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would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: and, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it i out. 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man,

"Without him"-that is, Christ, the Word-"was not any thing made that was made." The Creator of all is therefore the Lord of all *.

9 It was the custom of Jesus, to go into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.

12 Then it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day. How clearly and beautifully is here drawn the distinction between the use and the abuse of Christian liberty.

Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees against him, how they might

went out, and destroy him. Jesus knew it,

held a council 15 But when he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed

15 Exemplifying his own precept(ch. x. 16.) "wise as serpents, harmless as doves"-combining gentleness with caution.

him, and he healed them all; and charged them that they should not make him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold, my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

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19 What tender care in the gentle unstriving Saviour, to heal the sinner, yet spare him pain! what anxiety to encourage the first spark of virtue, and fan it into flame!

He shall not strive, nor ery; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth

* The whole proceeding of our Lord upon this occasion teaches us, that to walk abroad in the fields on the Sabbath day is lawful, if it be not to the neglect of our public religious services, or our religious meditations.

not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

25 This reasoning is conclusive! a man does not knowingly work his own undoing, and defeat his own object.

25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his

kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils,

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27" Your children,"-that is

'your followers or disciples."

31 This sin consisted in ascribing to the power of the spirit of evil, the miracles wrought by "the Spirit of God." But it is always highly danger ous to resist the power of the Spirit of God; or as the Apostle expresses it, "to grieve the Spirit ;" lest grace be withdrawn, and we be left to the

wretchedness of our own devices; and so find none to help in time of need.

32" I will forgive those who speak against me in my human nature; but if they deny me in my divine power, there can be no forgiveness."

by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 38 Then certain of the scribes

37 A tree, corrupt at the root, may, for a time, give fruit; but the fruit will bear its taint at the core. So if the heart of man be corrupt, his actions, however outwardly good, cannot be well pleasing to God.

38 By words as well as by actions,

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we shall be judged. If therefore thou hast spoken unadvisedly, what neighbour now, at this moment, may dishonour God, or injure thy repent! Go and sin no more! Remember judgment.

there shall no sign be given to

40 So Jesus Christ "died and was

buried, and the third day rose again.”

and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, ! An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. "Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! "For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

45 When men reject Christ, the evil one returns with strengthened hope that their infidelity may render them more ready slaves to his will.

50 Who then can be desolate? Be

hold in Jesus Christ, the Lord of life, the ever present God-all powerful, all merciful. Behold in Him, thy brother, thy sister, thy mother! (See Is. lvi. 5.)

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CHAPTER XIII.

JAN. 15, MAY 15, SEPT. 12.

These are careless and indifferent

hearers of the word.

5 This happens, when a merely formal reception is given to the word; so that in the fiery times of persecution, it is scorched and withered.

of earth: and when the sun was because they had no root, they

7 Others there are, who receive the word, but suffer worldly concerns to overpower its growth, and overtop it.

8 But there are those, who receive the word into an honest and good heart-a good soil-and bring forth fruit, according to their power.

THE same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up : some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness up, they were scorched; and withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them : but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their

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hear, let him hear. And the

11"Ye are thus taught, because of your readiness to learn; and that ye may more clearly teach others." kingdom of heaven, but to them

12 As the industrious increases what worldly treasure he may pos sess, whilst the idle squandereth that which he hath-so it is in the recep tion of God's grace.

17 The prophets, and Abraham, and the Patriarchs, by faith looked forward with joy to this my day but ye are more highly favoured who live in it.

not seen them; and to hear

18 This is a most apt comparison *.

ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself; but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the housholder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.

• When I feel that by nature born in sin I am a fallen creature, my soul is humbled, but not despairing. I look around me, and as I view the fields white for harvest, my heart springs to new life and hope. Behold the ground though like man originally under curse, bringing forth its fruit in rich abundance, according to its goodness. Why this change from cursing to blessing? The answer is plain. The soil has been duly cultivated. Other land I see yet barren! Both have received the gracious rain from heaven; and the summer sun has shone upon them equally; but this only has been cultivated. Day by day then am I taught to remove from my heart its errors like weeds overpowering it; and to cultivate every grace, which may bring forth fruit unto holiness. Nor will the same measure be expected of all men. Each must give a return according to his capacity; but no more will be required.

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