The  world  in  which  we  live  has  been  often  called  a  "  vale  of  tears."
Each  of  us  has  shed  tears,  and  will  shed  them  again.  But  what  are
the  circumstances  which  draw  forth  our  tears  ?  Do  we  not  often  weep
for  some  trifling  cause,  some  selfish  reason,  some  sinful  feeling  ?
There  are  the  tears  of  mortified  pride,  the  tears  of  discontent,  the  tears
of  rebellion.  All  these  are  sinful  tears.  There  are  the  tears  of  disap-
pointment, of  anxiety,  of  pain,  and  of  grief.  These  are  natural  tears.
There  are  the  tears  of  sympathy.  Jesus  shed  those  when  accompany-
ing the  mourners  to  the  tomb  of  Lazarus.  There  are  the  tears  oi pen-
itence— these  the  Saviour  could  not  shed,  for  he  was  not  a  sinner ;  but
he  delights  in  these  tears,  and  with  them  he  once  permitted  a  weeping
penitent  to  wash  his  blessed  feet.
But  the  tears  that  he  shed  over  Jerusalem  were  the  tears  of  gener-
ous love — love  for  his  enemies.  Have  we  ever  shed  such  tears  ?
There  are  Christians  who  have  so  imbibed  the  Spirit  of  their  Master,
that  they  retire  to  pray,  and  even  to  weep  for  those  who  hate  and  revile
them,  and  who  will  not  pray,  nor  weep  for  themselves.  But  all  true
Christians  have  not  attained  to  this  height  of  divine  compassion.
