T. [Probably soften their hearts, as the hot coals melt the hardest metals.] When are we more specially called upon to forgive injuries?

S. When invited to receive the Lord's Supper. (Exhortation in the Service, and Matt. v. 23, 24.)

The Gospel. St. Matth. viii. 1.

WHEN He was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will ; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man, but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurion beseeching Him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say unto this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh ; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel. And I say unto you,

That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the self-same hour.

T. What is the first miracle recorded in this Gospel?
S. The cleansing of the leper.

T. What is leprosy considered to be the type of?
S. Sin.

T. How do they resemble each other?

S. They are incurable by man; but Christ can destroy their power. As the leper was cut off from man, so is the sinner from God.

T. What was commanded by the law concerning this disease?

S. "The leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled: he is unclean, he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall be his habitation." Lev. xiii. 45, 46.

T. Give some instances of leprosy having been pronounced as a judgment on sin.

S. Miriam, the sister of Moses, was thus punished for exciting rebellion against Moses (Numbers, xii. 10); and Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, for his covetousness and lying (2 Kings, v. 27).

T. How did the leper in the Gospel show his belief in the divine nature of our Saviour?

S. He worshipped Him, calling Him Lord, and saying, "If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean."

T. How did Christ seal and reward his faith?

S. Saying, "I will, be thou clean."

T. Do we remark His desire to do these things in secret on other occasions?

S. Yes; when He healed the man with the withered hand, and great multitudes which followed Him, Matt. xii. 16; when He raised Jairus's daughter, Mark, v. 43; when He caused the deaf and dumb man to hear and speak, Mark, vii. 36.

T. What do we read as the reason of this in Matthew, xii. 17, 19?

S. "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, He shall not strive nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets." Isa. xlii. 1.

T. What was the signification of the gifts commanded by Moses to be offered by those who were cleansed of leprosy? Lev. xiv.

S. They signified that blood must be shed for sin.

T. What is the second miracle related in the Gospel? S. The healing the centurion's servant who was afflicted with palsy.

T. What was the office of a centurion?

S. He was a Roman officer commanding a hundred

men.

T. What do we observe by the centurion's words? S. His humility, in expressing his unworthiness to receive Christ under his roof, and his belief in Christ. T. What do we read in Luke, vii. of the good deeds of this humble centurion?

S. The elders of the Jews besought Jesus for him,

L

saying that he was worthy, for he loved their nation, and had built a synagogue.

T. How did Jesus commend his faith?

S. He said "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."

T. What shall be the reward of those nations from the East and West who believe on Christ?

S." They shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven."

T. What did our Saviour manifest by these miracles? S. His mercy and loving-kindness, i. e. His good-will towards men.

THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.

The Collect.

O GOD, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright; Grant to us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

T. What are the many and great dangers which we are set in the midst of?

S. Temptations to sin.

T. What great danger shall we be in if we will yield to them?

S. The danger of God's sentence in the day of judgment" to those who have done evil, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt. xxv. 41.

T. What are the three ways in which we may sin?
S. By deed, word, or thought.

T. Will our words be remembered against us? S." Every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." xii. 36.

Matt.

T. Will our secret thoughts be brought to judgment? S. Yes. God "shall judge the secrets of men (i.e. thoughts) by Jesus Christ." Rom. ii. 16.

T. Can we escape the dangers about us by ourselves? S. No. "By reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright."

T. What do we mean by the "frailty of our nature ?" : S. Our weakness and inclination to sin (i. e. infirmities), with which we were born.

T. From whom do we inherit this frailty?

S. From Adam. 66 By one man sin entered into the world." Rom. v. 12.

T. What do we acknowledge our need of?

S. God's strength and protection.

T. How have we a claim to His Fatherly protection or care?

S. Having received the "spirit of adoption" in holy baptism, whereby we cry, "Abba, Father." Gal. iv. 6;

Rom. viii. 15.

T. Though we receive Christ's free gift of the Spirit, are we still frail?

S. Yes. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." Gal. v. 17.

T. How does St. Paul, nevertheless, encourage us in this strife? 1 Cor. x. 13.

S. "God will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."