earthly things. 2. That the right way to use worldly riches is to minister to the wants of Christ's poor.

Questions.-What is the meaning of the word Parable? Was Jesus accustomed to teach by parables? [St. Matt. xiii. 34.] Was He the first person among the Jews who taught by parables? [No.] Mention some parables that are contained in the Old Testament. [Jotham's Parable of the Trees, Judges ix. 7-21; Nathan's Parable of the Ewe Lamb, 2 Sam. xii.; Jehoash's Parable of the Thistle and the Cedar, 2 Kings xiv. 9, 10; The Vineyard, Isa. v. 1-7.]

What is the title or name usually given to the Parable in to day's Gospel? ["Notes."] Had Jesus been questioned by His hearers on the subject to which the Parable relates? [No.] Is the Parable of the Unjust Steward one of the simplest or one of the most difficult of our Lord's parables? ["Notes."]

Ver. 1. In this verse you read of a certain rich man; whom had he in his employment? What does the Greek word mean which is translated "steward"? ["Notes."] Two persons are named in the Book of Genesis who had such stewards: who were they? ["Notes."] Who was Abraham's steward? ["Notes.' And who was Potiphar's? ["Notes."] Prove that Joseph had entire charge of all his master's property. ["Notes."] What charge was brought against the steward? Is it likely that the charge was a true one? What makes you think it was? ["Notes."]

Ver. 2. What did the rich man do when his steward was accused unto him? What did he say to the steward? You say he called him to account; but what words did he use at the same time that he called him to account? What do those words prove respecting the rich man? ["Notes."] You say they prove that he knew the steward was guilty; but did he give him an opportunity of defending his conduct? Mention a time when God acted in exactly the same way with persons who had sinned against Him. Where were Adam and Eve at that time? Were the excuses satisfactory which they made to Almighty God?

Ver. 3. When the steward found that his lord had discovered his dishonesty, what did he say? What does his thus taking counsel with himself show us respecting his character? ["Notes."] What did he mean by saying "I cannot dig"? [I have not the strength to dig or perform hard manual labour.]

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Was his mind soon made up respecting his future conduct? What did he say?

Ver. 4. What was he anxious the debtors should do when he was put out of the stewardship? What did he mean by their receiving him into their houses? [Receiving him into their families, and supporting him as a sort of pensioner.] And by doing this these debtors would be making the steward a return for what service? [For the kindness which he had shown them while he was steward.] Well, we shall now see what that kindness was look at ver. 5.

Ver. 5. How many of his lord's debtors did the steward call to him? You say he called every one; what does that circumstance teach you respecting him? [He was willing to take much trouble to accomplish his purpose.] What question did he ask of the first debtor?

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Ver. 6. What was the debtor's answer? What are meant here by "measures"? ["Notes."] Of how many gallons did each "bath" consist? ["Notes."] Then a hundred measures or "baths would be the same as how many gallons? The steward told the debtor to take his "bill;" what do you understand by his "bill"? [" Notes."] What written document at present in use might the "bill" have been like? [To an IOU (I owe you.)] What alteration did the steward tell him to make in the bill? Then, by having that alteration made, the steward cheated his lord of the value of how many measures of oil?* [Fifty.].

Ver. 7.

by a

46

What did the other debtor owe? What is here meant 66 measure of wheat? ["Notes."] And of what did a 99 cor consist? ["Notes."] Then a "hundred measures," or 'cors," would amount to how many bushels? ["Notes."] And by telling him to write "fourscore instead of a hundred, the steward cheated his lord of the value of how many measures? [Twenty.] You see that the steward made a distinction between the debtors, allowing to the former a greater reduction than to the latter; why did he most likely do that? ["Notes."] Then this was a proof of what? [His prudence.] Was it heavenly or earthly prudence?

* Oil is a valuable commodity in Eastern lands, and is obtained from vegetable substances; that from animal substances being seldom used. Animal fat or oil is used very little in hot countries. Olive oil was the commonest in Palestine, and the manufacture of it was a source of great profit. The finer sort of olive oil, or oil of unripe olives, was a present suitable for a king. Ol was used for various purposes: with food, to anoint the head and beard, to anoint the dead, and to burn in lamps.

Ver. 8. What are we told the lord did when he knew what the steward had done? Do you mean that our Lord commended the unjust steward? ["Notes."] To commend is to praise; did the rich lord commend his steward's dishonesty? ["Notes."] What was it therefore that he commended? ["Notes."] What is said in this verse respecting "the children of this world"? Who are meant by "the children of this world"? [Wordly men.] Who are meant by "the children of light"? [Sincere Christians.] In what sense can worldly men be said to be wiser than the children of light? ["Notes."] What is said by Dr. Trench respecting the world's servants and God's servants? ["Notes."]

