SUNDAY READING.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4455, 7 November 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

SERMON BY THE REV. W. BAUMBJ3R. Text —Matthew, Och., 36ver. "But when he saw tho multitudes, ho was moved with compassion on them, becauso they fainted, and wero scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd."

It hus been well said that tho key of our Lord's wholo lifo has been found in this ono word compassion. Let us look right through tho lifo of Jesus, nnd in every gracious word that was spoken by Him, in every act of mercy, in every putting forth of His power, in all his sufferings and death, Aye may sco written, His own words, I havo compassion. Men's bodily needs called forth tho compassion of Christ, and putting forth Hismiraele-working power Ho multiplied tho broad and satisfiod their needs. Men's bodily sufferings evoked His compassion, and Ho spoke tho word and touched tho suffering ono, and lo! tho diseaso was healed, and tho suffering flew away. The sorrows of tho friends of Christ mado manifest tho compassion of Christ, and Ho wept big tears of sympathy with them that wept. Tho danger of His disciples caused His compassion to be displayed, and He spoke tho word that stilled tho raging of the wind and waves, and lo ! there was a great calm: Abovo all, men's spiritual needs moved Him with compassion, and that those needs might be satisfied, Ho lived and died, and rose again, and over liveth to make intercession for them.

Now our text speaks of ono of tho many instances in which tho compassion of Christ showed itself. Confining ourselves this morning to its consideration, let us ask what it was in the condition of tho peoplo that so moved Christ, and how that dornpassiou manifested itself.

Our Lord at this time was surrouaded by multitudes of pebplo. Thero was a period in His ministry when such was constantly tho case, wherever Christ went tho multitudes thronged Him. Tho enmity of His foes had not yet begun fully to manifost itsolf. Those who Hocked to hear Him had not yet been disappointed at His teaching. Thoy saw tho miracles which He wrought; they heard tho wonderful words which proceeded out of His mouth; they wero attracted by tho very appearance of Christ, there was something in tho very look, something in tho very tones of His voice, something in all His dealings with them that mado them feel Ho was interested in them, and they bogan to ask, is this tho Messiah, tho long looked for Saviour, and in very wondering and longing they flocked to Christ. No matter whero Ho wont multitudes were around Him, listening to tho gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth, and wondering at tho mighty miracles constantly being wrought by Him.

The sight of a multitudo will movo almost any man. Lot us go forth and look at tho crowd of people gathered beforo us, and it is almost impossible to gazo at that multitudo without feeling some emotion. If tho multitude had been gathered together by one man's influence, and if ono man's eloquence has drawn them together to mako thorn eagerly lie ton to his words, the man will almost of necessity feel a senso of triumph and power and exultation. Thj sight of tho multitudo, so far as Christ was concerned, although it had been something in Himself that attracted tho multitudo, although His own influence and power gathered thorn together—the sight of the multitudo simply filled Christ with a strancro sadness. Such always seems to havo been the caso ■when Christ* was in the prcsenco of the multitude. In an almost parallel passago in St. Mark's Gospel, which has refcrenco to another occasion, wo sco Christ manifesting the samo compassion, and mukiiig uso of tho samo words, and being moved by the samo fooling. He has gouo into a desert placo with Ills disciples to find rest thoro from tho tcil—their teaching, and Christ has taken them in order that thoy may find rest in retirement, but tho peoplo havo found out that Christ has gono away, and they follow Him, and tho multitudo aro in His presence, and thuy want again to hear His voice, and listen to His wonderful teachings. Christ is not annoyed becauso His retirement has been broken into, not vexed because thoy have robbed Him and His disciples of their rest, but He is filled with tho same sadness, and as Ho looks at tho multitudo Ho is filled with compassion, becauso they aro sheep without a shepherd.

I Christ not only saw the faces, but He read tho hearts of those wero beforo Ilini, and henco Hie deep sadness. Christ know all their needs and wns touched with the fooling of their infirmities. Hence the flowing forth of His compassion. My frionds if this morning with tho eyes of Christ I could look into your hearts, if this morning I could road tho troublo that is there, and tho sorrow and tho distress and tho anxiety, think you I could look upon your faces unmoved. If a man looking forth upon a crowd could read tho needs, the heart hunger, tho heart sorrow of those beforo Him, think you he would simply wonder nnd cdmiro as he saw tho crowd p No, liko Christ, ho would be filled with sorrow and with pain. Christ know what was in men, hence His compassion flowed so freely, and His pity was so constantly displayed, What is this compassion ? Simply fellow feeling, Don't wo get tho idea sometimes that compassion is a kind word if spoken to somo ono in sorrow or distress ? Don't we get hold of tho idea that sympathy is but the pressure of a hand or tho speaking of a word ? Thero may be sympathy in that. Wo thank Cod that is very often tho expression of deep fellow sympathy within. Thero may bo the pressure of tho hand, thero may be n word of comfort, and yet no compassion, unless tho heart feels with aud for thoso in sorrow and distress, unless wo tako upon ourselves tho needs and so sympathise, unless wo can do that there can bo no real compassion, thero was that in Christ, and when ho saw tho multitudes, Ho was moved with compasssion for thorn.

