The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-07-27

engrafted on the poor suffering boy.
During all this time sthe father did not
seem to notice his own suffering so great
was his sympathy for the child.
Look at mothers pity as her child
comes In with some hurt;..how che wraps
up the hurt and takes it in her arms and
sings some lullaby until in sweet sleep
all hurt and trouble is forgotten.
AS one whom his mother comforteth
so will comfort you" Elsa. 66:13)
NOTHING can exceed the pity of mother
for her child when in paiu or trouble;
then the teiiderest, strongest, land purest
emotions of er..heart are stirred. AS the
suffering of a father and mother is excited
by the distress of their children, so the
Lord pitieth. The tenderest earthly
relation is singled out to represent to us
the compassion of the. Lord, vino in all
their weakness and sin still;reyerence His
name and strive to do His will.
The Lord pitieth His children that are
ignorant and instructs them. He pties
the sick and comforts them. He pities
them when they are wronged and rights
them God pities His children in their
various distresses and will help them in
time of need. God pities us for our sins.
He pities. the sinner while He Furnishes.
Ii He did.not pity Hewould not punish.
for punishment is love seeking to recover
the sinful child. Gods pity is ever ready
to express itself in forgiveness when we
repent. God pities us in all our suffer-
ings whether we bring them upon our
selves, or.whether He send them. If He
sends suffering it does not argue that the
sufferer is shut out from the love and care
of God, "for whom the Lord loveth He
c"asteneth,' dealing with us as sons.
In all their struggles, temporal and spir-
rhny, IL Il A.
Is weak, God pitieth His children as
father. "He remem bereth our frame, He
remembereth that we are DUST
In the very best of men the Lord sees
much to pity. What a rich comfort the
thought of His pity yields. He.is at this
moment plying US, for the word is in
the present tense.
Like as father pitieth his children,
so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him"
THE LIMITATION OF THIS FAITH.
ERLY PITY.
Not the the distinct limitation of this
fatherly pity. The Lord pitieth ''them
that fear Him." II is not servile fear,
but reverential fear. A fear lest we
might offend God. 1t must be fear that
produces obedience, "Godly fear"
(Heb. 1929
1t is to such as. "keep His covenant"
"ito W OhOSc Iudc reIucElDer AIS COM
mandments to do them" Verse 49,
Thus we see that it is possible to put
ones self outside the.dew.of that compass
sion. The universally of Divine blessings
does not hinder our self-ex:lusion from
them.
But Gods children fear.Him, reverence
him, and they are heirs to the blessed
promise. "Like as father pitieth his
children. so the Lord pisieth them that
fear Him." Surely this comforting
truth ought to inspire us with greater
love, and lead us into q more perfect
obedience.
In such meditation as this text induces
we realize the tender and intimate rela-
ton which we Sustain to God. He IL our
Father, and pities us like as father
pitieth his children. Gods pity ought to
melt the hardest heart of the sinner. For
when the sinner was without hope and
help and strength, Christ died for him.
for you, for me, and we have not an high
priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of cur infirmities. Let us there
fore, saint and sinner, come boldly with
humble boldness. with bold humility,
unto the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy and find grace to help in
time of need. Heb. 4:15-16.