256 church. Mary manifested the needed foresight. She seized the opportunity presented to her. We can always do good, but there are occasions, such as this, which come but once in a life time. ■ Thank G.od, there are yet blessed Marys in the world, sitting at His feet, drinking in His life, learning His will and pouring out upon Him the sacrificial offering of unbounded love. PRACTICAL, POINTS (1) Pious P h a r i s e e s have never . changed. They are always play ing' the pious game. (2) Ecclesiastical politicians can make merry over the most dastardly deeds. (3) Bethany, the beautiful! The home of the homeless Christ! (4) Mary, the friend of Jesus, has made fragrant the centuries by her devoted deeds. (5) Nothing is too good to lay at the feet of God. (6) The test of devotion is not tith ing, but the bestowing of the best. (7) He who is worthy of our worship, is worthy of our all. (8) The cold, calculating, selfish spirit of a Judas is found in many who are not Jews. (9) We can all perfume His person by deeds of devotion in His name. m Subject Illustration. — When Mr. Moody was asked what was the se cret of his success, he usually said, “Get up and go ;to work’’ for work was one cause of his LESSON great achievement. ILLUSTRATION On one occasion he W. H. Pike. replied in answer to this question, “My friends are the secret of my success.” But Moody’s greatest friend was the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I com mand you.” A great merchant in
T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S America was asked what was the se cret of his success, and he replied, “I had a friend.” We may all have the Great Friend. Bible Illustration. — Abraham is called the Friend of God. What a pic ture in Genesis 18 of Abraham sitting in front of his tent and the three angels visiting him. One of them was the Angel of Jehovah or the Lord Jesus manifested in another way to Abraham. Jonathan and David are a beautiful il lustration of friendship. 1 Sam. 20. Someone has said that every king has a great, close friend with whom he coun sels and advises. What a privilege to have Jesus for such a friend. Different Kinds of Friends.—No doubt Lazarus and Martha were friends B Jesus as well as Mary, but they were not as sympathetic friends. Three min isters were, discussing Mary and Martha , one day. One of them asked, “Which would you have chosen?” and one re plied, “Martha, because she could cook a good meal.” The other answered, “I would have chosen Mary because she had a loving, affectionate disposition.” Then the two turned to the third and asked, “Which one would you have chosen?” .He replied, “Martha before dinner and Mary after dinner,” showing that a true friend is one who sympath izes as well as serves. The only one to sympathize with Jesus in His coming suffering was Mary. “She ha;th done this unto My burying.” Friendship Tested.—We have all had friends made during the time of pleas ure and when the trials of life came they failed. Friends made in business have failed us in the time of business crises. Friends made in school have failed us when we became unpopular because we stood for some principle of righteousness. But the Lord Jesus has never failed one of His friends. A friend of mine told me he went to a friend who was a banker and told him his need. He said, ■“If I do not have
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