ken spirit; a broken and a
contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Nor ought we to forget our blessed Lord's reply, when Judas objected to
the waste of the ointment--"Let her alone; ... the poor ye have always
with you, _but Me ye have not always_." Let us seek to make the most of
our Lord's visits while we have Him. The visits of Jesus to Bethany were
soon to be over;--so also with us. He will not always linger on our
thresholds, if our souls refuse to receive Him, or yield Him nothing but
coldness and ingratitude in return for His love. "Me ye have not
always." Soon may sickness incapacitate for active service! Soon may
opportunities for doing good be gone, and gone for ever! Soon may death
overtake us, and the alabaster box be left behind, unused and
unemployed; the dying regret on our lips--"Oh that I had done more while
I lived for this most precious Saviour! but opportunities of testifying
my gratitude to Him are now gone beyond recall." Good deeds performed on
Gospel motives, though unknown and unvalued by the world, will not go
unrecompensed or unowned by Him who values the cup of cold water given
in His name. "God is not unmindful to forget our work of faith and our
labour of love." The Lamb's Book of Life registers every such deed of
lowly piety; and on the Great Day of account "it shall be produced to
our eternal honour, and rewarded with a reward of grace; though not of
debt."

Let us bear in mind, also, that every holy service of unostentatious
love exercises a hallowed influence on those around us. We may not be
conscious of such. But, if Christians indeed, the sphere in which we
move will, like the Bethany home, be redolent with the ointment perfume.
A holy life is a silent witness for Jesus--an incense-cloud from the
heart-altar, breathing odours and sweet spices, of which the world
cannot fail to take knowledge. Yes! were we to seek for a beautiful
allegorical representation of pure and undefiled Religion, we would find
it in this loveliest of inspired pictures. Mary--all silent and
submissive at the feet of her Lord--only permitting her love to be
disclosed by the holy perfume which, unknown to herself, revealed to
others the reality and intensity of her love. True religion is quiet,
unobtrusive, seeking the shade--its ever-befitting attitude at the feet
of Jesus, looking to Him as all in all. Yet, though retiring, it _must_
and _will_ manifest its living and influential power. The heart broke