can pass through a single day without taking some offence, or receiving some mortification.

Questions.

What requires taking pains to learn? Every thing worth learning. What do the presumptuous thoughts and false opinions which young people form of themselves, expose them to? Ridicule and contempt of their neighbours and companions. -What is of infinitely more importance? The displeasure of God. Do these dispositions really make them more happy? No. Who can seldom pass through a single day without feeling some offence, or receiving some mortification? Proud and vain people.

Teacher.

Let those among you who are inclined to be either proud or vain, keep in mind the conclusion of the verses you have been repeating," Every one that humbleth himself shall be exalted;" because God will bless such a person with a contented mind.

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Twelfth Sunday after Trinity.

ST. MARK, vii. 35, 36, 37th.

At the end of the Gospel.

"And straightway his cars were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And He charged them, that they should tell no man: but the more He charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it, and were beyond measure astonished saying, He hath done all things well, He maketh both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.

Teacher.

You must have been very careless hearers and readers of your Testaments, if you have not remarked that your Saviour, after He had performed a cure, sometimes ordered the persons cured to go and tell their friends what great things God, by His means, had done for them; and sometimes He charged them, (as in the present case) to tell no man. The persons upon whom He performed these miracles, were sometimes heathens (which means Gentiles) and sometimes Jews. To the heathens or Gentiles, He commands them to make known the mercies they had received, that His fame might prepare the way for their conversion, To the Jews He enjoins secresy, knowing

that He had already raised the envy of the rulers, and wishing to avoid their malice until He had fulfilled His ministry.

Questions.

Did your Saviour sometimes tell the people to make known their cures, and sometimes to keep them secret? Yes. Were these people all of the same religion? No. What were they? Some were Gentiles, or heathens, and some were Jews. Which of them did He tell to make known His

miracles? The Gentiles. Why? That they might speak His fame to prepare the way for their conversion. And to whom did He enjoin secresy? To the Jews. Give me the reason for His doing so? Because the envy and malice of the rulers were great.

Teacher.

He did not wish to make even His enemies, yet more sinful. In the miracle recorded in the Gospel for this day, it is mentioned that the inhabitants of the country He was then in (the sea coast of Galilee) brought unto Him a man who was quite deaf, and almost dumb. Although your Saviour could have cured him with a word, or without any outward action, yet He chose on this as well as on some other occasions, to give an outward sign, with a view to convince those who

were cured, and those who saw the cure, that He was the doer of it, and not another.

Questions.

Who did He not wish to make yet more sinful? His enemies. What infirmities had the man who was brought to your Saviour to be cured? He was quite deaf and almost dumb. Your Saviour might have cured him with a word only,—did He do so, or did He use some outward action? He used an outward action. What was His reason for doing so, instead of curing Him with a word? Because He wished to convince the people that He was the doer of the miracle, and not any other person.

Teacher.

He therefore took the man aside from the multitude, and touched his ears and tongue. He then looked up to heaven, to shew that His own power, as well as the relief of all in distress, came from thence. He sighed in prayer that the man might be healed, and straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and by a continuation of miraculous power he was enabled to speak like other men.

Questions.

What did He do towards curing the man? He took him aside from the multitude, and touched his

ears and tongue. Why did He look up to heaven? To shew that His own power as well as the relief of all in distress came from thence. Did He sigh in prayer that the man might be healed? Yes. And was His prayer granted? Yes straightway, &c. Could his tongue being loosed have enabled him to speak like other men unless he had been taught by a miracle? No.

Teacher.

Certainly not, as he never while deaf could have heard any sound, he never could have known how to speak like other men, unless God had taught him to do so. That, therefore, was another miracle, and so is the continuation of every blessing that you and I enjoy.-It is not by your own power, but by that of a good and gracious God, that you can hear, and see, and speak. These faculties are given you in trust.-You abuse that trust if you lend your ear to wickedness, your eye to vanity and folly, and your tongue to profaneness. Let me hope that you will use these to the honour of God, and your own happiness!