8,for he shall deliver the needy when he crieth40 ,he kneeled down and told ,god of his trouble1 and asked him to fulfill that promise in his present distress4 ,as he rose from his knees his heart was comforted1 and he felt sure that ,god would fulfill his word and send1 in some way1 the help that was needed4 ,he resolved to go and see his landlord1 and ask him to allow him a week's time in which to pay the rent4 ,just as he opened the door to go out1 a little bird flew past him1 perched upon the mantle-shelf1 and hopped about1 chirping merrily4 ,andrew closed the door1 and watched the movements of the little fellow with great interest4 ,he saw that it was a bullfinch1 a piping bullfinch4 ,this is a bird something like a sparrow1 with a round head and short thick bill4 ,bullfinches are great singers4 ,they can learn tunes1 and carry them all through nicely4 ,while ,andrew was watching the bird1 it hopped on to the ,bible which he had just been reading1 and lifting up its little head began to sing the tune of 8,old ,hundred40 ,of course the bird only had the music without the words4 ,but ,andrew joined him1 and put in the words3 8,praise ,god1 from whom all blessings flow2 ,praise him1 all creatures here below2 ,praise him above1 ye heavenly host2 ,praise ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost40 ,when he got through singing this verse1 the old man felt perfectly happy4 ,leaving the little stranger in his room1 he went to see the landlord2 and as he walked along he was repeating to himself the words of the twenty-third ,psalm--8,the ,lord is my shepherd1 ,i shall not want40 ,he found the landlord very pleasant4 ,he readily gave him the additional time he wanted to make up his rent4 ,as he was going home feeling very bright and cheerful1 he was singing to a simple tune these words which just suited his circumstances3 8,the birds1 without barn or storehouse1 are fed2 ,from them let us learn to trust for our bread2 ,his saints1 what is fitting1 shall ne'er be denied1 ,so long as 'tis written1 #8,the ,lord will provide4'0 ,as he went on1 he was spoken to by a servant in livery1 whom he recognized at once as the footman of ,lady ,armistead1 a rich and pious old lady1 who lived at ,basford ,hall1 about three miles from the village where he resided4 8,you seem to be in good spirits1 ,andrew10 said the servant1 who was an old acquaintance4 8,you sing so well1 one would think you had swallowed ,lady ,armistead's bullfinch4 ,it's been missing these two days4 ,i'm going home now1 for it's no use seeking any more4 ,her ladyship takes on dreadfully about the bird1 for it was a great favorite1 and a regular tip-topper at singing40 ,then ,andrew asked him to go home with him1 and said he should find his bird again4 ,as they walked along towards the cottage1 ,andrew told his friend the story of his troubles2 how he had prayed2 what ,god had said to him out of his ,book2 and how the bullfinch came and cheered his heart2 how he had been to the landlord's1 and had got another week to turn round in2 8and look you here ,john ,morris1 my rent'll be ready when it's wanted1 as sure as my name's ,andrew2 for that bird was sent from my heavenly father1 and brought me ,his message on its wings1 #8for his mercy endureth for ever4'0 ,so ,john got the bullfinch and took it home to his mistress4 ,when she heard about it1 ,lady ,armistead sent for the tailor4 ,his simple story moved her to tears4 ,she thought more of her bullfinch than ever1 since ,god had made him a messenger of mercy to one of his suffering children4 ,she gave the tailor money enough to pay his rent1 and told him that he should have work from ,basford ,hall as long as he lived4 8,god bless your ladyship10 said ,andrew1 with a grateful heart4 ,just then the bullfinch struck up its favorite tune1 and ,andrew joined in the song4 8,praise ,god from whom all blessings flow40 ,lady ,armistead smiled with sympathy1 and ,andrew added--8,yes1 yes3 ,praise the ,lord1 for his mercy endureth forever40 ,now1 however long old ,andrew might have lived after that1 ,i think he would never read over that verse in the seventy-second ,psalm--8,he shall deliver the needy when he crieth10 without remembering the lesson we are here taught by the burial of ,christ--and that is1 how wonderfully he fulfills his word4 ,the next lesson we learn from the burial of ,christ is about--,,the ,,working ,,of ,,his ,,providence4 ,suppose we are looking at a great clock4 ,its wheels are moving slowly on4 ,we listen1 and hear it going--tick-tick-tick4 ,the hands on the dial plate are getting near to twelve o'clock2 and the very moment the minute hand comes over the figure #ab1 the hammer in the clock starts up1 and begins to pound on the bell1 and the clock strikes twelve4 ,the maker of that clock arranged every part of its machinery in such a way that it would be sure to keep time and strike the hours as they came4 ,and the providence of ,god is just like such a clock4 ,he is the maker of it4 ,and he not only made the wheels of its machinery in the beginning1 but he manages them all the time4 ,he has his hand on every part of it4 8,god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten ,son0 to die for us4 ,he was willing to have him crucified with wicked men4 ,but he wished to have him buried with rich men4 ,and seven hundred years before ,jesus was born into our world he had said that it should be so4 ,and when the time for ,christ's burial came1 the clock of his providence struck1 just as he said it should do4 ,joseph of ,arimathea was one of the wheels in this clock2 and when the right time came1 there he was--ready to bury the dead ,saviour in his own new tomb4 ,and thus1 in the wonderful working of ,god's providence1 it came to pass that ,jesus was--8with the rich in his death40 ,and as we think of ourselves1 as standing by the tomb in which ,jesus was buried1 and seeing how strangely the prophecy about his burial was fulfilled1 we cannot help wondering at the working of ,god's providence4 ,it is true indeed1 as the hymn says--that 8,god moves in a mysterious way1 ,his wonders to perform3 ,he plants his footsteps in the sea1 ,and rides upon the storm40 ,and it is just the same now as it was then4 ,here are some examples of the working of this providence4 8,the ,raven of ,winslade ,quarry40 ,winslade is a small town in ,england1 famous for its stone quarries4 ,some years ago an incident occurred there which strikingly illustrates this part of our subject4 ,the men were at work in the lower part of the quarry4 ,directly above was a great mass of overhanging rocks4 ,dinner time came2 but just as they were getting ready for it1 a raven flew down1 picked up the little parcel which contained one of the miners' dinner and flew away with it4 ,the man of course did not want to lose his dinner1 so he ran after the bird1 thinking that she would soon have to stop1 and lay down her heavy burden1 and then he would get his dinner again4 ,his companions wished to see the fun and they joined in the chase4 ,the bird was stronger than they thought and led them a long way off before she alighted4 ,but1 at last she flew down the side of a steep and dangerous precipice and laid her bundle on a projecting rock4 ,she seemed to feel that she was safe there1 and so she was1 for no one was willing to risk his life by attempting to go down that perilous place4 ,then the men gave up the chase1 and went back to the quarry4 ,on reaching the spot they found to their surprise that a great mass of rock had fallen down just where they would have been eating their dinner4 ,it would have crushed them to death if the raven had not come and taken them away in time to save them4 ,thus ,god made use of that bird to save the lives of those men4 ,here we see the wonderful working of ,god's providence4 ,illustration3 ,the ,body of ,jesus ,laid in the ,tomb ,and1 behold1 there was a man named ,joseph1 a counsellor2 and he was a good man1 and a just4 7,the same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them27 he was of ,arimathea1 a city of the ,jews3 who also himself waited for the kingdom of ,god4 ,this man went unto ,pilate1 and begged the body of ,jesus4 ,and he took it down1 and wrapped it in linen1 and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone1 wherein never man before was laid4 ,and that day was the preparation1 and the sabbath drew on4 ,and the women also1 which came with him from ,galilee1 followed after1 and beheld the sepulchre1 and how his body was laid4 ,and they returned1 and prepared spices and ointments4--,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #ej-ef4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,in a garden beneath this cliff1 where ,joseph's new tomb was1 there is a tomb bearing marked characteristics4 ,the workmanship shows it to be ,jewish and of the ,herodian period1 yet when first discovered there were traces of a cross painted upon the wall4 ,although there is room in the sepulchre for four bodies1 one only of these has been completed1 one only occupied4 ,in digging near the foundations of a neighboring monastery1 a ,christian grave was found bearing the remarkable words1 8,laid near his ,lord40 ,we may never know the real meaning of these facts1 but they are at least significant1 and especially so in view of the cogent arguments which can be urged against the acceptance of the traditional site of the ,holy ,sepulchre4 #ga 8,delivered by a ,dog40 ,a minister of the gospel1 who had a country parish in ,new ,england1 tells this story3 8,a farmer belonging to my parish1 and who was quite well off1 died suddenly4 ,shortly after his death his widow1 who was a good ,christian woman1 concluded to give up the farm and take a small house in the neighboring village4 ,the farm was sold and then an auction was held to sell the things on the farm and in the house1 except the furniture that would be needed for the little house in the village4 8,i went to see her10 said the minister on the day of the sale4 8,i told her ,i thought she had done wisely in concluding to give up the farm1 for it was half a mile away from any other house1 and she would be lonely and unprotected there4 8#8,oh6 no1' she said1 #8not unprotected2 far from it6 ,you forget that ,i am now under the special charge of that ,god 8who careth for the widow and the fatherless10 and who1 ,i am sure1 will protect us4' 8,and now1 let me tell you how ,god did protect them4 ,there was a good deal of money in the house that night from the sale which had taken place4 ,the only persons in the house were the mother with her three young children and their maid servant4 8,some time after going to bed she heard a strange and unusual noise at the back of the house4 ,then she was startled by the barking of a dog1 apparently in the room under her chamber4 ,this alarmed her still more as they had no dog of their own4 8,she arose and dressed herself hastily4 ,she awoke her maid and they went down stairs4 ,they first looked into the room where they heard the dog4 ,there they saw a huge black dog1 scratching and barking furiously at the door leading into the kitchen4 ,she told her servant to open the door where the dog was scratching4 ,the girl was brave1 and opened the door without a fear4 ,in a moment the dog rushed out1 and through the open door the widow saw two men at the kitchen window1 which was also open4 ,the men instantly turned to run1 and the dog leaped through the window and ran after them4 ,there was a fierce fight between them1 but the men finally got away1 though followed far off by the faithful dog4 8,mrs4 ,m41 and her maid fastened the window and doors1 and concluded to sit up for the rest of the night1 for1 of course it would be impossible to sleep after what had taken place4 ,they had hardly taken their seats before they heard their noble protector scratching at the outer door for admittance4 ,they gladly let him in1 and when he came up to them1 wagging his great bushy tail1 they patted and praised him for his goodness and courage4 ,then he stretched his huge form beside the warm stove1 closed his eyes and went to sleep4 ,the next morning they gave him a breakfast that any dog might have been glad to get4 ,as soon as he had finished his breakfast1 he went to the door1 and stood impatiently whining till the door was opened1 when off he ran in a great hurry1 and they never saw him again4 8,they had never seen the dog before1 and knew not to whom it belonged4 ,but the grateful widow felt sure that her ,father in heaven had sent him for their protection that night4 ,and her faith was stronger than ever at the mysterious working of his providence40 8,say not1 my soul1 ,from whence ,can ,god relieve my care8 ,remember that omnipotence ,hath servants everywhere40 ,the last lesson taught us by the burial of ,christ is--,a ,,lesson ,,of ,,comfort4 ,if ,christ had not suffered1 and died1 and been buried for us1 we should have no comfort when we come to die4 ,the thought of having to lie down in the grave would have been terrible to us4 ,but ,jesus died and laid in the grave for us1 on purpose that we might not be afraid to die4 ,it is true as the hymn says1 that3 8,the graves of all his saints he blest ,when in the grave he lay40 ,david had learned this lesson1 by faith in the promised ,saviour1 long before he came to earth1 and it was this that enabled him to say1 8,yea1 though ,i walk through the valley of the shadow of death1 ,i will fear no evil1 for thou art with me2 thy rod and thy staff they comfort me40 ,ps4 #bc3d4 ,and the apostle ,paul had learned the same lesson1 when he exclaimed so joyfully1 8,o death1 where is thy sting8 ,o grave1 where is thy victory8 ,thanks be to ,god who giveth us the victory through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,i4 ,cor4 xv3 #ee1 #eg4 ,good ,dr4 ,muhlenberg put this lesson very sweetly into a single verse of his beautiful hymn1 when he said3 8,i would not live alway2 no2 welcome the tomb1 ,since ,jesus hath lain there ,i dread not its gloom4 ,there sweet be my rest1 till he bid me arise1 ,to hail him in triumph descending the skies40 ,the sweet ,scottish poet ,bonar had learned this lesson well1 and was feeling the comfort which the thought of ,christ's burial gives when he could think of dying and lying in the grave1 and speak about it in these words3 8,i go to life and not to death2 ,from darkness to life's native sky2 ,i go from sickness and from pain ,to health and immortality4 8,let our farewell1 then1 be tearless1 ,since ,i bid farewell to tears2 ,write this day of my departure ,festive in your coming years4 8,i go from poverty to wealth1 ,from rags to raiment angel-fair1 ,from the pale leanness of this flesh ,to beauty such as saints shall wear4 8,i go from chains to liberty1 ,these fetters will be broken soon2 ,forth over ,eden's fragrant fields ,i'll walk beneath a glorious noon4 8,for toil there comes the crowned rest2 ,instead of burdens1 eagles' wings2 ,and ,i1 even ,i1 this life-long thirst ,shall quench at everlasting springs40 ,we see the true effect of ,christ's burial in the feeling of comfort which those who believe in him experience when they come to die4 ,here are some examples of what ,i mean4 ,when ,dr4 ,watts was on his death-bed1 he said1 8,i bless ,god that ,i can lie down at night without the slightest fear whether ,i wake in this world or another40 ,another good minister1 when asked how he felt at the approach of death1 said1--8,i am just going into eternity2 but ,i bless ,god1 ,i am neither ashamed to live1 nor afraid to die40 ,during the reign of ,henry ,,viii1 of ,england1 many good men were cruelly put to death for the sake of their religion4 ,among these was ,dr4 ,fisher1 ,bishop of ,rochester4 ,when he came in sight of the scaffold on which he was to die1 he took out of his pocket a ,greek ,testament1 and looking up to heaven1 said1 8,now1 ,o ,lord1 direct me to some passage which may comfort me in this trying hour40 ,then he opened the book1 and his eye rested on this passage1 8,this is life eternal1 to know thee1 the only true ,god1 and ,jesus ,christ whom thou hast sent40 ,he closed the book and said1 8,praised be ,god6 this is all ,i need4 ,this is enough for life1 or for death2 for time1 or for eternity40 ,when the ,rev4 ,james ,harvey came to his last sickness1 his physician came in one day and told him he had but very little time to live4 8,then let me spend my last moments10 said he1 8in praising my blessed ,saviour4 ,though my heart and my flesh fail1 yet ,god is the strength of my heart1 and my portion forever4 ,st4 ,paul says3 #8,all things are yours1 whether life or death2 things present1 or things to come2 all are yours1 and ye are ,christ's1 and ,christ is ,god's4' ,here is the treasure of a ,christian1 and a noble treasure it is4 ,death is ours4 ,jesus has made it our friend1 by his death and burial4 ,praise ,god for this truth4 ,and now welcome death6 ,how well thou mayest be welcomed among the treasures of the ,christian4 #8,for me to live is ,christ1 but to die is gain4'0 ,the ,rev4 ,william ,janeway was another excellent and faithful minister of ,christ4 ,in his closing sickness1 these were among the last words that he spoke3 8,i bless ,god ,i can die in peace4 ,i know what that means1 #8,the peace of ,god which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts4' ,it is keeping mine now4 ,my joy is greater than ,i can express4 ,bless the ,lord1 ,o my soul1 and all that is within me1 bless his holy name4 ,now ,i can die4 ,it is nothing4 ,i long to die4 ,i desire to depart and be with ,christ40 ,and so he died4 ,these good men had studied well the subject of ,christ's burial1 and had learned the lesson of comfort it was intended to teach us4 ,and when we think of the burial of ,christ1 let us remember the lessons of which we have now spoken in connection with it4 ,these are the lessons about the certainty of his death3--the fulfillment of his word2--the working of his providence2--and the comfort we derive from his burial4 ,the collect for ,easter-even1 is a very appropriate one with which to close this subject3--8,grant1 ,o ,lord1 that as we are baptized into the death of thy blessed ,son1 our ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ1 so by continual mortifying our corrupt affections1 we may be buried with him2 and that through the grave and gate of death1 we may pass to our joyful resurrection1 for his merits1 who died1 and was buried1 and rose again for us1 thy ,son1 ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,amen40 ,,the ,,resurrection ,the rising of our blessed ,lord from the dead was one of the most important events in the history of his life on earth4 ,let us take an illustration of its importance4 ,suppose that we were living in ,england1 and that we were well acquainted with ,victoria--the good and gracious queen of that great kingdom4 ,and suppose that it should please the queen to make us a present of one of the fine old castles of ,england1 with all the lands and property belonging to it4 ,in giving us this castle1 or1 as the lawyers say1 in 8conveying it to us10 the queen would order a title deed to be made out4 ,this deed would be necessary2 because if any one else should claim that the castle belonged to him1 we could then open the deed and show that the queen had really given it to us4 ,a title deed1 like this of which we are now speaking1 is generally written on a sheet of parchment4 ,in this deed would be found the name of the castle1 with a full description of it1 and all the property belonging to it4 ,it would be stated here how many acres of land were connected with it2 and then it would be written down that the queen had given it to us1 and that it was to belong to us1 and to our children1 or heirs forever4 ,but after all this had been written out1 the deed would be good for nothing unless something more were done to it4 ,it would be necessary for the queen to sign her own name to the deed--,victoria ,regina--and then put the royal seal upon it4 ,the property described in it could never become ours1 unless the queen's signature and seal were added to it4 ,when ,jesus came down from heaven to earth1 his great object was to secure for his people a home in heaven1--a mansion in the skies4 ,when he hung upon the cross1 we may well say that he was writing out the title deed to those mansions1 in his own blood4 ,but1 after this deed had thus been written1 it was necessary for his ,father in heaven to show that he approved of what had been done4 ,when ,jesus died and was buried1 we may say that he took with him the title deed to our heavenly home1 to get his ,father to sign it and seal it4 ,and when the resurrection of ,jesus took place it showed that this was done4 ,then ,god the ,father did1 as it were1 say--8,i approve of what my beloved son has done4 ,i sign and seal the title deed which he has written out to secure a home in heaven for all who love and serve him40 ,this shows us how very important the resurrection of ,jesus was4 ,and because it is so important1 we may well feel a great interest in studying the subject of ,christ's resurrection4 ,and in doing this there are two things for us carefully to consider4 ,these are--,the proof of the resurrection of ,christ2 and the lessons we are taught by it4 ,let us begin by considering--the proof of the resurrection of ,christ4 ,we have great cause for thankfulness that the proof given us on this subject is so clear and strong4 ,there is no fact of history supported by stronger proof than is the fact of ,christ's resurrection4 ,we believe that there was such a person as ,napoleon ,bonaparte2 that he was emperor of ,france2 and that he died a prisoner on the island of ,st4 ,helena4 ,we believe that there was such a person as ,george ,washington2 that he was the leader of our armies during the revolutionary war2 and that1 after the war1 he was the first president of the ,united ,states4 ,we believe that there was such a person as ,julius ,csar2 that he was a successful general of the ,roman armies2 and that he met his death in the ,senate chamber from the daggers of the ,roman senators4 ,no one doubts these facts4 ,they are matters of history4 ,and yet the proof we have of the resurrection of ,christ is clearer and stronger than the proof we have for what we believe respecting ,julius ,csar1 or ,george ,washington1 or ,napoleon ,bonaparte4 ,nothing that we read of in history is more sure than this1 that ,jesus did rise from the dead4 ,many years ago1 there was an infidel club in ,england4 ,it was composed of learned and distinguished men4 ,at the meetings of the club1 its members were in the habit of ridiculing the ,bible and of trying to show it was not worthy of being believed4 ,on one occasion a member of this club was appointed to examine the subject of the resurrection of ,christ and to write an essay for the purpose of showing that there was no satisfactory proof that he ever rose from the dead4 ,he examined carefully what is said on this subject in the ,new ,testament4 ,and the end of it was1 that he became fully convinced of the fact that ,christ did rise from the dead4 ,and1 instead of writing an article for that infidel club to show that what ,christians believe about the resurrection of ,christ is not true1 he wrote one of the best books that ever has been written1 to prove1 beyond all doubt1 that the resurrection of ,christ is true4 ,he became an earnest ,christian4 ,and that which led to this great change was the convincing proof he found in the ,new ,testament of the truth of the resurrection of ,christ4 ,he saw it was true that ,jesus did rise from the dead4 ,and when he became satisfied that this was true1 he was obliged to admit that all the other teachings of the ,new ,testament respecting ,christ must be true also4 ,the resurrection of ,christ is the foundation stone on which the religion of the ,bible is built up4 ,if that falls1 this must fall4 ,but if that stands firm and sure1 then this must stand firm and sure also4 ,illustration3 8,he is not ,here1 but is ,risen0 ,and they returned1 and prepared spices and ointments2 and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment4--,now upon the first day of the week1 very early in the morning1 they came unto the sepulchre1 bringing the spices which they had prepared1 and certain others with them4 ,and they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre4 ,and they entered in1 and found not the body of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,and it came to pass1 as they were much perplexed thereabout1 behold1 two men stood by them in shining garments4 ,and as they were afraid1 and bowed down their faces to the earth1 they said unto them1 ,why seek ye the living among the dead8 ,he is not here1 but is risen3 remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in ,galilee1 ,saying1 ,the ,son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men1 and be crucified1 and the third day rise again4 ,and they remembered his words4 ,and returned from the sepulchre1 and told all these things unto the eleven1 and to all the rest4--,st4 ,luke xxiii3 #ef2 xxiv3 #a-i4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,this and the following picture present the chief features of the rock-hewn tomb referred to in ,note facing picture ,no4 #ga4 ,it is about fifteen feet long by eleven feet wide1 and eight feet in height1 and it is divided transversely by a flattened arch supporting the roof4 ,the single completed grave is formed by the erection on the floor-level of a limestone slab in notches cut in the rock for its support1 thus forming1 with the walls1 a sort of built sarcophagus1 or coffin4 ,an additional hollow1 cut in the rock for the reception of the head1 explains the meaning of 8the napkin that was about his head0 being 8in a place by itself40 ,sepulchres of this type are comparatively rare1 and1 providing as it does a minimum of accommodation for the labor expended on its construction1 this new tomb must obviously have belonged to a man of wealth4 #gb ,and in examining the proof of the resurrection of ,christ the most important thing to notice is--the number and character of the witnesses4 ,the first person who saw our blessed ,lord1 after he rose from the dead1 was ,mary ,magdalene4 ,we read about this in ,st4 ,mark xi3 #i4 ,st4 ,john xx3 #aa-ah4 ,after this he appeared to certain other women1 who were returning from the sepulchre4 ,st4 ,matt4 xxviii3 #i1 #aj4 ,then he appeared to ,simon ,peter1 alone4 ,st4 ,luke xxiv3 #cd1 ,i4 ,cor4 xv3 #e4 ,his next appearance was to two of his disciples1 as they were walking together from ,jerusalem to a village called ,emmaus4 ,he had a long talk with them and stopped and ate bread with them4 ,st4 ,luke xxiv3 #ac-cb4 ,the fifth appearance of the risen ,saviour was to ten of his disciples1 ,thomas being the only one of them who was not there4 ,this was at ,jerusalem1 on the evening of the first glad ,easter day4 ,st4 ,john xx3 #ai-cb4 ,after this we hear nothing of him for a week4 ,but on the evening of 8the first ,sunday after ,easter10 he made his sixth appearance4 ,on this occasion the eleven disciples were all together4 ,thomas was with them now4 ,they were sitting in a room1 with the door closed1 and no doubt fastened1 for fear of the ,jews4 ,only one subject could occupy their thoughts--and that was the resurrection of their wonderful ,master4 ,suddenly ,jesus himself stood in the midst of them1 and said1 8,peace be unto you40 ,in spite of all that he had heard from the other disciples1 ,thomas declared he could not believe it possible that ,jesus had risen from the dead4 ,when his brethren told him that it was true1 he said1 8,except ,i shall see in his hands the print of the nails1 and put my finger into the print of the nails1 and thrust my hand into his side1 ,i will not believe40 ,but on this occasion the loving and gracious ,saviour met his doubting disciple in the very way in which he had desired to be met4 ,for we read3 8,then saith he to ,thomas1 reach hither thy finger1 and behold my hands3 and reach hither thy hand1 and thrust it into my side2 and be not faithless1 but believing40 ,st4 ,john xx3 #bf-bi4 ,the seventh appearance of the risen ,saviour1 was on the shore of the sea of ,galilee4 ,a number of the apostles were together on this occasion4 ,it was one of the most touching and impressive of all his interviews with them4 ,the deeply interesting account of what took place at this time is given in full in the twenty-first chapter of ,st4 ,john's gospel2 but we cannot enlarge on the subject now4 ,the eighth time that ,jesus was seen after his resurrection was by the eleven disciples again4 ,we read in ,st4 ,matt4 xxviii3 #af--8,then the eleven disciples went away into ,galilee1 into a mountain where ,jesus had appointed them40 ,this refers to ,st4 ,matt4 xxvi3 #cb1 when as they were partaking together of the ,lord's ,supper for the first time1 after referring to his death he said1 8,but after ,i am risen again1 ,i will go before you into ,galilee40 ,we are not told where this meeting was held1 or what took place on that occasion4 ,the ninth appearance of the risen ,lord1 is that of which ,st4 ,paul speaks in ,i4 ,cor4 xv3 #g1 where he tells us that 8he appeared to above four hundred brethren at once40 ,the place here referred to is not mentioned1 and so cannot be known4 ,it was