life, for He is the "Resurrection and the Life." Therefore, if any of you to-day, my dear readers, studying this: Gospel, call to mind one whom you have loved-a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, or a dear friend-now lying in some quiet churchyard, some family-vault, or family-grave, waiting until the last trumpet shall sound;; think not that one is for ever gone from you. No; say, such or such a one is "not dead, but sleepeth." For the dead in Christ shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, and shall surely see each other. The dead hands of the departed in Christ shall be revived, and shall be raised in adoration' of the living Lord; and voices, long ago hushed in death, shall be tuned anew to sing joyful strains to the God of our salvation, and the God of our imperfect love.

Ver. 25. Took her by the hand. It was therefore not necessary that Christ should speak to the dead, as He did to the son of the widow of Nain. Miracles, such as this, He could perform in countless ways, whenever He willed it. It was the exercise of His will that wrought changes in the bodies of men.

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Questions.-Ver. 18. Who came to Jesus? What was Jesus doing when the ruler came to Him? What is meant by the expression "these things"? ["Notes."] To whom was Christ speaking those things? [John's disciples.] Disciples of which John? ["Notes."] How many of John the Baptist's disciples are stated to have left their master and followed Christ? [St. John i. 35-41.] When may other disciples of John have joined themselves to Christ's company? ["Notes."] You have said that "a ruler" came to Christ; who is here meant by a ruler"? ["Notes."] Were the rulers of the synagogues connected with the Temple at Jerusalem? [No.] Where did they reside? [In towns.] What sort of cases did they decide? ["Notes."] What was the name of the ruler of the synagogue that came to Jesus on this occasion? [St. Mark v. 22; St. Luke viii. 41.] We are told that Jairus worshipped Jesus; what is meant here by " worshipped"? ["Notes."] What is the exact meaning of the Greek word which here and in other places is translated "worshipped"? ["Notes."] What did the ruler tell Jesus? What did he beseech Jesus to do? He said that his daughter would live, if Jesus would lay His hand upon her: what does that prove respecting his feelings towards Jesus?

Ver. 19. What did Jesus then do? Who went with Jesus? How many disciples had Jesus? [Seventy.] Were they distinct from the Apostles? [Yes.]

Ver. 20. As Jesus was going to Jairus's house, who came behind Him? How long had she been afflicted? Had she adopted any means for getting rid of her disease? [St. Mark v. 26; St. Luke viii. 43.] Then, having spent all she had in paying physicians, but without effect, what does her coming to one who employed no medicines show us respecting her? [That she had faith.] What did she do when she came behind Jesus?` Describe the sort of garments that were worn in Eastern countries. ["Notes."] How was it that one person could touch another's garment without the touch being felt? ["Notes."] Did Jesus know that she had touched Him? What reason did He give for His knowing that? [St. Luke viii. 46.] What did He mean by "virtue"? [Power of healing.] What does this prove with reference to Christ's power of healing? ["Notes," ver. 22.] Did the prophets and apostles possess in themselves the power of healing? To whom are their cures ascribed? ["Notes."]

Ver. 22. How did Jesus address the woman? In what senses was she His daughter? ["Notes."] Was the woman healed? To what did Christ say her cure was owing? Did He mean that her faith was the cause of it? ["Notes."] Who was the cause?

Ver. 23. Whom did Jesus see in the ruler's house? Describe these minstrels. ["Notes."] How long did the full period of mourning for the dead last? ["Notes."] How long generally?

Ver. 24. What did Jesus say respecting the maid? Was she dead? [Yes.] What, therefore, did Jesus mean when He said she was not dead? ["Notes."] What intimation did He thus convey to the minstrels and the women who were preparing to anoint her? ["Notes."] What did those who were present do when He said the maid was sleeping?

Ver. 25. What did Jesus do after the people had been sent out of the room? And what is said respecting the maid? What do you call this act of restoring her to life? [A miracle.]

Application.-You have learnt from this Gospel that Christ has power over the dead: what should this teach all who have lost relatives or friends? [Not to sorrow as men without hope.] Show that St. Paul has taught the same truth? [1 Thess. iv. 13.] Will Christ one day restore to life those whom we have,

lost? Will He do so to those who have perished at sea, or by fire, as well as to those who lie in the churchyard? Where are we told that the sea must give up her dead? [Rev. xx. 13.] But, in order that our meeting again may be a happy one, what should we now do? [Live to Christ.] And, in so living, may we learn a lesson from the conduct of the woman who touched the hem of Christ's garment? [We should now seek Christ in faith and prayer and humility, as she did.] Did Christ receive her graciously? Why? [Because of her faith.] Will He so receive us, if we seek Him?

