In the fourteenth chapter of Matthew, we have three wonderful scenes brought before us by the graphic pen of the inspired writer. A fitting sequence to the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven revealed in the thirteenth chapter is this fourteenth chapter ; bringing before us as it does the pathway to be trodden by those who in reality belong to the kingdom. Notice these three scenes, we have,-

First, a palace and a dance, connected with a murder and a burial, (10:1-12.)

Second, a desert and a famine, followed by a feast. (10:13-21.)

Third, a mountain and a stormy sea, followed by a great calm. (10:22-36.)

In all, there is one central figure-Jesus.

We find in the first scene John the Baptist sealing his mission with his death. He was the forerunner of the blessed Lord, and now that Jesus had come, and fully taken His place, God must have Him as the center. There could not be two centers, and John the Baptist passes off the scene by a martyr's death, to receive a martyr's crown. And who could have chosen better for that faithful witness of Christ? A faithful Enoch of the early days of the world's apostasy "walked with God" right into heaven. An Elijah, "man of God," a faithful witness in the days of Israel's apostasy, was rolled triumphantly into heaven in the chariot of fire. And for this rugged, stern, and uncompromising forerunner of Christ was reserved the signal honor of being the last martyr before the "Great Martyr" gave Himself " for the life of the world " that slew Him. John the Baptist, the last of the old ; Stephen-that grand witness, the first of the new ; between them, the Christ, the Son of God ! Oh, what greater honor could servants of God have than this ? And in these days of latitudinarianism, how these examples should stir our hearts, that we might be, at all costs, true and faithful witnesses for Christ!

But notice the result. The disciples of John bury his dead body, "and went and told Jesus." Their leader is taken away. His dead body they put out of sight, and for them henceforth there is one Leader, one Center -the living Jesus.

Oh, brethren, is there not a voice in this for us ? Has not God been saying to us, in a way that we cannot but understand, " No center but Jesus" ? " He will not give His glory to another." Let us therefore, each one, examine ourselves in the light of God's presence as to this. Brethren, is it a reality that Christ, and Christ alone, is the object of our hearts,-that His glory is the aim of our service,-that His coming is the hope of our souls,-that He is the pole-star of our lives-our Center-our "all in all"? May we be able truthfully to say and sing,-

" From various cares my heart retires,
Though deep and boundless its desires,
I've now to please but One.
Him before whom each knee shall bow,-
With Him is all my business now,
And those who are His own."
But we must look a moment at the palace and the dance. In this we have a picture of the world in its glory and its pleasure, guilty of the blood of the servant of God :a true picture of this world under condemnation, being guilty of the murder of God's Son.

In the second scene (10:13-21) we have another picture of the world. A desert, and a multitude of famishing people, with Jesus and His little company . of disciples ministering to them. If in the first scene we have our separation from the world, in this we get our service to the world. When we are brought to Christ, the world changes for us from a palace and a dance to a desert and multitudes of starving people.

The disciples come to the Lord with the wretched selfish cry of unbelief that is so common to the natural heart, "Send the multitude away;" and the Lord turns upon them with "They need not depart. Give ye them to eat." He does not say, I will give them to eat. He puts the disciples in their place of responsibility and privilege-"Give ye." But again the cry of unbelief comes out, "We have here but five loaves and two fishes; " and again grace triumphs over unbelief, and the way of service is shown :" Bring them hither to Me." He takes what they have, blesses it, and then breaks it, having first made the multitude to sit down, so that they could be conveniently served. Then He hands the broken bread to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. " And they did all eat, and were filled ; and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full."

Is not the lesson plain ? Have we not said, " Send the multitude away"? 'Have we not both thought and said, "We have so little, that it could be of no use "? and thus left Christ out. Brethren, let us take what we have, little though it be, and bring it to Christ. Notice the order :First, " He took." So let us yield ourselves to Him. His word to us to-day is, "They need not depart. Give ye them to eat." O brethren, let there be a wholehearted surrender of ourselves and all we have to the Lord. Let Him " take " us.

Second, " He blessed." And that always follows if we yield ourselves to Him. He will consecrate, " fill our hands full,"-He will bless us and make us a blessing.

Third, " He brake." And now comes the old pathway of the cross. Euclid once said to the son of a king, " There is no royal road to learning," and there is no royal path to service for the sons of God. How slow we are to recognize that it is the broken vessel God uses for His glory! The old pathway is laid down in 2 Cor. 4:6-12. If it is life for others, it must be death working in us. If we serve the Lord, let us follow Him. The corn of wheat must die to bring forth fruit (Jno. 12:24-26). The measure of suffering is the measure of patience, and the measure of patience is the measure of power, and the measure of power is the measure of blessing. (See 2 Cor. 6:4 ; Col. 1:2 ; 2 Cor. 1:4-6.)

This is the divine order. Oh what natural thoughts we have as to God's service often ! Natural ability and intelligence are not to be despised. "He gave to each man according to his several ability," but they are not to be built on. When Paul became a fool in glorying, the two things he mentions especially are his sufferings and his revelations. The more we are broken, the more we can be used to feed others ; and the more we are used to others, the more fragments are there to gather up. This is divine arithmetic, not human. May the Lord enable us to comprehend it, and live in the power of it for His glory and the blessing of others. Around us are the multitudes to-day. And the Lord is ever ready to command them to sit down. Brethren, are we ready to obey His word, " Give ye them to eat" ? Are we ready to yield ourselves to Him, for Him "to take," "to bless," and " to break "? Thus only can we feed these multitudes of perishing souls. May we be aroused to our privileges and responsibilities.

The last scene gives us a picture of the Church in the world, and the necessary discipline we pass through. Doubtless the Lord sent His disciples on that dark and stormy sea that they might learn to have fellowship with Him in " His compassion." They were to learn compassion for others by being put in a place where they needed it for themselves. In it all we have a blessed picture of the Church sent through the stormy sea, with her blessed Savior in the glory interceding and caring for her, and coming, in the time of trouble and sorrow, to end forever her weeping. And have we not in Peter a little remnant, knowing His coming, going to Him on the troubled waters in obedience to His word ? And have we not seen the waves, and our faith almost failed us ? and is not our cry even now going up, " Lord save ! or we perish" ? But let us be of good comfort. His hand is stretched forth to hold us, and in "a little while "-oh, how short! – we shall " come with Him into the land whither we journey." And we can say,-

' My bark is wafted from the strand
By breath divine,
And on the helm there rests a hand
Other than mine.

" One who was known in storms to sail
I have on board :
Amid the roaring of the gale
I have my Lord.

" He holds me when the billows smite :
I shall not fall
If sharp, 'tis short ; if long, 'tis light :
He tempers all.

" Safe to the land ! safe to the land !
The end is this ;
And then with Him go hand in hand
Far into bliss."

J. J. Sims