J. G. Tasker. CONSIDERATENESS.-It was a saying of St. Francis, ' Courtesy is own sister to Love ' ; but con- .siderateness is more than courtesy (wli. see), for it takes account not only of our neighbour's feel- ings, but of all his circumstances and all his wants. Our Lord ' knew all men, and knew what was in man ' ( Jn 2^) ; and in this knowledge we find Him acting always with the most e.xquisite care for all their needs. Their bodily needs He anticipates and provides for, as in the case of the hungering multitudes (Mt 15'^, Mk 8'-=, Lk 9'^, Jn 6'), where, moreover, He takes care also that nothing of the store He had provided should be lost (Jn 6'2), and in the case of His over-wrought disciples (' Come ye apart and rest awhile,' Mk 6^'). To wliieh may be added His directions regarding Jairus' daughter, when He had raised her from the dead ('He commanded that something should be given her to eat,' Mk 5«). Still more beautiful is Christ's delicate consideration of men's feelings. Among the many rays of 'his own glory '(Jn 2") manifested forth in His first miracle, we must not omit His considerateness for the mortification which the falling short of their wine would cause to His peasant hosts, and His taking care that none save His mother and the servants knew whence the new and better supply was drawn (Jn 2*). As Instances of His considerateness of men's spiritual needs, we may cite His giving scope for the strong faith of the good centurion by not going to his house (Mt 8''"-, Lk I-"-), while by (/oing with Ja,nus He supports his weak faith, and is beside him when the stunning message reaches '"™. 'Thy daughter is dead : why troublest thou the Master any further?' (Mk 'ry-} ; His whole action in the case of the woman taken in adultery (Jn 8 ■") ; and His attention to the still deeper need of the woman with the issue of blood, whose faith, great as it was, required to be adorned with
gratitude to, and confession of, her healer (Mk 529-34) Extreme pain tends to make men forget everything e.vcept their own suHering ; it only brought out the more the all-embracing consider- atene.ss of Christ. His words from the Cross to the Virgin Motlier and St. John (Jn lO-'"- ^} teach, no doubt, the new relationships created for believers by the gospel (Mk 10* cf. Ro 16" ; but they exhibit also His considerate care not needlessly to mention a relationship which might so easily have exposed St. Mary to hustling by the mob, or to syllable names which would have been repeated by irre- verent tongues. The post-resurrection sayings to Mary Magdalene (Jn 20"' '»), to St. Thomas (Jn 20='), and to St. Peter, who, as he had thrice denied his Lord, is thrice restored with delicate allusion to, but not mention of, his threefold fall ( Jn 21"- "), are examples no less shining and illustrative. (Cf. Bishop Paget's sermon on ' Courtesy ' in Studies in the Christian Character, p. 209).
CONSOLATION. — 1. The word 'consolation' (TrapdKXrjais) occurs only twice in the Gospels (Lk 2^5 e--", both AV and RV). Trapd/v-Xijms, however, is a word of common occurrence in the rest of the NT, where in AV it is usually rendered ' consola- tion,' although not infrequently 'comfort.' In RV ' comfort ' has been substituted for ' consola- tion ' except in Ac 4^i* ('exhortation,' marg. 'con- solation') 15^' ('consolation,' marg. 'exhortation'), He 6'* ('encouragement'). Besides meaning con- solation or comfort, TrapaK\r]ULS sometimes denotes exhortation, and is so rendered both in AV and RV. When it is said of Simeon that he was ' looking for the consolation of Israel ' (Lk 2=°), the word is used by metonymy for the Jlessianic salvation as bringing consolation to the Chosen People. Similarly the Messiah Himself was kno\vii to the Rabbins as Dnjp, ' the Consoler,' or ' Com- forter,' of Israel (see Schottgen, Hor. Heb. et Talni. ii. 18). In Lk 6=^ the rich are said to have received their consolation, i.e. the comfort which comes from worldly prosperity, in contrast to those spiritual blessings which Jesus had just promised that His disciples should enjoy in spite of poverty, hunger, and tears (vv.^"-^, cf. 2 Co \^-%
2. Consolation in the teaching of Christ. — First of all, there will ever stand the words : ' Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden ' (Mt ll^"*). Amid outward storm and inward fear the Lord greets His disciples : ' Be of good cheer : it is I ; be not afraid ' (Mk 6=»). The Physician of the ailing body and sick soul addresses the weary sufferer : 'Son, be of good cheer ; thy sins are forgiven' (Mt 9=). To us to-day His Holy Spirit breathes the same blessings in the gospe'l of mercy and peace, the Spirit by whom He is with us ' all the days, even unto the completion of the age ' (Mt 28^"). His words do not pass away (Mk 13^'), and from His Divine lips no word is void of power (Lk 1"). ' Peace be unto you ' is the first message of the ascended as of the risen Lord ( Jn 20='- ™). Still He loves ' to the uttermost ' (Jn 13') ; still He can bear to lose not one of those whom His Father has given Him (Jn 18"), and still no enemy shall snatch them from His hand (Jn 10'-»). Even the hairs of the head of the children of God are objects of His watchfulness (Lk 12' 2P*), to number them and to preserve them. So, truly. His service should be without fear (Lk 1'^). Amid the storms of this changeful life we cry : ' Carest thou not that we perish ?' (Mk 4^),— and nevertheless the very pur- pose of His mission was and is that we should have life, and have it more abundantly (Jn 10'°). There is no uncertainty on His part,— eternal life is the settled purpose of God for man (Jn 6^"). The grace He bestows is in its nature prolific, and its fruit is eternal life (Jn 4'-'- ^). He gives the Kingdom of