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY,

St. John vi. 5-14.

**The Gospel appointed for this day is the same as that which the Church has set apart for the FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. It has therefore not been deemed necessary to furnish separate Notes, Questions, and Answers, for this Sunday; but the reader is advised to use those found on pages 85 (commencing at ver. 5) to 87, and afterwards to use the following. Supplementary Notes.-In addition to the explanation of to-day's Gospel, which is given under the head of the Fourth Sunday in Lent, we have to notice:-I. The reasons why the Church has set apart St. John vi. 5-14 as the closing Gospel for the ecclesiastical year; and, II. What lessons we should draw from that portion of Scripture at this season.

I. CONCERNING THE REASONS WHY THE CHURCH HAS SET APART ST. JOHN VI. 5-14 AS THE CLOSING GOSPEL FOR THE ECCLESIASTICAL YEAR. Earthly things are used in Scripture as images of things spiritual; thus, our daily bread is spoken of in Holy Writ as the representative of the spiritual food afforded us by Christ's Sacraments and teaching. (1) Christ fed the multitude with earthly food; in that fact we are to see His goodness in feeding us during the past year with His instruction conveyed to us in the Gospels appointed by the Church. This may be the reason why St. John vi. 5-14 has been appointed as

the Gospel for to-day. (2) Christ communicated temporal mercies through the medium of His disciples; for He gave the bread to them, and they gave it to the people. This should remind us that His spiritual gifts were conveyed to the Church by means of His apostles. (3) Christ brought forth food plenteously for His people. We, who have obtained a whole year's instruction, ought now, and during the new year, which begins with the First Sunday in Advent, " plenteously to bring forth," as the Collect for the day teaches, "the fruit of good works," that we may "be plenteously rewarded" (see "Collect"). (4) After all the people had eaten and were filled, a store of provision was left. The Church is a store-house-a rich garner. It contains enough, and more than enough, of all spiritual things; which have not been exhausted during the past year, and therefore remain for us in store during the year on which we are soon (if God wills) to enter. (5) Christ said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." We must now, at the end of the Church's year, gather up the smallest fragments of instruction and of time, that nothing which we have received may be lost to us. Like stewards, who must soon go to our account, we should be casting up in our minds what we have received, and how we have spent-in fact, how we have used what we have received; for every blessing is a talent only lent to us, and we should daily live as if that talent every moment might be called in.

II. CONCERNING THE LESSONS TO BE LEARNT FROM THIS DAY'S GOSPEL. Who fed the five thousand? How was it that He was able to do that? [Because He is God, and therefore all-powerful.] Then the first thing you learn respecting Christ is, that He is what kind of a person? [A Divine Person.] Is it well to let our thoughts rest on this fact at the end of the year? For whose good was the miracle wrought? Then this shows that Christ is— what? [Good to men.] Where were the people when the miracle was wrought in their behalf? [In the wilderness.] Through what wilderness are we - His people-now passing? [The wilderness of the world.]

Does He leave us without provision? What provision has He made for us? [His Word and Sacraments.] Christ addressed God before distributing the food-what do you learn from that? [The duties of Thanksgiving and Prayer.] What may you learn from His charge, "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost"? ["Notes."] Ought we to gather up the remaining fragments of time? In whose service should our years be spent? Are we stewards? What should we consider time, knowledge, instruction, money, and every gift to be? [Talents.] Are you to use them? In whose service? May those talents be called in at any moment? May you die at any moment? As a good steward knows that at any moment his master may call him to account, what does he do? ["Notes."] The account must be given on the day of judgment: between your burial and your judgment can you any longer make preparation to give a good account? [No.] What does Bishop Wilson say about death and judgment? [Where Death leaves us, Judgment must find us.] Whose commandments, therefore, should you now earnestly strive to obey? What does Solomon tell us is the conclusion of the whole matter respecting religion? ["LET US HEAR THE CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER: FEAR GOD, AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: FOR THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN. FOR GOD SHALL BRING EVERY WORK INTO JUDGMENT, WITH EVERY SECRET THING, WHETHER IT BE GOOD, OR WHETHER IT BE EVIL."-Eccles. xii. 13, 14.]

THE END.

LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET,

AND CHARING CROSS.