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New Cloth and New Wine.

LS. MATT. IX. consider your own faults. There is ample room for amendment within without stirring beyond our own hearts. Why, except of His infinite mercy, does God still admit us to His house, His table, His promises?

12. But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

O good Physician, are we not sick and in need of Thee? If we know our own hearts, their secret sins, their great folly and vileness, their lack of all that is good, we shall betake ourselves to this wise Physician, Who has in His hands remedies of infinite

power.

13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Mercy is the first and best of offerings-not that God forbids or despises other sacrifices, but that this is the most necessary.

Care for our brethren's sinful souls, or suffering bodies, is an offering after Christ's own pattern.

14. Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? 15. And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

Christ our Lord is the true Bridegroom of souls, Whom they should love and honour first of all with an undivided heart. His absence from us is but for a while, that we may exercise ourselves in repentance and self-denial. We cannot rejoice rightly unless we have truly mourned first. What grieves our truest Friend should be a grief to us also.

16. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

The old garment is the Jewish Law and its outward ceremonies, which were now decaying and waxing old; and the new garment is Christian righteousness, which Jesus our Lord taught and bestowed. The two could not be joined together. What Jesus offers us is a new dress for our souls, not a mere patchwork of external form applied to an unrenewed heart.

17. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

The old leather bottles are unregenerate natures, which could not receive the Divine precepts of Christ. The Gospel is like the

VER. 23.]

The Woman with an Issue of Blood.

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fermenting wine, full of power and might. Unless God's Spirit gives us new life, how can we carry out what Jesus commands? His words are too high and heavenly for our frail nature. Give us, O Lord, hearts that can take in Thy saving message and live by it. Divine truth preached by faithful lips has still power; it has never grown old.

18. While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.

We should pray thus for others or ourselves, humbly declaring our need in the presence of God, and trusting entirely in His Divine power to supply it. In His grace and mercy He still lays hands upon dead souls and they live.

19. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.

He was ready at once to attend on any one who needed His help, not sparing Himself trouble. Selfishness found no place in Him. We who call ourselves His disciples should imitate Him in this, and not reckon it too troublesome to interrupt our own ease for our brethren's sake.

20. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 21. for she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

She came secretly and touched the fringe of His garment (Deut. xxii. 12), whether out of shame, or because she was unclean, or from an imperfect faith which looked on His dress as the centre of a magical influence. She lacked courage to come openly, yet still she had a deep trust in His power to save her. In however imperfect a manner, yet she came and found acceptance.

22. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. With these comfortable words Jesus Christ relieves her fear, and promises her entire freedom from her sickness. Nothing but faith in His saving power can cure the long-standing disease of sin. Let us take comfort even after many failures and fears. Our Saviour is mighty to help us.

23. And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,

Violent weeping and loud expressions of grief, as well as great pomp and expense at funerals, are unsuited to Christian mourners. They should grieve for their dead in a spirit of peace and hope. Has

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The Girl raised to Life.

[S. MATT. IX. not God called them into that rest where we shall soon rejoin them?

24. He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.

She was not dead but sleeping, because her death was so soon over that it was like a few moments' slumber. The voice and touch of Christ could rouse the dead as easily as we wake a sleeper. Indeed, in the hope of a resurrection to come all death seems like a sleep that will soon end.

25. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.

The Lord works His wonders in retirement for people who have gone apart from the busy scoffing world. This life-giving touch of His figures the power of Divine grace, which is able to rouse our coldness and begin a new life in us. What if any one seems dead to heavenly things, still Christ's hand may touch his soul and wake him.

26. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land. How great is the marvel of a soul recalled from the other world! It almost terrifies us to think of it, to imagine one who had died living again and walking amongst men. Yet this is not more wonderful than the conversion to new life of one who was dead in sin; and is indeed only a shadow of that great day when all men shall rise again with their bodies to give account for their own works.

27. And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.

These men were in affliction, and they called on our Lord as the Son of David, the promised Messiah, and this with great earnestness, yet for some time He appeared to take no notice. He neither stopped nor spoke, yet they continued crying to Him, and would not give up. Let us pray on, even though for a while God seems to take no heed; in His good time we shall be heard.

28. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. To obtain a blessing we must have a firm faith in God's power and mercy. He is able to pardon, to convert, to strengthen, to remove difficulties, to bring the most darkened souls into light. Let us cling fast to this faith as our only hope of light in this dark world.

29. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

Faith opens to us the treasures of God's grace; they are infinite, but

VER. 35.]

Many Miracles.

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we only receive according to the measure that we bring. The well is deep, but we draw much or little from it. His hand is not shortened, but it is our scanty faith that can receive so little.

30. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

"Lord, open Thou mine eyes, that I may see the wondrous things of Thy law," may see my own self, and Thy way, and how to help others, and go on my road towards heaven. Let me not fall back into that darkness from which Thou hast once brought me.

31. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

No doubt these men were wrong in disobeying our Lord's command to be silent, yet perhaps it was their very gratitude and wonder which urged them to speak of what He had done for them. It requires caution even to speak aright of the mercies that we have received.

32. As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.

In such a state are those who are subject to some deadly sin and will not speak of it, either before God in humble confession and prayer, or to their brethren, who might advise or help them. They keep their misery in their own hearts, and so cannot get free.

33. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. May God chase the dumb spirit from us, that we may confess our sins, and declare His praises, and what He has done for us. Why should we talk to our friends of everything else except about God and eternity? It is a false shame to be always dumb on matters of the greatest concern.

34. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

Some persons sneer at any good works and find fault with them. Let us rather praise God for them, and acknowledge His glory manifested there. The overthrow of Satan's power in any soul should be a joy to us. Beware of the great sin of disbelieving a sinner's conversion.

35. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. He taught the new law of love and purity, He preached the kingdom of heaven, setting it forth with many parables and figures; and after He had finished His Divine words about God, and heaven, and duty, and the heart of man, He put what He had

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Labourers needed for the Harvest. [S. MATT. X.

said into practice by performing works of mercy. His miracles were meant to drive home His words.

36. ¶ But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

To do good we must begin by having, as Jesus had, a deep compassion for the cares and errors of the poor. Do not let us rail at their faults, but try to understand them better, and see where they have gone astray, and what their temptations are. We cannot do

them good unless we love them.

37. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are jew;

So it is now. The harvest-fields waiting for reapers mean the ignorant who need to be taught, the sorrowful who lack comfort, the sinner who might be brought back from his evil ways. How few go forth as labourers to do this work for God, while this world's harvest finds abundance of reapers!

38. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

If we can do nothing else, we can pray earnestly to God to send forth fit persons to work for His Name's sake at home and abroad. All hearts are in His hand. Let us intreat Him to prepare and guide Christian workers. How many noble gifts there are which ought to be employed in God's service instead of being consumed on the world!

CHAPTER X.

1. Christ sendeth out his twelve apostles, enabling them with power to do miracles, 5. giveth them their charge, teacheth them, 16. comforteth them against persecutions: 40. and promiseth a blessing to those that receive them.

AND

ND when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Here is the beginning of the Christian ministry, when men were first set apart with prayer to be the representatives of Christ, to speak and bless in His Name. We should thank God for preserving to us by His ministers the knowledge of redemption. Notice, these persons did not receive power to speak for Christ till they had for a long while themselves listened to His preaching and admired His wonderful works. Those who would bring other men to Christ must themselves have dwelt with Him and known Him