In

Ver. 9. What advice does Jesus give Christians in this verse? What is meant by "the mammon of unrighteousness"? which verse is "the mammon of unrighteousness" spoken of in opposition to the true riches, or Gospel gifts? [Ver. 12.] In what way are religious men to make friends to themselves of the mammon of unrighteousness? [By laying out their riches in works of charity to Christ's poor.] Who will then be made their "friends"? [Christ's poor.] When will these poor become their friends? [At the last day.] Into what kind of habitations is it said in ver. 9 these poor will receive those who have ministered to them? Do you mean that Christ's poor are the cause of the salvation of those who have helped them? ["Notes."] Who is the cause? [Jesus Christ.] Then what is meant by the words "they [the poor] may receive you into everlasting habitations"? [They are the instruments employed by Christ, He Himself being the cause.] You see, this parable teaches you a great deal respecting the right use of wealth, and the advantage wealth may give to Christians when they use it in helping Christ's poor, especially widows, orphans, and the sick is this however, the main object of the parable? [No.] This was the second lesson which Christ meant us to gather from it; but what was His first or main object in delivering it? [To teach us that Christians should show as much prudence in heavenly things as worldly men show in earthly things.] So you learn that this parable should teach us the duty of what? [Christian PRUDENCE.]

Application. What do you call a man, like Joseph or Eliezer, who has charge of his master's property? Ought a steward to take great care of his master's property? Who is the master of Christians? When do Christians enter into Christ's service? [At baptism.] Does Christ commit to their charge any gifts? Mention the chief gift? [The grace of the Holy Spirit.] Then

you see Christians are made the stewards of that gift: is it intended that they should preserve it? Where ought they to preserve it? [In their hearts.] In what ought they to show it? In their conduct.] When will Christ call you, His steward, to account? And if you have not used His grace prudently, what will be the consequence? And in order that you may use prudently the grace you already have, what must you pray for? [More grace.] Mention some other means of grace you may use besides prayer. [The Holy Communion.]

TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

St. Luke xix. 41-47.

41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,

44 And shall lay thee even with the

ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;

46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

47 And he taught daily in the temple.

Parallel Passages.-St. Matt. xxi. 1-16; St. Mark xi, 1-12,

Notes.-The subject of to-day's Gospel-Christ's weeping over Jerusalem-is not recorded by St. Matthew and St. Mark in the parallel passages mentioned above, although the event which happened at the same time, namely, His triumphal entry into the city, is described by them. St. Luke, therefore, completes the history; but in one particular he does not observe the exact order of time in his account. The cleansing of the Temple, which appears (from St. Luke xix. 45, 46) to have occurred on the day of the triumphal entry, did not take place until the day after (see St. Mark xi. 12, 15).

The triumphal entry, the weeping over the city, and the cleansing of the Temple, were all events which took place in the last week of our Blessed Lord's ministry.

Three years had He been teaching and doing miracles, exhorting, preaching; travelling on foot from the north to the south of Palestine; He was now here, now there: often obliged for safety to journey by night-always despised. But the closing scene was drawing nigh. His agony and crucifixion were approaching, and, to add to His suffering, there was the knowledge that Jerusalem on which He looked down from the side of the Mount of Olives was no better for His mission; for the people therein had rejected Him, and would reject Him again, saying, "Not this man, but Barabbas." He knew also-what Christians should tremble to think of-that there comes a time when the chances of men's reformation and safety are even as nothing; when the soul is weighed down by spiritual sleep and cannot rise; when men are given over to a "reprobate mind" (as were the heathen, Rom. i. 28); when, in fact, . God sends them "strong delusion" (2 Thess. ii. 10-12), and they believe a lie. It was thus with Jerusalem. "The things which belong unto thy peace," said Jesus, " are now hid from thine eyes."

Ver. 41. And when He was come near. That is, near to Jerusalem. It cannot mean near to the Mount of Olives, because we read (in ver. 37) that Jesus was now at the descent of" the Mount. Ólivet lies to the east of Jerusalem, and is separated from that city by the narrow valley of Jehoshaphat, through which flows the brook Cedron. At the present day the Mount of Olives and the village of Tur at its summit, with its tapering minaret, are before one's eyes from almost every part of Jerusalem. The face of Olivet is streaked horizontally with strips of green and gray-green terraces of corn and grass, and gray ledges of rock. A person coming out of the eastern side of the city, either through what is named the Golden Gate,* or what is called St. Stephen's Gate, would be obliged to cross that brook if he wished to go to the Mount of Olives, to Bethany, or to the Garden of Gethsemane. To Bethany there is a common road, and also a foot-path over the Mount of Olives. Our Lord began His triumphal journey to Jerusalem from a part of the Mount near to Bethany. For a portion of the dis

This gate is now walled up,