What disease had as these ten men, yet if you are ungrateful upon any occasion, of what are you guilty in the sight of God? Of the same crime. these ten men? The Leprosy. In what countries is it common? In hot countries. What has prevented its continuing to be common in England? The use of vegetables and the improvements in trades and cleanliness. When these men had been cured of this loathsome disease in a most miraculous manner, how many turned away without expressing a word of thanks for the gift? Nine. Teacher. Human nature, without the assistance of divine grace, (given to us through the merits of our Saviour,) is the same in all ages and in all countries. Ingratitude is one of its common vices,it springs from pride, which you have often been told drove Satan from heaven. His pride made him ungrateful, and when any one of you receive a benefit and do not acknowledge it, you may be sure that the pride which springs from him reigns in your hearts. Questions. What is human nature, in all ages, without the assistance of divine grace ? The same. By what means is this divine grace given to us? By the merits of our Saviour. Which is one of the com mon vices of human nature without religion? Ingratitude. What does ingratitude spring from? From pride. What drove Satan from heaven? Pride. If you receive a benefit and are too proud to acknowledge it, are you not acting from the same bad motive? Yes. Teacher. Another bad picture these lepers give of human nature,—when a favour was to be asked, they all joined together in cries for relief, but when their prayer was heard and relief was granted, each followed his own inclination, forgetful of the hand that had bestowed the favour, and of the fellowship in which they had joined, all but the Samaritan; he no sooner saw that he was healed, than he turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God and fell down on his face at our Saviour's feet giving Him thanks. His faith had made him whole, that is, it had made him worthy to receive so great a mercy. The same faith and grateful feelings would doubtless make him to continue to lead a good life, glorifying God, and serving Him in faithfulness and truth. The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity. ST. MATTHEW, vi. 24, 25, 26. "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body what ye shall put on is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment ? Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them." Teacher. Your Maker expects, as you grow older, to reign absolutely (that is entirely) in your hearts. He will not be served by halves. He will not accept of a divided empire. You cannot serve God and Mammon. Mammon is a Syriac word, and is sometimes interpreted to mean riches, but in the sense here used, it means all love of the world which lessons or weakens your love of, and duty to, God. Questions. As you grow older, and have the power of considering your several duties and situations in life, how does your Maker expect to reign in your hearts? Absolute. How will He not be served? By halves. What will He not accept? A divided empire. What two masters cannot you love? God and Mammon. Of what language is the word Mammon? Syriac. How is it sometimes interpreted? To mean riches. In what sense is it here used? All love of the world which lessens or weakens our love and duty to God. Teacher. For instance-If you love your play too well, and forget to say your prayers or learn your task, you are then loving Mammon instead of the great God of Heaven, to whom you owe every thing you enjoy, or have the power of enjoying.-Remember the lecture of last Sunday upon the ingratitude of the nine lepers; God indeed does not command you, or any of His creatures to abstain from amusement and recreation, provided you follow them in moderation, and without injury to others or yourselves; but He also commands you to obey Him first, and then you are sure to "do all things decently and in order." Questions. What are the instances 1 have given in which you may be guilty of loving Mammon, rather than God? If we love our play too well, and forget to say our prayers, or learn our task. To whom do you owe every thing you enjoy, and every thing you have the power of enjoying? The great God of heaven. What was the subject of the lecture last Sunday? The ingratitude of the nine lepers. Does not God allow you and all His creatures amusement and recreation? Yes. Upon what conditions ? Provided we use them in moderation, and without injury to others or ourselves. What does He command you to do first? To obey Him. And if you obey Him, that is, if you remember His commandments, to do them, how will you then be sure to do all things? "Decently and in order." Teacher. Your Saviour then proceeds to say in the verses you have been repeating, "Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat," &c., that is, be not anxious and depend more on yourself than on God. Carry not your carefulness to such an extreme, that it engages your thoughts and time, when they ought to be turned to God. The religion of Christ, so far from forbidding you to be careful, forbids you to be idle. He who does not work, shall not eat; and whoever neglects to provide for those of his own household, is worse than an infidel. These are the words of the apostles, |