tion; and not only come to the feast, but you must come, and live as Christians ought to do. Every one of you has the opportunity of so doing. Remember the dreadful fate of the unworthy guest. He was bound and cast into outer darkness, where were weeping, and gnashing of teeth.

Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity.

ST. JOHN iv. 46.

"There was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto Him, and besought Him that He would come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto Him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth."

Teacher.

The manner in which your Saviour cured this young man was entirely miraculous. A miracle is you know something out of the common course of nature; thus, though it is the same God who supports us in sickness, and by degrees restores us to health; we do not call it miraculous, because it is one of the common ordinations of His providence; but if a sick person were in a moment

raised from a bed of pain and weakness, to perfect health and ease, we should call that change a miracle.

Questions.

In what manner did your Saviour cure the son of this nobleman? In a manner entirely miraculous. What is miraculous? Something out of the common course of nature. Is it miraculous to become day by day better when you have been sick? No. And why not? Because it is the But were you to

common way of getting better

be restored by a word from a state of the greatest helplessness to strength and health; what should you call that? A miracle.

Teacher.

Any of these extraordinary instances of God's Almighty power, strike the mind with wonder and gratitude; whereas, the continuance of His power and goodness in giving us day by day, and year by year, so many blessings ought to cause as much of both. The return of day and night, of the seasons of summer and winter, seed-time and harvest, and the supply of all the comforts of life do not surprise us, because they are so common; whereas it shews a yet greater power to have continued them to mankind for almost six thousand years, than to have created them at first; or than any uncommon change in natural causes.

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Questions.

Do not these miraculous things make people wonder? Yes. But are they more wonderful than the continuance of God's power and goodness? No. How many thousand years has He given mankind the blessings of summer and winter, seed time and harvest? Almost six thousand years. Does not the constant return of these times and seasons shew as great power as the creating of them at first? Yes.

Teacher.

The miracle related in the verses you have been learning, and in the remainder of the gospel for this day is a very extraordinary one; it shews the boundless power possessed by your Saviour over all nature. All things indeed, were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. It was therefore as easy for Him to restore the nobleman's son without seeing him, as it was to let him receive his cure through the ordinary or common means of medicine and time·

Questions.

What does the extraordinary power shewn by your Saviour, in the recovery of this young man prove? His boundless power over all nature. Did not God appoint Him (your Saviour) to make all things? Yes. What therefore was as easy

for Him to do, as to use any of the common methods of cure? To cure without seeing him.

Teacher.

The nobleman, whose son was so dangerously ill, lived at Capernaum, a town upon the shores of the sea of Galilee, twenty-three miles from Cana. After a journey of haste and anxiety, he found our Saviour, and besought Him to go down to Capernaum, and heal his son, who was at the point of death. Your Saviour with the dignity becoming the Son of God, to whom all power had been committed, orders him to return to his house, with an assurance that his son lived.

Questions.

Where did the nobleman live who besought the cure of his son? At Capernaum. Where was it situated? On the shores of the sea of Galilee. Was it near to Cana? No, at twenty-three miles distance. Did your Saviour return with the nobleman? No.

Teacher.

At the moment your Saviour said, "Thy son liveth" no doubt the fever left him. The servants immediately set out to give their Lord this joyful news; but he had trusted in the assurance of his, and your Saviour; he was therefore less surprised to hear of his son's recovery, than he was grateful

for it; and himself believed in Jesus Christ, as well as his whole house.

Twenty-second Sunday after Trinity.

ST. MATTHEW, xviii. 21.

"Peter said unto Jesus, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but until seventy times seven.

Teacher.

Before the time of the Christian religion, the forgiveness of injuries made no part of any person's duty. In the Jewish law, (given to the Jews by Moses) people were allowed to revenge any injury they had received; they were allowed to take an eye for an eye;—a tooth for a tooth. But what says the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ? "Love your enemies,"" Do good to those who hate you,” and pray for the better temper of those who despitefully use, and persecute you.

Questions.

What made no part of any person's religion before the Christian religion? The forgiveness of injuries. By the Jewish law, what were people