The Newtown bee., 1901-04-26

laid hold on him only when he gave
himself to them. And let all read too
in the symbolic book of Re vela ton
Il: 14-15)"and his eyes were as flame
Of fire; and his feet unto FURNISHED
brass, as if it had been refined in a
furnace; and his voice as the voice of
many waters.''
Viewing Him thus, thousands in the
early centuries felt the heart of Jesus
to be steel and his character Judge.
Therefore came they tremblingly to
his mother, beseeching her as one who
could feel and pity to intercede for
them with this man of terrors and
King of Kings. And did they picture
him too sternly? Many in this genera
ton have lost "the King in Jesus, :"
''the philanthropist. But when the
knowledge of sin revives, then awakens
in us che indignation of holiness.
When the love of Christ touches
sin there is fire-and from Calvary
there has started a conflagration that
will burn out human ill until only the
redeemed remain in Gods world. No
rebuke has been SO stern as that of
Jesus at intrenched wrong. There has
been no word on human lip so scathing,
so agonizing to the speaker, so blasting
to the nearer, as the philippics against
the OppreSSOr and pretender in Matt.
%.
Jesus Christ is a King-a Lion. He
was mercileSS with HimSelf-nO wan
dering from the Father could be
thought of for Himself. Great is His
mercy, His patient, His long suffering,
His love even unto death for struggling
man. Yet it is the sublime perfect
ness of a love which waits because the
issue is to be perfect obedience in SON.
ship; love great because memorable
in it's demand of undertaking accept
ance of the will of God. II must go
to the cross" said He, "to be myself
"Ye also must bear crosses" said He.
Love to God makes no compromises
with anything beneath it. Whole
souled, wholehearted as it is, Christ
must be followed through the sin
smoke of the world-and thus cometh
the everlasting victory of the King.
On the one hand is the gentleness,
the tenderness, the sympathy, self
forgetfulness Of Jesus, bearing thous-
ands of the weals and woes of men in a
great brother-breast, loyal, devoted
also to the Father as the lamb of
sacrifice that beareth away the sin of
the world. On the other hand is Jesus
the lion of the tribe of Judah-on
the throne of God, Son of the Holy
| One who is satisfied with naught but
that holiness; whose love for men is So
great that He inexorably exacts a
thirst for the holiness that He will
give; lamb dying, but king exalted
and still the lamb; who seeth the vic
tory coming, coming, when men are
pure in heart, gentle, peace-making,
cross-bearing, humble, redeemed, and
the whole purified creation bows be-
fore the throne of God ascribing to
Him praise and worship.
Both are in Christ, the lion and the
lamb. The error is to behold only one
Also we must realize that they are
one. The lion is the lamb and the
lamb is the lion. His gentleneSs il
inseparable from His kingliness; His
sovereignty is ever warmed by perfect
love. Not a lion is He among the
money changers and a lamb on Cal
vary-but it is the tenderness Of Of
Tended love that drives them forth, the
deep yearning of one who hates sin
that dies. Jesus is not man whose
nature is divided, like so many cham
bers, into varying moods. Always love
always holy, is this lion who is lamt
slain in the midst of the throne, stand
ing as he had been slaughtered.
What truer combination of the lion
like and the lamblike is known thar
this Jesus who was brought before
Ilerod and before PLATE? Seeking ir
vain to eXtOrt amusement from his
prisoner, the titular prince mockingly
arrayed Him in royal robes with reeG
in the hand. But the dignity, nobil
ity, majesty thus to remain silent
amid contemptuous laughter, has
never been surpassed. Before the
Roman governor He makes no defence