Morning
Time: 9:07 AM PST
"And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also
bewailed and lamented Him." --Luke 23:27
Amid the rabble rout which hounded the Redeemer to His doom, there were some
gracious souls whose bitter anguish sought vent in wailing and lamentations--fit
music to accompany that march of woe. When my soul can, in imagination, see the
Saviour bearing His cross to Calvary, she joins the godly women and weeps with
them; for, indeed, there is true cause for grief-- cause lying deeper than those
mourning women thought. They bewailed innocence maltreated, goodness persecuted,
love bleeding, meekness about to die; but my heart has a deeper and more bitter
cause to mourn. My sins were the scourges which lacerated those blessed
shoulders, and crowned with thorn those bleeding brows: my sins cried "Crucify
Him! crucify Him!" and laid the cross upon His gracious shoulders. His being led
forth to die is sorrow enough for one eternity: but my having been His murderer,
is more, infinitely more, grief than one poor fountain of tears can express.
Why those women loved and wept it were not hard to guess: but they could not
have had greater reasons for love and grief than my heart has. Nain's widow saw
her son restored--but I myself have been raised to newness of life. Peter's
wife's mother was cured of the fever--but I of the greater plague of sin. Out of
Magdalene seven devils were cast--but a whole legion out of me. Mary and Martha
were favoured with visits--but He dwells with me. His mother bare His body--but
He is formed in me the hope of glory. In nothing behind the holy women in debt,
let me not be behind them in gratitude or sorrow.
"Love and grief my heart dividing,
With my tears His feet I'll lave--
Constant still in heart abiding,
Weep for Him who died to save."