told him how he might obtain a cure, by that spirit of prophecy which had rested before on Elijah, and of which he had asked and obtained a double supply for himself. And several of the miracles wrought by the Prophets, as for instance that one where Elijah restored the little child at Sarepta, and again at Shunem, were not accomplished but by much and earnest prayer. When even Moses, the first and chief of the prophets, in bringing water out of the rock at Meribah, departed, though but a little, from the manner in which God had told him to do it, and spoke as if the miracle had been done by himself and Aaron, he was said to have spoken "unadvisedly with his lips." He was too, for this very offence, denied an entrance into the promised land with the people whom for forty years he had led through the wilderness. It was Christ alone, who could work miracles by His own, as well as by His Father's power; for He and the Father are One. He alone could say, "I will; be thou clean." The prophets spoke and acted as servants: He as Lord of all. This it is which aistinguishes their miracles from His; this it is which makes those miracles so many proofs to us of our Lord's divine nature, and shows us that He was really one with God.

It is difficult for us to imagine in any degree the feelings of the leper, when he departed from the Saviour cleansed from his dreadful disorder, in a state to enjoy once more the blessings of life. In proportion as his misery had been deep and awful, must his joy and his thankfulness have been overflowing. Indeed the poor man seems to have suffered his gratitude to outrun his obedience to his gracious Bene

factor. Our Lord had desired him to tell no man of his cure, until he came to the priest: being unwilling most probably to draw around him a curious crowd, instead of a faithful company of obedient disciples. But he went out and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, not thinking of the inconvenience this might cause to our Lord, and forgetting that the best way to show our gratitude for Divine mercies, is to do exactly what the Divine Giver commands.

The consequence was, that such crowds again collected together, "that Jesus could no more openly enter into any city, but was without in desert places.' Several days were spent in these lonely places in prayer, before our Lord returned again to Capernaum, which had now the great honour of being called "His own city," because it had become the usual place of His abode.

But here we must end our conversation for to night. May the Blessed Spirit of God make it not only pleasant, but profitable to our souls!

See Matt. viii. 2-4. Mark i. 40-45. Luke v. 12-16.

NINETEENTH SUNDAY EVENING.

THE PARALYTIC CURED.

M. As soon as it was heard that Jesus was in a house at Capernaum, crowds collected again immediately to hear Him, and amongst them were many Pharisees and Teachers of the Law, who had come

from all the villages of Galilee, and even from Judea and Jerusalem. So great was the assembly of people, that there was no room to receive any more, even about the door or gate.

E. What a large house it must have been, Mamma, to contain such crowds of people! Were the Jews' houses so much larger than ours?

M. The houses in Eastern climates, though not perhaps so lofty and substantial as ours, generally contain more spacious apartments than is usual with us. But besides this they were built in a different manner from that of our common dwellings; being erected in the form of a square, enclosing a court yard, with long galleries about it, within the building which formed the dwelling. But if you bring Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible to me, I will show you a picture of one of these houses, which will give you a much better idea of them than any mere description. There you will see the spacious court in the middle, with the galleries all round it, and the windows opening into it. It was probably in some such court that the crowd was now assembled, so as to fill every part and prevent any further entrance at the gate. There they thronged again around our Lord, who as usual made use of so good an opportunity of preaching the word to them. Whilst thus engaged, Jesus in teaching, and the multitudes around humbly listening, we trust, to His blessed instruction, an extraordinary but interesting circumstance occurred, which put a stop at that time to His discourse, and led Him to give them a striking proof of the reality of those precious truths, which He was perhaps at that very moment unfolding to them.

A man sick of the palsy was suddenly let

down from the roof upon his bed at the feet of Jesus! He had been brought to the house by four of his anxious and pitying friends, in the hope of obtaining relief for him, and of seeing him restored once more to the use of his limbs; for the sickness, called the palsy, under which he was suffering, had made him a complete cripple, utterly unable to move hand or foot.

In vain was it for such a party, four men carrying a couch, to force its way through such a crowd, or even to get in at the gate which was already thronged to excess. What, then, were they to do? Should they turn back, and take the poor paralytic home again, disappointed of the only hope he had? Oh! no; they were too kind to do this, too anxious to relieve his sufferings, too sure of the power and compassion of Jesus, to think for a moment of carrying him away. Their faith suggests to them a plan by which they may still bring the sick man to the feet of Jesus. Though they could not enter at the gate, what should hinder them from going up upon the roof, which was flat like all the houses in Eastern countries?

E. Yes, just as Rahab's house at Jericho, Mamma, where she hid the spies. I understand that.

M. And such was the case at Capernaum. It appears too that there were commonly stairs from without, going up to the roof, so that these truly kind persons might easily, though not indeed without much more trouble to themselves, bring their sick friend to the top of the house. They determined therefore to do this; and when they had got him there, they seem to have undone a part of the parapet wall, which surrounded the flat roof, and let down the bed with cords

into the midst before Jesus. What a striking scene it must have been! What a touching appeal to the compassion of our Lord! Not a word was said; not a prayer was uttered; but none were needed. The silent faith of these men spoke more loudly than any words could have done! There lies the paralytic at the feet of Jesus; utterly unable to help himself, his eye fixed, no doubt, on the only one in all that multitude who could do any thing for him! Whilst those faithful friends who had given such valuable proof of their love, by taking so much pains to bring him within reach of the Saviour's help, remain above, silently looking down upon the interesting scene, and waiting in faith and patience for the blessed result.

E. And I am sure, Mamma, they will find our Lord as gracious to them, as he has been to every one else.

M. Indeed they will. Their exertions had been great, and the result was abundantly sufficient to reward them. The Bible tells us that, when Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."

See what a blessing that faith received. How much more have they obtained, than what they asked. When the Lord gives, He gives exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think. This poor man had only expected bodily healing; but Christ restores and heals his soul. "Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee:" thus our Saviour would teach the sufferer himself and all around that sin was the original cause of all sorrow and suffering, of all our pains and sicknesses; and would lead their thoughts off from the disease, to the sin which was the cause of that disease, that they might desire above all a Second Series.]

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