y! Is that the sort of christian _you_ are? Believing
Jesus, trusting Him, saved by Him, loving Him, but shrinking back from
speaking out for Him, tactfully, plainly, when opportunity presents or
can be made. A christian, but without positive power for Him among men
because of cowardice!

I can scarcely imagine Nicodemus walking down the street in Jerusalem,
arm in arm with another Pharisee-member of the Sanhedrin and saying to
him quietly, but earnestly: "Have you had a talk with this young man
Jesus?" "No, indeed, I have not!" "Well, do you know, I spent an
evening with Him down at His stopping place, and had a long, careful
talk with Him. I am quite satisfied that He is our long-looked-for
leader; I have decided to give Him my personal allegiance; won't you get
personally acquainted with Him? He is a wonderful man." I say I have
difficulty in thinking that this man worked for Jesus like that. And yet
what more natural and proper, both for him and for us? And what a
difference it might have made in many a man's life. _Powerless_ for
Jesus because of timidity! Is that the kind _you_ are? Possibly some one
thinks that rather hard on this man. Maybe you are thinking of that
other member of the Sanhedrin--Joseph of Arimathea--who was also a
follower of Jesus, and that quite possibly he may have been influenced
by Nicodemus. Let us suppose, for Nicodemus' sake, that this is so, and
then mark the brief record of this man Joseph in John's account: "A
disciple _secretly_ for _fear_ of the Jews." If we may fairly presume
that it was Nicodemus' influence that led his friend Joseph to follow
Jesus, yet he had led him no nearer than he himself had gone! He _could_
lead him no higher or nearer than that.

John in his gospel makes plain the fact that Jesus suffered much from
these secret, timid, cowardly disciples whose fear of men gripped them
as in a vise. Five times he makes special mention of these people who
believed Jesus, but cravenly feared to line up with Him.[1] He even says
that _many_ of the _rulers_--the very class that plotted and voted His
death--believed Jesus, but that _fear_ of _the others_ shut their lips
and drove them into the shadow when they could have helped Him most.
These people seem to have left numerous descendants, many of whom
continue with us unto this day.

Tightly Tied Up.

Turn now to the eleventh chapter and you will find another pictorial
suggestion of this same sort of _powerless christian