COMMENTS.-1. His own city. Capernaum where he had a common residence with Peter. Chap. iv. 13.

2. A man so paralyzed that he could not walk, and was brought by his friends on a litter. Jesus seeing their faith. That of the sick man, as well as his friends. The confidence they had in Christ's healing power and mercy, showed itself in the fact that they broke through outward hindrances. St. Mark tells us that when they could not get to Him, by reason of the throng, they uncovered the roof and let the palsied man down where Jesus was. Mark ii. 4. Jesus addresses the sick person, in whom He saw a deeper sorrow than for his bodily condition. His palsy may have been caused by some sin, on account of which he was depressed and troubled. Sometimes the remission of sin follows healing. John v. 14. Here it precedes it, "the reason no doubt being, that in the sufferer's own conviction there was so close a connection between the sin and the plague that the outer healing would have been scarcely intelligible to him; would have scarcely carried to his mind the sense of a benefit, unless his conscience had also been set free; perhaps he was incapable of receiving it, till there had been spoken peace to his spirit." Thy sins are forgiven thee: an actual and absolute pardon went forth with these words. Here Christ asserted His Divinity. God alone can forgive sins. His ministers can only formally announce "by the authority of the Gospel" to those "who have made confession of their sins" unto God, with hearty repentance and faith, being resolved to turn from them, and follow after righteousness and true holiness, what God has done "through the perfect satisfaction of the most holy passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ."

3. Among the crowd assembled from various motives, were Scribes from Jerusalem (Luke v. 17), who accused Jesus of blasphemy-or the assuming by the creature, what belonged to the Creator. These Scribes had a proper idea that only He who was sinned against could remit sin; but their own sin was that they could not recognize the Divine in Christ. Jno. i. 10.

4. The omniscience that recognized the faith of the sick man, detected the

evil heart of unbelief in the Scribes, and questioned them in regard to it.

5. Whether it is easier to SAY, &c. The claiming of the one power was as easy as the claiming of the other.

6. But that ye may know, &c. Jesus here shows His Divine character by putting forth a power that man of himself could not exercise, to the end that those about Him might know that the fullness" and prerogative of God had been let down to earth in the person of His Son.

7. He who had to be carried on his bed from his house, could now walk, carrying his bed to his house-an outward evidence of a perfect cure.

8. The Scribes may have continued in their unbelief, but the multitude less blind, "praised the Author of all good for the revelation of His glory in His Son. (Matt. v. 16.) There was a true sense upon their part, of the significance of this fact, in their thankful exultation that God had given such power unto men.' Without supposing that they were accurately explained to themselves, or could have explained to others their feelings, yet they felt rightly that what was given to one man, to the Man Christ Jesus, was given for the sake of all, and ultimately to all—that it was indeed given 'unto men ;'-that He possessed these powers as the true Head and Representative of the race, and therefore that these gifts to Him, were a rightful subject of gladness and thanksgiving to every member of that race.'

The Reason Why.

A great many little ones often wonder why a cat always washes her face after eating. The reason of it is given. in an old legend: A cat caught a sparrow, and was about to devour it, but the sparrow said: "No gentleman eats until he washes his face." The cat, struck with the remark, set the sparrow down, and began to wash his face with his paw, but the sparrow flew away. This vexed puss extremely, and he said, as long as I live I will eat first and wash my face afterwards," which all cats do even to this day.

OCTOBER 10.

1875.

1. And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

2. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3. And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

4. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

5. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

6. And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

7. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

8. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

9. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

10. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

11. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

12. And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

13. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

14. For many are called, but few are cho

sen.

2. To what is the Kingdom of Heaven here likened? Had the coming of the Messiah ever been spoken of before under this figure? (Is. lxi. 10; Hos. ii. 19; Matt. ix. 15. Is. xxv. 6; lxv. 13. Cant. v. 1.)

3. What people had been invited to the marriage before the coming of Christ? Was it the custom to announce the readiness of the feast to those who had been previously bidden? (Esther v. 8, and vi. 14.) Who were the servants referred to in this verse? How did those who had been bidden act? Does this describe the disposition of the Jews?

4. What other servants are referred to in this verse? What time is here meant? Had not all that God had formerly promised, now been made ready? How had Christ actually made all things ready?

5. How did the Jews as a class, treat the renewed offer of salvation?

6. What did the remnant do? Acts iv. 3; v.

18; viii. 3; v. 40; xiv. 5, 19; xvii. 5; xxi. 30; xxiii. 2; vii. 58; xii. 3.

