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Secondly, let us learn to bear with ignorance in others, and to deal patiently with beginners in religion. Let us not make men offenders for a word; let us not set our brother down as having no grace because he does not exhibit clear knowledge. Has he faith in Christ? Does he love Christ? These are the principal things. If Jesus could endure so much weakness in His disciples, we may surely do likewise.

Let us also mark, in these verses, the ambition and love of pre-eminence which the Apostles exhibited : "They disputed among themselves who should be the greatest." Who would have thought that a few fishermen and publicans could have been overcome by emulation and the desire of supremacy? Who would have expected that poor men, who had given up all for Christ's sake, would have been troubled by strife and dissension as to the place and precedence which each one deserved? Yet so it is. The fact is recorded for our learning: the Holy Ghost has caused it to be written down for the perpetual use of Christ's Church. Let us take care that it is not written in vain.

It is an awful fact, whether we like to allow it or not, that pride is one of the commonest sins which beset human nature. We are all born Pharisees; we all naturally think far better of ourselves than we ought; we all naturally fancy that we deserve something better than we have. It is an old sin: it began in the garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve thought they had not got everything that their merits deserved. It is a subtle sin: it rules and reigns in many a heart without being detected, and can even wear the garb

of humility. It is a most soul-ruining sin : it prevents repentance, keeps men back from Christ, checks brotherly love, and nips in the bud spiritual anxiety. Let us watch against it, and be on our guard. Of all garments, none is so graceful, none wears so well, and none is so rare, as true humility.

These verses also show us that the maxims of the world are directly contrary to the mind of Christ. The world's idea of greatness is to rule; but Christian greatness consists in serving. The world's ambition is to receive honour and attention; but the desire of the Christian should be to give rather than receive, and to attend on others rather than be attended on himself. In short, the man who lays himself out most to serve his fellow-men, and to be useful in his day and generation, is the greatest man in the eyes of Christ.

Finally, let us mark what encouragement our Lord gives us to show kindness to the least and lowest who believe in His name. He tells us that to "receive one child in His name is to receive Christ, and to receive Christ is to receive God."

Flesh and blood can see no other way to greatness than crowns, and rank, and wealth, and high position in the world. The Son of God declares that the way lies in devoting ourselves to the care of the weakest and lowest of His flock. There is rich encouragement here for all who devote themselves to the charitable work of doing good to neglected souls; for every one who labours to restore the outcast to a place in society, to raise the fallen, to gather together the ragged children whom no man cares for, to pluck the worst

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of characters from a life of sin, like brands from the burning, and to bring the wanderers home. Let all such take comfort when they read these words. They may be mocked, ridiculed, and held up to scorn by the world; but the Son of God marks all they do, and is well pleased. Whatever the world may think, these are they whom Jesus will delight to honour at the last day.

O Lord, with sorrow and with shame,
We meekly would confess

How little we, who bear Thy name,
Thy mind, Thy ways express.

Give us Thy meek, Thy lowly mind:
We would obedient be;

And all our rest and pleasure find

In fellowship with Thee.

LIV.

The Feast of Tabernacles.

ST. JOHN VII. 1—13.

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judæa, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

4 For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

For neither did his brethren believe in him.

6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

7 The world cannot hate you;

but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.

9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.

13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

THE first words of this chapter cover a space of about six months. The events of the last chapter we referred to in St. John's Gospel in the three last "readings" of our first part, took place about the time of the Passover, in spring. The events of the chapter we now begin took place in autumn, at the Feast of Tabernacles. What our Lord did in Galilee during these six months St. John passes over in silence. His Gospel, with the exception of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th chapters, is almost entirely taken up with our Lord's doings

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in or near Jerusalem. He was at this period of His ministry, entirely absent from Jerusalem, it would seem, for about eighteen months. The expression" walked" must be taken figuratively: it simply means, that our Lord "lived, dwelt, sojourned, was going to and fro and passing His time." The Greek word denotes a continuous action or habit.

The word rendered "Jewry" is the same as that translated "Judæa" in the third verse. By "the Jews" who" sought to kill Him," we must understand the leaders and rulers of the Jewish nation: there is no proof that the lower orders felt the same enmity that the upper classes did against our Lord. "The common people heard Him gladly." (Mark xii. 37.) The depth and bitterness of this hatred against Christ may be seen in their wish to kill Him. Our Lord's example, recorded in this verse, shows clearly that Christians are not meant to court martyrdom, or wilfully expose themselves to certain death, under the idea that it is their duty. Many primitive martyrs seem not to have understood this.

The expression, "the Jews feast of tabernacles," in the second verse, like many others in St. John's Gospel, shows that he wrote for the Gentiles, who knew little of Jewish customs and feasts. Hence, "the Jews' feast."

The Feast of Tabernacles was one of the three great feasts in the Jewish year, when by God's command, all pious Jews went up to Jerusalem. (Deut. xvi. 16.) It was held in autumn, after the completion of the harvest, in the seventh month. The time of the Jewish "Passover" answered to our Easter; "Pentecost

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