eastern parts of the world, in which your Saviour lived? To give feasts on particular occasions. As our Saviour, and his relatives, and disciples were in the lower class of society, is there not reason to suppose that the master of the feast was not much higher? Yes.

Teacher.

It was therefore very like the usual goodness of your Saviour, to consider his poverty, and to exercise his own power in relieving it. From your Saviour having attended this feast, and other instances of his mixing in society, with his friends and neighbours, we may learn that the christian religion is not one of gloom and unsociableness, that it does not forbid our enjoying the society of our friends and neighbours, provided it be done innocently and in moderation. Indeed, if we truly love God, we can never delight in any thing which he has forbidden.

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany.

ST. MATTHEW 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, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded as a testimony unto them.

Teacher.

A leper is a person afflicted with a dreadful disease, called the leprosy; it was very common among the Jews, and was considered as a direct judgment from God, and not to be cured by human means. Lepers were forbidden by the Jewish law to go to the Tabernacle, or place or worship, whilst that complaint was upon them, and were condemned to live apart from others. Whenever a cure took place, they were ordered to go and shew themselves to the priest, and make such offerings as the law required.

Questions.

What is meant by a leper? A person afflicted with the leprosy. In what light was the leprosy considered by the Jews? As a judgment from God. Did they think it could be cured by human means? No. To what place were the lepers forbidden to go? To the Tabernacle or place of worship. And where were they obliged to live? In a house by themselves. When God Almighty chose to restore the leper to health, what was he ordered to do? To go and shew himself to the

priest. And what more? To offer such things as the law of Moses required.

Teacher.

From this you should learn, that whenever you receive any especial blessing from God Almighty, such as recovering from sickness, or preservation from danger, you ought to offer up your praises and thanksgivings to God Almighty, in his place of worship. He no longer demands from you, as he did from the Jews, the blood of bulls and goats. The law of Moses was the schoolmaster to bring mankind unto Christ. That Christ you now have, and he has taught you a better worship. -He has taught you that God is a Spirit, and that you are to worship him in spirit and in truth. Questions.

What are you to learn from this leper being ordered to go to the priests, and make an offering for his cure? That when we have received a cure or have been preserved from danger, we are to thank God for it in his place of worship. What does God no longer demand from us as he did from the Jews? The blood of bulls and goats. What was the schoolmaster to bring mankind to Christ? The law of Moses. Is not that Christ now come? Yes. And what has he taught you that God is? A Spirit. How therefore must you worship him? In spirit and in truth.

Teacher.

Among the persons mentioned in the Old Testament as being punished by the disease of leprosy, you may remember Miriam the sister of Moses and Aaron, and Gehazi, the servant of Elisha.Miriam was struck with leprosy, because she was envious, when Moses had been admitted into the presence of God Almighty. And Gehazi went out from his master a leper as white as snow, because he had told his master a falsehood, and said that he had not been out and had not received a gift, when he was that moment returned from taking it. Thus you see how hateful to God Almighty are envy and deceit.

Questions.

Who are mentioned in the Old Testament as being afflicted with the leprosy? Miriam the sister of Moses, and Gehazi the servant of Elisha. Why was Miriam punished with leprosy? Because she envied Moses. And what crime had Gehazi committed? He had told his master a falsehold. What was it? That he had not been out and had not received a gift. What are hateful to Almighty God? Envy and deceit.

Teacher.

Now sin of every kind is the leprosy of the soul. Whoever therefore among you tells a lie,

or is envious, or is guilty of any kind of wickedness, he or she is a leper in the sight of God Almighty, and cannot be admitted again to His favor, until the sin is repented of, and His pardon asked through Jesus Christ.

Questions.

What is the leprosy of the soul? Sin. How do you make yourselves lepers in the sight of God? By lying, or being envious, or guilty of any kind of wickedness. How can you be admitted again into God's favor? By repentance. In whose name and through whose atonement are you to ask forgiveness? Through Jesus Christ.

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany.

ST. MATTHEW, viii. 23.

"And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves; but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us, we perish. And he sayeth unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Teacher.

The vessel which is here called a ship, was a little fishing boat, belonging, perhaps to Peter and