CHRIST AND WOMANHOOD--NOONTIDE AT JACOB’S WELL--THE LORD’S WONDERFUL TACT--FIELDS WHITE TO THE HARVEST--AN UNINVITED GUEST AT SIMON’S FEAST--COLD HOSPITALITY--A CONCISE PARABLE--FORGIVING SIN--A STREET SCENE--HUMBLE CONFESSION--MOST GRACIOUS WORDS--COAST OF TYRE AND SIDON--SYRO-PHŒNICIAN WOMAN--STRANGELY TESTED--HER HUMILITY--WENT AWAY BLESSED. We now come to the beautiful ministries of womanhood during our Lord’s earthly mission. No teacher had ever lived who sought to elevate women as did the Saviour. The most casual reader of our Lord’s acts of mercy as He moved among the people, must have noticed how often He wrought some of His most wondrous works among women. He talked with a woman of questionable character by the wayside, He stretched out his hands over one whose very touch was considered unclean, and tenderly said, “Thy sins are forgiven!” He called another, whose shrinking fear, after she was healed, caused her to sob out her confession, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” What a sweet picture that is of the mothers who bring their little children to Him that “He should touch them,” and their faith was rewarded not by a mere “touch,” but He took the mothers’ darlings in His arms and blessed them. With a yearning of divine pity He brings back to life three persons that motherhood and sisterhood might be comforted. Surely womanhood must have been precious in His sight, and there is a peculiar force in the word _precious_ as of God’s own choosing. When He speaks of precious things, or permits in His inspired servants such ardent language, we may be assured there is a deep meaning in the expression, and that whatever is spoken of, is of great value, costly and rare. “I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the dear Lord, “thoughts of peace and not of evil.” And they are so continuous! “How great is the sum of them? If I should count them they are more in number than the sand!” We have walked the wide beach, as it stretches on for miles and miles in one unbroken line of white sand. Could we count a single rod of it? Yet these thoughts of our Lord outnumber the sand on the shore of the sea. And how precious they are, because begotten of pure love; and royal with kindness; and tender with compassion; and fragrant with blessings; exquisite with sweetness; infinite, incessant, immeasurable.