unto thee; making him very glad. And let that man be as the cities which
the Lord overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the
morning, and the shouting at noontide. Because he slew me not from the
womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be
always great with me. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see
labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?_" (Jer.
xx. 14-18.) These were not bad men, crushed under the burden of their
own iniquity, but just, upright, and God-fearing men, who felt that
existence was too terrible for them under conditions which hid from them
the Father's ruling hand. And if they shrank from the burden of
conscious responsible being, how shall weaker men escape its terror, but
by taking refuge under the shield of a Father's equity and love! But
these thoughts lend a most blessed meaning to the words of the Saviour:
"_Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do:
for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For
the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself
doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may
marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even
so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but
hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the
Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son,
honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say
unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me,
hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is
passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is
coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of
God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in
himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath
given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of
man._" (John v. 19-27.) "THE FATHER HATH COMMITTED ALL JUDGMENT UNTO THE
SON." "BECAUSE HE IS THE SON OF MAN." Because He can take a man's
measure as well as a Divine measure of a man's weaknesses, perils, and
temptations; can measure, as a man, man's need of mercy, and utter the
Divine Father's judgment from pitiful human lips. Few words, as we pore
over these