Fellow-Feeling
‘* We have not an liigli priest -whicli cannot b& t&ajriwtv /rith the feeling of our infirmities.” — Heb. iv. lt>.
“As the appearance,” says Ezekiel, “of the Bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord!”
What an elevating truth. The Sympathy of the God-man-Mediator (the true Bow in the cloud) — Jesus in our sorrows! What a source of exalted joy to the stript and desolate heart! — what a green pasture to lie down upon, amid the windy storm and tempest, or in the dark and cloudy day I
The sympathy of man is cheering and comforting; but “thus far shalt thou go, and no farther.” It is finite — limited — often selfish.
AQaalfl
100 THE BOW IN THE CLOUD.
There are nameless and numberless sorrows on earth, bejond the rcacb of all human alleviation.
The sympathy of Jesus is alone exalted — pure — infinite — removed from all taint of selfishness. He has Himself passed through every experience of woe. There are no depths of sorrow or anguish into which I can be plunged but His everlasting arms are lower still. He has been called “The great sympathetic nerve of His Church, over which the afflictions, and oppressions, and sufferings of His people continually pass.” Child of Sorrow! a Human heart beats on the Throne! and He has ihy name written on that heart. He cares for thee as if none other claimed His regard. As the Great High Priest, He walketh in the midst of his Temple lamps — (His golden candlesticks,)^plenishing them, at times, with oil; — trimming them, if need be, at others; — but all in order that they may burn with a steadier and purer lustre.
‘’He loas IN ALL POINTS tempted.’’^ Blessed assurance! — I never can know the Sorrow
FELLOW-FEELLN^G. lOl
into T^liich the ‘’ Man of Sorrows’” can not enter.. Ah rather, in the midst of earth ‘d most lacerating trials, let me listen to the unanswerable challenge from the lips of a suffering Saviour — “Yfas there ever any sorrow like unto my sorroioT^ Yet He refused not to drink the cup of wrath! He shrunk not back from the appointed cross! “He set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem;” — and even when He hung upon the bitter tree, He refused the Yinegar that would have assuaged the rage of thirst and mitigated phj’sical suffering. Are we tempted at times to murmur under Grod’s afflicting hand?” Consider Him that endured... lest ye he weary and faint in your minds.’^ Shall we hesitate to bear any trial our Lord and Master sees meet to lay upon us, when we think of the infinitely weightier Cross He so meekly and unrepiningly carried for us?
Afflicted one! Have thine eye on this radiant Bow in thy cloud of Sorrow — thou mayest, like the disciples on the Transfigura’ tion-mount, fear to enter the cloud’’’’ — but hear the voice issuing from it — “This is my Beloved Son: hear HiM.”
Jesus speaks tlirougli these clouds I He tells us our cares are His cares; our sorrows His sorrows. He has some wise and gracious end in every mysterious chastisement. His language is — Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it (Micah vi. 9). He has too kind and loving a heart to cause us one needless or superfluous pang.
Oh that we may indeed hear the voice out of the cloud, and seek that the trials He sends in love may be greatly sanctified. Let us not dream that Affliction of itself is a pathway to Heaven. Clouds do not form the material Rainbow. These glorious hues come from the Sunbeams alone. Without the latter, wo could discern nothing but blackened heavens and dismal rain torrents.
It is not because those clad in ‘’ white robes” had “come out of great trihulatiorH^ that they were enjoying the beatific Presence; but because they had” washed their rohes, and made them v;hiie in the blood of the LamV^ (Rev. vii.
14;. “We Lave only reason to glory in affliction when it Las been the means of bringing •QS nearer tLe Saviour, and leading ns to the opened Fon.ntain.
“Jesus! my only hope thou art, Strength of my failing flesh and heart; Oh! could I catch a smile from thee, And drop into Eternity!