May 14
Daily Gleanings of the Saintly LifeTuesday in Holy Week
Christ crucified. 1 Corinthians 1:23.
WHAT have we now to think of? Christ's suffering and death. Let all else be a trifle; let all food and ease, and society and amusement, be trifles; this week let our souls be wholly taken up in this one absorbing, overwhelming point, the death of Christ for us. Fix your eyes on the Cross, the nails, the crown of thorns, the spitting, the exceeding bitter cry, the agony, the comforting, the angel, the last supper, the betrayal and the forsaking, the darkness, the yielding up the ghost, and the burial. Fix your eyes on all this, let everything else be forgotten, in this your salvation. "By His stripes we are healed;" "surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." "He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities." "We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the propitiation for our sins."
The Cross is sharp, and He Is tenderer than a lamb.
He wept by Lazarus' grave—how will He bear This bed of anguish? and His pale weak form Is worn with many a watch Of sorrow and unrest.
His sweat last night was as great drops of blood, And the sad burthen pressed Him so to earth, The very torturers paused To help Him on His way.
So to the end, though now of mortal pangs Made heir, and emptied of Thy glory awhile, With unaverted eye Thou meetest all the storm.
Thou wilt feel all, that Thou mayst pity all; And rather wouldst Thou wrestle with strong pain Thau overcloud Thy soul So clear in agony,
Or lose one glimpse of heaven before the time, A most entire and perfect sacrifice.
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