Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

are in peace; but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against me : and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he and taketh to him 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. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

T. What is the miracle noticed in this Gospel?

S. "Jesus was casting out a devil, and it was dumb." T. What does this lead us to remark?

S. That Satan was permitted at that time to possess himself of men's bodies, in order that Christ's power to deliver both our souls and bodies from his thraldom might be made manifest.

T. How did the people regard this work?

S. "Some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven."

T. How did these first sin?

S. They sinned against the Holy Ghost, contradicting and blaspheming.

T. Did our Lord on this occasion show His great power to convince men of sin ?

S. Yes; He proved from what these men knew, by their own natural reason and observation, the folly of their present arguments.

T. Do we ever read of the Jews attempting to cast out devils themselves?

S. Yes. John said to Christ, "Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followed not us." Mark, ix. 38. And in Acts, xix. 13, we read, "Certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth."

T. What did Christ's power over Satan prove?

S. The kingdom of God was come.

T. What does St. Paul call our bodies? 2 Cor. v. 1.

S. "Our earthly house of this tabernacle."

T. What is it the tabernacle of?

S. Our souls.

T. Who would keep within this tent or tabernacle?
S. Satan.

T. But who is stronger than he, and hath overcome him?

S. Christ, who came "to divide the spoil with the strong." Is. liii. 12.

T. What was the armour wherein Satan trusted?

S. The devices by which he had succeeded in ensnaring souls through so many generations.

T. What warning should we remember here?

S. If we are not with Christ, we are against Him; if we do not gather His gifts and make use of them, we

scatter, and waste, and lose them, doing Satan's service.

T. Is he always attempting to gain the possession of our souls?

S. Yes; "he walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Pet. v. 8.

T. How does he find the house ready?

S. When the heart is not furnished with good works. T. Is this often the case after Christ has cleansed it, and furnished it with grace?

S. Yes, we leave it "empty."
T. What is the consequence?

S. Satan comes and fills it with evil spirits.

T. How is the last state of such described in 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21, as worse than the first?

S. "If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome; the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them."

T. What does the exclamation of the woman remind us of?

S. Of the salutation of the Angel to the Virgin Mary : "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women." And her own song of thanksgiving: "All generations shall call me blessed." Luke, i. 28, 48.

T. Did our Lord commend this warm expression?

S. Yes; with a caution. For He said, "Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." T. What warning does this convey ?

S

S. Against being content with warm feeling, and being affected with the love of Christ, without striving to follow His commandments.

T. What may we learn of His will in this Gospel?

S. To preserve our souls in the grace He has given, and leave no entrance to sin.

THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.

The Collect.

GRANT, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

T. What do we acknowledge?

S. "We, for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished."

T. What were the first evil deeds committed in the world?

S. Unbelief, disobedience, and lying, in Adam and Eve; murder by Cain; and soon, "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Gen. vi. 5.

T. Is this evil still in the world?

S. Yes. "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Matt. xv. 19.

T. How do we all commonly break God's commandments?

S. By neglecting to pray to Him and praise Him

using His name lightly; and doing our own pleasure on His holy day. By undutifulness to parents and teachers; hatred of others; unclean thoughts; dishonesty, even in intention; evil speaking and lies; covetousness, and envy of others.

T. What did the young man lack who had kept the commandments from his youth?

S. Charity. Luke, xviii. 21.

T. What will be Christ's sentence of punishment on evil-doers at the last day?

S. "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt. xxv. 41. T. What signal examples has God given of the punishment of evil-doers?

S. "He spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old world, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly." 2 Pet. ii. 4-6.

T. What do we notice in the very beginning of sin that men were moved to do?

S. "To call upon the name of the Lord." Gen. iv. 26. T. How does Christ teach us to escape all these things that shall come to pass?

S. "Watch ye, therefore, and pray always." Luke, xxi. 36.

T. How do we hope for comfort?

S. By God's grace, which came by Jesus Christ. John, i. 14.

T. Whom will God comfort?

S. "Them that mourn." Matt. v. 4.

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »