It will be helpful to study for a few minutes the principle of tenderness as an attribute in the nature of God. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." It is the father who sees his little child in deep pain that knows what pity is. It is that feeling which makes the father desirous of bearing all the pain. It was the pity or compassion2 of God for the lost in sin that caused him to give his only Son to suffer and die for them. When God saw the wretchedness of men, he had such a feeling in his heart that he could find relief in no way but in providing the only means of their rescue. Oh, think of this! The child of God never has a pain or a sorrow but that God has a feeling of pity. The knowledge that some one has pity for us and fellowships our suffering goes far toward alleviating3 our pains. Recently while I was in deep soul-suffering, I received a letter containing these words: "We suffer in spirit with you." This was a great relief. If in a time of trial we could know how God was suffering with us, it would be a great consolation4.
Again, we read, "As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." Who is it that knows not the comfort of a mother? When we hear of a young man's meeting with a sad accident away from home, we have great pity; but when we learn of his mother's having gone to him, we feel better. Ah, the comfort of a mother is surpassed only by the comfort of Jesus. "If Mother were only here!" says the troubled daughter. Nothing else so fittingly represents the nature of the comfort that God gives as the comfort of a mother. O child of God, you will never have a sorrow nor a pain but that the tenderness of God will cause him to come and comfort you. Let us lift up our hearts and praise him for his mercy and comforting love. A mother may forget to comfort her child, but God will never forget.
The tenderness of God is revealed in these touching5 words: "How often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings." The imagery is homely6, but oh! so impressively sublime7. I can not do better than to use here the words of another. "Was ever imagery so homely invested with such grace and such sublimity8 as this at our Lord's touch? And yet how exquisite9 the figure itself of protection, rest, warmth, and all manner of conscious well-being10 in those poor, defenseless, dependent, little creatures, as they creep under and feel themselves overshadowed by the capacious and kindly12 wing of the mother bird. If wandering beyond hearing of her peculiar13 call, they are overtaken by a storm or attacked by an enemy, what can they do but in the one case droop14 and die, and in the other submit to be torn to pieces? But if they can reach in time their place of safety under the mother's wing, in vain will any enemy try to drag them thence. For rising into strength, kindling15 into fury, and forgetting herself entirely16 in her young, she will let the last drop of her blood be shed out and perish in defense11 of her precious charge, rather than yield them to an enemy's talons17. How significant all this of what Jesus is and does for his helpless child!" Under his great wing he tenderly, lovingly gathers his little ones and there they are secure. He is a safe retreat.
From the song of Moses we learn still more of God's tender care. "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him." This metaphor18 beautifully expresses the care and the tenderness of God toward his children. The eagle is noted19 for her great attachment20 to her young. Her care is extraordinary. When the little eaglets have attained22 age and strength to leave the nest and learn to fly, the mother bird bears them up, when weary, on the top of her wing.
These all express to our hearts the wonderful tenderness of God to his children. But there is nothing in the material world that forms a full and perfect analogy for the things in the spiritual world. These are too high.
If we do not have the tenderness of God in our hearts, our life comes short of being a full and true life. The Bible tells us to "be kind one to another, tender-hearted." There is no true holiness of life without tenderness. As we get deeper into God, we become more tender of heart.
There are some things that will prevent this tender-heartedness. Just a little feeling of resentment23, a little desire for retaliation24, or a secret wish for something to befall those who have done us an injury will callous25 the heart and harden the affections. When we have been slighted by some one or misjudged, oh, how Satan strives to get us to thinking much about this, and to work a "hurt" feeling into our heart. Even to think about the meanness of others will bring a harshness and coldness into the inner life. That which we condemn26 in others will, if we think and talk much about it, creep into our own hearts.
You say you are saved and sanctified. Thank God for such a blessed experience; but you have much yet to gain. You have not yet attained to the full depth of anything. There is yet a tenderness of heart you can reach only through many and varied27 experiences. There is tenderness of voice, tenderness of manner, tenderness of feeling, tenderness of thought, you will attain21 to only through much and deep communion with God. It is those intimate and familiar talks with Jesus that fashion us into his glorious image. A brother minister related to me a few mornings ago his experience of the night before. He lay awake, he said, for a long time and had a sweet talk with the Lord. So intimate was the communion that, turning over to go to sleep, he said, half unthinkingly, "Good night," as if parting from a dear friend. Such close union with Jesus gives us clearer visions of his character and stamps his beauty upon our souls.
Have you not seen those who are harsh, rough, and unfeeling in their speech and manner. No one wants to be like them. We are glad to get away from them. They measure a person by their standard, and if he is not what they think he should be, they speak about him in an unloving and unfeeling manner. We feel that something coarse and flinty needs to be taken out of their nature. We do not say they are not sanctified, but they are too bitter and severe. They need to be bathed in the love of God; they need to be immersed in the sea of his gentleness. We have seen, on the other hand, those who were so feeling, so quiet, tender, and gentle, that their presence was like the breath of a sweet spring morning. There was a tenderness in their eye, a softness in their voice, a pathos28 in their feeling, that cast over your soul a sense of delight.
There is much for us to gain. But we can gain it only at the end of the bayonet. If we would win, we must fight. There is no victory without battle. One brother, after gaining a decisive victory, said, "The devil is dead." He was so victorious29 and free that he thought the devil must be dead. In a short time, however, the brother learned his mistake. The prince of the power of the air still lives, and we still have our humanity. If we are not prayerful and watchful30, we become disposed to contend for our way; to feel a little bitter if we are trampled31 upon. Jesus tells us to "resist not evil." We are not only to not resist evil outwardly, but to have no resisting feeling in our hearts. If we would have holiness of life, we must have tenderness of spirit. If you desire your life to be like the oasis32 in the desert, where the weary traveler is refreshed, be tender of heart, be compassionate33, bear every trial with patience, endure all suffering without a murmur34, commune much with God, and he will bring you out into that tenderness of soul that will make your life, everywhere you go, like the atmosphere of heaven.
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1
offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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alleviating
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| 减轻，缓解，缓和( alleviate的现在分词 ) | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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sublimity
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| 崇高，庄严，气质高尚 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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droop
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| v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡 | |
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kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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talons
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| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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metaphor
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| n.隐喻，暗喻 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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retaliation
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| n.报复，反击 | |
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callous
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| adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的 | |
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condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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pathos
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| n.哀婉，悲怆 | |
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victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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32
oasis
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| n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方 | |
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compassionate
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| adj.有同情心的，表示同情的 | |
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34
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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