King's Business - 1918-04

THE KING’ S BUSINESS

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SUBORDINATED SELF Did you notice those wonderful w ords: “i do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I speak.” He -neither did nor spoke anything o f Himself. It was a won­ derful life.' He stood forevermore between the next moment and heaven. And the Father’s voice said,'“ Do this,” and He said, “Amen, I came to do thy will,” and did it. And the Father’s voice said, “ Speak these words to men,” and He said, “Amen,” and He. spoke. You say: “ That is just what I do not want to do.” I know that. We want to be independent; have our own way. “The things that please God—this Man was sub­ ject to the divine will.” You know the two words—if you can learn to say them, not like a parrot, not glibly, but out o f your heart—the two words that will help you “ Hallelujah” and “Amen.” You can say them in Welsh or any language you like; they are always the same. When the next dispensation of God’s dealings faces you look at it and say: “ Hallelujah! Praise G od! Amen!” That means, “ I agree.” Third, sympathy. Now, you have this Man turned toward other men. We have seen something of Him as He faced G od: Spirituality, a sense o f God; subjection, a perpetual amen to the divine volition. Now, He faces the crowd. Sympathy! Why? Because He is right with God, He is right with men; because He feels God near, and knows Him, and responds to the divine will; therefore,' when He faces men He is right toward men. The settlement of every social problem you have in this country and in my own land, the settlement o f the whole business, will be found in the return of man to God. When man gets back to God, he gets back to men. What is behind it? Sympathy is the power o f putting my spirit outside my personality, into the cir­ cumstances o f another man, and feeling as that man feels. MOTHER’S ANGUISH

of Nain, and around Him His disdiples. He is coming up. And I see outside the city o f Nain, coming toward the gate a man carried by others, dead, and walking by that bier a mother, Now, all I want you to look at is that woman’s face, and, looking into her face, see all the anguish of those circumstances. She is a widow, and that is her boy, her only boy, and he is dead. Man can not talk about this. You have got to be in the house to know what that means. But look at her-face—there it is, All the sorrow is on her face. You ,can see it. / Now, turn from her quickly and look into the face of Christ. Why, I look into His face—there is her face. He is feeling all she is feeling; He is down in her sor­ row with her; He has got underneath the burden, and He is feeling all the agony that that woman feels because her boy is dead. He is moved with compassion whenever human sorrow crosses His vision and human need approaches Him. And now I see Him moving toward the bier. I see Him as He touches it. And He takes the* boy back and gives him to his mother. Do you see in yon mountain a cloud, so somber and sad, and suddenly the sun comes from behind the cloud, and all the mountain-side laughs with gladness? That is that woman’s face. The* agony is gone. The tear that remains there is gilded with a smile, and joy is on her face. Look at Him. There it is. He is in her joy now. He is having as good a time as the woman. He has carried her grief and her sorrow. He has given her joy. And it is His joy that He has given to her. He is with her in her joy. Wonderful sympathy! He went about gathering human sorrow into His own heart, scattering His joy, and having fel­ lowship in agony and in deliverance, in tears and in their wiping away. Great, sympathetic soul! Why ? Because He always lived with God, and, living with God, the divine love moved Him with com­ passion. Ah, believe me, our sorrows are more felt in heaven than on earth. And

- I take one picture as an illustration of 'this. I see the Master approaching the city

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