September 9

The Lion of the tribe of Judah.—Revelation 5:5.

WHILE the blessed Jesus is compared to the Lamb on account of his meekness, tenderness, and patience, he is also compared to the Lion, on account of his strength, courage, and generosity. These are the traits which render the Lion, the monarch, and noblest of all the beasts of the forest. Yet these but faintly typify the true character of Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. His strength is boundless; he possesses all power both in heaven and on earth. Almightiness is one of his essential attributes. His courage is invincible. It is never recorded that he feared, except when the overwhelming floods of anguish and sorrow came over him in Gethsemane's garden, and then he prayed with strong crying and tears, and overcame, and was delivered from that fear. In effecting our redemption, he stood the combatant of all our foes, and he stood alone, he had none who aided him in the mighty conflict. Yes, his name possesses the power of a host,

"Angels and men before him fall, And devils fear and flv."

In all the greatness and glory of his majesty and power, he went forth from conquering to conquer, until he overcame all his foes, and returned with triumph, as the Bozrah conqueror, mighty to save. But with all the power and courage he possesses, he is still eminently distinguished for his noble generosity. Hence, while he employed his power to crush the allied enemies of himself and man, yet he manifested the greatest possible goodness and mercy to our fallen guilty race. He might have condemned and destroyed the world, but he came to redeem it, to bless it, and that the world through him might be saved. But to those who obstinately and impenitently reject his overtures of grace, he will indeed be the Lion of destruction, his generosity will be exchanged for displeasure and wrath, and his adversaries will he tear in pieces, and none shall deliver. The subject is therefore fraught with comfort and joy to the penitent believer, but with unspeakable terror to those who remain the victims of disobedience and unbelief.