He was accessible, and that at every hour He poured forth His precious gifts. She made her abode in the house of his favourite disciple. O what a house was that which contained two such inmates. What household prayer was that which arose at morn and eve to the Lord of Life and Glory, from her who had borne Him in her arms, and from him who had lain with his head in His bosom. Who shall appreciate the love and the fervour of such worshippers? Did not these two meet together, indeed, in His name? His very looks, and words, and acts, of love were before them, not read and sought for apprehension by a straining and continually eluded imagination as they are with us, but fixed deep in their memory, as in that of eye-witnesses and hearers with their own Thus was brought home to their hearts, with an intensity which we cannot conceive, the love of the Lover of Mankind, who poured out His blood before their eyes for man's sake. By Him, in the last moments of that blood-shedding, they had been brought together, and their Church of home cemented. A blessed privilege this! to have the affections even of the natural heart, and not of the spiritual only, fixed where they ever should be.

ears.

Mary was childless (for the brethren of Jesus seem to have been cousins), and probably a widow in this latter period of her life. This condition would of itself have entitled her to marks of consideration from the Church, which so tenderly provided for even the temporal comfort of the widow; and what widow ever brought with her such a fulfilment of the requisites for which it called? Was she not "well

And

reported of for good works," who had followed her son to His very cross? Had not she 66 brought up children," who had became childless by the shedding of the blood by which the Church had been sanctified and redeemed? Had she not "washed the saints' feet," " relieved the afflicted," and done every work of the labour of love; who had borne, who had brought up, who had followed Him that demeaned Himself to wash His disciples' feet, that gave sight to the blind, healed the sick, and went about doing good, and assured the whole world of His love by laying down His life for it? With what a large heart I would the Church receive such a widow--with what overflowing bounty, with what deep reverence. was there ever shown a proof of such exceeding meekness, when with all this dignity thrown around her, she furnished no matter for history. The failing of her namesake, Miriam, has not been concealed 2; would her's too have passed unmentioned, had she disclosed any working of the jealousy of vanity or ambition? She knew, indeed, what spirit she was of. Submitting herself to the Apostles of her Son's appointment, yea, even to the elders elected by them, she walked in the ways of her Blessed Son with all humility, and in cheerful acquiescence with the rule of his disciples. She was content to receive His Word from them, to take the symbols of His remembrance from their hands, to await their time and intervention for the communication of His gifts. mother of the Lord worked out her salvation with fear and trembling.

The

1 1 Tim. v. 10.

2 Numb. xii.

To all mothers she is an object of deep contemplation. To her example they may look, and sanctify every part of their duty. They may strive to win some portion of her blessedness by becoming mothers of sons of God, bringing up their children in His holy ways, and seeing them increase in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. In resignation cheerful as hers, they may surrender them to the perilous service of profitable ministry discharged, through the grace of His help, to the world; may behold their painful trials, may even witness the end of their course, and hear the last exclamation of their agony, “Lord Jesus, into thy hands I commend my spirit." And in having given in a child a saint to the Church, they may be comforted with that peace which passeth all understanding. Blessed are they, and of a blessed company, at the head of which stands she who sang forth in her prophetic hymn, "From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."

NICODEMUS.

A. D. 31.

THE spirituality of the Gospel was the grand stumbling-block to the Jews. Not even the testimony of miracles could recommend it to them. They ought to have judged of the doctrine from the works. But they judged the works from the doctrine which they had condemned already, and imputed them to Beelzebub. As usual in malicious accusations, they who were so ready to impute, were most of all in fault. The mind, when prepossessed by any strong inward principle, is proof against all outward evidence which is not in accordance with it. The inward spirit makes no use of the outward senses, and is as if it belonged not to the body, and had usurped possession. Such a spirit was the extreme carnality of the Jews. Thus possessed, they would neither hear nor see at least, hearing, they would not understand, and seeing, they would not be convinced. The prophecy of Isaiah was completely fulfilled in them, and our Lord both experienced and announced its completion.

This was the state of the great body of the Jews.

But there were many illustrious exceptions, as we know from the number of the members of the Church of Jerusalem. These were mostly of humble rank. Two believers only are mentioned by name in the Gospel as belonging to the higher ranks, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea; and they, during our Lord's ministry at least, did not venture upon open profession. It is interesting to investigate the circumstances of the singular situation of these persons, and the greater knowledge which Scripture gives us respecting Nicodemus, points him out as the more proper subject of this research.

From his Greek name we may infer either that he was a Hellenist, that is, a Jew born and bred among the Greeks, or that his father was one of that lax class of native Jews which affected the Greek manners, learning, and language. The first supposition is improbable, from his high rank and consideration at Jerusalem, which would scarcely be attained by a despised provincial. The latter is probable from the high favour in which that class was held by Herod and his Roman successors. The foreign party was naturally promoted by these foreign rulers to all situations of rank, wealth, and power. Presuming upon this latter inference, we shall find something commendable in Nicodemus at the very first. He was not brought up either in very strict religious notions, or with any high national feeling, yet when he came to choose the party by which he meant to abide, (a choice which, if we may judge from Josephus, the Jewish youth was left to make for him

1 Vit. 2.