Sympathy is a duty of our common humanity, but far more of our regenerated manhood. Those who are one in the higher life should show their holy unity by true fellow feeling.
Joyful sympathy is doubly due when the joy is spiritual and eternal. I invite you to this joy because of those who have lately been brought to Jesus and are now to be added to the church. The occasion is joyous. Let the joy spread all around. I. REJOICE WITH THE CONVERTS.1. Some delivered from lives of grievous sin. All saved from that which would have ruined them eternally, but certain of them from faults which injure men in society.
2. Some of them rescued from agonizing fear and deep despair. Could you have seen them under conviction, you would indeed rejoice to behold them free and happy.
3. Some of them have been brought into great peace and joy. The blissful experience of their first love should charm us into sympathetic delight.
4. Some of them are aged. These are called at the eleventh hour. Rejoice that they are saved from imminent peril.
5. Some of them are young with years of happy service before them.
6. Each case is special. In some we think of what they would have been and in others of what they will be.
1. Some have prayed long for them, and now their prayers are heard.
2. Some have been very anxious, have seen much to mourn over in the past, and feared much of evil in the future.
3. Some are relatives with a peculiar interest in these saved ones, parents, children, brothers, etc.
4. Some are expecting, and in certain cases already receiving, much comfort from these newly saved ones. They have already brightened family circles and made heavy hearts glad.
About three hundred years after the time of the apostles, Caius Marius Victonus, an old pagan, was converted from his impiety and brought over to the Christian faith. When the people of God heard this, there was a wonderful rejoicing and shouting and leaping for gladness, and psalms were sung in every church, while the people joyously said one to another, "Caius Marius Victorius is become a Christian! Caius Marius Victorius is become a Christian!"
Mr. Haslam, telling the story of his conversion, says: "I do not remember all I said, but I felt a wonderful light and joy coming into my soul. Whether it was something in my words, or my manner, or my look, I know not; but all of a sudden a local preacher, who happened to be in the congregation, stood up, and putting up his arms, shouted out in Cornish manner, "The parson is converted! The parson is converted! Hallelujah!" And in another, his voice was lost in the shouts and praises of three or four hundred of the congregation. Instead of rebuking this extraordinary 'brawling,' as I should have done in a former time, I joined in the outburst of praise and to make it more orderly, I gave out the Doxology, 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow,' which the people sung with heart and voice, over and over again."
An ungodly youth accompanied his parents to hear a certain minister. The subject of the discourse was the heavenly state. On returning home, the young man expressed his admiration of the preacher's talents. "But," said he turning to his mother, "I was surprised that you and my father were in tears." "Ah, my son!" replied the anxious mother, "I did weep, not because I feared my own personal interest in the subject or that of your father; but I wept for fear that you, my beloved child, would be forever banished from the blessedness of heaven." "I supposed," said the father, turning to his wife, "that those were your reflections, the same concern for our dear son made me weep also." These tender remarks found their way to the young man's heart and led him to repentance. — Arvine