The Manifestation of Feeling in the Sinful Woman

We now come to the manifestation of feeling in this poor woman. [See Luke 7.] What are the feelings that she must have been the subject of? The first I shall mention is the feeling of necessity, and the second is that of a new nature's affection for what she had discovered. She loved much. This feeling of necessity not only brings the sinner to Jesus under divine power and might, but constrains the sinner to put forth the emotion which is described of this woman—weeping. I do not so much regard the literal effusion of water from the bodily eyes, as I do the weeping of the soul—the compunction of the spirit; though with persons who are naturally sensitive, this very compunction will flow forth in external tears, but in other constitutions not so visibly. Therefore I do not put that value upon the flow of tears externally that I do upon the compunction of the soul, which melts and dissolves the sinner at the feet of Jesus.

Oh, the blessedness of such a position—melted in heartfelt sorrow for sin! Have you ever been there? I am very much afraid that many who pass for Christians have glided into their Christianity in a very smooth and easy manner, and I as strongly fear that they will glide out of it as easily, and perish for ever. When the Lord's people are described as returning to Zion, the Lord, speaking by the prophet, says, “They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them.” Look over the penitential grief described in the 51st Psalm. Mark also the Lord's account of Ephraim, “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself.” Observe the anguish of spirit that Saul of Tarshish felt when Jesus first spoke to him. Follow Peter going out from Pilate's hall to weep bitterly over sin; and then ask yourself, Have I wept before God over sin? Is it that burdensome, cursed, tormenting, continually annoying thing, even though it may be pardoned, that I hate its very existence, and mourn over it before God? I want to know if you have experienced this manifestation of feeling before Jesus. Have you stood behind Him, weeping at His feet?

You are aware that among the Jews the posture of sitting at meat was a reclining one, with their feet partially thrust out behind them; and thus the opportunity was given this woman—who thought, perhaps, that she was concealed—of humbly prostrating herself behind the precious Christ of God and weeping so as to wash His feet with her tears. It appears that Simon had been neglectful of the common courtesy of those times, which was to wash persons' feet when they came in, especially when they sat at meat; and, therefore, the Savior upbraids the Pharisee that, with all his pretensions, he cared nothing about Christ and disregarded even the common courtesies of life. Oh, there is no character so detestable as that of the Pharisee, not even the infidel. They are so casehardened, so dreadfully opposed to Christ, and so horribly proud in themselves that there is not so awful a character in the world as the Pharisee; and our beloved Lord has denounced no such woes upon any other character as upon that. But this poor woman pours out her soul, sheds her tears upon the Redeemer's feet, takes the very locks of her head for a towel to wipe them with, and then kisses His feet. What does this express? Not merely the necessity which she felt of a Savior, but the love of her heart, arising from a newly created nature, having received the tokens of that Savior's love. It is thought probable that this poor woman had heard the Savior preach, had listened to His voice, had obtained the knowledge of the remission of sins in His name, received comforting grace from on high, and took this opportunity of venting her affections for Him.

Now examine well this point before we proceed further, and ask, Has this been my case? There may be vain boastings of pardoning love and justifying righteousness by persons who have obtained a head knowledge of the doctrines of grace but have never been found weeping with gratitude and love at Jesus' feet. Sure I am, and I beg you to mark this down as a standing principle, that one view of the precious Christ in the assurance of His pardoning love, sealed upon the heart and conscience, will do more to melt the soul down than all the threatenings of the Word of God or all the torments of lost souls, could they ring in our ears. As saith one of our poets,

Law and terrors do but harden
All the time they work alone;
But a sense of blood-bought pardon
Soon dissolves a heart of stone.

The best repentance which is known on earth is that which flows from Calvary, from atoning blood, from pardoning love in the contrite soul. Sweetly satisfied that his sins are cast behind Jehovah's back, and there incapable of pouring out in sufficient profusion his expressions of gratitude and love for pardoning love applied by power divine, he waits, he looks and weeps at the feet of Jesus. What knowest thou, my hearers, of these feelings? Many persons are greatly frightened about going to hell and sometimes, perhaps, grieve lest they should do so. You may be frightened concerning it, cry over it, and go to hell after all; but if you have seen an agonizing Christ, felt the application of His blood to your conscience, heard His voice speaking forgiveness to your soul, and found the divine change effected in your heart by the Holy Ghost, you shall never be banished from His presence; and sure I am that there will be tears of gratitude, affection, and thankfulness—a melted soul pouring itself out— “pour out your soul before the Lord.” And this will be the most acceptable sacrifice in the sight of our precious Christ. The one description of sorrow, the apostle says, worketh death, and the other worketh life; the one comes from a slavish dread—the other from a newly created, heaven-born love to Jesus.

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