many-headed multitudes, or the fewer but malignant leaders of apostacy and persecution, Simon Peter is an illustration of what Martha's disposition can dare and do when it has received, with the assurance of Christ's love, the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Life in action, life in the highest and most heroic action, is that of the Martha or Peter-like disposition when it has received from heaven the baptism of light and of fire.

The Mary-like disposition that found its congenial sphere leaning, at the last Supper, on the breast of Jesus, as Mary is here seen sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing his words, shows itself in the writings of the evangelist,-writings so profound, heavenly, and sublime, that they early secured for John the designation, the divine. Without limiting the operation and inspiring grace of the Holy Spirit of God, it may be said that Simon Peter's temperament of mind was not fitted for writing either the Gospel or the letters of John, and much less fitted for the reception of the marvellous visions recorded in the Apocalypse or book of the Revelation. But these writings and visions are in exact keeping with the contemplative, loving, and thoughtful, or Mary-like disposition of John. Even the brief, curt, and antithetic statements in John's letters, as well as the awful and mysterious scenery of his Patmos visions, reveal the meditative love of that apostle. But the practical, historical, and energetically doctrinal-rapid, fiery, impulsive sermons, addresses, and letters of Peter, indicate and express most faithfully the Martha-like disposition that was in him. But as among the family of the apostles Peter and John were necessary to each other, and clung to each other as with loving and brotherly tenacity, the one feeling that the other supplied what was lacking on his own part; so Martha, in her own sphere, and about her own work, and with her peculiar disposition, was as necessary in the house at Bethany as was Mary. But Mary was as necessary to Martha. The household economy would be sadly disordered were one or the other awanting. Mary's thoughtfulness was needed to direct and regulate Martha's impulsiveness and energy; and Martha's readiness and zest for work was needed to correct the too

speculative contemplativeness of Mary. Luther is the more heroic and active; but Melanchthon, in his study, is needed to temper and qualify the outgoing action and heroism of his brother, Martin Luther. And Luther's earnestness, when appealing to the Lord on behalf of Philip Melanchthon, and his threat to excommunicate him unless he would eat, so as to render his recovery to health possible, indicate how deeply Luther felt that he was not complete without Philip Melanchthon. No less significant is Simon Peter's question, after the Lord has intimated to him how he himself should die or be put to death-" And what shall this man (John) do?" The question is characteristic of the man, an index of his friendship for John; but it is no less indicative of Peter's feeling that John was, in a sense, a sort of necessity to him. For Simon could not think of his own life or death without at the same time thinking of the life and the death of his friend, brother, and fellow-apostle John.

As at the supper and feast, so in the time of grief, sorrow, and mourning, the dispositions and habits of these two sisters revealed themselves in a characteristic way. Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him. She was sorrowful and sad, not only because her brother had died, but because Jesus, according to the message sent him, had not come sooner,-had not come as the two sisters thought he might have come, and ought to have come sooner, and before Lazarus had died; but she does not so nurse her sorrow, indulge her grief, and keep up in her heart, as it were, a grudge against Jesus, as to be seemingly indifferent to the announcement that he had at length come, and was approaching near to the place of graves, where was the sepulchre, the family burying-place, outside the village of Bethany. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him. But Mary sat still in the house. John says to Simon Peter, "It is the Lord;" but while Simon plunges into the sea, and swims ashore to join the Lord, John is more deliberative, and rows the boat to the land. Mary would nurse her sorrow and her grief in meditative solitude; Martha will go in her grief to meet the Lord. Sorrowful she will go

to work, and in her work and in her activity she shall meet with Jesus, and meeting him, sorrow is turned into joy. Her tears are wiped away; and, rising above her unworthy thoughts of Jesus, and her too great sorrow, she will be from Jesus an apostle or messenger to her sister, saying to her, "The master is come, and calleth for thee."

Character reveals itself whether we be at the feast of hospitality, or in the house of mourning. The habitual manner, word, action cannot be unrevealed.

On the occasion when the Lord Jesus spoke the words of the text, we are told by the evangelist that he had come to the village of Bethany. I am not concerned to inquire or to speculate at all as to whether this was the first visit of Jesus. He entered into the village, and a certain woman, named Martha, received him into her house. The form of the narrative favours the idea that this was the first visit of Jesus, and the first time that Martha felt herself honoured by being permitted to show hospitality to the Son of Man. The Saviour, with salvation, has come into the house. If there is a reward to those who receive a prophet in the name of a prophet, Martha, to whom the house in Bethany seems to have belonged, shall not be unrewarded when she receives Jesus into her house; for she surely is a daughter of Abraham.

Martha, as mistress of the house, and responsible for all the household order, economy, and arrangements, is fluttered with the thought that everything might not be as it ought to be, on such an occasion. And accordingly she cannot sit still. She is feverishly restless, nervous, agitated, excited; and, though very busy, yet her manner causes her to seem more busy than she was. She herself is conscious of this. And her consciousness of it is intensified every time she passes near where her sister Mary has seated herself. There, thinks she, is that sister of mine, quite indifferent to what may come of the supper arrangements; quite careless about the honour and fame of the house among the neighbouring villagers. She knows that I shall get all the blame if things are not as they ought to be. And, in her dreamy indolence and listless indifference, she has sat down at the feet of Jesus. There

she sits, not caring about how things in the house may go. She does not seem even to hear or to heed the noise of my coming and going, or of my moving and removing everything, so as to have everything as it ought to be. Not even a look will she turn to me. She is perfectly absorbed or entranced. A sort of fascination has acted itself on her. For there she is as indifferent to me, and supper, and house, as if she were already where neither supper nor house were at all necessary. But we are not yet in the angelic or disembodied state. So thought Martha; but she could not think long without speaking. Her thoughts soon found forms of outwardness and expression. But on this occasion the Lord seems to her to encourage her sister's indolence or supineness. Martha's temper is sorely tried. And at last getting the better of her reverence, courtesy, and politeness, she comes to Jesus and says to him, "Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?" And as Martha thought, or at the moment felt, that no word of hers would avail to rouse her sister from her dreamy, meditative, and fascinated state of mind, Martha, with bluntness and no little temper, appeals to the Lord, urging him to interpose a word of authority. "Bid her therefore that she help me." How little did Martha understand or sympathize with her sister's habit of mind, and with her absorption of soul-her utter obliviousness of everything but of one thing at this moment? How much less did she know the mind of Christ? Like Simon Peter, she must speak, even when like him she really knows not what she says,-knows not what spirit she is of.

CAUSES OF SPIRITUAL DECLENSION.

"Ye did run well: who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?"-Gal. v. 7.

THE word "hinder," as here used, denotes the arresting or retarding of progress, as by the breaking up of a road, or by digging trenches and pitfalls in the way. And here it seems to allude to the interruption caused to a runner in the course, by any one going across the path or racing ground, so as to stop or obstruct the progress of one that up to that part of the course had been running well.

The words before us are partly words of commendation, and partly words of reproof. "Ye did run well" is the sentence of commendation: "Who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" is the language of reproof. The reproof is all the more insinuating and effective from the manner in which it is conveyed; not only is it set over against a former and better state of things, but it is expressed in the terms of wonder, and as if the Apostle blamed some others rather than those addressed. "Ye did run well: who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" The idea of the Christian life, underlying the words of the apostle, is that it consists in a course or career of obedience to the truth as it is in Jesus. And respecting those addressed, the apostle says, that they had entered on the course, and for a time had continued in it, with manifest diligence, effort, and zeal,-" Ye did run well," but that after a time they stood still, drew back, or were driven back,-"Who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" In this