fierce" that "no man might pass by that way." The wicked spirits that were in these unhappy bodies were in a still greater rage when they saw Christ approaching them, and they said, "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come to torment us before the time?" From which question it is believed that wicked spirits will be more tormented after the day of judgment than they ever yet have been. Since these devils found that Christ would not let them keep possession of the bodies of these poor men whom they tormented, they asked to go into a herd of swine that they saw near them, for they would rather torment these poor animals than be prevented from doing any harm at all. Now, as these swine belonged to Jews, and were kept contrary to God's law, who would not allow them to partake of them, being reckoned among the unclean beasts, Jesus, to punish their owners, suffered the devils to go into the swine, which they so tormented that they "ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and so perished in the waters.”

The covetous Jews were very angry that they had lost their swine, though two of their people had been saved from cruel torments by the loss, and having besought Jesus to leave them, he went home again to Capernaum.

Jesus, having returned to Capernaum, another man, "sick of the palsy," was brought to him on his bed, or mattress, which, in the Eastern countries, is very light and thin. Our Lord, seeing that the man himself, and his friends, believed in his willingness and power to cure him, instantly gave him relief, both in soul and body-he pardoned his sins, and he sent him home, carrying the bed on which he was brought. Some of the wicked Scribes who were present, when they heard Christ tell the man that his sins were forgiven him, charged him with blasphemy, because none but God could forgive sins, and they knew not that he was "God manifest," or seen, "in the flesh." But they must have been ashamed of themselves, and put to silence when our Lord afterwards cured the man; for, as none but God could forgive sins, so none but God could say with effect to one sick of the palsy, "Arise and walk."

At this time Matthew was called to be one of Christ's disciples; Luke calls him Levi, for the Jews often had two names. He was sitting taking taxes at "the receipt of custom," or a custom-house, where duties on goods are paid to the king, when Jesus said to him "follow me. And he arose and followed him." So, when his grace touches the heart, sinners now leave all their wicked connexions, and are ready to give up all their worldly gains, if they stand in their way, and follow the Lord Jesus Christ, by

openly professing him, and declaring in their lives whose they are, and whom they serve.

We next find Jesus at a feast given by Matthew to his friends, as appears from the fifth chapter of Luke. Perhaps he wished to do them good on this occasion, and wanted them to hear what his Lord would say. His companions were publicans, or tax-gatherers, a set of men greatly despised. because they pressed people so hard to get all the money they could from them. The proud Pharisees, who thought themselves the best of men. were astonished that Christ, who taught the people to be holy, should sit down with such company. But our Lord did not go there to countenance any wickedness, but with the design to teach them the way to be saved.

The seventeenth verse of this chapter refers to a custom not known in England, and for that reason some have not understood it. Our Lord says, "Neither do men put new wine into old bottles, else the bottles break, and

the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish; but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved." He said this to signify that his disciples, being men taken from active business, and not accustomed to fast, as were the disciples of John,-were not fit to bear the severity of it, any more than an old bottle could bear new wine; and, in a verse preceding -than an old rotten garment would bear mending with a strong new picce. Now, we can see why an old garment must not be mended with a strong new piece of cloth, because the new piece would tear away the rotten part, by its strength and weight; but how can new wine hurt old bottles? An English bottle is as good as a new one, and perhaps, indeed, better,

because it is seasoned, has been tried, and found good. But just one simple fact removes the difficulty: the bottles used in the East, and referred to by our Lord, were made of leather; and as an old shoe will burst when the leather is much worn, so would the old wine-bottles.

A certain ruler of the synagogue, where the Jews worshipped, had a daughter lying dead; and, having heard of the wonderful things which Jesus did, he believed that he was able to restore his daughter, even from death itself, and so went and worshipped him, and asked him for his almighty aid. Jesus arose from Matthew's table, where he was then sitting, and following the ruler, went with him to his house.

