three good people seem to have been somewhat difFerent. Of Martha, we are told in a certain place, that she was " careful and troubled about many things/' while Mary " sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His word." Of Lazarus we are told nothing distinctive at all. Yet all these were loved by the Lord Jesus. They all belonged to His family, and He loved them all.
We must carefully bear this in mind in forming our estimate of Christians. ' We must never forget that there are varieties in character, and that the grace of God does not cast all believers into one and the same mould. Admitting fully that the foundations of Christian character are always the same, and that all God's children repent, believe, are hoty, prayerful, and Scripture-loving, we must make al- lowances for wide varieties in their temperaments and habits of mind. We must not undervalue others because they are not exactly like ourselves. The flowers in a garden may differ widely, and yet the gardener feels interest in all. The children of a family may be curiously unlike one another, and yet the parents care for all. It is just so with the Church of Christ.) There are degrees of grace, and varieties of grace ; but the least, the weakest, the feeblest disciples are all loved by the Lord Jesus. Then let no believer's heart fail because of his infirmities ; and, above all, let no believer dare to despise and undervalue a brother.
These verses teach us, lastly, that Christ knows best at what time to do anything for His people. We read that " when He had heard that Lazarus was sick, He abode twTo days still in the same place where He was." In fact, He purposely delayed His journey, and did not come to Beth- any till Lazarus had been four days in the grave. No doubt He knew well what was going on ; but He never moved till the time came which He saw was best. For