Picturing the Cross—Impressive Words.
By J. H. W.
READING a sermon by Maclaurin on "Glorying in the Cross," I was much struck with the following words in regard to representing Christ's sufferings by means of images or pictures. "Men may paint Christ's outward sufferings, but not that inward excellence from whence their virtue flowed, namely, his glory in himself, and his goodness to us. Men may paint one crucified; but how can that distinguish the Saviour from the criminals? On each side of him we may paint his hands and his feet fixed to the cross; but who can paint how these hands used always to be stretched forth for relieving the afflicted and curing the diseased; or how these feet went always about doing good; and how they cure more diseases and do more good now than ever? We may paint the outward appearance of his sufferings, but not the inward bitterness or inward causes of them. Men can paint the cursed tree, but not the curse of the law that made it so. Men can paint Christ bearing the cross to calvary, but not Christ bearing the sins of many. We may describe the nails piercing his flesh; but who can describe eternal justice piercing both flesh and spirit? We may describe the soldier's spear, but not the arrows of the Almighty; the cup of vinegar which he but tasted, but not the cup of wrath which he drank out to the lowest dregs; the derision of the Jews, but not the desertion of the Almighty forsaking his Son, that he might never forsake us who were his enemies." Let every one fix these words in the mind, and they may afford profitable meditation as we look upon the pictures of the cross. There is only one place where a suitable image of the cross may be represented: it is the heart. Let us all, like faithful artists, examine it every day to see where we may add a grace, or give it another touch toward making it complete. J. H. W.