children of God. Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Whosoever shall break one of the least commandments of the moral law, and shall teach men so, shall be esteemed as least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do, and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. But I say unto you, that except your righteousness exceed the righteousness, the mere external righteousness, of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye know that it was said to them of old time, thou shalt do no murder, and whosoever shall do murder, shall be liable to the judgment; but I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without just cause, shall be liable to that punishment which the lower court of judicature can inflict. And whosoever shall say unto his brother, Raca, thou vile man, shall be liable to the council, to the severer sentence which the Sanhedrim, the supreme assembly of seventy-two, has the power of passing. But whosoever shall say to his brother, thou fool, thou apostate from God and the law, shall be liable to Gehenna, the fire which burneth in the valley of Jehosophat, to consume criminals, dead bodies, and other polluting substances. If, therefore, when thou bringest thy gift to the altar, thou rememberest that thy brother hath any cause of complaint against thee, or hath given thee any cause of complaint against him, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled

to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord all thy Vows. But I say unto you, swear not at all, but let your communication be yea, yea, and nay, nay; let your conversation be plain and simple; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighhour and hate thy enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies; bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you; and pray for those who persecute you. That ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise upon the evil and on the good; and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust. As ye would that men should do unto also to them in like manner. Love your enemies and do good; and lend; hoping. for nothing again; and your reward shall be great; and ye shall be children of the Highest; for He is kind unto the unthankful and the evil. Be ye, therefore, merciful, as your Father, also, is merciful."

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QUESTIONS.

What doctrines did Christ teach concerning God; his attributes; his reception of true penitents? For what did Jesus condemn the Pharisees? By what motives did Jesus enforce the duty of repentance? What exhortation did our Saviour give to his disciples concerning worldly pomp and glory? What was the most important and delightful doctrine which the Redeemer taught? What characters did Christ, in his discourse to the people and his disciples, de

clare to be blessed, or happy? What precepts did Jesus give with regard to being angry with our fellow-creatures; with regard to conversation; with regard to revenging injuries; with regard to general conduct towards others?

CHAP. XII.

"TAKE heed that ye do not your alms before men, nor pray, nor fast, to be seen of them, and to have glory of them, for such as act so will have the reward they merit, the empty praise of man, or punishment hereafter. But let your alms and exercises of devotion be in secret, and your Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward you openly. Judge not severely, that ye be not judged. Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you again. Why beholdest thou the mote, or splinter, which is in thy brother's eye, when thou perceivest not the beam which is in thy own eye? How canst thou say to thy brother, let me take out the splinter from thine eye, when there is a beam in thine own eye? First cast out the beam from thine own eye, and then thou mayest see clearly to take the splinter from thy brother's eye. Not every one that calleth me, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who doeth the will of my Father, that is in heaven. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,

and all other things necesssary shall be added unto you. Take no anxious thought for worldly possessions, nor for the future part of your lives.".

Our blessed Redeemer having warned his disciples against making long prayers, like the Pharisees and the Gentiles, who thought that they would be heard for their much speaking and importunity, taught them thus to pray, in the most concise, yet comprehensive manner: "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name! Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day, or day by day, our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen!"

O Thou, the Universal Father, who fillest heaven and earth with the glory of Thy majesty, may Thy name be reverenced, Thy dominion acknowledged, and Thy commands obeyed by all Thy moral creatures. May Thy kingdom of grace, truth, and righteousness, come and be established. May Thy will be cheerfully and faithfully performed by all Thy rational family on earth, as it is done by the most exalted beings in other regions of Thy universe. We acknowledge our daily dependence on Thee for existence, and all our faculties, and we pray that Thou, who alone knowest what is really good for us, wilt grant that, and the necessary supplies for the nourishment of our bodies.

Forgive us our transgressions of Thy holy law, as we desire, from our hearts, to forgive those who have offended us. Suffer us not to be exercised with trials and temptations too strong for us; but deliver us from all evil, and especially the evil of sin. For Thine is the kingdom of universal nature; the power which is uncontrolable; and the glory of underived being, and absolute perfection. Amen! Be it so!

When the Jewish elders sought to kill Jesus, because he had healed at the bath of Bethesda, on the Sabbath-day, a man who had been a cripple thirty and eight years, he said unto them, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son in like manner. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things which himself doeth ; and He will show him greater works than these; so that ye will wonder. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and giveth them life; even so the Son giveth life to whom he will. He that heareth my words, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life. Verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live."

"Fear not," said Jesus, upon another occasion, "Fear not those who may kill the body, but, after that, have nothing more which they can do; but I warn you whom ye shall fear. Fear Him, who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear Him. I say unto you, that not a sparrow falleth to the