probably in ,galilee4 ,jesus had spent most of his public life in that part of the country4 ,he had made most of his disciples there4 ,it was proper1 therefore1 that those disciples1 who would1 of course1 hear of his death1 should have some public proof given them of the fact of his resurrection4 ,no doubt the eleven disciples went to ,galilee after ,jesus rose4 ,they would spread the news that he had risen1 and that he was about to show himself to his friends on a certain mountain4 ,nothing more would be necessary anywhere to draw together a great concourse of people than a report that one who was dead had come to life again1 and was about to show himself2 and in this case where they greatly loved him1 and where1 no doubt1 many believed he would rise1 they would naturally come together in great numbers to see him once more4 ,the tenth appearance of ,christ after his resurrection was to the apostle ,james4 ,this is told us by ,st4 ,paul1 who says ,i4 ,cor4 xv3 #g4 8,after that he was seen of ,james40 ,this is not mentioned in any of the gospels4 ,but as ,jesus was on earth for forty days after his resurrection1 it is most likely that he appeared often to his disciples1 and that only enough of the more prominent appearances were mentioned1 to prove the fact that he had risen4 ,the eleventh occasion on which ,jesus was seen after his resurrection was on the ,mount of ,olives1 just before his ascension into heaven4 ,on this occasion all the eleven apostles were present1 and no doubt great numbers of his other disciples4 ,and then there was one other occasion on which ,jesus appeared1 making twelve in all4 ,this was after his ascension into heaven4 ,to this the apostle ,paul refers1 when he says1 8,and last of all he was seen of me also40 ,i4 ,cor4 xv3 #h4 ,this was when he had that wonderful vision near ,damascus4 ,then the great apostle to the ,gentiles1 saw the same ,lord ,jesus1 in the same body which had been seen by others4 ,unless it were so1 this would be no proof that ,jesus was risen from the dead4 ,it was not a fancy therefore that he had seen him4 ,it was not revealed to him1 that ,jesus was risen4 8,last of all he was seen of me40 ,with his bodily eyes1 ,st4 ,paul actually saw1 in a bodily form1 that same ,jesus who had died upon the cross2 who had been buried in that rocky sepulchre2 who had risen from the dead and had ascended into heaven4 ,such were the witnesses of the resurrection1 as to their number4 ,and now look at the character of these witnesses4 ,they were sensible men4 ,they knew what they were doing4 ,they could not be mistaken about the fact of ,christ's resurrection4 ,they had seen him put to death upon the cross4 ,they had seen him buried4 ,on the third day after his burial they had found his tomb empty4 ,his body was gone4 ,then they saw him alive4 ,they could not be mistaken about his person4 ,they knew him too well for this4 ,they had seen the print of the nails in his hands4 ,this made the proof of his resurrection perfect4 ,and then they were honest men4 ,they had no motive for preaching the resurrection of ,christ but the sincere belief that it was true4 ,if they could have made money or gained honor by preaching the resurrection1 that would have been a reason for their doing so even if it had not been true4 ,but the very opposite of this was the case4 ,preaching the resurrection brought on them the loss of all they had in the world4 ,it caused them to be persecuted1 imprisoned1 and put to death4 ,and yet they went on preaching that ,christ had risen4 ,and they would have been guilty of the greatest folly if they had done this without being thoroughly convinced that it was true4 ,but they were perfectly satisfied of the truth of what they preached1 and this was the reason why they went on preaching it4 ,and then1 if ,christ had not risen from the dead1 it would have been the easiest thing in the world for the enemies of his cause to have denied it4 ,that would have ended the matter4 ,but they never did this4 ,and the only reason why they did not do so1 was that they knew it was true that ,christ had risen4 ,they could not deny the fact4 ,and when we put these things all together1 we see how perfectly convincing is the proof of the resurrection of ,christ4 ,and now let us look at some of the lessons taught us by our ,lord's resurrection4 ,the first lesson we may learn from this great fact is about--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,christ4 ,we know of nothing that is harder to do than to bring the dead back to life4 ,men can do many things1 but this is one thing which they cannot do4 ,all the men in the world and all the angels in heaven could never1 by their own strength1 restore life to the dead4 ,when the blood stops flowing through the veins1 and the heart stands still1 there is nothing but the power of ,god that can make the heart begin to beat1 and the blood begin to flow again4 ,but ,jesus had the power to do this4 ,he raised ,lazarus to life after he had lain in the grave four days4 ,and he did the same to the widow's son1 and to the daughter of ,jairus4 ,and what he did for others in this matter1 he did for himself also4 ,and he did it by his own power4 ,on one occasion1 when speaking to his disciples about his death1 or1 as he called it1 laying down his life1 he said1 8,i lay it down of myself2 ,i have power to lay it down1 and ,i have power to take it again40 ,and he did this on the morning of the resurrection4 ,he exercised his own power to give new life to his dead body4 ,here we have a grand lesson about the power of ,christ4 ,and it is very comforting to know how great the power of ,jesus is1 because we so often need to have him exercise that power to help us when we are in trouble4 ,and he is exercising his power in this way continually4 ,let us look at some of the ways in which he does this4 8,the ,power of ,christ to ,save40 ,a young man1 the son of a pious mother1 was wandering away from the paths in which he had been trained to walk4 ,he had given up going to church1 and in the summer time generally spent his ,sundays in sailing on the river in a boat with his gay companions4 ,one ,sunday the boat upset4 ,he could not swim and he went down in the deep water4 ,as he rose to the surface for the last time1 he was seized and his cold and apparently lifeless body was brought to the shore4 ,he was carried home4 ,everything possible was done for his recovery1 but for a long time it seemed uncertain whether he would come back to life4 ,there was a feeble flutter about the wrist1 just enough to keep hope alive4 ,his mother knelt by his bedside1 and prayed in her agony that he might be spared at least till he could seek and find pardon4 ,as she thus prayed1 the cold hand held in hers gave a feeble pressure4 ,the eyelids quivered a little1 but did not open4 ,after a while he looked at his mother1 and said1 in a low whisper1 8,mother ,i am saved40 ,supposing that he meant saved from drowning1 she replied1 8,yes1 dear1 thank ,god you are saved40 ,and then in broken sentences1 with long intervals between them1 he gave this remarkable experience3 8,mother1 ,i heard you praying3 if ,i had died you would have thought me lost3 but ,i am saved4 ,when ,i let go my hold upon the boat1 the thought flashed across my mind--,i am lost4 ,i am going into eternity with all my sins unpardoned4 ,i lifted up my heart to heaven1 and said1 #8,god be merciful to me a sinner4 ,lord save me6' ,i seemed to hear a voice distinctly saying1 #8,i will save thee1 trust me4' ,i am sure it was the voice of ,jesus4 ,all my fear was gone4 ,but after that ,i knew nothing until ,i heard you praying for me4 ,you would have mourned for me as lost2 but mother ,i am saved40 ,and the result proved that he was right4 ,as soon as he recovered his health and strength1 he gave up all his wicked ways1 and lived the life of an earnest and devoted ,christian4 ,how wonderful is the power of ,jesus to save6 8,the ,power of ,jesus to ,provide40 ,a ,christian widow was dying4 ,she was very poor1 and had four young children to leave helpless and alone in the world4 ,as she took leave of her little ones1 ,nettie1 the oldest girl1 about fourteen years of age1 said amidst heart-breaking sobs and tears1 8,o1 mother dear1 what shall we do when you are gone80 8,nettie1 darling10 said the mother1 8,god's hand will help you4 ,it is an omnipotent hand4 ,never let go of it40 ,the mother died and was buried4 ,towards evening of the next day1 little ,dick1 the youngest of the children1 came to ,nettie and said1 8,nettie1 ,dick's awful hungry4 ,isn't there a bit of crust anywhere80 8,poor ,dick10 said ,nettie1 8what shall we do80 ,and then1 remembering what her dying mother had said about the ,omnipotent hand1 she dropped on her knees1 and said1 8,o ,god1 our ,god1 and our mother's ,god1 look on these hungry little ones1 left in my care1 and send them some food for ,christ's sake4 ,amen40 ,a rich merchant of the town was going home that evening4 ,he was a widower1 but had no children4 ,without knowing why1 he took a different way home from the one ordinarily taken4 ,as he walked slowly along he happened to be just under the open window when ,nettie made that prayer for bread4 ,the tone of deep sadness in it touched his heart4 ,he stopped4 ,he knocked at the door4 ,nettie opened it1 and asked him in4 ,he found out the sad condition of those helpless orphans4 ,he gave them money to get what they needed4 ,he continued to visit them1 and finally became so much interested in them that he took them to live with him in his own home4 ,nettie felt the blessedness of holding on to the ,omnipotent hand4 ,here we see the power of ,jesus to provide4 ,one other illustration shows us--8,the ,power of ,jesus to ,protect40 ,a young ,christian woman1 whose family were very well off1 was confined to her sick bed for many years4 ,she seldom had any one in the room with her at night4 ,on one occasion she lay awake about midnight4 ,the family were all asleep and the house was very still1 when the door of her chamber opened and a man walked softly in4 ,he came towards her bed and then stopped a moment4 ,her little night lamp was shining on them both1 from the stand by her bedside4 ,she did not scream1 or cry4 ,the robber looked at this lovely girl1 as she gazed on him with perfect calmness4 ,lifting her finger1 and pointing solemnly towards heaven1 she said1 8,do you know that ,god sees you80 ,the man waited a moment1 but made no reply4 ,then he turned and walked quietly away4 ,he had opened no other doors than the street door and the door of her chamber4 ,the omnipotent hand was there1 too4 ,what a blessed thing it is to hold on to that hand6 ,here we see the power of ,jesus to protect4 ,the power he had to raise himself from the dead1 he has still1 to use for the help and comfort of his people4 ,the second lesson to be learned from the resurrection is a lesson about--,,the ,,tenderness ,,of ,,christ4 ,we learn this lesson from two little incidents connected with the resurrection4 ,you remember that on the night of our ,saviour's trial1 though all the disciples forsook him1 yet ,peter was the only one of them who denied him4 ,in the very presence of ,jesus1 he declared with oaths and curses1 that he did not know him4 ,how painful this must have been to the blessed ,saviour6 ,it might have been expected that when he met ,peter again1 for the first time after this1 he would have had some sharp rebuke to give him4 ,but it was not so4 ,instead of this1 we find that when the angels at the empty tomb met the women who had come early to anoint the body of ,jesus1 they told them that he had risen from the dead1 and then charged them to go and tell the good news to 8his disciples1 and ,peter40 ,he was the only one of all the disciples who was mentioned by name in this message of the angels4 8,tell his disciples1 and ,peter60 ,how strange this was6 ,the angels did not do it of their own accord4 ,no doubt ,jesus had told them to say this4 ,and why did he do so8 ,what led him to do it8 ,it was the tenderness of his loving heart4 ,he knew how badly ,peter had been feeling about his shameful denial of him4 ,he knew what bitter tears he had been shedding over his sin4 ,and he wished to let him know that1 notwithstanding what he had done1 his injured ,master had no unkind feeling in his heart towards him4 ,and so he told the angels to say to the women that they should--8go tell his disciples1 and ,peter10 that their ,lord was risen4 ,here we see the tenderness of ,jesus4 ,illustration3 ,peter and ,john in the ,sepulchre ,peter therefore went forth1 and that other disciple1 and came to the sepulchre4 ,so they ran both together3 and the other disciple did outrun ,peter1 and came first to the sepulchre4 ,and he stooping down and looking in1 saw the linen clothes lying2 yet went he not in4 ,then cometh ,simon ,peter following him1 and went into the sepulchre1 and seeth the linen clothes lie4 ,and the napkin1 that was about his head1 not lying with the linen clothes1 but wrapped together in a place by itself4 ,then went in also that other disciple1 which came first to the sepulchre1 and he saw and believed4 ,for as yet they knew not the scripture1 that he must rise again from the dead4 ,then the disciples went away again unto their own home4--,st4 ,john xx3 #c-aj4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,the peculiar construction of the tomb furnishes an interesting commentary upon the text1 of which this picture is an illustration4 ,john is described as coming first to the sepulchre 8and he stooping down and looking in saw the linen clothes lying2 yet went he not in40 ,why8 ,because from his position at the entrance1 he could perceive in the uncertain light the outline of the grave-clothes1 and he hastily concluded from their undisturbed appearance that the body of his ,master was still there4 ,peter1 with characteristic impulsiveness1 entered in1 and announced the startling discovery that the body of ,jesus was indeed removed4 8,then went in also that other disciple10 and further examination revealed the well-nigh incredible fact that the grave-clothes and the head-napkin had simply fallen together in a manner only compatible with the supposition that they had not been unwound1 but that in some mysterious way the body of the ,lord ,jesus had actually risen through the cerements of the tomb1 leaving not a fold disturbed4 ,as yet the two disciples had not grasped the meaning of their ,master's words that he should rise again1 nor of the prophetic utterance of ,david2 but now1 they 8saw and believed40 #gc ,and then there was another incident connected with the resurrection of ,jesus which shows his tenderness still more touchingly4 ,he arranged matters so that ,peter might have a private interview with him1 early in the day on which he rose from the dead4 ,st4 ,luke tells us1 ,ch4 xxiv3 #cd1 that ,jesus 8appeared unto ,simon40 ,and ,st4 ,paul says that--8he was seen of ,cephas40 ,i4 ,cor4 xv3 #e4 ,this was a meeting that ,peter had with the ,master whom he had denied1 all by himself4 ,we are not told what took place at this meeting4 ,peter never said a word about it2 and it was too sacred for any one else to intrude upon4 ,but we can very well imagine what was said and done4 ,we can imagine how the poor penitent disciple would sob1 as if his heart were breaking1 when he saw his injured ,master4 ,we can fancy we see him throwing himself at the feet of ,jesus and bathing them with bitter1 burning tears1 as he begged to be forgiven4 ,and then we can think of the kind and gentle words that ,jesus would speak to him4 ,how tenderly he would assure him of his free forgiveness6 ,how he would tell him that he loved him still6 and how willing he was to put him back in his old place as a disciple1 and let him go and preach salvation for lost sinners through his death and resurrection6 ,how kind it was in ,jesus thus to give ,peter an opportunity of making up with him1 when they were all alone by themselves6 ,let us never forget the tenderness of ,jesus1 as shown by these two incidents4 ,and let us try1 like him1 to be loving and gentle and kind to all4 ,see how much good may be done by those who imitate the example of ,christ in this respect4 8,the ,power of ,kindness40 ,an ,english merchant had taken passage on board a ,turkish vessel1 on the ,mediterranean ,sea4 ,during the voyage his attention was called to an interesting man on the vessel1 who was a slave belonging to the captain4 ,he had frequent conversations with him and found him to be a kind-hearted1 active1 and intelligent person4 ,in the course of their conversations together1 he learned that the man had been born free1 but had been taken captive in war1 and was now a slave for life4 ,the merchant felt a great sympathy for the poor captive and had a desire to get him released4 ,he inquired what it would cost to purchase his freedom4 ,the sum named was more than the whole profit of his voyage4 ,still he could not give up the thought4 ,he offered the captain a price for his slave4 ,the offer was accepted4 ,the slave overheard this conversation4 ,he supposed the merchant was going to purchase him1 that he might keep him as his own slave4 ,this made him very angry4 ,he sprang forward and said1 with great excitement1 8,you call yourself a lover of freedom1 an enemy to slavery1 wherever found1 and yet you are purchasing me60 ,the merchant turned and looked kindly on him1 as he calmly said1 8,my friend1 ,i have bought you to set you at liberty4 ,now you are a free man40 ,in a moment the storm of passion was stilled4 ,the slave burst into tears2 and falling at the feet of his deliverer1 he exclaimed1 8,you have taken my heart captive6 ,i am your servant forever60 ,few of us may have the opportunity of showing kindness as this merchant did4 ,but every boy and girl in the land may follow the example of the noble lad whose kindness to the aged is told in these simple lines3 ,,somebody',s ,,mother4 8,the woman was old1 and ragged and gray1 ,and bent with the chill of the winter's day2 ,the street was wet with recent snow1 ,and the woman's feet were aged and slow4 ,she stood at the crossing1 and waited long1 ,alone1 uncared for1 amid the throng ,of human beings who passed her by1 ,none heeded the glance of her anxious eye4 8,down the street1 with laughter and shout1 ,glad in the freedom of #8school let out1' ,came the boys1 like a flock of sheep1 ,hailing the snow piled white and deep4 ,past the woman so old and gray1 ,hastened the children on their way1 ,nor offered a helping hand to her ,so meek1 so timid1 afraid to stir 8,lest the carriage-wheels1 or the horses' feet ,should crowd her down in the slippery street4 ,at last came one of the merry troop1 ,the gayest laddie of the group2 ,he paused beside her and whispered low #8,i'll help you across if you wish to go4' ,her aged hand on his strong young arm ,she placed1 and so1 without hurt1 or harm1 8,he guided the trembling feet along1 ,glad that his own were firm and strong4 ,then back again to his friends he went1 ,his young heart happy and well content4 #8,she's somebody's mother1 you know1 ,altho' she is aged1 and poor1 and slow2 ,and ,i hope some fellow will lend a hand ,to help my mother1 you understand1 8#8,if ever she's poor1 and old1 and gray1 ,when her own dear boy is far away4' ,and #8somebody's mother' bowed low her head ,in her home that night1 and the prayer she said ,was1 #8,god be kind to that noble boy1 ,who is somebody's son1 and pride1 and joy6'0 ,let us never forget the lesson of tenderness which ,jesus taught on the morning of his resurrection4 ,the only other lesson1 in connection with the resurrection of ,christ1 of which we would now speak is about--,,the ,,way ,,of ,,showing ,,our ,,love ,,to ,,him4 ,this lesson was taught on the shore of the ,sea of ,galilee4 ,some of the disciples of ,jesus had gone back to their old trade of fishing4 ,on one occasion they had been out all night1 but had caught nothing4 ,the next morning1 ,jesus stood on the shore of the lake1 but they did not know him4 ,he asked them if they had anything to eat4 ,they said no4 ,he told them to cast the net on the right side of the ship1 and they would find plenty of fish4 ,they did so1 and their nets were filled at once4 ,then ,john1 the loving disciple1 was the first to find out who it was4 ,he said to ,peter1 8,it is the ,lord40 ,as soon as ,peter heard this1 he fastened his fishing coat about him1 plunged into the sea1 and swam to the shore4 ,the other disciples rowed to land in their boat4 ,as soon as they landed1 they found a fire of coals1 with fish and bread all ready for eating4 ,jesus invited them to come and dine with him4 ,they did so1 and when the dinner was over1 he had a long conversation with them4 ,as they were talking together1 he said to ,peter1 8,simon1 son of ,jonas1 lovest thou me80 ,he saith unto him1 8,yea1 ,lord2 ,thou knowest that ,i love thee40 ,he saith unto him1 8,feed my lambs40 ,this question was repeated by ,jesus the second and the third time4 ,peter gave the same answer each time4 ,the reply of ,jesus was--8,feed my sheep40 ,the lambs of ,christ's flock mean the children1 or young members of his church4 ,the sheep of ,christ mean the older members of his church4 ,by feeding his lambs and his sheep1 ,jesus meant teaching his people1 both young an old1 about himself1 and what he has done for their salvation4 ,and by what ,jesus said on this occasion1 he meant to teach ,peter1 and you and me1 and all his people1 that if we really love him1 the way in which he wishes us to show that love1 is by being kind to others--by teaching them about him1 and by trying to get them to love and serve him1 too4 ,this is a good lesson for ministers to learn2 for parents1 for teachers1 and for all who love ,jesus4 ,when we have found what a faithful friend1 what a loving ,saviour1 what a kind and tender comforter we have in him1 then he wishes us to do all we can to help others to know him1 and love him1 and serve him4 ,this is what we should all be trying to do4 ,let us look at some of the ways in which we may do this4 8,the ,unexpected ,friend40 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,moffatt1--the missionary to ,southern ,africa1 tells an interesting story which illustrates very strikingly this part of our subject4 8,in one of my early journeys in this land10 he says1 8,i came1 with my companions1 to a heathen village on the banks of a river4 ,we had travelled far1 and were hungry and thirsty and very weary4 ,the people of the village would not let us come near them4 ,we asked for water and they would not give us any4 ,we offered to buy milk1 but they refused to sell us any4 ,we had no prospect but that of spending the night without anything to eat1 or to drink4 ,but at the close of the day a woman came to us from the village4 ,she bore on her head a bundle of wood1 and had a vessel of milk in her hand4 ,without saying a word1 she handed us the milk4 ,she laid down the wood and returned to the village4 ,presently she came again with a cooking vessel on her head1 with a leg of mutton in one hand and a vessel of water in the other4 ,silently she kindled the fire and put on the meat4 ,again and again we asked her who she was and why she was doing all this for us strangers4 ,at last she said that years before there had been a missionary in her neighborhood4 ,he had gone away a long while ago2 but from him she had learned to know the ,saviour4 #8,i love him1' she said1 #8whose servants you are1 and ,i wish to show my love to him by doing what ,i can to help you4' #8,i asked her1' said ,mr4 ,moffatt1 #8how she1 alone in that dark land1 without a minister1 without a church1 and without any ,christian friends1 had kept up the light of ,god in her heart8' ,she drew from her bosom a soiled and worn copy of the ,new ,testament1 which the missionary had given her4 #8,this1' she said1 #8is the fountain from which ,i drink2 this is the oil that makes my lamp burn4'0 8,how a ,boy ,showed his ,love for ,christ40 ,some time ago a dreadful accident took place on the river ,thames1 in ,england4 ,a steamer1 called the ,princess ,alice1 when crowded with passengers1 on an excursion1 was run into by another vessel and sunk4 ,fearful screams filled the air as the great crowd of people were plunged into the water4 ,among those who were drawn to the spot was a good ,christian boy1 about sixteen years of age1 who worked in the neighborhood4 ,being a good swimmer1 he at once plunged into the water1 took hold of the first struggler he met with1 and bore him away in safety to the shore4 ,he did the same the second time1 and then the third4 ,as he was nearing the shore the third time he saw a small bundle floating on the water1 which he thought must be a baby4 ,he caught it with his teeth1 and thus was the means of saving four lives on that terrible occasion4 ,by the time he had done this1 his strength was exhausted1 and he was unable to venture again among the drowning ones4 ,but he carried the baby home to his mother's humble dwelling1 and placing the little orphan in her arms1 he said1 8,here1 mother1 suppose you nurse this baby for our blessed ,saviour2 and ,i will work for its support as long as ,i live40 ,a noble boy that was6 and a beautiful illustration he gave of the way in which we should show our love to ,jesus1 by feeding and taking care of his lambs1 and doing good to his people4 ,i never saw the lesson now before us better expressed than in the following simple lines3 ,,shining ,,for ,,jesus4 8,are you shining for ,jesus children8 ,you have given your hearts to ,him2 ,but is the light strong within them1 or is it but pale and dim8 ,can everybody see it--that ,jesus is all for you8 ,that your love to ,him is burning with radiance warm and true8 ,is the seal upon your forehead1 so that it must be known ,that you are #8all for ,jesus1' that your hearts are all ,his own8 8,are you shining for ,jesus1 children1 so that the holy light ,may enter the hearts of others1 and make them glad and bright8 ,have you spoken a word for ,jesus1 and told to some around-- ,who do not care about ,him1--what a ,saviour you have found8 ,have you lifted the lamp for others1 that has guided your own glad feet8 ,have you echoed the loving message1 that seemed to you so sweet8 8,are you shining for ,jesus1 children1 shining just everywhere8 ,not only in easy places1 not only just here or there8 ,shining in happy gatherings1 where all are loved and known8 ,shining where all are strangers1--shining when quite alone8 ,shining at home1 and making true sunshine all around8 ,shining at school1 and faithful--perhaps among faithless--found8 8,oh6 rise1 and #8watching daily1' ask ,him your lamps to trim1 ,with the fresh oil which ,he giveth1 that they may not burn dim4 ,yes1 rise and shine for ,jesus6 ,be brave1 and bright and true1 ,to the true and loving ,saviour1 who gave ,himself for you4 ,oh6 shine for ,jesus1 children6 and henceforth be your way ,bright with the light that shineth unto the perfect day60 ,,the ,,ascension ,we come now to the last event in the history of our ,saviour's life on earth4 ,his work is done4 ,his teachings are finished4 ,his sufferings are ended4 ,nothing remains for him to do but to return to heaven1 from whence he came1 and take his seat at the right hand of ,god4 ,and this is the subject we are now to consider--,the ,ascension of ,christ4 ,and in considering it1 the first thing for us to notice is--the time of the ,ascension4 ,and in all the ,new ,testament there is only one place in which anything is said about the time of the ascension4 ,indeed it is surprising that so little is said about it altogether4 ,two of the gospels1 that of ,st4 ,matthew and ,st4 ,john1 have not a word to say on the subject4 ,and the other two do not say much4 ,all that ,st4 ,mark says about it is in a single verse4 ,we read thus in ,chap4 xvi3 #ai3--8,so1 then1 after that the ,lord had spoken unto them1 he was received up into heaven1 and sat on the right hand of ,god40 ,there are two verses in ,st4 ,luke in which the ascension is spoken of4 ,in ,ch4 xxiv3 #ej1 #ea1 we find the ascension thus described3 8,and he led them out as far as to ,bethany2 and he lifted up his hands and blessed them4 ,and it came to pass1 while he blessed them1 he was parted from them1 and carried up into heaven40 ,the most particular account of the ascension that we have in the ,new ,testament is given in the 8,acts of the ,apostles40 ,in the first chapter of this book we are told that the ascension took place 8forty days after the resurrection40 ,we are told of the 8many infallible proofs0 that he had risen1 and how he spoke to them 8of the things pertaining to the kingdom of heaven40 ,and he 8commanded them not to depart from ,jerusalem10 until they should 8be baptized with the ,holy ,ghost10 which was to take place 8not many days0 after his ascension4 8,ye shall receive power10 said he1 8after that the ,holy ,ghost is come upon you40 ,then he told them how 8they should be witnesses for him1 both in ,jerusalem and in all ,judea1 and unto the uttermost parts of the earth40 8,and when he had spoken these things1 while they beheld1 he was taken up2 and a cloud received him out of their sight40 ,and then we read about the two angels who appeared to the disciples and told them that 8this same ,jesus1 which was taken