and open to his cognizance. How circumspect, then, we should be! Who would not shrink from having exposed to the view of neighbour or friend or kinsman every thought that lies deep down in the recesses of his heart? Who would care to have every word he utters in the secret chamber made known to his fellow-man? And who would feel quite at ease if he knew that the eyes of some great man or nobleman or prince rested on all his actions throughout an entire day? How careful we are to have things presented in the best possible light, when we expect the presence of some person of consequence or superior rank for the space of a few hours! Qh, then, how we should feel chastened and subdued by the thought that One greater than even the greatest of the kings of the earth knows all we do, hears all we say, and is cognizant of all we think ; and that, not for a few hours of a single day, but every hour of every day! Surely this reflection, if duly realized, would be a powerful help to make us circumspect in thought and word and work, guarding our hearts, “ for out of them are the issues of life,” “ keeping the door of our lips that we offend not with our tongue,” and using circumspection in all our works and ways. 2. A source of consolation, The presence of a friend is often most encouraging. ‘The consciousness that a friendly eye is upon us in time of difficulty, or emergency, or at some critical juncture, is a source of strength, inspiring with courage and stimulating to energy. In sorrow or suffering, also, a sympathetic eye goes a long way to give relief, or, where that is out of the question, to sustain us in our sufferings, But to know that from behind the silent blue of the arching heaven a friendly eye is ever on us, a friendly heart ever beats in sympathy with us, a friendly hand is ever stretched forth to wipe away the tear of sorrow, is a source of comfort unfailing as unspeakable. The little things that vex us, the heavy griefs that crush us, our afflictions, whether physical, or mental and more inward, are known alike to that Friend who never changes, and who never fails nor forsakes us. 3. A ground of confidence. The fulfilment of God’s Word in the past and at the present is one of the surest grounds of confidence in time to come. St. Matthew, writiug in the first instance for Hebrew Christians who had the prophecies in their hand, and were thus in a position to compare prediction with performance, and having, besides, a special propensity in that direction, is careful to note the fulfilment of prophecy, and to draw the attention of his countrymen to the fact. The prediction referred to in this passage had preceded its fulfiiment by five centuries and a half; but it did not fail. God's words are “ pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times ;” not one of them shall ever fail or be falsified.
“How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in bis excellent Word!”
4. Human inconstancy. A heathen moralizes on the fickleness of popular favour; it is changeable as the breeze. The psalmist no doubt had experience of it, when he hastily concluded and hurriedly said that all men are liars; but though his generalization was, as subsequent experience taught him, too sweeping, yet he had had sufficient ground for his statement just then. Hence we have the salutary caution in another psalm, “Trust not in princes, nor man’s son.” Paul upbraids the Galatians with their change- ableness, when he says, “I bear you record, that, if possible, ye would have plucked out our own eyes, and have given them to me. Am I therefore become your enemy, legato I tell you the truth?” A great and good man, now with God, having had a bitter experience on one occasion of the variableness of human favour, wrote down in nis diary the cool but cutting words, “Is it strange that men and the moon should change?” Yet never were the fickleness and consequent worthlessness of human pularity so strikingly exemplified as in the case of the crowd that shouted long and ustily, “ Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!” but just four days after, and before the week was out, cried long and loudly, “Crucify him! crucify him!” What a lesson is thus taught the follower of Jesus! What # warning to set little store by human favour and popular applause! ;
X. Tue rears Jesus sHED OVER JERUSALEM. 1. The sight of the city. Of the three roads that led over the Mount of Olives—one between the two northern crests, a second right over the summit,—the third, or southern, then as now the main road, and the one most frequerted from Bethany, was that by which the procession was approach~ ing the city. Ata spot where it winds round the southern ridge of the hill, the city,
MARK—II. t.
146 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [cu. x1. 1—38,
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