LECTURE LXVII.

LOWLINESS OF MIND.

MARK X. 41-45.

41. And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.

These, they thought, had taken an undue advantage of the favour which on several occasions had been shown towards them, and sought a preference to which they were not entitled. It is the bad effect of self-love on one side, that it excites the same feeling on another. As St. James has written, "From whence come wars and fightings amongst you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members ?" Of the evil desires which are fostered in your hearts? This case is an example. A lust of being " accounted greatest," a desire of rising above their brethren, induced the two apostles to ask a special favour. Their indulgence of an evil ambition leads to another bad passion in the rest, and excites their jealousy and envy.

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The axe must be laid to the root of those affections, which arise out of the love of this present world, and are contrary to the whole spirit of the gospel.

42. But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them: and their great ones exercise authority upon them.

43. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:

44. And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

45. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

The Gentile and the Christian have different objects before them. The Gentile makes the most of this world; for he knows of no other. The Christian seeks not the things that are seen, and are temporal, but the things that are not seen, and are eternal. Therefore, on a former occasion, when condemning anxiety and care, our Lord had used the example of the Gentiles as that which Christians "After all these things, must avoid, not follow. these worldly advantages, "do the Gentiles seek. But your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." And now when he censures ambition and self-love, he again uses the same example. The princes of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them. Their greatness depends upon the subjection of others, and they delight in supreme authority. But so shall it not be among you. Your conduct must differ from theirs, as widely as your objects in the world are different. They desire the admiration of men. Your object is to be approved of God. They are "of this generation:" ye are citizens of a kingdom which is not of this world.

2 Matt. vi. 32.

Therefore, as your principles are not the same, neither must your conduct be the same. They know that in proportion as they "do well unto themselves," they will have honour one of another: but ye should know that in proportion as ye humble yourselves, "in honour preferring one another," ye will obtain "the honour which cometh from God." Whosoever will be great among you, and hold a high place in the kingdom of God, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be chiefest, shall be servant of all. He that is most useful to others, and he that seeks least for himself, shall be nearest to me on my throne.

The apostles were enabled in their future course to live after this principle. We read no more of contention or strife amongst them, which should be "accounted greatest." And the history which is most particularly detailed, the life of St. Paul, abounds in examples of concession to others, and of personal self-abasement. Though in labours more abundant than they all, yet he spoke of himself as "least of all, who was not meet to be called an apostle ;"— he who "had been a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious." Instead of claiming dominion, or exercising lordship over the congregations to which he ministered, he made himself servant of all, their servant for Jesus' sake." He appeals to the Thessalonians, as witnesses to his moderation. "We sought not glory of men," he says, "neither of you, nor of others, when we might have been burthensome as the apostles of Christ.

But we were

gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her

31 Cor. xv. 9.

41 Cor. ix. 19.

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children. For ye remember our labour and travail; for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable to any of you, we preached unto you the Gospel of Christ." In the like spirit St. Peter exhorts the elders amongst them to "feed the flock of God, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind: neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock." Thus, he says, "I exhort the elders, I who am myself an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ." As if the words of our Lord were then present to his mind as he wrote, who had recommended this humility and self-denial by his own example; and said, For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Had the Son of man come as the Jews expected and desired, to sit like David on an earthly throne, and to make of Israel a great nation, he would have been ministered unto: not by a few simple women, who "sat at his feet and heard his word;" but by lords and princes ready to do his pleasure and obey his will. But he "made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a servant;" and so gave an example of meekness and self-denial, s uchas no man can ever imitate, when he left the bosom of his Father and the glory which he had before the world was, and "came in the likeness of man:" came too, with "no beauty that the world should desire him," with none of that state and power which men are inclined to honour: nay,

5 Thess. ii. 6-10.

61 Pet v. 1-3.

submitted unto death, "even the death of the cross," that he might give his life a ransom for many.

With this example before their eyes, can there be contention among Christians, who shall be accounted greatest? Can there be strife and vain glory, each desiring to out-strip the other in the race of vanity, or supplant him in the competition of self-interest? If he, their "Lord and master," humbled himself even to the lowest depth, consented to be "numbered with the transgressors," that he might redeem them for the yoke of sin, shall not "the same mind be in them, which was also in Christ Jesus?" Shall they not "be clothed with humility, and submit themselves one to another in the fear of God?"

LECTURE LXVIII.

BARTIMÆUS HEALED OF BLINDNESS.

MARK X. 46-52.

46. And they came to Jericho and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timæus, sat by the highway side begging.

47. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.