It is much easier to convince a human soul of its natural impur ity than to convince it of its natural hardness and utter destitution of heavenly and Divine tenderness.

The very essence of the Gospe l is Divinely imparted tenderness and sweetness of spirit.

Even among intensely religious people, nothing is rarer to find than a continuous and all-pervadin g spirit of tenderness.

Tenderness of spirit is not the tenderness of mind and manner which results from high culture and a beautiful social training, though these are very valuable in life.

No, it is a supernatural work throughout the whole spiritual being.

It is an exquisite ly interior fountain of God’ s own sweetness and tenderness of natur e, opened up in the inner spirit to such a degree that it compl etely inundates the soul, overflowing all the mental faculties and saturating with its sweet waters the manners, expressions, words, and tones of the voice; mellowing the will, softening the judgment, melting the affections, refining the manner s, and molding the whole being after the image of Him who was infinitely meek and lowly in heart.

Tenderness of spirit cannot be borrowed or put on for special occasions; it is emphatically supernatural and must flow out incessantly from the inner fountains of the life.

Deep tenderness of spirit is the very soul and marr ow of the Christ life.

What specific gravity is to the planet, what beauty is to the rainbow , what perfume is to the rose, what marrow is to the bone, what rhythm is to poetry , what the pulse is to the heart, what harmony is to music, what heat is to the human body—all this, and much more, is tenderness of spirit to religion.

It is possible to be very religious, and staunch, and persevering in all Christian duties; possible, even, to be sanctified, to be a brave defender and preacher of holiness, to be mathematically orthodox and blameless in outward life and very zealous in good works, and yet to be greatly lacking in tenderness of spirit—that all-subduing, all-melting love, which is the very cream and quintessence of Heaven and which incessantly streamed out from the voice and eyes of the blessed Jesus.

I would that I could be A wound-dr esser Of souls— Reaching the aching heart, The tortur ed mind, Calming them as the night Calms tir ed bodies When she dr ops the mantle of sleep Over the world.

As each cold, glittering star So might I stand in mine, But with the warmth of a smile On my face, And in my eyes An image of the Soul Divine.

If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother . . . Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

The apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

The Lord , the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.

Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind.

In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.—Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.—Love covereth all sins.

When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.—Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again.—Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth.—Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrar-wise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.—If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.—Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.—I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.—Your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.—God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.—That he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.—They shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood.

Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps.

Even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.—Whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

Jesus of Nazareth . . . went about doing good.—Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

The meekness and gentleness of Christ.—In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do.—Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.—Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes.

The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.—Your Father which is in heaven: . . . maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Be ye . . . followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.

Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.

The love of Christ constraineth us.

Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.—I JOHN 3:16.

The love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.—Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.—Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.—Christ . . . suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.

Ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.—We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.—Who can forgive sins but God only?

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.—Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.—Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity?

God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.—The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.—Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

You, . . . hath he quickened, . . . having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.