up from you into heaven1 shall so come1 in like manner1 as ye have seen him go into heaven40 ,in the third verse of this chapter we have the only information which the whole ,bible gives us about the time of the ascension4 ,here we learn that this great event took place on the fortieth day after his resurrection4 ,we are not told why the ascension was delayed so long after ,jesus had risen from the dead4 ,but1 no doubt1 there were good reasons for it4 ,and it may be that we shall know all about these reasons hereafter1 though we do not know them now4 ,if we begin and count the forty days from ,easter ,sunday1 the fortieth day will always come on the ,thursday in the fifth week after ,easter4 ,and this day is always kept in the ,church of ,england1 in the ,protestant ,episcopal ,church in this country1 and in some other churches in memory of the important event we are now considering4 ,it is called ,ascension ,day1 or ,holy ,thursday2 and the portions of ,scripture read on that day all have reference to the ascension of our blessed ,lord4 ,and this is all that need be said about the time of the ascension4 ,the place where the ascension occurred is the next thing to notice4 ,from what we read in the gospel of ,st4 ,luke1 we might suppose it was from ,bethany that ,jesus made his ascension4 ,here it says1 8,he led them out as far as to ,bethany1 and he lifted up his hands and blessed them4 ,and it came to pass1 while he blessed them1 he was parted from them1 and carried up into heaven40 ,st4 ,luke xxiv3 #ej1 #ea4 ,but in the first chapter of the ,acts of the ,apostles1 after describing his ascension1 we read that the disciples 8returned unto ,jerusalem from the ,mount called ,olivet40 ,acts i3 #ab4 ,but there is no contradiction here2 for ,bethany1 the home of ,lazarus and his sisters1 was on the ,mount of ,olives4 ,it was situated just below the top of the ,mount1 on the other side from ,jerusalem4 ,and so we know that it was either from the village of ,bethany1 or from some spot between that and the summit of the ,mount1 that ,jesus made his ascension4 ,when he was here on earth he often went to the ,mount of ,olives4 ,it was from this mountain that 8,jesus beheld the city and wept over it10 when he used that beautiful illustration1 8how often would ,i have gathered thy children together1 even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings1 and ye would not60 ,it was on this mountain that he sat with his disciples when he gave that wonderful prophecy about the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and his coming again into our world1 of which we read in the twenty-fourth chapter of ,st4 ,matthew4 ,the ,mount of ,olives was the last spot of this earth on which the feet of the blessed ,saviour stood before he went up to heaven4 ,and when he comes again into our world he will return to the place from which he ascended4 ,this we are told by the prophet ,zechariah4 ,for it is when he is speaking of the return of ,jesus from heaven that he says--8,and his feet shall stand at that day on the ,mount of ,olives40 ,ch4 xiv3 #d4 ,this thought very naturally makes ,olivet an interesting place to visit4 ,illustration3 ,jesus ,revealeth ,himself to ,mary ,magdalene ,mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping3 and as she wept1 she stooped down1 and looked into the sepulchre4 ,and seeth two angels in white sitting1 444 where the body of ,jesus had lain4 ,and they say unto her1 ,woman1 why weepest thou8 ,she saith unto them1 ,because they have taken away my ,lord1 and ,i know not where they have laid him4 ,and when she had thus said she turned herself back1 and saw ,jesus standing1 and knew not that it was ,jesus4 ,jesus saith unto her1 ,woman1 why weepest thou8 whom seekest thou8 ,she1 supposing him to be the gardener1 saith unto him1 ,sir1 if thou have borne him hence1 tell me where thou hast laid him1 and ,i will take him away4 ,jesus saith unto her1 ,mary4 ,she turned herself1 and saith unto him1 ,rabboni2 which is to say1 ,master4 ,jesus saith unto her1 ,touch me not2 for ,i am not yet ascended to my ,father3 but go to my brethren1 and say unto them1 ,i ascend unto my ,father1 and your ,father2 and to my ,god1 and your ,god4 ,mary ,magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the ,lord1 and that he had spoken these things unto her4--,st4 ,john xx3 #aa-ah4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,it would appear that ,mary ,magdalene was one of the little company of faithful women who came very early in the morning to the sepulchre1 but that she had hastened back to the city before the angelic revelation to her companions4 ,once more bending her steps in sorrow to the empty grave1 to ,mary1 loving greatly because greatly forgiven1 was vouchsafed the privilege of first beholding her risen ,lord and ,master--the same1 yet wondrously changed1 so that now1 as on subsequent occasions when ,jesus appeared to his disciples and 8their eyes were holden that they should not know him10 it was not by outward form and aspect1 but by words of love and tenderness such as he alone could utter1 that his identity was revealed4 ,although the external aspect of the sepulchre bears little resemblance to that which it presented in former times1 the rock-cut grooves which still remain1 render it abundantly evident that the entrance with its rolling stone1 and the method by which the latter was 8sealed10 were such as have been already described in my ,note to the picture 8,the ,resurrection of ,lazarus40 #gd ,i remember1 when at ,jerusalem1 a very pleasant visit we made to this sacred ,mount4 ,it was at the close of a ,sunday afternoon4 ,the sun went down as we stood there4 ,and there was something very sweet and solemn in the thought that ,jesus1 our glorious ,lord1 had once stood on that ,mount1 near where we then were4 ,it was from there that his disciples saw him go into heaven4 ,and when he comes back from heaven1 his feet will stand again upon the ,mount of ,olives4 ,and so1 when we think of our ,saviour going back to heaven1 we may always remember that some spot on or near the top of the ,mount of ,olives was the place of the ascension4 ,the ,manner of the ,ascension--is the third thing of which to speak4 ,it was a visible ascension4 ,there are only two other persons spoken of in the ,bible as having gone up from earth to heaven in a bodily form4 ,one of them was 8,enoch1 the seventh from ,adam40 ,his ascension was not visible4 ,no one saw him go4 ,it took place in secret4 ,we are told in one place that 8he was not1 for ,god took him40 ,in another place it is said1 8he was translated40 ,this is all we know about the translation of ,enoch4 ,the other case mentioned in the ,bible is that of the prophet ,elijah4 ,his ascension was visible1 indeed1 but it was only seen by one person1 and that was the prophet ,elisha4 ,but it was different with the ascension of ,christ4 ,this did not take place in secret1 but in public4 ,it was not only visible1 but was witnessed by a crowd of people4 ,all the eleven disciples were there to see it4 ,and there can be no doubt that a great many others1 besides the apostles1 were there too4 ,and they all saw him1 as he rose from the midst of them1 and went up to heaven4 ,it was a visible ascension4 ,it was a calm and tranquil ascension4 ,it was not done in a hurry4 ,solomon tells us1 when speaking of ,god's doings1 that his 8judgments are not executed speedily40 ,this means they are not done in haste4 ,god never works in a hurry4 ,after he gave to ,adam the first promise1 of a future deliverer from the effects of sin1 he waited more than four thousand years before he sent him into the world4 ,and1 after ,christ had risen from the dead1 he was not in haste to leave the world1 and go back to heaven4 ,we might have expected that he would just have shown himself once or twice to his disciples1 so as to make them sure of his resurrection1 and would have left immediately for heaven4 ,but it was not so4 ,instead of this he remained here for forty days4 ,he did not spend all this time in the company of his disciples4 ,he only showed himself to them from time to time1 and talked with them 8of things pertaining to the kingdom of ,god40 ,and when at last these days were over1 and the time came for him to go1 still there was no haste about it4 ,he did not go up with a rush1 as a rocket goes up4 ,that would not have been like him4 ,but1 as he stood on the ,mount of ,olives talking to his disciples1 who were standing round him1 he began to rise slowly and silently towards heaven4 ,and as he began1 so he went on4 ,slowly and silently he continued to rise4 ,upwards he went1 higher--and higher1--till at last a cloud received him out of their sight4 ,that cloud became1 as it were1 the chariot in which he was carried up in triumph to heaven4 ,it was a calm and tranquil ascension4 ,it was a blessed ascension4 ,you know how it is at the close of a service in church4 ,the minister lifts up his hands to bless the people1 or as we say1 to pronounce the benediction4 ,and this was what ,jesus was doing at the very moment of his ascension4 ,he knew that the time had come for him to go4 ,he knew that he was about to be separated from his disciples1 and that they would see him no more in this world4 ,so he lifted up his hands to bless them2 and1 while he was in the act of speaking those words of blessing1 the ascension took place4 ,as his hands were stretched out to bless his disciples1 he rose calmly in the midst of them and went back to heaven1 from whence he came4 ,it was said of him before he came into our world1 that--8men should be blessed in him30 ,ps4 lxxii3 #ag4 ,he was the promised seed of ,abraham1 in whom it was declared that 8all the nations of the earth should be blessed40 ,gen4 xxii3 #ah4 ,the blessing of the world was wrapped up in ,jesus4 ,when he came into the world1 he came to bless it4 ,and when he began his public ministry in the ,sermon on the ,mount1 the first thing of which he had to speak was the blessings he came to bring4 ,we read1 8,and when he was set1 his disciples came to him1 and he opened his mouth and taught them1 saying1 ,blessed are the poor in spirit1 c4 ,blessed are they that mourn1 c4 ,blessed are the meek1 c4 ,blessed are the merciful1 c4 ,blessed are the pure in heart1 c40 ,he began his work in blessing2 he continued it in blessing2 and he ended it in blessing4 ,but the work of blessing in which he had been engaged here did not cease when he ascended into heaven4 ,he has been carrying on the work of blessing men ever since he ascended4 ,he went to heaven to procure for his people the best of all possible blessings4 ,he told his disciples that it was necessary for him to leave them and go to heaven2 because if he did not go the ,holy ,ghost would not come to them2 but that when he went to heaven he would send the ,spirit to be their helper and comforter4 ,it is the ,holy ,spirit who helps us to understand the ,scriptures and who teaches us how to love and serve ,god4 ,and whatever helps us to do this is the best thing--the greatest blessing for us4 ,and when we know that ,jesus went to heaven to obtain for us the help of ,god's grace and ,spirit1 we may well say that the ascension of ,christ was a blessed ascension4 ,the only other thing we have to say about the ascension of ,christ is that it was a wonderful ascension4 ,there were two wonderful things connected with it4 ,it was wonderful to think where he went4 ,he did not go simply to join the company of the angels1 who have always lived in heaven1 and of the good people who went there when they died4 ,no2 but he went where no one else had ever gone before1 and where no one else could go4 ,when he arrived in heaven1 he rose above all the company that was there1 and took his seat at the right hand of the throne of ,god4 ,this was wonderful1 indeed4 ,when ,jesus was on earth1 he was so poor that he 8had not where to lay his head40 ,he was despised and persecuted2 8a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief40 ,he was put to death as a criminal1 by being crucified between two thieves4 ,but when he ascended into heaven it was to take his place 8far above all principalities and powers40 ,and so his ascension was wonderful when we think--where he went4 ,and it was wonderful1 too1 when we think how he went there4 ,if he had left his human body behind him1 and had ascended to heaven simply in his divine nature1 as ,god1 it would not have been so wonderful4 ,but he did not do this4 ,he took his human body with him4 ,the body that was nailed to the cross and laid in the grave1 he took with him to heaven4 ,he ascended1 indeed1 as the ,son of ,god4 ,but that was not all4 ,no1 for he ascended as the ,son of man1 too4 ,it was ,jesus ,christ who ascended into heaven4 ,but it was our human nature1 as well as the divine nature which helped to make up the person of ,jesus ,christ4 ,and so when he ascended into heaven1 and sat down at the right hand of the throne of ,god1 he took our human nature with him4 ,he took a body like yours and mine1 up to that high and glorious place4 ,and he is sitting there now1 on the throne of ,god1 as our brother4 ,this is the most surprising thing connected with the great event we are now considering4 ,this shows us how wonderful the ascension of ,christ was4 ,and so1 in studying this subject1 these are the things about it that we have noticed1 viz43 the time of the ascension--forty days after the resurrection2 the place of the ascension--the ,mount of ,olives2 the manner of the ascension--visible--calm and tranquil--blessed--and wonderful4 ,there are several lessons that may be learned from the ascension of our ,saviour1 but we can only speak of one4 ,this is the lesson of obedience to the command of ,christ4 ,just before he went up to heaven1 ,jesus said to his disciples--8,go ye into all the world1 and preach the gospel to every creature40 ,st4 ,mark xvi3 #ae4 ,this is the last command he gave to his people4 ,he kept it till now because he wished it to be especially remembered4 ,when we lose a father1 or mother1 or a friend whom we love very much1 we listen attentively to the words spoken by that friend as we gather round the dying bed4 ,we may forget some things spoken by him in the days of his health and strength1 but those last words that were spoken just before he died1 we always remember4 ,they seem very sacred to us1 and we pay particular attention to them4 ,and no doubt this was the reason why ,jesus kept this command about the missionary work he wishes his people to engage in1 till now4 ,he had finished his work for them4 ,he had died for them4 ,he had done all that was necessary for them to be saved1 and to be happy with him forever in heaven4 ,he knew how much they ought to love him for all this4 ,and he knew that those who really did love him would wish to show their love by doing what he had told them to do4 ,and so he kept this--the most important of all his commands--to the last4 ,he wished it to be connected with the thought of his leaving the world and going back to heaven4 ,and as they gathered round him1 to see him and hear him for the last time on earth1 he spoke these words3--8,go1 ye1 into all the world1 and preach the gospel to every creature40 ,he did not speak them for the apostles or the early ,christians only4 ,no2 but he spoke them for you1 and for me1 and for all his people1 till the end of time4 ,he intended his church to be a missionary church4 ,he intended that all the members of that church should feel an interest in the missionary work1 and that they should do all they can to help it on4 ,this command is very broad4 ,it takes in 8all the world10 and 8every creature40 ,we have no right to make the field for this work narrower than ,jesus made it4 ,and1 until the gospel has been preached in 8all the world10 and until 8every creature0 has heard it1 this command of ,christ is binding upon all his loving people4 ,if we do not have the missionary spirit which these words require us to have1 that is1 if we are not trying all we can to bring 8every creature10 in 8all the world10 to be the friend and servant of ,jesus and to be saved by him1 then1 it is clear1 either that we are not loving ,jesus as we ought to love him2 or else1 we are not showing our love for him in the way in which he wishes us to show it4 ,he says1 8,if ye love me1 keep my commandments40 ,and this is his last and most solemn command for us to remember1 and keep4 ,when he says--8,go ye into all the world and preach10 he does not mean that all his people must leave their homes and go out as ordained ministers4 ,what he means is that whether we go out as missionaries1 or not1 we must have the missionary spirit1 and must do all we can to help the missionaries in their work4 ,we must try to get those around us to know1 and love1 and serve ,jesus4 ,and the important question for us all to consider here is--how can we do this8 ,in answering this question1 let me point out four ways in which this may be done4 ,we can be missionaries1 and help to preach the gospel1 by our example4 ,a little boy named ,ernest had begun to love the ,lord ,jesus ,christ and to be a ,christian4 ,one day he said to his aunt1 8,now ,i want to grow up a big man1 and then ,i will be a minister and preach to lots of people about ,jesus40 ,his aunt told him that he need not wait till he was a man before he began to preach4 8,try now1 every day1 to learn your lessons well10 said his aunt2 8to be kind1 and gentle to all1 and try by ,god's help to overcome your bad temper1 and so1 by your example you may be preaching ,jesus every day40 8,the ,children's ,service40 ,a little girl went to a ,children's service one ,sunday afternoon4 ,on going home she told her mother about it4 8,what led you to go1 ,mary80 asked the mother4 8,i went1 mamma10 she said1 8because ,i was invited to come by a kind boy that ,i met in the street yesterday4 ,i saw him stop and stroke a donkey that was frightened by a cruel boy4 ,then he kindly picked up my ball that was rolling away and returned it to me4 ,as he did this he handed me a paper about the children's service1 and invited me to come4 ,i knew he was a good boy because he was so kind and had such a happy face4 ,he said he was sure ,i would like the services2 and ,i did like them4 ,and ,i mean to go every time40 8,a ,young ,hero40 ,thirty years ago a boy had given his heart to the ,saviour4 ,he had been confirmed and joined the church4 ,the next day he went to school4 ,some of the wild boys of the school heard that he had joined the church1 and they made up their minds to have some fun with him about it4 ,at recess time they formed a ring about him1 and cried out3 8,oh6 here is the good boy1 ,charley6 ,he is going to be a ,christian60 ,and what did ,charley do8 ,did he feel ashamed and try to steal away8 ,did he get angry1 and hit1 or kick1 or speak cross to them8 ,no4 ,but he calmly looked the rude boys in the face1 and said1 in a manly way3 8,yes1 boys1 ,i am trying to be a ,christian4 ,and isn't that right80 ,the boys' consciences told them he was right4 ,they felt ashamed4 ,the ring was broken up at once1 and ,charley had no more trouble4 ,he was preaching by his example4 8,a ,beautiful ,illustration40 ,mary ,duncan was a little girl1 only four years old1 who was trying to be a ,christian4 ,this incident shows us that even at that early age she was beginning to preach1 and do good by her example4 ,one day she was playing with her little brother4 ,in a fit of anger he struck her in the face4 ,but instead of screaming out1 or striking him back1 she quietly turned to him the other cheek2 and said1 8,there ,corie1 now strike that60 ,the uplifted hand was dropped4 ,the tears came into her brother's eyes4 ,he kissed her1 and said--8,forgive me1 sister1 and ,i'll never strike you again40 ,when ,mary was asked what led her to do so1 her reply was that she had heard her papa read out of the ,bible1 at prayers that morning1 what ,jesus had said about it4 ,and so if we try to be like ,jesus1 we may be helping to keep his last command1 and to preach the gospel--by our example4 ,another way in which we may do this is--by our efforts4 ,this means by what we say and do to show that we love him1 and to try to bring others to do so too4 ,we find many illustrations of the way in which this may be done4 8,preaching in the ,hayfield40 ,a good1 earnest minister of the gospel was riding one day past a hayfield4 ,a sudden shower was coming up4 ,he saw a farmer1 who never went to church1 sending off in haste for a horse to draw his hay in before the rain came4 ,the minister stopped and offered his horse to do the work4 ,it was declined2 but the minister insisted1 and pulling off his coat1 unhitched his horse and went to work helping the farmer to load the hay4 ,they got in several loads1 and when the last load was in the barn1 and the rain came pouring down1 the farmer drew out his pocket book1 and said3 8,how much do ,i owe you1 sir1 for your help80 8,oh1 nothing10 said he1 8nothing at all40 ,but the farmer insisted on paying him for his work4 8,well1 my friend10 said the minister1 8did you ever hear an ,irishman preach80 8,no10 said the farmer4 8,well1 you come next ,sunday1 and hear me preach1 and we'll call it even40 ,illustration3 ,on the ,road to ,emmaus ,and1 behold1 two of them went that same day to a village called ,emmaus1 which was from ,jerusalem about threescore furlongs4 ,and it came to pass1 that1 while they communed together and reasoned1 ,jesus himself drew near1 and went with them4 ,but their eyes were holden that they should not know him4 ,and he said unto them1 ,what manner of communications are these that ye have one to another1 as ye walk1 and are sad8 ,and the one of them1 whose name was ,cleophas1 answering said unto him1 ,art thou only a stranger in ,jerusalem1 and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days8 ,and he said unto them1 ,what things8 ,and they said unto him1 ,concerning ,jesus of ,nazareth4444 ,and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death1 and have crucified him4444 ,to-day is the third day since these things were done4 ,yea1 and certain women also of our company made us astonished1 which were early at the sepulchre4 ,and when they found not his body1 they came1 saying1 that they had also seen a vision of angels1 which said that he was alive4 ,and certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre1 and found it even so as the women had said3 but him they saw not4 ,then he said unto them1 ,o fools4444 ,and beginning at ,moses and all the prophets1 he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself4--,st4 ,luke xxiv3 #ac1 #ae-be1 #bg4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,efforts to identify ,emmaus with any existing village within the prescribed radius of 8threescore furlongs0 from ,jerusalem have proved unsuccessful1 and its actual locality is still a matter of controversy1 in spite of the assistance which might have been anticipated from the name itself1 the word ,emmaus signifying 8warm springs40 ,consensus of opinion1 however1 is in favor of some situation in the hill-country to the northwest of the city1 possibly ,el-,kubbeh4 #ge ,the farmer agreed to do it1 and for the first time in many years was present in the house of prayer4 ,he found out that the man who could load the hay could preach the gospel too4 ,he believed it4 ,he obeyed it4 ,that hour's work1 helping him to save his hay from the rain1 was the means of leading him to ,jesus1 and of saving his soul4 8,the ,lost ,diamond40 ,an elegantly dressed lady1 as she stepped one day from her carriage1 in the city of ,washington1 missed her valuable diamond ring4 ,it had slipped from her finger in some way1 as she left the carriage1 and had fallen into the gutter1 where it was speedily buried in the filth that flowed toward the sewer4 ,she looked with dismay on that muddy stream1 and offered a policeman five dollars to put his hand into the gutter and find the ring4 ,he hesitated awhile1 but finally agreed1 and reached down into the filth and spent some time in groping about the gutter4 ,but he failed to find the lost jewel4 ,at length he gave up the search and told the lady that it had probably been washed along1 and gone down the sewer4 ,she paid him the five dollars1 and he went away4 ,but the lady stood there still1 looking sadly down at the place where her lost gem had disappeared4 ,she could not bear to give it up4 ,she lingered and hesitated2 and finally1 taking off her glove1 and pushing back her silks and ruffles and laces1 she bared her arm for the work1 put her fair hand down into the reeking filth1 and after searching patiently in every direction1 she found the precious jewel1 and carried it away in triumph4 ,now there are lost souls all about us1 souls for whom ,christ died1 ten thousand times more precious than that lady's gem4 ,they are lost in the mire of filth and sin4 ,but they may be found and brought to ,christ1 by such earnest1 persevering efforts as she made for that lost jewel4 ,and if we put forth such loving1 personal efforts for them1 they may be saved4 ,and those who make such efforts are obeying the ,saviour's command to preach the gospel to every creature4 8,it's ,all ,i ,can ,do40 ,bessie ,king was a bright child about fourteen years old4 ,she was a serious1 thoughtful girl1 who wanted to make herself useful4 ,one summer afternoon she went into her father's garden and gathered a bunch of flowers4 ,while doing so1 she wondered if she could not make some one happy by the gift of these flowers4 ,all at once she thought of her young friend1 ,nellie ,vance4 ,nellie was sick with consumption4 ,she had been confined to her room for months1 and was not expected to live very long4 ,her mother was a poor widow1 and unable to do much for her sick child4 ,but ,nellie was trying to be a ,christian1 and the thought of the loving ,saviour made her cheerful and happy4 ,bessie was very fond of ,nellie and loved to visit her whenever she could4 ,so she gathered some of the loveliest flowers in the garden and hastened with them to her friend ,nellie's humble home4 ,as she entered her chamber1 she said--8,nellie1 dear1 ,i've come to bring you a bit of my summer10 and she laid the flowers down by ,nellie1 who was lying on a couch near the window4 ,nellie's delight at seeing the flowers was an abundant reward to ,bessie for bringing them4 ,it was touching to see the sick child as she lay there1 with the bright flowers around her4 ,she handled them so tenderly1 one by one1 almost forgetting1 in the pleasure they gave her1 the weary1 aching pain1 she was always feeling4 8,i am so glad you came this afternoon1 ,bessie dear10 said ,nellie1 when the flowers were arranged4 8,i have something so happy to tell you40 ,bessie looked at her with surprise1 wondering what happiness poor suffering ,nellie could have left to her4 8,i have been thinking for a long time10 said ,nellie1 8how little ,i have done for the ,lord ,jesus4 ,i have been shut out from people so long1 that ,i'm afraid no one knows ,i love him2 and ,i can't bear to go away from earth without a word out loud for him4 ,so ,bessie1 ,i am going to be confirmed4 ,that will be standing up for ,jesus1 and it's all ,i can do40 8,but1 ,nellie dear1 how can you be confirmed8 ,you hav'n't been out of your room for months1 and church is more than two miles away40 8,i can do it for ,jesus10 she said firmly4 8,mr4 ,gray has promised to take me in his carriage1 and to carry me up in the church40 ,bessie could say no more4 ,her heart was full1 and she threw her arms round ,nellie's neck and wept4 8,i want you to come with me1 ,bessie dear10 said ,nellie4 ,but ,bessie could not speak4 ,so ,nellie went on1 and said3 8,you have your whole life to live for him1 so you ought to begin right off4 ,but mine is so nearly ended1 that ,i must come now1 or ,i never can come4 ,it's all ,i can do4 ,but ,bessie ,i want you to come with me40 ,and they did both come4 ,bessie held back at first1 afraid of herself1 but ,nellie talked so sweetly to her that she had to yield4 8,when ,jesus called the little child to him1 ,bessie10 said her friend1 8don't you think he would have felt hurt if he had held back1 and refused to come to him8 ,suppose he had said he wasn't good enough1 or old enough6 ,jesus wanted him1 just as he was4 ,he had plenty of grown up people4 ,he wanted a little child then1 and he wants us now40 ,it was a touching sight when the sick child was carried up the aisle1 to join her young companions at the chancel2 and when the bishop laid his hands on her head1 and his voice trembled there was not a dry eye in the church4 ,not long after1 ,nellie was carried again into the church4 ,yet this time it was not ,nellie herself1 but only the poor worn body that had suffered so long1 and was now at rest4 ,her sufferings were now over1 and her work was done4 ,her spirit was with her ,saviour she had loved1 to be forever happy in his presence4 ,nellie was faithfully carrying out the last command of ,jesus1 when she tried so lovingly to get her friend ,bessie to stand with her and confess him before men4 ,by our efforts to bring those around us to ,jesus1 we may help to carry out that last command of his4 ,we can do this also--by our gifts4 ,there is no better use to make of our money than to give it to help in sending