We often wonder that the disciples put such poor meanings upon our Lord's words, but I fear we are almost as far off as they were from fully comprehending all His gracious teachings. It were well if the spirit of progress would enter into our faith, so that we felt within our souls that we had never beheld the innermost glory of the Lord's words of grace. Of course they mean so much, but we cannot allow that they intend more. One of Israel as to the meaning of His words. We called him at last 'Finality John,' for he was always coming to an ultimatum, and taking for his motto 'Rest, and be thankful.' Into that style Christian people too frequently drop with regard to the promises of God. Is not that the way with many of us? We had a statesman once, and a good man too, who loved reform but whenever he had accomplished a little progress, he considered that all was done. The first meaning and the commonest meaning that suggests itself to her must be what Jesus means. 'Of course there will be a resurrection, and then my brother will rise with the rest.' She concluded that the Saviour could not mean anything beyond that. Martha, you see, in this case, when the Lord Jesus Christ told her that her brother would rise again, replied, 'I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.' She was a type, I say, of certain anxious believers, for she set a practical bound to the Saviour's words. If we would sit at our Lord's feet with Mary, and consider what He has promised, we should choose a better part than if we ran about with Martha, crying, 'How can these things be?' It is His business to arrange matters so as to fulfil His own promises. They do not distrust the Lord, or question the truth of what He says, yet they puzzle their brain about 'How shall this thing be?' and so they miss the major part of the present comfort which the word of the Lord would minister to their hearts if they received it more simply.

They do believe truly, but not with such confidence as to lay aside their care. MARTHA is a very accurate type of a class of anxious believers. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. 'Martha saith unto Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Delivered on Lord's-Day Morning, September 14th, 1884, byĪt the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington

I am dead yet i live