The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-12-11
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. JASON NOBLE PIERCE.
Subject: The Compassion of Jesus.

gregational Church Sunday the pas
tor. the Rev. jason Noble Pierce.
preached on The COMPASSION of
Jesus" The text was from Luke
7;lS: And when the Lord saw her
He had compassion on her and said
unto her. wean not" Mr.. Pierce said:
have taken as my subject this
morning one OF the most beautiful
and comforting themes in the Bible.
The Compassion OF Jesus" Ii there
Is any one present in this congrega-
tion who has been experiencing trial
and suffering, or who has been called
upon 10 bear some grievous burden
or suffer loss. ask his attention, es-
pecially. TO the consideration OF this
theme. And IL there Is any one here
who would make more sure of God S
personal love for His individual chill
dren, let him discover that love as IL
Is revealed in the compassion OF His
Son. our Lord and Saviour.
Briefly but clearly the author OF
our Gospel presents the scene Be
hold, there was dead man carried
out. the only son OF his mother. and
she was widow; and much people
OF the city was with her" From our
text we know that she was weeping
and we'll she might. for death leaves
smarting sting This was not the
first time she had faced death In the
inner circle OF her home. She was a
widow. But how often does the los
ing OF one member OF the family
make IL any easier TO part with an
other. especially when II Is an only
son, young man, and probably the
main support and stay Of his Wild
owed mother? Circumstances seemed
10 conspire to make the occasion full
| of greatest sorrow for her. and as the
procession passes through the city
gate and turns toward the burying
ground the burning tears course
down her cheeks and she sees naught
feels naught, knows naught but the
grief that Is In her heart.
or all the helpless ones In Israel
she, passing out OF the gate, was most
helpless. And that was the very hour
the mightiest one in all Israel drew
nigh to the city Weakness and
| strength: human need and divine
| help: these are never far separ ated.
erative? Will the Saviour act?
when the Lord sa>r her He had
compassion on her and said unto her
! the bier; and they that bear him
stood still And He said, Young man
| ! say unto thee, arise. And he that
! was dead sat up and began TO speak
| And He delivered him unto his
| mother"
Halleluiah! What n Saviour,
If the issue could be avoided I
would gladly pass over a discussion
| pf ntra, ,in fnN In
| But how can |? If | assume that you
! all accept the miracles ascribed to
| Jesus, | make false assumption. for
] know from personal conversation
| that some Of you have questionings
and uncertainties in your minds. If
| could separate the question of Jesus
compassion from His miracles
might do that. But how can l.?
Everywhere in the Gospels where
| Jesus compassion is referred TO IL Is
in connection with some miracle. His
was not an inactive compassion. He
did not do as so many of us do. allow
| our sympathy to vent itself I'm empty
air. His great heart made demands
upon a great power, and the sight OF
sorrow ever made Him exert Himself
| for its relief. Four times does st.
Matthew and four times does st.
Mark refer directly to Jesus compass
sion. and upon each occasion do we
| find Him working miracle. st
Luke speaks directly concerning the
compassion OF our Lord only once
and that Is in our text. The subject
demands our attention.
There are some men who are not
greatly troubled concerning the mira
cles. They sweep them all In or all
| out OF their theological acceptance
with no hard thinking or penetrat-
ing vision. Their theological house
Is one OF the portable variety, cheap
ly bought, ready made, quickly
clapped together over foundation
| OF sand. II may serve on "A fair day.
but when the test comes how is A.?
The rain descends and the foods come
| and the winds blow and beat upon
that house; and II falls; and great Is
the fall Of II.
One OF the safeguards of the church
Is the number OF thinking men and
women within II. who concentrate
not only their hearts but their minds
unto the Lord, and who mediate
upon Him In the night watches. And
, to all such comes sooner or later the
question OF the miracles. We wres-
tie with these miracles. we pray over
them, we come TO some conclusion
concerning them 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
| and loyal followers OF the Master are
among these disciples.
And there are those also who be-
lieye that through Jesus were done
many mighty works. I am OF this
mind. This does not mean that we
give unqualified approval TO all that
Jesus was said 70 have done. His Is
the only instance on record, II IL is
40, that all that was said OF Him ls
true. But IL does mean that through
Him deeds were doL3 that the human
mind does not yet understand IL
does not mean that Jesus did these
mighty works in His own strength
and OF His own knowledge. II can