But, all other examples of patience dwindle into nothing when compared to the example of Christ. What a beautiful picture of his patience the prophet Isaiah gives when he thus speaks of him: “He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.” Is. liii: 7. He let his enemies say all manner of evil things against him falsely; he let them mock him,—and smite him on the face,—and spit upon him. Yes, he whom the angels of heaven had been accustomed to honor and worship, as they bowed in reverence before him, allowed himself to be so shamefully treated by sinful worms of the dust, by the very men he had come down from heaven to save; and yet, he never spoke one cross or angry word to them! How wonderful this was! How amazed the angels must have been when they saw it! Oh! what an example of patience we have in Jesus! And if we call ourselves the friends and followers of Christ, let us try to have the same mind in us that was in him, by imitating the example of his patience. There is no way in which we can do so much good to others, and make them think well of the religion of Christ, as by trying to practise the same patience which he practised.
“How to Learn Patience.” A good many years ago there was a celebrated physician in Germany, named Boerhave. He was famous for his learning and also for his piety. He had learned well this lesson of patience. One day he had been greatly provoked, but without getting angry in the least. A friend who had witnessed it, asked him if he knew what it was to be angry. “O, yes,” said he, “my temper was naturally very violent and passionate.”
“Then, pray tell me,” said his friend, “how you ever learned to be so patient.” Now mark what that great and good man said in answer to this inquiry.
“I learned to be patient,” was his reply, “by doing two things; one was by thinking of Christ; the other was by asking him to help me.”
We may all learn patience in this way.
“A Soldier’s Example of Patience.” Some years ago an English missionary in India baptized a soldier. This man had been a famous prize-fighter in England. He was a powerful, lion-looking, lion-hearted man. With a single blow he could level the strongest man to the ground. The men in his regiment were all afraid of him. He had not been in the habit of going to church, but, as he afterwards told the missionary, “he sauntered into the chapel one evening, hardly knowing where he was going.” What he heard that night led him to repentance and he became a Christian. The change which took place in his temper and conduct was very surprising. The lion was changed into a lamb. A month or so after this, when they were dining in the mess-room one day, some of his comrades, who had always been afraid of him, began to ridicule him on account of his religion. One of them said, “I’ll find out whether he is a real Christian or not;” and taking a bowl of hot soup, he threw it into his breast. The whole company were alarmed at this. They looked on in speechless silence, expecting to see the roused lion leap up, and spring in fury on his foe. But he quietly opened his waistcoat, and wiped his scalded breast. Then turning calmly round he said, “This is what I must expect. If I become a Christian, I must suffer persecution. But my Saviour was patient, and I want to be like him.” His comrades were filled with astonishment. But they were satisfied he was a true Christian and he had no more trouble from them. The patience of Christ is the third lesson for us to learn from his trial.
The fourth lesson taught us by this subject is—the humiliation of christ.
If we desired to put the whole history of the life of our blessed Saviour into a single sentence, I do not think we could find a better one than that which the apostle Paul uses when he says of him that—“He humbled himself.” Phil. ii: 8. Before he came into our world he was “in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” This means that he was God. Now if he had chosen to become an angel, holy, and pure, and good, he would have had to humble himself very much, even for that. But, instead of becoming an angel, he became a man. And, in becoming a man, he took our nature upon him in its fallen state. He was made like us in all points, except sin. How he humbled himself here! And, in coming into our world, if he had chosen to come as one of the richest men in it,—as a great king or emperor—that would have been an act of great humiliation. But he came as a poor man. He was one of the poorest men that ever lived on the earth. He had made the world, and was the owner of all its treasures, and yet he could say of himself with truth—“The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” What humiliation there was here! We see his humiliation in the poverty and suffering that he endured. His whole life was an act of humiliation. But how greatly this humiliation was increased during the time of his trial! Think how his back was torn by the cruel scourges! What humiliation was there! Think how he was mocked, and insulted! Think how the soldiers put an old purple robe upon him: how they platted a crown of thorns, and put it upon his head; how they put a reed in his hand in mockery for a sceptre: how they bowed the knee before him in scorn, and cried—“Hail! king of the Jews!” How wonderful this was O, never let us forget the humiliation of Christ! And when we think of all this—how can we, as Christians, ever feel proud? Our great duty is, as the apostle says, to be “clothed with humility.” No wonder that Augustine, one of the old fathers of the early church, when asked—“What is the first thing for a Christian to learn?” should have said—“humility.” “What is the second?”—“humility.” “And what is the third?” should still have said—“humility.”
“Examples of Humility.” A converted South Sea Islander was helping to translate the New Testament into his native language. On coming to the passage, “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God;” I. John iii: 1, he hastened to Mr. Williams, the missionary and said, “No, no, this is too much, too much! let us say—‘Now are we allowed to kiss God’s feet.’” That man was clothed with humility.