In the Cloud of Witnesses.

When the judgment-seat of Christ completes "the cloud of witnesses " mentioned in Heb. ii, there are two in New Testament times which will surely shine in a peculiar way. One is the woman in Simon's house, at Bethany. Her act as related in Mark 14 is so appreciated by the Lord that He says, "Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her" (ver. 9).

The philanthropists are there to find fault with her act, of course. All they know is the utilitarianism which ministers to man's present comfort, and what this woman has done is a "waste" in their estimation. She has in a brief moment spent a large amount on what seems to profit none.

But this woman has seen in Christ the philanthropy of God-that philanthropy which indeed affects this life too; which turns drunkards into sober men without efforts of their own; makes the covetous empty out their treasures with the right hand and with the left; transforms the dissolute into holy men; delivers the heathen from the degradation of falling before stocks and stones, and sets the captives of Satan free. It does all this, and much more which no human philanthropy can do; but even that is but little compared with what it does beyond this life; for, after all, this life is but a brief space; its joys and sorrows are soon over. It is in the life to come, the eternal one, that the philanthropy of God shines out in all its brilliancy; and this woman has had a glimpse of it. She realizes what the cost of this philanthropy is to the Man of heaven who sits at Simon's board. Her faith has read the blessedness of sin forgiven and the sinner set free; but it has also read the sorrows of the Saviour in providing "so great a salvation" for her- for sinners. She has discovered the depths of His love in this. It has produced responsive love in her own bosom, and she now expresses it-expresses it in a scene where it finds only reproach.

It is easy to be brave when all applaud. This women tells out her heart at a time when, and in a place where, it excites murmuring.

Child of God, let the witness in this woman urge its like in you and me. The scene we are in is the same as the one she was in. The expenditure of devotedness to Christ still is called a waste, whether in time, talent, position, or money. So strong is the human current against all which has Christ for its central object, and therefore must have in its philanthropy the entire and eternal welfare of man, that unless God's people abide in Christ and are ruled by the word of God, they will be carried away with it too:they will value things according to man's judgment, and not God's. What a loss this will be found to be at the judgment-seat of Christ! There, what this woman did in Simon's house will still be told.

The other witness is the thief on the cross, told in Luke 23:40-42. There were many voices heard in that awful scene. High and low, priest and soldier, Pharisee and rabble, all are heard, and one mind rules them all-they are one and all against Jesus:they all accuse Him. Alone, that thief's voice is raised in justification of Him. He rebukes his former companion in sin; he condemns himself; he justifies the Man whom every one condemns; he appeals to Him for mercy when the day of His power and glory has come; he crowns Him King when all crucify Him.
Blessed witness! worthy indeed of a place in that "great cloud," for already in Holy Writ has he "obtained a good report through faith."

Faithfulness.

"Perhaps," said a Christian lady to another, "I should go sometimes with my husband to places of pleasure where he wants me to go with him. I might in that way have more influence over him to win him to Christ."

"God can bless only our faithfulness," replied the other.

This gave warning and revived courage in the tried wife; and who knows what a long, painful downward course it may have prevented ?

Addressing wives in similar trial, the Scriptures say, "Be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the Word, they also may without the Word be won by the conversation (behavior) of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear" (i Peter 3:i, 2).

How easily may one who is suffering in such a matter interpret such a passage as license to deviate from the narrow path-to do evil that good may come! Those who do this not only miss the object they propose to themselves, but their own soul goes down, and, proportionately, every fruit of the Spirit.

Let such wives fulfil faithfully their duties to their husbands, while fulfilling no less faithfully what they owe to their Saviour and Lord, and they will find that this is what God owns and blesses.

"Christian Science."

A leading "Christian Scientist " in a Western city, recently, having to face the fact that Mrs. Eddy had died, remarked, in pathetic tones, " I do not yet understand how Mrs. Eddy could make such a sad failure."

Poor woman, she could not see the wrinkles on her own face, nor the gray hairs on her own head- faithful witnesses before all that she herself was on the way to the same "sad failure."

How fearfully true every word of God proves itself to be! Of them who have "not received the love of the truth, that they might be saved," it says, "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (2 Thess. 2:11).