offer r,f eervi11P WRS a. ero-ibe. Th is detail 11 worils would have worn off'. It II noticeable uspful, RI! showing thnt those who were that the home duties, which Jesus suggested e I tractc-d by our Lord's teaching w,·re by no should give place to other and more impora.- means C'onfincd to the pensant nnd RrtisRn tive claims, were in oonnootion with the class. U we look R little below the eurfaoo dead. It wru, not the living father who WBe of the gospel story, we find nnmberleee indi- to be left to hirelings, only the innnimate CRtions of this. In the M11.Ster's reply it is corpse. It was rather a Bociety CBII thnn a prob!lble thRt the dP-pression, na,turally the home or family duty which wns to give place rPeult of the churli,h rcful!l\l of the SRmari- to work for tho Master. St. Chrysostom ron villagers to receivr him (ver. 53), coloured makes some quaint, but strikingly pro.ctioal, the ea.d but true reflection. The wise Master rrnmrks here. "He might need, if he went distrnste.d the too-ready enthusiasm of hie to the funeral, to proceed, after the burial, would-be dieciple. He saw it would never to make inquiry about tho will, and then stand the test of the severe privation or the about the distribution of the inheritnnce, p11inful self-sacrifioo which would be the and all the other things thnt followed there- sure lot of any one,especia.lly at tba.tjuncture, upon; a.nil thus waves after·waves of things rcallv faithful to him. coming in upon him in succession might ,·crs. 59, 60.-And he said unto another, bear him very for away from the harbour of Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me truth. For this co.use, doubtless, the Saviour first to go and bury my father. J'esns said draws him, and fastens him to himself." unto him, Let the dead bury their dead : but Vers. 61, 62.-A.nd another also as.id, Lord, go thou and prea.oh the kingdom of God. In I will follow thee ; but let me first go bid this case the Master was the Summoner. them farewell, which are at home at my Something he read in this man's heart, house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, or words he ha.d heard him speak, moved havillg put his hand to the plough, and the Redeemer's great love, so he ga'"e him looking baok, is lit for the kingdom of God. n special r.a.11. This wa.s a very different There is e.n implied reproach in our Lord's character from the la.st. "Whereas that seeker reply to who.t, on first thougl,ts, would seem for work from Jesus was impulsive, and eveu e. reasonable request. The offer io this case &houghiless in his enthusw.m, one who came from the man himself. It woul<l appeor ~·ould begin to act without counting the that this would-be disciple, on thinking the cost, thi.B one we.a over-cautious, cold and matter over, considered it might be desirable calculating to an u11generous exceBB; yet to hear what his family and friends thought there was evidently sterling stuff in the about his project. At all events, one thmg character, for Jesus argues and remonstrates is clear-his fust ardour was cooled, his first with him ; there was, too, much gold mingled love left, The Master, in his pithy but with the earth of that man's disposition, for striking comment, shows when such is the the Lord lightly to let it go. It is thns that case, that there is little or no hope of any real the Spirit pleads still with the sel.fi.ahnesa noble work being carried out. The simile which disfigures ma.ny e. noble and devoted is drawn from agricultural imagery. Jesus serva.nt of high God. He seems to say, woe evidently very familiar with all the "My call is too imperative to yield to any little details of rural life. We find a similar home duties, howe"l'er orderly a.nd respect- saying in Hesiod, " He who would i-,longh able." Doring the official days of mourning strRight furrows, muot not look about him" (in the case of a funeral, these were seven) (' Works and Days,' ii. 60). the impression now made by his snmmoning
HOMILETICS. Vera. 1-22.-(See afterwards in connection with eh. L) !9 Ver. 24.-771.e life saved, and the life lost. The martyr,. then, the type of the true Christian. Christ (ver. 22) predicts his o~n fate. And ~mmed1ately afterwards (var. 23) he announces to all that whosoever w1)l come after him ;IIIUBt, tbro1;1gh tbo gate of suffering, pass into glory; mlltit "deny himself, take u~ his cross daily, and folio~ Lim." '!'his is the essence of martyrdom. The martyr 1s. not necess~rily one who ~s burned at the stake or slain by the sword, or left to rot m damp prison-cells ; he 111 one who in will sudenders the life to God, and daily bears the cross of JesuH. Let not the var~tions of the meaning attached to the words " save" and "lose " be overlooked. In the first clause " Whosoever wills to save shall lose;" i.e. whosoever is bent on pr~- servina the life r~ay in a sense preserve it, but, in tite nobler sense, he shall lose his rl:81 ~iug, or as w the verse follc-w•11g, " ~e shall lo118 himself." In the second clause, on. 1x. 1~62.] TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 247