inhabitants, when the promoters of the school, who contribute not less than £1 towards its erection, express a preference for that clause. Certain other limitations attached to the adoption of clause D, which are not yet settled.-English Journal of Education.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS.

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

COMING EVENTS FORETOLD.

LUKE xvii. 20-37.

20. The kingdom of God.-By this they understood the temporal kingdom which they expected the Messiah to set up with great pomp and splendour. (Compare ch. xiv. 15.)

21. Within you—that is, the reign of Christ in the heart.

22. Days of the Son of man.-Such seasons as you now enjoy, when the Son of man is personally with you.

24. In his day.-This seems to refer to the day in which he would inflict signal and open punishment upon those who rejected his Gospel-viz., at the destruction of Jerusalem; which day was itself figurative of the time of his coming again to judge the world, with which here, as in other places, it is closely connected.

31. Let him not come down.-There was generally a way down from the top of their houses directly into the street, which, of course, would be a shorter way of escape than going down into the house.

32. Lot's wife. She was lingering when she ought to have been hastening her escape, being unwilling to leave all behind her in Sodom; and, therefore, she was made a solemn warning to others who are prone to imitate her example. (See Gen. xix. 26.)

35. Grinding together.-The mill was formed of two stones, of which the top one was moveable, and it was generally turned by two women, one sitting on each side of it. (See Exodus xi. 5. Isaiah xlvii. 1, 2.)

37. The eagles.-The eagle was the standard of the Roman ar mies; and our Lord thus hints at the quarter from whence destruction would come upon them.

SUMMARY.

In answer to a question of the Pharisees, our Lord' gives certain intimations by which they might judge of the coming of his king

dom; including in the same description the events accompanying the destruction of Jerusalem, and his second advent.

LESSONS.

I. That is often the most important which excites least observation. V. 20. (Is. xlii. 2, 3. Rom. ii. 29.)

II. When opportunities have been suffered to pass unimproved, they may be wished for again in vain. V. 22. (Zech. vii. 13.)

III. Death and judgment may come upon us when we are least expecting them. V. 26-29. (1 Thess. v. 2, 3.)

IV. Beware of loitering and looking back. V. 31, 32. (Luke ix. 62. Heb. x. 38.)

V. Many who are connected together here, must be separated for ever hereafter. V. 34, 35. (Matt. xiii. 30-49, 50.)

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

THE UNJUST JUDGE.

LUKE XVIII. 1-8.

1. Always to pray.—We cannot be always in the act of prayer, but we may be in the habit and spirit of prayer; and there are no places or circumstances in which we may not lift up our hearts to God to hold communion with him, and obtain from him direction and strength. Here, however, the expression refers chiefly to our not growing weary and discouraged in prayer, and fainting or giving it up from the idea that we are not heard.

2. Regarded man.—Had no kindly feeling for his fellow-men, and no desire to do what was right towards them.

3. Avenge me.-Do me justice: set me free from oppression, and see that I have my rights.

5. Because this widow troubleth me.—To get rid of her importunity; for it seems she would give him no rest in urging her petition.

7. Shall not God.—If an unjust and wicked man could be thus prevailed upon, how much more will the God of love listen to the cries of his chosen people when they come to him with the like earnestness!

Bear long.-Seem for a time not to hear them; as he did with the Syrophenician woman. (Matt. xv. 23—27.)

- 8. Find faith.—Any who are exercising a lively faith—realizing his love-and really expecting the fulfilment of his promises. Some interpret this as a prophecy that there will be a wide spread of open infidelity at our Lord's second coming; but it does not appear necessarily to bear this meaning.

SUMMARY.

To encourage his disciples to constancy in prayer, our Lord gives them a parable describing a poor friendless widow, who gained her petition from an unfeeling judge by repeated entreaty; and hence he infers the certainty of success which must attend the prayers of his believing people.

LESSONS.

I. It is not enough simply to ask, we must persevere in asking. V. 1. (Rom. xii. 12.)

II. The fear of God is closely connected with the love of our fellow-men. V. 2. (Luke x. 27. 1 John iv. 20, 21.)

III. Whatever it is we are really anxious to obtain, we shall be earnest in seeking it. V. 3—5. (Gen. xxvii. 34, 36, 38.)

IV. The people of God will always be known as a praying people. V. 7. (Acts ix. 11.)

V. Though we may not seem to be answered at first, we are permitted and encouraged to go on praying, and are quite sure that if it is good for us, the blessing will not be finally withheld. V. 7. (Habakkuk ii. 3.)

VI. How few are there who are fully living in the believing enjoyment of the privileges they possess! V. 8. (Matt. xxv. 5-7. John iv. 10.)

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.
LUKE Xviii. 9-14.

