7 Sermon Illustrations on Christian Compassion

A mean, worldly army sergeant was saved, and this was his testimony to his fellow soldiers: "There is a private in our company who was converted. We gave that fellow an awful time. One night he came in from sentry duty, very tired and wet, and before going to bed he got down to pray. I struck him on the side of the head with my boots, and he just went on with his prayers. Next morning I found my boots beautifully polished by the side of my bed. That was his reply to me. It just broke my heart, and I was saved that day." That is really a testimony of Christian long-suffering.

There are some men who are so outrageously cultivated, that they are miserable the moment they are away from all which is exquisite. It is a pity that such men were born into a rough world like this, where God forgot to finish up rocks, and to make tree-trunks smooth, and to slope the mountains down gently to the plains. That is true cultivation which gives us sympathy with every form of human life, and enables us to work most successfully for its advancement. Refinement that carries us away from our fellow-men is not God's refinement. Beecher.

The first hospital for the reception of the diseased and the infirm was founded at Edessa, in Syria, by the sagacious and provident humanity of a Christian father. The history of this memorable foundation is given by Sozomen, in his account of Ephrem Syrus.

A grievous famine, with all its inseparable evils, having befallen the city of Edessa, its venerable deacon, at the call of suffering humanity, came forth from the studious retirement of his cell, whither he had long withdrawn, that he might devote his latter days to meditation on the deep things of God. Filled with emotion at the sight of the misery which surrounded him, with the warmth of Christian charity, he reproved the rich men of Edessa, who suffered their fellow-citizens to perish from want and sickness; and who preferred their wealth, at once, to the lives of others, and to the safety of their own souls. Stung by his reproaches, and awed by his revered character, the citizens reheard a sermon by that gentleman, on the suretiship of Christ, in which he described sin as a debt, and Christ as paying it, and the price he paid, and that he was ascended up to heaven, and had sent him, the preacher, to say to all, "Come unto me all ye that labor," &c. Long before he came to the close of his sermon, the Spirit of God had been pleased to touch the heart of the poor negro, and to enlighten his mind; he started up in the pew, but without making a noise, and in a whispering tone was heard to say, while he clasped his hands together, and the tears ran down his sable cheeks, "Me have found Him! me have found Him! the Christian's God dat pay de debt!" After the meeting the minister had some further conversation with him, and was rejoiced at the state of his mind. An opportunity was afterward taken to send him to Africa.

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plied, that they cared not for their wealth; but that, in an age of selfishness and corruption, they knew not whom to intrust with its distribution. "What," exclaimed the holy man, "is your opinion of me?" The answer was instant and unanimous: Ephrem was every thing that was holy, and good, and just. "Then," he resumed, "I will be your almoner. For your sakes, I will undertake this burden." And receiving their now willing contributions, he caused about three hundred beds to be placed in the public porticoes of the city, for the reception of fever patients: he relieved, also, the famishing multitudes who flocked into Edessa, from the adjoining country; and rested not from his labor of love until the famine was arrested, "and the plague was stayed."

Christianity, therefore, has the honor of erecting the first hospital; and wherever true Christianity has prevailed, her efforts to relieve the wretched, and add to the amount of human happiness. have accomplished more in one generation, than paganism or infidelity in a hundred.

When the celebrated Mungo Park was in Africa, he was directed by one of the native kings to a village to pass the night. He went, but as the order was not accompanied with any provision for his reception, he found every door shut. Turning his horse loose to graze, he was preparing, as a security from wild beasts, to climb a tree, and sleep among the branches, where a beautiful and affecting incident occurred, which gives a most pleasing view of the negro female character. An old woman, returning from the labors of the field, cast on him a look of compassion, and desired him to follow her. She led him to an apartment in her hut, procured a fine fish, which she broiled for his supper, and spread a mat for him to sleep upon. She then desired her maidens, who had been gazing in fixed astonishment on the white man, to resume their tasks, which they continued his skull. His feet were likewise affected, and came off. Yet he bore all this with remarkable patience, and, at times, rejoiced in the hope of being received to that place where there is no death, neither sorrow nor crying. The last time I visited him, said the minister, I could not bear to look upon him, but only talked to and prayed with him at his chamber door. When I asked how he was, he said he was just waiting the Lord's time, when he should please to call for him. "Massa," said he, "two hands gone; two eyes gone; two feet gone; no more dis carcase here. Oh, massa! de pain sometimes too strong for me; I am obliged to cry out, and pray to de Lord for his assistance." When he came to close his life, he exhorted all about him to be sure to live to God; and especially his wife, who had remained with him all the time of his affliction; a very rare circumstance then with negroes. But she continued faithful; and he died happy, exhorting her to live to God.

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to ply through a great part of the night. They cheered their labors with a song which must have been composed extempore, as Mr. Park, with deep emotion, discovered that he himself was the subject of it. It said, in a strain of affecting simplicity:—"The winds roared, and the rains fell. The poor white man, faint and weary, came and sat under our tree. He has no mother to bring him milk, no wife to grind his corn." Chorus. "Let us pity the white man, no mother has he," etc. Our traveller was much affected, and next morning could not depart, without requesting his landlady's acceptance of the only gift he had left, two out of the four brass buttons that still remained on his waistcoat.