Christ's regard to his obedient followers.
Matt. xii. 46 — 50. While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand ivithout, desiring to speak ivith thee. But he ansivered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and icho are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren : for ivhosoever shall do the tvill of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother^.
IT is not easy, engaged as we are in a variety of callings, to know at all times what is the duty of the present moment. Seasons may often occur when a tradesman may reasonably doubt whether he ought to be in his shop or in his closet : and it may some- times be difficult to know exactly where to draw the line between the attentions due to earthly relatives and the higher duties of God's more immediate ser- vice. The example, however, which Christ has set us, may be of considerable use in regulating our con- duct on such occasions. He was in a house teaching a great multitude of people who flocked around him : and his mother and his near kinsmen, apprehensive, perhaps, that he might provoke his enemies to destroy him, or that he would injure his own health by his incessant labours, endeavoured to get access to him, that they might persuade him to suspend his exer tions. Not being able to get near him for the crowd, they called to him, and prevailed on the intermediate multitudes to inform him, that they stood without, greatly desirous to speak with him. On the message being delivered, our blessed Lord " looked round about on his surrounding audience," and, " stretching
^ Another on nearly the same words, (Mark iii. 31 — 35,) had some time before been written. The author, not adverting to that cn- cumstance, composed this. On a comparison of the two. they are so exceedingly different, that, without altering a word in either, they are both presented to the public, in hope that they may be profitable, as illustrating different modes of treating the same text.