The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-03-25
CT Was Sick, and We Visited Me.

how human Christ was, that In sick
ness and loneliness he craved sympathy
and companionship. If he-the Lord
felt this need, why should we expect
more from poor, frail humanity? Some
good Christians hear of some being sick,
and say, 90, how sorry 1 am 1 wish 1
had time to go to see them but there is
that meeting | must attend | can't give
that up or, | have so much company, I
cant leave home or, don't feel very
strong, so [ must attend to my own
health
God pity US if Christ excused himself
from being absent from the sick and sui.
fering. Surprising he had said, when they
told him Lazarus was dead, 90, l am
sorry, but have not time to attend to
him. must preach in the temple l
can give that up What would have
become of Lazarus? But this was not
Christ's way he dropped every interest
OF his own, and went to the weeping, sor-
rowful sisters, and wept with them. That
was our Lord s way OF showing sympathy.
How easily he might have said, There
Is no occasion for me to trouble myself,
for L can go at any time and wake Lag
arus ont of that dream" Because he
aOaS God he sympathized the more with
the weakness of poor human nature.
When his time of trial and suffering
came in the Garden he wanted the com
partnership of his disciples, and we can
understand how much of reproach and
wounded feeling those words expressed
" Can ye not watch with me one hour p
But they were too sleepy; they could
not do without their sleep-eue,a for a
Saviour. How selfish and cruel When
the whole heart is enlisted we can defy
fatigue, and keep awake.
Christ felt their lack of true love and
devotion in the Uery fact that they could
sleep when he was bowed to the earth
with suffering.
Some will answer at once, If Christ
every way to him. He says, "Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto the least Of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Christians, who has given us our time
God never contradicts himself; he does
not say to US, Visit the sick" and give
us no time to do it in. No, instead OF
being about our Fathers business, we are
attending to our own. The meetings are
very pleasant, and we like to attend
them; it lulls the conscience 20 think
that we are doing our duty. o, how
blind we are If we could see with
Christ's clear insight into human nature
we would start back appalled, at the
spectacle. Duty? only sel6shness, pleas
ing ourselves, instead OF Christ.
How much more to Christ taste it must
often have been to preach in the Temple
doing the work he loved) than attending
to the sick and suffering often afflicted
with loathsome disease, that must have
made his perfect sensitive nature shud-
der and still-"h he pleased not himself. q"
How shocked and hurt these same good
Christians would be should you tell them
it is selfshness that keeps them away
from the sick.bed. But, of course, they
were needed at the prayer. meeting where
there are others abe and willing to fill
any gap made by their absence. Who
were they pleasing, then, Christ or them
selves? If we ever get out of this crust
of selfshness and worldliness that is
binding US to our higher duties, it will
take many hard blow from the chisel Of
the great Sculptor to disclose the statue
inside. Surprising he shake the statue
to it's very foundation, till it totters and
almost falls, with sickness and suffering,
will we crave any human sympathy,
then? Will we have no account to give
for all these lost opportunities? When
we cross the Threshold and 90 into the
mansion awaiting us, how grieved shall
we be to remember how often we might
have smoothed the pillow Of the sick and
suffering if we had not been so blinded
by our own selfish pursuits
Christians, it is dangerous to accumu-
late so much dross, for the Great ReGner
may see that it is neediul to purify us in
the furnace Of suffering, for he 1OjU not
let his beautiful ideal remain buried IN
the rock Watchman.
God never casts men off until tbev