to both taken together. That the lan- less than three hours' prayer." Now "TAKE our whole country through, and a large majority of those under Sundayschool instruction are doubtless to be found in schools of less than one hundred scholars each. Some of the best Sunday schools-the best in their management and influence-have less than fifty scholars on their roll. And of the larger schools the rainy-day gatherings and the small gatherings "The gates of Hell." Christ means Satan and the power of Satan's Kingdom. In Oriental usage, "gate often" signifies what we denote by "court." It signifies "the throne of the ruler, power and dignity, from which everything comes forth, and to which all returns in his kingdom." See Job Xxxviii. of a hot mid-summer Sunday 17; Psalm ix. 13; Psalm cvii. 18: where "the gates of death" are not merely entrances, but indicate the grasping and destroying power of death. So here the power of sin, the kingdom of Satan, with all its malice and rage, its cunning and falsehood, assailing from without or corrupting from within, shall never prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ. This promise has been fulfilled thus far, in the history of the Church, and will be made good to the end. WHEN Agassiz visited Oken, the great German naturalist, the latter showed to the younger student his laboratory, his cabinet, his magnificent library and all his varied and costly scientific apparatus. At length the dinner hour approached. Oken said to Agassiz, "Sir, to gather and maintain what you have seen uses up my income. To accomplish this I have to economize in my style of living. Three times in the week we have meat on the table. On the other days we dine on potatoes and salt. I regret that your visit has fallen on potato day." And so the naturalists, with the students of Oken, dined on potatoes and salt. PRAYING AND WORKING.-I like that saying of Martin Luther, when he says, "I have so much business to do today, that I shall not get through it with are often the ones where most good is done. Those who attend at such a time seem in earnest to get something, and they draw closer to each other and to their leaders. Then, if ever, they are likely to be impressed for permanent good. It sometimes seems as if there were a certain amount of good to be divided up in a school or class, and when fewer scholars were present the shares of each were largest. At all events, a scanty attendance, because of cold, or storm, or heat, ought not to discourage a pastor, a superintendent, or a teacher. It may be the best of all days for his work."-S. S. Times. BE KIND AND GENEROUS.-" You are made to be kind, generous, and magnanimous," says Horace Mann. "If there is a boy in school who has a club-foot, don't let him know you ever saw it. It there is a boy with ragged clothes, don't talk about rags in his hearing. If there is a lame boy, assign him some part in the play which does not require much running. If there is a dull one, help him to get his lessons. SYDNEY SMITH'S definition of marriage: "A pair of shears, so joined that they cannot be separated, often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing any one who comes between them." JUNE 10. LESSON XXIII. 1877. Second Sunday after Trinity. Matt. xviii. 11-20. TRUE GREATNESS OF CHRIST'S DISCIPLES IN RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER. 11. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 12. How think ye? If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13. And if it so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. 15. Moreover, if thy brother shall tresspass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17. And if he shall neglect to hear thee, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. 18. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. 19. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. QUESTIONS. Ver. 11. What gave rise to the present discourse? See vers. 1-3. For what purpose does Jesus say that He came? What does He mean by that which was lost? On what other occasion did He say the same words? Luke xix. 10. 12, 13. What comparison does Jesus use? Where do we find this parable again? Luke xv. 4. With what two other parables is it there connected? Who is the shepherd here spoken of? John x. 11. Who is the lost sheep? What is meant by going into the mountains? By seeking? By finding? Why does the shepherd rejoice more over the sheep that he finds, than over the others? Is Jesus seeking the lost now? How? 15. What is meant by trespass? Who is our brother? How shall we tell him his fault? Why shall we not tell it to others? What is the advantage of this course? 16. If he will not hear, what then? What was the law as regards witnesses? Deut. xvii. 6; xix. 15; John viii. 17. 17. To whom shall it then be told? If he will not hear the church, what then? What does this mean? Rom. xvi. 17; 2 Thess. iii. 6, 14. Does it mean that we are not to love and pray for them? 18. What does our Saviour here promise? Where else do we find these words? Matt. xvi. 19; John xx. 23. What power does our Saviour here give the church? What is excommunication? When is this power to be exercised? Why is it a very dreadful thing to be excommunicated? 19. What promise is here made? What is meant by agreeing? Is it good for a number of Christians to agree in making one prayer? When is this done? 20. Where does Jesus say He is? What should this encourage us to do? CATECHISM. XXIII. Lord's Day. 59. But what doth it profit thee now that thou believest all this? That I am righteous in Christ, before God, and an heir of eternal life. 60. How art thou righteous before God? Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ; so that, though my conscience accuses me that I have grossly transgressed all the commands of God, and kept none of them, and am still inclined to all evil; notwithstanding God, without any merit of mine, but only of mere grace, grants and imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ; even so, as if I never had had, nor committed any sin; yea, as if I had fully accomplished all that obedience which Christ had accomplished for me; inasmuch as I embrace such benefit with a believing heart. 61. Why sayest thou that thou art righteous by faith only? Not that I am acceptable to God on account of the worthiness of my faith, but because only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ is my righteousness before God, and that I cannot receive and apply the same to myself any other way than by faith only. COMMENTS.-The discourse to which this passage belongs, grew out of the circumstance related in verse 1, and has for its theme, the true greatness of Christ's disciples in relation to one another. Having, in the first part, shown in what this true greatness consists (namely, in humility and love), our Saviour, in that part which forms our lesson, proceeds to show on what it is founded and how it expresses itself. 11. We have the same saying again, at Luke xix. 10. See also Matthew x. 6; xv. 24; Luke ix. 56. 12, 13. The parable of the Lost Sheep which we find again in Luke xv. where it is associated with the parable of the Lost Coin and that of the Prodigal Son. It portrays the seeking love of the Saviour for that which is lost. The Shepherd here, is Jesus Himself, who elsewhere (John x. 14) says: "I am the Good Shepherd." The lost sheep denotes, first, the whole race of mankind. We are all lost, in the sense of having gone astray from the fold, and wandered from the true path. We are lost, first, because we belong to a lost race; and, secondly, because we have personally and wilfully wandered from God. If we thus understand, by the lost sheep, our human race, as a whole, we shall then, in the ninetynine that went not astray, see a reference to other worlds or creations. Our world is but one of a countless multitude; it is but as a speck in the universe of God. Whatever may be the case with other creations, we know that our world is as a lost sheep, having gone astray through sin. And we are here taught that as a shepherd cares most for the sheep that is lost, leaving the rest to go after it; so Christ, because mankind are lost in sin, stoops to our poor world and concentrates His love upon it, though it be but as dust amid the countless multitudes of His worlds. Or, secondly, we may take a less comprehensive view, and, by the lost sheep, understand the individual who has wandered into sin, as distinguished from others, of whom it may be said, in some true sense, that they have not gone astray or are not at the time going astray in like manner. "I have gone astray like a lost sheep," says the Psalmist (cxix. 176). Here, again, it holds good, and is taught in this parable that as a shepherd is most concerned for his lost sheep, and a mother feels most for her weakest child; so Christ is most concerned for any child of His that may be lost in sin, and rejoices, with especial rejoicing, over every returning penitent. If we take this view, however, and teach it, we must be very careful to guard against leaving the false and dangerous impression, that Jesus loves the sheep which goes astray more than the one that does not; or that it belongs to the order of things in the kingdom of God, that one should first wander away from God and lead a life of sin in order that God's free grace may afterwards be magnified by his return. This beautiful parable may be so abused as to countenance this monstrous doctrine. If we take this view of the parable (as we justly may) and understand by the lost sheep, certain individuals as distinguished for the time being from others, we must remember that to seek after lost sheep, is not a good shepherd's regular work, but only an exceptional act. It is his work to care for the flock, lead it to pasture; watch over it, protect it, and, as far as possible, keep the sheep from straying. With this view of the order of the Christian life, there is nothing in our Saviour's words that is at variance; with the truth and we must not so pervert His parable as to make it place a premium upon wilful sinning. The going into the mountains and seeking, refers, first of all, to the Incarnation, Life and Ministry of Christ. His coming down to our world was a going into the mountainous regions of sin, in which mankind has become lost. When we see Him suffering and dying, we see Him treading the rough, rocky and thorny road over which He had to pass to seek His lost sheep. When we see Him rising from the dead and ascending to heaven, we see Him returning, in joy and triumph, bearing upon His shoulder the found and rescued sheep of our redeemed humanity. Moreover, what He thus did once for our human race as a whole, He is now doing continuously; by His Spirit and grace He is continually seeking after every sinner who is wandering away from Him. The words, if so be that he find it, remind us, that our being found depends, not solely, on our Saviour's seeking us, but on ourselves also. He can find us, only as we are willing that He should with this power. How dreadful a thing, find us. We are taught here, as every-therefore, it ought to be considered, to where in the Gospel, what a fearful pow be excommunicated from the Christian er we possess, of frustrating the purposes Church! of our Saviour's love. As, on a certain 19, 20. These words are a special occasion, He said of Jerusalem: "How promise respecting such prayer as any often would I have gathered thy child- number of persons may agree in making; ren together, even as a hen gathereth her as, for example, common or congregachickens under her wings, and ye would tional prayer, such as is offered in the not" (Matthew xxiii. 