the gospel of ,jesus to those who do not know him4 ,and the smallest sums are often very useful when given for this purpose4 ,here is a story of a poor little orphan girl who had earned six cents by running errands1 and of the great good that was done by her gift4 ,her name was ,dixey1 and we may call the story3 8,dixey's ,six ,cents40 ,one day1 a pale-faced little girl walked hurriedly into a book store in ,boston1 and said to the man at the counter3 8,please sir1 ,i want a book that's got1 #8,suffer little children to come unto me1' in it2 and how much is it sir8 and ,i'm in a great hurry40 ,the bookseller wiped his spectacles1 and looking down at the poor child1 he took her thin little hand in his1 and said3 8,what do you want the book for my child8 and why are you in such a hurry80 8,well1 sir1 you see1 ,i went to ,sunday-school1 last ,sunday1 when ,mrs4 ,west1 the woman who takes care of me1 was away2 and the teacher read about a ,good ,shepherd1 who loves little children1 and who said these words4 ,and the teacher told us about a beautiful place where he takes care of his children and makes them all happy1 and ,i want to go there4 8,i'm so tired of being where there's nobody to care for a girl like me1 only ,mrs4 ,west who says ,i'd better be dead than alive40 8,but why are you in such a hurry1 my child80 8,my cough's getting so bad now1 sir1 and ,i want to know about him before ,i die2 it would be so strange to see him and not know him4 ,besides1 if ,mrs4 ,west knew ,i was here she'd take away the six cents ,i've saved from running errands1 to buy the book with1 so ,i'm in a hurry to get served40 ,the bookseller wiped his spectacles again1 and taking a book from the shelf1 he said1 8,i'll find the words you want1 my child2 listen while ,i read them40 ,then he turned to ,st4 ,luke xviii3 #af1 and read to her the sweet words of the loving ,saviour4 ,after reading them he told her about the ,good ,shepherd2 how he came down from heaven to seek and save the lost sheep2 how he suffered and died for us that we might live2 and about the bright and beautiful home in heaven1 which he has prepared for all who love and serve him4 8,oh1 how sweet that is60 said the earnest and almost breathless little listener4 8,he says--#8,come4' ,i'll go to him4 ,how long do you think it'll be sir1 before ,i see him80 8,not long1 ,i think10 said the bookseller1 turning away his head to hide the tears that were running down his cheeks4 8,now you can keep the six cents and come here every day1 and ,i will read to you some more out of this ,book40 ,the little girl thanked him and hurried away4 ,the next day1 and the next1 and many days passed away1 but the poor child never came to hear about ,jesus again4 ,some time after this a rough-looking woman came into the bookstore1 and said in a loud voice1 8,dixey's dead6 ,she died rambling about some ,good ,shepherd1 and she said you were to have these six cents for the mission-box at school4 ,i don't like to keep dead people's money1 so here it is10 and throwing the six cents down on the counter1 she hurried out of the store4 ,the six cents were put into the missionary box on the next ,sunday1 and when the story of ,dixey was told it touched so many hearts and led so many to follow her example with their pennies that by the end of the year 8,dixey's cents10 as they were called1 had brought in money enough to send out a missionary to ,china1 to help in finding out the lost sheep and bringing them to ,jesus4 ,and if little ,dixey1 in her feebleness and poverty1 could help to carry out our ,saviour's last command1 then we may all do so4 ,but there are other things than money that may be given to the work of saving lost souls4 ,we see this illustrated in the following story4 ,it may be called3 8,the ,rescue40 8,o my child1 my child60 cried an almost heart-broken mother1 as she met a party of gentlemen1 among the hills of ,scotland4 8,what's the matter80 they asked4 8,a few hours ago ,i left the house and my baby-boy in charge of his sister4 ,being a fine day1 he was lying in the cradle1 outside the cottage-door1 prattling away in the sunshine4 ,after awhile1 baby fell asleep1 and my little girl being hungry1 went in-doors to get some food4 ,while she was lingering there1 ,i returned1 but only in time to see an eagle bearing away my child in his talons4 ,o sirs6 pity me1 help me1 recover my darling child40 ,the mother's loving eye had watched the flight of the eagle2 and with these gentlemen she went to the edge of the cliff1 and looking over the precipice they could see1 far down its steep sides1 the nest of the eagles1 to which the child had been carried4 ,the distress of the mother touched the heart of one of the gentleman who was a ,scotch nobleman4 ,he resolved1 by ,god's help1 to try and snatch the child from the terrible death that awaited it4 ,ropes were procured1 and at his own request1 the nobleman was lowered down over the rugged cliff4 ,the two eagles fluttered round1 as if daring the intruder to approach their nest2 but a brave heart was beating beneath that ,scotch plaid4 ,fearlessly the heroic ,scotchman approached the nest4 ,he took the child from among the young eagles4 ,he bound it to his bosom1 and gave the signal to be pulled up4 ,gently1 but steadily1 he was raised in safety to the top of the cliff2 and with a glad heart he gave back the recovered child to the arms of its grateful and rejoicing mother4 ,this story illustrates what ,jesus has done for us2 but1 at the same time it shows what we should do for those whose souls have been carried away by ,satan the great enemy1 and who are in danger of perishing forever4 ,if we feel for them1 as this good nobleman felt for that lost child1 it will lead us to give1 not our money only1 but our sympathy1 and everything in our power1 to bring them to ,jesus1 that they may be saved through him forever4 ,and so we see how by our gifts1 we may help to carry out the great command which ,jesus left for his people1 just before his ascension into heaven4 ,and then1 there is one other way in which we may help to do this1 and that is by--our prayers4 ,there is a wonderful power in prayer4 ,it is a power which all may use1 and which will reach all around the world4 ,we see this strikingly illustrated in the case of the ,syro-,phnician woman mentioned in ,st4 ,matt4 xv3 #bj-bh4 ,her prayers caused the casting out of the devil from her daughter4 ,when ,jesus was on earth he said to his disciples--8,all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer1 believing1 ye shall receive40 ,st4 ,matt4 xxi3 #bb4 ,this is ,god's promise to you and to me and to all his people4 ,and so when we pray for ministers and missionaries2 when we pray for the conversion of the heathen1 and for others who do not love and serve ,god1 we are helping on the good work which ,jesus left for his people to do when he said--8,go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature40 ,it would be easy enough to fill a volume with incidents which illustrate the power of prayer4 ,but we have only room for a single illustration4 8,saved by ,prayer40 ,some years ago1 a boy left his home in ,indiana for ,chicago4 ,he was not there long before he fell into bad company1 and was led astray4 ,a friend of his father's1 who lived in the same town1 happening to visit ,chicago1 saw that boy on the street one night drunk4 ,on returning home1 he thought at first that he would not say anything to the father about what he had seen2 but afterwards he felt that it was his duty to tell him4 ,so meeting him one day in the crowded street of their little town1 he took him aside and told him what he had seen in ,chicago4 ,it was a terrible blow to him4 ,on returning home that night1 before going to bed1 he told his wife what he had heard4 ,they were both so much distressed that they could not sleep4 ,they spent the greater part of the night in earnest prayer for their poor boy4 ,before morning the mother said1 8,i don't know how it is1 but ,god has given me faith to believe that our son will be saved and not be allowed to fill a drunkard's grave40 ,not long after this1 that boy left ,chicago4 ,he could not tell why1 but an unseen power seemed to lead him to his mother's home4 ,on entering the house the first thing he said was3 8,mother ,i have come home to ask you to pray for me40 ,she prayed with him1 and for him1 and he soon became a sincere and earnest ,christian4 ,here we see the power of prayer4 ,let us all use this power1 and we shall be helping on the preaching of the gospel in all the world1 and to every creature4 ,and so1 when we think of the ascension of ,christ1 let us always remember the great work that ,jesus commanded his people to do2 and let us try to help on that work in the four ways of which we have spoken1--by our examples--by our efforts--by our gifts--and by our prayers4 ,the ,collect for ,ascension ,day is a very suitable one with which to close this subject3 8,grant1 we beseech thee1 ,almighty ,god1 that like as we do believe thy only-begotten ,son1 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 to have ascended into the heavens2 so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend1 and with him continually dwell1 who liveth and reigneth1 with thee and the ,holy ,ghost1 ,one ,god1 world without end4 ,amen40 ,illustration3 ,jesus ,appeareth to and ,pardons ,simon ,peter ,and they drew nigh unto the village1 whither they went1 and he made as though he would have gone further4 ,but they constrained him1 saying1 ,abide with us3 for it is toward evening1 and the day is far spent4 ,and he went in to tarry with them4 ,and it came to pass1 as he sat at meat with them1 he took bread1 and blessed it1 and brake1 and gave to them4 ,and their eyes were opened1 and they knew him2 and he vanished out of their sight4 ,and they said one to another1 ,did not our heart burn within us1 while he talked with us by the way1 and while he opened to us the scriptures8 ,and they rose up the same hour1 and returned to ,jerusalem1 and found the eleven gathered together1 and them that were with them1 ,saying1 ,the ,lord is risen indeed1 and hath appeared to ,simon4--,st4 ,luke xxiv3 #bh-cd4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,beyond the simple statement that 8he was seen of ,cephas10 nothing is recorded regarding the appearance of ,jesus to his sinning and repentant disciple1 although1 if we accept the sequence of events in the order in which they are narrated1 it may safely be supposed that this took place after night-fall4 ,but where nothing is known1 conjecture is justifiable1 and we may think of ,peter as shrinking from the society of his comrades1 unable to rest1 and wandering1 he knows not whither1 in the silent1 moon-lit streets4 ,chance leads him to the door of the house of ,caiaphas1 and there1 on the scene of his lost opportunity1 he realizes the presence of his risen ,lord1 and receives the gracious assurance of forgiveness4 #gf ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,pentecost ,jesus has finished his work on earth and gone back to heaven4 ,we have now1 in bringing this history to a close1 to consider how the work was carried on1 after he was gone4 ,after the ascension of ,christ there was a pause4 ,for some days everything stood still in connection with the great cause for which ,jesus had lived and died4 ,this pause continued until the day of ,pentecost4 ,then the ,holy ,ghost was sent down from heaven4 ,he took up the work where ,jesus had left it1 and has been engaged in carrying it on from that day to this4 ,nothing could be done till he came4 ,no sermons were preached4 ,no lessons were taught4 ,no souls were converted till the ,holy ,ghost came4 ,this shows us how important his presence and help are in all the work which the church of ,christ has to do for the glory of ,god and for the salvation of men4 ,take an illustration4 ,here is a locomotive1 standing on a railway1 with a train of cars attached to it4 ,the engine is new and beautiful4 ,every wheel and crank and pin is in its proper place4 ,it is complete2 it is perfect4 ,the boiler is full of water4 ,the tender1 attached to the locomotive1 is full of fuel4 ,the passengers are all waiting2 but yet the engine stands still4 ,nothing moves4 ,what is the matter8 ,simply this3 there is no steam in the boiler4 ,and what is wanting to make the steam8 ,why a fire in the furnace4 ,can nothing take the place of this8 ,nothing in the world4 ,this is absolutely necessary4 ,everything depends on this4 ,but now see1 the fire is kindled4 ,there is steam in the boiler4 ,the wheels begin to move1 and away goes the train4 ,when ,jesus went to heaven1 the church he left on earth might well be compared to such an engine4 ,he had built it well4 ,its machinery was all complete2 but it stood still4 ,the power was wanting to put it in motion4 ,the ,holy ,spirit alone could give this power4 ,when he came the fire was kindled3 the steam was generated2 and the train was started1 which was to run around the world1 and carry countless numbers of ransomed souls to heaven4 ,and in speaking about the coming of the ,spirit1 there are three things for us to notice4 ,these are--the time of the ,spirit's coming3 the manner of the ,spirit's coming2 and the purpose of the ,spirit's coming4 ,the time of the ,spirit's coming is pointed out in the name of the day when he came4 ,it was on the day of ,pentecost4 ,this word means the fiftieth3 whether it be a day1 or a number1 or anything else to which it may be applied4 ,the ,jews used this word as the name of one of the three great feasts which they were commanded to keep every year4 ,this one was called 8the feast of ,pentecost10 because it was kept on the fiftieth day after the feast of the ,passover4 ,it was sometimes called also--8the feast of ,weeks40 ,this name was given to it1 because the forty-nine days1 which came in between these two feasts1 just made up seven weeks4 ,it pleased ,god to connect with this day of ,pentecost the most important event that has ever taken place in the history of the church or of the world since the ascension of ,jesus into heaven--and that was--the coming of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and this great event has always been remembered with interest by the ,christian church4 ,in the early days of the church1 the day kept in memory of the coming of the ,holy ,ghost was set apart as one of the solemn seasons for baptizing persons who wished to be received into the church4 ,the candidates for baptism on these occasions were clothed in white garments1 to denote the purity which should mark those who received baptism properly1 by truly repenting of their sins1 and having their souls washed in the blood of ,christ4 ,and for this reason1 the ,sunday on which the day of ,pentecost was thus celebrated1 was called ,whit-,sunday1 or ,whit-,suntide4 ,in the ,episcopal ,church in this country1 in the ,church of ,england1 and in some other branches of the ,church of ,christ1 this ,whit-,suntide festival is still kept with great interest4 ,the scriptures read on this day refer to the coming of the ,spirit and to the importance of his work2 and the sermons preached at this season generally have reference to the same subject4 ,and when we remember how the success of the great work in which the ,church of ,christ is engaged depends upon the help which the ,holy ,spirit gives1 we see how important it is that we should be constantly reminded of the necessity of having his presence and power with us in all our efforts to do good to the souls of men4 ,and so1 when we think of the time of the ,spirit's coming1 we may bear in mind that it was on the day of ,pentecost1 or on the fiftieth day after the death of ,christ4 ,and now1 we may go on to speak of--the ,,manner of the ,spirit's coming4 ,it was an expected coming4 ,jesus had told his disciples about the coming of the ,spirit and had given them a promise that he should come4 ,he said to them on one occasion3 8,it is expedient for you that ,i go away2 for if ,i go not away1 the ,comforter will not come to you2 but if ,i depart1 ,i will send him unto you40 ,st4 ,john xvi3 #g4 ,and then1 just before his ascension into heaven1 he repeated this promise1 commanding them 8not to depart from ,jerusalem1 but to wait for the promise of the ,father30 again he said1 8ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,ghost not many days hence20 and again1 8ye shall receive power after that the ,holy ,ghost is come upon you40 ,acts i3 #d1 #e1 #h4 ,and1 according to these promises1 we find that the apostles were waiting for the coming of the ,holy ,spirit and expecting it when the day of ,pentecost arrived4 ,they had not been told how long they were to wait4 ,all that had been said about the time of his coming was that it would be 8not many days hence40 ,after ,jesus left them and went to heaven1 they seem to have met together every day1 engaging in prayer and praise4 ,no doubt they read the scriptures on these occasions1 and talked together about their ascended ,lord and the fulfilment of the promise he had left them4 ,day after day1 they had met for this purpose1 waiting for the ,holy ,spirit4 ,but one day passed by after another and the ,spirit did not come4 ,still they felt sure that he would come4 ,they were waiting for his coming3 and when at last he came1 we may well say of it1 that it was an expected coming4 ,it was a sudden coming4 ,we know how often it happens that something we have been expecting for a long time comes suddenly at last4 ,and it was so with the disciples on this occasion4 ,they had met once more for their daily worship4 ,as they came together1 on the day of ,pentecost1 there was no more sign of the coming of the ,spirit on that day than there had been on any of the previous days2 but he came at last4 ,we are not told whether it was at the beginning1 or the middle1 or the close of their meeting1 that he came4 ,the ,holy ,spirit did not send a messenger before him1 to tell of his coming1 as kings and great men in the ,east were in the habit of doing4 ,no trumpet was sounded4 ,no signal was given4 ,but1 all at once1 the promise of the ,father was fulfilled2 the expectation of the disciples was met--the ,holy ,ghost came down from heaven4 ,but it was a sudden coming4 ,acts i3 #b4 ,in the next place it was--a startling coming4 ,the sound connected with it made it such for one thing4 ,we read that 8there came a sound as of a rushing1 mighty wind40 ,we are not told that there was a wind on this occasion2 but only that the sound which attended the coming of the ,spirit was like that of a mighty wind4 ,the ,spirit might have come to the disciples on this occasion as 8the still1 small voice0 of ,god came to the prophet ,elijah1 on ,mount ,horeb4 ,but it was not so4 ,on the contrary1 he chose that his coming should be attended with a loud noise4 ,we read that 8it10 that is the sound1 8filled all the house where they were sitting40 ,we are not told what this sounding noise was for4 ,it may have been to arouse the attention of the disciples and make them fully awake to the important event that was then taking place4 ,and1 no doubt1 another reason why this rushing sound attended the ,spirit's coming was to indicate to them what great power would attend the ,spirit in the work he was to carry on in the church and in the world4 ,the wind1 when it goes rushing on1 in the form of a tempest1 is one of the most powerful agents that we know of4 ,it can lash the ocean into foam and fury4 ,it can dash to pieces the noblest works of men1 whether on the land1 or on the sea4 ,it can tear up the giant oak by its roots and lay it prostrate on the ground4 ,and the sound of that 8rushing1 mighty wind0 with which the ,spirit came was intended1 it may be1 to make the disciples feel how great was the power he was able to give them in the important work they had to do4 8,the sound1 as of a rushing1 mighty wind10 seemed to tell of this4 ,but again1 we are always startled by that which is unusual4 ,and there were several things about this coming of the ,holy ,spirit which were unusual1 and so calculated to startle the waiting disciples4 ,there was1 for instance1 the direction of this sound4 ,it came 8down from heaven40 ,the winds1 with whose sound we are familiar1 never act in this direction4 ,from whatever point of the compass they come1 they always blow around1 or over the earth4 ,a wind blowing 8down from heaven10 directly towards the earth1 as was the case with that sound which the disciples heard1 was something unusual1 and so calculated to startle them4 ,another unusual thing about this sound was1 that it was a sound like that of a wind1 but yet without any wind at all4 ,they heard that sound4 ,it reminded them of the wind4 ,but there was no motion there1 such as the wind produces when it blows4 ,nothing stirred in that upper chamber4 ,a feather would not have been moved4 ,so far as motion was concerned--all was calm1 and still there4 ,and yet there was that mighty sound4 ,how startling this must have been6 ,and then1 what accompanied this sound was startling1 as well as the sound itself4 ,there were those 8cloven tongues1 like as of fire40 ,little long pieces of flame were seen in the air of that chamber4 ,there were about a hundred and twenty persons present there4 ,and a hundred and twenty of these fiery tongues were seen4 ,how strange it must have been to look on such a number of these marvellous appearances1 and to see one of them come down and rest on the head of each person present6 ,but1 the ,holy ,spirit was come2 and these things must have made it a startling coming4 ,and then it was--an abiding coming4 ,when the ,holy ,spirit came down upon the ,church of ,christ1 on the day of ,pentecost1 he did not come to remain for a little while1 and then go back to heaven4 ,no6 but he came to stay4 ,when ,jesus spoke to the disciples about the coming of the ,holy ,ghost1 he used these words3 8,and ,i will pray the ,father1 and he shall give you another ,comforter1 that he may abide with you forever40 ,st4 ,john xiv3 #af4 ,it was not for the help and comfort of the apostles and early ,christians only that the ,holy ,spirit came4 ,no2 but it was for the help and comfort of all the people of ,christ1 down to the end of the world4 ,the coming of the ,spirit1 which took place on the day of ,pentecost was intended to be an abiding coming4 ,he has never left the church from that day4 ,but he may be present1 without putting forth his power and making his presence felt4 ,what we need to pray for is not that the ,holy ,spirit may come into our churches2 for he is there2 but that he may make his power and presence felt4 ,what we want above all things1 in our hearts1 in our homes1 in our ,sunday ,schools1 and in our churches1 is to feel the power and presence of that ,spirit1 who came on the day of ,pentecost1 and whose coming was to be an abiding coming4 ,and so1 when we would show the manner of the ,spirit's coming to the early church1 we may say that it was an expected coming--a sudden coming--a startling coming--and an abiding coming4 ,and now1 the only other thing to notice1 is--,the--,,purpose--of the ,spirit's coming4 ,and if we wish to understand clearly the meaning of this part of the subject1 there are these two things for us to consider2 viz41 what the ,holy ,spirit is2 and what the ,holy ,spirit does4 ,and in order to understand satisfactorily what the ,holy ,spirit is--we must find out what the scriptures call him2 and how the scriptures speak of him4 ,here are some of the titles given to the ,holy ,spirit in the scriptures1 or the names by which he is called4 ,the great names1 ,jehovah1 ,lord1 and ,god are all given to the ,spirit4 ,he is called--the ,most ,high--the ,holy ,spirit--the ,holy ,ghost--the ,free ,spirit--the ,good ,spirit--the ,spirit of ,life--the ,spirit of ,truth--the ,spirit of ,grace--the ,spirit of ,adoption--the ,spirit of ,wisdom--the ,spirit of ,counsel--the ,spirit of ,might--the ,spirit of ,knowledge--the ,spirit of the fear of the ,lord--the ,spirit of ,promise--the ,eternal ,spirit--the ,power of the ,highest--the ,comforter--the ,guide--the ,teacher4 ,and the giving of such names as these to the ,holy ,spirit proves two things about him1 one is that he is a real person2 and the other is that he is ,god4 ,he is a divine person1 equal to ,god the ,father and to ,god the ,son4 ,and this is proved1 not only by the names given to him1 but also by the way in which the scriptures speak of him4 ,let us look at one or two illustrations of the way in which they do this4 ,when the prophet ,isaiah is speaking of ,christ1 the ,messiah1 he represents him1 as saying of himself--8,and now1 the ,lord ,god and his ,spirit hath sent me40 ,is4 xlviii3 #af4 ,here we see the three persons of the ,holy ,trinity--,god the ,father--,god the ,son--and ,god the ,holy ,spirit are spoken of as all working together4 ,god the ,son is sent1 and ,god the ,father and ,god the ,spirit are the ones who send him4 ,we see them uniting together again1 in the same way1 on the occasion of our ,saviour's baptism4 ,thus we read1 8,and ,jesus1 when he was baptized1 went up straightway out of the water1 and lo1 the heavens were opened unto him1 and he saw the ,spirit of ,god descending like a dove1 and lighting upon him2 ,and lo1 a voice from heaven saying1 ,this is my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased40 ,st4 ,matt4 iii3 #af1 #ag4 ,here we see the three ,persons of the blessed ,trinity acting together4 ,god the ,son has taken our nature upon him1 and is baptized1 as a man1 in the river ,jordan4 ,god the ,spirit comes down from heaven in the form of a dove1 and rests upon him2 while ,god the ,father speaks from heaven1 in a voice that was heard by those who were attending that baptism4 ,this proves to us that there are three ,persons1 in the ,one ,god whom we worship2 and that the ,holy ,spirit1 who came down upon the church on the day of ,pentecost1 is the third ,person in this ,trinity4 ,he is a divine ,person1 equal to the ,father and the ,son4 ,it is impossible to explain1 satisfactorily1 what took place at the baptism of our ,saviour in any other way4 ,and in this way1 we get a clear view of the first thing1 important for us to know1 in order to understand the meaning of the ,spirit's coming4 ,we see now what the ,holy ,spirit is4 ,he is a divine ,person--united with the ,father and the ,son in the great work of our salvation1 and equal to them both4 ,and then there is another thing that we must understand clearly1 if we would know the purpose of the ,spirit's coming on the day of ,pentecost--and that is--what the ,spirit does4 ,this refers to the work which the ,holy ,spirit has to do in the ,church of ,christ4 ,it takes in both what he had to do in the church when he first came and also what he has to do now4 ,the work which the ,spirit has to do for the souls of men is the same now that it was then4 ,there were1 indeed1 works of wonder1 great miracles1 to be performed in the early church which are not done now4 ,but1 apart from this1 there is no difference4 ,the work of the ,holy ,spirit has always been the same4 ,how important his work was to the church at first1 we see in the fact that nothing was done till the ,spirit came4 ,after ,jesus had ascended to heaven there was1 as we have already said1 a long pause before anything else was done4 ,this pause lasted for ten days4 ,jesus had left a great work for his disciples to carry on in the world2 but during those days nobody moved a step or lifted a finger towards doing that work4 ,everything stood still4 ,and the reason for this long pause was that nothing could be properly done in carrying on this work till the ,spirit came4 ,the disciples had been distinctly told to wait for his coming4 ,they waited till the day of ,pentecost4 ,then1 this ,spirit came4 ,then the work began--the work of saving souls from death4 ,the work has never ceased4 ,it has been going on to the present day2 and it will continue to go on till ,jesus comes again4 ,illustration3 ,the ,incredulity and ,confession of ,thomas ,and after eight days again his disciples were within1 and ,thomas with them3 then came ,jesus1 the doors being shut1 and stood in the midst1 and said1 ,peace be unto you4 ,then saith he to ,thomas1 ,reach hither thy finger1 and behold my hands2 and reach hither thy hand1 and thrust it into my side3 and be not faithless1 but believing4 ,and ,thomas answered and said unto him1 ,my ,lord and my ,god4 ,jesus saith unto him1 ,thomas1 because thou hast seen me1 thou hast believed3 blessed are they that have not seen1 and yet have believed4--,st4 ,john xx3 #bf-bi4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,five times during that memorable ,easter ,day did ,jesus manifest himself to his followers1 and it was not until the eighth day at even1 that the sixth appearance is recorded as having taken place2 this time for the special purpose of confirming the belief of one of the eleven who still doubted4 ,ten manifestations in all are specifically mentioned1 but it would appear 7,acts i3#c7 that ,jesus also revealed himself to his chosen apostles on many other occasions1 speaking of the things pertaining to the building up of that church1 of which he was himself at once the ,foundation and the ,corner-stone4 #gg ,now there are four things that must be