Morning, April 9

Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings

"And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which
   also bewailed and lamented him."

  Luke 23:27

   Amid the rabble rout which hounded the Redeemer to his doom, there were
   some gracious souls whose bitter anguish sought vent in wailing and
   lamentations--fit music to accompany that march of woe. When my soul
   can, in imagination, see the Saviour bearing his cross to Calvary, she
   joins the godly women and weeps with them; for, indeed, there is true
   cause for grief--cause lying deeper than those mourning women thought.
   They bewailed innocence maltreated, goodness persecuted, love bleeding,
   meekness about to die; but my heart has a deeper and more bitter cause
   to mourn. My sins were the scourges which lacerated those blessed
   shoulders, and crowned with thorn those bleeding brows: my sins cried
   "Crucify him! crucify him!" and laid the cross upon his gracious
   shoulders. His being led forth to die is sorrow enough for one
   eternity: but my having been his murderer, is more, infinitely more,
   grief than one poor fountain of tears can express.

   Why those women loved and wept it were not hard to guess: but they
   could not have had greater reasons for love and grief than my heart
   has. Nain's widow saw her son restored--but I myself have been raised
   to newness of life. Peter's wife's mother was cured of the fever--but I
   of the greater plague of sin. Out of Magdalene seven devils were
   cast--but a whole legion out of me. Mary and Martha were favoured with
   visits--but he dwells with me. His mother bare his body--but he is
   formed in me the hope of glory. In nothing behind the holy women in
   debt, let me not be behind them in gratitude or sorrow.


   "Love and grief my heart dividing,

   With my tears his feet I'll lave--

   Constant still in heart abiding,

   Weep for him who died to save."