air; be simply fed the hungry. Moreover, be gave what be received, and of the same kind. Ho will bless our work according to its character and quality. He gives the increase, but H is according to the seed we sow-" after its kind." Surely this miracle is more than a miracle; it is a sacrament, a sacred symbol, as our Lord shows in the discourse that follows in St. John's account (John vi.). Christ ie the real Dread of life, feeding hungry souls.-W. F. A. Vere. 22-33.- Wallcing on the sea. The wonderful feeding of the thousands pro- duced a great effect, rousing the multitude to enthusiasm, so that the people actually tried to force on an insurrection in support of the kingship of Jesus, and so that he had to dismiss them with haste, sending his disciples across the sea, and retiring to the mountains for prayer. Then it was that the sudden squall fell on the lake, and the need of his disciples called him to their aid. L JESUS IN PRAYER. 1. He was much in prayer. No doubt he thus obtained spiritual refreshment after the toils and vexations of the day. Here he found the joy of communion with his Father without distracting inflnences. To Jesus prayer was a necessity; it was also a joy. He could not have treated it as a formal duty. If Christ could not live without prayer, i8 it possible for the Christian to be healthy in the neg- lect of it? 2. He prayed in solitude. He hated the showy prayers of the religious people of his day, ostentatiously offered up in the market-place, primly uttered in the synagogue. He hungered to be alone with God. He found God among the mountains. 3. He payed at critical moments. E.g. at the grave of Lazarw, in Gethsemane. Now there was great danger of an insurrection which would wreck his plans. To him, too, the third temptation may have returned, and he may have sought strength to overcome it. Prayer is most valuable in the soul's hardest struggles with temptation. II. THE DISCIPLES IN TROUBLE. Away from their Master they were overtaken by a tempest. It would seem that they were rowing up north in order to take Jesus on board at a spot further along the eastern shore. Therefore it was for his sake that they were facing the contrary ,vind, for had they turned directly homewards they would have been able to run before the gale. Trouble may come upon the servants of Christ in their very efforts to keep near him and to serve him. III. THE COMING OF CHRIST. In that wild, dark night, while the wind la.shed the sea to fury, it must have howled with fearful blasts among the rocks of the wilderness where Jesus stood alone in his prayer, and then he must have recognized the danger this would mean to his disciples. He was never selfish in his devotions. It was his habit to permit the interruption of his most sacred hours of retirement by some cry of distress, some appeal for help. So he came down to his disciples on the sea. It must have been an act of faith on his part to venture on the black, boiling waters. But faith was working through love. The sea must be risked in an unheard-of miracle to save his friends out on its waste of waters. It is not surprising that the disciples could not believe their eyes, and mistook their Saviour for a spectre. Sometimes his deliver- ances are quite as unexpected, and almost too good to be believed. It is difficult for our faith to keep pace with his far-reaching grace. IV. ST. PETER's Aovi;:NTUnE. This singular sequel is quite true to the character of the apostle. His impetuosity, his enthusiasm for Christ, his la.il~e to measlll'8 his own weakness, are all in accordance with what we know of" the prince of the apostles.n But perhaps in the incident we may detect a touch of humour. There was no neces- sity for the apostle to walk on the water. Yet Christ indulged his whim and permitted it to he a means of revealing Peter's weakness, and of introducing one source of strength. Foolish, needless, and even ridiculous adventures may be turned to good ends. We learn to know Christ even by means of the follies of which we are heartily a.shamed.- W. F. A. Ve1s. 1, 2, 3-5, 6-12 (see a.lso Mark vi. 14-16; 17-20, 21-29; Luke ix. 7- 9 ; iii. 19, 20).-The ruin of reckless rashness. Note, in introduction, that in an historio point of view this strstch of verses, numbering twelve in our Gospel and seventeen in St. Mark's Gospel, is remarknble for the way in which it gives the information with which it is chnrged. The same way is identically followed in the parallel of St. Mark; and one not dissimilar in its leading feature in that of St. Luke. As regards the two 78 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [on. xiv. ]~G.
formC'r, the narrative, starting from the faci that Herod ie startled by the growing notoriety and repute of Jesus, continues(until, indeed, it finds its end) by glances at two several retrospective passages of the history (an ill history) made by him. These two retrospective glimpses concern Herod's first and second dealings with John the Be.ptist -hon·,flr.st, he was tempted to put him in prison, and yielded to the temptation; and how, secondly, he was snared on by his own sin, in first, second, and third degree, till he put him to denth by beheadini;( him. Notice this career in its simplest steps of sin. l. A MARRIAGE ALLIAN0E INCESTUOUS, ADULTEROUS, AND AT THE EXPENSE OF A IlALF-DROTHER, II. A GOOD MAN IMPRISONED FOB HOLY TESTIMONY AGAINST THIS, IIU.tlE IN THIii U1'"DE1'1ED DISCHARGE OF HIS DUTY AS A PROPHET OF RELIGION, III. BY THAT IMPRISONMENT, NOT ONLY CRUEL PRESENT INJUSTICE DONE TO THE ~ICTIM, DUT THE WAY PAVED FOR THE PERPETRATION OF YET WORSE OBUELTY AND IN1QD,TY. • IV. UNDER THE STIMULUS OF DEBAU0IIERY, .A. BOASTFUL AND REOXLESB PBOMIBB MADE. "V. UNDER THE BLTh"'DEDNESS OF DEBAUCHERY, .A. SNARE LAID, WHICH TOO EFFECTUALLY FITTED IN WITH RISKS ALREADY SELF-HAZARDED AND SELF-OHALLENGED. VI. THE SNARE E1'"'TEBED WITH VAINLY HEARD, VAINLY UTTERED BEMONBTRANCES OF CONSCIENCE. VII. IN THAT SNARE A TERRIBLE FALL; AND IBBETRIEVABLE HARM BOTH DONE A1'"'D TAKEN, VIII. LATER ON, OONSCIENCE CALLING ON A VERY FAITHFUL ALLY OALLED MEMORY, STARTLED AND GALVANIZED INTO LIFE BY CIRCUMSTANCES AND EVENTS THAT SHOULD HATI BEEN, AND EVEN EAb'ILY MIGHT HAVE BEEN, ALL MATTER OF INTEREST AND JOY-CBEATOilS Al-"'D STRENGTHENERS OF PEAOE INSTEAD OF DISTURBEBS AND DESTBOYEB.S OF IT.-B. •