the surface of the water, and you will see the sun shining on the spiritual world, and near at hand the harbour of sweet content. True, we must descend again to the travail of life, but we return assured that the sun is above the mist. Do you say what is the use of fighting, for where I stand we have barely held our own? Courage ! It was all you were expected to do, and while you stood fast the centre has been won, and the issue of the battle has been decided. It was a poet who had his own experience of adversity, and was cut down in the midst of his days, who bade his comrades be of good cheer.

Say not, the struggle nought availeth,
The labour and the wounds are vain,
The enemy faints not nor faileth,

And as things have been they remain.
If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars,
It may be in yon smoke concealed,
Your comrades chase e'en now the fliers,
And, but for you, possess the field.

For while the tired waves, vainly breaking,
Seem here no painful inch to gain,
Far back, through creeks and inlets making,
Comes silent, flooding in, the main.

And not by eastern windows only,

When daylight comes, comes in the light,
In front, the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward look, the land is bright.

IF

"

IV

JESUS' CRITICISM OF EMOTION

A certain man said unto Him'Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.' And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head.'” St. Luke ix. 57-58.

F what is rare be remarkable, then this incident when Jesus refused three disciples is the most remarkable in His life, and comes upon us with a shock. One can find many occasions when Jesus encouraged men to become His disciples, no other when He set Himself to discourage them. His preaching was one long invitation to enter the Kingdom of God; He used to say with emphasis that He would cast none out He made social pariahs welcome; He sat at meat with publicans. But it is evident that Jesus on occasion could be cold in manner, could damp out enthusiasm, refuse offers of allegiance, speak forbidding words, and close the gates of God's Kingdom in a man's face.

Three men heard Jesus preach, and were so moved that they resolved to join His fellowship. The first He repelled by an extreme illustration of the hardship of a disciple's lot-he would not have where to lay his head; the second He daunted with an almost impossible commandment-that he should leave without burying his father; the third He declared unfit for His Kingdom-because he wished to bid his friends farewell. This was the drastic way in which Jesus dealt with three apparently honest men.

The action of the Master is so unexpected that one begins to look below the surface for reasons, and the case of the Scribe, to go no farther, explains the situation. One gathers that he had been arrested, impressed, convinced, and finally carried away by the teaching of Jesus. What freshness, reality, insight, grace! Jesus of Nazareth is a prince of Rabbis, and must certainly found a new school. The Scribe will attach himself to this master of the future and become His follower. He will go with Him to the synagogues of Galilee or the Temples of Jerusalem. He will not be ashamed to stand by His side in great public controversies, or to

support His doctrine. Unfortunately for the enthusiastic student this was not the kind of loyalty Christ asked from His disciples: His demand was for something more practical and commonplace. Jesus was not a Rabbi, dazzling people with original views, and asking them to accept new creeds. He was a master calling on men to live a certain life, and to fulfil a certain law. His disciples were not to be students idolizing a brilliant teacher, but servants obeying a daily law. This Scribe must do more than change his opinions, he must change his company. His idea was to follow Christ's lead in the synagogue amid the debates of the learned; he must go with Christ to the field in the service of ordinary people. He was willing to put on Christ's doctrine as one puts on a fashionable dress. Was he ready to identify himself with Christ's society ? You wish," said Christ, 'to be My disciple, and you think of discipleship from the Scribe's standpoint. Understand that wild animals live more comfortably than I. Is My cross as grateful as My creed?" We gather that it was not, and that the Scribe's exuberant impulse disappeared before this chilling prospect.

66

If it should seem that Christ dealt rather hardly with this overflowing Scribe, let us remind ourselves that it was in perfect keeping with His attitude to mere emotion. His teaching had always a keen edge to that large class which is more inclined to gush than to do. There was a son who was most polite and said that he would go to till his father's vineyard, but he never went. That is emotion. There is a shallow soil in which the seed springs up suddenly, grows quickly, and as soon as the sun has risen withers away. That is an emotional nature. There was a householder who made ambitious plans for a tower, and laid a big foundation, and could get no farther, and was laughed at for his foolishness. That is the feebleness of emotion. There were certain people who stood at the door of the Heavenly Kingdom, and expected to receive a welcome because they could say "Lord, Lord," but had no entrance because they had not done the will of God. That is the end of emotion. True emotion which resulted in brave action never failed to receive its meed of approbation from Jesus, to Whom the tears of Mary Magdalene and the spikenard of Mary of Bethany were most dear.