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er heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell; and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes.

REFLECTIONS.

"Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them," said the Saviour, "I will liken him unto a wise man," &c. What then are the rules, in obedience to which we shall find the foundation of our true happiness? They are, above all things, humility, peacefulness, and devotion to God: with enforcing these did the sermon on the mount commence. To these succeeds the precept to establish a high standard of right, not conformed merely to the requisitions of the world, or the traditions of other days. We are commanded to act, not only in a right manner, but from right motives; banishing from our hearts the spirit of ostentation; regarding as of comparatively little consequence the treasures, the honours of earth; but entrusting these things to the care of Providence, to devote every power to the performance of duty. The discourse of the Saviour closes with instructions to avoid rash and harsh judgment, and at the same time, to exercise discretion in the choice of friends and advisers; and above all, to repose with filial confidence on the love of our heavenly Father. The sure foun

dation, never failing in the hour of danger, is thus described by Jesus, as consisting of humility, disinterestedness, candour, faith in God, and earnest endeavours to perform his will.

HYMN.

When, by pain and care oppressed,
Anguish fills the trembling breast,
When our earthly comforts fail.
When temptation's floods assail,
Father, in that fearful hour,
Aid us by thy heavenly power.

When the blasts of adverse fate
Leave the mighty desolate,
When around in ruin wide
Fall the lofty domes of pride,
May our tower of safety be,
Rock of ages! based on thee.

Transient are the joys of earth.
As the hour that gives them birth;
Faithless as a lovely dream,
Fading at the morning's beam;
Treacherous as the fleeting sand,
Wave-washed on the ocean's strand.

But thy servants' trust, Oh Lord!
Rests on thine unfailing word,
On the precepts Jesus gave,

On our Father's will to save,

On the strength, and light, and love,
Beaming from thy throne above.

SECTION XXII.

CURE OF A CENTURION'S SERVANT.

MATT. VIII.

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, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. And when he was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof; but speak in a word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me and I say

to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be

weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the self-same hour.

REFLECTIONS.

Faith in his power, was the condition required of those who implored our Saviour's aid. The time of his presence on earth is long since over, and to us, faith no more retains the miraculous efficacy which it once possessed. But its power still exists, though in another form. Still is it the softener of every bodily pain, the healer of every mental disease. The Christian, amid the trials of his course, raises his eye to that God, by whose providence they are all directed. He knows that there is a power on high to regulate apparent evil for the production of final good; he recals the memory of past mercies; he dwells upon the goodness which sent the Saviour upon earth; his soul seeks in prayer the throne of its Friend and Maker; and earthly trials fade away for a season, from his remembrance, as he holds converse with a holier and a happier world. And when he turns from these contemplations, to meet again the ills that surround him, it is with his strength renewed, his hopes exalted, his whole soul filled with courage, and inspired to "press on to the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus."

HYMN.

Strength, in duty's path to tread ;
Comfort to thy dying bed;

Love to that all-bounteous Friend
From whose love thy joys descend;
Peace, which earth can ne'er destroy;
Pleasure, that shall never cloy;
These shall heaven-eyed Faith confer
On the humble worshipper.

Visions of a brighter sphere,

Sent the struggling soul to cheer ;—
Scenes that on the Christian's eye
Burst in glory from on high;-
What shall call your forms to light
Mid the cold earth's cheerless night?
These to Christian Faith are given,
Faith, the harbinger of henven.

SECTION XXIII.

MIRACLE AT NAIN.

LUKE VII. 11.

AND it came to pass, the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier; and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, arise; and he that was dead sat up, and began to speak; and he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all; and they glorified God, saying, that a great prophet is risen up among us; and that God hath visited his people. And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the region round about. And the disciples of John showed him of all these things. And John, calling unto him two of his disciples, sent them

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