The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 430

c[lre shut to one of the sweetest utterances that even he spoke, respecting the "cup of oold water;" and with eyee closed to the widow woman of the mite by the treasury, to whom the Lord did not close his eyes, and to whom he even called the attention of othere. 4. An actual lessening of more.I strength and diminiKhment of that enlarged opportunity which is the invariable sequel of faithfulness" in few things.n The time is neither very elow in its coming nor at all doubtful when the shoulders of those who have been faithful in few things aurl in very little things bend beneath the weie1ht of most honourable burdens of responsibilities. Not a few of those who once did in the humblest scale the work of their generation, and neither bargained for nor dreamt of posthumous fame, stand now in niches or a.i~lee of the Church, a.nd "dead, yet speak" with a voice to edify a.nd to thrill generations to come. Of oue such instance we know to e. certainty, that of the woman who most spontaneously and a.t her own individual expense thought to serve her generation by richly anointing the body of her Lord so loved to the burying, and received the promise, now for two thousand years fulfilled, 11 Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, there also shall this, that thie woman bath done, be spoken of for a memorial of her." IV. THE AMPLE ROOll TO BEBVE-A GENERATION. Just now to serve only one's generation seemed little. But is it so? A generation. For what does the word stand? 1. For what an important length of time I 2. For what a multitude and variety of people! 3. For what a weight of solemn, thrilling interests in human affairs I 4, For what a trial of individual consistency and education of individual character I Only the infinite mind can read that volume through-the volume of one generation. Yes; there is no great distance to lend enchantment to the view, and no so picturesque vista, and no vague, flattering, indefinite scope; yet how full, how ample is the definite scope I "Blessed are those servants," who through a generation length, or from youth even to old age, a.re found in this sense, 11 expecting their Lord." V, THE 0OMFOBTING DESIGNATION GIVEN TO THE END OF SUCH A LIFE•SERVICE. "David fell on sleep." It is sweet language indeed. But how often we lose the sweetness of it I The servant of Christ need not call that death which bounds the days of earth and shuts the bodily eye to the light of an earthly sun. It ia but night. Night, grateful night, bounds the day of life, speedily merging in that grandest morning, the morning of the resurrection. It is but sleep. Sleep in Jesus, equally deep, soft, restful, closes the eyes of his wearied servant, surely renews his youth, and soon wakes into life everlasting and the light that is in God's presence. Let us learn the name Jesus himself gave to death, and learn it to love it. Now we work, we watch, we pray -soon we shall sleep on and take our rest. .And our awakening from it will be ineffable light and knowledge and love.-B. Vera. 46, 47.-Unei,;_pected interpretation,. "Ye judge yourselves uuworthy of everlasting life." The gentle, pitying character of the immense preponderance of the language of Jesus to men SJJea.ks and has ever spoken his condescendiug acquaintance with human nature, and his sympathetic acquaintance with those of the springs of human action that lie deep in lceling. His spirit in these respects was not al.together unworthily ca111;ht by his a.postlns, and notably by the one time di,;ciple, now apostle, John. There came times and oc 1asions, however, both in the converse of the Master himself with sinful men, and ot his servauts with their fellow-men, when words of kindness to the ear would be the very signal of ilnkindness to the soul and untruth- fulness to its highest interests. .And the plain and II bold" language of Paul and Barnabas now, needing no extenuation at our hands, and little enough of explanation, offers a forcible and most striking suggestion, how often, through all the coverings of gracious and forbearing language, the polished shaft of naked truth must be threatening to pierce, let the crasll be what it may. The statement to which Paul now committed himself may be regarded as saying very significantly that- L MEN NBVEi. MORE EFFECTUALLY PB0NOUN0E JUDGl\lENT ON THEMSELVES TB.AN WHEN THEY ARE PR0N0UN0ING JUDGMENT ON CRRl8T, '!'his is true in two leading cases. 1. If men are prououncing judgment ~nfavourable to C~rist-as, for i1:1sta~1ce, in sup- posed answer to such a question as hill own, "What think ye of Chr1St? -they are pronouncing nothing less than decisivQ condemnation of themselves. 2. If they a.re humbly and in the genuine spirit of trying to feel their way, givi.D.g out from time  THE AC'rS OF •fflE APOSTf ,ES. [Ott. xm. 1--ll2.