THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST TO SINNERS UNDER THE SIMILITUDE OF A HENBenjamin Keach, Tropologia: A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors (London: William Hill Collingridge, 1856), 458–460.
“How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Matt. 23:37.
The Lord Jesus shows by these words his great compassion and affection to the Jews, who refused the offers of his love and infinite favour.
Three things are considerable in the text.
1. Christ’s grace and good intention to them, “How often would I have gathered thy children together,” &c.
2. The way or manner which he took in order to the accomplishing his gracious design and purpose touching them,—“As a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.”
3. The Jews’ obstinacy; “Ye would not.”
The Lord condescends very low in making this simile of a Hen; the nature and property of which creature take as follows, so far as it will hold parallel to the case in hand.
SIMILE.
PARALLEL.
I. Nullum enim animal circa pullos suos tanta compassione movetur, &c., saith Bernard [Bern. de pass. Dom. cap. v.], “There is no creature that is moved with so much compassion towards her young ones, as the Hen.”
I. The Lord Jesus was moved with the greatest compassion imaginable towards the poor Jews and Jerusalem, which he was first sent to, and came to seek and to save. This is signified abundantly by that wonderful passion, that seized upon his Spirit, when he came near the city, and by his expressions in the text, &c., it is said, “He wept over it,” &c., and cried out with a mournful voice, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” &c., Matt. 23:37, Luke 19:41, 42.
II. The Hen is observed to fly in the very face of such ravenous birds as strive to destroy her chickens; she strives to save and defend them with all her might, though with the utmost hazard of her life.
II. The Lord Jesus Christ to save and defend the offspring of Israel, and the poor sinners of the Gentiles, did not refuse to encounter with the greatest of their enemies: he resisted the devil, who sought to make a prey of them, &c., Matt. 4:6, 8. No enemy that strove to devour us, but Christ endeavoured to defend us from him.
III. Such is the Hen’s care of, and affection towards her chickens, that she for their sakes is made weak in all her members, and brought to extreme faintness. Hoc genus animantis magnum affectum in filios habet, ita ut eorum infirmitate affecta, &c., (saith Austin) “this creature shows great affection towards her young ones, that being affected with their weakness, she also is made weak.”
III. Christ, that he might save poor perishing sinners, by taking man’s nature upon him, was made weak in the same sense, as it is said he became poor: such was the greatness of his love and affection towards us, that “he bare our sickness, and carried our sorrows,” Isa. 53:4. To what extremity of faintness was he brought, when “he sweat as it were great drops of blood!” And when the ponderous cross was laid upon him, as they led him to Golgotha, it is said, “He fainted,” Luke 22:44. “He was touched with the feelings of our infirmities, being made like to us in all things, sin only excepted,” Heb. 4:15.
IV. The Hen clucks often, and with a mournful voice, as it were, calls her chickens to her, when she perceives they are in danger by the kite, or any other enemy, to be destroyed.
IV. Christ calls to poor helpless and impenitent sinners very often, with a mournful voice, and tears in his eyes, “O that thou hadst known, in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes! O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” why, what is the matter? An enemy is at hand, ruin is at the door; “Why will you die, O house of Israel?” Ezek. 18:31. Now it is to England, yea, to London: O that they would once hear Christ’s call before it is too late, and the things that concern their peace be hid from their eyes! &c.
V. The Hen stands ready prepared to receive her chickens under her wings, to defend them against all violence that may happen to them.
V. The Lord Jesus stands with his arms and heart open, ready to receive all true penitent sinners, that come unto him; “I have spread out my hands all the day long,” &c. Isa. 65:2. “Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” &c. Matt. 11:28, 29.
VI. The Hen is very desirous to gather all her chickens together, and cover them with her wings; she would not have one of them wanting.
VI. The Lord Jesus hath such bowels of pity and compassion to sinful mankind, that he would have none of them perish, “But come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved,” 1 Tim. 2:2, 3, 4. How desirous is he to get them all under his wings of grace and protection; “Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die, O house of Israel? turn and live, saith the Lord,” Ezek. 18:31, 32. “How often would I have gathered thy children together!” &c.
VII. The Hen gathers her chickens to her; and that they may have food as well as nourishment and shelter, she looks about and scratches to get them meat.
VII. The Lord Jesus calls to sinners, that they may have the bread of life. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,” Isa. 55:1. “Eat ye that which is good; yea, the bread that never perisheth,” John 6:27. Christ gives bread that never perisheth.
