truths in their simple, innocent talk. Still God perfectetb praise out the months of babes and sucklings. He accepts the children's prayer; he listens to the children's hymn. Nay, the prayers and praises of children are our example; for they are offered up in sfmplicity and truth. LEBBONB, 1. " The Lord is in his holy temple:" enter it with reverence. 2, His house is a house of prayer; drive out worldly thoughts; bush your hearts into solemn attention. 3, Bring the little ones early to church; teach them the words of prayer and praise; their praises are acceptable unto God. Vere. 17-22.-The 'l'etwrn to the temple. I. THE WALK TO AND FROM BETHANY, 1. The Swnday evening. The Lord left the temple "when he had looked round upon all thingR." He had no home in the royal city. He went out unto Bethany, and there he lodged, perhaps in the house of Lazarus, perhaps, as many pilgrims did, in a booth on the hillside, or under the shelter of the trees. "The Son of man hath not where to lay his head." 2. Monday, Very early the Lord returned to the city. It seems he had eaten nothing; he hungered on the way, He was poor in this world. Let us learn of him to be content in poverty and hardships. TI. THE BARREN FIG TREE. 1. The curse. It stood alone, a consplc;11ous object. It was full of leaves. The time for figs was not yet, but this tree was singularly forward, precocious; the leaves promised early fruit, "hasty fruit before the summer" (Isa, xxviii. 4). It had none; it was ba1Ten. The Lord said. "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever;" ••-and presently the fig tree withered away." The miracle was symbolical, an acted parable. The priests and scribes whom the Lord was about to confront were like that fig tree-fair to look upon. They were held in honour, some for their official rank, some for their supposed .righteousness, but they brought not forth the fruits of holiness. Such must wither when the Lord's searching eye is fixed l!pon them, when he comes seeking fruit. Leaves will not take the place of fruit, out- ward profession will not atone for the absence of holiness of heart and life. That fig tree was a meet emblem of the hypocrite. There were other trees without fruit; but they made no show of special forwardness-they were leafless still. This one tree was conspicuous for its foliage, but it had no fruit hidden beneath its leaves. The other trees might yet bring forth fruit in due time; this one had exhausted itself in leaves. Such a show of life is worthless· in the sight of God ; it is not life, it is only a false appearance; it may deceive men, it cannot deceive God. "I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thon livest, and art dead." Many professing Christians seem to us like that fig tree, 'l'e.ke we heed to ourselves. The Lord passed on, his hunger unappeased. The:whole world was his, the cattle on a thousand hills; yet he hungered, for be had taken our flesh, • He suffered e.s we suffer; he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, He went on to Jerusalem, to the temple, Now apparently (accord- ing to the more exact order of St. Mark) took place that expulsion of unhallowed traffic, the miracles, the hosannas of the children, and the interference of the priests, which have been already related by anticipation in St. Matthew's Gospel. "When even was come, he went out of the city." 2. The astonishment of the disciples. The words of the Lord produced an immediate effect. The life of the tree, such as it was, was at once arrested; the sap ceased to circulate, the leaves began to wither. But it seems from the more minute account in St. Mark, that the disciples did not observe the result till they passed the tree again iu going to Jerusalem on the Tuesday morning. Then they marvelled, saying, "How soon is the fig tree withered r.way I " We wonder at their wonder, 'l'hey had seen many wondrous manifestations of the Lord's mighty power : why should they wonder now? They were still weak in faith- as the nine had bee!l when they sought iii vain to cast out the evil spirit beneath the Mount of the Transfiguration. The Lord repeats the lesson which he gave them then, "H1we faith in God;" doubt not, Donbt destroys the strength of prayer. He that doubteth will not receive anything ·of the Lord; but if we ask in steadfast, undoubting faith, then there is the blessed promise, '' All things are possible to him that believeth," for the prayer of undoubting faith availeth much with God. What was done to the Jig tree, the Lord said, was a small thing for faith to do ; faith could do things grea.ter {e.r. The psalmist had sung of the Mount Zion, "It cannot be removed : it abideth for ever." But the Lord said, pointing, it may be, to the mountains round Jerusalem, 332 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [OH. xxr.1--4:6.
" If ye shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, it shall be done." Faith can remove mountains; difficulties vanish before the prayer of faith. Set the Lord's promises before you when you pray; claim them as your own; realize them, trust in them ; pray with persevering importunity, and, doubt not, you shall receive what you ask in faithful prayer. '!'his or that sin may seem like a mountain, rooted deep in the heart, immovable; but pray against it, pray that it may be cast out; pray in faith, believing in God's power, believing in his love, and it shall be done. It is our want of faith which makes our prayers so weak. If we fully believed that God is able and willing to cleanse us from all uarighteousness, to make us whiter than snow, we should, in our own actual lives, overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, and be more than conquerors through him who loved us. LESSONS. 1. Let it be our most ea.mest effort to be true and faithful, not to seem to bo so. Hypocrisy is hateful in the sight of God. 2. Pray for a strong, undoubting faith; it is God's most precious gift. 3. Pray always; believe in the power of prayer.