our Lord simply ascribes his own thoughts to her, and interprets and glorifies her good work of affectionate love into a prophetic act, so that, like the word of Caiaphas, it was nothing more than an unconscious prophecy. Nevertheless, there is much that might well lead one to believe that in what she did Mary had conscious intention. The usual rule in interpretation is to take the obvious and literal meaning of words, unless there are strong reasons to the contrary. But there seem to be no such reasons in this case. Our Lord, it should be remembered, did not conceal from his disciples that he was to suffer and die. On the contrary, he made frequent and open reference to his death; more vaguely in the beginning, when he said, "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many;" but more clearly and expressly afterwards, as when he said to the twelve, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him unto the Gentiles: and they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.” These utterances were not symbolical, but plain and unmistakable; yet we are told that the disciples understood none of these things. Why? Simply because though they had warm love they had weak faith, and therefore could not receive these words as true, even though uttered by their blessed Lord and Master. Now, was it so also with Mary? We think not. Our conviction is that Mary, who lived very near her Lord-who fed on his truth and drank deeply of his spirit-had faith enough to take in these predictive words. What strengthens this conviction

is the marked peculiarity of the commendation bestowed on her. As all through his ministry nothing so called forth the admiration of Jesus as great faith, we feel persuaded that it was just because, in addition to her warm love, Mary had such faith that she received from her Lord this extraordinary commendation, "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her." This is the more noticeable, as nothing of this kind is said of the other woman, referred to by Luke, though she also brought an alabaster box of precious ointment. It would seem, therefore, as if Mary alone really comprehended our Lord's humiliation, looked for his death, and made loving preparation for his burial; hence the great commendation and the predicted fame. "So clearly," says one, "was our Lord master of the great future, that while great deeds have been done and yet forgotten in all the world, this simple act of tender premonition is to be told through the world, yea, and the very name of Mary to be for ever sweet in the ears of mankind."

The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance; and verily, if we remember Mary, much more should we remember Mary's Lord, and all his grace and mercy and dying love.

The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.PROV. X. 7.

For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.—MARK xiv. 7, 8.

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?— Ps. cxvi. 12.

December 1.

WORTHLESS, YET WELCOME.

ASY as it is to speak of salvation by grace, it is the

EAST

hardest of things to believe it; and usually with every increase in the knowledge and sense of sin the difficulty intensifies. This arises from the fact that, till enlightened by the Spirit of God, men imagine that it is impossible to get grace without first deserving it; and that therefore, though there may be hope for the good and righteous, there can be none whatever for the guilty and depraved. They are confirmed in this fear when they find that the law holds out no hope whatever for the worthless. It commands, it threatens, it condemns, but never does it forgive. Nor is it otherwise with conscience. It too condemns, and in proportion to its enlightenment are the keenness and severity with which it accuses. Nevertheless, nowhere is it the teaching of the Word, and at no time has it been the rule of the kingdom, that the worthy only can enter in. On the contrary, it is expressly written that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, even the chief.

No matter, then, how weak, or weary, or wicked any poor sinner may be, if he but come in simple faith to Jesus, he will be lovingly welcomed, yea, and be everlastingly saved. That promise is as true to-day as when first it was uttered: "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." Mark the words: it is not said, "him that doeth," or "him that giveth," or "him that deserveth," but simply, "him that cometh," whatever his past or present. "Faith," says Ebenezer Erskine, "is the

beggar's hand which comes, not to give, but to get Christ and all with him for nothing." Perhaps, indeed, no text in the Word has been more frequently quoted or more signally blessed than this one. "For all I have preached or written," said the venerable James Durham in his last illness, "there is but one scripture I can remember and dare grip to. Tell me if I dare lay the weight of my salvation upon it: 'Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.'" His friend replied, "You may indeed depend upon it, though you had a thousand salvations at hazard." It was a sweet word in season, for it lighted up a gleam of joy in the soul of the dying saint which never left him.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.-MATT. xi. 28.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.-Isa. i. 18.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.-Isa. lv. 7.

ONE

December 2.

SEEK FIRST THINGS FIRST.

NE of the memorable sayings of our blessed Lord is, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The great principle embodied here is, that we should seek first things first; and by first things are meant things that beyond all question are pre-eminent in importance and value. Wealth, honour, and the varied comforts of life, may be freely enjoyed, but they cannot be called first things;

because a man may have them all, and yet finally perish; or a man may lose them all for conscience' sake, and yet have peace unspeakable, be a child of God and an heir of glory. The rich man in the Gospel who said, "Soul, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry," had such fulness that he had to pull down his barns and build greater, for he had no room where to bestow his fruits; but that did not delay the fatal message: "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee." On the other hand, the poor man in the parable was in such straits that he would gladly have accepted the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table, yet neither did that prevent his happy homegoing; for the moment he died, angels carried him at once with joy to Abraham's bosom.

But while it is so with mere earthly things, those of the kingdom, on the contrary-things spiritual and heavenly are not desirable merely, but absolutely indispensable. We cannot do without them, and must therefore seek them first and above all.

"Lean not on Egypt's reeds; slake not thy thirst

At earthly cisterns; seek the kingdom first.

Though man and Satan fright thee with their worst,

Have faith in God."

Verily, then, the duty of seeking first things first is as reasonable as it is urgent.

Some years ago a wealthy merchant in London said, with inexpressible sadness, when dying,-" Alas! I have done everything for my body, but I have done nothing whatever for my soul." An utterance like this can scarcely fail to remind us of the homely but telling words of John Flavel. "Two things," he said, "a master commits to his servant's care-the child, and the child's clothes. It will be a poor excuse for the servant to say at his