^ Do you say with a sigh, " Oh, if I had nothing to do but just to be with Christ personally, and have my duty solely as with Him, how sweet and blessed and secret and free would it be ! " Well, you may have it so ; exactly this you may do and nothing more. Come, then, to Christ, retire into the secret place of His love, and have your whole duty personally as with Him. Then you will make this very welcome discovery, that as you are personally given up to Christ's person, you are going where He goes, helping what He does, keeping ever dear bright company with Him in all His motions of good and sympathy, refusing even to let Him suffer without suffering with Him. And so you will do a great many more duties than you even think of now; only they will all be sweet and easy and free, even as your love is. You will stoop low, and bear the load of many, and be the
S, A. Alexander.
ST. MARK 377
Bervant of all, but it will be a secret joy that you have with your Master personally. You will not be digging out points of conscience, and debating what your duty is to this or that, or him or her, or here or yonder ; indeed, you will not think that you are doing much for Christ at all — not half enough — and yet He will be saying to you every hour in sweetest approbation, " Ye did it unto me." ^
4. In praising Mary's act, Christ not only accepts her personal service, but through her He graciously accepts and welcomes the service of women. From the very beginning of the Gospel, our gracious Master has condescended to make use of women's work in preparing men's hearts for His Kingdom, and in promoting it when the time came. It is observable how from time to time, doubtless not without a special providence, women were selected to be His agents on occasions for new steps to be taken, new doors to be opened in the progress and diffusion of His marvellous mercy. Thus when He would shew Himself to the Samaritans, half heathen as they were, and prepare them for the coming of His Spirit, He drew a certain woman to Jacob's well, and caused her to inquire of Him the best way and place of worship. Thus a woman was His first messenger to that remarkable people, though He afterwards sent His Evangelist to convert and His Apostles to confirm them. To a woman was given, in reward of her faith and humility, the privilege of being the first to have revealed to her the healing — might we not say the sacramental ? — virtue which abode in the very hem of His garment, to meet the touch of faith. Women, as far as we are told, were the first who had the honour allowed them of ministering to Him of their substance. In His last journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, in His lodging at Betliany, on His way to Calvary, around His cross both before and after His death, beside His grave both before and after His resurrec- tion, we all know what a part women took, and how highly they were favoured. The narrative in the Acts clearly implies that the Holy Spirit actually descending, found the women praying with the Apostles with one accord in one place, and made them partakers of Himself, sealing them with His
^ Horace Bushnell.
378 THE GREAT TEXTS OF THE BIBLE
blessings, variously, according to the various work He had prepared for them. Thenceforward the daughters as well as the sons began to prophesy, the handmaidens as well as the servants had the Spirit poured out upon them.
^ It takes a woman disciple after all to do any most beautiful thing ; in certain respects, too, or as far as. love is wisdom, any wisest thing. Thus we have before us here a simple-hearted loving woman, who has had no subtle questions of criticism about matters of duty and right, but only loves her Lord's person with a love that is probably a kind of mystery to herself, which love she wants somehow to express. ^
She brought her box of alabaster, The precious spikenard filled the room With honour worthy of the Master, A costly, rare, and rich perfume.
0 may we thus, like loving Mary, Ever our choicest offerings bring, Nor grudging of our toil, nor chary Of costly service to our King.
Methinks I hear from Christian lowly Some hallowed voice at evening rise. Or quiet morn, or in the holy Unclouded calm of Sabbath skies, —
1 bring my box of alabaster,
Of earthly loves I break the shrine,
And pour affections, purer, vaster,
On that dear Head — those feet of Thine.
What though the scornful world, deriding Such waste of love, of service, fears. Still let me pour, through taunt and chiding, The rich libation of my tears.
I bring my box of alabaster, — Accepted let the offering rise! So grateful tears shall flow the faster In founts of gladness, from my eyes ! ^
' Hoiace Bushnell. ^ C. L. Ford, Lyra Anglicana, 24.
ST. MARK 379
II.
The Chaeacter of Mary's Service.
Do we wonder why Christ selected Mary for this special praise ? Evidently there was something about her action which touched His heart. We cannot but conclude that He set His mark upon it simply because it was the expression of the deepest personal love towards Himself.