There  was  to  be  might  without  its  pride,  wisdom
without  its  haughty  disdain,  holiness  without  its
blighting  scorn  of  weakness  and  sin.  "A  bruised
reed  shall  He  not  break,  and  the  smoking  flax  shall
He  not  quench"  (Isaiah  xliii.  3).  "He  shall  feed
His  flock  like  a  shepherd,  He  shall  gather  the  lambs
in  His  arm,  and  carry  them  in  His  bosom,  and  shall
gently  lead  those  that  give  suck"  (Isaiah  xl.  11).
Can  we  see  the  Redeemer  more  clearly  in  the  Gos-
pels themselves  than  He  is  revealed  here?  And  if
not,  is  not  this  fact  alone  enough  to  prove  that  He
is  God's  gift  to  us  ?  That  life  no  man  could  have  looked
for,  far  less  painted.  It  was  an  absolutely  new  ex-
perience for  humanity.  Its  appearance  caused  a
new  departure  in  thought  and  morals.  It  revolu-
tionised human  ideas  of  greatness  and  excellence.
And  yet  that  life  and  spirit  are  not  only  indicated —
they  are  gloriously  displayed  in  what  are  held  forth
as  announcements  of  One  who  is  yet  to  come,  and
to  bring  back  the  earth  to  God.  We  are  told,  cen-
turies before  He  appears,  that  this  is  to  be  His
character.  It  was  much  to  have  heard  of  old  the
voice  from  heaven,  and  to  have  felt  one's  spirit  thrill
in  answer  to  the  cry  "this  is  my  beloved  Son  in
whom  I  am  well  pleased."  But  this  is  a  fuller  and
surer  testimony.  One  might  have  been  mistaken
as  to  whence,  or  from  whom,  the  cry  came.  The
thought  might  have  fallen  like  a  blight  that  the
whole  experience  was  a  dream.  But  this  is  no
dream,  and  here  there  is  no  possibility  of  mistake.
