ignorant of the matters handled in this chapter, is to be in the broad way which leadeth to destruction.
We should notice, firstly, in these verses, what a weak 2nd feeble heginning a man may m,aJce in religion^ and yet finally prove a strong Christian. We are told of a certain Pharisee, named Nicodemus, who feeling concerned about his soul, " came to Jesus by night."
There can be little doubt that Nicodemus acted as he did on this occasion from the fear of man. He was afraid of what man would think, or say, or do, if his visit to Jesus was known. He came "by night," because he had not faith and courage enough to come by day. And yet there was a time afterwards when this very Nicodemus took our Lord's part in open day in the council of the Jews. " Doth our law judge any man," he said, " before it hear him and know what he doeth." (John vii. 51.) — Nor was this all. There came a time when this very Nicodemus was one of the only two men who did honour to our Lord's dead body. He helped Joseph of Arimathea to bury Jesus, when even the apostles had forsaken their Master and fled. His last things were more than his first. Though he began ill, he ended well.
The history of Nicodemus is meant to teach us that we should never " despise the day of small things " in religion. (Zee. iv. 10.) We must not set down a man as having no grace, because his first steps towards God are timid and wavering, and the first movements of his soul are uncertain, hesitating, and stamped with much imperfection. We must remember our Lord's reception of Nicodemus. He did not "break the bruised reed, or quench the smoking flax," which He saw before Him. (Matt. xii. 20.) Like Him, let us take inquirers by the hand, and deal with them gently and lovingly. In everything there must be a begin- ning. It is not those who make the most flaming profes- sion of religion at first, who endure the longest and prove