29 This blasphemy against the Holy Ghost consisted in denying that our Saviour's miracles were wrought by the power of God, and attributing them to the power of the devil.

rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. And the mul. titude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the

33 O gracious condescension in the eternal Son of God! Thus to adopt our sympathies--thus to bring them in aid of our spiritual advancement! thy God and Saviour: then, as thou

Art thou a mourner? Cleave to

mournest the loved ones taken from thee, Jesus will be at hand-with all a brother's faithfulness, all a sister's

love, all a mother's care.

will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

CHAPTER IV.

FEB. 4, JUNE 3, Oct. 1.

3 Even our daily worldly occupa tions instruct a teachable spirit in its spiritual and heavenly course.

AND he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow and it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: but when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth some thirty, and some

And

JUNE 3, OCT. 1. sixty, and some an hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables :

12

that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know

12 These are proverbial expressions. St. Matthew says, "Their eyes have they closed"- their blindness thus shown to have been wilful. When men resolutely harden their heart, they must expect that God will at length withhold his grace.

14

all parables? The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown ; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Each

14 The preacher of the word is as the sower of the seed corn. labours as diligently and anxiously as if the harvest depended upon his cessful issue solely to the free goodlabours but each trusts for a sucnes

ness of God-to his sun and his

showers; his strengthening and refreshing grace.

15 If you are a careless hearer of the word, evil thoughts will come into your heart, and cause you to forget what you hear.

16 If your heart be not softened by mises of the word gladly; but when love to God, you may hear the pro

crosses and afflictions come, you will take offence at religion, and fall from your stedfastness. O love your God

then you will bear patiently what

ever He sees fit to lay upon you. We think no toil hard for those we love.

18 Worldly thoughts, like weeds,

*Jesus first instructed his disciples, and commissioned them to instruct the people. This was done to prevent future difficulties. Had He taken upon himself the whole explanation of his doctrines, the people might have less readily heeded his apostles, and his ministers their successors. But when the apostles explained, according to his teaching of them: future trust both in their authority and knowledge was ensured. For the same reason, in feeding the thousands miraculously, though the virtue was his own only, He chose that the food should be distributed by the hands of his disciples-showing that, for ever, his gracious spiritual benefits should henceforth flow to mankind through the ministry of his Church.

which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things

spring up and grow rapidly: overtopping holy and heavenly thoughts. At once, therefore, pluck them up; as you do weeds, lest they choke the corn, and it wither and die.

entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20 Blessed art thou, if thou receivest the word gladly, and with a desire to profit by it. God will recompense thee according to thy powers, and the diligent exercise of them. The lowly and humble may well rejoice in this truth. They also shall be thus accepted.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred. 21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he saith unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto that hear shall more

you

23

Lord. Its light must be spread-its 21 The word is the candle of the meaning explained. Jesus taught by parables, that the light might strike more forcibly, as coming out of a dark place.

25 This is universally true. Idleness decreaseth our store; diligence addeth to it.

shall be taken even that which

26 The grace of God, like his providence, never slumbereth or sleepeth.

27 The spiritual harvest springs up gradually.

be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him he hath. 26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 27 and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31 It is like 31 This indicates the vast increase a grain of mustard seed, of the Gospel- God's kingdom of which, when it is sown in grace.

We, in our infirmity, may sleep often, so to speak-may not always be awake to our spiritual duties. But if grace be in the heart, we may trust that it will give to the word planted there, vitality and growth, till at last it spring up, and yield its fruits of increase.

the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: but when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the mnltitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a 37 We must not expect always to great storm of wind, and the enjoy calm, even in a religious course waves beat into the ship, so of life. that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him.

37

Launched upon the waves of this troublesome world, we must look to have our share of its storms and tempests. Happy, if Jesus be with us. He will hear us and answer us, and save us in our distresses; and bring us at last to the haven of safety and of rest.

CHAPTER V.

FEB. 5, JUNE 4, OCT. 2.

AND they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes *. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, 5 These tombs were caverns in the he was in the mountains, mountains' side.

and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

The country lay between Gadara and Gergesa; therefore St. Matthew calls it the country of the Gergesenes.

• Shall unclean spirits be eager to worship Christ, and we pay unwilling service? God forbid !

8 This was a proof of his divine power, as Lord of the spiritual world.

• Legion is a term used for any very great number.

"But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 'And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand ;) and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they came to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. 17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. 18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel. And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, and besought him greatly, saying,

17 Sad picture this of a worldly mind, which had rather be a stranger to Christ, than suffer loss through Him.

18 Nothing could be more natural than the wish to continue under the protection of so powerful and gracious a friend.

19 His duty was, to lead his life in a manner worthy of the mercy vouchsafed to him-a grateful witness to the power and love of Christ.