Fourth Sunday after Trinity.

ST. LUKE vi. 36.

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you.

Teacher.

We are told in the 12th verse of this chapter that our Saviour went up into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day He called His disciples, and came down with them, and stood in the plain, where was assembled a great multitude of people, out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear His divine words, and to be healed of their diseases.

Questions.

What are we told in the 12th verse of this chapter? That our Saviour went up into a mountain to pray. How did He spend the night? In To whom did He pray ? prayer. To God. When it was day who did He call? His disciples. And where did they come down into? Into

A great multitude. people come from?

the plain. What or who were assembled there? Where did this multitude of From all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon. For what purpose did they come? To hear His divine discourses and to be healed of their infirmities.

Teacher.

The instructions He gave to the multitude were so admirable, that they may be truly said to come from God. They breathe the spirit of love to our fellow creatures, and hope of future happiness in a better world. The night He had spent in prayer seems to have brought down an increase of power to preach and to heal. He blesses the poor in spirit, (that is, the humble christian) and restores health and activity to the sick and infirm. We are told in the 19th verse, that virtue (or power) went out of Him, and healed them all.

Questions.

As the instructions our Saviour gave to the multitude were so admirable, (or worthy to be admired) from whom may they be truly said to come? From God. What spirit do they breathe, or rather what do they make us feel? Love to our fellow creatures, and hope of future happiness. What had the night He had spent in prayer unto

heaven, brought down upon Him? An increase of power to preach and heal. Can we, or ought we therefore to expect to do any good thing unless we also ask the assistance of God Almighty? No. Who does our Saviour bless? The poor in spirit. Who do you mean by the poor in spirit? humble Christian. What are we told in the 19th verse? That virtue or power went out of Him, and healed them all.

Teacher.

The

He afterwards orders us to bear wrongs patiently, and to love our enemies; that is not to owe them any ill will, and to do good and lend, hoping for nothing again; which if we do from a sincere love to God and a desire of obeying His commands, He tells us that we shall then bear some likeness to our heavenly Father, for He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil.-Then come the verses you have been learning and repeating to me this morning. -Such generous sentiments and noble motives, were never revealed to mankind before; particularly the forgiveness of injuries, which by the Jewish law, were allowed to be returned;—an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

Questions.

What does our Saviour teach you to bear patiently? Wrongs. Who are you to love? Our

Enemies. Do you mean by that you are to love them as much as you do your nearest relations? No. Does it not mean that you are not to bear them any ill will? Yes. When you do good and lend, what are you not to hope for? Any thing again. Let me here caution you, that if any of you borrow, and do not pay again, you are not honest; it does not mean to encourage dishonesty, but true generosity and Christian principles. whom is God Almighty kind? To the unthankful and to the evil.

To

What were never revealed to Such generous sentiments and Did the Jewish law teach the for

mankind before? noble motives. giveness of injuries?

No.

Teacher.

You ought to be thankful that you live in Christian times, which in many respects are much happier than were ever known before." Be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful"-Be merci ful not only to your fellow creatures, but to every kind of animal that comes within your power-to the horse, the ass, the dog &c. It is said in the book of Proverbs, that a good man is merciful to his beast; and no one who thinks, (as all of you should do because you are here taught to think) can treat a dumb creature cruelly; when you consider, that the same God made it as well as your

selves, and has given it means of enjoyment if you do not commit the sin of destroying those

means.

Questions.

To

What ought you to be thankful for? That we live in Christian times. You are not only to be merciful to one another, but to what else? animals within our power. What is said in Proverbs? A good man is merciful &c. Where are you taught to think? Here. Who made animals as well as you? God. Have you then any right to make them miserable? No.

The Fifth Sunday after Trinity.

ST. LUKE, v. 1st and following verses.

"It came to pass, that as the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesareth; and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And He entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's; and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land: and He sat down and taught the people out of the ship."

Teacher.

We are told by St. Matthew in the 4th chapter of his gospel and at the 12th verse, that when our Saviour heard of John the Baptist being cast into