VIII. The Hen succours, refreshes, and makes lively such chickens that are weak and hang down their wings, and can scarce go; she soon recovers them when she gets them under her wings.
VIII. All sin-sick and diseased souls that are weak and hang down their heads, or their wings, and go drooping all the day, as it were, half-dead, no sooner are they got under the wings of Christ, but he graciously succours and refreshes them, making them brisk and very lively.
IX. The Hen, it is observed, if she find any crumbs, corn, or any other good thing, she gives it to her chickens, though she want it herself: she spares out of her own mouth, and puts it into theirs.
IX. Christ out of his infinite bowels to his people, finding no other meat was so good and excellent for them, gave them food from heaven, even his own body, “My flesh is meat indeed,” &c., John 6:55.
SIMILE.
DISPARITY.
I. The Hen cannot save and defend her chickens under her wings, When she hath gathered them to her, being a poor, weak, inconsiderable creature.
I. The Lord Christ is strong and able to save, hide, and defend all his people that come to him, under his wings, being the most high, omnipotent, eternal Jehovah: “The Father and I am one:” “He thought it no robbery to be equal with God,” Phil. 2:6, 7.
II. The Hen, when her chickens are grown up, cares not for them; she will (it is noted) rather strike at them, and beat them from her.
II. Our blessed Saviour will never cease to take care of, and provide for his poor children; his eye is as well upon the oldest and strongest Christians as upon the weakest and youngest: “Cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you,” &c.
III. The Hen loses oftentimes her chickens; the kite gets them away from her, and makes a prey of them.
III. The Lord Jesus Christ cannot, will not lose one of them that the Father hath given him, “Those that thou hast given me I have lost none, but the son of perdition,” &c. John 17:12, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish,” &c. John 10:28.
IV. A Hen soon forgets her chickens, which she hath bred and brought up.
IV. Christ never can, nor will forget his saints, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, she may, but I will not forget thee,” Isa. 49:15, 16.
INFERENCES
I. What great encouragement doth this similitude afford to all, yea to the vilest of sinners? O what compassion is there in Christ’s heart towards you, how willing is he to gather you to himself!
II. It also informs us of that great blindness and horrid obstinacy which is in the hearts of wicked men; “How often would I have gathered Israel, and they would not be gathered! I would, but ye would not!” how dare sinners then to charge their eternal overthrow, perishing, and ruin upon the Lord Jesus Christ? “Know, O sinner, thy destruction is of thyself,” Hos. 13:9.
III. It also truly informs us, that all safety and salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Under his wings we must get if we would be secure from the enemy of our souls, and be delivered from eternal danger: “Unto him shall the gathering of the people be,” Gen. 49:10.
IV. Of what amazing nature was the great condescension of the blessed Jesus, who made himself of no reputation! became weak, poor, and sensible of our infirmities, touching the flesh, that we might be strong, rich, and partake of his perfections, and glorious fulness, Phil. 2:7.
V. Here is also very much comfort to all true believers, whoever they be, that are gathered by the word and Spirit unto Christ: he will succour, guide, revive, and defend them for ever. He infinitely out-doth the Hen; his bowels exceed the bowels of the tenderest mother to her sucking child. He is strong enough also, as well as tender, not only willing but able. Fear not Satan, “he hath swallowed up death in victory.” The kite hath (as one observes) as it were an aching tooth at the chickens, fain would he make a prey of them: so would the devil of believers. Christ knows how to preserve them, by gathering them all under his wings. Soul, fear not, if thou art under the protection of the Lord Jesus Christ, thou art in safety from all temporal aud spiritual dangers.
VI. If Christ be so tender and compassionate unto sinners, and seeks to gather them unto him; who will pity them if they perish at last and are damned, when all is from their own vile, stubborn, and wilful obstinacy?
VII. If the Lord Jesus Christ be so tender of, and kind to his saints which he hath gathered to himself, and sheltered under his wings; then let this doctrine teach Christians in an especial manner to be kind one to another, and tender one of another, and to do their utmost endeavour to defend one another in this evil day, from the common enemy both of body and soul.
VIII. This may serve for seasonable reproof to all those, who profess the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and hope for preservation by him, and shelter under his wings, yet, instead of endeavouring to the utmost to help one another, revile, backbite, and persecute one another, for small and circumstantial differences in profession, and thereby give the common enemy advantage over them both, “A divided house cannot stand,” Mark 3:25.
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