Tl. On THE OTHER HAND, STRONG FAITH 18 COMMUNICATIVE AND INSPIBING (J. H. Godwin). Tell an invalid he is looking ill, and you make him feel worse. Tell him he is improving, and his faith in his physical future will revive at the brighter picture, We are governed by imagination, and faith is a kind of imagination. It is exposed to the most contagious influences for health or disease. Whenever a strong deed is done, or mighty word spoken—
« Our hearts, in glad surprise, To higher levels rise.”
&8 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [on. ix. 1—50.
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IV. Farrs 18 THE CONDITION BOTH OF DOING AND BECEIVING THE HIGHEST GOOD. Faith gives a mental picture, distinguished from other mental pictures in that it is as good as a reality to him who views it. Now, we must have the distinct idea of a good to be received before we can place ourselves in the attitude to receive it ; or of the good to be done and the possibility of doing it, before we can set about attempting it. The
uestion then arises—Can faith be commanded by the will? The answer is—Not
irectly. “ Paint a fire, it will not therefore burn.” But the rebuke of Jesus implies that the disciples ought to have had faith. And the lesson is that faith may indirectly be obtained, be promoted, fostered, and preserved by communion with God.—J.
Vers. 30—32.— Renewed prediction of death. I. UNWELCOME OUTLOOKS SHOULD BB FIRMLY FACED. "Tis not well to hide the head in the sand, like the ostrich, and try to fancy danger absent because not seen, For, if faced, the worst prospect loses at once half, and presently all, its terrors.
Il. THe wILL or GoD I8 TO BE RECOGNIZED, EVEN 18 THE WIOKEDNESS OF MEN. It is by conflict that his will is wrought out. Outbursts of crime represent only one side of great living forces, and onward moving facts,
III. UnwELCoME TRUTHS NEED TO BE REPEATED, BUT NOT FOR ALL, There is an esoteric and an exoteric in Christianity. We do not tell children all we know of life, But there-is an age, and there are persons, to whom all should be told that we know. Let truth be economized and wisely administered.—J.
Vers, 33—37.—The symbolic child, I. THE EXAMPLE OF OHILDBEN. They are humble and trustful in the presence of superior wisdom. Man not always so, but ought always to be so.
Il, THe sEORET OF POWEB LIES IN SERVICE. Oommand others by being useful to them. Rise in a community by working your way through all the grades of service, from the lowest to the highest.
IIL To stoop IN LOVE I8 TO RISE IN HONOUR. Jesus puts his arms around the little ones and around the weak, and is enthroned in the dependent heart of mankind.
IV. THE sOALE OF SERVICE, AND THE INCLUSION OF THE LOWER IN THE HIGHER, The order of duty is not to begin with the high and the remote, but with the lowly and the mean. “ God is served by obedience to Christ, and Christ by kindness to the least and lowest who belong to him ” (Godwin).—J.
Vers. 88—50.—Marked sins. There are some sins which are singled out for peculiar denunciation by the Spirit and Word of Christ. They are extremely opposed to the ends and purport of the kingdom,
L Inroterancg. That is, the hindering of good, because the good is not done in our way. Obhristianity says the good deed justifies itself, Coming from a good source, it is not likely to be associated with evil opinions or teaching. Any one who does good nowadays may be said virtually to do it in the Name of Christ. To do good one need not, cannot, pass out of the Christian atmosphere. And experience of history confirms the statement of Christ. Good men really love him, whatever difference there may be in their mode of conception of him and statements about him. All that is done for love’s sake is virtually and really done in his Name,
II. Cavsine sin iN oTHERS. Involuntarily people may take offence, “stumble” at what we do or say. We cannot help false inferences being drawn, nor turn bad reasoners or conduct into good, nor weak brethren into strong. But we can avoid doing what we know will hurt others, If we are reckless in this respect, the will and the intelli- gence are involved in guilt.
IIL DsLIBERATE PREFERENCE OF PLEASURE TO RIGHT. The old story of the man who defended his dishonesty by the plea, “One must live,” has its meaning for us, The judge replied to the culprit, “I do not see the necessity.” So with the Christian: luxury is not a necessity; pleasure is not a necessity; even life in the lower sense is not a necessity ; but only life in the higher sense—a good conscience, a soul in purity and integrity. It is ever a good bargain to part with a gin, and a losing business to compromise with a lust.
[V. SIN CAN ONLY BE CURED BY SUFFERING, Sin is in the intelligence want of
oH, rx. 1—50.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING 'TO ST. MARK. 38
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principle; in the will want of energy for true self-realization. Our mistakes and troubles throw us upon the true principles of conduct, on the moral law of God. The fallacy of expecting blessedness by false methods leads us back to the true. Stern but kind is the discipline by which God uproots our follies and trains us for himself.—J.