7. What effect had this on the king? What became of the Jews after this? How was their city destroyed? By what army? Does God use such powers as His instruments?

8. What did the king then say to His servants? In what did the unworthiness here spoken of consist?

9. To whom were the servants now sent? 10. Whom did they bring in? For whose merits alone could they be admitted? 11. What is said in this verse?

12. What did the king ask him? By whom were the wedding garments supplied in the East? Was there then any excuse for being without one? Could the man say anything in his defense? In what must we be clothed if we would appear before God? Who supplies this? Will there be any excuse for us, if we appear in our impurity?

13. What did the king command? solemn warning has this for us?

What

108. What doth the seventh command teach us?

That all uncleanness is accursed of God, and that therefore we must, with all our hearts, detest the same, and live chastely and temperately, whether in holy wedlock, or in a single life.

109. Doth God forbid, in this command, only adultery, and such like gross sins?

Since both our body and soul are temples of the Holy Ghost, He commands us to preserve them pure and holy; therefore He forbids all unchaste actions, gestures, words, thoughts, desires, and whatever can entice men thereto.

COMMENTS.-1-2. This parable is different from the one recorded Luke xiv. (Lesson xxiii.), but bases itself on the same general belief of the Jews that the latter-day glory would be ushered in with a marriage, (Is. lxi. 10; Hos. ii. 19; Matt. ix. 15); and with a festival, (Is. xxv. 6; lxv. 13; Cant. v 1.) The two ideas are here combined. This parable spoken in view of the later and more violent disposition of the Pharisees towards Christ.

3. The Jews had been constituted invited guests at the call of Abraham, and all the Prophets had bidden them. At the Incarnation-"the true bridal of the earth and heaven," He sent forth His servants to call them that had been bidden. The servants here mentioned, were most probably the first apostles, who labored during the lifetime of our Lord, and it may be, John the Baptist, who declared the kingdom of heaven to be "at hand." But they heeded not the call.

4. Again sent other servants. Renewed invitation after the resurrection, through the disciples, with Stephen and Barnabas, Paul and others. The full provision of grace was now, not simply promised, but actually made.

5-6. We have here the disposition of the Jews, when the long-suffering God renewed His invitation. Some were simply indifferent, and went on with worldly avocations; others laid violent hands on His servants, (Acts iv. 3; v. 18; viii. 3); they "entreated them spitefully," (Acts v. 40; xiv. 5, 19; xvii. 5; xxi. 30; xxiii. 2); they "slew them." Acts vii. 58; xii. 3.

6. The bad treatment of Christ's ambassadors was an insult to Him; He avenged His servants. His armies either, as some say His avenging angels, (Rev. xix. 14), legions of which do His bidding," Matt. xxvi. 53), or the hosts of Rome, whom He used to execute His vengeance. Burned up their city,

Jerusalem.

8-9. The unworthiness of the Jews consisted in their rejecting Him who would have made them worthy. The door was now opened for the Gentiles.

10. Good and bad. Without regard to moral qualifications, for none were so good as to have no need of Christ, none so bad that His grace was not sufficient

for them. HE, not their own merits was to be the ground of their acceptance.

11. The wedding was furnished with guests, but the eye of the king discerned one who had not on a wedding garment. We must be clothed with righteousness.

12. Speechless. It was the custom of the East for a king to furnish his guests with a suitable apparel, and there was therefore no excuse for the want of it. So Christ offers us the garments of His righteousness, and we will stand defenceless-not able to say a word in extenuation, if we are found clothed in our "filthy rags."

13-14. The guilty must not only suf fer the loss of good, but endure positive evil. The outer darkness contrasted with the light of the banqueting hall, the weeping and wailing contrasted with the joy of the feast, shows a difference which may well admonish us to heed the warning with which the parable closes.

No Burdens.

There is a gateway at the entrance of a narrow passage in London, over which is written, "No burdens allowed to pass through.

"And yet we do pass constantly with ours," said one friend to another, as they turned up this passage out of a more frequented and broader thoroughfare. They carried no visible burdens, but they were like many who, although they had no outward pack upon their shoulders, often stoop inwardly beneath the pressure of a heavy load upon the heart. The worst burdens are those which never meet the eye.

There is another gate-one which we are invited to enter, must enter, if we would ever attain to rest and peace, and over which is also inscribed, "No burdens allowed to pass through." This is the strait gate which leads to life; and by it stands One who opened the narrow way to which it leads, saying to each one of us, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."-Selected.

DISCOVERY often becomes a crime, and doubt of established error, treason.