Our Lord, foreseeing their impending miseries, was filled with compassion towards them —
[He might well have spoken to them in those terms of indignant triumph, " Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how shall ye escape the damnation of hell ?" But he had far other thoughts on this occasion : knowing the full extent of the miseries that were coming on them, his bowels yearned over them. Nor did he only pity them as one possessed of human passions, but as their Mediator, who had come from heaven to seek and save them. Perhaps too the thought that he should one day be their Judge, and be necessitated to pass the awful sentence of condemnation on their souls, oppressed, and, for a moment, overwhelmed his spirit. Often had he already travailed, as it were, in birth with them; and now he was about to lay down his life for them. But, except to a little remnant, his efforts would be in vain. With respect to far the greater part of them, the things belonging to their peace were about to be hid from their eyes : yet if even at that hour they would have repented, he would gladly " have gathered them, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings." But, alas! they would not; and he foresaw moreover that they never would : and therefore, despairing of ever bringing them to happiness, he looked on them with the tenderest emotions of pity, and with a flood of tears poured forth this pathetic lamentation.]
Nor could the circumstances he was in at all divert his attention from them —
[He was surrounded by vast multitudes of people; yet was he not ashamed to stop the procession, and to weep before them all. They were all crying " Hosannah to the Son of David ; blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord ; Hosanna in the highest ;" yet was he deaf to their acclama- tions and hosannas. He foresaw all the conflicts which he was about to sustain, and the agonies he was speedily to suffer for the satisfying of divine justice ; yet was he altogether insensible to his own concerns, and occupied about the welfare of his most inveterate enemies. Who but God could have exercised such magnanimity as this, or manifested such un- bounded compassion ?]
But, not to confine these things to the Jews, let us consider them further,
II. In reference to ourselves —
Peculiar as these circumstances were, they were both written for our admonition, and intended to
1568.] Christ's compassion to lost sinners. 75
represent the compassion which Jesus yet bears to- wards us.
We, like the Jews, have had a day of grace afforded us —
[The things belonging to our peace have been plainly revealed to us, and, we trust, faithfully declared amongst us. The way of acceptance through the atoning sacrifice of Christ, has incessantly been pointed out in the written word, in the offices of our Liturgy, in the administration of the sacraments, and in the preached Gospel. Moreover, the Holy Spirit has often striven with us to bring us to repentance ; but, with respect to very many amongst us, the means have hitherto been used in vain. There are yet too many unacquainted with their depravity, and unsolicitous about an interest in the Saviour. Deeply as their eternal peace is involved in these things, they are ignorant of them, if not in theory, at least in their practical and sanctifying efficacy.]
With respect to many, this day of grace is quickly drawing to a close —
[Certain it is that, even while we are yet possessing the outward means of grace, the inward power, that alone can render them effectual, may be withdrawn. God plainly warns us that " his Spirit shall not alway strive with man :" and that by continuing to resist the Holy Ghost, we may not only "grieve" and "vex" him, but may ultimately "quench" his sacred motions. And how inexpressibly dreadful is the state of one, concerning whom God has said, " He is joined to idols, let him alone !" If once this sentence be pronounced, the things belonging to our peace will be as effectually hidden from our eyes, as if we were cut off out of the land of the living : and we shall live henceforth only to add sin to sin, and to " treasure up wrath against the day of wrath." But at all events as soon as death comes, our day of grace must terminate ; and, if we have lived all our days ignorant of Christ and his salvation, we have then no more hope of mercy than the fallen angels. And how many are there, not only of the aged and infirm, but also of the young and healthy, against whom death has already pointed his dart, and whose speedy dissolution is foreknown to God !]