The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-08-21

reply or Peter to the Lord was Il love
Thee" while Johns constant description
Of himself was, ''The disciple whom Jesus
loved" May we not learn, therefore, of
the apprehension Of Jesus love for us in
stead of being occupied with out poor, fit
full, fickering life, for He is that which
will give greatest JOY to the soul. The
exhortation of the Scriptures is 'rKeep
yourself in the love of God" In Mary we
discover these elements properly COM
bincd. Tracing her history we find that
Jesus had delivered her from an awful
bondage. Nov, when Jesus was risen
early the first day of the week He APP
peared first to Mary Magdalene, out of
whom He had cast seven devils" Mark
Is: 9. Truly she might realize the words
of Hezekiah, Isaiah 38: II, Behold for
peace | had great bitterness, but Thou
hast in love to my soul delivered it from
the pit of corruption: for Thou hast cast
all my sins behind Thy back" Marginal
reading, Thou hast loved up my soul
being so much forgiven she loved much.
That is, Jesus love was the source and
her love was the inevitable result There
are some elements of Mary's love which
ought to be studied here.
(a) The vision of angels did not terrify
her. In Matthew's gospel the angels re-
assured the woman by saying 'Fear not"
as they were afraid, but with Mary she
was too completely filled with thoughts
sight of angels. Undoubtedly she was abb
solutely forgetful of her physical weakness,
for she said to Him whom she supposed to
be the gardener, "Sir, if Thou have borne
Him hence, tell me where Thou hast laid
Him, and [ will take Him away" How
would it have been possible for her to
handle the body of one who was dead,
and yet doubtless she would have found
way. 1t is certainly true that intense de-
votion to the Lord takes away every
thought Of the burden of service, and those
who have an absorbing love for Christ
may perform deeds which would be inn
possible under ordinary circumstances
There are three people whom we may re-
member as representing the three graces,
faith, hope and love; Mary, of Bethany,
who believed that He was to be crucifed
and buried, anointed His body for the BIZ
rial, showing her faith; the penitent thief
upon the cross expected that Christ
would come in His kingdom, revealing
His hope, but this Mary Magdalene is a
beautiful representation of love-
We find again in this story an illustra-
ton of the fact that fears and sorrows of
believers are often quite needless. We
are told that Mary stood at the sepulcher
weeping as if nothing could comfort her.
The angels spoke to her and still she
wept. The Lord Himself addressed her
saying, "Why weepest thou?" and the
burden of her complaint was always the
same, "They have taken away my Lord
and [ know not where they have laid
Him." and yet all this time her risen
Master was close to her. Her tears,
therefore, were needless, and her sorrow
was groundless Doubtless Mary failed to
recognize Jesus.
First-Because she was not expecting
Him, and SO we often miss our choicest
blessings for want of looking for them,
and have doubtless mistaken them when
right before us, but doubtless, also, she
failed to recognize Him because of the
fact that it was hardly light in the morn
ing, and she saw Him but dimly. Thus
again she is an illustration of ourselves
as we behold Him, not so much face to
face as we realize His presence with the
heart. Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God," and yet what
thoughtful Christian can fail to see that
we have a picture of many believers
experience. How often we are anxious
when there is no cause for anxiety How
frequently we mourn about the absence
of things which are really within our
grasp. Two-thirds of the things we fear
in life never happen at all, and many of
the tears we shed are shed in vain. If
Mary had found the seal of the tomb I'M
broken she might we'll have wept The
very absence Of the body which made her
weep was token for good and cause of
joy for herself and for all mankind.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary! She
turned herself and saith unto Him, Rab-
boni which is to say, Master" The way
in which Mary addresses her Lord is most
significant. 1t is a term often applied to
Him and always wisely. In Matthew %:
s, we read. "For one is your Master, even
Christ" 1t will be a happy day for the
church when we yield to the mastery of
Jesus Christ. 1t is true that men are fire.
quently Indifferent to this claim, as, for
example. in Matthew 26 %, "Then Jul
das. (which betrayed Him, answered and
said, Master, is it [? He said unto him.
Thou hast said" Many man has claimed
to yield to the mastery of Christ and yet
has betrayed Him by an inconsistent life,
CT again in Matthew %: 40, when Judas
says yet again, Hail, Master! and kissed
Him." There can be no baser betrayal
than that which comes from the heart of
friend, who claims to be a Christian and
not to be such. To say that you belong
to Christ and yet to deny Him with your
life is an awful thing, and shall merit one
day the severest condemnation of Christ
Himself. There are many places in the
New Testament where L find that He is
called Master, in addition to the one in
the text, but three of them I should like
specially to emphasize.
First-Luke II: Is. and they lifted up
their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have
mercy on u.s." This is a picture of the
lepers as Jesus passes through the midst
of Samaria and Galilee, and is an illus
tration for all who would be freed from
their bondage. They are hopeless and
helpless, dead, according to the law and
cast out from the presence of men accord
ing to the Scriptures. Luke II: IA, "And
when He saw them He said unto them
Go show yourselves unto the priests And
it came to pass, that, as they went, they
were cleansed." Let it ever be remembered
that as they went they were cleansed
God never gives us more light than we use
nor more freedom than we will practice.
One has only to walk toward the light and
to set his face toward Christ to be seen
rejoicing in all the glorious liberty of the
sons of God. In Jesus leprosy has met its
conqueror, and that for which leprosy
stands, namely, sin, its mightiest foe.
Second-Luke 5: 5, "And Simon answer
ing said unto Him, Master, we have
toiled all the night, and have taken moth
ing; nevertheless at Thy word [ will let
down the net" The disciples are fishing
and all the night they have toiTed and
taken nothing, but the Master makes