A Goodly Heritage

DIVINE SYMPATHY "I know their sorrows." Exodus 3:7 Man cannot say so. There are many sensitive fibers in the soul the best and most tender human sympathy cannot touch. But the Prince of Sufferers, He who led the way in the path of sorrow, "knows our frame." When crushing bereavement lies like ice on the heart, when the dearest earthly friend cannot enter into the peculiarities of our grief, Jesus can, Jesus does! He who once bore my sins also carried my sorrows.  That eye, now on the throne, was once dim with weeping! I can think in all my afflictions, "He was afflicted," in all my tears, "Jesus wept." "I know their sorrows!" He may seem at times thus to forget and forsake us; leaving us to utter the plaintive cry, "Has God forgotten to be gracious," when all the while He is bending over us in the most tender love. He often allows our needs to attain their extremity, that H...

PATIENCE "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." "He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter."—Isa. 53:7. How great was the patience of Jesus! Even among His own disciples, how forbearingly He endured their blindness, their misconceptions and hardness of heart! Philip had been for three years with Him, yet he had "not known Him!"—all that time he had remained in strange and culpable ignorance of his Lord's dignity and glory. See how tenderly Jesus bears with him—giving him nothing in reply for his confession of ignorance but unparalleled promises of grace!—Peter, the honored and trusted, becomes a renegade and a coward. Justly might his dishonored Lord, stung with such unrequited love, have cut the unworthy cumberer down. But He spares him, bears with him, gently rebukes him, and loves him more than ever!—See the Divine Sufferer in the terminating scenes of His own ignominy and woe. How patient!—...

We have just had our thoughts directed to the beautiful inspired picture of the Shepherd conducting His flock through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. The next delineation of Christ's pastoral relation to His Church and people is a pre-eminently sublime one. The Shepherd-love and leadings of the wilderness are at no end. Earth's diverse experiences– its green pastures and still waters– its rough and rugged paths– its places of temptation– its lairs of wild beasts– its cloudy and dark days– and the Valley of death-shade terminating all– these are over and past. The flock is now seen on the Great day of Judgment, as depicted in the magnificent imagery of the passage which heads this chapter– a passage which stands almost unrivaled in sacred Scripture for its pathos and grandeur. Viewing Christ as the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, the time and circumstances in which He uttered the words are remarkable. It was but a few days previous to the fulfillment of the awful prophetic an...