Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/642

   You  wish  indeed  to  be  among  the  chosen. But is that  possible,  if  you  are  lukewarm  and  slothful  in  the  service  of God? Do you  not  stand  all  the  day  idle? You cannot  excuse yourself by  saying  that  you  have  not  been  called,  for  you  were called by  God  when  you  were  quite  a little  child  to  work  in His  vineyard,  to  serve  Him  and  to  labour  for  the  salvation  of your  soul. From this  day  forward  try  to  be  more  zealous  in God’s  service.

You have  no  cause  to  murmur  or  to  be  envious  when  God gives, to  another  as  much  as  or  more  than  He  gives  to  you. But, if you  are  envious,  apply  to  yourself  the  reproach  which  the  master uttered against  the  labourers:  “Art  thou  evil  and  envious,  because God is  good  to  thy  brother?”  (Overberg.)

HE two  sisters,  Martha  and  Mary,  who  lived  in  Bethania,  had a brother named  Lazarus. Now Jesus  loved  Martha  and  Mary, and Lazarus. But Lazarus  fell  sick,  and  his  sisters  sent  word  to Jesus :  “Lord,  behold,  he  whom  Thou  lovest  is  sick.”  Jesus, hearing this,  said  to  His  disciples:  “This  sickness  is  not  unto death, but  for  the  glory  of  God,  that  the  Son  of  God  may  be glorified  by  it.”

Two days  after,  He  spoke  again  to  his  disciples:  “Let  us  go  c, to  Bethania; Lazarus,  our  friend,  sleeps; but  I go  that  I may  awake him out  of  sleep.”  The  disciples  answered:  “If  he  sleeps  he shall  do  well.”  They  thought  He  spoke  of  the  repose  of  the body, but  Jesus  spoke  of  death. Seeing, however,  that  they  did