On his way to the ruler's house, a poor woman that had had " an issue of blood twelve years," and which she could get no one to cure, came bchind him, and being full of faith in his power to cure her, she thought she would touch the hem of his garment, -the fringe which our Lord wore, as a Jew, and even that garment, hanging about his sacred person, might be the channel of conveying the healing virtue which he possessed to her poor diseased body. Jesus knew all about what she was doing, and why she did it, and he graciously turned round to her, and said, "Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thco whole." He, indeed, had made her whole; but by her believing in his power to heal her she had received

the cure.

Jesus then went to the ruler's house, and when he came there he "saw the minstrels and the people making a noise." This was a proof that his daughter was really dead; for the minstrels were pipers who played mournful tunes, and the noise was such as was made by mourning women, who were always employed among the Jews to groan and cry over deceased persons. So he stopped their playing and mourning, and told them that the little maiden was not dead, but only slept ;-for she was not dead to him, since he could at once restore her; but as they had seen that she was dead, they laughed at him for saying the contrary. However, he soon gave proof that death to him was no more than a sleep; and though no merely human being could awake the dead, he could. And going in, he took her by the hand, and she rose up and the fame of this cure went abroad everywhere. When he left the ruler's house two blind men followed him, and they cried, "Thou Son of David, have mercy upon us." These men believed that Jesus was the true Messiah, or anointed Saviour,-and, as he was to be of the family of David, they addressed Christ, "Thou Son of David." He let them follow him into the house, and then he asked if they really

believed he could cure them. And they said, "Yea, Lord;" and, having merely touched their eyes, they received sight.

The blind men had hardly left the house when the people brought Jesus "a dumb man, possessed with a devil.”

It is thought that the wicked

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spirit had taken away his of speech. power And when the devil was cast out the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel." Moses, Elijah, and Elisha, were great prophets, and did wonderful things,-but so many such things, and done in so wonderful way, were never before known in Israel.

Christ's Twelve Disciples.

MATTHEW X.

We have here a list of the twelve apostles, which, for the sake of memory, I put down in a column, and divide into three fours.

1. Simon, called Peter.

2. Andrew, his brother.

3. James, the Son of Zebedee.

4. John, his brother.

5. Philip.

6. Bartholomew.

7. Thomas.

8. Matthew.

9. James, the Son of Alpheus.

10. Lebbous, whose surname was Thaddeus.

11. Simon, the Canaanite.

12. Judas Iscariot.

Of these, the first two, Simon Peter and Andrew, were brothers. The next two were also brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and John.

The last among the next four was Matthew, the writer of this gospel; and the last of the last four was Judas Iscariot, who afterwards betrayed his divine Master.

In the first verse these are called disciples, which means persons who

learn of a teacher; for Christ was their teacher, and they learned from him. In the second verse they are called apostles, which means persons who are sent. These twelve were chosen as Christ's disciples, that they might be always with him, and see the wonderful things which he did, and hear the divine doctrines which he taught; and afterwards they went forth as apostles to tell the world what they had heard and seen, and so to deliver shi message as servants whom he had sent.

Christ's Character of John the Baptist.

MATTHEW XI.

John the Baptist was at this time cast into prison. The account of this affair is given in the fourteenth chapter. The wonderful things which Jesus did were, however, told him in that place, and as he desired that his disciples should become acquainted with Christ, he sent them to hear from his own lips what proofs he could give that he was the long hoped-for Messiah. Jesus both told and showed them what wonderful things he performed on the blind, the lame, the lepers, the deaf, the dead; and how he preached the glad tidings of heavenly mercy to the poor. These were proofs enough.

Then as soon as John's disciples were gone, he took occasion to show the character of this good man, on whose faithful ministry many of the people had attended. 66 'What," said he, "went ye out into the wilderness to see?" when ye went to hear John the Baptist. "A reed shaken by the wind ?" They understood the meaning of his question, which was, that John the Baptist was not a timid, wavering preacher, weak and shaking like a reed-but they had had the benefit of the boldest warnings from his lips.

"But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment ? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses." If they had gone to see such an one when they went to see John the Baptist, they had found themselves mistaken, for he was quite a plain man, who was not concerned to make a show of himself in the world, but to prepare the hearts of the people to receive Christ.

Yet again he asked, "But what went ye out for to see? a prophet?" If this had been their expectation, they had been even more highly