JOHN 133 



hanging a picture, I suddenly fell from 

 the top of the step ladder, bringing down 

 with me both ladder and picture in one 

 general crash. At this, John began to 

 laugh immoderately. Somewhat rasped, 

 I snapped out: "And what is there to 

 laugh at so?" 



Half choking, John replied, " 'Twas 

 chiefly exciting when the Doctor did not 

 stay up there as long as he intended." 



In considering John's character from 

 the standpoint of moral demand, two ex- 

 tremes should be avoided. On the one 

 side, we should not assert or intimate that 

 he satisfied, or even approximately met, 

 the requirements of righteousness. Al- 

 ways it does harm so to glorify a few 

 splendid items of conduct as to obscure 

 the rigid fact that God's law demands a 

 total, and never is content with a frag- 

 ment. And it does as much harm to ob- 

 scure Christian requirement; to say, for 

 example, that a man is "practically a 

 Christian" when he has never repented 



