then," they said, "can be saved?" But He never bought adherents by worldly means, and never sought to gather into His kingdom those who were not with it in heart. His success was not to be judged by numbers. It is pleasant to see great numbers gathering round the standard, but quality is more than quantity. Those who gather themselves around Christ must be strong men who have trusted Him, who have entered by the strait gate, and who have left behind them all other grounds of trust. The gate was not broad enough to admit the rich young ruler with his burden of wealth; there was room only for the soul, and so he was left outside. Jesus Christ looked forward to the time when men should say, "Lord, Lord," and enter in this way the portals of the Church visible, but into the Church invisible none could pass save those who had His spirit.

We are taught also that sin does not shut the door, and that morality does not open it. The Samaritan woman entered before the rich young ruler; publicans and harlots entered before Pharisees. Why? Because they were forlorn, because they had nothing else to lean on, and therefore leant hard on Christ. The rich young ruler had

respectability and riches. He was not sure if they were able to sustain him, and yet he would not take the risk of quitting them for Christ, and so he is shut out. He went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. The woman of Samaria entered that door which is open to the wretched and the guilty, for the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

CHAPTER XII.

Christ's replies to His Enemies.

"Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.”

When the pitcher falls on the stone, woe to the pitcher; when the stone falls on the pitcher, woe to the pitcher; whatever befalls, woe to the pitcher."-THE TALMUD.

WE

E cannot fully estimate Christ, unless we see Him as He was when He was put upon His defence. How did He meet His enemies? The subtlest intellects in the country opposed Him-who outwardly was nothing more than a poor peasant, who had never learned. We know how He could speak when He had time and opportunity to prepare Himself. How does He answer when He is attacked suddenly?

On one occasion He was assailed in succession by different classes of His enemies. First of all, the elders and chief priests asked Him by what authority He did His works. They hoped to entangle Him, believing that in whatever way He answered He would find Himself in a dilemma.

He replied by putting another question, “The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men?” They found themselves puzzled now, for if they admitted the baptism to be from heaven, then they would acknowledge Christ's claims; and if they denied its heavenly origin, they would find themselves in collision with the people, who reverenced John as a prophet. They took refuge in a cowardly silence: "We cannot tell." Then said He, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." At first sight it seems strange that He should fail to give a clear response to any question about His authority. These men were the appointed rulers of the people, and, apparently in the strict line of duty in making such an inquiry. And, besides, there is something that at least resembles evasion in the reply-an apparent want of openness and candor. Any difficulty of that sort in the sayings of Christ is well worth examining, for it always covers a large principle, just as precious metal is found in the hardest rocks. The answer was what it was because the question was dishonest. He tears away the veil from the question, and makes them see what it really was. He shows them that they knew, or might know, that the question had been put dis

honestly, and therefore did not deserve a reply. Putting the question in that spirit, they could have no answer. There are certain attitudes of mind which shut the mouth of Christ, and there are difficulties which, professing to be intellectual, are in reality moral. This was one of them. For, first of all, their minds were already made up. They had come to the fixed conclusion that Christ was not from heaven; and though they were putting questions, they never meant to believe the answer, if it did not square with their preconceived notions. And so it is in vain for any one to investigate Christianity with a foregone conclusion. Many a one begins the search into the claims of religious truth fully resolved in his own mind that he never will become an old-fashioned Christian; and to such a one the mouth of Christ is shut. They never intended to believe in Him and do His commandments. They had habits and ways of life which allegiance to Him would rudely break up; but such an allegiance it never entered their minds to render. So many a one begins to investigate Christianity while his life is ruled by habits directly contrary to Christianity, and it needs no prophet to foretell that such an investigation will lead to no result.