9. Trusted in themselves that they were righteous.-Trusted in their own good character and conduct, as making them righteous in the sight of God. Such was particularly the case with the Pharisees who looked down with contempt upon all who did not come up to the standard of outward observances which they laid down for themselves.

11. God, I thank thee.—It is very probable that his outward conduct had been irreproachable: he also appeared, (though perhaps this might have been more a form than really feeling it,) to thank God as the author of all that was good in him; but there was no sense of sin, nor did he ask, or seem to be conscious of needing any thing from God.

12. Twice in the week.-The Pharisees were very particular in observing frequent seasons of fasting. (Matt. ix. 14.)

13. Standing afar off.-His whole conduct shewed that he deeply mourned over the sins of his past life, and felt himself unworthy; but yet cast himself upon the mercy of God for pardon.

14. Justified.-His prayer was heard, and he obtained that pardon which the other (unconscious of needing it) never asked for.

SUMMARY.

In another parable our Lord shews the spirit in which we are to pray, by comparing two men, one of whom came boasting of his own good character, and the other deeply humbling himself in the sight of God.

LESSONS.

I. Those who think highly of themselves are very prone to look down upon others, who, perhaps, in the sight of God are better thane themselves. V. 9. (Is. Lxv. 5.)

II. How very different is the character and state of mind of many who come to the house of God together! V. 10. (Ezek. xxxiii. 31.)

III. It is a great blessing to be kept from open sin, but we are not to be proud of it. V. 11, 12. (Phil. iii. 4—7.)

IV. If we do not feel our need, we shall never be in earnest in coming to the Saviour. V. 11, 12. (Rev. iii. 17, 18.)

V. The heart that is taught of God will be ashamed and grieved. at the sense of its own sinfulness. V. 13. (Job xlii. 5, 6.)

VI. It is the contrite sinner that is accepted of God. V. 14. (Ps. li. 17.)

ADVENT SUNDAY.

CHRIST BLESSING CHILDREN.

MARK X. 13-16.

(Compare Matt. xix. 13-15. and Luke xviii. 15—17.)

13. They brought—that is, their parents and friends brought them: they wished that he should "touch them," or, as St. Matthew expresses it, “that he should put his hands on them and pray," in the same way as Jacob blessed the children of Joseph. (Gen. xlviii. 12-20.)

Rebuked.—The children were in health, and did not need healing; they were probably too young to profit by his instructions, and the disciples seem therefore to have thought that it was giving useless trouble to their master, or perhaps they may have considered them as beneath his notice.

14. Much displeased.-He was displeased at the spirit they shewed, which was so contrary to his own spirit of lowliness and love; he was displeased also at their so mistaking and misrepresenting his character, and their conduct was especially inexcusable when we remember that it was but a short time before that he had taught them a lesson of humility by taking a little child, and setting it in the midst of them. (Ch. ix. 36, 37.)

Of such is the kingdom of God.-This may either refer to the visible church upon earth, into which children were admitted by circumcision under the law, and were still to be admitted by baptism under the Gospel; or to heaven itself, in the glories of which, we doubt not, infants partake, who die before they are old enough to commit actual sin.

15. As a little child.-In the same spirit of simplicity and humility which characterizes a little child.

SUMMARY.

Some parents brought their little children to Christ; these were at first repulsed by the disciples, but encouraged by our Lord, who, after rebuking the disciples, took the children, and gave them his blessing.

LESSONS.

I. Happy are those children who have parents that wish to bring them to Christ. V. 13. (1 Sam. i. 22-28. 2 Tim. i. 5.)

II. Even good men may sometimes make great mistakes. V. 13. (Gal. ii. 11-13.)

III. Jesus invites little children to come to him, and would not have any one hinder them. V. 14. (Prov. viii. 17. Matt. xviii. 6.)

IV. Jesus can make the youngest child fit for his service here, and his glory hereafter. V. 14. (Matt. xviii. 10-14.)

V. We must come to Christ in a teachable and humble spirit. V. 15. (Job xxxiv. 32. Luke x. 39.)

VI. Would you not like to have Christ take you, and make you his own child? V. 16. (Jer. iii. 4.)

ILLUSTRATIONS OF SCRIPTURE.

THRESHING OUT THE CORN.

AFTER the corn is brought home, the next thing is to thresh out the grain. This was done in different ways; sometimes by horses, (Is. xxviii. 28,) or by drawing the wheels of a cart over the corn; but more frequently by oxen, as mentioned by Hosea x. 11; and by Moses, (Deut. xxv. 4.) where he particularly says, that the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn is not to be muzzled to prevent him from eating. Travellers say, that this is observed at the present day, though the oxen are muzzled when employed in other things. The horses and oxen either trod out the corn with their feet, or dragged large stones and heavy pieces of wood, or the carriage al