Sermons of the Rev. Francis A. Baker, Priest of the Congregation of St. Paul: With a Memoir of His LifeBaker, Francis A. (Francis Aloysius)
Religion
Sermons of the Rev. Francis A. Baker, Priest of the Congregation of St. Paul: With a Memoir of His Life
Baker, Francis A. (Francis Aloysius)
Baker, Francis A. (Francis Aloysius), 1820-1865; Catholic Church -- Sermons; Sermons, American -- 19th century
And then as Man, He has clothed Himself with every thing that can
make Him attractive in the eyes of man. He makes His first
appearance in the world as an Infant, a beautiful Babe. How
attractive is a beautiful child! Men even of rugged natures are
softened by looking at it. A little child brings a flood of grace
and light into a house. Now, to-day, the Son of God is a Babe at
Bethlehem. He has the beauty of infancy, but there is also a
superadded beauty, a light playing on His features that is not of
earth, the light of Infinite Wisdom and Eternal Love. See, He
looks around and smiles, and stretches out His hands, as if
inviting us to caress Him.
In many children this beauty of infancy is evanescent, but in our
Lord it was the earnest of a grace and loveliness that followed
Him through life. It is evident that there was something most
attractive about our Lord to those who approached Him. As He grew
in stature He increased in favor, not only with God but with men.
When He had attained to manhood, He was such a one that children
willingly gathered around Him in the streets, and people stopped
to look at Him as He passed, and men's minds were strangely
stirred in them as He spoke, and the thought came into women's
hearts, "How happy to be the mother of such a Son!" Who but He
knew how perfectly to mingle dignity with familiarity, zeal with
serenity, and austerity with compassion? Even at the distance of
time that we are from His earthly life, His words reach us like
the sweetest music. What other preacher can say the same words
again and again, and never make us weary? Whose tones are there
that linger in our ears like His, and come like a spell to our
hearts in times of temptation and sorrow? Why, even scoffers have
acknowledged this. The beauty and excellence of our Saviour's
character have wrung a eulogium from a celebrated opponent of
Christianity, and at least a momentary confession that its author
was Divine.
{286}
Then, to the attractions of His character, our Lord has added the
destitution of His circumstances, in order to gain our love. It
is natural for us to love any thing that is dependent on us. The
sick child that needs to be nursed, the helpless and depressed,
the poor that appeal to us, even the bird and the dog that look
to us for their food, come to have a place in our hearts. Now,
our Lord, at least even in this way to win us, has placed Himself
in a state of complete dependence on us. From the cradle to the
grave, and even beyond the grave, He appeals to man for the
supply of every want.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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