The Lord says, He that receiveth you, receiveth me. spirit which leads him to admit the ambassador of the king, shows that he honours the king who commissions the ambassador. And still more, "he that honoureth the Son, honoureth the Father also." "For the Father loveth the Son, and hath delivered all things into his hands;" so that whosoever receiveth the Son, receiveth Him also who sent the Son: makes the best return he can to that mercy which has "given repentance" to a sinful world. 2

We are told, for example, that at Philippi where Paul and Silas were preaching the Gospel," "a certain woman named Lydia attended unto the things And when she was which were spoken of Paul. baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there.

constrained us."

And she

What excited her to this hospitality? It might endanger her interests: and the historian's word, she constrained us, shows that the apostles feared as much. But she must have reasoned within herself; These are the servants of him, who "loved me, and gave himself for me." If I showed no kindness to the messengers, could I truly prize the message? If I neglected the servant, could I esteem the lord? And therefore she constrained the apostles: "Come into my house, and abide there."

It must be, however, as God's ministers, that they were received. A prophet's presence might be desired for other reasons than reverence for the prophet's master. As when Saul entreated Samuel, *

? John v. 23.

Acts xvi. 14-16.

4 1 Sam. xv. 30.

"Honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God." There was nothing in such a spirit to deserve a blessing. So that the Lord proceeds:

41. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

42. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

The prophet must be received in the name of a prophet, i. e. because he is a prophet. Some might entertain the apostles, because they looked for miraculous assistance from them. If the widow of Zarephath, who received the prophet Elijah, had received him only that her barrel of meal and her cruise of oil might not fail, she might have been wise in her generation, and have had her reward here; but she would not have had a prophet's reward in heaven. If Lot had received the strangers in Sodom only that he might ensure their support against the people of the city, he would not have been commended as one who "entertained angels unawares.'

" 6

So when we apply this passage practically to our own days, we cannot avoid seeing that various motives may cause a disciple of Christ now to be received with favour. The disciples of Christ may appear to be, as they really are, those who can be 6 Heb. xiii. 2.

1 Kings xvii. 10.

best depended on in the business of the world. They may be, as relatives, those who are most disinterested and self-denying. They may prove, as teachers of religion, those who best maintain order in their neighbourhoods, and most successfully repress such vices as are injurious to the comfort of society. For all these reasons they are valuable; and for all these reasons they may be valued. But meanwhile they may not be valued on account of the motives which produce these qualities. They may be despised, rather than esteemed, as disciples of Christ. They may be deemed mistaken and enthusiastic in their principles, even while it is acknowledged that those principles make them useful to others. Our Lord, therefore, who "knew what was in man," distinguishes between this favour, which is of the world, worldly; and the favour which arises from sympathy with the feeling and principles of Christians. A cup of cold water shall not be without recompense, when it is given in the name of a disciple; that is, as explained by St. Mark, given "because they belong to Christ."7

This love to the faithful followers of Christ, because they are his followers, is always a characteristic of the sincere Christian; and is felt by him in proportion as he is really a lover of his Saviour. One whose faith is weak, or cold, or doubtful, has a sort of latent dislike towards those who are more evidently advanced "in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ." One whose faith is active and ardent, finds himself drawn by an instinctive feeling

7

7 Mark xi. 41.

towards all those who are animated by the same spirit.

It is a good test by which to try ourselves. St. John has proposed it, when he writes, "Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him." Every one that loveth the Father, loveth also the children. Men are dear to us in proportion as they are dear to our friends. Jonathan had been dear to David. And long after the death of Jonathan, David said, "Is there any yet that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" 8 When our Lord, from his cross, said to his beloved disciple, "Behold thy mother!" 9 he knew that he was imposing upon him a duty which affection would make delightful. "And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home." And it is a question by which we may judge concerning the bent of our own hearts, Are we disposed to receive men with favour, esteem, and affection, in proportion as we believe that they are "one with Christ, and Christ is one with them?" 9 Sam. ix. 1.

7 1 John v. 1.

9 John xix. 26.

LECTURE XLIX.

ANSWER TO JOHN'S DISCIPLES.

MATT. xi. 1-6.

1. And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

2. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

3. And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

"Herod had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Therefore Herodias had would have killed him,

a quarrel against him; and but could not."

:

1

Whilst he was thus lying in prison, his disciples showed him the miracles which they had seen Jesus perform and especially how at Nain he had raised the only son of a widow from the bier on which they were carrying him to the grave, and delivered him to his mother. Perhaps they wondered, how he who had raised this man from the dead, did not ex

1 Mark vi. 17-19.

2 This appears from St. Luke's narrative. vii. 11-18.