37). Church by Christians in common. They also assure us of Christ's presence wherever two or three are gathered together in His name. This ought greatly to encourage us in assembling ourselves together for united prayer. 15. Between thee and him alone. That is, in distinction from communicating it to others. Let us here learn an important lesson in relation to speaking of other's faults. If we speak of another's fault, let it not be publicly, in the spirit of scandal, but to the person himself, in the spirit of love. How much mischief and unhappiness would be avoided, if, in dealing with offenders, the order which our Saviour here lays down, were always observed! Thou hast gained thy brother; i. e., to be still a brother to thee, and gained his soul for God. 16. The calling in of witnesses was in accordance with the law of Moses. See Deuteronomy xvii. 6; xix. 15. See also John viii. 17. 17. Only after the failure of the two previous methods, is it to be made known to the Church. Let him be unto thee as a heathen man, &c. This refers to excommunication from the fellowship of the Church, exclusion from the use of the sacraments, &c. The exercise of this power is to be a last resort, after every other effort has been tried. The lan guage implies a strict separation. See Romans xvi. 17; 2 Thessalonians iii. 6 and 14. It does not signify, however, that we are not to continue caring, loving, praying and hoping for such persons. One object of their being cut off is their own amendment. St. Augustine says: "Though we esteem him no longer as a brother, yet, not on that account is his salvation to be neglected. For even heathens we consider not as our brethren, yet for their salvation we always seek." 18. Our Saviour here declares that such a power of excommunication belongs to His Church, and that the proper exercise of it, is exclusion from the Kingdom of Heaven. What is done on earth is ratified in heaven. See Matthew xvi. 19; John xx. 23; where our Saviour in the same words invests His Apostles BROWNIE IN TROUBLE.-A horse was prancing over the fields one day, when he fell into a ditch and could not get out. He was in great trouble, and his mates stood around in a fright; for they could not help him either. But old Whitey work. He bounded off to tell his master, thought of a plan that he knew would who was a quarter of a mile away. He pulled his sleeve, and then walked away, but the master did not follow; so he tried again, making such an unusual sound that the man knew at once he wished him to go to the pasture. So he started, and soon found out the trouble. Old Whitey got there before him, and kept calling as loud as he could. If he had known how to talk he would have encouraged Brownie by the news that his "master was coming." When the poor horse was helped out and stood on firm ground again, you should have seen how Whitey rubbed his master's arm, as if to say. "Thank you, thank you!"-Child's World. OVER the principal gate of the old city of Konigratz, Bohemia, so familiar with those who had read the story of the Bohemian Reformation, is a bas relief representation of John Huss kneeling before his martyrdom, and underneath the remarkable text: "The blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanseth us from all sin.", The whole had been evidently plastered over centuries ago, when the sight of it would have been specially ob noxious; but now the coating is worn off, and original lines distinctly reappear.Observer. Ver. 1. State the circumstances under which this discourse was delivered. What does our Saviour declare Himself to be? What does He mean by the true vine? Who is the husbandman? What is a husbandman? 2. Who are the branches? Ver. 5. What is done with the branch that bears not fruit? What is meant by bearing fruit? What is meant by taking away? May one be a branch in Christ and yet bear no fruit? What is done with the branch which bears fruit? what is it to purge? What is the object of the purging? By what means are Christians purged? How does this correspond with the way in which the vine is treated? 3. What does Jesus here say of His disciples? What does He mean by clean? How had they been made clean? Does this mean that they needed no further cleansing? 4. What is it to abide in Christ? May one be in Him, and yet not abide in Him? How alone can the branch keep alive and bear fruit? What becomes of it if it is cut off from the vine? How alone can Christians keep alive and bear fruit? What becomes of them if they do not abide in Christ? 5. What does Jesus again say of the relation between Himself and His disciples? What is it in the branch that keeps it alive and fruitful? The life of the vine. What is it in Christians, then, that keeps them alive and fruitful? The life of Christ, the true vine. When are we made branches of Christ and partakers of His life? At our baptism. Is this sufficient? What more is necessary? 6. What becomes of him who does not abide in Christ? What fire is meant? Is it proba ble that many Christians will perish in this way? Ought we to fear lest this may befall us? What, then, ought we to do? |