Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-12-17

upon ulM IN the night watches. And
TO all such comes soorier or later the
question OF the miracles. We wres-
Tie with these miracles, we pray over
them, we come to some conclusion
concerning thems and our conclusions
are not always alike.
There are some who discriminate
among the miracles. Those they can
explain through understood laws they
accept; the rest they hold in abey-
ance. Some of the most consecrated
anu loyal followers OF the Master are
among those disciples.
And there are those also who be-
Heyeat that through Jesus were done
many mighty works. / am OF this
mind. This does not mean that we
give unqualified approval to all that
jesus was said to have DONE His is
the only instance on record, If it is
SO, that all that was said OF Him is
true. But 1t does mean that through
Him deeds were done that the human
mind does not yet understand. It
does not mean that Jesus did these
mighty works in His own strength
and of His own knowledge. II can
OF mine own self do nothing" He
said, but the Father that dWelleth
in Me. He doeth the works.
And the number Of thinking men
who hold this belief is fast increas-
ing. not through an increase OF faith
by itself. but through an increase of
experience. The metaphysical world
is Yielding up her secrets one by one,
and we are discovering that there is
relationship between the seen and
the unseen of which our fathers only
dreamed. Miracles are daily taking
place through human agency cooper
atiag with the laws of God. And It
Is because we are coming to better
understand the inter-relation of
forces and the amazing consequence
OF certain causes. that we turn to the
Gospels and read with deeper insight
and larger faith of the mighty works
of Jesus.
But call your attention this morn
ing not to the miracles themselves.
but to their cause; not to an analysis
OF their accomplishment. but to the
discernmeDt of that which called
them forth, the compassion of Jesus.
OFTEN the crowd gathered about
Jesus and demanded some marvellous
work, sign from heaven. He re-
fused them. Men came to Him seek
ing to enlist His power for their sell
f1sh gain, but they always departed
sadder and wiser men. Nothing
could tempt Him to make q show or
win the crowd through the marvel
zlous. But when He saw people in
need or In sorrow or suffering. when
did He ever turn them away? How
quick was His response! How suffi-
cient Glen In power! His maxim was,
They that are whole have no need
OF the physician, but they that are
sick"
When the multitude penetrated the
desert whittier He had gone for retire.
ment and needed rest, when He be-
held their desire for Him and knew
the hunger and heart sickness that
lmpelled them to seek Him, HE was
moved with compassion on them be-
cause they were scattered abroad as
sheep having no shepherd
When the blind and the demented
cried unto Him. the Lord OF Light
and Spirit was mighty in deed. When
the leper of Galilee knelt before Him
saying. "If Thou wilt Thou canst
make me clean," His heart was
touched. And Jesus, moved with
compassion, put forth His hand and
l.
will; be thou Clean.
Oh, the mighty love OF Jesus! It
met that dear mother at the gate OF
Main and did for her what none In all
the city could do, restore to her her
son. Can any OF you imagine the
wonder and Joy unspeakable that
came to her when Jesus delivered
him to her?
One Of the striking chara cforirfirs
Of the compassion of Jesus Is its In
It knows no bounds. It
goes out to the multitude and to the
Individual, to the stranger as freely
as to the friend, to the Jew and to the
Gentle. His heart went ont Tor the
city and He Wept over It and His
heart went out to the lone woman Id
need OF a Saviour. The one essential
was that there exist grief, burden,
a sorrow and Immediately His help
was forthcoming. Where the sick
were gathered by their friends, or
among the porches by the pool where
the impotent lay, there was Jesus to
bless. No custom delayed Him, no
fear Tor LIE nor weariness. OF the
flesh restrained Him, but freely He
ministered unto all who called upon
Him.
Another characteristic OF Jesus
compassion is its attitude toward evil.
He does not tell the blind man that
it is best for him to remain blind, nor
does He point out to the leper that
there are compensating blessings that
come through his affiiction. His ac-
ton is rather to strike at the evil that