What was there then in the circnmstaneoii of. tho multitudo at this timo to'call the compassion forth F St. Matthew tells us, l : io was moved witli compassion for them, bocauso thoy wero distressed and scatterod as sheep not having a shepherd. Their spiritual stato was to Christ liko tho state of that flock of sheop, harassed nnd distressed by tho wild beasts around them waiting for their prey, scattered here and thero with no one to lend them, no ono to lead thorn into the green pastures, no ono to defoml them from their foes, no ono to keop them from tho attacks of their enemies. Christ know all their distress, all their fear, and all their longing, and tho power of evil that was

arrayed against them, and He knew also those who ought to havo been the shepherds, those priests in Jerusalem and scattered about Judea, who ought to have cared for thorn, watched them, and tended to their needs, were utterly careless, utterly false, and while being wrapped up in tho ceremonial religion were letting the people go on in ignorance. Wo rejoice to think that Christ is ever tho same, the same yesterday, to-day," and for ever, and I tell you this morning, just as Christ looked upon that multitudo nnd was moved with compassion for t,hcm,:se Christ is looking here this morning, looking into our hearts, and the needs, and tho sorrows, that we think arc secret to ourselves, theso aro all known to Christ, and Christ looks Upon you with infinite compassion. Oh, how eagerly and tenderly, to give to you, that which alono cau comfort, that which alono can heal. If Christ so looked upon thoso in the flesh, what will bo tho feeling of Christ as ho gazes on a world that has in it so much of sorrow and sin ?

We think this morning of the numbers who livo in this town of Napier, who are ignorant of God, of God's lovo in Christ, like sheep wandering from tho fold, with dangers surrounding them, and no shepherd to care for them. Christ looks upon them with the same compassion, and upon all thoso sheep of His scattered throughout this land, many far away from tho means of grace nnd tho sound of tho Gospel. Christ thinks of them this morning, Christ wants us to think of them. Christ compassionates them, he wants us to compassionate them. Ho remembers their needs, and he wants us to remember their needs, in order that our hearts may bo touched with pity, aud that wo may havo compassion on them, because they aro distressed and scatterod liko sheep not having a shepherd. But how did Christ's compassion manifest itsolf ? When men woro hungered wo havo said that Christ's compassion manifested itself in His miracle-working power. When Christ looked down from Mount Olivet on the city of Jorusalem, upon which distress was about to come, His compassion manifested itself in tho big tears of pity that chased each other down his cheeks, aud thoso words of lamentation that wore spoken by Him. Here when Christ looked out upon tho multitudo, and had compassion on them, it manifested itself in two ways. He began to teach thorn many things. He preached to them the Gospel of die Kingdom, That was Christ's own way of beginning to minister to tho needs of these multitudes beforo Him. He preached to thorn the Gospel of the Kingdom. Wo havo not Christ's own sermon beforo us, but it is not difficult to get some idea of what that preaching would be like, when Christ mado known to them tho Gospel of the Kingdom. Would he not begin to spoak to thorn first of all of thn,t grand principle, revealed by H%„ the truth of tho Fathorhood of CSfld t Would Ho not teach them that they were not forgotten by tho great God above, and though they wero wandering, they wero still children, and tho Great Father loved them, and with a lovo that loved them in 1 order that Ho might savo them P Would Ho not givo utterance to some parable like that of tho Prodigal Son ? Ho speaks of tho lad going away from his homo and ; spending his substance in riotous living, j and tho old father thinking of tho long I lost boy and watching for tho return of tho wanderer, until at last ho saw him, §■$$ running to moot him fell on his n,w& and kissed him with a kiss that tq'd, him ho was forgiven and restored \o. iavor. Yes, Christ himself must have taught some such truth as that to tho wandering, poor, scattered sheep who stood in His presence. That Gospel, it seems to mo, would include another truth, tho truth of His own shephordhood. Ho would, tell them that he was sent by tho groat love of the Father, Ho had oomo to seek and to save that which was lost. Ho was tho good shepherd, and tho good shepherd was going to give his life for the sheop. Ho would probably speak some parablo, such as the shepherd who goes forth searching for tho wandering sheep till ho finds it, and then putting it on his shoulder, he comes homo rejoicingr, and says to his neighbors, rejoice with me, for I havo found tho sheep which was lost. Christ would speak somo such words as theso to thoso who woro lost, I am the good shophord, I oaro for you, I forsake you not, nnd by and by I lay down my life in order that I may deliver you from the danger that threatens you. Would Ho not speak to them somo such gracioua invitation ns this P Como unto me all yo that aro heavy laden, ye that aro distressed and scattered, como unto me and I will give you rest. Tho hearts of men would bo touohed as they listened to tho teaching of Christ, and they would feel within themselves, if any man has interest in us it is this man, if any man can teach us it ia this man, we will become his followers, wo I will ever dwell in His presenoo, and wo will bo guided and direotod by Him always, Not only did Christ's compassion manifest itsolf in that, Christ know ho could not always bo with them, Christ ever had in view tho cross, the death, and tho dishonor, and so Christ's compassion if it is to bo worth anything, must show itself not only in its teaching, but must show itself in somo provision by Him for thoso distressed ones who wore the representatives of multitudes that were scatterod throughout tho world, and so Christ sought to fill His disciples with a liko compassion, in order that thoy might bo fitted for tho work which ho has to leave in their hands. Do you notice in tho 37th vorso how thn figure that Christ has been making uso of changes? We ourselves can scarcely daro to ehungo our metaphors, the boys at tho school would laugh at us if wo mixod our metaphors. Clirist was abovo all this, and after looking at tho multitude incidentally changes his figure, tho harvest truly is plenteous, but tho laborers are few, pray yo therefore tho Lord of tho harvest that He will send forth laborers into His harvest. Just beforo ho has seen tho sheep wandoring and distressed, now Ho sees a glorious harvest before Him and it is ripo and ready for the reaper, and Ho is anxious that His disciples should go forth and gather in this groat and glorious harvest. It lies ready to their hands, but thoy aro unfitted to ongnge in the work until thoy aro brought into sympathy with Christ. My brother, yen aro altogether unfitted for Christ's service until you know what Christ's spirit is. lam unfitted for work for Christ unless I know somothing of that compassion of Clirist. If we are to bo brought into sympathy with Christ Mo must live in His presence.