Christ's Love and Man's Ingratitude
By E. Hilliard
CHRIST taught the people and healed the sick during the day, and often prayed and wept in a solitary place at night. He spent many nights in communion with His heavenly Father while those whom He had healed were slumbering in the stillness of their homes. Some were sleeping who had not known soothing slumber for many weary nights. They had forgotten the Healer, but the Healer had not forgotten them. With scarcely a thought of their sin-diseased souls, they were reaping the physical benefit of the Master's hard days of toil. Their thoughtless attitude toward their poverty of soul was that which sent our Saviour to the solitary place of prayer under the star-lit heavens. Many rejected His heavenly instruction who selfishly reaped the benefits of His healing power. This is what burdened His soul. This is why He wept and prayed while others slept. O, how ungrateful are the hardened hearts of sinful men! How could those nine lepers accept the freely proffered healing from that loathsome disease, and not even thank their Benefactor? Ingratitude is one of the basest of sins. Our heavenly Father is greatly pleased when He sees us cultivating thankfulness of heart, through Christ, for the bountiful blessings of Heaven so freely bestowed upon us. If we would thank God more for benefits received, we would receive greater blessings to thank Him for. Often our Saviour received curses and stoning for His noble work and heavenly teaching; still He continued to heal the afflicted, and to weep and pray for the ungrateful, sinful people. We should take courage when we remember that He is the same compassionate Saviour to-day. He never changes. He is able, dear reader, to save you and me, and He pleadingly invites us to cast all our sorrows, cares, and perplexities upon Him. He lives for the purpose of interceding for us. It is His mission in the courts of heaven. "Wherefore He is able also to save them [you and me] to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."