CHRIST ALONE.

The above words spoken by our Lord, as the cross confronted Him in the great work of redemption, have been the source of great strength and consolation to many of God's dear children since they were first uttered. Many a wearied, tried soul, lacking the understanding and sympathy for which the heart has craved, has cried out in sorrow, "I am troubled and alone," only to be answered by the still, small voice within, "Not alone, for the Father is with me." We have known something of the sense of loneliness expressed in the first part, and also of the unspeakable strength and comfort derived from the last part. But have we ever considered the intensity of their meaning to our Lord when He uttered them in Gethsemane ?

In a very real sense, all through His earthly life He had been alone. Can we point to one person who fully understood Him, who felt as He did, whose sympathies were one with Him in His work and its object ? Was there one who could truly comprehend His loving heart ? James and John (" the disciple whom Jesus loved") were anxious to call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans who would not receive Jesus. His answer to them shows how feebly they understood either Him or His mission. And could there be any real friendship or companionship for our Lord without understanding His sympathy and having the fullest trust in His love ?

Let us only consider who and what our Lord really was when as a man He walked upon the earth,
and we shall see why it was impossible for Him to be otherwise than alone. We know from Scripture that He was the eternal Son of God, was with God before the creation of the world, the Father's delight from eternity. He came to earth from the Father's bosom; He alone knew God-knew the true nature and attributes of God; understood perfectly His mind and will. He knew what it was to dwell with the Father, in holiness, in light, in love. He knew the blessedness and glories of heaven, where there was no sin, but divine love and peace and joy; where angels and archangels delighted to do His bidding. What stores of knowledge, what resources of peace, were within Himself, in which even those who were most with Him, and knew Him best, could share but slightly ?

He was also the Creator, as John i; 3 and Col. i :16 tell us; and as Creator of man He "needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man" (John 2:25). In His knowledge of men He was alone. Man does not even know himself. Peter thought it an impossible thing to deny his Lord; and Paul thought he was doing God service when he was persecuting His Son in persecuting His members here:"Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?"

Yes, in His pure love, in the purposes of that love, in His devotion to His Father and zeal for His glory in every part of His service, Jesus was alone. He was misunderstood, misjudged, and never more so than when the people, unreconciled to God, would have taken Him by force to make Him their king. Yet, although man at the best could but imperfectly understand Jesus (and even that understanding was only by the revelation from God the Father), it was in men Jesus had delight, and from men that He chose those who were to be His companions here, to be trained to be His companions for eternity. They were also to be His witnesses when He was no longer on the earth. Of the twelve He chose, one was a traitor. Eleven hearts loved Him; but even with these how often did He have to rebuke their misunderstanding and unbelief! and when circumstances arose in which their loyalty was most needed, we read, "Then all the disciples forsook Him, and fled" (Matt. 26:56).

Did Jesus feel this loneliness ? Was there no pain to His loving heart that those whom He came to save and associate with Himself, at such a cost to Himself, should be so slow to understand the things of God, so little in sympathy with His thoughts and purpose, so self-seeking often ? In the verse from which our text is taken, when He says, "Ye shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone" is there not a touching sadness and pathos about those words, and at such a time ? In contrast with this, what cheer and joy it must have brought Him when He asked, "Will ye also go away ?" and the loyal answer came, "Lord, to whom shall we go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life." We are apt to forget that our Lord was God as well as man; but, on the other hand, we need no less to remind ourselves that He was as truly man as He was God; and that He was in all points tempted (tried) as we all are, except sin.

Following these words of Jesus, comes that wondrous high-priestly prayer beginning, "Father, the hour is come." Yes, He knew it; the Father knew it; but none else could enter into the awful solemnity, the unfathomable sufferings, of that "hour." As it is approaching, He repairs to the garden of Gethsemane with His disciples, and bids them, "Tarry ye here, and watch with Me." He goes a little farther to pray, prostrate on the ground; His agony so great that His sweat is as great drops of blood falling to the ground; and an angel is sent from heaven to strengthen Him. What were the disciples doing ? Watching? No; overcome, it may be, by sorrow and weariness, they slept, until the traitor Judas appeared with his band with swords and staves, and laid hold on Jesus. Then the disciples fled, and He is left alone-alone to face the false witnesses and the rulers' bitter hatred. Not one of the many whom He had healed and helped and blessed were present to raise their voice against the false accusations laid against Him. Alone He bore, silently, the spitting, mocking, and scourging. Alone! No, not alone. There was One whose presence was with Him-who from the moment of His birth up to this present hour had never for one moment withdrawn His satisfied and approving gaze from the well-beloved Son. When reasoning with the Jews previously, He could say:"The Father hath not left Me alone, for I do always those things which please Him;" so now, in this hour of forsaking and trial, when all that could have, humanly, cheered and helped was withheld from Him, He could still triumphantly say, "I am not alone; for the Father is with Me." Ah, if we could realize it as He did, how well we can dispense with the human help when we have the divine! Friendless, helpless? No; not while we can say, "The Father is with me."

But a more intense darkness awaited our suffering Lord. The nails pierced His hands and His feet, and He hung on the cross, numbered with the transgressors-between two thieves-to die. He was there giving Himself a ransom for all. Yes, He hung there as Sin-bearer, as "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." Now in all its awful depths He was to know what it was to be alone. His great comfort was withdrawn; no longer could He repose in the recognized presence of His Father; for He had voluntarily taken the place of the sinner, and was bearing our sins in His own body on the tree. The great, holy God could not look upon sin; therefore He turns from the Sin-bearer, though He was the Spotless One, the Son of His love. Ah, dear friends, let us not, in our most lonely, heart-aching moments, think that Jesus does not understand. We can never know it as He knew it; for we who have come to Him have His promise, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5).
But an awful cry rings out from His cross:" Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani ? "-that is to say, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me ?" It was the last stroke. With another loud cry, He dismisses His spirit. The work was done. The debt was paid. The sacrifice was made. Sin was atoned for. But at what a cost! Jesus dies;-not from the cruelty of man; not from natural causes, as the two other men by His sides. His glorious personality appears here in the midst of His deepest sorrow, as elsewhere:He had said of His life, "No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again."

This is why the soldiers find Him dead already, when breaking the legs of the two thieves who were crucified with Him. His work done, He dismisses His spirit, to recall it on the third day after; nevermore now to be alone.

Patience, dear friends:our Lord is now in glory, calling us from all the ends of the earth, and the time is coming soon when we too, seeing Him face to face,

" Shall know as we are known,
Nevermore to walk alone."

M. M. S.

(The next paper is to be "The Christian Alone.")