E. But they do not do so now, Mamma?

M. No; of this power they have been deprived; but they are still allowed to tempt mankind to evil; and to lead astray those, who willingly yield themselves to their temptations. For against our will they can have no power over us. If we "resist the Devil, he will flee from us:" and if we pray for the Holy Spirit, God will give us His help; which is far more powerful to do us good, than that of any evil spirit to hurt us. Only let us draw nigh to God with true repentance and fervent prayer, in the observance of His sabbaths, and the hearing of the gospel of His kingdom; then will He draw nigh to us, and deliver us from all evil.

You can easily imagine how astonished the people were at our Lord's power over the unclean spirits, and His fame increased in every place round about. He however went on as if nothing had been done,

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forgetting," as St. Paul says, "the things which were behind" and finished, and "looking on to those which were before" still unaccomplished. No sooner had He left the synagogue, than He found a fresh opportunity of doing good. This was in the dwelling of His new disciple Simon, whose wife's mother had been taken with a great fever. And they besought Christ for her; and He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and healed her at once with His word, so that she was able to rise immediately from her sick bed, and to shew her gratitude by using her restored strength in the service of our Lord, in waiting upon Him and attending to His comfort. "She arose and ministered unto them."

Nor did the close of day bring any rest to Christ,

nor any end to His labours; for when the sun was setting, and the sabbath was over, all they that had any sick brought them unto Him.

E. Was Sunday over then, Mamma, as soon as the sun had set? I thought the whole day, until it is time to go to rest, was to be kept holy unto God?

M. So it is with us Christians, but the Jews began their sabbath on six o'clock on Friday evening, and ended it at six on Saturday evening. As soon therefore as the sun had begun to set, multitudes of people began to gather round our Lord, bringing with them, great numbers of sick persons, and such as were possessed with evil spirits. Nor did they come in vain. The sick He healed, graciously condescending, though with much more fatigue to Himself, to lay His hands on every one of them, whilst the devils He rebuked and cast out. Wherever He went, and at all times, mercy and power attended Him; in the private house, as well as in the public congregation; in the morning season of leisure, as well as during the busier hour of noon. So entirely, indeed, was His heart set upon the great work, which He had come into the world to do, that He would hardly allow Himself the necessary refreshment of sleep which nature required; but " in the morning," after this day of so many miracles, rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." His works of love gave way only to the work of prayer and praise. The glory of God and the good of man occupied all His thoughts, filled up all His time. Happiest my child are those, who can follow the nearest (though at how vast a distance!) in the steps of His holy example! true it is, that our Lord's

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work was of a peculiar nature, and far higher than ours. But the mind, that was in Christ Jesus," is expressly proposed in Scripture for the imitation of all Christians. Devout communion by prayer with our heavenly Father, a love of man, and a readiness to shew our love not by words only, but by deeds of kindness and compassion, are strongly pressed upon us in the Gospel of our Lord, and brightly set before us in His most holy life.

So much was now the fame of Jesus spread about in all directions, that even in the desert place, to which He had retired to pray, He was not free from interruption. His disciples followed Him there, and told Him that all men were looking for Him. Had Christ been ambitious, that is, had He valued the admiration and applause of men, what an opportunity was there here of publicly enjoying them! But He despised that worldly applause and favour, by which so many are deceived! He knew what a poor and empty thing is human glory; His holy eye could pierce through all its outward glare, and see vanity written on it all: therefore He shunned it entirely, though without in any degree becoming less earnest and ardent in that course of wisdom and goodness, which had gained Him all this admiration. He did not leave off doing good, but He departed for a time from Capernaum, the place where He had attracted so much notice, and went to preach the blessed truths of His Gospel, and to perform His wonderful acts of mercy, in other cities also of that part of Palestine. But by this time His fame had spread throughout all Syria, so that great multitudes of people followed Him, not only from Galilee, but even from Decapolis,

which is to the east of the sea of Gennesareth, and from Jerusalem in the south, as well as from the whole of Judea, and from the country beyond Jordan.

Consider, Edward, for a moment this extraordinary result of our Lord's teaching and works. Imagine yourself, if you can, arriving as a stranger in Galilee at the time that all this was going on, and suddenly coming upon the great crowds that were flocking to our Lord from all directions. Fancy that you see people of all ranks and all characters following Him, with intense anxiety, to see His works, and to hear His words. "What," you would ask, "can have drawn these crowds together? and who is this remarkable person on whom every eye is fixed? What is His origin?" "That of a carpenter's son," would be the reply. "Whence does He come?" "From the despised town of Nazareth.” "Is He rich then, or great?" You might further inquire. "No: He is poor and lowly, often without a place where to lay His head; and all His friends and relations are of the humblest class moreover He shuns public favour, and despises human praise; carefully avoiding the steps which others take to make themselves rich and great. But have you not heard of His exemplary holiness; His unwearied zeal in doing good; of the divine power which plainly marks His acts of mercy; that the number of those works is only exceeded by the love which shines forth in them; and the love unequalled, excepting by the might displayed in the performance of them? Then as to His teaching, surely never man spake as this man!' with SO much wisdom, with words of such grace or such authority! All men wonder in astonishment at His

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doctrine." Now supposing such an account as this was given you of our Lord's character and proceedings, you would no longer be surprised at the crowds which followed Jesus of Nazareth; you would marvel rather that any should keep away, and that those who followed Him did not all immediately become His devoted disciples, throwing themselves at His feet, and saying, "Lord, we believe, help thou our unbelief." But such, alas! was far from being the case: part only of the crowd were disciples of Jesus ; many followed, it is to be feared, from mere curiosity, or perhaps for the cure of bodily disease; and some possibly from a worse motive still, to find out some fault in His speech or conduct, for which they might accuse Him. May it never be thus with us! May we never, as we study His Gospel, either trace His steps, or listen to His teaching in vain. But may His blessed Spirit be with us to draw our hearts to Christ, and to fill us not only with interest or wonder, but with love!

See Luke iv. 14-44. Matt. iv. 12-25. viii. 14—17. Mark i. 14-39.

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY EVENING.

THE MOUNT OF BEATITUDES.

M. On seeing the multitudes that were again collected around Him, our blessed Lord took the opportunity of instructing those among them who were willing to be His disciples, and explaining to them what was meant by being a follower of Him; for this pur