brother cannot be always with you; when he grows older, then you must part: But Jesus sticketh closer than a brother, and will be with you at all times and in all places; Jesus will be with you in sickness and health, in poverty and riches; in childhood and youth; in the years of maturity, in old age, at the hour of death and through eternity. When all friends forsake you, Jesus will be with you; when your father and mother are dead, then the Lord Jesus will take you up; when your dear brother and sister are taken from you, by the cold hand of death, then Jesus your elder brother, Jesus your affectionate Friend, Jesus your compassionate Redeemer, Jesus your constant Intercessor, Jesus your powerful Saviour lives: He lives in Heaven, lives at the right hand of his Father, and he lives forever and ever.-O delightful thought! He lives to carry on his love by pleading with your God. 4. He is indeed your best Friend; no other person can claim this title but Jesus: Not the best of men on earth, nor the highest angel in Heaven. Consider what Jesus has done; he died to save your souls. None of you, my young friends, can redeem your brother or your sister from death, or give to God a ransom for their souls: He died that you might receive pardon of your sins. Many, if not all of you, I fear, are yet enemies to God and Christ; but even while you were enemies to him, Jesus died that you might be reconciled to God, through his blood. He died to purify your hearts from sin; he wore a crown of thorns, that you might wear a crown of glory. Even now he is pleading before God his Father in Heaven. It is Jesus that presents your prayers to God, purified from every thing that would hinder their acceptance with him. It is he that gives you the Holy Spirit, to teach you how to pray, and what to pray for. The friendship of Jesus began long before you were born, and it will continue till time shall be no more. "With tender pity in his heart, III. Be attentive, my dear young friends, while I relate his acts of friendship to children, when he was on earth. 1. He healed the No bleman's son, who was sick of a fever (see John iv. 46 to the end) A certain nobleman, who lived at Capernaum, had a little boy who was very ill of a fever; as soon as this nobleman heard that Christ was come to Cana of Galilee, he set off from Capernaum, which was fifteen miles from Cana, to ask Jesus to come and heal the child, telling him that he was at the point of death. Go thy way, said Jesus to him, thy son liveth; he believed Christ, and went home. On the way, he was met by the servants, who told him that his child was well and in health; yesterday G at the seventh hour the fever left him all at once; and this was the same hour in which Jesus said, thy son liveth: And himself believed and his whole house; they all became the disciples of Christ. The child's sickness was made the means of saving the souls of his parents, and all the servants. Christ can cure the fever of the mind as well as that of the body: This is the second miracle which Jesus wrought in Galilee. Jesus was this little boy's best Friend. 2. He raised the Ruler's daughter from the dead, (see Mark v. 22.) He was a ruler of the synagogue, his name was Jairus or Jair, he came to Christ, and fell at his feet, and with humility and earnestness entreated him to cure his sick child, a little daughter about twelve years old, the joy of his heart, the darling of his family; she appears to have been very much beloved by the neighbours, and friends; for at her death they wept and wailed greatly. The ruler entreats Christ to come and lay his hand on her, believing, that if he did this, she would return even from the borders of the grave, for she was at the point of death. As Jesus went with the ruler, a woman came behind him and touched the hem of his garment, and was healed of her disease. But now the painful tidings arrive to the ruler, that his daughter was really dead. But Christ encourages the heart of the sorrowful father, and he said, be not afraid, but only believe. And when he came into the chamber where the little girl was, he took her by the hand, and said unto her, Damsel, I say unto thee arise: and she arose and walked, for she was of the age of twelve years, and he commanded that something should be given her to eat. Jesus can raise those who are dead in trespasses and sins. 3. He cast out an evil spirit, and cured a poor little boy who had the falling sickness, and was subject to fits. (See Matt. xvii. 14.-Mark ix. 14—Luke ix. 37.) As Christ came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, there came a man from among the multitude who kneeled before Christ, and said, Lord have mercy on my son for he is mine only child, he is a lunatic and sore vexed; for oft times he falleth into the water, and oft times into the fire. A lunatic is one whose distemper commonly lies in the brain, and returns with the change of the moon; the child had the falling sickness, and by it Satan tormented him and made it more painful; in his fits, the child was dumb, and the fit was so violent that he foamed at the mouth and gnashed with his teeth, like one in great pain and misery, for Mark says, that the spirit tore him, and almost pulled him to pieces; this was a constant grief to the afflicted father; he carried him to Christ's disciples, but they could not cast him out. And Jesus said, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee come out of him, and enter no more into him. This evil spirit was so malicious, when he heard this, that he would have killed the child if possible: But Jesus effectu ally cured the poor child, and thus became his best Friend. 4. He taught humility to his disciples, by the example of a child. They enquired, Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? And Jesus called a little child, and set him in the midst of them (see Matt. xviii.) He tells them they must be of another mind, that as children, they must be harmless, inoffensive, void of malice; they must be subjects of his kingdom, and not rulers; that they must obey, and not command; that they must be humble, and not exalt themselves above measure. The disciple is not above his Lord, nor the servant above his master. 5. Notice his kind attention to the hosannas of the children in the temple, and the rebuke he gave the scribes and pharisees: Some children do not sing at all in the temple. The word hosanna means, save now, or save us, we beseech thee. The children were astonished and delighted; they rejoiced to see Christ; they united in singing his praise; they wished him happiness, prosperity and success; they prayed that he would save them from sin, misery, and the wrath of God; that they might be with him in Heaven, and sing his praise there: this song became them, they were Jewish children: some might be playing near the temple, and so left off to sing the praises of Christ; and some of them might have been brought by their parents |