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CHAPTER VII.

FEB. 7, JUNE 6, Oct. 4.

THEN came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled (that is to say, with unwashen) hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash they eat not. And many other things there be which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? "He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honour

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6 They sinned, in resting their hope of acceptance with God upon their outward observances, which they made of equal importance with positive religious duties.

9 Sometimes they even put aside God's word, if it did not square with their traditions. Of this, the following verses supply a striking illus

tration.

eth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit, in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For, laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother let him die the death but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; making the word of God of none effect through your tradition which ye have delivered and many such like things

12 The command, to honour our parents, must be understood in its fullest sense-comprehending all care for their support and comfort *.

* His argument is this-" The divine command enjoins upon children the solemn duty of supporting their parents, if they become aged, poor, and helpless but the tradition of you Pharisees would free men from this obligation, if they can show that they have given to the service of religion a certain portion of their worldly goods." How cruel the fallacy!

do ye. And, when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand. There is nothing

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15 Jesus exposes the absurdity of a Pharisaical trust in outward observances. The soul is the man.

from without a man that entering into him can defile him but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 17 And, when 17 Christ chose the people to receive their instruction-though his grahe was entered into the house cious gift-through the teaching of from the people, his disciples his disciples: thus giving weight to asked him concerning the their authority, and holding them up parable. And he saith unto as duly appointed to, and sufficient for, their high and holy office. them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man. And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it; but he could not be hid. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his

That therefore which injures the soul must be spiritual-even those evil thoughts, whence flow evil words and evil actions.

was a

feet; 26(the woman
Greek, a Syrophenician by

26 This woman was a Gentile, or Greek.

nation;) and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the

28 The character of this Syrophenician is drawn with great force-as a noble example to us all.

dogs. 28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord; yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil

How noble her example! See her, of a faith, the most persevering; of humility, never thrown off its guard; of a submission to every mortification to which she was exposed, unparalleled-and, at last, turning to her advantage the very argument which, in order to try her faith, our blessed Lord had brought against her. Well might such faith prevail !

is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears 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.

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35 By thus looking up to heaven, He would teach us, that "every good and every perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights."

37 In like manner, He will make the spiritually deaf to hear, and open the eyes of the spiritually blind; if they wisely desire and seek his aid.

CHAPTER VIII.

FEB. 8, JUNE 7, OCT. 5.

Having compassion on all who hunger and thirst after righteousness, he daily supplies the bread of life eternal-enough and to spare

even his Word.

IN those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way for divers of them came from far. And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they

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6 Now also the bread of life is distributed by the hand of Christ's ministering servants; but its efficacy is of God the author and giver of the same. (See Note ch. iv. v, 11.)

said, Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set

11 No sign-not even a miracle satisfied these proud questioners. Avoid a cavilling disposition. And he sighed deeply in his

Now the disciples had forthey in the ship with them 15 Our Divine Teacher draws spiritual instruction even from the common occurrence of making bread for daily food *.

JUNE 7, OCT. 5. them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away. And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. "And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. gotten to take bread, neither had more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand? And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to 23 Jesus chose that an outward act touch him. 23 And he took should accompany this gift of grace. the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. "And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored,

24 The cure was gradual; the better to teach us +.

* In making bread, a little leaven gradually leavens the whole lump. So, in forming character, we must admit no evil; lest one allowed sin corrupt the whole conduct.

+ Let not the penitent despair, if when he begins to view things spiritnally, he does not at first discern them fully. Perseverance will, by God's grace, so perfect the mental vision, that at last he "shall see all things, dearly." The growth of grace in the heart is progressive.

And he charged them that

and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Cæsarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. they should tell no man of him. 31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the Chief Priests, and Scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And And Peter took him, and began

31 This he did with the kindest metive. Their sorrow would be suffi ciently poignant, however prepared their minds might be for the loss of him. His anxiety is, to prevent the blow falling unexpectedly.

he spake that saying openly. to rebuke him. 33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. And when he had called the people unto him, with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.

33 If any would tempt you from a religious course, you will consider that they thus shew their regard "not for the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.”

35 In times of persecution, life itself is often at hazard. Wise and happy they, who rather than give up their religion suffer martyrdom: choosing even present death; when the gain is life eternal.

38 Never be ashamed of your religion. In the hour of trial, remember the end!

Thus we are permitted to place the matter before our minds as one of profit and loss: our view carried forward to the great day of judg

* Whatever cross God's providence may lay upon you, bear it resignedly. Let no suggestions of the worldly minded tempt you to murmuring, or impatience.

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