not prescribed in the Old Testament. It was an institution which sprang up probably during the Captivity, and spread through the towns of Palestine after the return. 'l'he Lord attended the synagogues; he kept the Feast of Dedication. They were institutions of the Jewish Church, not ordered in the Scriptures, but not repugnant to the Word of God. Christians should observe the ordinances of the Christian Church. (3) He preached the gospel of the kingdom, the good news that the kingdom of heaven was at hand-the kingdom of which Daniel had prophesied, the kingdom which should never be destroyed, the kingdom prefigured by the stone cut out without hands, which became a mountain and filled the whole earth. He himself was the King; the four whom he had called, the few disciples who followed him, were the beginning of the kingdom-the kingdom which was destined to fill the whole earth. It was good news, indeed; it spoke of peace, and purity, and love, and hope beyond the grave to a world wearied out with war and lust and cruelty, a world which had lost what faith there once was in God, in goodness, in immortality. 2. His miracles. He would do no mighty works to relieve his own hunger or to display his own power; but he was ever ready to listen to the cry of pain and sorrow. He would do no miracle at the bidding of the tempter or to satisfy the curiosity of Herod; now among scenes of suffering he was prodigal of his miraculous energy. He teaches us by his Divine example that holy teaching and works of Christian love should go together. His followers must show loving care, not only for the souls, but also for the bodies of the sick and suffering, for so did the blessed Lord himself. It is vain to preach the gospel of love unless we show the power of that gospel by works of love ourselves. He was moved with com- passion for suffering humanity; his followers have built hospitals and ministered to the sick and dying. Care for the sick is one of the marks by which the King recognizes the blessed children of his Father, He cared for them himself; hiR true disciples imitate him. 3. The multitudes. Crowds followed him now. His fame spread from 11orth to south through the whole Holy Land, and even beyond its borders. They came from Decapolis and from Jerusalem, from the half-heathen country peopled by the descendants of Alexander's soldiers, and from the holy city, the centre of the influence of Pharisees and priests. His iniluence spread wider and wider; his holy teaching, his works of mercy, attracted crowds from every quarter. It seemed as if the whole world was going after him, as if a.ll Palestine would submit to his authority. It was not to be so; sunshine would give place to darkness, favour to persecution. The disciples of the Lord must not trust in popular applause; they may have it, it comes sometimes; but it is uncertain, fickle, not to be relied on. We must do our duty, looking simply to Jesus, not to human praise. LESSONS. 1. The Lord calls his ministering servants. They must follow him ; they must preach where bis providence sends them; they must watch for souls as they that must give account. 2. They must preach repentance and the good news of the king- dom ; they must care, as far as Hes in their power, for the sick and suffering. 3. They must give no heed to the praise of men; they mus.t think only of saving souls and pleasing their Lord.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. !.-Christ tempted. The very fact that Christ was subject to temptation is Immensely significant, both as regards his nature and life and as regards our experience of tern ptation. I. Trrn PICTURE OF CHBIBT. We see him assailed by the tempter, wrestling ~ith the fiend, and flinging the monster at every bout. Jesus tempted in the wilderness a11pears very different from the Christ seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Here some remarkable features of his nature and work are unveiled. 1. His perfect humanity. Plainly Jesus was a Man. He lacked nothing that is truly and essentially human. He had a human soul to be tempted, as well as a human body to suffer hunger. In the temptation he comes down to the level of our poor, toiliug, fighting humanity. Thus all the grandeur of his Divinity does not remove one jot from the completeness of bis humanity. 2. Hu brotherly sympathy. "He was in all points tempted like as we arc, yet without ein" (Heb. iv. 15), in order that he might be able to succour the tem1,ted (Hcb. il. 18). This was his api:>renticeship to his office of High Priest, He llll. xv.1-25.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 11'.J