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v.' 34. Held their peace. “ The issue o f church quarrels would be happier if believ ers would maire a practice o f taking their differences to Jesus.”--r “The tongues that had been so loud on the road were dumb in the house, silenced by conscience.”— “When we are in the house with Christ, we will find that he knew all that was going on while we were on the way.”—“A thing which does not appear wrong by itself, shows its true character when brought to the knowledge o f Jesus Christ.” v. 35. First—shall he last. “ Two para doxes. The lowest is the. highest. The ser vant is the chief, to sink is the way to rise ; to serve is the way to rule.”—“Until this rule governs all society and pulls up ambi tion, domination and pride o f place by the roots, society will groan under its ills.” —“The branches that bear the most fruit hang the lowest.” v. 36. He took a child. “For other instances o f Christ’s treatment of children, see 10:15; Luke 10:21; 17:2 ; Matt. 21:16.” —“ The child’s dependence ; ignorance, afflic tion, ^.deathr^these things teach us ever more.”—“ The apostle put away child-ish things, not child-like things.”—Parker. v. 38. John answered him. “ He was uneasy -when he remembered, in the light o f what Jesus had just said, what they had done, and he states the case to Christ. Possibly the man silenced was one such a child, and deserved better treatment.”— Forbade him—he followeth not us. “There spake the spirit of ecclesiastical intoler ance, which in all ages has masqueraded as zeal for Christ and taken ‘following us’ and ‘following Him’ to be the same thing.” —Maclaren. “ I f ‘in thy name’ (v. 37) so sanctified deeds, perhaps this unattached worker who by it could cast out demons
was ‘a little one’.”—“ Unattached workers have always been bugbears to sticklers for ecclesiastical uniformity, yet not seldom, they have been the life o f Christianity.” v. 39. Forbid not. “We are only to for bid those who speak evil o f Christ; to all others we are to extend patient forbear ance and guidance.”— “Christ’s Grace is not entirely tied to the visible church.”—“ The Lord knoweth them that are His, however they are dispersed.”—“Beware being car ried away by an excess o f zeal for the unity o f the church, to oppose that which may tend to the enlargement o f the church in another way.”—“ The spiritual gifts of tjje laity ought to be fully developed and utilized for the good o f the church and the clergy ought tp welcome, not be jealous o f their help.”—Dummelow. “ The success o f the man’s ministry, proved the genuine ness o f his faith.” v. 40. Not against—on owr part. Com pare with, “ He that is not with me is against -me.”—“ The two sayings are not contradictory, but complete each other. They apply to different classes o f persons and common sense has to determine their application. This man must have believed in Jesus, for his deeds proved the power o f the name.”—Henry. “The principle must be limited by Matt. 12:30 else it degener ates into lazy indifference'. Matt. 12:30 must be limited by this principle else it will narrow sympathies and cramp the develop ment o f life.”—“ The rule in Matthew is for judging ourselves; the rule here is for judging others. I f we are not sure that others are against Him we must treat them as being on His side. If we are not sure that we are on Christ’s side, we have reason to fear we are against Him.”— Plummer.
“MY GIRLS” By Mrs. H. J. Baldwin.
T ATHAT becomes o f a girl who isn’t is to get the very most possible out o f your * * ambitious 7, One never gets farther course so that you may be better equipped in life than their ideal. For you to resolve to serve the world it is commendable. If to lead your class may be commendable or your desire is solely to be first and to force it may be very unworthy. I f your desire all others beneath you, it is despisable.
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