done for every soul that is to be saved through ,jesus ,christ4 ,and none but the ,holy ,spirit can do these things4 ,the first thing that the ,holy ,spirit has to do for every soul is to--,,convert--it4 ,he began this work at once when he came4 ,he set the apostles to preaching ,jesus ,christ1 and the result of the first day's preaching was--that three thousand souls were converted4 ,the conversion of the soul refers to the great change which takes place when a person becomes a ,christian4 ,the word conversion is only one of several words applied to this subject in the ,scriptures4 ,sometimes it is called being quickened1 or made alive2 and at other times it is called being 8born again40 ,this was the way in which our ,saviour spoke of the great change we are now considering1 in his interesting conversation with ,nicodemus4 ,and he spoke of the ,holy ,spirit as the ,one who is to work out this change in every case when he said--8,except a man be born of water and of the ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god40 ,st4 ,john iii3 #e4 ,to be 8born of the ,spirit10 is the same as to be converted1 or to have the heart changed1 and to be made a new creature in ,christ ,jesus4 ,good people differ much in their opinions about what our ,saviour means by 8water0 here4 ,some think it means the truth of ,god's word1 which is spoken of as the means employed in the conversion of souls2 while others think that the word 8water0 here refers to baptism2 but we cannot stop to argue the point now4 ,some souls are converted1 or born again1 before they are old enough to understand the truth that ,god has taught us in his holy word4 ,we have two cases of this kind mentioned in the ,bible4 ,one is the prophet ,jeremiah1 chap4 i3 #e1 and the other ,john the ,baptist1 ,st4 ,luke i3 #ae4 ,when it says of one of these that he was 8sanctified20 and of the other that he was 8filled with the ,holy ,ghost0 from the time he was born1 it means that the great change1 of which we are now speaking1 was made in them both1 by the ,holy ,spirit1 at that early time4 ,and so it may be now with children1 even while they are very young1 especially if they have ,christian parents to pray for them4 ,but1 if they are not converted1 or born again1 till they grow up to be boys and girls1 or men and women1 then the word or truth of ,god is that which the ,holy ,spirit makes use of in causing them to be converted1 or born again4 ,here is an illustration of one1 out of many ways1 in which the ,spirit does this3 8,how a ,christmas ,card ,saved a ,soul40 ,there was a merchant in one of our large cities who had failed in business4 ,he had lost everything that he had4 ,he was not a ,christian1 and did not know where to go for comfort4 ,his troubles and disappointments made him gloomy and sad4 ,he saw no way in which he could get out of his troubles2 and after thinking over them a long time1 he finally made up his mind to go to the river and drown himself4 ,he was not married1 and had no family of his own2 but there were a number of children in the house where he lived4 ,this happened on a ,christmas day4 ,the children had just come home from their ,sunday-school festival4 ,in passing through the entry1 one of them dropped a beautifully illuminated card1 with a text of scripture on it4 ,as the poor man was going out on his sad errand1 his eye rested on this card1 lying on the entry floor4 ,he stooped down and picked it up1 and read on it these sweet words--8,casting all your care on him1 for he careth for you40 ,i4 ,peter v3 #g4 ,reading these words had a strange effect upon him4 ,instead of going out to drown himself1 he went back to his room1 got his ,bible1 found the passage there1 and meditated on it4 ,he thought of the great sin he had just been going to commit in taking away his own life4 ,then he thought of all his other sins4 ,this filled him with great distress4 ,the burden of his sins soon grew to be heavier than the burden of his losses and cares4 ,he kneeled to pray4 ,with many tears and cries he asked for the pardon of his sins and for grace to make him a ,christian4 ,his prayer was heard4 ,his sins were pardoned4 ,his burdens were lifted off4 ,he became a ,christian4 ,he was converted by ,god's blessing on that text of scripture4 ,and it might truly be said of him that he was 8born of water and of the ,spirit40 ,one part of the work which the ,holy ,spirit has to do for men is to convert them4 ,and this is a fair illustration of one of the ways in which he does it4 ,but another part of the ,spirit's work is to--,,teach--men1 as well as to convert them4 ,when ,jesus was speaking to the disciples of the ,spirit whom he promised to send1 he said1 8,he shall teach you all things40 ,st4 ,john xiv3 #bf4 ,but1 when our ,lord spoke of the ,spirit teaching us 8all things10 he did not mean those things which we can find out ourselves by diligence in study4 ,we do not need the help of the ,holy ,spirit to teach us spelling1 or reading1 or history1 or geography4 ,he meant 8all things0 about himself and the work he has done for our salvation4 ,sin has closed the eyes of our souls4 ,it has made us blind to spiritual things4 ,one part of the ,spirit's work is to open our eyes so that we may see4 ,david was seeking the ,spirit's help in this matter when he offered the prayer1 8,open thou mine eyes1 that ,i may behold wondrous things out of thy law40 ,we may be very learned in the things that are taught in our schools and colleges4 ,we may know a great deal about different languages2 about botany1 and chemistry1 and mathematics1 and astronomy1 and other studies of that kind4 ,but all this will not help us to understand the things taught in the ,bible about ,christ1 and the way to heaven4 ,the knowledge of other things is sometimes a hindrance1 rather than a help1 in trying to understand the ,bible4 ,in learning what is here taught1 none but the ,spirit of ,god can help us4 ,suppose we take a blind man into a large gallery1 filled with fine paintings and beautiful statuary4 ,it is a clear day4 ,the sun is shining through the windows1 and there is plenty of light there4 ,but that is no help to our blind friend4 ,we point to one after another of the beautiful paintings before us1 and describe them to him4 ,but still he cannot see one of them4 ,and then1 suppose that we had the power to open the blind man's eyes1 so that he could see them all for himself2 what a wonderful change that would make to him6 ,and this is what the ,holy ,spirit does for us4 ,the ,bible is like a great gallery4 ,it is full of beautiful pictures1 such as none but ,god can make4 ,but our eyes are blinded1 and we cannot see them4 ,the ,spirit's work is to open these blind eyes so that we may see4 ,and the great end of all the ,spirit's teaching is to help us to see ,jesus1 as our ,saviour1 and the one in whom we must trust for everything necessary to our salvation4 ,here is an illustration of what ,i mean4 ,we may call it3 8,jesus ,only40 ,a lady had been trying for some time to be a ,christian1 but she could find no comfort4 ,the minister of the church which she attended called to see her4 ,finding that though she went regularly to church1 and read her ,bible at home1 and prayed every day1 she yet found no peace2 he said to her1 8,my friend1 do you expect to be saved because you are doing these things80 8,certainly ,i do10 was the answer4 8,well this is your mistake4 ,you are putting these in the place of ,jesus4 ,there is no peace1 or comfort1 or salvation anywhere but in ,jesus only4 ,now let me give you one verse to think about1 and act upon4 ,jesus said--#8,come unto me--and ,i will give you rest4' ,have you gone to ,jesus only for rest and peace and salvation80 ,she looked amazed4 ,she thought awhile of what had been said to her1 and then burst into tears4 ,new light shone in upon her4 ,it was like opening the eyes that had been blind4 ,she saw that it was ,jesus1 and ,jesus only1 that she needed4 ,she came to him2 that is she trusted or believed in him1 and here she found rest and peace and salvation4 ,when ,jesus was speaking to his disciples about the coming of the ,holy ,spirit1 he said--8he shall testify to me40 ,this was what the ,spirit did in the case just mentioned4 ,and this is what he is doing all the time4 ,the end of all his teaching is to show us that 8,jesus only0 can give rest and peace and salvation to poor lost sinners4 ,another part of the ,spirit's work is to--,,sanctify--or make holy--all the people of ,christ4 ,he is called--the ,holy ,spirit--not only because he is holy himself1 but because his work is to make his people holy4 ,and this is what we all need to make us fit for heaven4 ,the great law of that blessed world1 the law that is written1 as it were1 over the gate of heaven1 is this--8without holiness no man shall see the ,lord40 ,and ,jesus pointed out the way in which this holiness or sanctification is to be secured when he was praying for his disciples1 and said1 8,sanctify them through thy truth40 ,the truth here spoken of1 means 8the truth as it is in ,jesus02 or the things that the ,bible tells us about him4 ,this truth is the instrument1 or means1 which the ,spirit employs in making us holy4 ,the best definition of holiness is to say that it means being made like ,jesus4 ,he is the example1 or model1 we have set before us1 which we must try to imitate4 ,we must ask ourselves what would ,jesus think1 or feel1 or say1 or do1 if he were in our position8 and then we must try to think1 and feel1 and speak1 and act as much like him as possible4 ,and so you see how important it is for us to know 8the truth10 or what the ,bible teaches us about him1 because it is only in this way that we can ever hope to become like him1 or to be made holy4 ,there was a famous artist in ,italy many years ago1 whose name was ,michael ,angelo4 ,he was a great painter and a great sculptor4 ,and when he was occupied on any work he always took the greatest pains to finish it as finely as possible4 ,he was once engaged in making the statue of an angel out of a block of white marble4 ,at last it was nearly done2 but still1 he lingered over it1 trying to improve it in every possible way4 ,he was a firm believer in the old proverb1 that 8whatever is worth doing1 is worth doing well40 ,a person who had been in his studio and had seen him at work upon this statue came back1 several days after1 and found him busy with it still4 8,why10 said he1 8,i don't see that you have done anything since ,i was here before40 8,o1 yes1 ,i have10 said the great artist4 8,it was too full here1 and ,i have reduced it somewhat4 ,i have brought that muscle out better4 ,i have rounded off this arm4 ,i have improved the lip here2 and the chin there1 and ,i have put more expression into the face40 8,well1 but these are mere trifles10 said the visitor4 8,they help to make my work perfect2 and perfection is no trifle10 was the great man's wise reply4 ,and this shows us exactly what the ,spirit's work is in making us holy4 ,it is trying to make us more and more like the model of perfection we have set before us in ,jesus4 ,but there is one point of difference between ,michael ,angelo's work on his marble statue and the ,spirit's work upon us4 ,that block of marble was a dead stone4 ,it could do nothing at all to help the sculptor in his work upon it4 ,but we are living stones1 in the hands of the heavenly ,artist4 ,we can and must take hold1 and help in the great work which the ,holy ,spirit is carrying on1 in trying to make us more holy1 or more like ,jesus4 ,and as we yield ourselves to the blessed influences of the ,spirit1 we should be lifting up our hearts to ,jesus in the prayer3 8,make us1 by transforming grace1 ,dear ,saviour1 daily more like thee60 ,and then there is one other thing the ,holy ,spirit has to do in carrying on his great work1 and that is to--,,help ,,and ,,comfort--us4 ,the work we have to do1 as the followers of ,christ1 is what we never can do of ourselves4 ,we need the help of the ,holy ,spirit here all the time4 ,it is only he who can1 in the language of one of our beautiful ,collects1 help us to 8think those things that are good1 and then enable us to perform the same40 ,but he can1 as another of the ,collects says1 both 8put into our hearts good desires1 and give us grace to bring the same to good effect40 ,the ,spirit is given for this purpose4 ,and if we seek and secure his help1 we shall not only be able to do all that ,god requires1 but we shall find comfort in doing it4 ,the work of the ,spirit is to give help and comfort to those who are trying to serve the blessed ,saviour4 ,and it is because he does this that he is so often called the ,comforter4 ,how many illustrations we find of the way in which the ,spirit does this part of his work6 ,but we have only room for one4 8,blind ,robert40 ,robert's mother was a poor widow4 ,she had a large family of children4 ,robert was the youngest4 ,his mother took in washing4 ,his brothers and sisters all helped to support the family by working in one way or other4 ,but poor blind ,robert could not work4 ,the only way in which he could help his mother was by carrying home the clothes for her when the washing and ironing were over4 ,and it was a touching sight to see him with a large basket on his arm1 full of clothes1 and groping his way slowly and carefully along4 ,but ,robert had been taught by the ,spirit to know and love the ,saviour2 and what help and comfort he found in him appears in the following conversation1 between him and a gentleman who met him on the road one day4 ,after talking with him for a while about his mother and family1 the gentleman asked him if it did not make him unhappy to think of being blind4 ,for a moment1 he looked sad2 then he smiled1 and said3 8,sometimes ,i think it hard to have to creep about so4 ,i should so like to look at the bright sun that warms me2 and the sweet birds that sing for me2 and the beautiful flowers that feel so soft as ,i touch them4 ,but ,god made me blind1 and ,i know that it is best for me4 ,i am glad that he did not make me deaf and dumb1 too4 ,i am glad that he gave me such a good mother4 ,but1 above all1 ,i am so glad that he has taught me to know and love the blessed ,saviour2 for ,i find it such a help and comfort to think about him40 8,and how does the ,saviour help you80 8,oh1 sir1 ,i pray to him2 and then ,i seem to hear him say1 #8,i forgive you ,robert2 ,i love you1 poor1 blind boy6 ,i will take away your evil heart and give you a new one6' ,and then ,i feel so happy2 it seems to me as if ,i could almost hear the angels singing up in heaven40 8,i am glad to hear this1 ,robert4 ,and do you ever expect to see the angels80 8,oh1 yes1 sir6 ,when ,i die1 my spirit will not be blind4 ,it is only my clay house that has no windows4 ,i can see with my mind now2 and that1 mother tells me1 is the way they see in heaven4 ,i heard mother reading in the ,bible the other day1 where it tells about heaven1 and it said there is #8no night there4' ,but here1 it is night to blind people all the time4 ,oh6 sir1 when ,i feel bad because ,i can't see1 ,i think of ,jesus and heaven1 and that helps and comforts me40 ,this is a beautiful illustration of this part of the work of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,it shows us how the ,spirit helps and comforts us4 ,it is by testifying of ,jesus1 or by teaching us to know what a precious ,saviour he is and what glorious things he does for those who love him4 ,and now we have considered the three things about the coming of the ,holy ,spirit1 mentioned at the beginning of this chapter4 ,we have spoken of the time of his coming--on the day of ,pentecost2 the manner of his coming--expected--sudden--startling--and abiding2 and we have spoken of the purpose of his coming2 this led us to show what the ,spirit is--he is a divine ,person--one of the three ,persons in the blessed ,trinity2 and what the ,spirit does4 ,his work is to convert--to teach--to sanctify1 or make holy1--and help and comfort all the people of ,christ4 ,jesus left the great work to be done for his church1 and by his church1 in good hands1 when he left it with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,let us pray ,god to give us a larger measure of the ,holy ,spirit's presence and power in our hearts1 and then we shall be holy and useful and happy6 ,,the ,,apostle ,,peter ,in our last chapter1 we saw how the ,spirit of ,god came down from heaven to carry on the work which ,jesus left for his people to do after his ascension4 ,and now1 before leaving this subject1 it is necessary to show what the ,holy ,spirit did to build up the ,church on the foundation which ,jesus had laid for it2 and to make known to a world of lost sinners1 the great salvation which he had prepared for them4 ,the best way of doing this1 would be to give a sketch of the lives and labors of the twelve apostles whom our ,lord had chosen1 and left behind him1 to carry on the important work begun by him4 ,but this would take more room than we can spare4 ,there are only two numbers now remaining to finish this work4 ,all that can be done1 therefore1 is to make choice of three of the principal apostles1 and take their histories as fair specimens of the way in which the work of building up the ,church was carried on by them and their companions after ,jesus1 their great ,master1 had ascended into heaven4 ,the three selected for this purpose are the apostle ,peter1 the apostle ,john1 and the apostle ,paul4 ,all will agree in regarding these as among 8the very chief of the apostles40 ,we begin then with ,,the ,,apostle ,,peter4 ,and in considering the life of this great and good man1 the two points of view from which we may look at it are the facts of his history2 and the lessons which it teaches4 ,we begin then1 with considering the facts of ,st4 ,peter's history1 as mentioned in the ,new ,testament4 ,we shall not attempt to give all the facts woven into this history4 ,it will be enough for our present purpose if the principal facts are stated4 ,the first fact to notice about this good man is that he was a native of the city of ,bethsaida1 on the northern coast of the ,sea of ,galilee1 and that his father's name was ,jonas1 or ,jonah4 ,the next thing known of him is that his occupation was that of a fisherman4 ,it is a fact that he was first brought to ,jesus by his brother ,andrew1 who had been one of the disciples of ,john the ,baptist4 ,jesus spoke kindly to him1 and told him that his name should be changed from ,simon1 as he was then called1 to ,cephas1 which is the ,greek word for a rock1 or a stone4 ,the ,latin word1 that means the same thing1 is the word ,petrus4 ,and so ,cephas1 or ,peter1 is the name by which he was afterwards called4 ,st4 ,john i3 #da1 #db2 ,st4 ,matt4 xvi3 #ah4 ,it is a fact that he did not continue to follow ,jesus1 as one of his disciples1 immediately after this first interview with him1 but went back1 for a while1 to his old employment as a fisherman4 ,it is a fact that some time after this he was called by ,jesus to be one of his disciples4 ,it happened in this way3--,one day1 ,jesus was standing on the shore of the ,sea of ,galilee4 ,a crowd of people were pressing around him1 to hear him preach4 ,he wanted a convenient place from which to speak to them4 ,peter was near at hand1 in his fishing-boat4 ,jesus stepped on board the boat1 and asked ,peter to push it out a little way from the land4 ,he did so2 and ,jesus made a pulpit of that boat1 and preached to the people1 as they stood upon the shore of the lake4 ,when the sermon was ended1 ,jesus told ,peter to push the boat out into deep water and let down the net1 and he would catch a fine lot of fish4 ,peter said they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing4 ,still1 he did as ,jesus told him2 and immediately they found more fish than their net would hold4 ,this showed ,peter the wonderful knowledge and power of ,jesus4 ,he felt afraid of him1 and fell down at his feet1 saying1 8,depart from me1 for ,i am a sinful man1 ,o ,lord60 ,jesus said unto him1 8,fear not2 from henceforth thou shalt catch men40 ,st4 ,luke vi3 #a-aa4 ,st4 ,matthew tells us that on this occasion ,jesus said to ,peter and his brother ,andrew1 8,follow me2 and ,i will make you fishers of men40 ,st4 ,matt4 iv3 #ah1 #ai4 ,it is a fact that some time after this1 ,jesus chose out from the rest of his disciples ,peter and eleven others1 to be his twelve apostles4 ,they were to be with him at all times1 to hear his teachings1 in private1 as well as in public2 to witness his miracles2 and be prepared1 in this way1 to take up and carry on his work when he should return to heaven4 ,we have the account of this in ,st4 ,matt4 x3 #b-d2 ,st4 ,mark iii3 #ac-ai2 and ,st4 ,luke vi3 #ac-ag4 ,it is a fact that in these different lists of the apostles1 the name of ,peter always stands first4 ,we are not told why this was so4 ,one thing is certain1 however1 it was not because he was set above the rest of the apostles1 or had any power or authority superior to what was given to the others4 ,it was1 probably1 only because he was quicker to speak and more ready to act than his brethren were4 ,two occasions are mentioned in the gospels on which he did this4 ,one of them was when some of the followers of ,jesus were offended at his preaching4 ,they went away and would not hear him any more4 ,then ,jesus turned to his chosen twelve and said3 8,will ye also go away80 ,peter1 speaking for the rest1 immediately replied3 8,lord1 to whom shall we go8 ,thou hast the words of eternal life40 ,st4 ,john vi3 #ff-fi4 ,the other occasion was when the disciples had returned from one of the missionary tours on which they had been sent4 ,jesus asked them what men said about him4 ,different answers were given to this question2 but none of them were correct4 ,then he asked them what they thought about him4 ,peter at once1 answering for the rest1 said3 8,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god40 ,this was a noble confession4 ,it showed that ,peter had very clear views of the character of ,jesus and of the work he came on earth to do4 ,jesus pronounced a blessing on him for this1 and said3 8,thou art ,peter2 and upon this rock ,i will build my ,church1 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it40 ,st4 ,matt4 xvi3 #ah4 ,there has been great difference of opinion among good ,christian people about the meaning of these words of our ,saviour4 ,they cannot mean that ,peter1 in his person or in his office as an apostle1 was to be the rock1 or foundation1 on which the ,church of ,christ was to be built4 ,this is certain2 because ,st4 ,paul tells us that there is only one foundation on which this ,church is built1 and that is ,christ himself4 ,i4 ,cor4 iii3 #aa4 ,there can be no doubt1 ,i think1 that what ,jesus meant here was that the noble confession which ,peter made on this occasion was the truth on which his ,church was to be built4 ,and this we know is the case4 ,it is a fact that ,peter1 with ,james and ,john1 was present to see and hear what ,jesus said1 and did1 and suffered1 on several occasions when the other disciples were not present4 ,one of these occasions was when he raised the daughter of ,jairus from the dead4 ,another occasion was when ,jesus appeared in such wondrous glory on the ,mount of ,transfiguration4 ,and1 in striking contrast to this1 when he sank to the earth1 amidst the gloomy shades of ,gethsemane1 overwhelmed by the 8agony and bloody sweat10 ,peter was one of the three chosen witnesses of that awful scene4 ,it is a fact that when he saw his ,master walking on the water1 he asked permission to come and meet him1 by walking over the surface of the sea4 ,jesus gave him leave to come4 ,he got out of the ship1 and began that watery walk4 ,but1 when he saw the rough waves rising and swelling against him1 his heart sank1 his faith failed1 and he was beginning to sink1 when ,jesus stretched forth his hand and saved him4 ,it is a fact that1 on one occasion1 ,jesus sent ,peter to the seaside with a fishing-line to catch a fish1 in whose mouth he was to find the money required to pay the taxes due to the government for himself and his ,master4 ,it is a fact that the night before the crucifixion of our ,lord1 ,peter solemnly declared that he would never forsake his ,master1 though all the rest of his followers should do so2 and1 even though he should have to die for clinging to him4 ,it is a fact1 nevertheless1 that he did forsake him that very night1 and three times deny that he knew him2 yea1 even with oaths and curses4 ,it is a fact that1 notwithstanding this1 ,peter was freely forgiven1 on the morning of the resurrection1 and restored to the place which he had forfeited1 as one of the twelve apostles4 ,it is a fact that after the ascension of ,jesus into heaven1 ,peter was the first to propose the election of another apostle to fill the place which had been left vacant by the death of the traitor ,judas4 ,it is a fact that when the ,holy ,ghost came down on the day of ,pentecost1 ,peter was the first of all the apostles to preach the gospel2 and that three thousand souls were converted1 as the result of one day's labor2 and that1 in all the work done in the earliest history of the new church1 he was the principal preacher4 ,it is a fact that the first miracle of which we read in the history of the new church was performed by ,peter4 ,it was the miracle of healing the lame man1 who was sitting at 8the gate of the temple called ,beautiful10 when ,peter and ,john were entering the temple1 at the hour for evening prayer4 ,acts iii3 #a-i4 ,it is a fact that when the apostles were forbidden by the ,jewish rulers to preach in the name of ,jesus1 ,peter was the first boldly to tell them to their faces1 that they must 8obey ,god1 rather than men02 and that1 in spite of all that might be said1 or done1 to hinder them1 they would go on1 and preach 8,jesus ,christ1 and him crucified40 ,acts iv3 #ac-bc4 ,it is a fact that as the first miracle of mercy in the early church was performed by this apostle1 so was the first miracle of judgment4 ,we read about this in ,acts v3 #a-aj4 ,it was before him that ,ananias and ,sapphira were struck dead for the sin of lying and cheating4 ,it is a fact that the miraculous power of ,peter was so great and so well-known that people laid their sick friends down in the streets along which he was walking1 that his shadow might fall upon them1 and heal them4 ,acts v3#ae4 ,it is a fact that the first missionary journey undertaken1 in the early church1 was by this apostle4 ,it is a fact that in the course of this journey he healed a lame man1 who had been confined to his bed eight years1 with palsy4 ,he also raised to life a good ,christian woman1 named ,tabitha1 or ,dorcas4 ,she lived at ,joppa1 and had spent her time in making garments for the poor4 ,she was the founder of the first ,dorcas society of which we have ever heard2 and her name has been connected with these excellent charities since then1 all over the world4 ,acts ix3 #cb-dc4 ,it is a fact that when the time came for the opening of the kingdom of heaven to the ,gentiles1 it was the apostle ,peter who had the honor of performing this important act4 ,he was the first minister of ,christ who ever preached the gospel to a ,gentile1 and made to him the offer of eternal life4 ,he did this when he preached to ,cornelius1 the ,roman centurion1 and received him into the church by baptism4 ,we read about this great event in the tenth chapter of the ,acts4 ,it is a fact that1 after this1 ,peter was put in prison by ,herod1 who was persecuting the ,christians4 ,he had just put the apostle ,james to death and intended to do the same with ,peter4 ,but his friends united in earnest prayer to ,god for him2 and ,god sent an angel1 who struck off his chains1 opened the prison door1 and set him free4 ,acts xii3 #a-bj4 ,after this we have no clear account of the ministry of ,st4 ,peter4 ,we only know that he spent the rest of his life in going about from place to place1 preaching the blessed gospel of the great ,master whom he loved so well4 ,it is a fact1 however1 that he wrote the two epistles which bear his name and which have been such a comfort and blessing to the church for more than eighteen centuries4 ,and then1 the last fact in his history is that he suffered martyrdom1 by crucifixion1 in the city of ,rome4 ,we have no definite information about the time when this event took place1 or about the particulars connected with it4 ,it is generally believed that the death of ,st4 ,peter occurred about the same time as that of the apostle ,paul2 and1 that they both took place during the persecution that arose under the cruel and bloody emperor ,nero4 ,the tradition is that when ,st4 ,peter came to the place of execution1 he requested to be crucified with his head downwards1 because he felt that he was not worthy to suffer in the same way in which his great ,master was put to death4 ,here we have woven together more than twenty facts that make up the history of the apostle ,peter4 ,the next thing for us to do is to notice some of the more important lessons taught us by this history4 ,the first lesson we may learn from the history of this apostle is1 about--,,the ,,danger ,,of ,,self-,,confidence4 ,solomon says1 8,he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool40 ,prov4 xxviii3 #bf4 ,by a man trusting in his own heart1 he means1 having too much self-confidence4 ,and the folly of this sort of trust is seen in this1 that it keeps us from seeking the help of ,god2 and without this help1 we are not able to resist temptation when it overtakes us2 and then we are sure to fall4 ,we see a striking illustration of this in the case of ,peter4 ,when ,jesus told the disciples that they would all forsake him1 ,peter had such trust in his own heart--such confidence in himself1--that he said1 8,though all men forsake thee1 yet will ,i never forsake thee40 ,and1 when ,jesus told him that1 on that very night1 he would deny him thrice1 ,peter1 confidently1 declared3 8,though ,i should die with thee1 yet will ,i not deny thee40 ,and1 no doubt1 he was perfectly honest in saying this4 ,he meant just what he said4 ,the trouble with him was that he did not know himself4 ,he trusted too much in his own heart4 ,his confidence in himself led him to neglect praying for the help and strength he would need when the temptation to deny his ,master came before him4 ,and so1 that very night1 when ,jesus was delivered into the hands of his enemies1 and some of those about him said to ,peter1--8,thou art one of this man's disciples10 his courage failed him4 ,he not only denied that he was a follower of ,jesus1 but even declared1 with oaths and curses1 that he did not know him4 ,here we see the folly of self-confidence1 of which ,solomon speaks4 ,and how many illustrations of this self-confidence we meet with6 8,the ,folly of a ,soldier's ,self-,confidence40 ,when the ,english commander1 ,general ,braddock1 in the early history of this country1 was leading his little army through ,pennsylvania to attack the ,french fort ,du,quesne1 where ,pittsburgh now stands1 ,george ,washington1 then a colonel1 was an officer in the general's staff4 ,the ,french had enlisted the ,indians on their side4 ,washington understood the mode of fighting which the ,indians adopted4 ,he knew their custom was to hide themselves in trees and fire upon their enemies without being seen4 ,as the ,english army was pursuing its march1 not far from the fort they were to attack1 they came to a dense forest through which they had to make their way4 ,washington knew that it was in just such a woody region that they might expect to find the ,indians4 ,he told ,general ,braddock what he feared and suggested that he should command the army to halt1 and send forward some scouts to examine the woods and find out if there were any ,indians there before marching through4 ,but the general had so much confidence in himself and in his own way of managing his army that he refused to listen to ,washington's advice4 ,the army entered the forest2 but they had not gone far before they were fired upon from every side4 ,the firing was kept up4 ,the soldiers were falling to the ground1 killed1 or wounded2 but no enemy was in sight1 and no one could see where the firing came from4 ,general ,braddock and his chief officers were killed4 ,the army was defeated2 and ,washington1 the principal officer left alive1 gathered their shattered ranks together2 led them out from the woods and marched them back to the place from which they had started4 ,the failure of that military enterprise1 stands out on the page of history as a striking illustration of the folly of self-confidence4 8,the ,folly of a ,sailor's ,self-,confidence40 ,the captain of a ship had brought his vessel to the entrance of the channel that leads to the harbor of one of the principal seaport towns of ,scotland4 ,he had often sailed in and out of that harbor4 ,he felt confident that he could take the vessel in himself4 ,when the pilot came and offered his services1 he said3 8,no1 ,i'll be my own pilot4 ,i know every rock in the channel4 ,i am sure ,i can take the ship safely in40 ,he started on his way4 ,it was blowing a gale at the time4 ,but he had not got far before the ship was dashed against a hidden rock of which he did not know4 ,the vessel went to pieces1 almost in sight of the harbor1 and the captain and his crew were all lost4 ,here we see the folly of self-confidence4 ,but we often see this folly even when it does not lead to such fatal results as followed in the illustrations already given4 ,this is clearly shown in the following fable3 8,the ,owl ,that ,thought ,he ,could ,sing40 8,what in the world can bring so many people into the grove to hear the nightingales sing80 said a young owl to his mother4 ,the old owl didn't know and didn't care--she was busy watching a bat4 8,i am sure ,i have as fine a voice as any nightingale and a good deal stronger40 8,stronger1 certainly1 my son10 said the owl1 blinking her eyes1 for the bat had escaped4 8,i shall go into the grove to-night1 and give them a song10 said the self-confident young owl4 ,the old owl opened her round eyes very wide1 but said nothing4 ,so1 when night came1 and the hour for the sweet singing of the birds drew near1 he flew heavily along and placed himself in a part of the grove where he could be seen and heard to the best advantage4 ,but the nightingales did not like the prospect either of his company or his help in their concert2 so those of them who were going to sing flew away to another grove1 while those who were to be quiet for the night kept snugly at roost4 8,where can the nightingales be80 said one of the people who had come to hear them4 ,then the self-confident young owl set up a hoot so long and loud that it startled the people4 8,that horrid creature has frightened them all away10 said one4 8,where's my gun8 ,i'll soon fix him40 ,the owl took the hint and without waiting till the gun appeared hastened back home4 ,illustration3 ,jesus ,showeth ,himself at the ,sea of ,tiberius ,but when the morning was now come1 ,jesus stood on the shore3 but the disciples knew not that it was ,jesus4 ,then ,jesus saith unto them1 ,children1 have ye any meat8 ,they answered him1 ,no4 ,and he said and unto them1 ,cast the net on the right side of the ship1 and ye shall find4 ,they cast therefore1 and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes4 ,therefore that disciple whom ,jesus loved saith unto ,peter1 ,it is the ,lord4 ,now when ,simon ,peter heard that it was the ,lord1 he girt his fisher's coat unto him1 7for he was naked17 and did cast himself into the sea4 ,as soon then as they were come to land1 they saw a fire of coals there1 and fish laid thereon1 and bread4 ,jesus saith unto them1 ,bring of the fish which ye have now caught4444 ,and none of the disciples durst ask him1 ,who art thou8 knowing that it was the ,lord4 ,jesus then cometh1 and taketh bread1 and giveth them1 and fish likewise4 ,this is now the third time that ,jesus shewed himself to his disciples1 after that he was risen from the dead4--,st4 ,john xxi3 #d-g1 #i1 #aj1 #ab-ad4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,next in order of the recorded appearances is that by the ,sea of ,tiberius1 whither the disciples had returned to await the promised meeting with their ,master1 the seven who were fishermen resuming meanwhile their former occupation4 ,disheartened and weary with a fruitless night's toil1 they were returning homeward at dawn1 when they perceived in the dim light the figure of one who had seemingly come down to the shore to buy their fish2 and supposing from his words that he had noticed indications of a shoal1 they readily followed his directions1 laying out the net in the manner still in use on the lake4 ,the success of the cast at once suggested its true cause1 and ,peter1 standing naked in the boat after swimming round with the net to 8ring0 the fish1 paused but a moment to gird on his short1 striped abba1 and once more leapt into the sea1 eager to verify the glad surmise that the stranger was none other than the ,master himself4 ,the background of the picture is the shore of the lake to the north of ,magdala with the ,wady ,hammm and ,kurn ,hattn in the distance4 #gh 8,your feathers are ruffled1 my son10 said the old owl4 8,have you been singing80 ,then the foolish young owl told about his disgrace and his narrow escape from death4 8,it is just what ,i expected10 said his mother1 8and ,i'm glad you are safe back40 8,then why did you let me go80 he asked4 8,because ,i saw you wouldn't mind what ,i said1 and that nothing but experience would teach you the folly of thinking too much of yourself40 ,that young owl had reason to feel thankful that he had learned this lesson without any greater harm or loss to himself4 ,the first lesson from the history of this apostle is about the danger of self-confidence4 ,the second lesson from this history is about--,,deliverance ,,from ,,temptation4 ,when we rise in the morning we can never tell what will happen to us before evening4 ,but ,jesus knows all about things before they come to pass4 ,at the beginning of a day1 or week1 or month1 or year1 he has a clear view of all that can happen to the end of it4 ,early in the evening of the night on which he was betrayed1 ,jesus said to ,peter3 8,simon1 ,simon1 ,satan hath desired to have you1 that he may sift you as wheat2 but ,i have prayed for thee1 that thy faith fail not40 ,st4 ,luke xxii3 #ca1 #cb4 ,looking forward through that sad and solemn night ,jesus saw that ,satan1 the great enemy of souls1 had laid a snare or prepared a temptation for ,peter which1 he thought1 would ruin his soul forever4 ,he had arranged things in such a way that ,peter would be tempted to deny his ,master1 and would be most likely to yield to the temptation2 and this was so great a sin that it would seem sure to prevent him from being one of the apostles1 and cause him to lose his soul4 ,and such would have been the result1 no doubt1 if ,jesus had not seen this temptation coming1 and had not prepared a way of escape in the very midst of it4 ,he prayed for ,peter1 8that his faith might not fail40 ,and it was this prayer of ,jesus that saved ,peter4 ,for we read in the gospel that as soon as he had committed his great sin he was sorry for it4 8,he went out and wept bitterly40 ,and it was just here that the prayer of ,jesus secured to ,peter the grace that led him to true repentance2 and this was what saved him4 ,it was in this way that he was brought out of his temptation4 ,we do not wonder1 therefore1 to find ,st4 ,peter using these comforting words in one of his epistles3 8,the ,lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation40 ,,ii4 ,peter ii3 #i4 ,he knew very well about this4 ,he could speak from his own experience here4 ,his history affords a beautiful illustration of this passage from his epistle4 ,and as we are all exposed to temptation it will be a great help and comfort to us to remember that what ,jesus did for ,peter he can do for us4 8,an ,illustration from ,history40 ,in an old ,english history1 called 8,the ,chronicles of ,froissart10 there is an account given of the escape of the garrison from a besieged citadel1 which illustrates very well this part of our subject4 ,an enemy's army had encamped before this citadel1 for the purpose of taking it4 ,they had completely surrounded it4 ,it was impossible for anyone to go in or out of the place4 ,the day was fixed for storming the fortifications and putting the garrison to death4 ,the assault was made4 ,the walls were mounted and the gates forced open2 but no one was found within4 ,what had become of them8 ,on examining the place1 it was found that through the solid rock1 on which the fortress was built1 a secret passage-way had been made4 ,it led down under the walls1 far away from the besieged citadel1 out into the beautiful country beyond it4 ,thus the soldiers and inhabitants of that fortress found 8a way of escape0 from the power of their enemies4 8,an ,illustration from ,daily ,life40 ,a gentleman who lived in a small country town in ,england obtained a situation for his son1 a promising young man1 in one of the banks in the city of ,london4 ,his father took him up to ,london and introduced him to the president of the bank and the other officers4 ,on taking leave of his son1 the father said3 8,harry1 my boy1 you must be obedient1 obliging1 civil1 and respectful2 be attentive to your business and trustworthy4 ,above all things1 never forget these four words--#8,thou1 ,god1 seest me4'0 ,harry promised his father1 solemnly1 to do as he had said4 ,and he did so for awhile4 ,he gained the confidence of all about him1 and rose1 by degrees1 till he held one of the most responsible positions in the bank4 ,thousands of pounds passed through his hands every day4 ,at last1 temptation overtook him4 ,the thought came into his mind how easy it would be to make himself rich by quietly taking some of this gold and silver1 without anyone knowing it4 ,he was frightened when this idea first entered his mind1 and tried to put it away4 ,but still it would come back to him1 again and again1 till he ceased to be alarmed at it4 ,finally1 it seemed to take full possession of him4 ,he made up his mind to do it4 ,one evening1 when all the others had left the bank1 he remained behind1 under pretence of finishing some business4 ,he went to the vault and put in the keys4 ,the heavy door flew open4 ,but1 just as he had reached out his hands1 and grasped the money1 his father's words--8,thou1 ,god1 seest me0--came into his mind4 ,the money dropped from his hands1 as if it had been red-hot iron4 ,he fell on his knees and cried1--8,o1 ,god1 save me from this temptation60 ,and ,god did save him4 ,he put the money back1 and closed the vault4 ,then he went to the president1 and1 with bitter cries and tears1 confessed his fault and offered to resign his situation4 ,the president was a wise and good man4 ,he said he would keep the secret to himself2 and not allow him to give up his situation in the bank4 ,but he told him to seek every day the help of that ,god who had delivered him from this great temptation4 ,he went back to his duties1 feeling that he had no strength in himself1 but firmly relying on the grace of ,god to 8deliver him from evil10 and remembering the great truth--8,thou1 ,god1 seest me40 ,let us always remember this lesson from the history of ,st4 ,peter1 about deliverance from temptation4 ,the third lesson we learn from this history is about--,,overcoming ,,prejudice4 ,the word prejudice is made up of two ,latin words4 ,one of these means1 to judge1 or to form an opinion1 or to make up our minds on any subject2 and the other means1 beforehand4 ,and a person who has a prejudice1 is one who has made up his mind about something before he understands it4 ,when ,nathanael first heard our ,saviour spoken of as 8,jesus of ,nazareth10 he asked3 8,can any good thing come out of ,nazareth80 ,he had a prejudice against it4 ,he had made up his mind that nothing good could come out of it1 before he really knew the place4 ,and so the ,jews and the ,samaritans had a very great prejudice against each other4 ,the ,jews thought it impossible that there should be any good ,samaritans1 and the ,samaritans thought it impossible that there should be any good ,jews4 ,but they were both mistaken4 ,they had made up their minds on this subject before they understood it4 ,but perhaps there never was a stronger prejudice than that which the ,jews had toward the ,gentiles4 ,they thought it was impossible for them to be saved2 and they would never share any of their religious privileges with them4 ,and as the apostle ,peter was a ,jew1 he had this strong prejudice against the ,gentiles4 ,and how strong this prejudice was1 we see from the great trouble taken to overcome it4 ,when ,god wished to have ,peter go and preach the gospel to the ,gentiles1 his prejudice against them was so strong1 that three miracles had to be performed before that prejudice could be overcome and he be willing to obey ,god's command in this matter4 ,we read about this in the tenth chapter of the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,peter was at ,joppa1 at this time1 staying at the house of ,simon the tanner1 by the seaside4 ,here he had a vision4 ,in the vision1 he saw a great sheet1 fastened by the four corners1 and let down from heaven4 ,in this sheet were all manner of four-footed beasts1 and creeping things1 and fowls of the air4 ,as he gazed on them1 he heard a voice saying1 8,rise1 ,peter1 slay and eat40 ,but many of these creatures were such as the ,jews thought unclean4 ,so ,peter declined to do this1 for he said that 8nothing common1 or unclean1 had ever entered his mouth40 ,the same voice told him not to call anything unclean that ,god had cleansed4 ,this was done three times2 and all was taken up to heaven4 ,here was the first miracle performed to overcome the prejudice of ,peter4 ,just as this vision ended1 three men came to the house of ,simon1 inquiring for ,peter4 ,they were sent by ,cornelius1 a ,roman centurion1 who lived at ,csarea1 on the seacoast1 more than a day's journey from ,joppa4 ,cornelius was trying to find out the way of salvation4 ,he had prayed earnestly to ,god for direction4 ,god had sent an angel to tell him to send to ,joppa1 and ask ,simon ,peter to come and preach the gospel to him1 or to tell him how he was to be saved4 ,this was the second miracle wrought on purpose to overcome the prejudice of ,peter4 ,and while these men were inquiring for ,peter1 the ,spirit of ,god spoke to him and told him to go with the men and do what they wanted him to do1 because he had sent them4 ,this was the third miracle that took place on this occasion4 ,and thus the strong prejudice of ,peter was overcome4 ,he went with these men4 ,he preached the gospel to a company of ,gentiles4 ,and when he saw the ,holy ,ghost come down on them1 in a visible form1 as it had come down on the apostles1 on the day of ,pentecost1 he baptized them1 and received them into the church4 ,and thus ,peter had the honor of being the first minister of ,christ who preached the gospel to the ,gentiles4 ,he first opened the door of the ,christian church to them4 ,the prejudice of ,peter1 if it had not been overcome1 would have prevented him from being useful in this way4 ,and if we wish to be useful1 and do the work ,god has for us to do1 we must try to overcome our prejudices4 8,a ,lesson from a ,pair of ,shoes40 ,there was a minister of the gospel once1 who had a member of his church who was a shoemaker4 ,he thought no one could be a ,christian who did not think and feel just as he did4 ,this interfered with his usefulness4 ,his minister had often talked with him on the subject1 but in vain4 ,at last1 he concluded to give him a lesson from his own trade1 which he would not be likely to forget1 and which he hoped would do him good4 ,he did it in this way3 ,he sent for the shoemaker one day1 and when he came in1 he said1 8,i wish you to take my measure for a pair of shoes40 8,i will do so with pleasure2 please take off your boot40 ,the minister did so2 and the shoemaker took his measure1 put down the figures in his notebook1 and was going away1 when the minister said to him1 8,i want a pair of boots also for my son40 8,very good1 sir4 ,can ,i take the young man's measure80 8,that is not necessary10 said the pastor1 8you can make my boots and his from the same last40 8,please1 your reverence1 that will never do10 said the shoemaker1 with a smile of surprise4 8,o yes1 it will do very well4 ,make my shoes and my son's on the same last40 8,that cannot be1 your reverence4 ,if a shoe is to fit it must be made on a last that is just the size of the person's foot who is to wear it40 8,is that so80 said the minister4 8,you say every pair of shoes must be made on their own last or they will not fit4 ,and yet you think that ,god must make all ,christians on your last2 and if they do not think and feel just as you do you think they are not true ,christians40 8,i thank your reverence for this lesson10 said the shoemaker4 8,i will try and remember it1 and pray ,god to help me to overcome my prejudices40 ,this is a good lesson for us all to learn4 ,the last lesson of which we may speak1 as taught us by the history of this apostle1 is about--,,the ,,benefit ,,of ,,trials4 ,when ,jesus foresaw the great trial that was coming on ,peter1 during the night of his betrayal1 he could easily have saved him from it if he had thought it best and wisest to do so4 ,before leaving the upper chamber in ,jerusalem where he kept the ,passover for the last time with his disciples1 he could have sent ,peter on some errand or could have given him something to do that would have occupied him till the next day4 ,then he would not have been exposed to the temptation of denying his ,master4 ,this could easily have been done4 ,but ,jesus did not do this4 ,and the reason was he knew very well that though the trial would be very painful to ,peter1 and would cause him to shed many bitter and sorrowful tears1 yet it would be useful to him in the end1 and would help to make him a better minister than he could have been without it4 ,it would show him his own weakness1 and teach him how to sympathize with others in their troubles and to be kind and tender in his dealings with them4 ,and this is what ,jesus meant when he said to ,peter after telling him about this coming trial3 8,and when thou art converted1 strengthen thy brethren40 ,and no doubt ,peter had this sorrowful event in his mind1 and the benefit he had derived from it1 when1 in one of his epistles1 he compares the trials through which ,god causes us to pass to the fire into which the jeweler puts his gold when he desires to have it purified4 ,i4 ,peter i3 #ag4 ,he was a more useful minister for having passed through this trial than he ever could have been without it4 ,the benefit of it followed him through all his life4 ,and this was the reason why ,jesus did not save him from that trial1 but saved him in it4 ,and in the same way ,god intends to do us good by all the trials through which he causes us to pass4 ,it is not for his pleasure1 but for our profit that these trials are allowed to come upon us2 and the profit will surely follow if1 as ,paul says1 we are rightly 8exercised thereby40 ,it would be easy enough to give many illustrations of this important lesson1 but there is room for only one4 ,we may call it3 8,the ,marble-,block2 or1 ,the ,sculptor's ,lesson40 8,one of my scholars10 says a ,sunday-school teacher1 8had a little sister who was lame4 ,her name was ,annie4 ,i often called to see her1 and pitied her as ,i saw her sitting by the window watching the other children on the playground4 ,in addition to her lameness she was sometimes so sick that she could not sit at the window4 ,one bright spring day ,i bought for her some oranges and candies and a pretty picture-book1 and hoped to comfort her with these4 ,i gave her the oranges and candies1 and read to her from the little book2 but still she seemed sad4 8#8,why are you so sad to-day1 ,annie1 dear8' ,i said4 8#8,oh1 ma'am1' she replied1 #8,i don't see why ,god should afflict me1 and yet let other children be so well and happy4 ,but if ,i only knew that ,god was not angry with me ,i shouldn't care so much4' 8,i asked her to take a little walk with me4 ,in the course of our walk ,i took her into the room of a sculptor whom ,i knew4 ,here were a number of beautiful marble figures and some blocks of rough marble4 ,the artist was at work on one of these1 and ,annie and ,i watched him with great interest4 ,presently ,i pointed to a great rough1 dark block of marble that stood in the middle of the room1 and said3 #8,do you like that1 ,annie8' 8#8,oh1 no1' she said1 #8why did they bring such an ugly block here8' 8#8,that block1' said the artist1 #8,i shall begin to work upon to-morrow4 ,come in and see it again4' 8,the next day ,annie and ,i went in again4 ,the artist spent most of that day in simply knocking off the rough places4 ,day after day we watched him2 and every day the block seemed to grow less ugly4 ,the sharp chisel cut here1 and there1 and everywhere4 ,as we watched him we often thought if the block was alive and could feel how much it would suffer from the blows of that chisel6 8,after a while the artist sent us an invitation to come to his studio4 ,i took my little friend and went4 ,as we entered1 he said3 #8,i have something to show ,annie4' ,then he drew aside a thin1 white veil1 and behold6 there stood before us1 white as the driven snow1 the beautiful image of an angel1 that had been made out of that rough marble block4 ,annie shouted with joy when she saw it4 8#8,now1 ,annie1 dear1' ,i said1 #8do you think the sculptor hated that rough block of marble when he gave it so many hard knocks8' 8#8,oh1 no1' said she1 #8he loved it2 and every blow he gave showed his love for it4' ,illustration3 ,jesus1 ,his ,work ,accomplished1 ,ascends ,into ,heaven ,and he led them out as far as to ,bethany1 and he lifted up his hands1 and blessed them4 ,and it came to pass1 while he blessed them1 he was parted from them1 and carried up into heaven4--,and while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up1 behold1 two men stood by them in white apparel2 ,which also said1 ,ye men of ,galilee1 why stand ye gazing up into heaven8 this same ,jesus1 which is taken up from you into heaven1 shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven4--,st4 ,luke xxiv3 #ej1 #ea2 ,acts i3 #aj1 #aa4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist 8,and he led them out as far as to ,bethany10 passing through the streets of the city1 thronged with busy crowds1 who knew not that ,jesus of ,nazareth passed by4 ,over the ridge of ,olivet there is a path leading to ,bethany1 and following this the traveller reaches a secluded spot on the further slope of the hill1 and within sight of the home that ,jesus had known and loved2 and he pauses in reverence1 for these silent stones may have witnessed the crowning scene of the world's ,redemption--,jesus1 son of ,god and son of ,man1 received up to ,heaven1 a cloud of adoring angels concealing from mortal gaze his entrance through the everlasting doors into the presence of the ,father4 #gi 8#8,and so1 my dear child1' said ,i1 #8does ,god love us4 ,and the trials which he sends on us are the proofs of his love4 ,as the sculptor was trying to make this image of an angel out of the marble block1 by every blow he gave it1 so ,god1 by all the afflictions of this life1 is fitting us to be like the angels in the heavenly kingdom4' 8#8,now1 ,i shall never feel sad on account of my lameness1' said ,annie4 #8,to think that this is a proof of ,god's love will always make me happy4'0 ,let us remember these four lessons when we think of the history of the apostle ,peter4 ,the lesson about self-confidence--about deliverance from temptation--about overcoming prejudice--and about the benefit of trials4 ,we may close this subject with the ,collect for ,all ,saints' ,day3 8,o ,almighty ,god1 who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship1 in the mystical body of thy ,son ,christ1 our ,lord3 grant us grace so to follow thy blessed saints1 in all virtuous and godly living1 that we may come to those unspeakable joys which thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love thee2 through ,jesus ,christ1 our ,lord4 ,amen40 ,,st4 ,,john ,,and ,,st4 ,,paul ,in the original plan of this work1 it was intended to have a separate chapter for each of these two noble workers in the cause of ,christ4 ,but room for this fails4 ,all that can be done is to give a brief sketch of each in this closing chapter4 ,we have now to speak of the apostle ,john4 ,most of the pictures that have been made of this apostle1 represent him as looking more like a woman than a man4 ,but we shall find that there was no authority for this when we come to see what his real character was4 ,he is supposed to have been born in ,bethsaida1 the city of ,andrew and ,peter4 ,this town was situated on the western shore of the sea of ,galilee1 or the lake of ,tiberias1 at the upper part of the lake4 ,his father's name was ,zebedee1 and his mother's1 ,salome4 ,we know nothing more of ,zebedee than that he was a fisherman1 the husband of ,salome1 and the father of ,james and ,john4 ,salome1 the mother of ,john1 we often read of afterwards1 as one of those good women who followed our ,lord through the different scenes of his ministry1 and were a great help and comfort to him4 ,john is supposed to have been younger than his brother ,james1 who is generally mentioned first when they are spoken of together4 ,they are referred to1 as 8,james and ,john1 the sons of ,zebedee40 ,john was probably the youngest of all the apostles4 ,it is said1 that he was younger than the ,saviour himself1 having been born in the year four1 ,anno ,domini1 or when ,jesus was four years old4 ,the family of this apostle is supposed to have been better off in regard to property than any of the other apostles4 ,this is evident from several things mentioned about him and his family4 ,one thing which shows this is that when ,john and his brother ,james were called from their business as fishermen1 to follow ,christ1 we are told that 8they left their father ,zebedee in the ship with the hired servants40 ,st4 ,mark i3 #bj4 ,andrew and ,peter were too poor to have hired servants4 ,they had to do all their own work4 ,but ,zebedee could afford to hire help for himself and sons4 ,and then1 at the time of our ,saviour's trial1 the servants