The Harrison times., 1912-05-25

life and experiences OF the
Lord Jesus when he was with
US. We think of him as the
Man of sorrows" and rightly, HE
carried his SORROWS" the burden or
our guilt was upon him, He was so In
sympathy with men that their burdens
and sorrows became his The incom-
pleteness of character. the hypocrisy
and deceit which met him everywhere
the thousand forms OF iniquity Which
filed the world. our guilt laid upon
his soul did Indeed AL him with sor'
row. there was no sorrow ike MS.
1t was a deep undercurrent that be-
came greater az he approached the
end. Even when all would seem to be
far removed from this. when the mul'
titudes were about him seeking his
blessing, we hear him say: MY soul
is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto
death"
But with all this his heart was full
Of 10y. There was sorrow, but there
was no sadness. there was a burden,
but there was no disappointment:
there was the keen sense OF the gullt
of sin and of the agony Of the atone
ment, but there was no hesitation
We see the tumult. but he speaks OF
my peace" his own peculiar
peace; we see the suffering, but
his highest wish for his disciples
was that my Joy might remain in
you, and that your Joy might be
full"
Lies Suffering and Happiness,
Suffering and happiness are not
Incompatible. sorrow and Joy are not
30 antagouistic that they may
not dwell In the same heart, There
Is q grace which rises above the suf'
ferIng, and makes II minister to Joy.
1t is one Of the wonderful things OF
grace that II so lifts US up out Of our
surroundings aud out Of ourselves,
that there is perfect peace even when
the suffering Is greatest, We have
seen the victim OF disease racked
with pain whose face beamod with
10y and whose words were songs OF
praise. The martyrs sang as they
burned, So with Jesus, at the very
time when his cup was filled to the
overlooking, he talked with his
disciples out OF heart perfectly at
rest
There was TO Iesus the Joy OF his
sinless nature We cannot measure
that, but We may sometimes have a
forotaste OF II. there may be such q
sense OF pardon and OF Divine love
that we are as IN tho presence Of
God, but our highest short expert
ence Ia far bclow the bessednesa
which was perpetual In tho soul OF
Jesus, To him there was the Joy OF
Infinite love, lie gave himself for
others, and In their salvation his Joy
was above uI suffering The prayer
OF the pcnItent thief was to him the
10y of love prevailing. even over the
thorns and The nails, There to him
was the consciousness OF his Fathers
love and support lie dwelt on that
love. Even with the cross before
him. In the communion Of the holy
fellowship his very garments shone
with the glory OF God He was
mooked and scorned, but all tho
time he saw his work prevail
Ing,
All Typical OF His Love,
The lame man walking, the dumb
man singing tho praise OF God, the
dead man coming back to llle were
typical Of a greater work OF love In
the salvation OF men lie thought OF
the man whose sins were rorglv
On az one saved aud not simply
healed. The world redeemed waa
not present 90 him, How great the
10y OF that hour M he prayed, Holy
Father, keep those whom thou hast
given mel" We can know but little
OF that higher world In which Jesus
lived, for II In the world Of perfect
holiness aud lnhuIto love, but wa
see aomethng OF ", we have some
thing In common With him. 80 that
we can enter into his Joy sufficiently
to know that II crowned all labor
and swectpnrd all sorrow The
MAN of sorrows ,ol him ever be
us, but also we should open our
hearts TO receive the lnnowlng OF his
everpreeenl, uphoundcd Ioy=Unlted
Presbyterian
y -tstiaa 81 - .s
lls--- iny al the Lord