It was most natural that it should be so, even when He is thouglit of entirely apart from any doctrine of His Divine personality. His own S3'mpathy for others, and indeed for all things, was sure to attract others to Him. His quick perception of the good in all. His tender response to the least wave of the world's infinite music, show Him as destined to be the desired of men. He came upon the most diverse types, the most opposite of characters, and instantly knew their IJossibUities and their worth. He sees through the pure-minded hesitancy of Nathanael (Jn 1^'), He recognizes the true value of the widow's mite (Lk 21 '•''), He draws Nicodemus the timid to Him (Jn 3Mi He knows what will satisfy Thomas (Jn 20='), and what will please and win Zacchseus (Lk 19=) ; ami His iniuicaiatr followers include a Mary Ma:j.lalini' as nmU as ;( Mary of Bethany, a Judas a- \mI1 a- a .lohii. Even the failures are appreciated l>y a stamlar.l of faith unknown to the world. He acknowledges
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such deep and ready sympathy. And, as we read the Evangelists, one of their most notable traits
the longing of the heart though a weak will robs it of fruition ; He reads the zealous attection of Peter between the lines of a moment's Satanic pride (Mt 16--), or a terror-stricken denial (Mt 26™) ; He penetrates to the secret yearnings behind the materialistic questions of the woman at the well, and imparts to her His highest thouglit of God (Jn 4=*). He cannot even look upon the earth or sky but He must read into it the indwelling of the Eternal, find in all its pages picture and parable of spiritual realities. To His all-sensitive being the universe of things seen is but a symbol. The sower with his seed, the harvest-fields, the birds of the air, the fox in his hole, the sheep in the fold or lost on the hills, the wind that foretells heat or rain (Lk 12"- ^), the prophecies of the sunset (Mt 16=), or the springtide promise of the sprouting fig-tree (Mk 13=*),— all passin"; through His appreciative spirit is treasured as tne visible manuscript of God.
We might expect that such a receptive, com- prehensive, and understanding nature would pel confidence. Men could not help trustin ipathy. ' ' their n this— that they succeed in bringing together, almost without form, and apparently without intention, a wonderful accumulation of witness to the appreciation Jesus inspired from the first. The record is so varied. It is from no one school, or type, or rank. Almost every grade of life in the community is there— from the outcast and the leper to the Sanhedrist and the Roman centurion. From the first His gifts of liealing attract the sutterers, and none are more dehnite in their acknowledgment of Him. The villagers bring their sick on beds to the market-places (Mk 6*-*), or lower the palsied through the roof at Capernaum (Mk^*). The centurion in that town is satisfied that a word from Jesus will be enough to heal his sick servant (Mt 8»). Martha says, with such simple trust, ' Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother liad not died' (Jn 11='). The ruler of the synagogue feels that the touch of the Lord's hand would be enough to heal his dying daughter (Mt 9'8). The woman with the issue of blood would but touch the hem of His garment to be cured (Mk 5^). The Syro-Phoenician woman per- sisted in her prayer for her sick daughter, eagerly claiming the rights, while bearing the reproacn of being a Gentile 'do<'' (Mk 7=*). With one cry is He greeted alike by blind Bartiniajus (Mk 10^'), the two blind men (Mt 9='), and the ten lepers (Lk 17")— 'Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on us ' ; a cry the meaning of which is uttered by the leper (Mk l'") — 'Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make nie clean.' When siglit is given to the man bom blind, the parents testify to tlie Divine origin of the power that has been exerciseil (Jn 9^). And the multitude at Nain, when they saw the dead raised, had no liesitation in crying— 'A great prophet is risen among us' (Lk 7"*). It was a glad welcome from the suflerers and their friends that greeted Jesus as the manifestation of God in all these things. But not less earnest is the witness of the crowds to the popular estimate of the teacher. 'There went <^ieat multitudes with him' is the frequent note that kads up to some great doctrine of life (Mt l!i-, Lk 14-^ M k G). The house filled at Capernaum (Mk 2-) is but the parallel of the occasion when His own mother ' could not come at him for the press' (Lk 8'"), or of the thousands by the seasliore (Mk 4'), or of the multitude that 'trod one upon another' (Lk 12'). I.i\.-, that He changes from ilaikuess to light \<'-.n «illin" evidence to His power and charm: -Mary Magdalene will not lie held hack by false shame from entering the Pharisee's house to
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acknowledge her Saviour (Lk 1^^-^), nor be re- pulsed by the charge of wastefulness through sentiment (Mk 14^); and Zacchteus will boldly profess a jjractical conversion before those who know him intimately (Lk 19').