Thie ie the supreme vision or human souls. We do well to gaze on nobility as we see it illustrated in human lives around us. We do well to look long and lovinuly on human virtue ns manifested in the lives and deaths of the glorious army of mirtyrs. But there is no vision so well worthy of our view; of our frequent, our constant our protracted and intense beholding, as that of the merciful and mighty Saviour dying for our sins, dying in wondrous love that he might draw us to himself and restore us to our Father and our home. Before our eyes Christ crucified is conspicuously set forth (Ga~ .. iii. 1) ;_ and if ~e would have forgi:veness of_ sin, rest of so~, worthiness of spirit, nob1hty of hfe, hope m death, a. blessed 1mmortahty, we must direct our eyes unto him who was once " lifted up" that he might be the Refuge, the Friend, the Lord, the Saviour of the world to the end of time. Betler than the saddest spectacle man ever saw is that supreme vision which is the hope and the life of each looking and trusting human heart.-C. Vers. 35-31.-Self-saving and silf-sacrifae. We have two things here or which the lat.ter is much the more worth looking at. I. INHUMANITY AT ITS LOWEST. There are many degrees of inhumanity. 1. It is bad for men or women deliberately to shut themselves out of the society of the wrong and miserable, in order that, without distraction, they may minister to their own com- fort or consult their own well-being. 2. It is worse to look on the wounded traveller as he lies within sight and reach of us, and to pass him coldly by" on the other side." 3. It is worse still to regard the overthrow of human greatness or prosperity with positive satisfaction of spirit, to find a guilty enjoyment in the humiliation of another. 4. It is worst of all to do as did these men at the cross-to mock at human misery, to taunt it in the hour of its agony, to add another pang to the keen sufferings that already lacerate the soul. Alas! what may not men become I what positively awful possi- bilities of evil are wrapt up in every human soul! that tiny hand, so soft and delicate, so beautiful, so harmless, what blow may it not possibly strike, some day, against a.11 that is most sacred and most precious ! It makes all the difference whether, under Christian principles, we are steadily climbing up toward that which is holy and Divine; or whether, under the dominion of evil forces, we are slowly sliding down toward all that is wrong and base. What an argument for ranging ourselves, while yet young, under the guidance of Jesus Christ, the Righteous and the Gracious One! II. MAGNANIMITY AT ITS WGHEST. 1. The extremity of evil to which onr Lord was then submitting; the most excruciating bodily pain; tbe most terrible and almost intolerable mental distress; the apprehension of approacbinii; death. 2. The power/ul temptation presented to him to deliver himself from it all. By one volition of his will he could have descended from the cross, thus releasing himself and confounding his enemies. He had (1) the strongest possible inducement to do this from the instincts of the nature he had assumed; (2) the strongest possible provocation to do this in the bitter and cruel taunts of his enemies. 3. His most magnanimous refusal to exert his power in his own favour. He heard those derisive cries, but he heeded them not. Ha let those revilers think that he was unable to save himself; he knew that if he did save himself he could not save others (Matt. xxvii. 42). So he voluntarily continued to endure all that torture of body, to bear all that burden of shame and agony of ~pirit, to go on and down into the deepening shadow of death. Surely spiritual nobility could never strike a higher note than that, could never reach a loftier summit than that. How far can we follow our Lord along this upward path? There have been men who, at a certain point in their career, have clearly foreseen a dark and deathful ending, who have been entreated by their friends to go no further, to stand aside, to "save themselves" and think no more about the salvation of others (see Acts u.i.12). And it is quite possible that, though we shall never be placed in a position just like that of our Master, we may have the choice offered us which was then offered him-we may have to choose between saving ourselves and leaving others to their fate on the one hand, or sacrificing ourselves and saving our fellows on the other hand. If that choice should be presented to us, what should we do? The answer depends very much on the measure of the spirit of unselfishness we are cherishing and practising continually. (1) Before us is a noble opportunity-that of teaching, enlightening, (instrumentally) redeeming men; but (2) we cannot use this opportunity to any extent without self- LUKF.,-II. 8 258 THE GOSPEI, ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [c11. xxm. 1-56.
sacrifice. J~ we are determined to "save ourselves," we shall do but very little in the work of sanng others. (3) We must choose between the two: either we must resolve to s~ro ourselves expenditure and endurance, and let the work of human elevation go on without our help; or we must resolve not to spare ourselves, not to save time or money, or trouble, or health, not to spare ourselves uncongenial acts or unpleasant endurances, that men may learn what•they know not, may seo that to which they are ;yet blind, that they _mar be led o~t of ?xile into the ki!3-gdo1;11 of God. If we are keep- mg our Master well m view, especially if we are beholding him on the cross refusina to save himself though challenged with utmost bitterness to do so, we also shall m~ko the nobler choice.--C.