who kept the door of the judgment hall1 in which the trial took place1 allowed ,john to enter the hall1 because they knew he was acquainted with the high priest4 ,st4 ,john xviii3 #af4 ,and then when ,jesus left his mother in the charge of ,john1 while hanging on the cross1 we are told1 that from that day1 8he took her to his own home40 ,st4 ,john xix3 #bg4 ,john had a home of his own at ,jerusalem4 ,from all this1 it seems clear that the family of this apostle were better off in worldly things than were the families of the other apostles4 ,now we may just glance at what ,john's character was by nature1 or before he was a ,christian2 and what it was by grace1 or after he became a ,christian4 ,from what we read of this apostle in the gospel history1 we see that there were three things in ,john's natural character which show that he was not the weak1 womanly sort of man he is represented to have been in most of the pictures that have been made of him4 ,for one thing1 it is clear that ,john was naturally an ambitious man4 ,this is evident from the request to ,jesus by ,john and his brother ,james1 through their mother1 that they might have the highest places in his kingdom4 ,st4 ,matt4 xx3 #bj-bc4 ,their mother made the request4 ,but she probably consulted them about it first4 ,and if they had not agreed in it1 she would not be likely to have done it4 ,this shows that they were all ambitious together4 ,and so we are right in saying that ,john was ambitious4 ,he wanted the best place in ,christ's kingdom for himself1 without thinking whether others might not be better fitted for it4 ,our ,saviour's reply shows that he was wrong in giving way to this ambitious feeling4 ,but then this shows that there was a good deal of strength in ,john's natural character4 ,he was ambitious4 ,and then he was narrow-minded1 as well as ambitious in his natural character4 ,persons of this character are accustomed to think that all those who think1 or feel1 or act differently from what they do1 must certainly be wrong4 ,and this was the way ,john felt when he first became a disciple of ,christ4 ,he came to ,jesus one day and said1 8,master1 we saw one casting out devils in thy name1 and we forbade him1 because he followeth not us40 ,jesus rebuked him for giving way to his narrow-mindedness1 or bigotry1 or uncharitableness4 ,it was wrong for him to think that no one could be doing good1 or be serving ,god acceptably1 unless it was done in just the same way in which he was doing it4 ,this was a wrong feeling to have1 but it shows there was a good deal of decision and strength about ,john's natural character4 ,and then another thing about ,john before he became a ,christian1 was that he was an angry1 or passionate man4 ,as ,jesus was going up to ,jerusalem on one occasion1 in the company of his disciples1 they came to a ,samaritan village4 ,when the ,samaritans in the village found that he was going to ,jerusalem1 it stirred up all their prejudice against the ,jews1 and they refused to receive him4 ,they would not let him stop for rest or refreshment4 ,this made the disciples very angry1 and ,john and his brother ,james showed their anger by saying1 8,lord1 wilt thou that we call down fire from heaven1 to consume them1 as ,elias did80 ,st4 ,luke ix3 #ea-eg4 ,but ,jesus rebuked them1 and showed them that this was not the right spirit for his disciples to have4 ,these traits of ,john's natural character1 although they are not to be approved or admired1 yet show that he was a man of a good deal of force of character1 and very different from what his pictures represent him to have been4 ,but when we turn from considering what he was by nature1 or before he became a ,christian1 and think of what he was by grace1 or after he became a ,christian1 we see a wonderful change4 ,the apostle ,paul tells us1 8that if any man be in ,christ1 he is a new creature2 old things have passed away1 and all things have become new40 ,and it was so with this apostle4 ,when he learned to know and love ,christ1 the old things about his character passed away1 and all things became new4 ,after this we see no more of his ambition1 of his narrow-mindedness1 or of his passion4 ,the one thing that marked his character as a ,christian was love4 ,he seemed to get nearer to ,jesus than any of the other disciples4 ,and it is always the case1 that the nearer we get to ,jesus and the more we learn to know him1 the more we shall love him4 ,john's love to ,christ seemed to take entire possession of him4 ,it filled his whole soul4 ,and so we think of him as the apostle of love4 ,he is spoken of particularly as 8the disciple whom ,jesus loved40 ,it was he who sat nearest to his ,lord and leaned on his bosom at the last ,passover4 ,peter was great for his readiness in serving ,christ2 ,paul was great for the learning and the labor with which he served his ,master2 but ,john was great in the love for that ,master1 which ran through all he did4 ,and this great love made him useful both in his life and in his writings4 ,it made him useful in his life4 ,there is nothing that will lead to such earnest and devoted labor as this principle of love4 ,we know but little of the life of this loving apostle after the ascension of ,christ4 ,we have no report of his missionary journeys1 as we have in the case of the apostles ,peter and ,paul4 ,but we know he was so earnest in the cause of his ,master that he was sent a prisoner to the island of ,patmos to stop his labor1 but in vain4 ,he was willing to be an exile1 a prisoner1 and1 as some say1 a laborer in the mines1 but he was not willing to give up working for his ,master4 ,tradition tells us that he had to take his choice between stopping his work for ,jesus and being thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil4 ,he could not cease from his work4 ,he was thrown into the boiling oil2 but came out uninjured and kept on with that work which his love constrained him to do4 ,he lived the longest of all the apostles1 and was the only one of them who died a natural death4 ,and in the closing days of his life1 when too feeble to do anything else1 we are told that he used to be carried into the church at ,ephesus1 where his latest labors had been performed1 and1 standing up in the midst of the congregation1 would stretch forth his trembling hands and say1 8,little children1 love one another40 ,what a beautiful close to the life of this loving apostle6 ,truly his love made him useful in his life4 ,and then it made him useful in his writings1 too4 ,think of the gospel of ,st4 ,john4 ,how different it is from all the others6 ,john's love for ,jesus seemed to bring him nearer to his great heart of love than the rest of the brethren4 ,we are not surprised1 therefore1 to see that love speaking out more clearly and fully in his writings than it does anywhere else4 ,it is only ,john who gives us that wondrous statement1 that glorious1 golden epitome of the gospel which is found in the sixteenth verse of his third chapter--8,god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten ,son2 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish1 but have everlasting life40 ,and then think of the marvellous discourses of our ,saviour found in the fourteenth1 fifteenth1 and sixteenth chapters of this gospel2 and of that most sublime and wonderful prayer of ,jesus1 for all his people1 found in the seventeenth chapter4 ,o1 no one can tell what an unspeakable loss the ,church of ,christ would have sustained if this loving apostle had not written his precious gospel6 ,and then how useful he has been in his epistles1 too1 as well as in his gospel6 ,love is the golden thread that runs through them all4 ,look at the opening words of the third chapter of his first epistle4 ,how the very heart of the loving disciple seems to be speaking out when he exclaims3 8,behold1 what manner of love the ,father hath bestowed upon us1 that we should be called the sons of ,god60 ,it is remarkable that the two shortest verses in the whole ,bible1 and yet two among those that most melt1 and stir our hearts1 were written by this apostle4 ,one of these is in his gospel and contains only two words--8,jesus wept40 ,the other is in one of his epistles and contains only three words--8,god is love40 ,if he had never written anything else than these two verses1 how well it might be said that he was useful in his writings6 ,and then think of that marvellous book with which the ,bible closes4 ,we call it 8,the ,revelation of ,st4 ,john the ,divine40 ,for1 although it is true that there is much in this book that we cannot understand1 yet its opening and closing chapters have been an unspeakable blessing to the ,church in all ages4 ,when ,st4 ,john closes the ,bible with those last two chapters of the ,revelations1 it seems as if he had been permitted to leave the gates of heaven ajar on purpose that we might gaze through them in wondering awe4 ,those jewelled walls2 those pearly gates2 those golden streets2 that river of the water of life1 clear as crystal2 and all the sparkling imagery employed by this loving apostle in what he here tells us about heaven1 how can we sufficiently thank ,god for permitting his servant ,john to write such glorious things for us8 ,truly we may say that his love made him useful in his life and useful in his writings6 ,i know not how better to close this brief sketch of the life of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist than by quoting here the words of that beautiful ,collect which our ,church uses on the day with which his memory is connected3 8,merciful ,lord1 we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy church1 that it1 being instructed by the doctrine of thy blessed ,apostle and ,evangelist1 ,st4 ,john1 may so walk in the light of thy truth1 that it may at length attain to everlasting life1 through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,amen40 8,praise1 for the loved disciple1 exile on ,patmos' shore2 ,praise for the faithful record he to thy ,godhead bore2 ,praise for the mystic vision1 through him to us revealed2 ,may we1 in patience waiting1 with thine elect be sealed40 ,,the ,,apostle ,,paul4 ,it would require a large volume to consider fully and properly the character and work of this apostle4 ,we have only space to take a hasty glance at the subject4 ,but even this1 it is hoped1 may prove useful to those who read it4 ,st4 ,paul spoke of himself as 8the least of all the apostles40 ,i4 ,cor4 xv3 #i4 ,it was natural and proper enough for him to think lowly of himself4 ,but he stands alone in this opinion4 ,nobody agrees with him here4 ,we all love to think and speak of him as--8the great apostle of the ,gentiles40 ,when first converted1 he began his ministry by preaching to his own countrymen1 the ,jews4 ,but finding their prejudices against 8,jesus of ,nazareth10 were so strong that they would not listen to him1 he changed his course and turned to the ,gentiles4 ,and well he may be called--8the great apostle40 ,he was great in every view we can take of him4 ,let us notice now1 as briefly as we can1 some of the elements of greatness about this apostle4 ,in the first place1 he was great in the natural talents that it pleased ,god to give him4 ,he had a stronger1 clearer mind than any other of the apostles4 ,he could take hold of the greatest subjects brought before him and handle them and master them with wonderful power4 ,he had great reasoning powers4 ,he could argue and reason about anything in the grandest way4 ,and then he had great powers as a speaker4 ,he was marvellously eloquent4 ,see what an illustration we have of this in his famous speech on the top of ,mar's ,hill1 in the city of ,athens1 as we read it in ,acts xvii3 #af-cb4 ,we have another illustration of this in his speech before ,agrippa1 in ,acts1 twenty-sixth chapter4 ,i would gladly give anything ,i have in the world to have enjoyed the privilege of hearing ,paul deliver that speech4 ,when ,agrippa interrupted him by saying1 8,almost thou persuadest me to be a ,christian20 only think how touching it must have been to see ,paul lift up his chained hands towards heaven and say with the tenderest feeling--8,i would to ,god1 that not only thou1 but also all that hear me this day1 were both almost1 and altogether such as ,i am2 except these bonds60 ,illustration3 ,the ,church of ,jesus ,christ ,for where two or three are gathered together in my name1 there am ,i in the midst of them4--,teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i have commanded you3 and1 lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world4 ,amen4--,st4 ,matt4 xviii3 #bj2 xxviii3 #bj4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,artist ,yet this is not the close of the ,great ,story1 and the painter's work is incomplete unless he endeavors to visualise the ,truth1 that1 as the ,master has promised1 his presence and his blessing are with his faithful worshipers even unto the end of the world4 ,the picture represents no special people or period1 and the ,byzantine architecture most fitly symbolizes ,one1 ,universal ,church1 of which ,jesus ,christ is the ,founder and the ,head4 #hj ,he was great in his early opportunities4 ,he was born at ,tarsus1 and had a better education than any of the other apostles4 ,his family were well off4 ,it is no argument against this to say that he was a tent-maker by trade4 ,for it was customary among the ,jews1 even with the richest families1 to teach their sons some useful trade4 ,paul went through the best schools that were to be had then4 ,he had studied all about history1 and philosophy1 and poetry4 ,and he was learned also in all matters concerning the religion of the ,jews4 ,he tells us himself that he was 8brought up at the feet of ,gamaliel0--who was1 at that time1 the most famous of all their teachers4 ,he was great in his prejudices4 ,he was a real ,jew in this respect4 ,they all had very strong prejudices against people who differed from them in their religion4 ,but ,paul was stronger in his prejudices than even his countrymen were4 ,we see this in the first mention that is made of him in the ,new ,testament4 ,this was at the death of the first martyr1 ,st4 ,stephen4 ,the wicked men who stoned him1 we are told1 8laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man whose name was ,saul40 ,and then we see the strength of his prejudice in the fierceness of the persecution which he carried on against the followers of ,jesus4 ,he 8breathed out threatenings and slaughter0 against them4 ,he was 8exceeding mad against them40 ,not content with imprisoning and putting to death those who lived in ,jerusalem1 he 8persecuted them even unto strange cities40 ,furnished with letters from the chief priests1 he went as far as ,damascus1 that he might seize and bring bound to ,jerusalem any of the followers of ,jesus found there4 ,how unlikely it seemed that one who was so very strong in his prejudices should ever1 himself1 become a follower and an apostle of ,jesus6 ,but he was great in his conversion4 ,it was impossible for him to be converted as other men were4 ,it is hearing about ,jesus which leads to the conversion of men4 ,but ,paul would not listen to the preaching of the gospel4 ,he would allow no one to speak to him about ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,he believed that he was a wicked impostor1 and he hated him most bitterly4 ,and so it pleased ,god to work a miracle for his conversion4 ,he had gone on his journey1 till he had nearly reached ,damascus1 when a marvellous scene occurred4 ,suddenly the heavens seemed to open above him4 ,a light shone around him above the brightness of the sun4 ,a strange voice was heard speaking to him4 ,it came from heaven4 ,the words it spoke were--8,saul1 ,saul1 why persecutest thou me60 ,he gave one look at the opening heavens and then fell overpowered to the earth4 8,who art thou1 ,lord60 was his astonished inquiry4 ,and the answer1 more astonishing still1 was--8,i am ,jesus whom thou persecutest60 ,what a revelation that was to him6 ,how overwhelming was his amazement6 ,no wonder that he was converted by that vision4 ,it was indeed a great conversion4 ,he was baptized by ,ananias at ,damascus1 and began at once to preach that gospel which he had gone there hoping to destroy4 ,such was the commencement of ,paul's life as a ,christian and his labors as an apostle4 ,everything about it was great4 ,and then he was great in his privileges4 ,he saw the risen and ascended ,lord amidst the glories of the heavenly world4 ,what a privilege this was6 ,it was a privilege which none of the other apostles enjoyed except ,st4 ,john4 ,we have an account of his vision of the glorious ,saviour in the first chapter of the ,revelation1 verses #aj-bj4 ,and then afterwards1 ,st4 ,paul was taken up into the third heavens1 or into ,paradise1 and saw and heard things of which it is not lawful or possible to speak4 ,he had broader and fuller and clearer views of the great doctrines of our holy religion than any of the apostles4 ,and this is one of the greatest privileges we can have in this world4 ,we see the proof of ,paul's privileges in this respect in all the blessed teachings he has given us in his epistles about ,christ and his salvation4 ,he was great in his labors4 ,when he found out the great mistake he had made respecting ,christ1 and learned to know and love him as the one1 only glorious ,saviour of lost sinners1 the love for ,christ kindled in his soul by this discovery constrained him to give himself a living sacrifice to him4 ,and the burning zeal with which he began to work for his ,saviour never grew cold4 ,the apostles were all earnest in their labors for ,jesus2 but ,paul was the most earnest and the most untiring of them all4 ,in his case1 it was indeed true1 that the last became first4 ,no one city or country was large enough to be the field of his labors4 ,he went from city to city1 and from country to country1 till he had gone all over the world as it was then known4 ,and when he had gone all over the earth once1 preaching the gospel1 he was not satisfied4 ,when one missionary journey was ended1 he began another2 and then another1 and so on to the end of his days4 ,then he sealed his life's labors with his blood1 and died a martyr's death at ,rome by order of the cruel emperor ,nero4 ,the tradition is that he was beheaded outside of the walls of that great city4 ,and on the spot which is said to be the place of his death1 there stands a beautiful church1 called after him1 and which is a monument to his memory4 ,how well it may be said of him that he was great in his labors4 ,and yet the ,saviour1 whom he served so faithfully1 had done nothing for him which he has not done for you and me4 ,he bore the same cross1 and shed the same precious blood for us1 that he did for ,paul4 ,then1 in our labors for ,jesus1 let us try to follow ,paul1 as he followed ,christ4 ,if we try to catch ,paul's spirit1 whoever we are1 or wherever we may be1 we shall find it easy and pleasant to work for our blessed ,master4 ,here is an illustration of what ,i mean4 ,we may call it3 8,paul's ,spirit in a ,child40 ,a little girl had great dislike for sewing4 ,she had commenced making a bed-quilt1 but was not likely to finish it soon4 ,one day she came home from ,sabbath-school4 ,they had been having a missionary-meeting there1 and she was full of zeal in the missionary cause4 8,mamma10 she asked1 8can't ,i do some work to earn money for our missionary box80 8,well1 ,lizzie1 darling10 said her mother1 8if you will finish one block for the quilt1 every other day1 ,i will gladly pay you for it1 and you can give this as your own offering to the missionary cause40 ,poor ,lizzie's face grew sad on hearing this2 for she disliked this kind of work very much4 ,it seemed as if her missionary spirit was likely to die out at once4 ,but1 after thinking over it a little while1 her face brightened up and she said1 8,well1 mamma1 ,i'll piece blocks1 or do anything else you wish me to do1 for ,jesus' sake4 ,amen40 ,that quilt was soon finished1 and there is now an earnest1 active little worker for missions in that home4 ,this was ,paul's spirit in a child4 ,and if we get that spirit1 it will make us all1 like ,paul1 great in our labors for ,christ4 ,but ,paul was great in his sufferings1 too1 as well as in his labors4 ,before he became a ,christian he had the prospect of rising to a position of great honor and great profit in connection with the ,jewish church4 ,but he gave this all up at the time of his conversion4 ,he tells us that1 8what things were gain to me1 those ,i counted loss for ,christ4 ,yea1 doubtless1 and ,i count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of ,christ ,jesus1 my ,lord40 ,phil4 iii3 #g1 #h4 ,there is something very touching in the record which this great apostle has left us of his sufferings for ,christ4 ,he speaks of himself as having been--8,in labors more abundant1 in stripes above measure1 in prisons more frequent1 in deaths oft4 ,of the ,jews five times received ,i forty stripes save one4 ,thrice ,i was beaten with rods1 once was ,i stoned1 thrice ,i suffered shipwreck1 a night and a day ,i have been in the deep4 ,in journeyings often1 in perils of water1 in perils of robbers1 in perils by mine own countrymen1 in perils by the heathen1 in perils in the city1 in perils in the wilderness1 in perils in the sea1 in perils among false brethren4 ,in weariness and painfulness1 in watchings often1 in hunger and thirst1 in fastings often1 in cold and nakedness40 ,,ii4 ,cor4 xi3 #bc-bh4 ,what a marvellous record of sufferings we have here6 ,there is perhaps nothing like it to be found in the whole history of the ,church of ,christ4 ,and yet the apostle never had a word of complaint to make4 ,the spirit in which he bore his sufferings for ,christ is beautifully illustrated in the glimpse we have of him in the prison at ,philippi4 ,his back had been torn with cruel scourges4 ,his feet were made fast in the stocks4 ,we might have expected that he would spend that night in sighing and crying4 ,but1 instead of this1 we read that--8,at midnight1 ,paul and ,silas10--his companion in labor and suffering--8prayed1 and sang praises to ,god40 ,acts xvi3 #be4 ,surely this should make us ashamed of complaining on account of any trifling suffering we may have to bear in the cause of our great ,master4 ,and ,paul had no relief from these sufferings4 ,he went on bearing them cheerfully to the very close of his life4 ,how was he able to do this8 ,there is only one answer to give to this question4 ,it was his love for ,jesus that made him so willing to labor and to suffer for him4 ,and if we love ,jesus1 we should be willing to suffer for him1 too4 ,here is a striking illustration of the way in which real love will make one willing to suffer even for a friend or fellow-creature4 ,we may call it3 8,love ,triumphing ,over ,suffering40 ,some years ago a fine church was built in one of the towns in ,belgium4 ,it was all finished at last1 except the fastening of the weather-vane on the top of the steeple4 ,the scaffolding was not high enough to reach it4 ,there was no way in which the work could be done1 but for one workman to stand on the highest part of the scaffolding and let the other workman stand on his shoulders1 while he put the vane on the steeple1 and soldered it in its place4 ,a brave-hearted1 broad-shouldered workman agreed to stand there for this purpose4 ,he took his position1 holding on to a piece of scaffolding4 ,his companion climbed up and stood on his shoulders4 ,the vane and vessel of melted lead were handed up to him4 ,it was a perilous thing to do4 ,a crowd of spectators below watched the operation almost breathless with anxiety4 ,the moments seem like hours1 as the work goes on4 ,at last it is done4 ,the men come down amidst the shouts of the multitude4 ,but1 when the brave man who had borne his friend on his shoulders reached the bottom of the ladder1 he fell exhausted to the earth1 and had to be carried home4 ,then it was found that the poor fellow's back was in a dreadful state4 ,while the man was doing his work on the vane1 some of the melted lead had dropped down on the friend who was supporting him4 ,but he stood bravely still4 ,he would not move an inch1 for that would have caused the death of his companion4 ,here was love triumphing over suffering4 ,and if that brave man was willing to bear all this for his earthly friend1 what should we not be willing to bear for ,christ1 8the friend who sticketh closer than a brother80 ,in the next place the apostle ,paul was great in his influence4 ,suppose we could have a history written of all the persons who were converted by the preaching of this apostle during his life2 and then of all who were converted by them1 and so on1 from one generation to another1 down to our own times1 what a wonderfully interesting history that would be6 ,or suppose we could trace out1 in the same way1 all the good that has been done by the writings of this apostle2 the persons who have been brought to ,jesus by reading the truths found in those writings1 or who have been instructed1 or guided1 or comforted1 encouraged1 and helped by the same--how surprising it would be6 ,then we should see1 indeed1 how great this influence has been6 ,there are twenty-one epistles in the ,new ,testament4 ,of these the apostle ,paul wrote fourteen4 ,they form a large part of the ,new ,testament4 ,now1 suppose we could take these epistles of ,st4 ,paul1 chapter by chapter1 and follow every verse in each chapter as it has gone round the world from age to age1 and find out every case where good has been done to any soul1 what a history we should have6 ,no one could write such a history now4 ,but ,i suppose we shall have such a history set before us when we get to heaven4 ,then1 we shall understand better than we can do now how great the apostle ,paul was1 in the influence for good which he exerted4 ,but1 though none of us can be compared at all with this great man1 yet1 if we are trying1 like him1 to love and serve the blessed ,saviour1 we may all1 even to the youngest1 be exerting influence for good that will last forever4 ,here is an illustration of what ,i mean4 ,we may call it3 8,a ,child's ,influence for ,good40 ,bessie was a sweet little girl who was trying to love the ,saviour4 ,the nursery in which she slept was on the first floor of the house adjoining the street4 ,it was summer time when the incident here referred to took place4 ,her mother was sitting near the open window one evening1 when ,bessie knelt down by her side to say her evening prayer4 ,she first repeated1 after her mother1 the words that she taught her to use in prayer4 ,after this she was in the habit of offering up little prayers of her own for anything she wished to ask from her ,father in heaven4 ,she did so on this occasion2 and these were the last words she had to offer3 8,god help everybody to love ,jesus4 ,amen40 ,while ,bessie was saying her prayers that evening her mother heard the steps of some one passing4 ,he lingered a moment under the window and listened to the words of the dear child4 ,it happened that this was a neighbor of theirs1 an infidel1 whose name was ,jones4 ,the closing words of ,bessie's prayer made a deep impression on his mind4 ,after this he manifested the greatest interest in her1 though he always said that what she prayed for never could take place2 for he was certain that he1 for one1 never could be a ,christian4 ,not long after this ,mr4 ,jones was taken sick4 ,he had a long and severe spell of illness4 ,as he was living in a boarding house1 and had no family of his own1 ,bessie's mother used to send the dear child in every day to inquire how he was and to take him little things that he might need4 ,he would allow no one to speak to him on the subject of religion2 but ,bessie's father and mother hoped that her gentle ways and simple loving words might do him good4 ,a week or two had passed away1 and one night1 as ,bessie's mother was putting her to bed--she said3 8,mamma1 ,mr4 ,jones loves ,jesus now40 ,a few days after this they heard that their sick neighbor was near his end4 ,taking her little one by the hand the kind mother went in to see him4 ,they found that he was dying4 ,as ,bessie sat on her mother's lap1 by the side of his bed1 the sick man died2 but just before his spirit passed away1 these were the last words heard from his lips3 8,god1 help everybody to love ,jesus--everybody40 ,and so dear ,bessie's words were the means which ,god employed to save a soul from death4 ,and if a little child can exert such an influence as this1 then we see how1 by loving and serving ,jesus1 we may all make ourselves useful4 ,we may so live that every act and word may be a good seed sown that will yield fruit unto everlasting life4 8,not ourselves1 but the truths that in life we have spoken1 ,not ourselves1 but the seed that in life we have sown1 ,may pass on for ages--all about us forgotten1 ,save the truth we have spoken1 the things we have done4 8,so let our living be--so be our dying2 ,so let our names lie1 unblazoned1 unknown2 ,unpraised1 and unmissed1 we shall yet be remembered2 ,but only remembered by what we have done40 ,the apostle ,paul was great in his influence4 ,and then1 as the only other point to speak of1 he was great in his reward4 ,this is true of all ,god's