ad of dislike and loathing in the woman's heart. That touch of
human love transformed his peevish, fretful nature into gentle quiet
and beauty. The woman had seen a vision of herself in that blotched,
repulsive child, and of Christ's wonderful love for her in spite of her
sinfulness. Under the inspiration of this vision she had become indeed
as Christ to the child. The love of Christ had come into her heart,
and was pouring through her upon that poor, wretched, wronged life.

Christ loves the unlovely, the deformed, the loathsome, the leprous.
We have only to think of ourselves as we are in his sight, and then
remember that, in spite of all the moral and spiritual loathsomeness in
us, he yet loves us, does not shrink from us, lays his hand upon us to
heal us, takes us into most intimate companionship with himself. This
Christian woman had seen a vision of herself, and of Christ loving her
still and condescending to bless and save her; and now she was ready to
be as Christ, to show the spirit of Christ, to be the pity and the love
of Christ to this poor, loathsome child lying on her knee.

She had gotten the touch of Christ by getting the love of Christ in her
heart. And we can get it in no other way. We must see ourselves as
Christ's servants, sent by him to be to others what he is to us. Then
shall we be fitted to be a blessing to every life which our life
touches. Our words then shall throb with love, and find their way to
the hearts of the weary and sorrowing. Then there will be a
sympathetic quality in our life which shall give a strange power of
helpfulness to whatever we do.

Says a thoughtful writer, speaking of influence: "Let a man press
nearer to Christ, and open his nature more widely to admit the energy
of Christ, and, whether he knows it or not,--it is better, perhaps, if
he does not know it,--he will certainly be growing in power for God
with men, and for men with God." We get power for Christ only as we
become filled with the very life of Christ.

Everywhere about us there are lives, cold, and cheerless, and dull,
which by the touch of our hand, in loving warmth, in Christ's name,
would be wondrously blessed and transformed. Some one tells of going
into a jeweller's store to look at certain gems. Among other stones he
was shown an opal. As it lay there, however, it appeared dull and
altogether lustreless. Then the jeweller took it in his hand and held
it for some moments, and again show