one must fight and the obligations to be consistent in Christian character.

Jesus shows that if the life is idly passed off and the character sullied, the master is, in such a time, liable to call to account, and if the servant be not ready, his Lord will, meantime, shut the door against him. Then will all anxiety of knocking prove useless; for the only answer will be, "I know you not." Jesus further teaches that no amount of previous labor will be a cause of justifying the unfaithful man, though that labor be the intimacy of eating and drinking in the Divine presence. All such may expect is to be driven out to weeping and gnashing of teeth. These last-quoted words are evidently a thrust at the Jews, who had not been watchful, and had not guarded their own Scriptures relative to the Messiah. Therefore Jesus said to them, Ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

SECTION J.-JESUS WARNED AGAINST HEROD.

While we call the statement of the Pharisees to Jesus concerning Herod a warning, it is hardly such in a true sense; for the Pharisees were no friends to Jesus. Yet warning is always a friendly act. The Pharisees came to Jesus, and said, "Get thee out, and depart hence; for Herod will kill thee." Behind this is the real Pharisee, who did. not speak to have the life of Jesus preserved; for they envied and wished him death everywhere. What did they want? It was to hasten Jesus on, perhaps, from their parts, so he would not uncover their sins, and on to Jerusalem, where they knew that death awaited him.

But Jesus calmly replied: "Go ye, and tell that fox [Herod], Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day

and to-morrow; and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk to-day and to-morrow and the day following; for it can not be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem."

This language of Jesus is only parabolic, and tells of the manner of his death, which he shows must occur at Jerusalem, and not by Herod, since Jerusalem was bent on this cruel outrage. And as Jesus thinks of his death in the great city, he weeps over it, calling it by name, and said, "Often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not." Then he shows the desolation of their house, and that because they had utterly driven him, their Savior, away.

SECTION 18.-JESUS AT BETHANY.

Luke x, 38-42.

Jesus has been traveling considerably of late, and teaching in parts of Perea; but we last had him in a journey toward Jerusalem. He has finally reached the great city, and, as usual when in Jerusalem, he visits his dear friends at Bethany, a small village out east, where he is entertained by the beloved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. It is about the middle of December. On this occasion it is said by Luke that Martha received Jesus into her house, which statement seems to suggest that Martha was in charge, and hence, the older. This thought is further confirmed by Martha having all the home cares upon her, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, gaining knowledge. Martha, in the midst of her cumbersome duties, cried out in complaint, "Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me." But Jesus, ever more concerned about eternal interests than perishable ones, spoke gently, yet plainly, to Martha. He said: "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about

many things; but one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Martha was anxious about her Lord's earthly needs, while Mary wished to gain the living knowledge, which would not be taken from her; and Christ approved her course. This brings us a great lesson: Let go the world and all of its cares for the interests of the soul.

SECTION 19.-JESUS AT JERUSALEM.

John x, 22-29.

As was the custom of Jesus when at Bethany, he always went into the city to teach in the temple. Thus we have him, on this occasion, taking advantage to enter the city, during the feast of dedication, to discourse among the people. Jesus always sought populous occasions to teach. All his other visits prior to this were in April and October, but now he comes in late December to that dedication. We have had Jesus attending two other feasts prior to this; viz., that of the Passover and the Tabernacles, which we have explained. But now we reach a new one; hence a word of explanation. The dedication feast was instituted by Judas Maccabæus in commemoration of his purifying the temple after it had been defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes. It began on the 25th of the month Cisleu (which answers to the 18th of our December), and lasted eight days. Jesus, on this occasion, showed himself in Solomon's porch. As he stood, the Jews approached to ask him, "If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me." And this was and is even to-day the best witness man has. If a man's works are continually evil, the heart, which is the source of the issues of life, is wrong; but if the labors are good, then the man is good.

The works of Jesus fully vindicated his claims and es

tablished him the Messiah. To observe his works was to recognize him the Sent of God. The only reason why one should fail to see Jesus as the Anointed One was the fact that he was not of the fold of Christ; for all the sheep of the fold both know and hear the Good Shepherd's voice and follow him. Besides, the Shepherd giveth his life to save his sheep, and will save them without perishing. And the ground of the salvation of his sheep is that they will be upheld by the Father and himself, who is equal to the Father.

SECTION A.-THE JEWS WOULD STONE JESUS.

John x, 30-39.

The Jewish mind could stand to hear Jesus claim intimacy with the Father, but when he claimed identity they were enraged and gathered up stones to destroy him. But Jesus appeals to their consciences by again referring them to his good works. These were many, in the name of the Father. So he asked, "For which of these good works do ye stone me?" What a Christian lesson is here-that we always be able to point to only good and many works in God's name! The blinded Jews replied, "We do not stone thee for good works, but for blasphemy." They accused Jesus of blasphemy when he said, "I and my Father are one." But this was no blasphemy, but the eternal truth; for he and the Father were verily one. But, to justify himself, Jesus replies: "Is it not written in your law, I said ye are gods?" Now it is clear, if he called them gods to whom the Word of God came, that they should not say he whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world blasphemed because he said, I am the Son of God. Jesus proposed that he be not believed if he did not good and Divine works; then urged that the works be believed in case of his rejection. But when he had pushed his claim to unanswerable propositions, his enemies tried again

to arrest him; but this was a time when he escaped their cruel hands and went his way. We do not know just how Jesus avoided his enemies, but he used to advantage the crowds or some Divine disappearance.

SECTION 20.-JESUS AT BETHANY BEYOND JORDAN.

John x, 40-42.

It is now very late in December, A. D. 29. Jesus left the city of Jerusalem, in the previous section, under threats and attempts of arrest because he claimed identity with the Father. He left Jerusalem after the Feast of Dedication, and again crossed the Jordan eastward.

Now, for the first time since his baptism, he revisited his old baptismal place where John baptized him. He spent some time hereabout, though we know not just how, or where, or why. He doubtless had some friends of the Baptist or of some others where he made his first disciples. It is supposed he stopped with these. Jesus could not be alone, however, and would not be idle. He labored in some religious way; for many visited him, and declared all John said of Jesus was indeed true. And because they believed John's words, and learned of Jesus, they believed on him.