The Exhaustless Theme by L. A. Cartwright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 8, 1873

The Exhaustless Theme.

By L. A. Cartwright

Our Saviour’s love, his pity, his condescension, his sufferings, and death for our fallen race, have employed the tongues of men and angels. And yet the half was never told. “Great is the mystery of godliness. God manifest in the flesh.” Overwhelmed with the greatness of the subject, we love to particularize, to dwell upon some of the minutiae of the wondrous whole, and to think of some of the reasons that make Christ so very precious to the repentant sinner, and to all the poor and suffering ones of earth. How many houseless, homeless, starving ones think of their “elder Brother,” who for their sakes became poor, and with a closer pressure to his pitying heart, love the dear Saviour who knows by experience their sad condition? And of the sorrowing, grief-stricken ones, those called to drink the bitter cup of anguish, whose only human comforters are Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, how many find in “the Man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs,” their only consolation? And of the tempted and tried, against whom are cast all the fiery darts of the adversary, for whom are set all the wiles of Satan to accomplish their destruction, how many feel that they have a High Priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, who has been tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin, and knows just how to succor the tempted?

“Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” There is no upbraiding, no reproach, with the blessed Saviour. To the repenting sinner, he says, “Go and sin no more,” while with open arms, he cries, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Said a troubled one, “If Jesus had not been poor, if he had not known sorrow and temptation, he would have been no Saviour for me.”

The self-righteous may gather up their robes and keep aloof; Jesus did not so. “He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” To every possible condition of suffering humanity he comes with his matchless love, and, though all others forsake, holds them closely to his yearning bosom, and leads them beside the still waters, and into green pastures, so that in every case we love Jesus because he first loved us.

“He drew us and we followed on, Charmed to confess his power divine.”

Are any poor? Come to Jesus; he will give you the true riches. Do your friends despise and forsake you? Jesus is “a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” His love never fails, for neither principalities, nor powers, nor life, nor death, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate you from the love of God in Christ.

“Love so amazing, so divine, Demands our hearts, our lives, our all.”

May we love Christ more and serve him better. L. A. CARTWRIGHT.