February 22

PART II.

CHRIST'S FIRST TEXT.

He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted.—Luke 4:18.

CHRIST not only came to preach the gospel to the poor, but also to heal the broken hearted. A sight of sin in its extreme evil, is directly calculated to produce affliction of conscience, and brokenness of heart. When David felt his sin, he experienced this state of mind, and in hope exclaimed, "a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." When the poor woman who was a sinner felt this, her tears were so abundant, that she washed the feet of the Redeemer with them, and wiped them with the hair of her head. When the publican felt this, he exclaimed, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Now Christ alone can cure the disease of a broken heart. He alone can pour in the healing and restoring oil of his grace. How effectually was the heart of David healed, so that he could exclaim, "as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalms 103:12.) With what comfort must the woman have been blessed, when Jesus said unto her, "thy sins are forgiven." (Luke 7:18.) And of the poor and trembling publican, it is said, he went down to his house justified. Now Jesus heals the broken hearted with his precious word, as it is said, "he sent his word and healed them." This word contains the revelation of the soul's grand catholicon, Christ's infinitely efficacious blood, which cleanseth from all sin. And by the divine agency of the blessed Spirit, this word is manifested to the understanding, and this blood is applied to the heart. By Moses and the law, is the knowledge of sin but by Christ and his gospel only, is a remedy for broken heartedness provided. Many have bad, callous, and unbelieving hearts, and yet do not feel bitterly conscious of it.. To such, how desirable that the Spirit would convince them of their true state, by revealing in all its odiousness and guilt, the plague of their hearts. To all who are mourning on account of sin, mourning because they have looked on him whom their sins have pierced, we would say, that in the blood of Jesus, there is an atonement with free and full forgiveness, even for the sin of shedding it.

"Stung by the scorpion sin, My poor expiring soul, The balmy sound drinks in, And is at once made whole. See there my Lord upon the tree, I hear, I feel, he died for me."