"And living in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious; and she brake the box and poured it on His head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good; but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could; she is come beforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."—MARK xiv. 3-9. IV. THE INFLUENCE OF WOMAN. N° O human being can come into the world without exercising some degree of influence. What a difference a babe makes in a home! The infant who only lives a few days or hours affects the life more or less of every member of the family; and if the child lives, the streams of influence which flow from him extend on every hand. No child of either sex is born that does not increase or diminish the sum-total of human happiness, not only of the present but of every subsequent age, not merely of this life but also of the life to come. The influence of woman is confessedly very great. An old saying declares "there is no great mischief done in the world but a woman will be found to be at the bottom of it." On the other hand, it is certain there is no great good accomplished, but women will be found to have a hand in it. The Sacred Scriptures furnish many illustrations of feminine influence for evil and for good. Rebekah, the foolish mother, who instigated her younger but favourite son surreptitiously to obtain his father's blessing, brought untold trouble on the lives of Esau and Jacob, and permanently affected the condition of their posterity, the inhabitants of Edom and Judea. The little captive maid in the house of Naaman was the means of a priceless boon being conferred on her noble master, and through him she influenced the king, the court, and the people of Syria. Queen Jezebel was not only the evil genius of her royal husband, but also the curse of his realm; her idolatry sat like a frightful incubus upon the elevation and well-being of that unhappy land. Mary of Bethany performed a lowly act of service for the Divine Redeemer of the world, and the influence of her good work is co-extensive with the spread of His gospel. These illustrations of a mother in her family, of a servant in her master's house, of a queen in the palace, and of a woman in private life, will suffice to show how great the influence which women may exert, and how its effects, like the widening circles on the surface of a lake rippled by a pebble, exert their influence outward and on, until they touch the utmost bound of immensity and the last cycle of time. The influence which we exert is of two kinds, active and passive, conscious and unconscious. The one we exert purposely, when, by direct effort, instruction, argument, threats, or persuasions, by offers and promises, by word or deed, we seek to lead and to sway others. The other is exercised by us unawares, without thought and intention, through the unconscious impression of our character and life. The one has been likened to a door, which we open and close at will, determining and regulating all that passes through it; the other to a door which always stands open, and which, apart from our own wish and choice, gives free outlet to the dispositions, tempers, and motives of our hearts. In the incident of Mary anointing the Saviour we have an illustration of each kind of influence. The act of Mary was one of conscious and active influence. Anointing with fragrant ointments and liquids was a very ancient practice in the East. It was considered a great luxury, and the gratification it afforded was in proportion to the sweetness of the perfume and the costliness of the unguent. Probably Mary had aforetime, though with less expensive ointment, anointed and refreshed her brother Lazarus. It was peculiarly a woman's act,—an act not of ordinary service, but of special attention; just such an one as a loving woman would delight to perform, and in the doing of which her affection would find expression. Mary had come to know and love her Saviour, she had sat at His feet and heard His word, under His teaching and influence her soul had awoke to a new life. She owed more to Him than her lips could tell, and her love and gratitude craved expression. What if she were to anoint Him as she had aforetime anointed her brother! She procured the very best ointment she could,—spikenard, a small box of which was equal in value to a large vessel of wine, and was esteemed a handsome present. With this she stole to His feet as He sat in Simon's house, and unsealing the alabaster, anointed Him with its precious contents. "She loved much," was our Lord's interpretation of the anointing by the woman who was a sinner ; and this, too, was the meaning of Mary's action. It wanted but seven days to our Lord's crucifixion; He knew this if she did not, and He accepted her act as the anointing beforehand of His body for the burial. So far as the Saviour was concerned, Mary's act was one of direct and conscious influence. She wished to show her love to Him, to do something which would be grateful to Him. This act accomplished all and more than all she intended. It expressed her love, and it refreshed the Saviour; but beyond |