people who serve him faithfully4 ,david1 when speaking of ,god's words1 or commandments1 tells us that 8in keeping of them there is great reward40 ,ps4 xix3 #aa4 ,when ,st4 ,paul had reached the close of his life1 he paused to look back upon the past1 and then forward to the future2 and as he did so1 these are the words that he used3 8,i am now ready to be offered1 and the time of my departure is at hand4 ,i have fought a good fight1 ,i have finished my course1 ,i have kept the faith2 henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness1 which the ,lord1 the righteous judge1 will give me at that day2 and not to me only1 but unto all them also that love his appearing40 ,,ii4 ,tim4 iv3 #f-i4 ,we learn from this passage that there is a crown in heaven prepared for every follower of ,jesus4 ,these crowns are procured or purchased by what ,jesus did and suffered for us4 ,but they will be very different in the number and character of the jewels that are to sparkle in them4 ,and how many jewels1 and what kind of jewels your crown1 or my crown1 will have must depend upon how much we do for ,jesus4 ,i suppose the apostle ,paul will have the most beautiful crown that any of the servants of ,jesus will wear4 ,he was greater in his labors1 in his sufferings1 and in his influence for good than others--and his reward will be greater4 ,he will have more jewels in his crown than will be found in any other2 and they will sparkle with more brightness and beauty4 ,but none will envy him4 ,we shall all feel that he is worthy of it1 and we shall rejoice to see him wear it4 ,but let us remember that every work we do for ,jesus1 and every sacrifice we make for him1 will put another jewel in our crown4 ,then let us try to serve him faithfully with all our hearts1 and we may be sure that we shall receive a great reward4 ,i close with just one little incident1 to show how we may add jewels to our crowns4 ,we may call it3 8,a ,star in the ,crown40 ,a young lady was standing before a large mirror1 preparing to go to a ball4 ,she had just placed a light crown on her head1 ornamented with silver stars4 ,while she stood there1 looking at herself in the glass1 her little sister1 about five years old1 climbed upon a chair1 and putting out her tiny fingers1 tried to touch the beautiful crown4 8,what are you doing1 ,nellie1 darling8 ,you mustn't touch my crown10 said her sister4 8,i was looking at that and thinking of something else10 was the little one's reply4 8,pray tell me1 ,nellie1 what you were thinking about80 8,i was remembering what my teacher said last ,sunday4 ,she told us that if we brought sinners to ,jesus by our influence1 we should win stars for our crown in heaven2 and when ,i saw those stars in your crown1 ,i wished ,i could save some soul40 ,these simple words that ,nellie spoke took a strong hold of her sister's feelings4 ,she went to the ball that night1 but felt little interest in it4 ,she had no heart for the music or the dancing1 and was truly glad when all was over4 ,on reaching home she went to ,nellie's room4 ,there she lay1 sleeping sweetly4 ,she stooped and kissed her loving lips2 and then1 kneeling down by the side of her bed1 she asked ,god to forgive her for the giddy1 careless life she had been living4 ,she gave herself to ,jesus then and there1 and prayed for grace to live henceforth for him and for heaven4 ,then she kissed ,nellie again and said1 8,precious darling1 you have won one star for your crown60 ,god help us all to win many stars for our crowns6 ,thus we have taken a hasty view of this great apostle4 ,we have seen that he was great in his natural talents2 great in his opportunities2 great in his prejudices2 great in his conversion2 great in his privileges2 great in his labors2 great in his sufferings2 great in his influence2 and great in his reward4 ,and now this work is done4 ,i thank ,god1 with all my heart1 for permitting me to engage in it1 and for helping me to get through with it4 ,it humbles me in the dust to think how utterly unworthy it is of the glorious ,saviour to whom it refers4 ,but ,i know he is pleased to work by feeble means4 ,he puts the treasure of the gospel in earthen vessels1 on purpose that 8the excellency of the power may be of ,god1 and not of us40 ,my earnest prayer is that he will graciously accept it as a tribute of grateful love from one of the least and most unworthy of his followers2 that he will pardon all the mistakes and imperfections connected with it2 and bless it1 notwithstanding1 and make it useful4 ,and if it shall prove helpful to ,christian parents and teachers in training their children for ,jesus2 and if the young who read these pages shall find anything here to aid and encourage them in trying to know and love and serve the blessed ,saviour1 ,i shall feel that the time and labor spent upon this work have not been in vain6 ,,amen6 ,,analytical ,,index ,,of ,,facts1 ,,lessons1 ,,illustrative ,,anecdotes1 ,,and ,,bible ,,stories ,acorn1 ,the1 iii #aie ,adam and ,eve1 i #a1 ii #aac ,a just ,god and ,saviour1 ii #aah ,all for the best1 i #bdi ,androcles and the lion1 iii #hj ,angel in the stone1 iii #bjg ,angelo1 ,michael1 iv #bcc ,antidote1 ,the1 ii #bic ,apostles ,chosen1 iii #a ,the ,men1 iii #e ,the ,work1 iii #ab ,the ,help1 iii #ah ,the ,lesson1 iii #bc ,ark1 ,noah's1 i #bg ,size of1 i #cb ,occupants of1 i #cc ,jesus the true1 i #cd ,supplies of1 i #ce ,safety of1 i #dj ,the blessings of1 and how secured1 i #de ,ascension1 ,the1 iv #agi ,time of1 iv #agi ,place of1 iv #ahb ,manner of1 iv #ahd ,lesson from3--,obedience to the ,command of ,christ1 iv #aij ,ashamed to tell mother1 iv #ajb ,assyrian call to prayer1 iii #bg ,augustine1 ,saint1 iii #afd ,aunt ,lucy1 iii #ad ,awakened at the bottom of the sea1 ii #g ,baptism of ,christ1 ii #bdd ,a very ,strange1 ii #bde ,a very ,wonderful1 ii #bdg ,a very ,instructive1 ii #bea ,instructive1 ,because it teaches us to think of ,jesus as the ,pleasing ,son1 ii #bea ,because it leads us to think of ,jesus as the ,gentle ,dove1 ii #beg ,because it leads us to think of ,jesus as the ,atoning ,lamb1 ii #bfc ,baptized pocket-book1 ii #aih 8,be01 iii #ff ,beetle an object of worship and interest1 i #aca ,being loved back again1 iii #aic ,believing saves1 ii #acc ,best time for doing this1 iii #baj ,bible1 ,one for seven hundred men1 i #aee ,bickersteth1 ,rev4 ,mr41 iii #baa ,birth of ,christ1 ii #hi ,time of1 ii #ij ,place of1 ii #ig ,bethlehem1 ii #ii ,circumstances of1 ii #ajc ,strange ,neglect1 ii #ajc ,strange ,attention1 ii #ajc ,strange ,poverty1 ii #aje ,strange ,wealth1 ii #ajf ,strange ,humiliation1 ii #ajg ,strange ,glory1 ii #ajg ,lessons taught by1 ii #aji ,blessed are they that mourn1 ii #bjg ,blesses 7,jesus7 ,by giving riches to the poor1 i #eh ,by giving comfort to the sorrowing1 i #fb ,by giving liberty to the captives1 i #gj ,by giving sight to the blind1 i #gc ,blessing of guidance1 i #adf ,blessing of the world1 ,christ the1 i #ec ,blessings owed to ,jesus1 i #hj ,blind beggar of ,london1 i #gd ,blind boy and the ,welsh woman1 i #aif ,blind man1 ii #ahf ,blind ,robert1 iv #bcf ,blue sky inside1 i #fe ,boy1 ,christ the1 ii #bji ,poor1 ii #bag ,thoughtful1 ii #bai ,obedient1 ii #bbg ,patient1 ii #bcd ,boy's influence1 ,a1 iii #hg ,boy with the spirit of ,christ1 iv #bd ,brave ,charlie1 iv #fh ,british man-of-war1 i #aee ,brought in by a smile1 iii #h ,bullfinch1 ,the1 iv #acd ,burial1 ,the1 iv #aba ,lessons taught by the certainty of ,christ's death1 iv #abh fulfilment of ,christ's word1 iv #aca working of his providence1 iv #ach ,a lesson of comfort1 iv #add ,captain's experience1 ,the1 ii #de ,charcoal carrier1 ,the1 iii #ae ,children1 ,christ and the little1 iii #ahg ,his great love for1 iii #aia ,his great wisdom1 iii #aie ,his great encouragement1 iii #bja ,great lessons1 iii #bjf ,children in ,africa1 iii #aij ,children1 ,why they were thrown into the river ,nile1 i #aac ,children's service1 ,the1 iv #aic ,child1 ,how the heart of a princess was made tender by the crying of1 i #aah ,child's gospel1 ,the1 iii #dc ,child's influence for good1 iv #bic ,child's preservation1 ,a1 ii #af ,chinaman and the minister1 ii #g ,christ and the dying thief1 ii #cf ,christ in the ,old ,testament1 ,the earliest shadow of1 i #bh ,christ1 ,naming of1 ii #aba ,importance of the name of1 ii #abc ,wonderful authority of the1 ii #abe ,christ1 ,wonderful comfort of the1 ii #abg salvation in the1 ii #aca glory of the1 ii #ach stability in the1 ii #adb ,christ the blessing of the world1 i #ec ,christ1 ,what he was sent into the world to do1 i #aab ,christian miner1 ,the1 i #ea ,christ in the temple1 ii #bbc ,clara's obstinacy1 iv #df ,cleansing fountain1 ,the1 iv #ajf ,coachman and his prayer1 iii #bi ,coleridge1 iii #ch ,comforter1 ,the meaning of a1 i #ab ,cottage on fire1 ii #ahg ,collect1 ii #bdj1 ii #cjj ,congleton 7,lord7 and his servants1 i #dg ,covenant1 ,christ the messenger of the1 ii #bi ,cross1 ,the1 iii #fi ,crucifixion1 ,the1 iv #hi ,place of1 iv #ij ,time of1 iv #ia ,manner of1 iv #ic ,wonders of1 iv #ie ,words spoken by ,jesus at time of1 iv #if ,lesson of ,forgiveness from1 iv #ig on ,duty to parents from1 iv #ajj from the power and willingness of ,jesus to save1 iv #aje from the depth of his sufferings1 iv #aji from the wonders of his love1 iv #aab ,curse of the granted prayer1 iv #ah ,curtius1 ,marcus1 ii #bfe ,danger of self-confidence1 iv #bdi ,david1 ,christ the king like1 i #bbg ,because he was a chosen king1 i #bcj ,because he was a prepared king1 i #bcd ,david as a shepherd and a soldier1 i #bcf ,christ prepared by obedience and suffering1 i #bch ,because he was a victorious king1 i #bci ,david and ,goliath1 i #bdj ,dead raven1 iii #ii ,deaf and dumb boy1 iv #ab ,death of the first-born1 i #adj ,debt paid1 ,the1 ii #bfg ,delay1 ,the sad result of1 i #df ,delivered by a dog1 iv #ada ,desertion1 ,the betrayal and1 iv #bi ,things taught about ,jesus3-- ,the loneliness of his sufferings1 iv #ce ,his willingness to suffer1 iv #ch ,dixey's six cents1 iv #bjb ,doesn't he love to save81 iii #bjc ,doing good by sympathy1 iii #ej ,drive the nail1 iii #ca ,dying girl1 ,the1 iii #cg ,ethiopian1 ,the1 ii #aie ,every talent useful1 iii #bfh ,example of forgiveness1 iii #hd1 iv #ih ,fable of the oak and the violet1 iii #agb ,faith and how it helped the miner to be saved1 i #ea ,faith1 ,lack of1 causes a serious loss1 i #dg ,faithful soldier and his reward1 iii #bgj ,farragut1 ,admiral1 ii #gc ,fiery serpents1 i #aef ,fisherman's mistake1 ,the1 iii #age ,fletcher's disappointment1 i #adh ,flood1 ,the story of the1 i #bi ,folly of a sailor's self-confidence1 iv #beb ,folly of a soldier's self-confidence1 iv #bea ,for ,charlie's sake1 i #ajg ,forgiveness1 ,how a bishop taught1 iv #ii ,forgiving boy1 iv #ih ,for thine is the power1 iii #ai ,fragments1 ,the use of1 iii #af ,frog a sacred animal1 i #acj ,frogs1 ,the plague of1 i #abi ,gabriel1 ,the angel1 ii #ce ,gethsemane1 ,jesus in1 iv #a ,the facts of1 iv #c ,lesson of ,prayer1 iv #f ,sin1 iv #aa ,submission1 iv #af ,tenderness1 iv #bj ,girard1 ,stephen1 ii #hj ,girl from the jungle1 ii #agd ,giving1 ,god's way for getting1 ii #bja ,god cares for the hungry1 i #afc ,god leads us to do good1 i #cf ,god loves bad children1 ii #aag ,god loves me1 ii #aaf ,god's work is perfect1 i #ca ,golden rule and the new commandment1 i #add ,good for evil1 iii #hd ,good friends1 iii #bfb ,good ,samaritan1 iii #gh ,good that children do1 iii #aig ,gospel can do for us1 ,what the1 i #ei ,gospel in a kiss1 ,the1 ii #bfj ,grasshopper1 ,the1 ii #bhd ,great harvest from a little seed1 iii #bga ,greek word for day and night1 i #bgh ,growth of lying1 iv #ea ,happy deaf mute1 i #fd ,havelock 7,genl47 and his boy1 ii #bec ,heber's 7,bishop7 prayer1 i #adi ,hebrew children1 i #aag ,hebrew nurse1 i #aah ,help of feeling ,jesus near1 iv #ch ,helper1 ,promise of the1 i #f ,a human1 i #i ,a suffering1 i #ad ,a successful1 i #bj ,he loved me1 iii #gd ,henry the ,eighth1 i #ac ,herod the king of the ,jews1 i #aai ,herod1 ,why he wanted to kill ,jesus1 i #aai ,holy ,spirit1 ,his names1 iv #bba ,home duties1 ,importance of1 ii #bae ,honey shield1 iii #gi ,hope for the lost1 iv #aae ,hope of glory1 iii #cjj ,how a bishop taught1 iv #ii ,how a boy may serve ,god1 iii #beh ,how a boy showed his love for ,christ1 iv #agf ,how a ,christmas card saved a soul1 iv #bbg ,how a wonderful hymn was written1 ii #acf ,how ,christ should be honored1 iii #bcd ,how ,god feels toward sin1 ii #aac ,how ,god loves sinners1 ii #aae ,how hard it is to make people understand1 i #df ,how little ,god thinks of earthly riches1 ii #aaj ,how little ,god thinks of places1 ii #aji ,how to become a willing servant of ,jesus1 iii #bee ,how to get the angels out1 iii #bji ,how to learn patience1 iv #gg ,how to serve ,god1 iii #beg ,how to walk straight1 iii #bci ,how we know there is a heaven1 iii #bca ,humble 7,the7 king1 iv #hb ,humility1 ,christ teaching1 iii #aeg ,by his command1 iii #afj ,by his example1 iii #afe ,the comfort we find in it1 iii #afi ,the usefulness connected with it1 iii #agd ,the blessing attending it1 iii #ahj ,examples of1 iv #ha ,humility proving a blessing1 iii #ahd ,hushed tempest1 iii #aaa ,ice in summer1 iii #aje ,i feel it pull1 i #bag ,i have seen ,jesus1 ii #aeg ,i like your ,jesus1 iii #di ,imitating ,christ's humility1 iii #afg ,infidel club1 iv #aed ,infidel converted by a flower1 i #bdb ,influence of the love of ,christ1 iv #aac ,influence of the spiritual ,christian woman1 iv #bb ,instead of me1 ii #bfh ,irish minister1 ii #aba ,i so happy1 ii #acj ,it is certain that ,god loves you1 ii #dc ,it's all ,i can do1 iv #aih ,it's for me1 iii #dc ,jacob's dream1 ii #ed ,janeway1 ,rev4 ,wm1 iv #adh ,jesus a better helper than an angel1 i #aa ,jesus blesses men1 i #gj ,jesus care over us1 i #dc ,jesus makes everything right1 iii #ff ,jesus only1 iv #bca ,jesus on the ,sea of ,galilee1 ii #di ,jesus the bread of life1 i #afc ,jesus the healer1 i #aei ,jesus washes feet of disciples1 iii #aeh ,jesus1 why he was sent into the world1 i #ic ,job1 ii #bij ,john and the postage stamp1 ii #bhf ,john1 the ,apostle1 ,character by nature1 iv #bgc ,character by grace1 iv #bgf ,john1 the ,forerunner1 ii #ei the ,baptist1 ii #fa ,facts and lessons of his life1 ii #fa ,his coming foretold1 ii #fa ,gabriel sent to announce his coming1 ii #fb ,his dwelling in the wilderness1 ii #fc ,his preaching1 ii #fd ,his baptism1 ii #ff ,in prison1 ii #fg ,lessons taught by these1 ii #fi ,lesson of temperance1 ii #ga ,lesson of humility1 ii #ge ,lesson of obedience1 ii #gi ,lesson of courage1 ii #hb ,john ,white's hymn1 i #bbc ,johnny and the cow1 ii #bih ,jonah and ,jesus contrasted and compared1 i #beg ,contrasted because ,jonah was an unwilling preacher1 i #bei ,contrasted because ,jonah was a successful preacher1 i #bfd ,contrasted because ,jonah was a selfish preacher1 i #bga ,compared because ,jonah was ready to die for the sake of others1 i #bgc ,compared because of the length of time ,jonah was buried1 i #bge ,joseph and ,jesus compared1 i #hc ,like ,jesus because he was the sent one1 i #he ,like ,jesus because he was sent to show his father's love1 i #hi ,like ,jesus because his mission brought him into trouble1 being sold by his brethren1 i #id ,like ,jesus because he received great honor1 i #ii ,like ,jesus because he used his power for good1 i #ajd ,in ,egypt1 i #ajj ,the story of1 i #hj ,judas1 iv #bi ,judas4 ,things taught about the power of sin1 iv #dd ,kazainak1 the robber chief1 iv #ad ,keep away from the wheels1 ii #ah ,king ,ptolemy and his light-house1 ii #ade ,lamb of ,god ,i look to thee1 iii #bac ,lazarus1 i #fc ,learning to love ,jesus1 iii #bjb ,learn to stoop1 iii #aga ,leaving it all with ,jesus1 iii #gj ,lesson from a pair of shoes1 iv #bfc ,lesson of kindness1 iii #hb ,liberality1 ,christ teaching1 iii #abe ,lesson of1 iii #abf 7,illustrations of this lesson71 ,elijah1 iii #acc ,the ,saviour's gift of himself1 iii #acg ,sowing the grain1 iii #ach ,the ocean1 iii #aci ,life in the midst of danger1 iii #bcg ,light in the valley1 ii #afc ,lily1 ,the1 iii #bba ,little blind boy1 i #aib ,little child1 i #bhj ,little girl's patience1 ii #bcg ,little loaf1 iii #ahb ,little ,mary1 i #afj ,little spring1 ,the1 iii #aif ,little substitute1 i #ai ,lord's ,supper1 i #aci ,lost diamond1 iv #aif ,lost horse found1 iii #de ,love leads to love1 iii #bjd stronger than death1 iii #bid ,the power of1 iv #aae triumphing over suffering1 iv #bia ,maggie's secret1 iii #ge ,manna1 i #afb ,martyr's joy1 ii #abi ,matthew the publican1 iii #ef ,melchizedek1 ,christ like1 ,because he was to teach1 i #bjc ,because he was to atone1 i #bjh ,because he was to intercede1 i #bac ,because he was to bless1 i #bbj ,mention of1 i #aii ,christ a priest like1 i #aii ,messenger1 ,christ the1 ii #bi ,christ a swift1 ii #cc ,christ a loving1 ii #ch ,christ an ever-present1 ii #dd ,christ an able1 ii #dg ,christ a faithful1 ii #ec ,minister in the robber's vault1 i #bha ,minister1 ,story of the poor rich1 i #fj ,miracles1 ,christ teaching by1 iii #ic ,teach us that he has power to help1 iii #if ,teach us that he has power to comfort1 iii #ajb ,teach us that he has power to encourage1 iii #ajg ,teach us that he has power to protect1 iii #aab ,teach us that he has power to pardon1 iii #aai ,miser and the hungry children1 iii #aea ,mite song1 ,the1 iii #aa ,montgomery's hymn1 ii #add ,morrison1 ,dr41 ii #gg ,moses--,christ the prophet like1 i #aaa ,in the danger attending his birth1 i #aac ,in his preparation for his work1 i #abj ,preparation of privilege1 i #abj ,preparation of trial1 i #abb ,on account of his miracles1 i #abd ,because he gave the people laws or commandments1 i #adc ,because of the blessings he obtained for his people1 i #ade ,blessing of shelter1 i #aeb ,blessing of healing1 i #aef ,blessing of bread1 i #afa ,blessing of water1 i #afe ,commandments given to1 i #adc ,his mother is hired to take care of him1 i #aah ,how he got into trouble in ,egypt1 i #abc ,moses' rod1 i #abd turned to a serpent1 i #abf ,muckle ,bess1 iv #ajg ,nazareth1 ,description of1 ii #bad 8,neither do ,i condemn thee01 ii #bfj ,new ,england minister1 iv #ai ,niagara1 ,falls of1 ii #bdd ,nile1 ,why the ,egyptians worshiped the1 i #abh ,nineveh1 ,description and history of1 i #bfd ,noble boy1 ,a1 iii #bfc ,none but ,jesus1 ii #abi ,no pardon but from ,jesus1 iii #aba ,not all the blood of beasts1 i #gf ,not alone1 iv #cg ,obedience1 ,noah's safety the result of1 i #df ,obedient1 ,we must be1 to be saved1 i #df ,obey him1 ,why we are ,god's and why expected to1 i #g ,obeying mother pleasantly1 ii #bee ,officer and the soldier1 iii #add ,old man's struggles1 ii #bhe ,old ,patch1 ii #hd ,olivet1 ,lessons from1 iii #bde ,lesson about the master1 iii #bdh ,lesson about the talents1 iii #beh ,lesson about the rewards1 iii #bfh ,one died for all1 ii #bb ,one drop of evil1 iv #dg ,one talent improved1 iii #bfj ,one neglected child1 iii #aih ,one worm did it1 iv #dh ,orphan provided for1 ii #aa ,owl 7,the7 that thought he could sing1 iv #bec ,o yes1 ,i will try1 ii #bcd ,paper1 ,where we get our word1 i #aae ,parables1 ,christ teaching by1 iii #fa ,meaning of the word1 iii #fa ,lessons illustrated by the value of religion1 iii #fe by ,christ's love for sinners1 iii #ga ,the duty of kindness1 iii #gg ,the duty of forgiveness1 iii #hb ,the influence of good example1 iii #hf ,pardon and peace1 iii #abb ,passover1 ,feast of the1 i #abg ,method of keeping the1 i #acf ,reasons why the ,israelites were commanded to keep1 i #acg ,relating to the past1 i #acg ,relating to the future1 i #acg ,paul1 the ,apostle1 i #bc ,paul1 ,st41 iv #bha ,great in natural talents1 iv #bhb ,his early opportunities1 iv #ahc ,his prejudice1 iv #bhc ,his conversion1 iv #bhd ,his privileges1 iv #bhe ,his labors1 iv #bhf ,his spirit in a child1 iv #bhg ,his influence1 iv #bib ,his reward1 iv #bif ,his sufferings1 iv #bhh ,paul1 ,st4 ,john and ,st41 iv #bga ,pentecost1 ,day of1 iv #baa ,time of the ,spirit's coming1 iv #bac ,manner of the ,spirit's coming1 iv #bae ,purpose of the ,spirit's coming1 iv #bba ,to convert the soul1 iv #bbe ,to teach men1 iv #bbi ,to sanctify1 iv #bcb ,to help and comfort1 iv #bce ,perseverance rewarded1 ii #aia ,peter and the tax gatherer1 iii #ajh ,peter1 the ,apostle1 iii #hb ,his place among the apostles1 iv #bci ,the facts of his history1 iv #bdj ,lessons taught by his history1 iv #bdi ,deliverance from temptation1 iv #bee ,overcoming prejudice1 iv #bfj ,the benefit of trials1 iv #bfe ,the message to1 ii #da ,pharaoh's cruel law1 i #aac ,plague of the flies1 i #acj ,pilate1 ,story of1 iv #fg ,plague of the frogs1 i #abi ,plagues of the locusts and darkness1 i #acd of the murrain1 boils1 and hail1 i #acc ,polish prince1 iv #aja ,poor ,caleb and the gentleman1 i #afd rich minister1 i #fj ,power of a kind word1 ,the1 ii #bfa of kindness1 iv #agj of love1 iv #da of the cross1 iii #bbg of the gospel1 iii #he ,prayer1 ,answer to1 i #ch ,praying better than stealing1 iv #i for a dinner1 iii #bg for bread1 iii #aji ,preaching in the hay field1 iv #aif ,presentation of ,christ in the temple1 ii #adi ,what ,simeon saw in the infant ,jesus1 ii #aec ,salvation1 ii #aec ,light1 ii #aei ,glory1 ii #afd ,the effect this sight had on ,simeon1 ii #afh ,his readiness to depart1 ii #afh ,prisoner converted1 i #bdg of ,glatz1 ii #di ,promise1 ,the first1 i #a ,prophet1 ,what is a1 i #aab ,protection through prayer1 ii #ae ,providential deliverance1 iii #aae ,prussian nobleman1 i #afi ,raven of ,winslade ,quarry1 iv #adj ,reformed drunkard's story1 i #ga ,rescue1 ,the1 iv #bje ,results of early choice1 iii #aii ,resurrection1 ,the1 iv #aea ,proof of1 iv #aec ,lessons from3-- ,the power of ,christ1 iv #afb ,power of ,christ to save1 iv #afc ,power of ,christ to provide1 iv #afe ,power of ,christ to protect1 iv #aff ,tenderness of ,christ1 iv #afg ,the way of showing our love to him1 iv #agc ,revelations1 ,meaning of the ,book of1 i #hd ,revenge overcome1 i #bec ,reward of obedience1 iii #bdb ,rich for a moment1 ii #aaa ,river turned into blood1 i #abg ,robber taught1 i #bje ,rochester1 ,the ,bishop of1 iv #adg ,sacrifice for the first-born1 ii #aej ,sailor boy's belief1 iii #aja ,salvation1 i #db ,saved by a rose1 iii #eg by prayer1 iv #bjh from a lion1 ii #aed ,sampson1 ii #ga ,sculptor's 7,the7 lesson1 iv #bff ,secret of comfort1 iii #agc of success1 iii #adf passage way1 iv #beg ,selden1 ,john1 iii #ci ,shark of the ,mediterranean1 i #bgg ,sheba1 ,queen of1 ii #aed ,shelter1 ,the need of1 i #aee ,shepherd1 ,christ the1 ii #a ,because he seeks his sheep when lost1 ii #d ,because he feeds and takes care of them1 ii #i ,because he protects them1 ii #ad ,because he saves them1 ii #ai ,the1 of ,berne1 ii #i ,shining in every window1 iii #ajd ,sick sailor1 i #ahf ,simeon1 ii #aec ,singing all the time1 ii #bjd ,sin1 ,how ,jesus helps men break the bonds of1 i #gj in a life is like poison in a fountain1 i #b like a whirlpool1 iv #ec ,things taught about the growth of1 iv #di ,smiting the rock1 i #aff ,snake and the spider1 iv #eb ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 ii #aad ,soldier in the ,crimea1 i #afh ,soldier's example of patience1 iv #gh ,solitary feast1 i #ff ,solomon1 ,christ the king like1 i #bdf ,because he was a wise king1 i #bdf ,because he was a peaceful king1 i #bea ,choice of1 i #bdf ,somebody's mother1 iv #aga ,soul compared to a fort1 i #g saved by a tear1 ii #aef ,spirit of ,christ in a little girl1 iv #bc ,star in the crown1 iv #bih ,steamboat captain and the soldier1 iii #adh ,story of the fort1 i #g ,stream and the mill1 iii #bef ,substitute1 ,the1 i #bab ,supper1 the ,lord's1 iii #bge ,account of1 iii #bge ,its connection with the word of command1 iii #bhb ,its connection with the memory of his sufferings1 iii #bhg ,its connection with the hope of his glory1 iii #bih ,swarm of bees worth hiving1 iii #fg ,swiss shepherd1 ii #d ,sympathy with the poor1 ii #bai ,syro-,phnician woman1 ii #aij ,tabernacle1 ,jewish1 a figure of ,christ1 i #agd ,what it was1 i #agd ,tabernacle1 ,enclosure1 i #agh ,the holy place1 i #aha ,what it taught1 i #ahc ,that there would be a pardoning presence1 i #ahd ,that there would be a purifying presence1 i #ahh ,that there would be an enlightening presence1 i #aij ,that there would be a comforting presence1 i #aid ,taboo1 ,heathen custom called1 i #ha ,talent 7,a7 for each1 iii #bei ,tartar chief1 ii #afa ,teacher1 ,the ,great1 iii #cc ,because of the great ,blessings1 iii #ce ,because of the great ,simplicity1 iii #dj ,because of the great ,tenderness1 iii #dd ,because of the great ,knowledge1 iii #ea ,because of the great ,power1 iii #ef ,telegram1 ,the1 ii #ba ,temptation of ,christ1 ,the1 ii #bga ,meaning of1 ii #bgc ,place of1 ii #bgd ,led into1 ii #bgd ,the tempter1 ii #bge ,time of1 ii #bgg ,to turn stones into bread1 ii #bgh ,to throw himself from the pinnacle1 ii #bgi ,to worship ,satan1 ii #bhb ,teaches us that we must expect temptation1 ii #bhc ,teaches us there is no sin in being tempted1 ii #bhh ,teaches us how to resist temptation1 ii #bib ,teaches us the reward of victory over temptation1 ii #bif ,ten ,commandments1 i #adc ,thames ,tunnel1 iii #agf ,that's me1 iii #afb ,the best that ,i can1 iii #bfc ,themistocles1 iii #aig ,there is that scattereth and yet increaseth1 iii #aef ,there were ninety and nine1 iii #dh ,the shilling ,bible1 iii #hi ,thou ,god seest me1 ii #bid1 iv #bei ,thou shalt bruise his heel1 i #ae ,thou who once on mother's knee1 i #aa ,three jewels1 ii #aff ,tiny's work for ,god1 iii #bfe ,train delayed1 i #bah ,transfiguration1 ,the1 iii #bae ,account of1 iii #baf ,mount of1 iii #bag ,the wonderful change1 iii #bah ,the wonderful company1 iii #bbb ,the wonderful conversation1 iii #bbe ,the lesson of hope1 iii #bbi ,the lesson of instruction1 iii #bcb ,the lesson of duty1 iii #bcf ,travellers in the desert1 i #aec in the snow1 iii #adc ,trial1 ,the1 iv #ei ,history of1 iv #fj ,lesson about the weak ruler1 iv #fe ,lesson about the wicked priests1 iv #gj ,lesson about the patience of ,christ1 iv #gd ,lesson about the humiliation of ,christ1 iv #gi ,lesson about the glory of ,christ1 iv #hb ,true hero1 ,the1 iv #he ,truthful and obedient1 ii #bcj ,try it1 iv #acc ,two brothers1 iv #gc ,ugly ,greg1 iii #eh ,unexpected 7,the7 friend1 iv #age ,visit of the ,wise men1 ii #agi ,von ,zeiten1 ,general1 ii #he ,wanderer restored by the father's message1 i #ij ,wanted a boy1 ii #bee ,washington1 ,how he taught his men that all should work1 iii #agh ,his humility1 iii #agh ,prayer of1 iv #h ,wasp's sting1 ii #agj ,was there ever gentlest shepherd81 iii #db ,water for cleansing1 i #afg for comfort1 i #afg ,we cannot be our own masters1 iii #bea ,wellington1 ,duke of1 i #ba1 ii #gi ,well-instructed boy1 iii #ed ,wesley 7,charles7 and the bird1 ii #acf ,wesley's1 ,mrs41 patience1 ii #bcg ,western sky1 ,the1 iii #bba ,wet sand1 ,the1 ii #bfe ,what a plant did1 iii #g ,why didn't ,i mind my mother81 ii #bcb ,widow and the candles1 ii #cg ,widow of ,nain1 i #fc1 ii #ci ,wilberforce1 iii #ci ,willie's heroism1 iii #aaf ,wise men1 ,visit of1 ii #agi ,earnest seekers of ,jesus1 ii #ahc ,persevering seekers1 ii #ahh ,successful seekers1 ii #aic ,liberal seekers1 ii #aif ,happy seekers1 ii #bjb ,woman of ,samaria1 iii #ch ,working as well as praying1 iii #bh ,workingman's child1 ii #ef ,young hero1 ,a1 iv #aid ,,index ,,of ,,poems ,according to thy gracious word1 iii #big ,a dreary place would be this earth1 iii #aig ,all hail the power of ,jesus' name1 iii #bcd ,all is o'er1 the pain1 the sorrow1 iv #abg ,a swarm of bees worth hiving1 iii #fg ,can ,i ,gethsemane forget81 iv #bg ,dare to do right6 dare to be true61 iv #gj ,drive the nail aright1 boys1 iii #ca ,every talent useful1 iii #bfh ,father of mercies6 in thy word1 iii #ia ,from everything our ,saviour saw1 iii #ec ,god entrusts to all1 iii #bei ,great things are made of fragments small1 iii #ag ,he is a path1 if any be misled1 ii #aca ,how sweet is the gospel1 ii #bfi 8,i cannot do much10 said a little star1 iii #bfc ,i have found the ,pearl of greatest price1 ii #bjc ,i go to life and not to death1 iv #adf ,i leave it all with ,jesus1 iii #ga ,is thy cruse of comfort wasting81 iii #aef ,lamb of ,god1 ,i look to thee1 iii #bac ,light after darkness1 gain after loss1 iii #bgc ,mite song1 ,the1 iii #aa ,my soul be on thy guard1 iv #eg ,no foot of land do ,i possess1 i #fa ,none but ,jesus1 ii #abi ,not all the blood of beasts1 i #gf ,not ourselves1 but the truths in life we have spoken1 iv #bif ,numb and weary on the mountains1 iii #add ,once in his arms the ,saviour took1 iii #bjf ,only a drop in the bucket1 iii #aa ,oppressed with noon-day's scorching heat1 iii #bbh ,o yes1 ,i will try for the whole of the day1 ii #bcd ,praise ,god from whom all blessings flow1 iv #acf ,see the kind shepherd ,jesus1 stands1 ii #bf ,shining for ,jesus1 iv #agg ,somebody's mother1 iv #aga ,the birds1 without barn1 or storehouse1 iv #acf ,the reward of heaven1 iii #bgc ,there were ninety and nine1 iii #dh ,think kindly of the erring1 iii #hb ,thou art coming6 at thy table1 iii #cjc ,thou who once on mother's knee1 i #aa ,though little ,i bring1 iii #bfh ,ugly ,greg was the prisoner's name1 iii #eh ,was there ever1 gentlest ,shepherd1 iii #db ,when ,i survey the wondrous cross1 iv #aai