Would he not consider it an insult should you suggest it? HE only can do it. He wishes in the morning it were evening and at evening it were night. Forbear, then, to mock at religion. Hebrews 5:2 teaches us that it was the job of the high priest to “?have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way?.”1) Many often requested mercy from Jesus and it was granted (Matthew 9:27-two blind men, Matthew 15:22-demon possessed daughter, Matthew 17:15-demon possessed man).2) Jesus taught us to be merciful to others (Matthew 5:7-blessed are the merciful, Matthew 12:7-I will have mercy and not sacrifice, Matthew 23:23-scribes and Pharisees omitted mercy, Luke 10:37-good Samaritan showed mercy).1) Matthew 9:6 “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,)Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.”2) Luke 7:47-48 “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

I trust you are discovered. He has attended his religious duties, he is exceedingly strict in the form of his devotions. We very speedily care for bodily diseases. Oh, poor sick, dying man, does guilt weigh heavy on your soul? See you, yonder crucified Man on Cavalry and mark you that those drops of blood are falling for you. But when instrumentality is used, it is always in such a way that the man does not extol the instrument but renders grateful homage to God.In breaking hearts, God uses man continually–repeated fiery sermons and terrible denunciations break men’s hearts. We have seen parents bereaved of their beloved offspring one after another. These strivings of soul are the work of His mercy. “3. The soldier who retires from the battle-field, knows that he shall find a hand to extricate the shot, and certain ointments and liniments to heal his wounds. I am speaking of some who have this especial misery of heart on account of sin. Or if he cares not for such things, he is at any rate quite as good as those who do. Do not they feel and feel acutely, the loss of their comrades? Though your sins lie like a mill-stone on your shoulders, they shall not sink you down to Hell. You are now a sinner and Jesus came to save sinners–therefore He came to save you. May you never know such agony.We have also seen hearts broken by bereavement. I know your cry is, “Lord, let me know the worst of my case. Amen. Yes, He does it in such a soft and winning way that we are full of wonder to think He could be so kind to such unworthy ones.Then He does it securely, so that the wound cannot open again. The tavern, the house of vice and the society of the profligate are no more to be endured by a contrite soul than the jostling of a crowd by a wounded man.Again, we will not for one moment allow that a self-righteous man can have a broken heart. It is the soldier, not the poet, who gives us freedom of speech. The song of mirth will then be as a dirge in his ear–“As he that pours vinegar upon niter, so is he that sings songs to a sad heart.” If the man who makes merry with sin is broken-hearted, he must be a prince of hypocrites, for he pretends to be worse than he is.We know right well that the wounded spirit requires other cordials than this world can afford. The soldier’s heart may never know fear but it has not forgotten sympathy. You would exclaim, “What misery must have done this! Your pains for sins are God’s work in your soul! A Christian soldier is charged to be “strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might” a. my poor Brothers and Sisters, I grieve to see you in distress but there is pardon through Jesus–there is forgiveness even for you. In the morning he bends his knees in prayer, but he feels afraid to pray.He thinks it is blasphemy for him to venture near God’s Throne. Do you know that there is a Hell of eternal flame appointed for the wicked? THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER’S CHARGE. Some of you seek mercy through Baptism, or the Lord’s Supper, or regular attendance at the House of Prayer. The hand that was wounded broke the bondage of sin.1) Ephesians 2:13-16 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 10-11a.

The act of justification is generally apart from all means–God only does it. A soul disturbed by guilt must be lulled to a peaceful rest by other music than carnal pleasures can afford. If morality can join the pieces of a broken heart, the cement shall soon cease to bind and the man shall again be as vile as ever. What a heavy blow must have fallen here!” By nature the heart is of one solid piece, hard as a nether millstone.

But with downy fingers He puts the wound together and lays the plaster on. The fearful struggle around renders it impossible to pay the usual court and homage at the gates of sorrow but there is more of real grief oftentimes in the hurried midnight funeral than in the flaunting pageantry of your pompous processions.Were it in our power to walk among the tents, we should find abundant need to use the words of our text by way of cordial to many a warrior who has seen all his chosen companions fall before the destroyer. That is a sweet thought. It may be my words are now sounding in the ear of one of my weary, wounded fellow countrymen.