The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-12-11
and larger faith OF the mighty works

ing not 10 the miracles themselves,
but TO their cause: not to an analysis
of their accomplishment. but TO tho
discernment OF that which called
them forth. the compassion OF Jesus.
Often the crowd gathered about
Jesus and demanded some marvellous
work, a sign from heaven. He re-
fused them. Me- same to Him seek
ing TO enlist His power for their sell
fish gain. but they always departed
sadder and wiser men. Nothing
could tempt Him 10 make a show or
win the crowd through the marvel
ious. 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 SUM-
cient 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
impelled 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
touched him and saith unto him.
| will; be thou clean"
oh, the mighty love OF Jesus! II
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 characteristics
OF the compassion OF Jesus Is It's in
clusiveness. IL knows no bounds. II
| goes out 10 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 out for the
city and He wept over IL and His
| heart went out To the lone woman In
need of a Saviour. The one essential
was that there exist grief. a burden.
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 for life 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
! IL is best Cor him 10 remain blind, nor
! does He point out TO the leper that
/ there are compensating blessings that
come through his ailliction. His ac-
| tion Is rather to strike at the evil that
! Ia responsible for their condition.
dare say that He could have visited
the widow of Main and through Ills
revelation OF the heavenly home and
| the Fathers love He could have light
ened her heart OF much OF It's sorrow
! But His way was that OF the most In
cisive action against the cause of her
! grief. Aniiction and sorrow and pain
are not regarded by Jesus as divinely
sent nor 10 be unnecessarily borne.
lie opposed them. lie threw the
weight OF His teachings and life
against everything that tended to pro-
| duce them. He set "A priceless value
not only upon human life, but upon
the liberty that life was to enjoy, and
everything that bound and dwarfed
that liberty lie fought unto the end.
oh. what "A judgment upon thS coun-
try, where human life is held so
cheaply, where men perish by thou
sands upon the railroads and In the
mines. where grinding industrial llfe
| sweeps pinching poverty into the
homes, where selfishness and pleasure
allow disease and suffering to spread
far and wide with ravaging hand!
Jesus fought this misery and gave
Himself unstintedly TO unburden the
lives OF men
And now in approaching the final
consideration Of this theme IL Is inn
portant that we bear In mind the
steps thus far taken, for they have an
immediate bearing upon what Is to
follow. We have seen that Jesus was
In fullest sympathy with Il who car
ried burden, and that all such found
way OF approach 90 Him at all times.
In the second place. we have seen
that lie was In such accord with His
Father In heaven that the mightieBt
OF WOfkS were poSblDIc uHto I1lln anu
were accomplished through Him TO
relieve human sorrow. And we have
seen, too, that His loving compassion
knew no bounds, that IL embraced
the individual as well as the multi
tude. that IL left no one with whom
He came In contact outside His af-
lection. And lastly, we have consid-
cred the fact that Jesus opposed Him
self 10 evil in whatever form IL was
found. and regarded pain and afIiic-
tlon as enemies TO be trodden under
foot.
Dear friends, while we have been
talking about Jesus we have In reality
been talking about our heavenly,
Father. While we have been consid-
ering the compassion OF Jesus wa
have been discussing the loving COM
passion OF God. The former is the
perfect manifestation OF the latter.
All that has been said OF Jesus COM
passion now assert 20 be true OF
Coda love II there IA any one here